LAKERS WIN: You're Welcome

 

The Blogger Teen has been a Lakers fan for years, but he's also superstitious about watching the games: When he tunes in, the team tends to lose, he says. But with the Lakers up 3-1 over the Miami Heat, I convinced him to watch on Friday as they likely clinched the 2020 championship. We watched — and they played poorly that night, as their defense couldn't handle a surging Heat.

So on Sunday, we knew what to do. We kept tabs on Twitter and social media as we got busy organizing his room. When it looked like they were set to win, we finally tuned in. I know we shouldn't believe in personal curses... but hey, whatever works. This is the first championship for the Lakers in 10 years, and the first the Teen has seen as a fan. Congrats to LeBron, AD and the team.

We Got Tacos! Lakers Make It Easier for Fans to Win Free Eats This Year

You know the cry. Usually by the fourth quarter of Los Angeles Lakers games, if things are going right: "WE WANT TACOS!"

For years now, Jack in the Box has been a sponsor at Lakers games, offering up coupons for a free pair of their hard-shell Americanized tacos (normally 99 cents) if the score was right: not only did the Lakers have to win a game, but they'd have to keep their opponents to under 100 points.

But as the NBA becomes much more of a high-scoring enterprise, the threshold for getting those free tacos has been harder to meet. In an age of so many 3-pointers, that has become tough.

Now, on Sunday night — and I don't know if this is the new normal, but it should be — the rules had been changed. We attended the Lakers vs. Charlotte Hornets game, and the baseline for free tacos had become: Lakers win, and keep their opponents to under 111 points, and free tacos would be ours.

The final score: Lakers 120, Hornets 101. In the past, that would have just missed the score for free tacos.

Instead, on Sunday night, WE GOT TACOS! (BTW, I'm not a fan of the Jack in the Box tacos -- but Maria will be the beneficiary of my coupon.)

Spotted in New York, Part 3: Lucky Asian Kobe

I wonder if "Lucky Asian Kobe" would have done any better in the NBA Finals.

Adidas' Epic Lakers T-Shirt Fail

Above, here's a Macy's ad in today's Los Angeles Times "NBA Finals" special section, advertising several "official merchandise" 2010 NBA Champions shirts from Adidas.

But look closer. I wonder how many prints of this shirt were manufactured:



You see what I'm talking about, right?



Ladies and Gentlemen, your "Los Angleles Lakers."

Lakers Win! Downtown Burns!

Oh, Los Angeles. You can't just enjoy an NBA Finals win for the Lakers, you've gotta trash downtown while you celebrate.

Of course, some of it was self-fulfilling prophecy, as we were all told for days to STAY AWAY FROM DOWNTOWN. Which was a blazing advertisement for folks looking for a little mischief to HEAD STRAIGHT DOWNTOWN.

We've seen worse post-NBA Finals disturbances downtown. Honestly, I was more offended last night by the universal decision by L.A. anchors to wear purple (except Colleen Williams, who worse turquoise -- fight the power, girl).

But still, it's embarrassing. A few folks on the downtown streets last night managed to confirm the stereotypes the rest of the country already holds about our city.

Ahh well. Here are a few of my Tweets from last night, in case you missed:

BP offers to help clear L.A. streets of rioters. Rioting should be contained by November, the company says.

KCBS-2 news: Jim Hill wearing light purple; Pat Harvey wearing light purple dress. Paul "Pimp Daddy" Magers sporting purple suit! You go!!

KNBC-4 news: Chuck Henry wearing striped purple tie, Colleen Williams wearing... turquoise. Oops, someone didn't get the memo.

KABC-7 news: Rob Fukuzaki wearing purple shirt and purple striped tie. Marc Brown wearing purple tie. Michelle Tuzee wearing light purple.

16 years ago, we watched TV as one man was chased by the LAPD. Tonight, we watched TV as hundreds were chased by LAPD. That's progress!

NO NO NO. Burn down the city if you must, BUT DON'T EFF OUR TACO TRUCKS. RT@seanbonner RT @xenijardin: they're attacking *taco trucks* now.

You all realize this wall-to-wall coverage just fuels the rioting. I'm tempted to go out and loot a McDonald's after watching.

I like to think that they're not rioting about the Lakers win, but they're just protesting the ugly architecture of "L.A. Live."

Getting some food to bring home from @manilamachine -- hearing fireworks here in Glassell Park. Um, I think those are fireworks!

Cmon L.A., let's seriously head over and rough up the 909 instead. They won't notice, right?

OK, Lakers are no. 1 topic now -- but Lizzie McGuire still no. 2.



Top Twitter trending topic in Los Angeles right now: "Lizzie McGuire movie." Wait, what?

Ron Artest thanked his shrink -- I smell a new HBO series!

Hey, anyone know where we're rioting here in Glendale?

Retro Friday: Lakers Beat Celtics, in 1985

Kareem and Magic win it in Boston. The year is 1985.

Splash A Little of This for Good Luck, Lakers?

Perhaps a visit to downtown's Kobe Perfumes is in order before Game 3.

Lakers' Ron Artest gets real

The L.A. Lakers' Ron Artest in a reality show?

Why not -- every other pro athlete seems to be in one or shopping one.

The Los Angeles Lakers forward has sealed a deal with E1 Entertainment and Tijuana Ent. ("Obsessed") to produce and star in the project "They Call Me Crazy."

Project, which hasn't yet secured a network outlet, will follow Artest as he "makes amends for past transgressions and also helps develop aspiring artists through his hip-hop label."

“This show will allow me to share my experiences with others, and hopefully people can learn from the mistakes I've made," Artest said.

Read more at Variety's On the Air blog here.

JustJenn, meanwhile, argues that if anyone from the Lakers should get a reality show, it oughta be Lamar Odom -- and his candy obsession:

Meanwhile, Over on Twitter

I must admit, I resisted Twitter as long as possible. But now that I'm hooked, I've finally realized that it's the perfect home for my inane observations.

If you're not following Franklin Avenue on Twitter (and why not? Go over and follow us right now!), here are a few highlights from the past week:

E! anounces that it "will no longer cover the misadventures of 'Speidi,' until the pair does something truly newsworthy." So never, right?
5:10 PM Jun 22nd

Resolutions today with Villaraigosa, Chris Brown and Jon & Kate. Egads, what will we talk about the rest of the summer?!
2:12 PM Jun 22nd

Villaraigosa not running for governor. Had Googled the bios of Sacramento's local TV news reporters. Not interested.
1:29 PM Jun 22nd

We'll find out in a moment whether Villaraigosa is running for govern...zzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Oops, sorry. Don't care enough to finish this Tweet.
1:00 PM Jun 22nd

Just got the latest copy of EW. Ryan Reynolds is now the mag's "new favorite leading man." Really, EW? I mean... really?
4:30 PM Jun 19th

Good Morning America has hired "The Bachelor's" Melissa Rycroft. Wait.. oops, GMA just changed its mind. Can't catch a break, huh, Melissa!
2:00 PM Jun 17th

Turns out those are "Grey's Anatomy" fans there at the Coliseum throwing things at police. Man, are they PISSED that T.R. Knight is leaving.
1:55 PM Jun 17th

Was the crowd at the Laker Rally booing Mayor Villaraigosa, or shouting "LU! LU!" in honor of his KTLA galpal?
1:04 PM Jun 17th

"Lost" exec producers Cuse/Lindelof on Bravo's "Top Chef Masters" tonight. Strangely, this episode was actually taped seven years from now.
11:50 AM Jun 17th

Laker Win Turns Quite a Bit Rowdy

Just imagine what the crowds might have been like Downtown had the Lakers won the NBA title here at home. But they didn't, and despite some craziness down there, things didn't get too out of hand. Or did it? KABC's John North said he believed that it had turned into a "full-blown riot." North said at least one rock was thrown at the Channel 7 crew; the station's truck "was attacked," he added.

Nonetheless, according to the LAPD, only about eight people were arrested. Chief Bratton called them "knuckleheads." (Apparently he'd just returned from the 1950s.)

Above, people light a bonfire in the middle of the street between Staples Center and L.A. Live. I prefer to think of this as a protest against that complex. ("And this is for turning the courtyard away from Figueroa and plastering crass advertising all over it!")

Things looked pretty hairy in other parts of L.A. as well, as at least one gas station was looted, and crowds shook up cars.

Blogdowntown has more details, including info on the looted gas station and sneaker store, as well as the Coffee Bean location that now has a smashed window.



The Lakers will hold parade celebration on Wednesday at 11 a.m., starting at the Staples Center and heading down to the L.A. Coliseum.

Conan Comes to Los Angeles: Kareem, a Mayor V Joke and Another California Driver License

Conan O'Brien cut back on the Los Angeles references in Wednesday night's "Tonight Show," which also didn't include a pre-taped piece. Perhaps that's because unlike the first two editions of "Tonight" with O'Brien, this one included two guests and a musical act, instead of just one guest.

As seen above, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar came out after O'Brien noted that a pair of doors located under the audience reminded him of a sports arena. Kareem didn't really say anything, but he was obviously sporting a Lakers jersey on the eve of the NBA Finals Game 1.

Also, notice that takes someone like Abdul-Jabbar to actually make the 6-foot-4 Conan look normal-sized. Pity the poor "Tonight Show" staffer who they brought out to stand next to the two -- that guy's probably normal height, but next to Kareem and Conan, he looked like a shrimp.

O'Brien included a few L.A. references in his monologue; he noted, for example, Los Angeles' original name -- El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora La Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula. Added Conan: "Good thing they changed it before Arnold Schwarzenegger moved here."

In his monologue, Conan also mentioned Antonio Villaraigosa's new relationship with KTLA reporter Lu Parker, pointing out that it's Mayor V's second pairing in a row with a TV reporter. "Apparently the reporters in L.A. really mean it when they say they're the team from Action 7." (OK, they can't all be gems.)



Later, guest Julia Louis-Dreyfus picked up on Tuesday's Conan riff on his new California driver's license. O'Brien told the crowd he was asked to try again when his first license photo came out bad; Louis-Dreyfus said she encountered the same thing, and shared her own California license (above). Of course, I'm not sure I buy that this is her actual license photo, given how glammed up it is... but who knows? (UPDATE: As someone noted in the comments, the dates are all screwy on this license. I think we're pretty safe to confirm that this is bogus.)

"American Idol" vs. the Lakers

I can't remember a time when two major, nationally televised events were taking place across the street from one another. But Wednesday night, "American Idol" fans mixed with Lakers fans, as the "Idol" finale went live at the Nokia Theatre at L.A. Live, across the street from Staples Center -- where the Lakers met the Spurs for Game 1 of the Western Conference championships.

I managed to find $10 parking (not an easy feat, but there it was, not to far from $30 and $25 lots), and parked mostly among Lakers fans. Hiking to the Nokia, guys selling Lakers caps were standing near others passing out free T-shirts touting "Idol" finalist David Cook (still not sure why, or who those people were).

Inside, I got my first taste of the Nokia. Damn, it's huge. And lacking in much character. Two Kodak Theatres could fit in there, and that's not necessarily a good thing. The theatre may have been built to be acoustically perfect, but it's quite plain inside.

I got there late, but still caught the Idols as they performed with Bryan Adams, Graham Nash, One Republic and George Michael. I swear the screaming was loudest for the Jonas Brothers, and clearly I'm now old, because I have no patience for them.

In the end, the right contestant won -- David Cook, the "rocker" who provided much of the season's more interesting performances. Oh, and across the street, the right team won as well. Traffic heading home was a breeze as well, as both the Lakers playoff and Dodgers game were still going on.

(Above, the L.A. Times home page looks a lot like downtown did Wednesday night, with "Idol" and the Lakers side-by-side.)

That's All, Folks

(LAT pic by Gina Ferazzi)

For the Lakers, a difficult season ends with a whimper.