The Sports Report: If Sean McVay needs to leave, he should
- Share via
Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news.
From Bill Plaschke: A year ago, on a giant national stage, hundreds of media members circled a man triumphant.
On Monday afternoon, in a small room in Thousand Oaks, a handful of rain-soaked souls gathered around a man tormented.
A day after the Rams completed a historical fall from Super Bowl champions to 5-12, Sean McVay held one of the strangest, saddest postseason news conferences by an acting coach in football history.
There was no talk of the team. There was no talk of the future. There was no talk of football.
There was, instead, talk of a personal struggle.
“How do you not let the challenges and the grind and the competitor in you … how do you not let that change the dynamic of who you want to be as a leader in those types of things?” McVay said. “And that’s kind of where I’m at.”
There was talk of searching for a personal renewal.
“You just figure out, ‘All right, what is the best way to continue to move forward in the right way to be the best coach that you can possibly be?’ ” he said.
Judging from an intimate 13-minute news conference that felt like a therapy session, the hard-charging Rams coach is clearly trying to do something that goes against his very nature.
He is trying to walk away.
And so, he should.
Go, in peace.
Matthew Stafford will be back with Rams with or without Sean McVay
Enjoying this newsletter? Consider subscribing to the Los Angeles Times
Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Become a subscriber.
CHARGERS
From Jeff Miller: The Chargers received good news on Mike Williams’ back Monday as tests revealed he has nothing more serious than a contusion.
After offering the update, coach Brandon Staley said “the indication” given to him was that Williams will be available Saturday night when the Chargers play at Jacksonville in the wild-card playoff round.
The team’s top deep threat at wide receiver, Williams was injured in the second quarter of a 31-28 loss at Denver on Sunday.
Staley also indicated that edge rusher Joey Bosa remains on pace in his return from a core-muscle injury that cost him 12 games. Bosa played 23 snaps against Denver after playing 24 in his first game back in Week 17.
CHARGERS POLL
How far will the Chargers advance in the NFL playoffs? Click here to vote. Results will be in Friday’s newsletter.
NFL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
All times Pacific
Wild-card round
Saturday
Seattle at San Francisco, 1:30 p.m., FOX, FOX Deportes
Chargers at Jacksonville, 5:15 p.m., NBC, Peacock, Universo
Sunday
Miami at Buffalo, 10 a.m., CBS, Paramount+
New York Giants at Minnesota, 1:30 p.m., FOX, FOX Deportes
Baltimore at Cincinnati, 5:15 p.m., NBC, Peacock, Universo
Monday
Dallas at Tampa Bay, 5:15 p.m., ESPN/ABC, ESPN2-Manningcast, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes
Bills’ Damar Hamlin discharged from Cincinnati hospital, continues recovery in Buffalo
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
After Georgia’s 65-7 thrashing of TCU in the national championship game, is it too soon to look at next season’s top 25? Not if you’re J. Brady McCollough, who takes a look:
I’ve never attempted a way-too-early top 25, and, given the realities of the transfer portal, the idea of handicapping teams that won’t play until eight months from now seemed even crazier.
Well, as George Costanza once said: “You wanna get nuts? Let’s get nuts!”
To preserve my sanity, I tried to keep my criteria for evaluation pretty straightforward: Who is returning a proven quarterback, who has a coach who has developed a dependable culture of winning, and who is taking advantage of the transfer portal to plug holes?
Here’s where I landed as of Day 1 of the offseason — knowing that these rankings, just like the rosters that make them up, are very subject to change:
1. Georgia
The back-to-back national champions are a no-brainer pick to win their third in a row in 2023. Just how much has Georgia coach Kirby Smart built the Bulldogs to last? After winning the 2021 title, Smart didn’t bring in one player from the transfer portal to build his unbeaten squad in 2022. This year, Georgia has chosen to add two four-star wide receivers, Mississippi State’s RaRa Thomas and Missouri’s Dominic Lovett, from within the Southeastern Conference. Quarterbacks Carson Beck and Brock Vandagriff are expected to battle to take over for Stetson Bennett. Vandagriff was a five-star prospect in the class of 2021 and will be the favorite to lead the offense.
Stetson Bennett becomes an instant Georgia legend in historic national title win
Analysis: Georgia’s world-beaters aren’t done. Why the Bulldogs are primed to three-peat
Georgia broke through under Kirby Smart. Here’s how USC can learn from it
REGGIE BUSH
Reggie Bush, whose Heisman Trophy victory for USC in 2005 was vacated because of NCAA violations, was among 18 players in the latest College Football Hall of Fame class announced Monday.
Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, who won the Heisman in 2007, was also elected to the hall by the National Football Foundation, along with Dwight Freeney of Syracuse, Luke Kuechly of Boston College, LaMichael James of Oregon and Michael Bishop of Kansas State.
Bush played on two national championship teams with USC, in 2003 and 2004, and led the Trojans to another title game in 2005. He ran for 1,740 yards, averaged 8.7 yards per carry and scored 19 touchdowns in the 2005 season.
LAKERS
From Dan Woike: Russell Westbrook’s shot was blocked at the rim, triggering a Denver fast break the other way. And just after Bruce Brown’s floater glanced in off the backboard to beat the third-quarter buzzer, Wenyen Gabriel walked off the court with both of his hands on his head in total exhaustion.
For the last five games, it didn’t matter who the Lakers had in the game — they played harder, tougher, quicker and more effectively. In one of those games, LeBron James was even sidelined.
With James out again on Monday, it wasn’t going to happen again, Denver claiming a 122-109 victory.
The good vibes from the Lakers’ recent season-long five-game winning streak were undone without much drama against the Nuggets, the West’s best team dominating on both sides of the court against their undermanned visitors.
NWSL
The National Women’s Soccer League permanently banned four coaches Monday as part of disciplinary action taken against several individuals and teams in response to an investigation into alleged abuse and misconduct in the league.
Former North Carolina coach Paul Riley, former Chicago Red Stars coach Rory Dames, former Washington Spirit coach Richie Burke and former Racing Louisville coach Christy Holly were all banned from coaching in the league. Also, former Utah Royals coach Craig Harrington and former Gotham general manager Alyse LaHue were suspended from working in the NWSL for two years, until Jan. 9, 2025.
KINGS
Kevin Fiala had two goals and two assists, Adrian Kempe also scored two power-play goals and the Kings beat the Edmonton Oilers 6-3. Alex Iafallo and Viktor Arvidsson also scored as Los Angeles improved to 9-2-1 since Dec. 15. Pheonix Copley had 28 saves as he improved to 11-2-0 in 13 starts — all since Dec. 6.
Kailer Yamamoto, Ryan McLeod and Connor McDavid scored for the Oilers in the opener of a four-game trip. Stuart Skinner was bombarded for three goals on 24 shots before he was replaced early in the second period. Former Kings goalie Jack Campbell came on after Kempe gave Los Angeles a 3-1 lead at 3:51 of the second period.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1972 — The longest winning streak in major professional sports — 33 games — ends when the Bucks beat the Los Angeles Lakers 120-104 behind 39 points by Milwaukee’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
1980 — Goaltender Jim Stewart, in his first and only game with the Boston Bruins, yields three goals in the first four minutes and five in the first period. He’s replaced and never plays in the NHL again.
1982 — Joe Montana’s third touchdown pass of the game, a 6-yarder to Dwight Clark, with 51 seconds remaining, lifts the San Francisco 49ers to 28-27 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC title game.
1998 — Michelle Kwan receives eight perfect 6.0s out of nine marks for artistry in the free skate to win her second U.S. Figure Skating Championship in three years.
2002 — Todd Eldredge wins his sixth U.S. Figure Skating Championships title. After skipping two seasons of competition, Eldredge edges defending champion Tim Goebel.
2004 — Michelle Kwan wins her seventh straight title and eighth overall at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Only one of the sport’s greats, Maribel Vinson, has more U.S. championships, with nine.
2006 — Bruce Sutter is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, the fourth reliever and first pitcher elected with no career starts.
2008 — Alex Ovechkin signs a $124 million, 13-year contract extension with the Washington Capitals, the NHL’s first $100 million deal.
2009 — Arizona, the lone NFC team not to make it to a conference championship game since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, gets to host its’ first NFC championship game after a 33-13 win at Carolina.
2010 — Karlos Dansby’s 17-yard fumble return for a touchdown in overtime gives the Arizona Cardinals a 51-45 victory over the Green Bay Packers in the highest-scoring playoff game in NFL history.
2011 — Top-ranked Auburn beats No. 2 Oregon 22-19 in the BCS title game. Wes Byrum’s 19-yard field goal with no time left — his sixth career game-winning field goal — caps a 14-0 season.
2015 — North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz runs 5 yards for the winning touchdown about a minute after Tre Roberson’s 58-yard run puts Illinois State ahead, and the Bison became the first team to win four straight FCS championships with a thrilling 29-27 victory.
2015 — Tom Brady sets a career record for postseason touchdown passes, leading New England back from two 14-point deficits for a 35-31 victory over Baltimore. Brady breaks Joe Montana’s record with 46 postseason TD passes and the Patriots reaches their fourth straight AFC championship game.
2016 — Blair Walsh’s 27-yard field goal try into the frigid wind for Minnesota hooks left with 22 seconds remaining, handing the Seattle Seahawks a 10-9 victory over the Vikings in their wild-card round playoff game in below-zero weather.
2016 — Alex Ovechkin scores his 500th and 501st goals to become the 43rd NHL player to reach the milestone, and the Washington Capitals beat the Ottawa Senators 7-1.
Compiled by the Associated Press
And finally
Joe Montana to Dwight Clark, “The Catch”, with Vin Scully making the call. Watch and listen here.
Until next time...
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
