The Sports Report: What is Shohei Ohtani’s top priority?
Howdy, I’m your host, Austin Knoblauch, filling in for Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news.
From Jack Harris: For years, the baseball world speculated that money wasn’t Shohei Ohtani’s top priority.
Now, there is no doubt.
Under his new 10-year, $700-million contract with the Dodgers, the two-way star will defer all but $2 million of his annual salary until after the deal is completed, according to a person with knowledge of the situation unauthorized to speak publicly. The Athletic first reported the news Monday.
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The extremely unusual structure — in which Ohtani will receive $68 million payments annually from 2034 to 2043, without interest, following the completion of the 10-year pact — was Ohtani’s idea, the person said, encouraged by the two-time MVP in the hopes of attracting more star players to join him in Los Angeles over the next decade.
As for the $700-million price tag? Its true value will be more in the $460-million range, when calculating by present day value (since money in the future, because of inflation, isn’t as valuable as money now).
For luxury tax purposes, Ohtani’s salary will count only as $46 million on the team’s payroll. Typically, it is the annual average value of the contract, which in this case would have been $70 million, that counts for luxury tax purposes.
In other words, Ohtani will be saving the Dodgers $68 million in actual payroll and $24 million in luxury tax payroll, each year during his deal.
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A $900 ticket for Shohei Ohtani’s Dodgers debut? Seat not included
CHARGERS
From Jeff Miller: Faced with a quick turnaround, it seems unlikely that the Chargers will have quarterback Justin Herbert on Thursday when they play at Las Vegas.
Speaking to reporters Monday, coach Brandon Staley offered no timetable for Herbert’s return and didn’t rule him out for the game against the Raiders.
But, logically speaking, playing only four days after fracturing the index finger on his throwing hand would be difficult.
“There’s a lot of information that we’re gathering right now,” Staley said. “He’s as tough as they come. But we’re going to make sure — whatever it is — we’ll do what’s best for Justin long term.”
Staley said Herbert saw one hand specialist Monday morning and was scheduled to see another in the afternoon before any determination would be made regarding his immediate future.
RAMS
From Gary Klein: Rams wide receiver Tutu Atwell is in concussion protocol and tight end Hunter Long will undergo season-ending knee injury, coach Sean McVay said Monday.
Atwell and Long were injured during the Rams’ 37-31 overtime defeat to the Ravens on Sunday in Baltimore.
Right tackle Rob Havenstein also suffered a groin injury, and long snapper Alex Ward was being evaluated for a neck injury, McVay said during a video conference.
The Rams (6-7) play the Washington Commanders (4-9) on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
Veteran receiver Demarcus Robinson is expected to start if Atwell is not cleared to play against the Commanders.
UCLA
From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: He spent the last week in banquet halls collecting trophies, reluctantly making speeches and rubbing elbows with the game’s greats. Now UCLA’s star defensive end Laiatu Latu will step away from the spotlight.
The senior, who won the Lombardi Award as the nation’s most outstanding lineman and the Hendricks Award as the top defensive end, will not play in the L.A. Bowl, UCLA coach Chip Kelly said Monday. Instead the Pac-12 defensive player of the year will focus on finishing school and preparing for the NFL draft, where he is projected as a top pick.
The first-team All-American’s absence adds yet another hole to the ship the Bruins are trying to keep afloat heading into the offseason.
It’s already all hands on deck for a coaching staff that has lost three assistants. Kelly will coach the quarterbacks after Ryan Gunderson bolted to Oregon State for the offensive coordinator position. Former Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo, who was working as UCLA’s director of leadership, will take over as tight ends coach after Jeff Faris became the head coach at Austin Peay.
CLIPPERS
From Steve Galluzzo: Ninety minutes before tipoff, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said staying focused and being ready to play the full 48 minutes were the keys to beating a talented but inexperienced and undermanned Portland team.
The Clippers achieved both aims Monday night at Crypto.com Arena, beginning a four-game homestand with a gritty 132-127 triumph for their ninth win in 12 games and 14th victory in their last 15 meetings with Portland dating back to the 2019-20 season — the highest winning percentage by one Western Conference team over another during that span. It was also the Clippers’ fourth consecutive win.
A layup by Anfernee Simons put Portland up 123-122 with two minutes to go, but Terance Mann was fouled driving to the basket and made both free throws to put the Clippers ahead. Paul George then blocked a shot along the baseline and made a layup at the other end to extend the lead to 126-123 with 31 seconds left. George made two free throws to ice it with 7.9 seconds left.
George finished with 20 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, Kawhi Leonard had 34 points and five assists, James Harden had 20 points, seven assists and seven rebounds and Ivica Zubac added 18 points.
Clippers-Trail Blazers game summary
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
From Chuck Schilken: When Rob Gronkowski was announced as the new host for the college football bowl game at SoFi Stadium earlier this fall, the former NFL great promised he would be involved in the event from beginning to end.
That involvement, he told The Times in October, would include “a live performance by me — it may be at the beginning of the game, it may be at halftime, but I’m gonna be doing a live performance myself as well.”
Turns out, when UCLA plays Boise State in the L.A. Bowl Hosted by Gronk on Saturday, the four-time Super Bowl champion will be performing before the game.
As in, right before kickoff.
“I’m singing the national anthem,” Gronkowski announced in a video posted by TMZ on Monday morning.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1937 — Rookie Sammy Baugh throws second-half touchdown passes of 55, 78 and 33 yards to overcome a 14-7 Chicago lead and give the Washington Redskins a 28-21 victory over the Chicago Bears for the NFL championship.
1953 — Maurice Richard of the Montreal Canadiens becomes the NHL’s all-time leading scorer with a goal and two assists in a 7-2 victory against the New York Rangers. Richard finishes the game with 611 points, one more than injured linemate Elmer Lach, who has held the record since February 1952.
1965 — Chicago’s Gale Sayers scores six touchdowns with 336 combined yards to lead the Bears to a 61-20 rout of the San Francisco 49ers. The six TDs give Sayers an NFL-record 21 for the season. Sayers’ first touchdown is a reception, the next four rushing and the final, an 85-yard punt return.
1968 — Arthur Ashe becomes 1st black person be ranked #1 in tennis.
1971 — Bobby Hull of the Chicago Black Hawks scores his 1,000th point with an assist in the first period of a 5-3 victory over the Minnesota North Stars.
1977 — NBA Commissioner Larry O’Brien fined Kermit Washington $10,000 and suspends the Los Angeles Lakers forward for at least 60 days (26 games) for punching Houston’s Rudy Tomjanovich during a game on Dec. 9. The suspension is the longest ever in NBA history and the fine is the maximum permissible under league rules.
1986 — James “Bonecrusher” Smith knocks out Tim Witherspoon in the first round to win the WBA heavyweight title in New York.
1987 — Guard Mookie Blaylock leads Oklahoma to an NCAA-record 33 steals with 13 in a 152-84 victory over Centenary.
1990 — Connecticut uses a stifling press and quickness to jump to a 32-0 lead en route to an 85-32 victory over New Hampshire. New Hampshire plays 11 minutes and 48 seconds before scoring its first point.
2015 — Keenan Reynolds ends his Navy career with a clean sweep against Army. Reynolds rushes for two touchdowns and throws for another score to lead the No. 21 Midshipmen to their 14th straight win over the Black Knights, 21-17. Reynolds is the first quarterback over the 116-game series to go 4-0.
2015 — The Golden State Warriors’ NBA-record start ends at 24 wins when the Milwaukee Bucks beat them 108-95.
2016 — Tom Brady connects with Chris Hogan for a 79-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to help the New England Patriots overcome a sloppy second half and claim a 30-23 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Brady throws for 406 yards and three touchdowns, becoming the fourth NFL quarterback with at least 450 career touchdown passes. He also throws just his second interception of the season.
2021 — Dutchman Max Verstappen wins Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship.
Compiled by the Associated Press
And finally
Check out The Times’ UCLA and USC NCAA transfer portal tracker to stay on top of who is leaving and who will be playing with the Bruins and Trojans in the Big Ten next year.
Until next time...
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