Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news.
From Gary Klein: Coach Sean McVay said Thursday afternoon that his Rams were preparing for their NFC wild-card game against the Minnesota Vikings as if it would be played as scheduled at SoFi Stadium.
He also said the team would be ready to adjust if the NFL decided to move the game to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., because of health concerns caused by wildfires in Southern California.
A few hours after the Rams completed practice, the NFL announced that “in the interest of public safety” the game would be played in Arizona.
Tickets for the game will go on sale at 10 a.m. PST Friday morning through Seatgeek.com for Rams season ticket members and at noon to the general public.
“The decision was made in consultation with public officials, the participating clubs and the NFLPA,” the league said.
Continue reading here
————
From Dan Woike: The Lakers’ game against the Charlotte Hornets scheduled for Thursday has been postponed because of the continuing wildfire crisis in Los Angeles County, the league and team announced.
The game, which was slated to tip off at 7:30 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena, will be rescheduled at a later date. Tickets for Thursday’s game will be honored on the makeup date.
“We’re heartbroken for Los Angeles. Our thoughts are with all those impacted by this unimaginable situation. And our gratitude is with the first responders and all of you who come together when we need each other the most,” the Lakers said in a statement posted to social media. “Tonight’s game will be rescheduled to focus on what matters most today.
Continue reading here
————
From Eduard Cauich: The Malibu home of Carlos Vela, a former MLS Cup champion and league MVP, was among those burned in the Palisades fire. Saioa Cañibano, Vela’s Spanish-born wife, posted a note on social media Thursday saying the house, located near the Malibu-Palisades border, was lost but the family was safe.
“Our beautiful house in Malibu burned yesterday (…). “We are still in shock with everything that is happening,” Cañibano posted on Instagram, later reporting that the family was out of danger. “It is very sad and terrifying to see how everything burns. To all the concerned messages you are sending us, we are safe. Sending a lot of love to all those affected and we hope that the fire will soon be put out.”
Continue reading here
————
From Eric Sondheimer: One by one, cars, SUVs and trucks were pulling up nonstop to the entrance of Loyola High on Thursday, dropping off food, clothing, toiletries, games — anything and everything necessary for a family that lost everything to the fires devastating Los Angeles.
“This is magical. This is the fabric of what we are,” said Loyola principal Jamal Adams, whose grandmother lost her home in Altadena.
Three Loyola basketball players lost their homes in the Palisades fire and the team manager did too. One of those players, senior Patrick Csiszar, had nothing left but the backpack he was carrying. He started picking out sweatshirts, T-shirts and other clothes in Caruso Hall.
“The feeling of not having anything is not something I’ve felt before,” he told teammates.
Kai Klein said his grandparents, residents of Palisades for 80 years, and his uncle lost their homes. His father, Patrick, was waiting to see the fate of his family home.
“All the stuff that’s special — it’s all gone,” Klein told teammates. “All we’ve ever known is gone.”
Continue reading here
Enjoying this newsletter? Consider subscribing to the Los Angeles Times
Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Become a subscriber.
NFL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE
Wild-card round
Saturday
All times Pacific
AFC
No. 5 Chargers at No. 4 Houston Texans, 1:30 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)
No. 6 Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 3 Baltimore Ravens, 5 p.m. (Prime Video)
Sunday
AFC
No. 7 Denver Broncos at No. 2 Buffalo Bills, 10 a.m. (CBS, Paramount+)
NFC
No. 7 Green Bay Packers at No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles, 1:30 p.m. (FOX, FOX Deportes)
No. 6 Washington Commanders at No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 5 p.m. (NBC, Peacock, Universo)
Monday
NFC
No. 5 Minnesota Vikings vs. No. 4 Rams, 5 p.m. at Glendale, Ariz. (ESPN/ABC/ESPN+/ ESPN Deportes; ManningCast-ESPN2/ESPN+)
Divisional round: Jan. 18-19
Conference championships: Jan. 26
Super Bowl 59: Feb. 9 at New Orleans (Fox)
DODGERS
From Jack Harris: Two years ago, Diego Cartaya was the crown jewel of the Dodgers’ highly touted farm system.
On Thursday, he quietly departed the organization without ever coming close to reaching the majors.
A week after being designated for assignment to clear a roster spot for the signing of South Korean infielder Hyeseong Kim, Cartaya was traded to the Minnesota Twins for minor league pitcher Jose Vasquez, the team announced.
Vasquez, a 20-year-old right-hander, has a career 8.05 ERA in two seasons in the Dominican Summer League, coming to the Dodgers as little more than a long-shot flier.
Cartaya, once considered one of the best young talents in the sport after signing with the Dodgers out of Venezuela, was supposed to be destined for so much more.
Continue reading here
DUCKS
Robert Thomas scored twice and the St. Louis Blues beat the Ducks 6-2 on Thursday night.
Jordan Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich each had a goal and an assist, and Tyler Tucker and Dylan Holloway also scored for St. Louis. Brayden Schenn had two assists and Joel Hofer stopped 22 shots.
Nikita Nesterenko and Sam Colangelo scored for the Ducks. Lukas Dostal gave up six goals on 22 shots before he was replaced midway through the second period. John Gibson stopped all 12 shots he faced.
Continue reading here
Ducks summary
NHL scores
NHL standings
A diving interception set up Notre Dame’s trip to play for the program’s 12th national title after a thrill-a-minute 27-24 victory over Penn State on Thursday night in the Orange Bowl.
Defensive back Christian Gray snared Drew Allar’s pass across the middle at the Nittany Lions 42 with 33 seconds left, then the Irish moved 19 yards to set up Mitch Jeter’s 41-yard winner with 7 seconds left.
The game featured three ties, three lead changes and 31 points in the fourth quarter alone.
Notre Dame (14-1), seeded seventh in this, the first 12-team college playoff, will have a chance to bring its first title since 1988 back under the Golden Dome with a game Jan. 20 in Atlanta against the winner of Friday night’s Texas-Ohio State semifinal in the Cotton Bowl.
In the final, Irish coach Marcus Freeman will try to become the first Black coach to win the title at college football’s highest level.
“We’ve been right here in this position before, and they believed and I got the job done, and I’m proud of them,” Freeman said.
Continue reading here
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1972 — The longest winning streak in major pro sports — 33 games — ends when the Bucks beat the 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.
1986 — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Lakers scores his 34,000th career point during 124-102 win over Indiana Pacers; only NBA player to reach the milestone at that time.
1989 — Kings center Wayne Gretzky becomes NHL’s all-time leading scorer in combined regular season & playoff points; 4 assists in 5-4 home win over Edmonton brings his total to 2,011, 1 more than Gordie Howe.
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.
2022 — College Football, National Championship, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana: #3 Georgia beats #1 Alabama, 33-18.
Compiled by the Associated Press
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.