Former UCLA legend Bill Walton is an acquired taste when it comes to his broadcasting career.

Some find his broadcast style to be grandiose while others (like myself) think he’s a breath of fresh air who isn’t afraid to speak his mind.

For example, Walton didn’t hold back during Thursday’s ESPN broadcast of UCLA vs. Washington. Attendance at Pauley Pavilion was sparse to say the very least and Walton pointed the finger directly at Bruins head coach Ben Howland.

Via The Big Lead:

Pasch: “OK, well, that’s obvious. How do you play better basketball?”

Walton: “Better style.”

Pasch: “Alright, so, is that the coach? Is that the players?”

Walton: “It’s the coach.

Pasch: “So you’re not a Ben Howland fan?”

Walton: “No.”

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There is hope after all. As the injury-prone 2012-13 Los Angeles Lakers limp towards the end of a miserable season, Julien’s Auctions has announced an unimpeachable purple and gold playoff season date – May 31, 2013.

That’s when various items from the life and playing days of Laker great Elgin Baylor will go on auction. Articles include:

Baylor’s 1959 NBA All-Star Game MVP Trophy; Baylor’s 1971-1972 Los Angeles Lakers NBA Championship Ring; LA Lakers game-worn warm-ups; Lakers rookie-year shorts; and a pair of Baylor’s Adidas game-worn shoes bronzed and presented to him at a talk show appearance.

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Laker great and sometimes columnist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hadn’t written a piece for Huffington Post in over three years. After blogging fairly regularly during the 2008 election, Kareem sat 2012 out. Today, however, he broke out of his slumber to randomly weigh in on the racial politics of HBO’s Girls–now well into its second season.

Last season the show was criticized for being too white. Watching a full season could leave a viewer snow blind. This season that white ghetto was breached by a black character who is introduced as some jungle fever lover, with just enough screen time to have sex and mutter a couple of lines about wanting more of a relationship. A black dildo would have sufficed and cost less.

Ha! Glad you woke up Kareem.

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Get ready for a whole lot of Los Angeles Dodgers starting in 2014.

The Dodgers formally announced their new regional sports network in partnership with Time Warner Cable called SportsNet LA. Pending MLB approval, the deal is for 25 years and will be worth between $7-8 billion for the Dodgers, according to the LA Times. It ends a long back-and-forth affair between the Dodgers, Time Warner and Fox Sports on the future home of the baseball team after their contract ended later this year.

“We concluded last year that the best way to give our fans what they want — more content and more Dodger baseball — was to launch our own network,” Dodgers chairman Mark Walter said in a statement. “The creation of AMP will provide substantial financial resources over the coming years for the Dodgers to build on their storied legacy and bring a World Championship home to Los Angeles. Just as we are actively transforming the team and the stadium, we want the Dodgers to be exhibited on the very best sports network in the country — one that will provide an unrivaled fan experience.”

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New NHL season, same confusion about the local hockey team in Los Angeles.

Fresh off a playoff run that featured numerous flubs by the media, some people are still confusing the Los Angeles Kings (those guys who hit pucks) with the Sacramento Kings (those guys who are hitting the road for Seattle).

The screengrab above is from the New England Sports Network (NESN).

Have no fear, the defending Stanley Cup champs aren’t moving to Seattle. Some things will never change, I guess.

(H/T @mmayo17)

The men’s basketball coaching gig at USC is open after the Trojans fired Kevin O’Neill earlier this week. And normally, such an exclusive job would only be open to a handful of qualified candidates handpicked by the athletic director.

Nope. Not this gig.

Anyone can apply for the job and SportsGrid blogger Glenn Davis did just that. Below is his cover letter to AD Pat Haden:

Dear [USC Athletic Director Pat] Haden:

I realize I’m not a traditional candidate to become the next head coach for USC basketball, but I’m confident that once you review my application, you’ll see I can provide the new leadership for your program you seek. I have extensive, highly successful head coaching experience in several recurring daydreams, and I’m looking forward to making those into reality as a Trojan.

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Metta World Peace was in a cheery mood following the Lakers’ 113-93 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers Sunday night, but that didn’t stop him from jokingly taking shots at the local media.

From Mark Medina‘s Inside the Lakers blog:

“I blame the media,” World Peace said. “Let’s talk. I blame you guys. First off, you have low expectations for us. You’re trying to get a great quote.”

He then stands up mocking his a reporter’s voice. “Your defense was GREAT TONIGHT!!”

“Ok? It’s supposed to be against five rookies that don’t know how to play the game,” World Peace said. “They see Kobe and they’re just excited to be in Staples Center. They partied last night. And we’re supposed to win.”

“I blame you guys for the low expectations,” World Peace continued. “Then I blame you guys for not promoting the team. Too many times, you talk about great players and then a team comes in here and beats us because you don’t promote team.”

The media wouldn’t have such low expectations if the Lakers actually lived up to the expectations that Kobe and Co. set when the team acquired Dwight Howard in the offseason.

Something tells me World Peace’s tone won’t be as jovial if the Lakers are still under .500 a month from now.

[H/T NBC4 for the video]

Time Warner Cable SportsNet, the new home of the Los Angeles Lakers, is adding 12 Los Angeles D-Fenders to the schedule starting this weekend.

The telecasts of the Lakers’ minor league team (though it would be hard to pick out the real minor league team based on the way Kobe and Co. have been playing) will be called by veteran broadcaster Steve Quis and former three-time NBA champion A.C. Green.

“We are thrilled to partner with Time Warner Cable SportsNet this season,” Joey Buss, president/CEO of the D-Fenders, said in a statement.  “This is an opportunity for our fans, Lakers fans and basketball fans to develop a connection with top D-Fenders prospects as well as Lakers assignment players, both of which are instrumental to the future of the Lakers and NBA.”

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The last time the Los Angeles Clippers won eleven straight NBA games, they were called the Buffalo Braves. So it’s no surprise that after Wednesday’s record-tying 11th victory over the New Orleans Hornets at Staples, some unusual activity took place in the locker room of the local NBA franchise not debilitated by a Steve Nash injury.

Per Arash Markazi‘s report on ESPN.com:

Clippers owner Donald Sterling walked into the room with an entourage of about 10 friends who normally occupy the center courtside seats at home games. It was the first time Sterling has entered the Clippers’ locker room this season and the first time many of the new players on the team had even met him.

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The baseball reporters that will swarm Angel Stadium in April for Josh Hamilton‘s debut won’t be sitting behind home plate during the 2013 MLB season.

The club announced Thursday that they are in the process of converting the press box into a luxury seating area, meaning the baseball scribes will now be situated down the right-field line.

“It really boils down to building revenue streams and finding as many ways as possible to grow,” Tim Mead, Angels vice president of communications told the Los Angeles Times. “In talking to other teams, the seating behind home plate is a prime area to do things.”

That’s one way of paying for Hamilton and Albert Pujols, I guess.