Iran’s king of soccer is focused on a bigger goal

Ali Daei, Iran's soccer king, will forgo the World Cup in solidarity with the protesters in Iran who are fighting for women’s rights, human rights, and democracy.

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1. Iran’s king of soccer is focused on a bigger goal

Ali Daei, Iran's soccer king, will forgo the World Cup in solidarity with the protesters in Iran who are fighting for women’s rights, human rights, and democracy; and in honor of those families who lost loved ones as a result of the Iranian government. Read more in The Sporting Tribune guest column from George Fochive of the Portland Timbers.

Ali Daei has done more than just speak out in support of the protesters. He has become their unofficial guardian. He recently paid a visit to the hospital where a political prisoner Hossein Ronaghi was taken, a daring and courageous act in today’s Iran. Despite social media being banned in Iran, his messages of support for the protesters and his looming presence as a folk-hero has provided the Iranian people with something that past movements didn’t have; a legendary figure who opposes the injustices and cruelty of his government.

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2. Where and why to watch the World Cup in L.A.

We are a mere four years away from hosting the FIFA Men’s World Cup for the first time since 1994, so it’s more important than ever to jump on the global soccer bandwagon. There’s no better way for curious potential fans to learn about and experience the sights, sounds and action of this international tournament than to go to a watch party and The Sporting Tribune’s Chandrima Chatterjee has a list of the best places to watch the World Cup in Los Angeles.

Soccer aficionados will admit that the most fun way to watch a match, if you can’t be there live, is to go to a watch party. To be frank, before coming to Los Angeles, I moved around a lot and In every city I’ve ever lived in, I ended up frequenting soccer bars because they’re the best places for a girl like me to safely meet people and make friends.

First, the matches begin this Sunday between Qatar and Ecuador, not Monday with the U.S. versus Wales. Yes, we live in the United States, and yes, the U.S. National Men’s and Women’s teams are my primary teams, but most who watch the World Cup have more than one team they root for. Okay, perhaps this is partly because in my formative years, the United States was not the strongest of teams on the international playing field.  But also, most soccer fans in this country still have a second and maybe even a third team based on the players they enjoy following throughout their club soccer seasons.

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3. Kessel makes history; so, what’s next?

Vegas Golden Knights forward Phil Kessel became the only player in NHL history to play 1,000 consecutive games on Thursday night. The Sporting Tribune’s Steve Carp was at T-Mobile Arena for the historic night and asks what’s next?

There are 357 players who have participated in 1,000 or more NHL games. But of those 357, only one has done that consecutively. That would be Phil Kessel, the league’s current ironman who played for the Vegas Golden Knights Thursday against one of his former teams — the Arizona Coyotes — and played in his 1,000th straight game. Think about that. For 1,000 nights, Kessel skated and participated in an NHL game. Not illness, injury or even the birth of his child kept him off the ice. It’s a truly amazing accomplishment, one that the hockey world should rightly celebrate.

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4. Raiders "buy-in" is in "all or nothing" process

The Las Vegas Raiders (2-7) are a team that is facing an uphill battle. They are the only team this year to command three 17-point leads--only to squander it in defeat. The Sporting Tribune’s Ryan Sakamoto has the latest from Las Vegas and why Raiders new head coach Josh McDaniels has remained calm, cool, and collected, as he fosters the team's cultural identity in year one.

The "Raider Way" was founded on building up principles that cite unquestioned work ethic, accountability, competitive drive, and will to win. Doing what others won't, the ability to go the distance, and putting your body on the line for your teammates, coaches, and peers. These are core components that make-up a championship football team. These are parameters that foster the "Raider Way" DNA.

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5. Kawhi is back as Clippers cut down Pistons for seventh straight time

The Clippers welcomed back Kawhi Leonard on Thursday by rallying for a 96-91 victory over the visiting Detroit Pistons. The Sporting Tribune has more from Crypto.com Arena.

Reggie Jackson scored 23 points, Marcus Morris Sr. and Paul George added 16 each, Norman Powell scored 14 points and Ivica Zubac tied a career high with 18 rebounds as the Clippers extended their winning streak over the Pistons to seven games. Leonard played in just his third game this season, scoring six points in 25 minutes while making his first start. The five-time All-Star last played Oct. 23. He had missed the past 12 games with residual knee soreness from ACL surgery in July 2021. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 26 points and Jaden Ivey added 18 as Detroit dropped its fifth consecutive game.

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6. After short reset, Lakers look to keep it going vs. Pistons

After some much-needed time away, the Lakers will return to the court Friday and play host to the Detroit Pistons. The Sporting Tribune has the latest on the Lakers following their break.

The Lakers last played Sunday, and although they got the best of the Brooklyn Nets in a 116-103 victory, what they needed was some downtime instead of trying to see whether they could build any momentum off the victory. LeBron James has not played the past two games because of a groin injury. He also missed a game Nov. 7 with a sore foot. While fellow star Anthony Davis has managed to play in 12 of the Lakers' 13 games, he has been bothered by a lower back injury.

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7. Odds and Ends presented by Circa Sports

Here are some odds at Circa Sports if you’re thinking about placing a wager today:

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8. Ticket Time presented by TickPick  

Here are the “get in” prices for tickets if you’re thinking about going to a game today:

Detroit Pistons at Los Angeles Lakers: $52

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9. On the Air presented by Pirnia Law

Here are the game times and television channels for professional teams in the region:

7:00 p.m. – Los Angeles Kings at Vancouver Canucks – Bally Sports West

7:30 p.m. – Detroit Pistons at Los Angeles Lakers – Spectrum SportsNet 

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10. The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune 

On Thursday’s show, the crew talked about the Kings with The Sporting Tribune’s Russell Morgan and talked about WrestleMania coming to Los Angeles with WWE Superstar Bianca Belair.

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 all tomorrow!