Tag: Los Angeles

Sean McVay is proud of Stetson Bennett’s progress but still evaluating backup QB spot

Sean McVay must decide if Stetson Bennett has earned the backup QB spot in Weeks 1 and 2, and he’ll take as much time as he needs to make that choice

As the Los Angeles Rams have just one preseason game left, they will have to choose who will back up Matthew Stafford in Weeks 1 and 2 while Jimmy Garoppolo serves his two-game suspension.

Garropolo’s resume says that he is good enough to start and play under any center in the NFL but has struggled throughout camp and is suspended to start the year. Stetson Bennett has been solid throughout camp and is coming off an improved performance in Saturday’s 13-9 win over the Chargers.

On Sunday, Rams coach Sean McVay said he’s still unsure of who will be backing up Stafford to open the season but he will “use all the time that we have” before deciding whether it will be Bennett or someone else.

“What I try to do is take it a little bit at a time. That’s where if you really said, ‘Okay, are you worried about Matthew? If we have to err on the side of caution, it’s going to give us more chances to evaluate Stetson and also Jimmy in some of these practice settings.” Said McVay. “I don’t necessarily have a timeline. I know the latest timeline is as it relates to that, but if (Bennett) continues to progress, you’ll be pleased.”

After being absent from the roster due to personal reasons last season, Bennett has played every preseason snap this year while Stafford and Garroppolo have played none. Fourth-string quarterback Dresser Winn has hasn’t played a snap this preseason, either.

This preseason, Bennett has had one game he’d like to forget and one where he looked better but still committed two turnovers..

In the first game of the preseason against the Cowboys, Bennett went 24-for-38 for 244 yards, one touchdown and a miserable four interceptions. In Saturday’s win over the Chargers, he was better than that dreaded performance the week before, going 17-for-31 with 213 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

“… where he’s come from and the way he has acted, interacted, and responded to all the different things thrown at him. I’ve been proud of Stetson. I really have,” said McVay.

Before his arrival to the Rams last season, he was a two-time college football National Champion with the Georgia Bulldogs, while also being awarded as the National Championship offensive player MVP and was a two-time second-team SEC All-American.

While it’s unknown what the Rams might do at quarterback this season, one thing is for sure and that is Garroppolo will not be on the sideline for the first two games of the season due to his PED suspension.

Garroppolo has had quite a career in the NFL. From winning two Super Bowls with the Patriots as a backup quarterback to Tom Brady to leading the 49ers to a Super Bowl as the starting quarterback in the 2019-20 season where he was just shy of 4,000 yards passing with 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Shark tagger ditches sinking whale but finds ‘giant visitor’ off L.A.

Keith Poe had hoped a dead fin whale being towed offshore would produce sharks, but the whale sank prematurely in nearshore waters.

Last Sunday morning, as L.A. County lifeguards planned to tow a 51-foot fin whale carcass 20-plus miles offshore, Keith Poe was in intercept mode.

Poe, who tags and photographs great white sharks for scientific research, had hoped to be on site when the carcass was cut loose because dead whales usually attract sharks.

But the mission went awry.

The 60,000-pound whale carcass, which was prepared in a manner to facilitate sinking after it was safely offshore, began to sink soon after it was dragged off Torrance Beach, where the subadult whale had stranded and died late Saturday.

Photo: Keith Poe

This created insurmountable drag on the boat, so lifeguards left the carcass only 2.5 miles offshore. It sank at a depth of 535 feet, Poe told FTW Outdoors.

Poe, giving up on the sinking carcass, ventured into the offshore pelagic zone, midway between the Palos Verdes Peninsula and Santa Catalina Island.

“When the whale sank I just went offshore to chum for mako sharks,” Poe said. “And then that girl showed up.”

Photo: Keith Poe

“That girl” is the fully grown great white shark featured in the accompanying images, which Poe captured during the 30 minutes he spent alongside the apex predator.

Poe estimated the shark to measure 16 to 18 feet. He captioned his Facebook post: “Giant visitor from yesterday. SoCal.”

The images were inspected by the Marine Conservation Science Institute and the shark was not in its photo ID database for California white sharks. Poe told FTW Outdoors that the shark is now in the database with the name Catalina.

Photo: Keith Poe

Poe said he did not tag the shark because of a permitting issue.

While it’s not rare for adult great white sharks to cruise the San Pedro Channel, many Southern California residents might not be aware that such large sharks exist in the region.

As for the malnourished fin whale, it washed ashore with no obvious trauma or visible evidence of a ship strike. It died roughly two hours later.

The Pacific Marine Mammal Center stated Tuesday via Instagram:

“While large whale strandings are heartbreaking, we are very thankful we had the opportunity to collect samples and photo document this animal to try to help determine cause of death.

“These findings will help us better understand threats to this endangered species and by sharing this information with policymakers we can be champions to their road of recovery.”

Several agencies and groups, including NOAA, collaborated on the beached whale operation.

USC athletic director aims to keep rivalry with Notre Dame going

Thank you, Jen!

Recently, USC coach Lincoln Riley indicated that if push came to shove, he would prefer to end his team’s longtime rivalry with Notre Dame. Fortunately for fans of both teams, he’s not the one who would make that decision. That move most likely would come at the hands of athletic director Jennifer Cohen, and that’s a good thing.

In an interview with ESPN Radio’s Los Angeles affiliate, Cohen indicated that she values the rivalry with the Irish enough that she will do whatever she can to preserve it:

Keep in mind that this is someone who has been in her position a year less than Riley has been in his position. So that should quell any real fears that the Irish and Trojans will stop playing each other anytime soon. It just goes to show that some things in college football simply are meant to stand the test of time, and this rivalry is one of them.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Stetson Bennett talks about his appearance on ‘Good Morning America’

Former Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett explains the circumstances surrounding his memorable “Good Morning America” interview

Former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett recently talked about his notorious interview with “Good Morning America” after winning the national championship against Alabama. Bennett joined “Unreserved with TJ Callaway” and inevitably the moment of his interview was brought up.

“That was brutal, man,” said Bennett when the host, TJ Callaway, mentioned Bennett’s “Good Morning America” appearance.

“That sucks… I am not a raging alcoholic. We’d just won two national championships,” continued Bennett. “And they screwed me because it was like a little, tiny camera. I could not see what I looked like. I would probably sit up straight and not call Michael Strahan ‘Mike’. It was brutal. But what are you gonna do?”

Bennett noted that he could not sleep before the national championship game, which combined with celebrating winning Georgia’s first national championship in 40 years impacted his interview. Bennett admits, “We tore it up like rockstars (after beating Alabama).”

Here’s a look back at Stetson Bennett’s memorable interview.

Bennett is entering his second season in the NFL. He missed much of his rookie season after being placed on the reserve/non-football injury list in September. The Los Angeles Rams did not provided a reason for Bennett’s absence, but he returned to the team earlier this year for OTAs and is back in action at training camp.

Bennett, who was the 128th pick of the 2023 NFL draft, is hoping to earn a spot on the Rams’ roster with a strong preseason. Bennett could be the Rams’ backup quarterback behind Matthew Stafford to start the season because Jimmy Garoppolo is suspended for the first two games of the season.

Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame to face JuJu Watkins, USC in home-and-home

You won’t want to miss these two First Team All-Americans battle it out.

Women’s basketball fans will be in for a real treat over the next two seasons. Notre Dame’s [autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] and USC’s JuJu Watkins both were First Team All-Americans as freshmen during the 2023-24 season. Given that and the schools’ football history together, there was an appetite to see these two face off in college. Fortunately, we’ll have that chance.

The Irish and Trojans have announced a home-and-home for the next two seasons. The first game will be played Nov. 23 in Los Angeles, hopefully before the football team’s Shamrock Series game at Yankee Stadium kicks off. The Trojans will come to South Bend the following season.

This isn’t only about the two phenoms though. Both the Irish and Trojans are expected to contend for the national championship this coming season, and everyone with even a slight interest in women’s basketball should be excited for this first game especially. We’ll see where the teams are by the second game, but for the moment, this is a series worth getting hyped for.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Former Georgia QB Stetson Bennett explains where he has been

Former UGA quarterback Stetson Bennett explains where he has been after missing most of his rookie season with the Los Angeles Rams

Former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett missed much of rookie season after being placed on the reserve/non-football injury list in September. The Los Angeles Rams have been opaque when it comes to updates on Bennett, but he has returned to the team and participated in organized team activities.

Bennett, who was the 128th pick of the 2023 NFL draft, won a pair of national championships during his time at Georgia. Bennett joined “Unreserved with TJ Callaway” to update his status and talk about how he is preparing for the 2024 NFL season.

“Where have you been?” asked TJ Callaway.

“Home,” responded Bennett. “Went home for a minute. Kind of had to clear my head. There was a bunch of everything all at once it felt like. Needed some fresh air and, you know, Rams were gracious enough to let that happen. But, I just needed a little bit of a break.”

Bennett is hoping to earn a spot on the Rams’ roster after missing most of his rookie season. Bennett could be the Rams’ backup quarterback to start the season because Jimmy Garoppolo is suspended for the first two games of the season.

Trojans Wire and UCLA Wire explore future of L.A. women’s basketball

We are in a golden age for Los Angeles women’s college basketball.

The Pac-12 is ending and the USC-UCLA rivalry is moving into the Big Ten. In football, USC has the massive upper hand. In men’s basketball, UCLA is the clearly more established and powerful program. In women’s basketball, USC is set to do great things, but UCLA should also be very, very good and a part of the hunt for a Final Four berth. This is a great time to be a Los Angeles women’s basketball fan, particularly in the college game.

We sat down to talk with our friends at UCLA Wire. Former Trojans Wire staff writer Matt Wadleigh is the editor of UCLA Wire. We looked at USC and UCLA women’s basketball in this time of great expectations for both programs. USC is obviously loaded and a top contender for the 2025 Women’s Final Four. We wondered if UCLA — a solid, consistent Sweet 16-level program under coach Cori Close — can take that next step and rise to the same Final Four level USC fully expects of itself heading into next season. Women’s basketball is the revenue sport where USC and UCLA both have a chance to do really well next year. (Beach volleyball and water polo are non-revenue sports, of course.)

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

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Commanders’ Jayden Daniels, Luke McCaffrey invited to 2024 NFLPA Rookie Premiere

Jayden Daniels and Luke McCaffrey head to Los Angeles this week.

Every year after the NFL draft, the National Football League’s Players Association invites several of the most high-profile rookies from the recent draft class to Los Angeles for marketing and endorsement opportunities. It’s called the NFLPA Rookie Premiere.

It’s a business trip of sorts for the incoming rookies and also the first time they will be in their new team’s full uniform for the first time.

This year, the event runs from May 16-19 and 40 rookies received invites. Two of those rookies represent the Washington Commanders: Quarterback Jayden Daniels and wide receiver Luke McCaffrey. Daniels was the No. 2 overall pick, while McCaffrey was the 100th selection.

The top four selections in the draft will attend, and of the invitees, only two (Colts DE Laiatu Latu and Vikings LB Dallas Turner) play on the defensive side of the ball.

Here’s the complete list:

Photos taken during tour of Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

Yes, this is a USC-themed gallery on a Notre Dame site.

No, you didn’t accidentally go to Trojans Wire. This very much is Fighting Irish Wire. And yes, this is a gallery of photos from a tour of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum I took three weeks ago.

I know what you’re thinking, and yeah, this probably doesn’t belong on a Notre Dame site. But in order to better understand the cherished rivalry between Notre Dame and USC, it sometimes helps to learn more about the legendary stadium in which the Trojans play.

The Trojans have been there for 100 years now and will continue to be there after we’re gone. No knock against Notre Dame Stadium obviously, but there simply is more history involved at the iconic Los Angeles venue.

Taking this tour was part of a weeklong sojourn my wife and I took to Southern California, and it was one thing she really wanted to do. The tour group consisted of us and one gentleman from Scotland. Neither he nor the tour guide took notice of the [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] T-shirt from Jon Rothstein that I wore. If anyone had recognized it though, major props to them.

So without further ado, here are various views of the field, club levels, historical markers, and even Will Ferrell’s private suite. You’ll also see [autotag]Knute Rockne[/autotag] and [autotag]Frank Leahy[/autotag] make appearances. Enjoy these images even if they might be difficult for you to stomach:

Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo named Wooden Award finalist

She had an incredible season, no?

[autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] racked up one record and honor after another during her freshman season at Notre Dame. Now, she’s going about as far as she can go as far as awards in women’s basketball. She has been announced as one of five finalists for the Wooden Award, which is given to the best player in the country.

Even though the winner will be announced Monday, merely being a finalist means Hidalgo will be invited to the ceremony April 12 in Los Angeles regardless if she wins the award or not. She also is one of 10 Wooden Award All-Americans.

In 35 games this season, Hidalgo became one of the country’s top scorers with 33.9 points a game. She also led the country in steals at 4.6 a game, and she averaged 5.5 assists a game. All that and more made her a First Team All-American and First Team All-ACC selection as well as the top rookie and defensive player in the ACC.

Hidalgo faces some incredibly stiff competition for this award. Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is the clear favorite to win it for the second straight year, but Hidalgo also is up against 2021 winner Paige Bueckers of UConn, fellow freshman phenom JuJu Watkins of USC and Stanford’s Cameron Brink. Still, the fact that she can be in the conversation with these players is a good indicator that she’ll keep the South Bend faithful coming to Purcell Pavilion for the next few years.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89