Kings sign Caleb Jones to a 1-year, two-way contract

• July 6, 2024

The Kings signed free agent defenseman Caleb Jones to a one-year, two-way contract worth up to $775,000, the team announced in a news release on Friday.

Jones, 27, spent last year in the Colorado Avalanche organization, skating in 25 games with the Avs and a dozen more with their top minor-league affiliate. He had five points at the NHL level and six in the minors.

In his career, he has accumulated 55 points in 242 games played for the Edmonton Oilers, who drafted him in the fourth round in 2015, as well as the Chicago Blackhawks and Colorado.

Jones comes from an athletic family. Not only is his brother, Chicago’s Seth Jones, an All-Star defenseman, but both brothers were born in the Dallas area because their father Ron “Popeye” Jones was then a power forward for the NBA’s Mavericks. He won an NBA championship as an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets last year.

Until last year with Colorado, Caleb had limited opportunities to pursue a championship of his own, having played in just two playoff games as part of Edmonton’s ephemeral showing in 2020. He skated in three postseason contests with the Avs last year before they lost in the second round.

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Jones is a two-way defenseman with puck-moving skills, a little offense in his game and some physicality as well, though he’s struggled to stick as a full-time NHL player with that package. His most frequent dressing and deployment came with Chicago in 2021-22 and 2022-23, when he averaged 62 games per campaign while playing in the same lineup as his brother.

The Kings have been reconfiguring their defense corps to a significant degree this offseason. They let Matt Roy walk in free agency (he signed with Washington), traded for Kyle Burroughs, signed Joel Edmundson and appear likely to expand the role of prospect Brandt Clarke. Like Burroughs, Andreas Englund and Jacob Moverare, Jones currently projects as a depth blue-liner who seems destined for either the minor leagues or an interstitial position as a rostered but scratched player.

​ Orange County Register 

Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal comes full circle Saturday

• July 6, 2024

Five years ago next month, Nate Diaz sketched out a circle in Anaheim that, on Saturday, is fated to close where it began.

Following a unanimous-decision victory over former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis in 2019, Diaz, the one-of-a-kind combat sports star from Stockton, Calif., stood in the Octagon at Honda Center and conjured something out of nothing.

B. Baddest. M. Mother. F. You get the gist.

The BMF belt was divined during a postfight moment that undressed the sport of mixed martial arts and many of the fighters under contract to the industry-dominating UFC, for which the pot-smoking, profanity-dropping, oft-misunderstood Diaz had morphed into an anti-hero prior to striking out on his own as a free agent in 2022.

A foil for sportsmen. A foil for meatheads. A foil for brawlers. A foil for tacticians. The guy to root for, for all the right reasons, wrong reasons … or no reason whatsoever.

Coming off a majority-decision defeat to Conor McGregor in 2016, Diaz’s MMA record stood at 18-11 prior to having his hand raised against Pettis following the co-main event of UFC 241 in Anaheim.

An emerging cult figure, Diaz proved capable of pulling off what most professional athletes with win-loss records like his never could. That made the call-out of Jorge Masvidal, who was seated inside Honda Center among a cache of fighters the night of the Pettis fight, all the more audacious.

From Diaz’s perspective, UFC title belts – the trophies fighters generally do whatever they can to have wrapped around their waists – were blah, whatever. That he wasn’t the caliber of fighter to hold a title didn’t actually matter.

From now on he was interested in fighting opponents who, like him, he said, were considered “the baddest.”

But not necessarily the best.

At the time, few fighters fit the bill better than Masvidal.

Coming off a five-second flying-knee knockout of Ben Askren, the Miami-based mixed martial artist and bare-knuckle street fighter embraced his inner Tony Montana. The world was for the taking, the Cuban-American presumed well before Diaz’s moment of inspiration, and all the Californian did was pour gasoline on an inferno.

A few months later, the UFC capitalized on the viral moment and promoted Diaz versus Masvidal in a main-event clash for the first BMF title fight at Madison Square Garden.

Masvidal walked away with the embossed belt in anticlimactic fashion when the ringside physician ended the bout after the third round due to cuts above Diaz’s right eye.

In a sporting sense, the outcome meant nothing. But as the figment of Diaz’s imagination sprang to life, not only did the title survive whatever criticism there was about the creation of UFC-trademarked vanity titles, the concept continued to the point that, a half decade on from their initial clash, the UFC has promoted two more BMF-branded contests and the BMF OGs are ready to cash in on the idea again.

Such that they exist, stakes around the bout for the pair of 39-year-old warriors have nothing to do with moving up the competitive food chain; elevating their contendership status; or claiming a title.

Diaz is fighting because that’s what he does.

“We’re ready to fight, nothing else,” Diaz said. “It’s kill or be killed. He’s done a lot of impressive [expletive], but I’m gonna be ready for him.”

Masvidal will show up for legacy – and the biggest payday of his career.

“Only thing I’ve ever brought to combat sports is violence and a little technique,” Masvidal said. “That’s how I get my hand raised.”

That volatile combination defines the intrigue of their rematch Saturday, a 10-round boxing contest in the light heavyweight division that fronts a $49.99 pay-per-view presented by Fanmio, a digital platform that stumbled into the combat sports business in 2021 when it was involved with an exhibition boxing bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Logan Paul.

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Originally scheduled for June 1 at the Kia Forum in Inglewood with a pay-per-view price point of $79.99, the promotion backed off that date less than a month before the fighters were set to step in the ring due to sluggish ticket sales and the fact that they would have run head-to-head against the UFC.

Without the UFC promotional machine, the most attention the rematch received came last month following a brawl between the fighters’ camps in front of Honda Center, where, fittingly, Diaz’s BMF concept took flight.

​ Orange County Register 

Anime Expo brings thousands of fans, cosplayers to the LA Convention Center

• July 6, 2024

For fans of anime and Japanese pop culture, art, fashion and entertainment — the Los Angeles Anime Expo is in town.

The expo, now in its 33rd year, kicked off on July 4 at the Los Angeles Convention Center and ends Sunday, July 7. Thousands of fans and entertainers gathered for four days of programming and showcases, organized by the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation. Many came decked out in cosplay of their favorite characters, movies and series, with plenty of fun interactions.

Jewyls Bui, who came to Anime Expo weekend from Stockton, said that she and her friends were taking Friday to explore the shopping opportunities, dressed as characters from the Sanrio franchise.

Amy Villegas said this was her third time at Anime Expo, this time with her two children Nami and Michelle, who were also dressed up as characters from the anime “Demon Slayer.” They were excited to attend a panel where they learned to make origami rings and balloons.

Anime Expo is the largest celebration of Japanese pop culture, music, video games and popular art in North America, taking place every year since 1992, organizers said. Programs included professional industry panels, talent shows, autographs with voice actors, a comedy show, tabletop gaming, a “butler” and “maid” cafe, cosplay contest and more.

Kim Saleem, who came dressed as Eve from “Stellar Blade,” said she has been going the expo with friends since 2010, and sees it as a place to show off cosplay creations, and to go shopping.

“I feel like dressing up adds a different level of fun,” Saleem said.

Li Nguyen, 20, said he would be going to five more panels before the end of Friday, and was looking forward to attending special previews for new anime projects over the weekend.

This year’s Anime Expo lineup included exclusive premieres, celebrations, panels, talent appearances and more, along with special guests including creators like Ryōko Kui, Shōji Kawamori, director Katsura Hashino and Studio Ghibli’s Yoichi Nishikawa.

The event continues through Sunday, July 7. For more information, visit www.anime-expo.org.

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Kabosu, the Shiba Inu who helped define the Doge meme, dies at 18
Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi is ‘tickled pink’ to inspire a Barbie doll

​ Orange County Register 

Ducks’ development camp provides look at a promising future

• July 6, 2024

IRVINE — The Ducks wrapped up their development camp on Friday with a high-scoring three-on-three scrimmage that offered perhaps the most illuminating glimpses of the franchise’s future this week.

It also had some links to the organization’s history as Scott Niedermayer’s team, led by Cutter Gauthier and Yegor Sidorov, edged Ryan Getzlaf’s squad, which featured both of the Ducks’ first-round picks in last weekend’s draft, Beckett Sennecke and Stian Solberg.

The 6-foot-3 Sennecke grew five inches and further expanded his offensive game, catapulting him from fringe first-rounder to the third overall selection. His wide-eyed, slack-jawed reaction first became a meme and then a t-shirt, with “What the Duck?” shirt preorders opening this week.

“It’s been a whirlwind, for sure, but it finally settled down here the last couple days. It was a pretty demanding trip, but it was fun,” Sennecke said.

“The expectation is the big thing. I’m a third overall pick now, so that comes with a lot of high expectations, not just from everyone else but from myself as well,” he added.

Matt McIlvane, the coach of the Ducks’ top minor-league affiliate, was on the ice with the Ducks’ prospects, as were Niedermayer and Getzlaf.

“How do you not look at Ryan and listen to what he has to say?” McIlvane asked. “He’s a legend of the game and the organization. With that experience comes great knowledge, and also instant credibility for the players.”

Sennecke joked that Getzlaf gave him “a shootout move to do, and it didn’t work out,” though he did score with a gorgeous hesitation move on a breakaway.

He said he felt the Ducks were attracted to him because of his multifaceted game, particularly on offense.

The Toronto native sprouted nearly half a foot in roughly a year, which lengthened his stride but also required some adjustment in terms of balance and coordination, among other benefits and detriments.

“I was smaller, so I had to play that small game, really shifty, quick on my feet and avoiding checks. Then, when I grew, I kept that small person’s game and had a bigger body,” Sennecke said. “My bones grew faster than my muscles could keep up with, so I’m a little leaner.”

Sennecke said he was able to connect with Gauthier, with the duo now considered the top two prospects in one of the NHL’s elite young talent pools.

“He’s a great person off the ice and a really skilled player. He’s strong and powerful. It’s good to learn from those guys who have been through it before,” Sennecke said.

Gauthier, who was a lottery pick by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2022, had been through the experience with his prior club. He was traded to the Ducks in January, playing only Game 82 for the club after going all the way to the NCAA title game with Boston College.

“On our very first day, we had a meeting with our mental performance coach,” McIlvane said. “When she asked what were a couple of things we could focus on for the week, what Cutter said right away was, ‘I want to be a leader for the guys that are experiencing camp for the first time.’”

Another player experiencing development camp and an NHL setting for the first time was defenseman Stian Solberg, whom the Ducks traded up to select 23rd overall.

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Solberg started out playing soccer but moved from the pitch to the ice. Similarly, he transformed from a skill-oriented player – he scored a goal in Friday’s scrimmage and had multiple eye-catching outlet passes – into a waking nightmare for opponents.

He showed off his ability to use his physique and formidable mean streak earlier in the week. While Sennecke was quick to offer that defense and physical strength were his main developmental emphases, Solberg displayed both in spades during a drill where players had to defend without a stick. His positioning was flawless as he won the battle sans stick then tossed his opponent to the ice.

“I just really like to play hard. I really enjoy the physical part of the game. Really, it comes naturally, I don’t see why not to play hard,” Solberg said. “One day I just started and I’ve been developing the game from that time.”

​ Orange County Register 

Angel City FC hosts Gotham FC in final game before Olympic break

• July 6, 2024

The NWSL regular season is moving quickly and, just like last season, Angel City Football Club is in a fight for the playoffs.

This season, instead of six of 12 teams qualifying, there are eight headed to the playoffs in what is now a 14-team league.

Angel City (4-8-3, 15 points) enters the final week before the Olympic break in 11th place, but just three points behind Bay FC for the final playoff spot.

Angel City has 11 games remaining, including Saturday’s second meeting against defending champion NJ/NY Gotham FC.

“You have to set yourself up going forward with momentum,” ACFC defender Merritt Mathias said after Sunday’s 3-0 loss against Orlando. “We have to show up in our best form. That is what we’re signed up for as professional athletes. If you drop points against teams you shouldn’t drop points against, then you find yourself in a really tough position and that’s where we are now. I think we have to buckle up and get ready for the ride that’s to come.”

Of the final 11 games, Angel City has six at home (Gotham, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, Washington and Utah) and five on the road (San Diego, Racing Louisville, Seattle, North Carolina and Portland).

“I think there’s an understanding that at some point people will stop investing if you don’t win games,” Matthias said. “That’s what we’re in the business of. … We want to win, it’s not for a lack of trying, a game like this (last Sunday) and then next against Gotham, it becomes evident that you have to pick up points against Bay … you have to win those games and set yourself up going forward with momentum.

“It puts a lot of pressure on us as a team, but we have to show up. We’re halfway through and we have to start putting points on the board.”

International duty calls

The NWSL has a mandatory break starting Monday through July 14. It will be a busy one for several Angel City players due to international call-ups.

Ali Riley will be departing to join New Zealand for the upcoming Olympics. Alyssa Thompson (USWNT), Claire Emslie (Scotland) and Rocky Rodriguez (Costa Rica) will be joining their respective national teams during the break. Also, Gisele Thompson will join the U.S. U-20 team for games against Mexico and Kennedy Fuller will be with the U.S. U-17 team for a camp in Atlanta and games against Brazil.

Summer Cup upcoming

Angel City will soon turn its attention toward the inaugural NWSL-Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup.

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The competition will run from July 18 until Aug. 24, with NWSL play on a break. All 14 NWSL teams will compete, along with six Liga MX clubs (Tigres, America, Chivas, Monterrey, Pachuca and Tijuana)

Angel City is in Group B, along with San Diego Wave FC, Bay FC and Club America. Angel City will open July 20 against Club America at Cal State Fullerton’s Titan Stadium. The second game will be on the road against Bay FC on July 26. The final group stage game is Aug. 1 back at Titan Stadium against San Diego Wave FC.

NJ/NY GOTHAM FC at ANGEL CITY FC

When: Saturday, 7 p.m.

Where: BMO Stadium

TV: ION

​ Orange County Register 

Wisconsin Supreme Court changes course, will allow expanded use of ballot drop boxes this fall

• July 6, 2024

By TODD RICHMOND

MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Friday that officials can place ballot drop boxes around their communities in this fall’s elections, overturning its own ruling two years ago limiting their use in the presidential swing state.

The court limited the use of drop boxes in July 2022, ruling then that they could be placed only in local election clerks’ offices and no one other than the voter could return a ballot in person.

Conservatives controlled the court at that time, but Janet Protasiewicz’s election victory in April 2023 flipped the court to liberal control. Seeing an opening, Priorities USA, a progressive voter mobilization group, asked the court in February to revisit the decision.

At least 29 other states allow for absentee ballot drop boxes, according to the U.S. Vote Foundation, and expanded use in Wisconsin could have major implications in the presidential race.

Wisconsin again figures to be a crucial swing state after President Joe Biden barely won it in 2020 and Donald Trump narrowly took it in 2016. Democrats believe that making it easier to vote absentee will boost turnout for their side.

The justices announced in March they would review the ban on drop boxes but wouldn’t consider any other parts of the case. The move drew the ire of the court’s conservatives, who accused the liberals of trying to give Democrats an advantage this fall. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in April urged the court to again allow drop boxes.

The court ruled 4-3 on Friday that drop boxes can be utilized in any location.

Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, one of the court’s four liberal justices, wrote for the majority that placing a ballot in a drop box set up and maintained by a local election clerk is no different than giving the ballot to the clerk, regardless of the box’s location. Local clerks have great discretion in how they administer elections and that extends to using and locating drop boxes, she added.

“Our decision today does not force or require that any municipal clerks use drop boxes,” Bradley wrote. “It merely acknowledges what (state law) has always meant: that clerks may lawfully utilize secure drop boxes in an exercise of their statutorily-conferred discretion.”

All three conservative justices dissented. Justice Rebecca Bradley wrote that the liberals are simply trying to advance their political agenda and criticized them for ignoring the precedent set by the 2022 ruling.

“The majority in this case overrules (the 2022 decision) not because it is legally erroneous, but because the majority finds it politically inconvenient,” Bradley wrote. “The majority’s activism marks another triumph of political power over legal principle in this court.”

The popularity of absentee voting exploded during the pandemic in 2020, with more than 40% of all voters casting mail ballots, a record high. At least 500 drop boxes were set up in more than 430 communities for the election that year, including more than a dozen each in Madison and Milwaukee — the state’s two most heavily Democratic cities.

Trump and Republicans have alleged that drop boxes facilitated cheating, even though they offered no evidence. Democrats, election officials and some Republicans argued the boxes are secure and an Associated Press survey of state election officials across the U.S. revealed no cases of fraud, vandalism or theft that could have affected the results in 2020.

Republicans who control the Wisconsin Legislature intervened in the case, arguing that the justices should leave the 2022 ruling alone. Their attorney, Misha Tseytlin, didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment Friday.

Matt Fisher, a spokesperson for the state Republican Party, called the decision a “setback.”

“This latest attempt by leftist justices to placate their far-left backers will not go unanswered by voters,” he said in a statement.

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Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley weighed in as well, saying in a statement that the decision “gives Democrats a green light to dismantle election security safeguards and invite election fraud.”

Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell, who administers elections in the state’s most Democratic county, called drop boxes a “common sense tool.” He said they make the election process more convenient and easier for rural and disabled voters and help reduce that number of ballots that arrive after election day too late to be counted.

“Having drop boxes in place for the 2024 elections in August and November will encourage civic participation in our democracy,” McDonell said in a statement.

​ Orange County Register 

Alexander: What are the Lakers, Clippers, Kings and Ducks doing?

• July 6, 2024

The world according to Jim:

• It is fortunate that this region’s NBA and NHL teams play on courts or rinks. If the games were played on paper, judging from the opening salvos of those leagues’ respective free-agent periods, the Lakers, Clippers, Kings and Ducks would be in trouble.

They might already be, if the pundits know what they’re talking about. (That’s always iffy, so these teams’ true believers should keep that in mind.) …

• The Lakers’ two big deals so far have been to give LeBron James a two-year deal after his opt-out, and to sign the No. 55 pick of the draft to a four-year, $7.9 million deal, a kid by the name of Bronny something. …

• The biggest takeaway here? Rich Paul and Klutch Sports run the place, not Jeanie Buss or Rob Pelinka or anyone else in the front office. …

• The second biggest? Most of the targets that could actually have made the Lakers better quicker went elsewhere – including a guy who grew up around the team, wanted to be a Laker badly at one point, and whose dad works for the club. When Klay Thompson went to Dallas instead in a sign-and-trade, what did that say about the Lakers’ readiness to contend for their own Banner No. 18? …

• Meanwhile, remember this moment five summers ago? Steve Ballmer took over an introductory news conference at a rec center in South L.A., new Clippers Kawhi Leonard and Paul George sitting beside him, and declared, “From now on, it’s all about the Larry O’B.”

Five seasons later, there are still no banners to transport to the Intuit Dome and the “213” era is over, George having departed for the Philadelphia 76ers. And if he thought the pressure to win with what is still the No. 2 team in L.A. was difficult, just wait until he gets to Philly and realizes what a demanding fan base really is. …

• That said, the Clippers are still potentially better than the Lakers, contingent on Kawhi’s health, and they’ve made enough other moves to shore up the infrastructure around Leonard. And they’re by far the more professional front office. …

• Yet I am surprised there hasn’t been more of an outcry over the Clippers’ signing of Kevin Porter Jr., who played in Greece last season after being waived by Oklahoma City because of a domestic violence charge. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and harassment in January in a plea agreement that involves, according to Yahoo Sports’ Jason Owens, “a 26-week Abusive Partner Intervention Program or an equivalent program with a private counselor.”

Beyond some social media reaction, there’s been hardly a peep about this signing. …

• As for SoCal’s hockey clubs and their navigation of free agency, I’m not surprised. …

• Ducks GM Pat Verbeek made some on-the-fringes acquisitions, adding a couple of guys who have won Stanley Cups, defenseman Brian Dumoulin from Seattle and forward Robby Fabbri from Detroit – the latter acquisition pushing Anaheim above the salary cap floor – but passed on a full-scale free-agent plunge. That’s sort of the Ducks’ DNA – the club’s last truly high-profile free-agent signing was Scott Niedermayer, by Brian Burke coming out of the lockout in 2005 – and anyway, it’s time for the team’s young talent to step up. …

• As for the Kings’ Rob Blake, he cut his losses by finding a sucker – I mean, taker – for Pierre-Luc Dubois in Washington. But then he turned around and gave a four-year, $15.4 million deal to Joel Edmundson, a significant overpayment for a 31-year-old defenseman with no offensive presence and significant injury history (and, additionally, ties in Montreal to Marc Bergevin, a Kings front office advisor). …

• Are the Ducks better than they were a year ago? Probably, though maybe still shy of playoff contention barring additional moves. Are the Kings better? Ehhhhhh …

• Baseball’s All-Star Game a week from Tuesday will again feature generic uniforms, and can we get the hashtag #BlameNike trending? It’s now been four years since MLB abandoned the wonderful custom of players wearing their own team’s uniforms at the Midsummer Classic.

Can’t they just wear their regular uniforms? Why does everything have to be like this? https://t.co/m501JjjyhO

— Wayne Randazzo (@WayneRandazzo) July 3, 2024

And this quote from MLB commissioner Rob Manfred before the 2022 game in L.A., as reported by The Athletic (and former Press-Enterprise) baseball writer Tyler Kepner, explains a lot: “I never thought that a baseball team wearing different jerseys in a game was a particularly appealing look for us.” …

• So is the commissioner out of step, tone-deaf or simply in Nike’s pocket? Wednesday afternoon, the question was posed on the platform formerly known as Twitter: “Do you want the MLB to go back to having players wear their regular uniforms during the All-Star Game?” The response, as of 12:45 p.m. Friday: 196 yes, 2 no, 1 “don’t care.”

As one respondent put it: “Yes, I need a reason to watch it again and this might do it.” …

• The recent passing of Willie Mays reminded me of one of the charming moments of All-Star Games past: Mays and Ernie Banks would swap batting helmets, with Mays wearing the Cubs’ “C” and Banks the Giants’ “SF.” …

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• The consensus is that Gregg Berhalter’s tenure as coach of the U.S. men’s soccer team is about to come to an end, possibly some time next week according to a Fox Sports report, after the team’s flameout in Copa America. It’s a good time for a reminder that before the last World Cup to be held in the U.S., in 2004, the U.S. Soccer Federation opted for the best foreign coach it could lure, Bora Milutinovic. He got Our Boys – then primarily a collection of college players – through the group stage, and attempting to play rope-a-dope with eventual champion Brazil in the Round of 16 almost worked. …

• It’s different now. The U.S. didn’t have a First Division league then, and the national team was a bunch of guys with no expectations and nothing to lose. Today the stakes are higher, and what was termed the country’s “Golden Generation” of players is, in reality, a bunch of guys who are employed in Europe’s top leagues but don’t see a lot of playing time with their clubs. I’m not sure that’s much of an improvement.

And should the U.S. federation react by hiring a Jürgen Klopp, a Pep Guardiola or another big-name coach from overseas, how much will really change? In other words, U.S. soccer fan, are you confident the people in charge really know what they’re doing?

[email protected]

​ Orange County Register 

Euro 2024: France knocks out Portugal on penalty kicks

• July 5, 2024

HAMBURG, Germany — France ended Cristiano Ronaldo’s bid to win the title at his last European Championship by beating Portugal 5-3 in a penalty shootout to reach the semifinals on Friday.

After the game finished 0-0 following extra time, Portugal substitute Joao Felix hit a post with the only miss in the shootout and Theo Hernández converted the clinching kick.

It was a record sixth and last European Championship for the 39-year-old Ronaldo, who scored Portugal’s first penalty in the shootout and ended up consoling fellow veteran Pepe afterward as the 41-year-old defender cried on his captain’s shoulder.

Ronaldo’s career in the Euros included the title in 2016 — when Portugal beat France in the final — and it remains to be seen if the five-time world player of the year will continue playing for his country through to the 2026 World Cup.

The victory ended Kylian Mbappé’s and France’s heartbreak in shootouts, having lost in them at their last two major tournaments — in the last 16 at the Euros in 2021 and in the 2022 World Cup final.

Mbappé didn’t even take a penalty in the shootout, having been substituted after the first half of extra time following a couple of knocks to his broken nose that was covered by a protective mask.

France will play Spain in the semifinals after its extra-time win over Germany in Stuttgart.

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​ Orange County Register