Live updates: Utah leads UCLA, 17-14, in third quarter

Utah 24, UCLA 21 (12:22 left in the fourth quarter)

That'll change a game. Brett Hundley lofted a nice pass down the left sideline to Devin Fuller, who raced 93 yards down the field for a touchdown. That's a career-long for Hundley. This team lives on homerun hitting plays.

Let's see if the Bruin defense can hold again

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Utah blew a big first down when Kaelin Clay dropped an open pass in the flat, giving UCLA the ball back. But again, Utah punter Tom Hackett continued to have a big game. His 45-yard punt pinned the Bruins on their own six-yard line, down 10 point with 13 minutes left in the game. 

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Brett Hundley took his seventh sack of the game, and UCLA was forced to punt again. Utah has a chance to make this a pretty significant lead. 

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Offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone chose to run the ball to end the third quarter, which drew some boos from the Bruin faithful. The announced crowd was 74,329, a few thousand more than the team's other home game earlier this season against Memphis. 

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Utah 24, UCLA 14 (0:22 left in the third quarter)

Utah almost had to punt again, but Fabian Moreau gave up another big play, this time a pass interference call on third down. After being given a fresh set of downs, the Utes continued to pick up three yards here, four yards there, all the way down the field. 

UCLA had Devontae Booker behind the line of scrimmage, but the running back broke roughly 35 tackles and bullied his way into the end zone. If the Bruins are trying to play catch-up here, they're going to have to tackle. Simple as that. 

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Utah 17, UCLA 14 (5:45 left in the third quarter)

After rushing for 87 yards in the first half, Paul Perkins hasn't been back on the field in the second half. Unclear why, but you'd have to assume it's an injury. He's been UCLA's best offensive player tonight, although Jordon James had some fine runs on the Bruins' last drive. 

The Bruins got fortunate late in this drive, when Brett Hundley threw up a pass to linebacker/running back Myles Jack in the end zone that was intercepted. Jack caught the ball, but it bounced off his chest and into a Utah defender's hands. The interception was nullified, though, with a roughing the passer call. 

After the penalty, the Bruins almost scored on a nice pass from Hundley to Devin Lucien, but a review showed Lucien to miss the goal line by about half a yard. 

And then, because this game is weird, defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes ended up scoring the Bruin touchdown. 

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Utah with a quick offensive series, resulting in its sixth punt of the game. UCLA will get the ball back down 10 with 10 minutes left in the third quarter. 

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Ishmael Adams almost started this half off with a bang, but his 72-yard kickoff return was called back because of a holding penalty. The ball was spotted at UCLA's own 9-yard line instead of deep into Utah territory, but the Bruins still managed to put together a solid drive.

That is until Brett Hundley took his sixth sack of the game. Some of this is on the offensive line, but a lot of it is on Hundley. He doesn't look very aware in the pocket, and hasn't been mobile at all. 

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This has been a very odd half of football. Utah didn't get a first down until late in the first quarter, but after backup quarterback Kendal Thompson entered the game, the offense has looked entirely different. 

For UCLA, Brett Hundley has looked rather pedestrian. He threw a horrible interception to give Utah the first touchdown of the game and has been sacked five times. To be fair, he's also completed eight of his 11 passes. The Bruins' workhorse continues to be Paul Perkins, who has rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown already tonight. 

The Bruins will get the ball to start the second half. Let's keep getting weird. 

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Utah 17, UCLA 7 (halftime)

I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on the Utah quarterback situation, but why wasn't Kendal Thompson starting over Travis Wilson all along? The Utah offense looks completely different with him in the game. Thompson isn't the most accurate quarterback on mid-level throws, but can scramble and is picking up good yardage. Since entering the game, he's completed all seven of his passes for 68 yards and a touchdown, and has also run for 31 yards. 

On this drive, Thompson and the Utah offense got the ball with four minutes left in the first half, and got down to the UCLA 31-yard line. The Utes nailed the 48-yard field goal, and go into the locker room with a two-score lead. 

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UCLA was picking up some serious yards, but then Brett Hundley fumbled the snap and lost four yards. On the next play, he was sacked for the fourth time in the game. Amazingly, he was sacked again on third down, even though an offensive holding penalty was called. Utah's defensive line is dominating this half of football -- they lead the country in sacks per game, and already have more than their average. 

The Utes will now get the ball back with four minutes left in the half. 

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Not sure what took so long for both these teams to get going, but we're finally starting to see some offense here. UCLA scored on its last drive, and while Utah was forced to punt, they actually picked up some yardage. 

Still, the MVP continues to be Utah punter Tom Hackett. He just rugby punted a ball into the left corner of the field while running to his right. It's hard to get anything going offensively when you're consistently pinned back deep in your own zone. Hackett is dominating the special teams game right now. 

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I'm not watching the USC game (clearly) but man, what a brutal way to lose. Do Pac-12 teams not get the concept of a Hail Mary? 

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Utah 14, UCLA 7 (10:28 left in the second quarter)

The Bruins moved the ball for the first time all game, really, behind the strong play of Paul Perkins. He gashed the Utah defense all the way down the field, then finished off the drive with a four-yard touchdown run. 

If Hundley can't get going, this is how the Bruins are going to have to score. Perkins has already rushed for 78 yards on the night. 

That was a 82-yard drive that took three minutes to complete. Hello, tempo. 

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Also, you hate to keep picking on the kid, but Fabian Moreau gave up a touchdown again. He got Moss'd by Dres Anderson in the end zone, and seemed to almost give up on the play. Moreau was UCLA's best defensive back in training camp, but has looked dreadful in the first month of the season. 

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Utah 14, UCLA 0 (13:45 left in the second quarter)

Well, the quarterback switch seems to be working. Utah scores the first offensive touchdown of the game on a great throw by Kendal Thompson. The 42-yard touchdown pass gives Utah the 14-0 lead. That was the first Utah drive tonight that wasn't a three and out. 

The Ute who caught the ball is Dres Anderson, son of former UCLA wide receiever Flipper. Hey, it's almost like we should write a story on the kid or something. 

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For the second drive in a row, Utah quarterback Travis Wilson has remained on the bench. Kendal Thompson is in the game, and rushed for Utah's first first down of the night. The Utes picked up their second first down of the night right before the first quarter ended, and will have the ball near midfield when we pick it back up here. 

These two teams have combined for 96 offensive yards, 0 offensive touchdowns, and seven punts in the first quarter. Yipee. 

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Hundley hasn't looked great tonight, but threw a beautiful 28-yard completion to Jordan Payton down the sideline for the longest offensive play of the night, by far. 

The UCLA drive stalled after that pass, though, as Hundley took his third sack of the night. 

So far, this game is a punter's duel, which is about as exciting as it sounds. 

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UCLA's defense looks very good, and Utah's offense looks very bad. The Utes started around midfield, but picked up just five yards in three plays. Utah punter Tom Hackett has now punted for the fourth time in this game, and there's still four minutes left in the first quarter. 

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Wow, what a play call from Utah. The Utes went for a surprise onside kick, and the kicker actually recovered the ball. The ball was very close to not going 10 yards, but a review confirmed the call on the field. Utah gets the ball around midfield with its best field position of the night. 

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Utah 7, UCLA 0 (5:51 left in the first quarter)

Utah's defensive line is as big and athletic as advertised. The Utes picked up their second sack of the game, and then forced Hundley into throwing a horrible interception that was returned for a 27-yard touchdown. That throw appeared to be headed to Paul Perkins on a screen pass, but it was nowhere close to the running back. A miserable decision and throw gives Utah the first touchdown of the game. 

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Utah quarterback Travis Wilson is a tough guy. On the first play of this drive, he was hit near his own goal line. Instead of going down, he lowered his shoulder and got back to the line of scrimmage. He's a huge quarterback at 6-foot-7, and is very hard to take down. 

It didn't matter much, as the Bruin defense held strong. Utah has yet to pick up a first down, and was forced to punt the ball for a third time. 

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On third-and-short, Eldridge Massington came up with a great catch down the sideline to keep UCLA's drive alive. The next play, Paul Perkins gained 10 yards on a run, then picked up another 15 yards on a Utah facemask penalty. The Bruins couldn't pick up another first down, though, and we're going to see another punt. 

In a weird twist, defensive back Ishmael Adams got a carry, picking up two yards. He's probably UCLA's fastest player and has above-average vision for a defensive back, but that was the first offensive play of his career. 

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Another three and out for Utah. The Utes gained three yards on their second drive of the game, and are punting again. Through four minutes of play, the MVP of this game is Utah punter Tom Hackett. He's a rugby-stlye punter, and has averaged 53 yards per punt on his first two attempts of the night. 

UCLA currently has negative 11 offensive yards on the night. Let's see if they can get something going. 

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And just like that, UCLA goes down with a three and out of its own. Quarterback Brett Hundley was sacked on third down, and didn't seem to even see the defender bearing down on him. 

Less than three minutes have gone by in this game, and we've already seen two punts. Giddy up!

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UCLA forced a three and out on Utah's first drive of the game, and even blitzed on third down. I can count on two hands the amount of times the Bruins have blitzed six men at once, so that was definitely a change of pace. Utah then punted the ball 54 yards, so UCLA gets the ball near their own 20 yard line. 

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Less than five minutes until kickoff and the stadium is around 80% full. The student section seems to have a good turnout, too.

The temperature is 87 at kickoff, so not as hot as we originally thought. Utah is going to get the ball to start the game, and here we go. 

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Starting guard Alex Redmond is not dressed for warmups, and doesn't appear to be playing. Redmond injured his ankle last week against Arizona State, and didn't practice much during the week. Redshirt freshman Kenny Lacy took his place in the starting lineup during warmups, though Coach Jim Mora wouldn't commit to Lacy starting after practice on Thursday. 

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The top half of the Pac-12 has had better weekends. Oregon lost to Arizona on Thursday, Stanford lost to Notre Dame, Oregon State squeaked by Colorado, USC and Arizona State are currently neck and neck in the third quarter, and Washington State hosts Cal tonight. 

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No surprises with Brett Hundley. He's wearing the same elbow brace that debuted against Arizona State last weekend. 

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It's another hot one for UCLA today. The Bruins dealt with mugginess in Virginia, close to 100-degree temperatures at home against Memphis and dry, scorching heat in the desert against Arizona State. UCLA's only reasonable game, temperature wise, was its indoor game at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.

So while temperatures are going to be close to 100 degrees at kickoff tonight, don't expect it to be too much of a factor. It's not like this team will have much of an adjustment to make.

Outside the gates, UCLA has hydration tents set up, and Honda has employees handing out things like water and sunscreen. Sports Illustrated also has their College Football Tailgate Tour set up here, with former Bruins running back Kahlil Bell and "Iron Chef" Neal Fraser in attendance. There are hopefully enough places for people to go to cool down. 

The Bruins drew almost 71,000 people in their first home game of the season, but that was against Memphis and before school started. With students back in Westwood and a solid Pac-12 opponent in tow, expect a much larger crowd tonight. 

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Live updates: Utah leads UCLA, 17-14, in third quarter

Utah 24, UCLA 21 (12:22 left in the fourth quarter)

That'll change a game. Brett Hundley lofted a nice pass down the left sideline to Devin Fuller, who raced 93 yards down the field for a touchdown. That's a career-long for Hundley. This team lives on homerun hitting plays.

Let's see if the Bruin defense can hold again

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Utah blew a big first down when Kaelin Clay dropped an open pass in the flat, giving UCLA the ball back. But again, Utah punter Tom Hackett continued to have a big game. His 45-yard punt pinned the Bruins on their own six-yard line, down 10 point with 13 minutes left in the game. 

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Brett Hundley took his seventh sack of the game, and UCLA was forced to punt again. Utah has a chance to make this a pretty significant lead. 

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Offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone chose to run the ball to end the third quarter, which drew some boos from the Bruin faithful. The announced crowd was 74,329, a few thousand more than the team's other home game earlier this season against Memphis. 

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Utah 24, UCLA 14 (0:22 left in the third quarter)

Utah almost had to punt again, but Fabian Moreau gave up another big play, this time a pass interference call on third down. After being given a fresh set of downs, the Utes continued to pick up three yards here, four yards there, all the way down the field. 

UCLA had Devontae Booker behind the line of scrimmage, but the running back broke roughly 35 tackles and bullied his way into the end zone. If the Bruins are trying to play catch-up here, they're going to have to tackle. Simple as that. 

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Utah 17, UCLA 14 (5:45 left in the third quarter)

After rushing for 87 yards in the first half, Paul Perkins hasn't been back on the field in the second half. Unclear why, but you'd have to assume it's an injury. He's been UCLA's best offensive player tonight, although Jordon James had some fine runs on the Bruins' last drive. 

The Bruins got fortunate late in this drive, when Brett Hundley threw up a pass to linebacker/running back Myles Jack in the end zone that was intercepted. Jack caught the ball, but it bounced off his chest and into a Utah defender's hands. The interception was nullified, though, with a roughing the passer call. 

After the penalty, the Bruins almost scored on a nice pass from Hundley to Devin Lucien, but a review showed Lucien to miss the goal line by about half a yard. 

And then, because this game is weird, defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes ended up scoring the Bruin touchdown. 

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Utah with a quick offensive series, resulting in its sixth punt of the game. UCLA will get the ball back down 10 with 10 minutes left in the third quarter. 

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Ishmael Adams almost started this half off with a bang, but his 72-yard kickoff return was called back because of a holding penalty. The ball was spotted at UCLA's own 9-yard line instead of deep into Utah territory, but the Bruins still managed to put together a solid drive.

That is until Brett Hundley took his sixth sack of the game. Some of this is on the offensive line, but a lot of it is on Hundley. He doesn't look very aware in the pocket, and hasn't been mobile at all. 

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This has been a very odd half of football. Utah didn't get a first down until late in the first quarter, but after backup quarterback Kendal Thompson entered the game, the offense has looked entirely different. 

For UCLA, Brett Hundley has looked rather pedestrian. He threw a horrible interception to give Utah the first touchdown of the game and has been sacked five times. To be fair, he's also completed eight of his 11 passes. The Bruins' workhorse continues to be Paul Perkins, who has rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown already tonight. 

The Bruins will get the ball to start the second half. Let's keep getting weird. 

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Utah 17, UCLA 7 (halftime)

I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on the Utah quarterback situation, but why wasn't Kendal Thompson starting over Travis Wilson all along? The Utah offense looks completely different with him in the game. Thompson isn't the most accurate quarterback on mid-level throws, but can scramble and is picking up good yardage. Since entering the game, he's completed all seven of his passes for 68 yards and a touchdown, and has also run for 31 yards. 

On this drive, Thompson and the Utah offense got the ball with four minutes left in the first half, and got down to the UCLA 31-yard line. The Utes nailed the 48-yard field goal, and go into the locker room with a two-score lead. 

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UCLA was picking up some serious yards, but then Brett Hundley fumbled the snap and lost four yards. On the next play, he was sacked for the fourth time in the game. Amazingly, he was sacked again on third down, even though an offensive holding penalty was called. Utah's defensive line is dominating this half of football -- they lead the country in sacks per game, and already have more than their average. 

The Utes will now get the ball back with four minutes left in the half. 

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Not sure what took so long for both these teams to get going, but we're finally starting to see some offense here. UCLA scored on its last drive, and while Utah was forced to punt, they actually picked up some yardage. 

Still, the MVP continues to be Utah punter Tom Hackett. He just rugby punted a ball into the left corner of the field while running to his right. It's hard to get anything going offensively when you're consistently pinned back deep in your own zone. Hackett is dominating the special teams game right now. 

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I'm not watching the USC game (clearly) but man, what a brutal way to lose. Do Pac-12 teams not get the concept of a Hail Mary? 

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Utah 14, UCLA 7 (10:28 left in the second quarter)

The Bruins moved the ball for the first time all game, really, behind the strong play of Paul Perkins. He gashed the Utah defense all the way down the field, then finished off the drive with a four-yard touchdown run. 

If Hundley can't get going, this is how the Bruins are going to have to score. Perkins has already rushed for 78 yards on the night. 

That was a 82-yard drive that took three minutes to complete. Hello, tempo. 

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Also, you hate to keep picking on the kid, but Fabian Moreau gave up a touchdown again. He got Moss'd by Dres Anderson in the end zone, and seemed to almost give up on the play. Moreau was UCLA's best defensive back in training camp, but has looked dreadful in the first month of the season. 

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Utah 14, UCLA 0 (13:45 left in the second quarter)

Well, the quarterback switch seems to be working. Utah scores the first offensive touchdown of the game on a great throw by Kendal Thompson. The 42-yard touchdown pass gives Utah the 14-0 lead. That was the first Utah drive tonight that wasn't a three and out. 

The Ute who caught the ball is Dres Anderson, son of former UCLA wide receiever Flipper. Hey, it's almost like we should write a story on the kid or something. 

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For the second drive in a row, Utah quarterback Travis Wilson has remained on the bench. Kendal Thompson is in the game, and rushed for Utah's first first down of the night. The Utes picked up their second first down of the night right before the first quarter ended, and will have the ball near midfield when we pick it back up here. 

These two teams have combined for 96 offensive yards, 0 offensive touchdowns, and seven punts in the first quarter. Yipee. 

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Hundley hasn't looked great tonight, but threw a beautiful 28-yard completion to Jordan Payton down the sideline for the longest offensive play of the night, by far. 

The UCLA drive stalled after that pass, though, as Hundley took his third sack of the night. 

So far, this game is a punter's duel, which is about as exciting as it sounds. 

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UCLA's defense looks very good, and Utah's offense looks very bad. The Utes started around midfield, but picked up just five yards in three plays. Utah punter Tom Hackett has now punted for the fourth time in this game, and there's still four minutes left in the first quarter. 

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Wow, what a play call from Utah. The Utes went for a surprise onside kick, and the kicker actually recovered the ball. The ball was very close to not going 10 yards, but a review confirmed the call on the field. Utah gets the ball around midfield with its best field position of the night. 

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Utah 7, UCLA 0 (5:51 left in the first quarter)

Utah's defensive line is as big and athletic as advertised. The Utes picked up their second sack of the game, and then forced Hundley into throwing a horrible interception that was returned for a 27-yard touchdown. That throw appeared to be headed to Paul Perkins on a screen pass, but it was nowhere close to the running back. A miserable decision and throw gives Utah the first touchdown of the game. 

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Utah quarterback Travis Wilson is a tough guy. On the first play of this drive, he was hit near his own goal line. Instead of going down, he lowered his shoulder and got back to the line of scrimmage. He's a huge quarterback at 6-foot-7, and is very hard to take down. 

It didn't matter much, as the Bruin defense held strong. Utah has yet to pick up a first down, and was forced to punt the ball for a third time. 

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On third-and-short, Eldridge Massington came up with a great catch down the sideline to keep UCLA's drive alive. The next play, Paul Perkins gained 10 yards on a run, then picked up another 15 yards on a Utah facemask penalty. The Bruins couldn't pick up another first down, though, and we're going to see another punt. 

In a weird twist, defensive back Ishmael Adams got a carry, picking up two yards. He's probably UCLA's fastest player and has above-average vision for a defensive back, but that was the first offensive play of his career. 

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Another three and out for Utah. The Utes gained three yards on their second drive of the game, and are punting again. Through four minutes of play, the MVP of this game is Utah punter Tom Hackett. He's a rugby-stlye punter, and has averaged 53 yards per punt on his first two attempts of the night. 

UCLA currently has negative 11 offensive yards on the night. Let's see if they can get something going. 

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And just like that, UCLA goes down with a three and out of its own. Quarterback Brett Hundley was sacked on third down, and didn't seem to even see the defender bearing down on him. 

Less than three minutes have gone by in this game, and we've already seen two punts. Giddy up!

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UCLA forced a three and out on Utah's first drive of the game, and even blitzed on third down. I can count on two hands the amount of times the Bruins have blitzed six men at once, so that was definitely a change of pace. Utah then punted the ball 54 yards, so UCLA gets the ball near their own 20 yard line. 

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Less than five minutes until kickoff and the stadium is around 80% full. The student section seems to have a good turnout, too.

The temperature is 87 at kickoff, so not as hot as we originally thought. Utah is going to get the ball to start the game, and here we go. 

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Starting guard Alex Redmond is not dressed for warmups, and doesn't appear to be playing. Redmond injured his ankle last week against Arizona State, and didn't practice much during the week. Redshirt freshman Kenny Lacy took his place in the starting lineup during warmups, though Coach Jim Mora wouldn't commit to Lacy starting after practice on Thursday. 

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The top half of the Pac-12 has had better weekends. Oregon lost to Arizona on Thursday, Stanford lost to Notre Dame, Oregon State squeaked by Colorado, USC and Arizona State are currently neck and neck in the third quarter, and Washington State hosts Cal tonight. 

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No surprises with Brett Hundley. He's wearing the same elbow brace that debuted against Arizona State last weekend. 

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It's another hot one for UCLA today. The Bruins dealt with mugginess in Virginia, close to 100-degree temperatures at home against Memphis and dry, scorching heat in the desert against Arizona State. UCLA's only reasonable game, temperature wise, was its indoor game at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.

So while temperatures are going to be close to 100 degrees at kickoff tonight, don't expect it to be too much of a factor. It's not like this team will have much of an adjustment to make.

Outside the gates, UCLA has hydration tents set up, and Honda has employees handing out things like water and sunscreen. Sports Illustrated also has their College Football Tailgate Tour set up here, with former Bruins running back Kahlil Bell and "Iron Chef" Neal Fraser in attendance. There are hopefully enough places for people to go to cool down. 

The Bruins drew almost 71,000 people in their first home game of the season, but that was against Memphis and before school started. With students back in Westwood and a solid Pac-12 opponent in tow, expect a much larger crowd tonight. 

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Live updates: Utah leads UCLA, 17-14, in third quarter

Utah 24, UCLA 21 (12:22 left in the fourth quarter)

That'll change a game. Brett Hundley lofted a nice pass down the left sideline to Devin Fuller, who raced 93 yards down the field for a touchdown. That's a career-long for Hundley. This team lives on homerun hitting plays.

Let's see if the Bruin defense can hold again

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Utah blew a big first down when Kaelin Clay dropped an open pass in the flat, giving UCLA the ball back. But again, Utah punter Tom Hackett continued to have a big game. His 45-yard punt pinned the Bruins on their own six-yard line, down 10 point with 13 minutes left in the game. 

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Brett Hundley took his seventh sack of the game, and UCLA was forced to punt again. Utah has a chance to make this a pretty significant lead. 

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Offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone chose to run the ball to end the third quarter, which drew some boos from the Bruin faithful. The announced crowd was 74,329, a few thousand more than the team's other home game earlier this season against Memphis. 

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Utah 24, UCLA 14 (0:22 left in the third quarter)

Utah almost had to punt again, but Fabian Moreau gave up another big play, this time a pass interference call on third down. After being given a fresh set of downs, the Utes continued to pick up three yards here, four yards there, all the way down the field. 

UCLA had Devontae Booker behind the line of scrimmage, but the running back broke roughly 35 tackles and bullied his way into the end zone. If the Bruins are trying to play catch-up here, they're going to have to tackle. Simple as that. 

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Utah 17, UCLA 14 (5:45 left in the third quarter)

After rushing for 87 yards in the first half, Paul Perkins hasn't been back on the field in the second half. Unclear why, but you'd have to assume it's an injury. He's been UCLA's best offensive player tonight, although Jordon James had some fine runs on the Bruins' last drive. 

The Bruins got fortunate late in this drive, when Brett Hundley threw up a pass to linebacker/running back Myles Jack in the end zone that was intercepted. Jack caught the ball, but it bounced off his chest and into a Utah defender's hands. The interception was nullified, though, with a roughing the passer call. 

After the penalty, the Bruins almost scored on a nice pass from Hundley to Devin Lucien, but a review showed Lucien to miss the goal line by about half a yard. 

And then, because this game is weird, defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes ended up scoring the Bruin touchdown. 

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Utah with a quick offensive series, resulting in its sixth punt of the game. UCLA will get the ball back down 10 with 10 minutes left in the third quarter. 

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Ishmael Adams almost started this half off with a bang, but his 72-yard kickoff return was called back because of a holding penalty. The ball was spotted at UCLA's own 9-yard line instead of deep into Utah territory, but the Bruins still managed to put together a solid drive.

That is until Brett Hundley took his sixth sack of the game. Some of this is on the offensive line, but a lot of it is on Hundley. He doesn't look very aware in the pocket, and hasn't been mobile at all. 

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This has been a very odd half of football. Utah didn't get a first down until late in the first quarter, but after backup quarterback Kendal Thompson entered the game, the offense has looked entirely different. 

For UCLA, Brett Hundley has looked rather pedestrian. He threw a horrible interception to give Utah the first touchdown of the game and has been sacked five times. To be fair, he's also completed eight of his 11 passes. The Bruins' workhorse continues to be Paul Perkins, who has rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown already tonight. 

The Bruins will get the ball to start the second half. Let's keep getting weird. 

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Utah 17, UCLA 7 (halftime)

I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on the Utah quarterback situation, but why wasn't Kendal Thompson starting over Travis Wilson all along? The Utah offense looks completely different with him in the game. Thompson isn't the most accurate quarterback on mid-level throws, but can scramble and is picking up good yardage. Since entering the game, he's completed all seven of his passes for 68 yards and a touchdown, and has also run for 31 yards. 

On this drive, Thompson and the Utah offense got the ball with four minutes left in the first half, and got down to the UCLA 31-yard line. The Utes nailed the 48-yard field goal, and go into the locker room with a two-score lead. 

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UCLA was picking up some serious yards, but then Brett Hundley fumbled the snap and lost four yards. On the next play, he was sacked for the fourth time in the game. Amazingly, he was sacked again on third down, even though an offensive holding penalty was called. Utah's defensive line is dominating this half of football -- they lead the country in sacks per game, and already have more than their average. 

The Utes will now get the ball back with four minutes left in the half. 

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Not sure what took so long for both these teams to get going, but we're finally starting to see some offense here. UCLA scored on its last drive, and while Utah was forced to punt, they actually picked up some yardage. 

Still, the MVP continues to be Utah punter Tom Hackett. He just rugby punted a ball into the left corner of the field while running to his right. It's hard to get anything going offensively when you're consistently pinned back deep in your own zone. Hackett is dominating the special teams game right now. 

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I'm not watching the USC game (clearly) but man, what a brutal way to lose. Do Pac-12 teams not get the concept of a Hail Mary? 

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Utah 14, UCLA 7 (10:28 left in the second quarter)

The Bruins moved the ball for the first time all game, really, behind the strong play of Paul Perkins. He gashed the Utah defense all the way down the field, then finished off the drive with a four-yard touchdown run. 

If Hundley can't get going, this is how the Bruins are going to have to score. Perkins has already rushed for 78 yards on the night. 

That was a 82-yard drive that took three minutes to complete. Hello, tempo. 

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Also, you hate to keep picking on the kid, but Fabian Moreau gave up a touchdown again. He got Moss'd by Dres Anderson in the end zone, and seemed to almost give up on the play. Moreau was UCLA's best defensive back in training camp, but has looked dreadful in the first month of the season. 

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Utah 14, UCLA 0 (13:45 left in the second quarter)

Well, the quarterback switch seems to be working. Utah scores the first offensive touchdown of the game on a great throw by Kendal Thompson. The 42-yard touchdown pass gives Utah the 14-0 lead. That was the first Utah drive tonight that wasn't a three and out. 

The Ute who caught the ball is Dres Anderson, son of former UCLA wide receiever Flipper. Hey, it's almost like we should write a story on the kid or something. 

---

For the second drive in a row, Utah quarterback Travis Wilson has remained on the bench. Kendal Thompson is in the game, and rushed for Utah's first first down of the night. The Utes picked up their second first down of the night right before the first quarter ended, and will have the ball near midfield when we pick it back up here. 

These two teams have combined for 96 offensive yards, 0 offensive touchdowns, and seven punts in the first quarter. Yipee. 

---

Hundley hasn't looked great tonight, but threw a beautiful 28-yard completion to Jordan Payton down the sideline for the longest offensive play of the night, by far. 

The UCLA drive stalled after that pass, though, as Hundley took his third sack of the night. 

So far, this game is a punter's duel, which is about as exciting as it sounds. 

---

UCLA's defense looks very good, and Utah's offense looks very bad. The Utes started around midfield, but picked up just five yards in three plays. Utah punter Tom Hackett has now punted for the fourth time in this game, and there's still four minutes left in the first quarter. 

---

Wow, what a play call from Utah. The Utes went for a surprise onside kick, and the kicker actually recovered the ball. The ball was very close to not going 10 yards, but a review confirmed the call on the field. Utah gets the ball around midfield with its best field position of the night. 

---

Utah 7, UCLA 0 (5:51 left in the first quarter)

Utah's defensive line is as big and athletic as advertised. The Utes picked up their second sack of the game, and then forced Hundley into throwing a horrible interception that was returned for a 27-yard touchdown. That throw appeared to be headed to Paul Perkins on a screen pass, but it was nowhere close to the running back. A miserable decision and throw gives Utah the first touchdown of the game. 

---

Utah quarterback Travis Wilson is a tough guy. On the first play of this drive, he was hit near his own goal line. Instead of going down, he lowered his shoulder and got back to the line of scrimmage. He's a huge quarterback at 6-foot-7, and is very hard to take down. 

It didn't matter much, as the Bruin defense held strong. Utah has yet to pick up a first down, and was forced to punt the ball for a third time. 

---

On third-and-short, Eldridge Massington came up with a great catch down the sideline to keep UCLA's drive alive. The next play, Paul Perkins gained 10 yards on a run, then picked up another 15 yards on a Utah facemask penalty. The Bruins couldn't pick up another first down, though, and we're going to see another punt. 

In a weird twist, defensive back Ishmael Adams got a carry, picking up two yards. He's probably UCLA's fastest player and has above-average vision for a defensive back, but that was the first offensive play of his career. 

---

Another three and out for Utah. The Utes gained three yards on their second drive of the game, and are punting again. Through four minutes of play, the MVP of this game is Utah punter Tom Hackett. He's a rugby-stlye punter, and has averaged 53 yards per punt on his first two attempts of the night. 

UCLA currently has negative 11 offensive yards on the night. Let's see if they can get something going. 

---

And just like that, UCLA goes down with a three and out of its own. Quarterback Brett Hundley was sacked on third down, and didn't seem to even see the defender bearing down on him. 

Less than three minutes have gone by in this game, and we've already seen two punts. Giddy up!

---

UCLA forced a three and out on Utah's first drive of the game, and even blitzed on third down. I can count on two hands the amount of times the Bruins have blitzed six men at once, so that was definitely a change of pace. Utah then punted the ball 54 yards, so UCLA gets the ball near their own 20 yard line. 

---

Less than five minutes until kickoff and the stadium is around 80% full. The student section seems to have a good turnout, too.

The temperature is 87 at kickoff, so not as hot as we originally thought. Utah is going to get the ball to start the game, and here we go. 

---

Starting guard Alex Redmond is not dressed for warmups, and doesn't appear to be playing. Redmond injured his ankle last week against Arizona State, and didn't practice much during the week. Redshirt freshman Kenny Lacy took his place in the starting lineup during warmups, though Coach Jim Mora wouldn't commit to Lacy starting after practice on Thursday. 

---

The top half of the Pac-12 has had better weekends. Oregon lost to Arizona on Thursday, Stanford lost to Notre Dame, Oregon State squeaked by Colorado, USC and Arizona State are currently neck and neck in the third quarter, and Washington State hosts Cal tonight. 

---

No surprises with Brett Hundley. He's wearing the same elbow brace that debuted against Arizona State last weekend. 

---

It's another hot one for UCLA today. The Bruins dealt with mugginess in Virginia, close to 100-degree temperatures at home against Memphis and dry, scorching heat in the desert against Arizona State. UCLA's only reasonable game, temperature wise, was its indoor game at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.

So while temperatures are going to be close to 100 degrees at kickoff tonight, don't expect it to be too much of a factor. It's not like this team will have much of an adjustment to make.

Outside the gates, UCLA has hydration tents set up, and Honda has employees handing out things like water and sunscreen. Sports Illustrated also has their College Football Tailgate Tour set up here, with former Bruins running back Kahlil Bell and "Iron Chef" Neal Fraser in attendance. There are hopefully enough places for people to go to cool down. 

The Bruins drew almost 71,000 people in their first home game of the season, but that was against Memphis and before school started. With students back in Westwood and a solid Pac-12 opponent in tow, expect a much larger crowd tonight. 

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man killed after being struck by Metrolink train in North Hollywood

A man was fatally struck Thursday by a Metrolink train in North Hollywood, transportation officials said.

The man was on the tracks in a nonpedestrian area near Coldwater Canyon Avenue and Bellaire Avenue when he was hit by the westbound train about 5 p.m., said Scott Johnson, a spokesman for Metrolink.

The East Ventura-bound train, carrying 350 passengers, was delayed for about 2 1/2 hours, Johnson said.

LAPD officer Nuria Vanegas said the victim was a man, but didn't know his age or name.

The incident is still being investigated.

For breaking news, follow @AdolfoFlores3.

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man killed after being struck by Metrolink train in North Hollywood

A man was fatally struck Thursday by a Metrolink train in North Hollywood, transportation officials said.

The man was on the tracks in a nonpedestrian area near Coldwater Canyon Avenue and Bellaire Avenue when he was hit by the westbound train about 5 p.m., said Scott Johnson, a spokesman for Metrolink.

The East Ventura-bound train, carrying 350 passengers, was delayed for about 2 1/2 hours, Johnson said.

LAPD officer Nuria Vanegas said the victim was a man, but didn't know his age or name.

The incident is still being investigated.

For breaking news, follow @AdolfoFlores3.

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

'The Little Bedroom' a deft exploration of melancholy, loss

Hollywood may be shortchanging the adult audience, but the rest of the world has not followed suit. "The Little Bedroom," an unheralded film from Switzerland, is a small-scale gem of a movie, both dramatically aware and psychologically astute.

Starring 89-year-old master French actor Michel Bouquet ("Renoir," "How I Killed My Father") in what might well be his final leading role, "Bedroom" deals with the melancholy of different kinds of loss. Powerfully but delicately acted, the film concerns itself with the necessity as well as the limits of human connection as it introduces two individuals who find themselves at different, equally painful crossroads.

"It's only a visit, it doesn't commit you to anything" is the film's opening line, but it's enough to tell us that nervous middle-aged son Jacques (Joël Delsaut), who is about to move to Chicago, is taking his father, Edmond (Bouquet), on a trial visit to a nursing home.

Biting, irascible eightysomething Edmond is not going quietly, far from it. When his son tells him the move to the U.S. will be in September, Edmund snaps back, "I'll try and die in August so you can come to my funeral." And when they arrive at the facility, Edmond promptly locks himself in the car so he can listen to his beloved classical music uninterrupted.

The next day, back at the apartment he shares with his son, Edmond gets his first look at Rose (Florence Loiret Caille), the home care nurse newly assigned to his case. That meeting does not go well either.

Edmond icily addresses Rose as "Madame Nurse," resists her attempt to give him his diabetes shot with a brusque "I can do it myself" and sums up, as if he needed to, "don't tell me life is wonderful." Rose says nothing, but we can sense that her life is anything but.

Rose is married to Marc (Éric Caravaca), but their relationship has been under enormous strain. The couple, we soon discover, suffered through the tragedy of a stillborn child six months earlier, and neither one of them has been able to recover their footing.

Especially distraught is Rose, who refuses to let the baby's room — the little bedroom of the title — be touched, even keeping the baby clothes freshly laundered and folded. Caille is especially good at conveying Rose's beside-herself pain and despair.

While Rose has just returned to work — Edmond, who hates the thought of leaving the home he loves, is her first client — Web designer Marc has been collaborating with a partner, and they are close to landing the big energy drink contract they desperately need. But getting it means going to New York to make a presentation, and though the trip is essential, Marc fears leaving Rose at such a fraught time.

"The Little Bedroom" is the first feature for the Swiss writing and directing team of Stéphanie Chuat & Véronique Reymond, but you would never know it from the assurance they display here.

Friends since they were 15 and former actresses themselves, Chuat and Reymond have a thorough understanding of character development. Aided by magnificent but restrained performances by the veteran Bouquet and the younger Caille, their protagonists couldn't be more realistically conveyed.

Just as important is the unforced and carefully controlled way "The Little Bedroom's" plot unfolds. Circumstances will gradually create a complicity between Edmond and Rose, two people who are unknowingly desperate for essential solidarity.

Because filmmakers Chuat and Reymond have a gift for the subtle nuances of personality, it is this economical film's strength that while that relationship may sound schematic, in practice it persuasively develops into a bond we can believe in.

Though this wary connection neither Edmond nor Rose anticipates grows up and takes a kind of hold of them, "The Little Bedroom" is far too sophisticated to imagine it will solve everyone's problems in a classically sentimental movie way. Some things can be made better, but others cannot, and this deft film not only understands the difference between healing and simply helping but also honors it.

Follow me on Twitter: @KennethTuran

----------------------------------------

'The Little Bedroom'

No MPAA rating

Running time: 1 hour, 27 minutes.

Playing: Laemmle's Music Hall, Beverly Hills; Town Center, Encino; Playhouse, Pasadena.

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Is feminism's current moment all slogan and no change?

Like the cicada, which lies dormant for 13 or 17 years and then suddenly makes a cacophonous comeback, feminism is having a moment. It's announcing itself on magazine covers, dominating discussions on culture blogs and, in one case, making itself known in huge, lighted letters spelling "feminist" as Beyoncé performed at the Video Music Awards.

In the last few weeks, several displays of what used to be called "consciousness raising" have made major headlines. On Sept. 19, the White House announced "It's On Us," a campaign meant to combat sexual assault on college campuses. A few days later, a Columbia student who's been lugging a mattress around as an act of protest against the school administration's failure to expel her alleged rapist appeared on the cover of New York magazine.

Then of course there was actress Emma Watson's speech at the United Nations in New York on Sept. 20. Watson, who holds the title of U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador, spoke nervously but powerfully about gender inequality and rolled out "He for She," an initiative meant to invite men into conversations about ending violence and discrimination against women and girls.

The speech immediately went viral, and just as fast, hackers threatened to release nude photos of Watson. That turned out to be a hoax, but the blogospheric consensus was that the threat served as further proof that sexism and even downright misogyny is just as bad as it was in the "Mad Men" era, if not the Paleolithic era.

Whether or not there are more misogynists out there than ever, it's undeniable that there have never been more microphones into which woman haters can express themselves, and into which women, in turn, can defend themselves. No longer confined to marches, living room rap sessions or fusty news magazine cover stories asking "Is Feminism Dead?," the cause has become as viral as the videos and Internet memes that purport to speak for it. The go-to celebrity interview now: "Do you consider yourself a feminist?" (Miley Cyrus is a "yes"; Lady Gaga a "no." OK, then.)

Throughout it all, the "cause" tends to sound more like the atonal, sometimes headache-inducing drone of cicadas than the harmonizing singalong that Beyoncé and movements like "He for She" seem to be pushing for. Even as the mainstream media praised Watson for the inclusive spirit of her remarks — Vanity Fair called the speech a "game changer" — many edgier and often younger feminists accused her campaign of being too "heteronormative," too heavily invested in the patriarchal status quo and in men who've had their chance and blown it. In a post called "Feminism Shouldn't Make Men Comfortable," a male blogger for the website Feministing wrote, "It isn't that men haven't been called to the conversation but rather that they've constantly rejected the invitation."

If you're rolling your eyes right now, chances are you, like me, are Of A Certain Age. While I'm not old enough to have marched for "women's lib" in the 1970s, I remember enough about 1990s-era political correctness (its benefits as well as its exasperations) that I sometimes grow cranky and impatient when I see it revived in a way that can seem more reactionary than responsive.

I'm also wary of "movements" that don't go much further than slogans, whether it's Lean In-style corporate ladder climbing or hashtag activism. In other words, I am horrified that women are demonstrably unsafe on college campuses, but I'm not sure that lugging a mattress around is the best way to effect change.

But I'm also willing to admit I don't know what I don't know. Maybe millennial feminists are reacting to manifestations of sexism that Gen-Xers and baby boomers were less affected by (for instance, the ubiquity of pornography via the Internet). Maybe blogs like Feministing are poised to replace fusty news magazines. Maybe people who came of age before it was possible to pilfer nude photos from private accounts and share them globally have no business judging what younger people need from the world.

Or maybe, like the cicadas, the "trend" of feminism will die off almost as quickly as it has re-emerged and go dormant until the next cycle. And maybe, if we're lucky, something more lasting than a trend will follow. That's something every generation can probably agree on.

mdaum@latimescolumnists.com

Twitter: @meghan_daum

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Is feminism's current moment all slogan and no change?

Like the cicada, which lies dormant for 13 or 17 years and then suddenly makes a cacophonous comeback, feminism is having a moment. It's announcing itself on magazine covers, dominating discussions on culture blogs and, in one case, making itself known in huge, lighted letters spelling "feminist" as Beyoncé performed at the Video Music Awards.

In the last few weeks, several displays of what used to be called "consciousness raising" have made major headlines. On Sept. 19, the White House announced "It's On Us," a campaign meant to combat sexual assault on college campuses. A few days later, a Columbia student who's been lugging a mattress around as an act of protest against the school administration's failure to expel her alleged rapist appeared on the cover of New York magazine.

Then of course there was actress Emma Watson's speech at the United Nations in New York on Sept. 20. Watson, who holds the title of U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador, spoke nervously but powerfully about gender inequality and rolled out "He for She," an initiative meant to invite men into conversations about ending violence and discrimination against women and girls.

The speech immediately went viral, and just as fast, hackers threatened to release nude photos of Watson. That turned out to be a hoax, but the blogospheric consensus was that the threat served as further proof that sexism and even downright misogyny is just as bad as it was in the "Mad Men" era, if not the Paleolithic era.

Whether or not there are more misogynists out there than ever, it's undeniable that there have never been more microphones into which woman haters can express themselves, and into which women, in turn, can defend themselves. No longer confined to marches, living room rap sessions or fusty news magazine cover stories asking "Is Feminism Dead?," the cause has become as viral as the videos and Internet memes that purport to speak for it. The go-to celebrity interview now: "Do you consider yourself a feminist?" (Miley Cyrus is a "yes"; Lady Gaga a "no." OK, then.)

Throughout it all, the "cause" tends to sound more like the atonal, sometimes headache-inducing drone of cicadas than the harmonizing singalong that Beyoncé and movements like "He for She" seem to be pushing for. Even as the mainstream media praised Watson for the inclusive spirit of her remarks — Vanity Fair called the speech a "game changer" — many edgier and often younger feminists accused her campaign of being too "heteronormative," too heavily invested in the patriarchal status quo and in men who've had their chance and blown it. In a post called "Feminism Shouldn't Make Men Comfortable," a male blogger for the website Feministing wrote, "It isn't that men haven't been called to the conversation but rather that they've constantly rejected the invitation."

If you're rolling your eyes right now, chances are you, like me, are Of A Certain Age. While I'm not old enough to have marched for "women's lib" in the 1970s, I remember enough about 1990s-era political correctness (its benefits as well as its exasperations) that I sometimes grow cranky and impatient when I see it revived in a way that can seem more reactionary than responsive.

I'm also wary of "movements" that don't go much further than slogans, whether it's Lean In-style corporate ladder climbing or hashtag activism. In other words, I am horrified that women are demonstrably unsafe on college campuses, but I'm not sure that lugging a mattress around is the best way to effect change.

But I'm also willing to admit I don't know what I don't know. Maybe millennial feminists are reacting to manifestations of sexism that Gen-Xers and baby boomers were less affected by (for instance, the ubiquity of pornography via the Internet). Maybe blogs like Feministing are poised to replace fusty news magazines. Maybe people who came of age before it was possible to pilfer nude photos from private accounts and share them globally have no business judging what younger people need from the world.

Or maybe, like the cicadas, the "trend" of feminism will die off almost as quickly as it has re-emerged and go dormant until the next cycle. And maybe, if we're lucky, something more lasting than a trend will follow. That's something every generation can probably agree on.

mdaum@latimescolumnists.com

Twitter: @meghan_daum

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Is feminism's current moment all slogan and no change?

Like the cicada, which lies dormant for 13 or 17 years and then suddenly makes a cacophonous comeback, feminism is having a moment. It's announcing itself on magazine covers, dominating discussions on culture blogs and, in one case, making itself known in huge, lighted letters spelling "feminist" as Beyoncé performed at the Video Music Awards.

In the last few weeks, several displays of what used to be called "consciousness raising" have made major headlines. On Sept. 19, the White House announced "It's On Us," a campaign meant to combat sexual assault on college campuses. A few days later, a Columbia student who's been lugging a mattress around as an act of protest against the school administration's failure to expel her alleged rapist appeared on the cover of New York magazine.

Then of course there was actress Emma Watson's speech at the United Nations in New York on Sept. 20. Watson, who holds the title of U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador, spoke nervously but powerfully about gender inequality and rolled out "He for She," an initiative meant to invite men into conversations about ending violence and discrimination against women and girls.

The speech immediately went viral, and just as fast, hackers threatened to release nude photos of Watson. That turned out to be a hoax, but the blogospheric consensus was that the threat served as further proof that sexism and even downright misogyny is just as bad as it was in the "Mad Men" era, if not the Paleolithic era.

Whether or not there are more misogynists out there than ever, it's undeniable that there have never been more microphones into which woman haters can express themselves, and into which women, in turn, can defend themselves. No longer confined to marches, living room rap sessions or fusty news magazine cover stories asking "Is Feminism Dead?," the cause has become as viral as the videos and Internet memes that purport to speak for it. The go-to celebrity interview now: "Do you consider yourself a feminist?" (Miley Cyrus is a "yes"; Lady Gaga a "no." OK, then.)

Throughout it all, the "cause" tends to sound more like the atonal, sometimes headache-inducing drone of cicadas than the harmonizing singalong that Beyoncé and movements like "He for She" seem to be pushing for. Even as the mainstream media praised Watson for the inclusive spirit of her remarks — Vanity Fair called the speech a "game changer" — many edgier and often younger feminists accused her campaign of being too "heteronormative," too heavily invested in the patriarchal status quo and in men who've had their chance and blown it. In a post called "Feminism Shouldn't Make Men Comfortable," a male blogger for the website Feministing wrote, "It isn't that men haven't been called to the conversation but rather that they've constantly rejected the invitation."

If you're rolling your eyes right now, chances are you, like me, are Of A Certain Age. While I'm not old enough to have marched for "women's lib" in the 1970s, I remember enough about 1990s-era political correctness (its benefits as well as its exasperations) that I sometimes grow cranky and impatient when I see it revived in a way that can seem more reactionary than responsive.

I'm also wary of "movements" that don't go much further than slogans, whether it's Lean In-style corporate ladder climbing or hashtag activism. In other words, I am horrified that women are demonstrably unsafe on college campuses, but I'm not sure that lugging a mattress around is the best way to effect change.

But I'm also willing to admit I don't know what I don't know. Maybe millennial feminists are reacting to manifestations of sexism that Gen-Xers and baby boomers were less affected by (for instance, the ubiquity of pornography via the Internet). Maybe blogs like Feministing are poised to replace fusty news magazines. Maybe people who came of age before it was possible to pilfer nude photos from private accounts and share them globally have no business judging what younger people need from the world.

Or maybe, like the cicadas, the "trend" of feminism will die off almost as quickly as it has re-emerged and go dormant until the next cycle. And maybe, if we're lucky, something more lasting than a trend will follow. That's something every generation can probably agree on.

mdaum@latimescolumnists.com

Twitter: @meghan_daum

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

AEG asks for 6-month extension to woo NFL team to Los Angeles

With the clock running out on its proposal to build a pro football stadium in downtown Los Angeles, Anschutz Entertainment Group has appealed to the city for extra time to land a team and work on an alternative development in case the effort fails.

Citing progress in negotiations with the National Football League, AEG asked Monday for six more months to bring an NFL franchise to Los Angeles and start building Farmers Field stadium.

The fate of the request will depend in part on whether city officials believe AEG really is close to luring a team to town. For months they have been studying ways of financing an expansion of the aging Los Angeles Convention Center without the revenue that a new stadium would generate.

Under a 2012 agreement with the city, AEG has until Oct. 17 to sign a team. It promised to build Farmers Field, construct a $287-million wing for the Convention Center and demolish the obsolete West Hall.

Although AEG insisted it remained committed to wooing a football team, the announcement Monday suggested the company was seriously considering the possibility of expanding the Convention Center complex without a stadium. Under either scenario, if it gets the extension, AEG would still be a driving force in developing the area around its multibillion-dollar Staples Center and L.A. Live complex.

To sweeten its request for an extension, AEG has offered to begin planning a convention hotel with 750 or more rooms. City officials had already asked architects to propose upgrades for the Convention Center and identify a spot for a 1,000-room hotel, which would make the facility more competitive with other convention venues.

"We are not asking for more time lightly," AEG Chief Executive Dan Beckerman said in a letter to Mayor Eric Garcetti and City Council members, "as we understand from your feedback that there are important objectives and principles underlying the project that need to be advanced without undue delay."

AEG did not offer details on its negotiations with the NFL but said any decisions on team relocations would happen during the next six months.

Eric Grubman, an NFL executive vice president, said the league was guardedly optimistic about its discussions with AEG and supported the company's request for an extension of its agreement with the city.

"The discussions are very preliminary, but we are encouraged enough by recent progress that we share AEG's view that continued conversations would be worthwhile," he said in a statement. "An extension could well provide the time necessary for us and AEG to determine whether the downtown site can be considered by our membership during our next off-season period."

Garcetti, City Council President Herb Wesson and Councilman Curren Price, whose district includes the area, said they would support granting the extension.

Former Walt Disney Co. Chairman and Chief Executive Michael Eisner, who has advised Garcetti on the Convention Center and the NFL, said: "The financial impact of getting this done for the city is enormous. So patience is difficult, but warranted.

"I think the city would not give AEG an extension if they didn't see progress being made — substantial progress being made," he said. "AEG … has moved the ball a little further down the field, let's say."

AEG, a giant international sports and music entertainment firm founded by Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz, owns the Los Angeles Kings hockey team and the L.A. Galaxy soccer team.

Its bid for an NFL team seemed promising two years ago in the flurry of enthusiasm over the proposed stadium, which included a multimillion-dollar commitment from Farmers Insurance for naming rights to the venue.

But by last spring, with negotiations between AEG and team owners apparently stalled, city officials announced they were preparing to give up on a stadium and take back control of developing the Convention Center site.

Many NFL insiders now consider a downtown stadium a long shot. What's more likely is a stadium development in Inglewood, where St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke has purchased 60 acres near the Forum.

Real estate developers often ask for extensions from the city, but AEG's request faces widespread skepticism about the possibility of a football deal. Many city officials also feel they must quickly improve the Convention Center to help lure more convention business to Los Angeles.

The city had launched a design competition and narrowed it to three firms. It had been planning to award $200,000 to each finalist after AEG's Oct. 17 deadline expired.

Now AEG says it would spend $600,000 on alternative design plans and reimburse the city up to $150,000 for costs connected to evaluating the competing plans.

AEG also promised to push for development of a hotel with at least 750 rooms on Olympic Boulevard next to a new Marriott hotel complex and across the street from the Ritz-Carlton and J.W. Marriott hotels at L.A. Live.

"We, as the developer and the land owner, think we're uniquely situated to move forward a project expeditiously and successfully," said Ted Fikre, chief legal and development officer at AEG.

L.A.'s Convention Center has long been a drag on the city's budget, though AEG says it has turned around the performance since taking over management in December. More than $48 million in city hotel taxes help cover the yearly debt payments on the center's South Hall, which opened in 1993.

Robert "Bud" Ovrom, executive director of the city's Convention and Tourism Development Department, would not specifically discuss AEG's latest request. But he noted that the city already struggled to book conventions because of uncertainty about the facility's future.

"We're anxious to see a decision made one way or the other," he said. "From a marketing point of view, we need to get on with it."

The NFL, meanwhile, said it was not ruling out other potential stadium sites in the Los Angeles area.

The nation's second-largest media market has been without an NFL franchise since the Raiders and Rams left after the 1994 season. In the 20 years since, more than a dozen stadium proposals have come and gone.

Rumblings of a return to L.A. have grown louder in recent months, with three franchises — the Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers and Rams — on year-to-year stadium leases for the first time, unhappy with their outdated venues and mulling relocation.

Both Garcetti and Wesson said they were willing to give AEG extra time to land a team.

"We've now brought negotiations between L.A. and the NFL further along than ever before, and combined with AEG's experience transforming downtown with Staples Center, I support continuing the momentum with them," Garcetti said in a statement.

12.18 | 0 komentar | Read More