Lakers own Los Angeles, according to Wall Street Journal

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The Wall Street Journal’s headline on today’s story about the Lakers was certainly correct. The Lakers DO own L.A.

But it could have been a much shorter story. That the Lakers dominate the Los Angeles sports market comes down to two simple reasons: They win and they have stars.

Their success over the last couple of decades also coincided with the decline of the Dodgers, who owned L.A. before the Lakers did.

The Dodgers, though, are coming back. It’s not just because of Manny Ramirez, though he is a huge part of it. Fans are beginning to look at Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and Russell Martin as something more than just a youth movement.

It will take them awhile, and at least one World Series championship, to threaten the Lakers’ hold on Los Angeles. But they’re moving in the right direction.

-- Randy Harvey