Columnists Jim Alexander and Mirjam Swanson discuss what’s going on.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, left, and coach Bob Geren look on from the dugout after the Arizona Diamondbacks scored six runs during the first inning of Game 1 of their National League Division Series on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, at Dodger Stadium. Welcome to the day-early Audible, which we’re posting Wednesday instead of Thursday while we know for sure the Dodgers still have any season left.
Those who don’t have a close-up view of the day-to-day process probably are convinced that if you’re losing, you’re not grinding enough and need to do more, when in some cases it’s the exact opposite. And these guys all have their routines that have worked all season. Even with the situation as dire as it is, I’m not sure a radical change helps.
In other words, the more influence the front office has on strategy, the more there is that can go wrong. That’s the overthinking I discussedSo unless the front-office functionaries have some sort of magical way of getting Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman going at the top of the lineup, I wouldn’t listen to them. Unfortunately, the manager is obligated to.
OK, on to other matters. USC gets the lion’s share of college football headlines in SoCal, deservedly so, but are we spending too little time on what UCLA’s Chip Kelly is building in Westwood?This week they’re at Oregon State – and not to make light of a brutal situation for the Cougars and Beavers, but if UCLA sweeps those two do they win the Pac-2 championship?My take? No one has to climb atop a soap box to defend UCLA’s defense. Because the Bruins’ defense is LEGIT.
Their success on that side of the ball is all the more stark considering all the problems we’re seeing on defense across town – though those issues are mostly just manufactured by the media, of course.D’Anton Lynn for Coordinator of the Year. The Bruins’ defensive coordinator and son of former Chargers’ head coach Anthony Lynn has radically transformed that unit, so it is possible. And it is another testament to the benefits of adding fresh eyes and fresh ideas to your coaching staff.
And the Trojans have faced second- or third-string QBs among their first six opponents, who are collectively 10-24. Their next six opponents are, at this point, 26-7.Not his defense on the field, but his defensive posturing. Letting some well-founded criticism so clearly get under his skin – and, in turn, his players’ skin – seems misguided.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
MLB playoffs 2023: From 100 wins to zero, Dodgers on the brink in NLDS again as Diamondbacks capitalize on 'fresh start'Finishing second in the NL West does not actually give you an edge in the postseason, despite what Los Angeles Dodgers fans might be thinking right now. One year after the San Diego Padres knocked out the 111-win Dodgers and two years after the Dodgers knocked out the 107-win San Francisco Giants, the Arizona Diamondbacks — 2023's version of the scrappy second fiddle — are threatening to send the Dodgers' season out with another tune on the world's smallest violin.
Read more »
MLB playoffs 2023: From 100 wins to zero, Dodgers on the brink in NLDS again as Diamondbacks capitalize on 'fresh start'Finishing second in the NL West does not actually give you an edge in the postseason, despite what Los Angeles Dodgers fans might be thinking right now. One year after the San Diego Padres knocked out the 111-win Dodgers and two years after the Dodgers knocked out the 107-win San Francisco Giants, the Arizona Diamondbacks — 2023's version of the scrappy second fiddle — are threatening to send the Dodgers' season out with another tune on the world's smallest violin.
Read more »
Get Audible for less than $6 a month during Amazon's October Prime DayEnjoy instant access to the latest (and greatest) audiobooks.
Read more »
Buffy's Amber Benson, Christopher Golden Explain Turning Crodelia Into a Slayer In Slayers: A Buffyverse Story (Exclusive)Slayers: A Buffyverse Story releases on Audible on October 12th.
Read more »
Buffy's Emma Caulfield 'Never' Thought She'd Bring Back Anya Before Slayers: A Buffyverse Story (Exclusive)Emma Caulfield reprises her Buffy the Vampire Slayer character for the new Audible series.
Read more »