Jimmy Bramlett

Let's read from the press release that announced the Dodgers being sold for $2 billion: Mr. McCourt and certain affiliates of the purchasers will also be forming a joint venture, which will acquire the Chavez Ravine property for an additional $150 million.

It sounds like it is a done deal. On my 33rd birthday, Stan Kasten and Magic Johnson have dropped $2 billion to buy the Dodgers. According to the Wall Street Journal, this record breaking price for a sports franchise does include the parking lots. So let’s cue the music and put on our dancing shoes:

There is no getting away from the beating the Kings endured against the Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins Saturday evening. The Kings looked like a battered bunch in the dressing room after the game. Although the final second empty netter goal by Brad Marchand made the game look more lopsided than it was at 4-2, if anything the fact the Kings never let the game got out of hand was a good sign despite the loss.

Of course it would come down to a battle between the NHL’s top goaltenders. St. Louis Blues’ Brian Elliott and the Kings’ Jonathan Quick did not blink once throughout regulation and overtime. It was two five-hole goals by Mike Richards and Jeff Carter in the shootout that lifted the Kings to first place in the Pacific Division with eight games remaining in the regular season.

“The time is now.” These are four words that strike hollow, the obviousness of the sentence resounding with a loud Duh. Of course the time is now, the talent the Kings assembled during the offseason makes it conference finals or bust. Despite using this as a season-long marketing slogan, the Kings seemingly have forgotten this for long stretches this season playing some lifeless hockey.

Watching the Lakers and the Clippers play on Sunday confirmed everything TNT’s Charles Barkley bemoaned last month. On February 1, Barkley publicly apologized to NBA fans for the quality of the games. I brushed it aside noting how with Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups, the Clippers added instant credibility with the quality of their play bringing some liveliness to Los Angeles.

Some things have no explanation. There are the unidentified flying objects that could be ultra-secret spy planes, extraterrestrials or mere hallucinations. There’s the 1988 World Series champion Dodgers. There’s 15-seed Lehigh and Norfolk State defeat two-seed Duke and Missouri on Friday in the NCAA Tournament. On Saturday night there was Dustin Penner for the Kings in their 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators.

Perfect passes and highlight reel goals come to mind when thinking of a team’s quest to get a playoff berth, especially when looking from the outside in. The Kings proved in their 5-2 win against the Detroit Red Wings that those romantic ideals don’t necessarily apply.

I honestly can’t say which was worse: the Lakers’ 106-101 come-from-ahead loss to the Washington Wizards or the Clippers’ come-from-behind-only-to-lose-anyhow 101-100 loss against the New Jersey Nets. Both losses were on the road against inferior teams, and both the Lakers and Clippers aren’t that great on the road.

Minnesota Timberwolves defeat LA Clippers 95-94. The Timberwolves made it rain three’s throughout the night with former UCLA Bruin Kevin Love knocked down five of the 11 Minnesota sank.

The Southern California NHL season has come down to an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Both the Kings and Ducks have faltered during the season, and as the season winds down the chances to make the final eight get slimmer. With the ninth-place Kings and 12th-place Ducks showdown Saturday night, this was essentially the time for the teams to lip sync for their lives. “Good luck, and don’t fuck it up,” as RuPaul would say.

LA Lakers defeat Minnesota Timberwolves 104-85. Kobe Bryant passed all his concussion tests and played the game with a plastic mask. Kevin Love sat out the game with flu-like symptoms for the Wolves. After running away from the Clippers Tuesday night, the Wolves looked out of gas against the well-rested Lakers. For all the hoopla made over Kobe’s concussion and broken nose, he quietly knocked in 31 points along with seven boards and eight assists. And to the delight of the crowd, everyone got tacos.