American Apparel fires CEO Dov Charney, hires replacement

American Apparel Inc., which suffered a summer of upheaval after suspending Chief Executive Dov Charney, fired him Tuesday and announced a new CEO.

The Los Angeles company said the board terminated Charney "for cause in accordance with the terms of his employment agreement." Paula Schneider, a longtime fashion industry executive, will take over as CEO on Jan. 5. Interim Chief Executive Scott Brubaker will remain as a consultant to help with the transition.

"I'm very, very excited to be part of something that is such a big influence on pop culture and helps so many Americans," Schneider said in an interview. American Apparel is "the largest manufacturer of apparel in North America. There are a lot of jobs and a lot of people, and we want to keep that going."

Allan Mayer, co-chairman of American Apparel, said the board was confident that Schneider "has the skills and background to lead the company to long-term success."

"We're pleased that what we set out to do last spring — namely, to ensure that American Apparel had the right leadership — has been accomplished," Mayer said in a statement released after the stock market closed. American Apparel's shares ended the day at 58 cents, up 3 cents from Monday's close but down from the $1.45 peak of the last year.

The firing appeared to close a chapter in the saga of American Apparel's founder, who has been dogged by sexual harassment lawsuits and allegations of misconduct for years, but was considered an innovative and dedicated public face of the company.

Charney issued a statement saying he was "disappointed with the circumstances."

"I'm proud of what I created at American Apparel and am confident that, as its largest shareholder, I will have a strong relationship with the company in the years ahead," Charney said.

Charney wished the company "continued success," striking an elegiac tone by noting that "my over 25 years of deep passion and commitment for American Apparel will always be the core DNA of the company."

In mid-June, the board stripped Charney of his board chairman role and suspended him from his president and CEO jobs after an initial investigation found evidence of alleged misconduct and violations of company policy. Allegations included misuse of company apartments and allowing a blogger to post nude photos of a woman who was suing American Apparel.

On Tuesday, the company said the internal investigation into Charney, which was being handled by FTI Consulting, had been completed. Based on the findings, the company said, it "determined that it would not be appropriate for Mr. Charney to be reinstated as CEO or an officer or employee of the company."

American Apparel's second dive into Charney's behavior uncovered more examples of the founder's alleged misconduct, including "financial improprieties" and instances of verbal and physical abuse of employees, according to a person familiar with the matter. Charney was entitled to two meetings with a committee of directors before it made its final decision; Charney showed up for only one, the person said.

The firing came after months of negotiations between Charney and the committee, said the source, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. The two sides tried several times to hammer out an agreement so Charney could continue working as a consultant, the source said.

After Charney's suspension in June, his lawyer, Patricia Glaser, denied the allegations and filed an arbitration petition alleging wrongful termination, breach of contract and retaliation. She did not return calls or an email for comment Tuesday.

Charney spent months trying to get back inside his company; his next move remains unclear.

After his initial suspension, Charney entered into a cooperative buying arrangement this summer with New York investment firm Standard General in an effort to regain control of American Apparel. But Standard General — which eventually threw the retailer a financial lifeline of up to $25 million — later said its deal with Charney was not "an endorsement of him."

As part of the deal with Standard General, American Apparel's board was overhauled and Charney stepped down as a director.

Industry experts speculate that Charney may still have support from former lender Lion Capital, which holds warrants to buy 12% of American Apparel's stock and the power to nominate two directors.

In August, it appointed food executive Robert Mintz, who was schoolmates with Charney, to the board. Last week, Lion also designated Lucky Brand co-founder Gene Montesano as a board member.

Charney has also inspired the loyalty of some workers.

A group of executives and managers sent American Apparel's board a letter Tuesday in support of Charney and expressing disappointment at his ouster.

"We were alarmed to learn of the board's decision today to not reintegrate Dov into a leadership role in the company," the letter said. "This decision was made without consulting even one of us regarding the impact it could have on the company, its employees and shareholders."

The letter added that any chief executive should be a "supportive counterpart" to Charney, who should continue leading "the creative vision, growth and sales strategy of the company."

Charney drama aside, Schneider will face a long battle to turn around the company's fortunes.

The 56-year-old industry veteran has held executive positions at retailers such as BCBG Max Azria and Laundry by Shelli Segal. She is currently the president and chief operating officer of ESP Group, which makes clothing under its own brands as well as licensed names including Dockers and Catherine Maladrino.

Ilse Metchek, president of the California Fashion Assn., worked with Schneider when she served on the fashion group's board. She said Schneider would bring stability and decades of industry experience to the beleaguered retailer.

"She will come off as an adult," Metchek said. "It's going to be a challenge for her.... She's certainly not volatile, and that will be a change from Dov."

Experts said appointing a female CEO is a good public relations move for a company whose founder has been accused for years of inappropriate conduct with female employees.

"Whoever had a problem with Dov Charney and his behavior will give American Apparel a second look and understand it's not the same company anymore," said Ronnie Moas, founder of Standpoint Research, a market research firm.

But Moas said American Apparel's other problems remain: disappointing earnings, a heavy debt load and a failure to attract young shoppers as it once did.

Last month, the L.A.-based company reported a larger-than-expected loss in the third quarter. American Apparel said it lost $19.2 million, or 11 cents a share, in the three months that ended Sept. 30.

In comparison, the retailer reported a net loss of $1.5 million, or 1 cent, in the same period a year earlier.

Sales fell more than 5% to $155.9 million from $164.5 million a year earlier. U.S. sales at both the retail and wholesale segments dropped, and international sales also slid.

Moas said American Apparel has suffered as its youthful customers have flocked to fast-fashion companies such as Zara and H&M.

"Those dinosaurs are just not in favor with the new generation the same way they were in the 1990s and beginning half of the decade," Moas said.

shan.li@latimes.com

Twitter: @ByShanLi

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

CNN's #AskACop hashtag backfires, elicits brutal responses

A hashtag about asking police officers questions for a CNN panel turned extremely negative almost as soon as it was posted Tuesday.

#AskACop was meant to be used by viewers who wanted to tweet questions to officers for the town hall segment "Cops Under Fire," hosted by Don Lemon.

There was an overwhelming response -- most of which were criticisms toward police.

Some examples: "do you think dogs would make better cops, i mean they are color blind..." and "so, do you beat your wife and/or kids before or after you murder an unarmed citizen? just wonderin'"

In the wake of the deaths of Michael Brown, Tamir Rice and Eric Garner, distrust and animosity toward police is running high, at least in some quarters. Those feelings were made clear in tweets toward police, many of which were brutal.

By the time the show aired at 7 p.m., #AskACop was one of the highest Twitter trends in the U.S. 

Follow Ryan Parker for breaking news at @theryanparker and on Facebook.

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

8:20 p.m.: This story has been updated with some sample tweets. 

This story was originally published at 8:12 p.m. 

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

American Apparel fires CEO Dov Charney, hires replacement

American Apparel Inc., which suffered a summer of upheaval after suspending Chief Executive Dov Charney, fired him Tuesday and announced a new CEO.

The Los Angeles company said the board terminated Charney "for cause in accordance with the terms of his employment agreement." Paula Schneider, a longtime fashion industry executive, will take over as CEO on Jan. 5. Interim Chief Executive Scott Brubaker will remain as a consultant to help with the transition.

"I'm very, very excited to be part of something that is such a big influence on pop culture and helps so many Americans," Schneider said in an interview. American Apparel is "the largest manufacturer of apparel in North America. There are a lot of jobs and a lot of people, and we want to keep that going."

Allan Mayer, co-chairman of American Apparel, said the board was confident that Schneider "has the skills and background to lead the company to long-term success."

"We're pleased that what we set out to do last spring — namely, to ensure that American Apparel had the right leadership — has been accomplished," Mayer said in a statement released after the stock market closed. American Apparel's shares ended the day at 58 cents, up 3 cents from Monday's close but down from the $1.45 peak of the last year.

The firing appeared to close a chapter in the saga of American Apparel's founder, who has been dogged by sexual harassment lawsuits and allegations of misconduct for years, but was considered an innovative and dedicated public face of the company.

Charney issued a statement saying he was "disappointed with the circumstances."

"I'm proud of what I created at American Apparel and am confident that, as its largest shareholder, I will have a strong relationship with the company in the years ahead," Charney said.

Charney wished the company "continued success," striking an elegiac tone by noting that "my over 25 years of deep passion and commitment for American Apparel will always be the core DNA of the company."

In mid-June, the board stripped Charney of his board chairman role and suspended him from his president and CEO jobs after an initial investigation found evidence of alleged misconduct and violations of company policy. Allegations included misuse of company apartments and allowing a blogger to post nude photos of a woman who was suing American Apparel.

On Tuesday, the company said the internal investigation into Charney, which was being handled by FTI Consulting, had been completed. Based on the findings, the company said, it "determined that it would not be appropriate for Mr. Charney to be reinstated as CEO or an officer or employee of the company."

American Apparel's second dive into Charney's behavior uncovered more examples of the founder's alleged misconduct, including "financial improprieties" and instances of verbal and physical abuse of employees, according to a person familiar with the matter. Charney was entitled to two meetings with a committee of directors before it made its final decision; Charney showed up for only one, the person said.

The firing came after months of negotiations between Charney and the committee, said the source, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. The two sides tried several times to hammer out an agreement so Charney could continue working as a consultant, the source said.

After Charney's suspension in June, his lawyer, Patricia Glaser, denied the allegations and filed an arbitration petition alleging wrongful termination, breach of contract and retaliation. She did not return calls or an email for comment Tuesday.

Charney spent months trying to get back inside his company; his next move remains unclear.

After his initial suspension, Charney entered into a cooperative buying arrangement this summer with New York investment firm Standard General in an effort to regain control of American Apparel. But Standard General — which eventually threw the retailer a financial lifeline of up to $25 million — later said its deal with Charney was not "an endorsement of him."

As part of the deal with Standard General, American Apparel's board was overhauled and Charney stepped down as a director.

Industry experts speculate that Charney may still have support from former lender Lion Capital, which holds warrants to buy 12% of American Apparel's stock and the power to nominate two directors.

In August, it appointed food executive Robert Mintz, who was schoolmates with Charney, to the board. Last week, Lion also designated Lucky Brand co-founder Gene Montesano as a board member.

Charney has also inspired the loyalty of some workers.

A group of executives and managers sent American Apparel's board a letter Tuesday in support of Charney and expressing disappointment at his ouster.

"We were alarmed to learn of the board's decision today to not reintegrate Dov into a leadership role in the company," the letter said. "This decision was made without consulting even one of us regarding the impact it could have on the company, its employees and shareholders."

The letter added that any chief executive should be a "supportive counterpart" to Charney, who should continue leading "the creative vision, growth and sales strategy of the company."

Charney drama aside, Schneider will face a long battle to turn around the company's fortunes.

The 56-year-old industry veteran has held executive positions at retailers such as BCBG Max Azria and Laundry by Shelli Segal. She is currently the president and chief operating officer of ESP Group, which makes clothing under its own brands as well as licensed names including Dockers and Catherine Maladrino.

Ilse Metchek, president of the California Fashion Assn., worked with Schneider when she served on the fashion group's board. She said Schneider would bring stability and decades of industry experience to the beleaguered retailer.

"She will come off as an adult," Metchek said. "It's going to be a challenge for her.... She's certainly not volatile, and that will be a change from Dov."

Experts said appointing a female CEO is a good public relations move for a company whose founder has been accused for years of inappropriate conduct with female employees.

"Whoever had a problem with Dov Charney and his behavior will give American Apparel a second look and understand it's not the same company anymore," said Ronnie Moas, founder of Standpoint Research, a market research firm.

But Moas said American Apparel's other problems remain: disappointing earnings, a heavy debt load and a failure to attract young shoppers as it once did.

Last month, the L.A.-based company reported a larger-than-expected loss in the third quarter. American Apparel said it lost $19.2 million, or 11 cents a share, in the three months that ended Sept. 30.

In comparison, the retailer reported a net loss of $1.5 million, or 1 cent, in the same period a year earlier.

Sales fell more than 5% to $155.9 million from $164.5 million a year earlier. U.S. sales at both the retail and wholesale segments dropped, and international sales also slid.

Moas said American Apparel has suffered as its youthful customers have flocked to fast-fashion companies such as Zara and H&M.

"Those dinosaurs are just not in favor with the new generation the same way they were in the 1990s and beginning half of the decade," Moas said.

shan.li@latimes.com

Twitter: @ByShanLi

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Earthquake could imperil L.A.'s water supply

Los Angeles gets 88% of its water from three major aqueducts, flowing from the Colorado River, Owens Valley and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

But as they make their way into the region, the aqueducts cross the San Andreas fault a total of 32 times.

Officials have long warned that a massive temblor on the San Andreas could destroy key sections of the aqueducts, cutting off the water supply for more than 22 million people in Southern California.

L.A. officials are for the first time taking concrete steps to address the problem. Making L.A.'s water supply less vulnerable in a huge quake will probably cost billions, and it remains unclear where that money would come from.

Mayor Eric Garcetti has asked for proposals aimed at better protecting the water supply and developing alternatives in case a quake blocks the aqueducts. The ideas range from strengthening the waterways to developing an emergency supply for firefighters using ocean water and reclaimed water.

Los Angeles is behind the San Francisco Bay Area in this effort.

The East Bay Municipal Utility District has built backup tunnels, stronger pipes and new waterways to ensure water continues flowing from the Sierra Nevada even if one of its three main aqueducts is blocked. The efforts have cost more than $350 million, paid for by water customers, bonds and government grants.

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission built a new water tunnel under San Francisco Bay and even installed a specially designed pipe that crosses the Hayward fault. The pipe is connected by accordion-like joints that allow it to flex and swing, even as a quake moves the earth in two directions. The projects are part of a $4.8-billion effort funded by a surcharge on water bills.

Compared with other large cities, Los Angeles is critically dependent on water sources far from the city center, said U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Lucy Jones, the mayor's science advisor on earthquake safety.

"We're the first city that's really bet its life on outside water," Jones said. "We have to cross the faults. There's no way to not go over the fault."

Garcetti acknowledged that the high cost of the water projects, along with his proposals to retrofit thousands of vulnerable buildings and preserve access to the Internet after an earthquake, would have a total price tag in the billions. But failing to act now will exact an even greater toll economically after the Big One hits.

Water is "one of L.A.'s greatest earthquake vulnerabilities," Garcetti said. "If it were to take six months to get our water system back … residents and businesses would be forced to relocate for so long that they might never come back."

A first step would be for the three agencies that manage the Los Angeles, California and Colorado River aqueducts to work together to come up with an earthquake retrofit plan.

Another would be to add fire hydrants to a recycled water pipe system already being planned for certain parts of the city to irrigate golf courses and parks. The "purple pipe" system would be connected to treatment plants that sanitize wastewater. Equipped with quake-proof pipes, the system could act as a backup water system like the one San Francisco built after the 1906 earthquake.

After the 1994 Northridge quake, hydrants ran dry in large swaths of the San Fernando Valley, forcing firefighters to switch to water-dropping helicopters using swimming pool water to fight blazes.

None of the aqueducts have gone through a large San Andreas earthquake in Southern California. The last time the fault unleashed a Big One in the Southland was in 1857, when a magnitude 7.9 earthquake hit.

The Los Angeles Aqueduct, built a century ago by William Mulholland, crosses the San Andreas fault through the five-mile Elizabeth Tunnel under the mountains north of Santa Clarita. Experts said the San Andreas fault can move as much as 33 feet in a big earthquake and could slice the tunnel, dam it up and collapse some of its concrete sections.

The most expensive solutions include building a wider, stronger tunnel; another is to use electricity to pump water over the mountains toward L.A. But the Department of Water and Power hasn't had the resources to extensively study various retrofit options until now, said Craig Davis, an earthquake engineering expert for the utility.  

The DWP has already begun sketching out an interim solution — placing a 3-foot-wide, strong plastic pipe through the tunnel. Even if the tunnel collapses, it's hoped the plastic pipe might keep enough of the passageway intact to keep some water flowing through, Davis said.

Davis warns that the Edmund G. Brown California Aqueduct could be pulled apart by the San Andreas fault in the Palmdale area, allowing large volumes of water to escape.

The 1940s-era Colorado River Aqueduct has a different problem. A section of the aqueduct in the mountain pass west of Palm Springs could be lifted 13 feet in a San Andreas quake, stopping the water flow. There's no backup pumps there to keep the water moving toward Los Angeles, Davis said.

Representatives for the California and Colorado River aqueducts said they have been studying the seismic vulnerabilities of their systems.

"There should be a serious dialogue among the agencies that are responsible for the three sources of water to Southern California," said Thomas O'Rourke, a Cornell University engineering professor and longtime seismic consultant for the DWP. "Sometimes it's very difficult to go beyond those institutional barriers.... Somebody just has to take it up."

Although authorities have been studying the seismic risks for many years, it was only in about 2008 that water officials began to understand that all three aqueducts could be choked off in the same magnitude-7.8 San Andreas earthquake, based on the research Jones and a large research team published that year.

O'Rourke said the consequences of failure would far exceed the bill to prevent calamity.

"The price tag for protecting the incoming water supply might not be as high as people think," he said, pointing to the projects already completed in the Bay Area.

Garcetti last week instructed city officials to give him a plan by July on many of these issues. He expects the reports to come with proposals for strengthening the Los Angeles Aqueduct, a bond measure to fund water-related seismic safety projects and prioritizing which of L.A.'s century-old pipes should be replaced first with quake-proof pipes.

The mayor also asked for the managers of all three major aqueducts — the DWP, state Department of Water Resources and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California — to begin working together to find a solution.

If nothing is done, Southern California could be left with less than six months of stored water on the L.A. side of the San Andreas fault. It could take more than a year to get all three aqueducts flowing again after a major quake.

"This is a regional issue, with significant infrastructure costs," Garcetti said. "We all know how precious water is these days with our historic drought.... Water is also one of L.A.'s greatest earthquake vulnerabilities, too."

@RosannaXia

@ronlin

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

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L.A. officials set to move AEG out of downtown plan's design process

Los Angeles officials are moving to keep developer Anschutz Entertainment Group from serving on a design review panel that will help shape the city's backup plan in case a proposed NFL stadium isn't built next to the convention center.

A City Council committee recommended last week that lawmakers rewrite an agreement that would have allowed downtown stadium developer AEG to work closely with high-level city officials weighing proposals for putting a new 1,000-room hotel next to the center if stadium plans fall apart.

The agreement sparked concerns last month from at least one civic watchdog, who questioned whether AEG's involvement in the design process amounted to a financial conflict of interest. The company already owns a 54-story hotel nearby — one that could face competition from a new convention center hotel — and has an alternative hotel site of its own two blocks away.

"I think that the city has made the right decision to allow a design process to move forward that is not influenced by a business interest that has an interest in the final decision," said Kathay Feng, executive director of the nonprofit California Common Cause, which looks at election campaigns and government decision-making. "It's good not to allow the fox to rule that henhouse."

The council is scheduled to vote Tuesday to rewrite its agreement with AEG, which signed off on the changes. Ted Fikre, AEG's vice chairman and chief legal and development officer, said the changes would preserve his company's ability to compete for development work on city-owned land around the convention center in the future.

"In an abundance of caution and to avoid even the appearance of a potential conflict, we have agreed to give up our contractual right to participate in the design process to ensure that AEG can be considered for any future convention center-related development opportunities," he said in a statement.

AEG has been trying for roughly three years to develop a 72,000-seat football stadium that would also result in construction of a new wing of the convention center. But city officials also have begun preparing a backup plan, saying lingering questions about the stadium project are making it difficult to book major events.

"We've seen that the tourism board is having a tough time bringing in business to the city because there's so much uncertainty about our facility — will there be a team or won't there? We will expand or won't we?" said policy analyst John Wickham, during a presentation to the city's convention center board earlier this year.

In October, Mayor Eric Garcetti and the council gave AEG until April to find a team. As part of that extension, the council set up a design committee to look at options for upgrading the convention center, including the possibility of developing a new hotel directly attached to the facility.

Robert "Bud" Ovrom, executive director of the city's convention and tourism agency, supports the hotel idea. But AEG, which has two hotels at the nearby L.A. Live entertainment complex, has questioned the move. The company, which also has a contract with the city to run the convention center, has suggested that a hotel be built on land owned by AEG on Olympic Boulevard instead.

For now, city officials are splitting the difference. They decided to solicit two sets of design proposals for upgrading the convention center — three with a hotel next to the facility and three without. AEG has agreed to provide $750,000 to cover the cost of architectural designs and economic analyses.

City officials had originally called for AEG to serve on the design review committee with representatives of key city agencies, such as the Bureau of Engineering. Two weeks ago, they said the city's agreement should be amended to ensure that AEG does not have a formal role in the architectural competition or developing the design criteria.

City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana, a high-level budget official, would not say whether he or anyone else at the city had determined that AEG faced a potential conflict. But he suggested the changes would ensure that AEG has the same status as any other member of the public weighing in on the process.

"This will clarify their role. There will be no conflict," he said.

david.zahniser@latimes.com

Follow @DavidZahniser for more news about L.A. City Hall

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

L.A. officials set to move AEG out of downtown plan's design process

Los Angeles officials are moving to keep developer Anschutz Entertainment Group from serving on a design review panel that will help shape the city's backup plan in case a proposed NFL stadium isn't built next to the convention center.

A City Council committee recommended last week that lawmakers rewrite an agreement that would have allowed downtown stadium developer AEG to work closely with high-level city officials weighing proposals for putting a new 1,000-room hotel next to the center if stadium plans fall apart.

The agreement sparked concerns last month from at least one civic watchdog, who questioned whether AEG's involvement in the design process amounted to a financial conflict of interest. The company already owns a 54-story hotel nearby — one that could face competition from a new convention center hotel — and has an alternative hotel site of its own two blocks away.

"I think that the city has made the right decision to allow a design process to move forward that is not influenced by a business interest that has an interest in the final decision," said Kathay Feng, executive director of the nonprofit California Common Cause, which looks at election campaigns and government decision-making. "It's good not to allow the fox to rule that henhouse."

The council is scheduled to vote Tuesday to rewrite its agreement with AEG, which signed off on the changes. Ted Fikre, AEG's vice chairman and chief legal and development officer, said the changes would preserve his company's ability to compete for development work on city-owned land around the convention center in the future.

"In an abundance of caution and to avoid even the appearance of a potential conflict, we have agreed to give up our contractual right to participate in the design process to ensure that AEG can be considered for any future convention center-related development opportunities," he said in a statement.

AEG has been trying for roughly three years to develop a 72,000-seat football stadium that would also result in construction of a new wing of the convention center. But city officials also have begun preparing a backup plan, saying lingering questions about the stadium project are making it difficult to book major events.

"We've seen that the tourism board is having a tough time bringing in business to the city because there's so much uncertainty about our facility — will there be a team or won't there? We will expand or won't we?" said policy analyst John Wickham, during a presentation to the city's convention center board earlier this year.

In October, Mayor Eric Garcetti and the council gave AEG until April to find a team. As part of that extension, the council set up a design committee to look at options for upgrading the convention center, including the possibility of developing a new hotel directly attached to the facility.

Robert "Bud" Ovrom, executive director of the city's convention and tourism agency, supports the hotel idea. But AEG, which has two hotels at the nearby L.A. Live entertainment complex, has questioned the move. The company, which also has a contract with the city to run the convention center, has suggested that a hotel be built on land owned by AEG on Olympic Boulevard instead.

For now, city officials are splitting the difference. They decided to solicit two sets of design proposals for upgrading the convention center — three with a hotel next to the facility and three without. AEG has agreed to provide $750,000 to cover the cost of architectural designs and economic analyses.

City officials had originally called for AEG to serve on the design review committee with representatives of key city agencies, such as the Bureau of Engineering. Two weeks ago, they said the city's agreement should be amended to ensure that AEG does not have a formal role in the architectural competition or developing the design criteria.

City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana, a high-level budget official, would not say whether he or anyone else at the city had determined that AEG faced a potential conflict. But he suggested the changes would ensure that AEG has the same status as any other member of the public weighing in on the process.

"This will clarify their role. There will be no conflict," he said.

david.zahniser@latimes.com

Follow @DavidZahniser for more news about L.A. City Hall

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

NFL Week 15: A bad day for quarterbacks, especially Johnny Manziel

The quarterbacks went down, and they went down hard.

Houston, Washington and Tennessee lost their quarterbacks Sunday. Even Denver had to do without Peyton Manning for a bit, with the Broncos star uncharacteristically missing a few snaps in San Diego because of a thigh injury and flu-like symptoms — although he came back to lead his team to a 22-10 victory and a fourth consecutive AFC West title.

Knocked out of action and unable to return were the Texans' Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Redskins' Colt McCoy and the Titans' Jake Locker, with all three of those teams losing. That punctuated a week when Arizona won despite losing quarterback Drew Stanton, and Carolina's Cam Newton was sidelined by fractures in his back he sustained in a rollover car accident.

The even more surprising stories Sunday were the quarterbacks who played but never truly showed up.

Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers had arguably the worst game of his career in a 21-13 loss to Buffalo. And rookie Johnny Manziel's debut in Cleveland was a flop, as the Browns were throttled by Cincinnati, 30-0.

"It was tough," said Manziel, who finished 10 for 18 for 80 yards with two interceptions, and was sacked three times. "When you get beat, you get beat and you take it like a man. I felt like it was a fail on my part."

The Browns, who benched quarterback Brian Hoyer in favor of Manziel, have gone four games without a touchdown pass.

Cleveland's best chance to score came near the end of the first half when the Browns drove to the Cincinnati 19. The threat ended when Manziel, under heavy pressure, wildly flung a pass that was intercepted at the goal line by Adam Jones.

"You can't throw the second one whether you're playing in a Pop Warner league, or if you're 6 years old playing in the driveway, you can't throw that ball," Manziel said. "It's 100% on me."

The Bengals, who suffered a humiliating 21-point home loss to the Browns last month, must have worn holes in the thumbs and forefingers of their gloves Sunday, so frequently were they mocking Manziel's thumb-rubbing "money sign."

"Everything was all about Manziel all week," said Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga, who was flagged for running up to Manziel after knocking down a pass and taunting him with the gesture. "We just focused on us. We focused on what we needed to do to stop the kid."

Although they're leading the AFC North by a half-game, the Bengals have not wrapped up the division. Meanwhile, Denver, Indianapolis and New England all clinched their divisions Sunday, guaranteeing themselves at least a home playoff game.

The picture is foggier in the NFC, in part because the Packers lost in Buffalo, where they are 0-6 in club history.

Rodgers, who came into the game the hottest player in the NFL, completed 17 of 42 passes with no touchdowns and two interceptions for a career-low passer rating of 34.3. The loss snapped Green Bay's five-game winning streak, and — coupled with Detroit's victory over Minnesota — bumped the Packers into second place in the NFC North behind the Lions.

The Bills, five-point underdogs at home, discovered the Rambo Leap, as third-string safety Baccari Rambo made his first two career interceptions against a leading candidate to win this season's NFL most-valuable-player award.

Rodgers came into the Buffalo game with 35 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Buffalo put the clamps on him just a week after shutting down Manning and ending his streak of 51 consecutive games with a touchdown pass.

"To [hold] not one quarterback, but two of the hottest quarterbacks in the NFL to no passing touchdowns, this is huge," Rambo said. "Huge confidence boost for us."

The crowning blow to Rodgers came with 1:51 left, when Mario Williams stripped the ball from him deep in Packers territory, and Eddie Lacy scooped up the fumble in the end zone and tried to run it out. The play was whistled dead as a safety, because of a somewhat obscure rule born out of the old "Holy Roller" touchdown by the Oakland Raiders: Inside of two minutes, only the player who fumbled is allowed to advance the ball.

Sunday's meltdown wasn't all Rodgers' fault. In the fourth quarter, he hit receiver Jordy Nelson in stride for what might have been a 94-yard touchdown, but the typically sure-handed Nelson dropped the ball. The entire state of Wisconsin slapped the sides of its head in frustration.

The Packers finish at two-win Tampa Bay and at home against Detroit, so they still are in position to win the NFC North and potentially secure one of the NFC's top two seeds for a first-round bye. But Sunday's loss could mean the road to the Super Bowl will not go through Lambeau Field.

Considering the Packers are 3-4 on the road, and that foul weather in Green Bay can be their friend, the defeat at Buffalo was an undeniable setback.

"We weren't sharp, no doubt about it," Packers Coach Mike McCarthy said. "Our passing game — that's not the kind of numbers we're used to producing. So we will go back and learn from it."

Outside looking in

For the first time in Coach Jim Harbaugh's four seasons, the San Francisco 49ers won't make the playoffs.

They were knocked out Sunday by their most bitter rival, suffering a 17-7 defeat at Seattle. Their fate was sealed when Detroit held on to beat Minnesota, mathematically eliminating the 49ers from wild-card contention.

The loss also marked the first three-game slide of the Harbaugh era, likely to end in a couple of weeks.

The Seahawks are heading in the other direction, picking up their seventh victory in eight games. Their defense, which looks as dominant as it did at the end of last season, sacked Colin Kaepernick six times and collected five other tackles for loss.

"We didn't give up any yards, we just played our way," Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett said. "We played team defense and that's the way you play championship football."

In the last four games, Seattle's defense has surrendered a total of 27 points.

Patriot Way

Another blowout for New England, which turned a close game with Miami into a 41-13 laugher with a 24-point third quarter. The Patriots have won six AFC East titles in a row, tied for the second-longest streak in NFL history and one shy of the record set by the Los Angeles Rams from 1973-79.

"Everything starts with winning your division," Patriots safety Devin McCourty said. "We wanted to win big."

Of course, that's just a stepping stone for a franchise that's accustomed to playing on the biggest stage. By winning, the Patriots tightened their grip on the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and Gillette Stadium can be a mighty unwelcome place for visiting teams, especially in January. New England closes its schedule at home against the New York Jets and at Buffalo.

Opponents still don't have an answer for tight end Rob Gronkowski, who had three catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. But the play that really woke up New England's sluggish offense Sunday was a 17-yard run by the less-than-fleet-footed Tom Brady on third and 11 on the opening drive of the third quarter.

"It was a play that we needed to make so it was good to make it at that time," Brady said. "I was going to slide but I was pretty [ticked] off that time so I figured I wouldn't slide."

There's always a catch

The New York Giants aren't going anywhere this season, but they have a phenomenal game changer in rookie Odell Beckham Jr., who had 12 catches for 143 yards and three touchdowns in a 24-13 victory over Washington. He would have had a fourth touchdown, but it was wiped out by a holding penalty.

Beckham has been almost unguardable lately, with 866 yards receiving and six touchdowns in the last six games. He missed most of training camp and the first four games of the season because of a hamstring injury.

An interesting coincidence: Beckham attended Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, the alma mater of Giants quarterback Eli Manning and his older brother, Peyton.

We're No. 1 . . . sort of

In losing at Carolina, Tampa Bay moved into the lead for the No. 1 draft pick in April, possibly Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota of Oregon.

The Buccaneers have the "edge" over Tennessee based on the strength-of-schedule tiebreaker. Behind them, in order, are Jacksonville and Oakland. The four finalists are all 2-11.

sam.farmer@latimes.com

Twitter: @LATimesfarmer

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

NFL Week 15: A bad day for quarterbacks, especially Johnny Manziel

The quarterbacks went down, and they went down hard.

Houston, Washington and Tennessee lost their quarterbacks Sunday. Even Denver had to do without Peyton Manning for a bit, with the Broncos star uncharacteristically missing a few snaps in San Diego because of a thigh injury and flu-like symptoms — although he came back to lead his team to a 22-10 victory and a fourth consecutive AFC West title.

Knocked out of action and unable to return were the Texans' Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Redskins' Colt McCoy and the Titans' Jake Locker, with all three of those teams losing. That punctuated a week when Arizona won despite losing quarterback Drew Stanton, and Carolina's Cam Newton was sidelined by fractures in his back he sustained in a rollover car accident.

The even more surprising stories Sunday were the quarterbacks who played but never truly showed up.

Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers had arguably the worst game of his career in a 21-13 loss to Buffalo. And rookie Johnny Manziel's debut in Cleveland was a flop, as the Browns were throttled by Cincinnati, 30-0.

"It was tough," said Manziel, who finished 10 for 18 for 80 yards with two interceptions, and was sacked three times. "When you get beat, you get beat and you take it like a man. I felt like it was a fail on my part."

The Browns, who benched quarterback Brian Hoyer in favor of Manziel, have gone four games without a touchdown pass.

Cleveland's best chance to score came near the end of the first half when the Browns drove to the Cincinnati 19. The threat ended when Manziel, under heavy pressure, wildly flung a pass that was intercepted at the goal line by Adam Jones.

"You can't throw the second one whether you're playing in a Pop Warner league, or if you're 6 years old playing in the driveway, you can't throw that ball," Manziel said. "It's 100% on me."

The Bengals, who suffered a humiliating 21-point home loss to the Browns last month, must have worn holes in the thumbs and forefingers of their gloves Sunday, so frequently were they mocking Manziel's thumb-rubbing "money sign."

"Everything was all about Manziel all week," said Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga, who was flagged for running up to Manziel after knocking down a pass and taunting him with the gesture. "We just focused on us. We focused on what we needed to do to stop the kid."

Although they're leading the AFC North by a half-game, the Bengals have not wrapped up the division. Meanwhile, Denver, Indianapolis and New England all clinched their divisions Sunday, guaranteeing themselves at least a home playoff game.

The picture is foggier in the NFC, in part because the Packers lost in Buffalo, where they are 0-6 in club history.

Rodgers, who came into the game the hottest player in the NFL, completed 17 of 42 passes with no touchdowns and two interceptions for a career-low passer rating of 34.3. The loss snapped Green Bay's five-game winning streak, and — coupled with Detroit's victory over Minnesota — bumped the Packers into second place in the NFC North behind the Lions.

The Bills, five-point underdogs at home, discovered the Rambo Leap, as third-string safety Baccari Rambo made his first two career interceptions against a leading candidate to win this season's NFL most-valuable-player award.

Rodgers came into the Buffalo game with 35 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Buffalo put the clamps on him just a week after shutting down Manning and ending his streak of 51 consecutive games with a touchdown pass.

"To [hold] not one quarterback, but two of the hottest quarterbacks in the NFL to no passing touchdowns, this is huge," Rambo said. "Huge confidence boost for us."

The crowning blow to Rodgers came with 1:51 left, when Mario Williams stripped the ball from him deep in Packers territory, and Eddie Lacy scooped up the fumble in the end zone and tried to run it out. The play was whistled dead as a safety, because of a somewhat obscure rule born out of the old "Holy Roller" touchdown by the Oakland Raiders: Inside of two minutes, only the player who fumbled is allowed to advance the ball.

Sunday's meltdown wasn't all Rodgers' fault. In the fourth quarter, he hit receiver Jordy Nelson in stride for what might have been a 94-yard touchdown, but the typically sure-handed Nelson dropped the ball. The entire state of Wisconsin slapped the sides of its head in frustration.

The Packers finish at two-win Tampa Bay and at home against Detroit, so they still are in position to win the NFC North and potentially secure one of the NFC's top two seeds for a first-round bye. But Sunday's loss could mean the road to the Super Bowl will not go through Lambeau Field.

Considering the Packers are 3-4 on the road, and that foul weather in Green Bay can be their friend, the defeat at Buffalo was an undeniable setback.

"We weren't sharp, no doubt about it," Packers Coach Mike McCarthy said. "Our passing game — that's not the kind of numbers we're used to producing. So we will go back and learn from it."

Outside looking in

For the first time in Coach Jim Harbaugh's four seasons, the San Francisco 49ers won't make the playoffs.

They were knocked out Sunday by their most bitter rival, suffering a 17-7 defeat at Seattle. Their fate was sealed when Detroit held on to beat Minnesota, mathematically eliminating the 49ers from wild-card contention.

The loss also marked the first three-game slide of the Harbaugh era, likely to end in a couple of weeks.

The Seahawks are heading in the other direction, picking up their seventh victory in eight games. Their defense, which looks as dominant as it did at the end of last season, sacked Colin Kaepernick six times and collected five other tackles for loss.

"We didn't give up any yards, we just played our way," Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett said. "We played team defense and that's the way you play championship football."

In the last four games, Seattle's defense has surrendered a total of 27 points.

Patriot Way

Another blowout for New England, which turned a close game with Miami into a 41-13 laugher with a 24-point third quarter. The Patriots have won six AFC East titles in a row, tied for the second-longest streak in NFL history and one shy of the record set by the Los Angeles Rams from 1973-79.

"Everything starts with winning your division," Patriots safety Devin McCourty said. "We wanted to win big."

Of course, that's just a stepping stone for a franchise that's accustomed to playing on the biggest stage. By winning, the Patriots tightened their grip on the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and Gillette Stadium can be a mighty unwelcome place for visiting teams, especially in January. New England closes its schedule at home against the New York Jets and at Buffalo.

Opponents still don't have an answer for tight end Rob Gronkowski, who had three catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. But the play that really woke up New England's sluggish offense Sunday was a 17-yard run by the less-than-fleet-footed Tom Brady on third and 11 on the opening drive of the third quarter.

"It was a play that we needed to make so it was good to make it at that time," Brady said. "I was going to slide but I was pretty [ticked] off that time so I figured I wouldn't slide."

There's always a catch

The New York Giants aren't going anywhere this season, but they have a phenomenal game changer in rookie Odell Beckham Jr., who had 12 catches for 143 yards and three touchdowns in a 24-13 victory over Washington. He would have had a fourth touchdown, but it was wiped out by a holding penalty.

Beckham has been almost unguardable lately, with 866 yards receiving and six touchdowns in the last six games. He missed most of training camp and the first four games of the season because of a hamstring injury.

An interesting coincidence: Beckham attended Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, the alma mater of Giants quarterback Eli Manning and his older brother, Peyton.

We're No. 1 . . . sort of

In losing at Carolina, Tampa Bay moved into the lead for the No. 1 draft pick in April, possibly Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota of Oregon.

The Buccaneers have the "edge" over Tennessee based on the strength-of-schedule tiebreaker. Behind them, in order, are Jacksonville and Oakland. The four finalists are all 2-11.

sam.farmer@latimes.com

Twitter: @LATimesfarmer

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

NFL Week 15: A bad day for quarterbacks, especially Johnny Manziel

The quarterbacks went down, and they went down hard.

Houston, Washington and Tennessee lost their quarterbacks Sunday. Even Denver had to do without Peyton Manning for a bit, with the Broncos star uncharacteristically missing a few snaps in San Diego because of a thigh injury and flu-like symptoms — although he came back to lead his team to a 22-10 victory and a fourth consecutive AFC West title.

Knocked out of action and unable to return were the Texans' Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Redskins' Colt McCoy and the Titans' Jake Locker, with all three of those teams losing. That punctuated a week when Arizona won despite losing quarterback Drew Stanton, and Carolina's Cam Newton was sidelined by fractures in his back he sustained in a rollover car accident.

The even more surprising stories Sunday were the quarterbacks who played but never truly showed up.

Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers had arguably the worst game of his career in a 21-13 loss to Buffalo. And rookie Johnny Manziel's debut in Cleveland was a flop, as the Browns were throttled by Cincinnati, 30-0.

"It was tough," said Manziel, who finished 10 for 18 for 80 yards with two interceptions, and was sacked three times. "When you get beat, you get beat and you take it like a man. I felt like it was a fail on my part."

The Browns, who benched quarterback Brian Hoyer in favor of Manziel, have gone four games without a touchdown pass.

Cleveland's best chance to score came near the end of the first half when the Browns drove to the Cincinnati 19. The threat ended when Manziel, under heavy pressure, wildly flung a pass that was intercepted at the goal line by Adam Jones.

"You can't throw the second one whether you're playing in a Pop Warner league, or if you're 6 years old playing in the driveway, you can't throw that ball," Manziel said. "It's 100% on me."

The Bengals, who suffered a humiliating 21-point home loss to the Browns last month, must have worn holes in the thumbs and forefingers of their gloves Sunday, so frequently were they mocking Manziel's thumb-rubbing "money sign."

"Everything was all about Manziel all week," said Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga, who was flagged for running up to Manziel after knocking down a pass and taunting him with the gesture. "We just focused on us. We focused on what we needed to do to stop the kid."

Although they're leading the AFC North by a half-game, the Bengals have not wrapped up the division. Meanwhile, Denver, Indianapolis and New England all clinched their divisions Sunday, guaranteeing themselves at least a home playoff game.

The picture is foggier in the NFC, in part because the Packers lost in Buffalo, where they are 0-6 in club history.

Rodgers, who came into the game the hottest player in the NFL, completed 17 of 42 passes with no touchdowns and two interceptions for a career-low passer rating of 34.3. The loss snapped Green Bay's five-game winning streak, and — coupled with Detroit's victory over Minnesota — bumped the Packers into second place in the NFC North behind the Lions.

The Bills, five-point underdogs at home, discovered the Rambo Leap, as third-string safety Baccari Rambo made his first two career interceptions against a leading candidate to win this season's NFL most-valuable-player award.

Rodgers came into the Buffalo game with 35 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Buffalo put the clamps on him just a week after shutting down Manning and ending his streak of 51 consecutive games with a touchdown pass.

"To [hold] not one quarterback, but two of the hottest quarterbacks in the NFL to no passing touchdowns, this is huge," Rambo said. "Huge confidence boost for us."

The crowning blow to Rodgers came with 1:51 left, when Mario Williams stripped the ball from him deep in Packers territory, and Eddie Lacy scooped up the fumble in the end zone and tried to run it out. The play was whistled dead as a safety, because of a somewhat obscure rule born out of the old "Holy Roller" touchdown by the Oakland Raiders: Inside of two minutes, only the player who fumbled is allowed to advance the ball.

Sunday's meltdown wasn't all Rodgers' fault. In the fourth quarter, he hit receiver Jordy Nelson in stride for what might have been a 94-yard touchdown, but the typically sure-handed Nelson dropped the ball. The entire state of Wisconsin slapped the sides of its head in frustration.

The Packers finish at two-win Tampa Bay and at home against Detroit, so they still are in position to win the NFC North and potentially secure one of the NFC's top two seeds for a first-round bye. But Sunday's loss could mean the road to the Super Bowl will not go through Lambeau Field.

Considering the Packers are 3-4 on the road, and that foul weather in Green Bay can be their friend, the defeat at Buffalo was an undeniable setback.

"We weren't sharp, no doubt about it," Packers Coach Mike McCarthy said. "Our passing game — that's not the kind of numbers we're used to producing. So we will go back and learn from it."

Outside looking in

For the first time in Coach Jim Harbaugh's four seasons, the San Francisco 49ers won't make the playoffs.

They were knocked out Sunday by their most bitter rival, suffering a 17-7 defeat at Seattle. Their fate was sealed when Detroit held on to beat Minnesota, mathematically eliminating the 49ers from wild-card contention.

The loss also marked the first three-game slide of the Harbaugh era, likely to end in a couple of weeks.

The Seahawks are heading in the other direction, picking up their seventh victory in eight games. Their defense, which looks as dominant as it did at the end of last season, sacked Colin Kaepernick six times and collected five other tackles for loss.

"We didn't give up any yards, we just played our way," Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett said. "We played team defense and that's the way you play championship football."

In the last four games, Seattle's defense has surrendered a total of 27 points.

Patriot Way

Another blowout for New England, which turned a close game with Miami into a 41-13 laugher with a 24-point third quarter. The Patriots have won six AFC East titles in a row, tied for the second-longest streak in NFL history and one shy of the record set by the Los Angeles Rams from 1973-79.

"Everything starts with winning your division," Patriots safety Devin McCourty said. "We wanted to win big."

Of course, that's just a stepping stone for a franchise that's accustomed to playing on the biggest stage. By winning, the Patriots tightened their grip on the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and Gillette Stadium can be a mighty unwelcome place for visiting teams, especially in January. New England closes its schedule at home against the New York Jets and at Buffalo.

Opponents still don't have an answer for tight end Rob Gronkowski, who had three catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. But the play that really woke up New England's sluggish offense Sunday was a 17-yard run by the less-than-fleet-footed Tom Brady on third and 11 on the opening drive of the third quarter.

"It was a play that we needed to make so it was good to make it at that time," Brady said. "I was going to slide but I was pretty [ticked] off that time so I figured I wouldn't slide."

There's always a catch

The New York Giants aren't going anywhere this season, but they have a phenomenal game changer in rookie Odell Beckham Jr., who had 12 catches for 143 yards and three touchdowns in a 24-13 victory over Washington. He would have had a fourth touchdown, but it was wiped out by a holding penalty.

Beckham has been almost unguardable lately, with 866 yards receiving and six touchdowns in the last six games. He missed most of training camp and the first four games of the season because of a hamstring injury.

An interesting coincidence: Beckham attended Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, the alma mater of Giants quarterback Eli Manning and his older brother, Peyton.

We're No. 1 . . . sort of

In losing at Carolina, Tampa Bay moved into the lead for the No. 1 draft pick in April, possibly Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota of Oregon.

The Buccaneers have the "edge" over Tennessee based on the strength-of-schedule tiebreaker. Behind them, in order, are Jacksonville and Oakland. The four finalists are all 2-11.

sam.farmer@latimes.com

Twitter: @LATimesfarmer

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

The Times' NBA rankings

Last week's ranking in parentheses, statistics are through Friday's games:

1. GOLDEN STATE: Offense is a buzz-saw and so is defense. Warriors holding opponents to league-best 40.9% shooting. (1)
 
2. SAN ANTONIO: Walking wounded: Parker and Leonard are nursing injuries and Duncan sits a game to rest. (2)
 
3. MEMPHIS: Cooking at home: Grizzlies have the best home record in the league at 11-1. (10)
 
4. CLIPPERS: In their nine-game win streak, Clippers played only two teams with winning records. (3)
 
5. HOUSTON: James Harden wants the ball. He leads NBA in scoring, free-throws and turnovers. (6)
 
6. CLEVELAND: LeBron is carrying the Cavaliers, averaging 40 minutes, 27.1 points and 52.7% shooting in last six games. (5)
 
7. PORTLAND: December is frequent flyer month as the Blazers play 10 of 15 games on the road. (4)
 
8. WASHINGTON: When Wall and Beal are on the court, the Wizards'  offense is in overdrive. (7)
 
9. TORONTO: Raptors have the best point differential of any East team at +8.2. (8)
 
10. ATLANTA: Power forward Paul Millsap contributes everywhere on the court, including 2.2 steals a game. (9)
 
11. DALLAS: Mavericks are cleaning up against weaker Eastern Conference teams, winning 10 of 12. (12)
 
12. CHICAGO: Thirty-four-year-old Pau Gasol has eight consecutive double-doubles. (11)
 
13. OKLAHOMA CITY: In their five-game win streak, Durant has played only 29 minutes a game. (20)

14. PHOENIX: Suns' defense needs to tighten up, is allowing 103.9 points a game. (13)

15. MIAMI: Teams don't fear playing in Miami now. Heat is only 4-6 at home. (16)
 
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16. MILWAUKEE: Like many young teams, Bucks have trouble getting stops on defense. (14)
 
17. NEW ORLEANS: Pelicans hope Anthony Davis' chest contusion isn't serious. (18)
 
18. DENVER: Playoff dreams fading after posting six-game and four-game losing streaks. (17)
 
19. BROOKLYN: Luxury tax blues: Nets looking to unload Williams, Johnson and Lopez and rebuild. (19)
 
20. SACRAMENTO: Been hard to replace DeMarcus Cousins' 23.5 PPG,  12.6 RPG  since he was sidelined with a virus. (15)
 
21. ORLANDO: Magic has an almost-respectable 7-10 record on the road. (21)
 
22. BOSTON: Rajon Rondo, in a holiday gift-giving mood, is shooting 30.8% from the field in December. (22)
 
23. INDIANA: Point guard Donald Sloan leads a bad team with a paltry 4.8 assists per game. (23)
 
24. LAKERS: Kobe dishes trash talk to fire up teammates in practice, then they beat Spurs in overtime.  (26)
 
26. CHARLOTTE: Hornets are 24th in scoring, 20th in points allowed and 29th in steals. (24)
 
25. UTAH: Gordon Hayward averaging career-bests in scoring (18.9), rebounds (5.5) and steals (1.6). (25)
 
27. MINNESOTA: Timberwolves  tradition: blizzards in the winter, lottery balls in the spring. (27)
 
28. NEW YORK: Vultures circle after reports of  Carmelo's teammates saying he's lazy on D and won't pass the ball. (28)
 
29. DETROIT: Motown emerges from bankruptcy and Pistons end a 13-game losing streak. (29)
 
30. PHILADELPHIA: Tough start for Michael Carter-Williams; 76ers  are 21-83 so far in his NBA career. (30)
 

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

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