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1. How football changed Bella Rasmussen’s life
Rebecca Rasmussen is the first female football player to score two touchdowns in a high school and the first to sign an NIL deal. The Sporting Tribune’s Kamran Nia caught up with Rasmussen to find out the remarkable story behind the viral sensation.
On a seemingly ordinary Friday night last October, the Laguna Beach High School football team faced Godinez Fundamental High School. Bella Rasmussen stood on the sidelines, waiting for the coaches to call her number. As the two teams battled in front of her, the sparsely populated crowd’s distant cheers and each thud of the players’ cleats could be heard. The football field had been Rasmussen’s sanctuary since she was six years old, but her playing career for Laguna Beach was ending soon as her senior season was winding down. Like many high school seniors, she wondered what her next step would be as she bridged the gap between high school and adulthood.
2. A tough first day, but UNLV got through it
With heavy hearts, first-year coach Barry Odom and his UNLV football team opened spring practice Wednesday following the Feb. 20 death of defensive lineman Ryan Keeler. The Sporting Tribune’s Steve Carp was there to cover the emotional first practice.
Had it been under the most optimum of conditions, Barry Odom’s first on-the-field practice as UNLV’s new football coach would have had some ups and downs. But when the Rebels stepped onto the field Wednesday to begin spring practice, it was with a cloud over their collective heads — both figuratively and literally. The team is still trying to come to grips with the death of Ryan Keeler, a redshirt freshman defensive lineman who died Feb. 20. They were also dealing with bone-chilling cold and a steady rain for the first part of the workout. It was as if Mother Nature was grieving alongside Odom, his staff and his players.
3. Chargers GM Telesco says Keenan Allen ‘isn’t going anywhere’
Los Angeles Chargers general manager Tom Telesco said that wide receiver Keenan Allen isn't leaving the team but what will the Chargers do to improve the team this offseason? The Sporting Tribune’s Fernando Ramirez has the latest on the Chargers.
The NFL Combine is underway, so Chargers general manager Tom Telesco and head coach Brandon Staley are doing the media rounds. Currently, the Chargers are $20.39 million over the cap. So, the question for the last two months has been whether Telesco would consider moving on from receiver Keenan Allen, who would free up $14.8 million.
4. Quack of Dawn: Ducks Report
No one covers the Anaheim Ducks like The Sporting Tribune’s Derek Lee, who provides the latest update on the Ducks with his regular “Quack of Dawn Ducks Report” from every morning skate and practice.
The rain has battered Southern California for the last week and a half and now the winds of “trade-related reasons” have made their way to Honda Center. Defensemen John Klingberg and Dmitry Kulikov were absent from today’s morning skate and are being held tonight due to trade-related reasons, per Ducks PR. General manager Pat Verbeek has been relatively quiet in doing his dealings so far while the rest of the league has been turned upside down leading up to the trade deadline, which is this Friday at 12 p.m. PT.
5. Kings trade Quick in stunning move
The Los Angeles Kings traded Jonathan Quick, the franchise's greatest goaltender, in a shocking deadline move. Where does that leave the Kings as they sit atop the Western Conference? The Sporting Tribune’s Jake Dicker has the latest on the Kings.
It’s the end of an era in Los Angeles. On Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Kings agreed to send the franchise’s greatest goaltender Jonathan Quick to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for goaltender Joonas Korpisalo and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. The Kings sent first and third round picks to Columbus as well. I don’t know where to begin. When you think about the Kings and you think about the runs to the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014, you think about four players: Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, Dustin Brown, and Jonathan Quick. Never in my mind did I think general manager Rob Blake would trade a single one of them. These are the types of guys that you let stick around until they decide to hang it up, but ultimately, Blake made the move nobody thought he would. If you take a step back and remove your emotions from it, the trade makes sense from a business standpoint.
6. What Lux’s injury means for Dodgers
Gavin Lux suffered a torn ACL on Monday that ends his 2023 season. Where do the Dodgers go from here? The Sporting Tribune’s Bruce Kuntz has the latest.
Gavin Lux appeared to be primed for a breakout season. Early reports from Dodgers camp this spring complimented Lux and the work he put in during the offseason. He was one of multiple Dodger hitters who spent time at Driveline, where he gained 6 mph in bat speed. He also worked significantly to transition to shortstop permanently and refine his consistency in throwing across the diamond. Then, in his second game of spring training, Lux made an awkward cut running the bases and injured his knee. His torn ACL ends his season prematurely.
7. Odds and Ends presented by Circa Sports
Here are some odds at Circa Sports if you’re thinking about placing a wager today:
8. Ticket Time presented by TickPick
Here are the “get in” prices for tickets if you’re thinking about going to a game today:
Montreal Canadiens at Los Angeles Kings: $41
9. On the Air presented by Coca-Cola
Here are the game times and television channels for professional teams in the region today:
7 p.m. – LA Clippers at Golden State Warriors – Bally Sports SoCal, TNT
7:30 p.m. – Montreal Canadiens at Los Angeles Kings – Bally Sports West
10. The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune
On Wednesday’s show, the crew talked about the Lakers’ playoff chances without LeBron James and their need to finish the final 20 games with a winning record in order to be in the play-in tournament.
Listen to The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune on The Mightier 1090 ESPN Radio in Southern California, 98.5 The Fan in Las Vegas and the Hawaii Sports Radio Network 95.1 FM and 760 AM in Hawaii. You can also listen to the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher.
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That’s it for today. Talk to you tomorrow!
