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Jim Alexander

@jimalexander24.bsky.social
1.4K followers 1K following 623 posts

Sports columnist for Southern California News Group: www.ocregister.com/author/jim-alexa… Author, "Dodgers! An Informal History From Flatbush to Chavez Ravine." authors.tertulia.com/jimalexander-d…

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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 17h
The Dodgers are baseball's bad guys, not surprisingly, as they begin their three-peat quest - and the sport heads for the collective bargaining cliff. Those are not unrelated items. www.ocregister.com/2026/10/02/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: As Dodgers begin, a legacy – maybe even a sport – is at stake
A team in the eye of the collective bargaining storm begins its historical quest for a potential third consecutive World Series title. Are those in MLB’s offices who stump for a salary cap actually ro...
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Yes, the Lakers are Luka Doncic’s team. They’re also Rob Pelinka’s responsibility. And if things go awry … www.ocregister.com/2026/09/30/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: This is the Lakers’ Great Chemistry Experiment
If this collection of players meant to complement Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves works, it could be fun. If not … the fallout could land squarely on Rob Pelinka next spring.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
For Riversiders: Your baseball history - nearly two centuries worth - is now between the covers. www.pressenterprise.com/2026/09/28/a...
pressenterprise.com
Alexander: The definitive history of Riverside baseball
The Riverside Historical Society’s book details the sport’s nearly two centuries in its town.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
If you missed it ...
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Any time an L.A. team wins a title, especially by beating San Francisco, it's worth a celebration - even if it didn't set foot in its "home" city. Hopefully that'll change. In the meantime, today's bucket o' notes salutes the Queens, WPBL champs. www.ocregister.com/2026/09/25/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Another championship, sort of, for Los Angeles
The Women’s Professional Baseball League played its entire 8-week season in Illinois, with the L.A. Queens winning the inaugural title Tuesday.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Is this week’s Dodgers-Padres series a preview of what we might see in the postseason? And if so, wouldn’t that be a blast? www.ocregister.com/2026/09/24/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Wouldn’t another Dodgers-Padres playoff series be fun?
Either that, or excruciating … but these teams and their rival fan bases well might see each other in October for the fourth time in the seven years.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
If you missed it ...
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
UCLA’s Tenley Hill and USC’s Alia Pasternak, girls’ flag football players in high school, simply wanted to continue playing in college. They got a hands-on education in sports management in the process. www.ocregister.com/2026/09/23/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: At UCLA and USC, flag football is educational
USC’s Alia Pasternak and UCLA’s Tenley Hill, having both played in high school in Orange County, took the lead in organizing their collegiate club teams.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
If you are a Chargers fan, don’t you wish somebody - coach, player, whatever - would react to these two embarrassing losses with some real emotion?
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Is the Chargers’ season already spiraling downward, with two poor performances in an 0-2 start and four rugged games coming up? And is there someone who will acknowledge the hard truths internally at least, if not publicly? www.ocregister.com/2026/09/20/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Is Chargers’ season already spiraling downward?
Two sloppy home losses have left the Chargers with little margin for error before a daunting stretch against Buffalo, Seattle, Denver and Kansas City. The bigger question is whether this team can summ...
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Leading off this week's bucket o' notes: Can the Dodgers three-peat with minimal contributions from their top signings of last winter? Also: I'm with Team Holly. www.ocregister.com/2026/09/18/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Can the Dodgers overcome the curse of the big contracts?
Of their two big offseason signings, outfielder Kyle Tucker is starting to heat up – maybe – but closer Edwin Díaz might not even make the postseason roster.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
The "Protect College Sports Act" ... would it, actually? And what would you, the fan, get out of it? www.ocregister.com/2026/09/16/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Will – or can – Congress actually ‘protect’ college sports?
With legislation making its way through Congress, how about a simple remedy: Give football its own structure, and re-regionalize all of the other sports.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Two NFL teams in L.A., two opening day stinkers. How the Chargers laid an egg against Arizona. www.ocregister.com/2026/09/13/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Chargers’ sloppy opener leaves plenty to explain
Favored by 9½ points against an Arizona team that went 3-14 last season, the Chargers commit costly penalties, turn the ball over twice and have a punt blocked in a 26-14 loss.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Yes, Angel fans, the Doug Eddings in the news this week was the same one who botched the call in ‘05. Also in today’s bucket o’ notes, the Rams should have left earlier, and a remembrance of Barry Melrose. www.ocregister.com/2026/09/11/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Hey, Angels fans – remember this guy?
Umpire Doug Eddings was back in the spotlight this week, stirring memories of one bad call in the 2005 American League Championship Series.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Where do Southern California’s teams - all 18 of ‘em - stand when it comes to seriously contending for a championship? We’ve got the rankings right here. www.ocregister.com/2026/09/09/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Rams and Dodgers top the Expectation Index
The higher you score on our new ranking of Southern California’s 18 major teams, the more that is expected of you.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
If they had a mulligan, would USC and UCLA still have fled to the Big Ten? www.ocregister.com/2026/09/04/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: USC, UCLA in the Big Ten didn’t have to happen
Two developments the last week, actually, remind us that the demise of the legacy Pac-12 began with the L.A. schools’ defections.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
The late summer malaise has become a recent Dodger tradition. It didn't stop them from winning the World Series the last two years. But ... www.ocregister.com/2026/09/03/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Will Dodgers break out of their annual late-season slump soon?
They’ve overcome it the past two seasons, but an older club is still trying to recapture its offensive mojo. Either they are setting themselves up for another inspirational finish, or their luck is ab...
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
If they had to do it all over again, would the Clippers have spent so much - both above and under the table, according to the NBA's investigation - for a player that didn't bring them close to a championship? www.ocregister.com/2026/09/02/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Would Clippers go down this path again?
Given the penalties in the Kawhi Leonard case, and the results of the seven seasons with him on the roster, they probably would not.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Angels fans, you have reason to celebrate. www.ocregister.com/2026/09/01/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: This is a good day for Angels fans
The announcement of Stan Kroenke’s purchase of a controlling interest from Arte Moreno should be cause for celebration for a long-suffering but stubbornly loyal fan base.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Assuming that Aaron Donald still has something left in the tank, his presence makes the Rams scary good. But is there a level they might reach beyond that? www.ocregister.com/2026/08/31/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: With Aaron Donald’s return, are the Rams unstoppable?
The addition of the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year to an already stacked roster makes them a prohibitive favorite to win another Lombardi Trophy.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Yes, USC’s early schedule seems overly creampuff crowded. But if you were in Lincoln Riley’s spot, wouldn’t you do the same? www.ocregister.com/2026/08/29/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: USC football’s sweet opening schedule makes sense for Lincoln Riley
The Trojans have every reason to ease into a brutal Big Ten schedule, even if games like Saturday’s win over San José State are a tough sell in L.A.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
August has been a grueling sports month, for reasons that have little to do with the competition itself. www.ocregister.com/2026/08/28/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: We’ve had better sports months, haven’t we?
From Mark Walter’s financial fiasco to WNBA fake news and college sports’ unforced errors, August has been marked by chaos, controversy and uncertainty.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
From stand-up comedy to a baseball broadcast booth - and also, maybe, serving as an inspiration for others? www.ocregister.com/2026/08/26/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Connecting baseball fans with minor leaguers’ stories
Sid Iyer, the radio voice of the Ontario Tower Buzzers, has a significant story of his own, from his journey to the booth to his approach and his heritage.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Our annual sitdown with CIF Southern Section commissioner Mike West. www.ocregister.com/2026/08/22/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: CIF participation stats are … well, interesting
Increases and decreases are discussed, and more, in our annual season-opening sitdown with Southern Section commissioner Mike West.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
It is an interesting time to be a sports fan in Southern California … but not always for the right reasons. Discussing a tumultuous Monday. www.ocregister.com/2026/08/18/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: The Lakers’ and Clippers’ day of drama, and more
L.A.’s franchises enlivened the NBA offseason with explosive stories on the same day this week … and it all appears far from over.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
My favorite Tommy John anecdote, which didn't make this column (but was in my book): After his return to pitching, we interviewed him in the trainer's room after a start. He had his elbow in an ice bucket ... along with two bottles of beer. Talk about multitasking.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Those who change the game deserve a place in Cooperstown. And yes, both Tommy John and Dr. Frank Jobe deserve plaques and to be lauded posthumously as Hall of Famers. www.ocregister.com/2026/08/17/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Tommy John and Dr. Frank Jobe should be in the Hall of Fame
If the Cooperstown shrine exists to tell baseball’s story, how can you leave out people who changed the game?
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Dave Roberts asked for urgency, but that didn’t solve the Dodgers’ issues. A better offensive approach might. www.ocregister.com/2026/08/16/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Dodgers’ offensive drought continues
A sputtering offense has contributed to a 13-18 record since July 10, including three losses in four games against Milwaukee over the weekend.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Another three-peat developing? This one is in beach volleyball, at the Manhattan Beach Open, and Kristen Cruz and Taryn Brasher are already off to a good start. www.ocregister.com/2026/08/14/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Beach volleyball’s Brasher and Cruz go for their own three-peat
They’ve won two straight Manhattan Beach Open women’s championships … and after their Olympic experience in Paris, LA28 is on the horizon.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
The sudden sale of the Lakers was a shock, and can we assume there's not another bombshell waiting to happen? www.ocregister.com/2026/08/13/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Was Lakers’ sale an act of desperation by Mark Walter?
The $12.5 billion deal with Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner, just 14 months after agreeing to buy majority interest in the NBA franchise, raises some questions.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
An all-L.A. Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium in February? Why not? One reason why it would be fun: The rest of the country would hate it. www.ocregister.com/2026/08/12/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: A Chargers-Rams Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium? That would be wild
The Chargers seemingly have the heavier lift to get there, but keeping quarterback Justin Herbert upright and productive might be the key.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
A seven-game losing streak, being swept three times in five weeks ... is this time for panic or just the typical dog days for the Dodgers? (Plus, embedded in this week's bucket o' notes, a real dog story.) www.ocregister.com/2026/08/08/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Where do Dodgers’ woes fall on the ‘competitive balance’ scale?
Their recent 8-14 record, after being swept in three series in five weeks, isn’t grounds for panic … yet.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
The Dodgers are officially baseball’s villains again after the Tarik Skubal trade. That’s hardly a surprise. But don’t the masses have this backward? Maybe their favorite teams should prioritize winning, too. www.ocregister.com/2026/08/03/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Yep, the Dodgers are ruining baseball again
So say the haters, again, in the wake of the team trading for Tarik Skubal … but is the organization that listens to its fans and makes no bones about trying to win really the villain?
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Sports gambling is not only legal now in most states, but it’s hard to avoid the reminders. But as scandals keep popping up, is there a connection? www.ocregister.com/2026/07/25/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Has sports’ embrace of gambling contributed to scandals?
An industry that once held gambling interests at arm’s length now partners with them … so what could go wrong?
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Was 24 days of "The Decision, Oldtimers Edition" really necessary? No. www.ocregister.com/2026/07/24/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: The long ordeal is over; LeBron has a new home
And no, a 24-day process that inconvenienced the rest of the NBA, before James announced Friday he would play for the Philadelphia 76ers, was not necessary.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
For Inland readers: New UC Riverside coach Gregg Wallis is taking some pages from an old (but good) handbook in attempting to bring back winning baseball. www.pressenterprise.com/2026/07/21/a...
pressenterprise.com
Alexander: UC Riverside baseball showing signs of life
After a period of institutional neglect, the sport matters again on campus as Gregg Wallis takes over as the Highlanders’ new coach.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
When Fox wanted to kick off the post-World Cup part of the MLS season with a nationally televised attraction on the big network, it specifically chose El Trafico. Good choice. www.ocregister.com/2026/07/18/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: El Trafico is the launch point for the rest of the MLS season
A national audience on FOX saw LAFC beat the Galaxy, 3-0, on Friday night. Will that pique the public’s interest in the domestic product?
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Leading off today's bucket o' notes: Couldn't MLB's Midsummer Classic use, you know, more actual stars? www.ocregister.com/2026/07/17/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Does MLB All-Star Game need freshening up?
This week’s Midsummer Classic (lots of opt-outs) and the Home Run Derby (a subpar presentation by Netflix) had their share of issues.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Is this becoming an (unwelcome) tradition, the midsummer slump that brings the Dodgers back to the pack for a while? Or will the All-Star break actually provide the reset they need? www.ocregister.com/2026/07/12/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Have the Dodgers been playing with fire?
A sweep by the Arizona Diamondbacks continues a week played at less than the organization’s standard heading into the All-Star break.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Gabriela Jaquez returns to L.A. as a pro, and to judge from her performance Friday night for Chicago against the Sparks, the adjustment is going quite well. www.ocregister.com/2026/07/11/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Gabriela Jaquez has her WNBA homecoming
The former UCLA standout had plenty of friends and family, and a high-profile courtside fan, on hand for her return to L.A. with the Chicago Sky on Friday night.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
What we’ve learned during the World Cup? U.S. men’s soccer is what we thought it was. www.ocregister.com/2026/07/10/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Did we really think the USMNT could win the World Cup?
For this country’s team, going out in the Round of 16 constituted business as usual. By now, we should know better.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Amazingly, I wrote an entire column about Brian Burke without using the word “truculent,” one of his favorite descriptions of how he wanted his teams to play. If you missed it …
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Brian Burke will go into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the “builder” category in November. His masterpiece in that category was what he built in Anaheim, resulting in California’s first Stanley Cup in 2007. www.ocregister.com/2026/07/08/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Brian Burke’s Hall-of-Fame moment approaches
The man who built the Ducks’ 2007 Stanley Cup championship team will be inducted into hockey’s shrine in November.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
A wonderful day and a terrible day, all at once, for Dodgers rookie. www.ocregister.com/2026/07/05/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: A wonderful, yet terrible, day for Dodgers’ Eliezer Alfonzo
Before his major league debut, he learned his stepmother and sister did not survive the Venezuelan earthquakes.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
We’ve said all along that Dave Roberts’ detractors were wrong, or at least not looking at the totality of what a manager does. What can they say now? www.ocregister.com/2026/07/03/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: How about Manager of the Decade for Dodgers’ Dave Roberts?
He’s only won NL Manager of the Year once, in his first year, but three World Series championship rings and 1,000 victories make quite a statement.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
The trade of Kawhi Leonard to Toronto ends a chapter that was nowhere near what the Clippers expected. They're moving on, and they could be better off. www.ocregister.com/2026/07/01/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: With Kawhi Leonard gone, Clippers will now regroup
Leonard’s signing and the trade for fellow All-Star Paul George in 2019 turned out to have far less impact than anticipated.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
It sounds harsh, but did LeBron actually underachieve in his eight seasons with the Lakers? If you judge by the franchise's championship-or-bust standards, you can make that case. www.ocregister.com/2026/06/30/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: LeBron’s Lakers ledger is a lone championship
Winning an NBA title is not the responsibility of a superstar by himself, but the Lakers, and their fan base, expected more success when James signed here eight seasons ago.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Admit it: A lot of apprehensions about the U.S. portion of this World Cup have, to now, been unnecessary worry. As for the chances of the USMNT achieving a Miracle on Sod? (Well, they still exist, for now.) www.ocregister.com/2026/06/27/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Has the World Cup exceeded our expectations?
The columnist has been pleasantly surprised by the U.S. men’s national team’s play and visitors delighting at our culture’s quirks
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Institute a rule, face a lawsuit. That's life in the NCAA. Also in today's bucket o' notes: How the new PGA Tour format may affect the tourney we still call the Hope, Brendan Sorsby's upcoming year off, and what to rename State Route 2 in L.A. www.ocregister.com/2026/06/26/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: Life in the NCAA – create a rule, face a lawsuit
Absent friendly legislation in Congress, college sports’ main governing body incurs lots of billable hours.
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Jim Alexander @jimalexander24.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
"... this is now undeniably Luka’s team, with Reaves riding shotgun." But what do the Lakers have in mind now, with Austin Reaves getting his max contract to stay? www.ocregister.com/2026/06/25/a...
ocregister.com
Alexander: What now for the Lakers?
The Austin Reaves deal was one they had to make, but several other moves and decisions are needed to become a championship contender.
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