Sports
Column: 'When am I gonna come back?' A lifelong Clippers fan sees them in person for first time
Nelson Rodriguez has rooted for the Clippers his entire life, but the fandom of the Santa Ana resident was out of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
The 37-year-old never owned an article of the team’s clothing growing up, or even as an adult. He can only keep up with them on social media since Nelson doesn’t subscribe to Bally Sports or the NBA’s streaming service. The financial planner works in an office of Lakers fans. His wife, Cynthia, only cares for the Dodgers when it comes to sports.
And until I took my dear friend to the Clippers home game Monday night against the Miami Heat, Nelson had never seen his team in person.
“I don’t know anyone besides you who’d want to go,” he said as we drove up to the Intuit Dome from Orange County around 4 that afternoon. We left early so we could grab a bite to eat at Con’i Seafood, then wander around the new arena. “If it was Lakers, you’d have 20 hands go up. If I said, ‘Let’s go to an Angels game,’ people would want to go.
“But,” he concluded with a pained smile, “it’s the Clippers.”
His dad, a Salvadoran immigrant, taught him to love the team while Nelson was growing up in Buena Park. He stuck with them through the Clippers’ lost years of the 1990s and 2000s because “I love going for the underdog. When you’re an Angels fan, it’s easy. The Lakers were always the cool option. They get enough praise. They get the famous fans. We get Billy Crystal.”
Nelson’s devotion paid off with the Lob City years, whose trademark dunking and slashing with players like Blake Griffith, DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul “is how the NBA should be played.” He was further drawn in with the 2019 signing of his favorite basketball player, Kawhi Leonard.
“He beat the [Golden State] Warriors with the [Toronto] Raptors single-handedly and shut up those bandwagon fans,” he cracked as we enjoyed aguachile and fish chicharrones at Con’i. When I asked what he liked about Leonard, Nelson replied, “He’s super quiet, but laser-focused and lets his actions speak for him.”
Very much like Nelson, come to think of it.
I asked how the Clippers’ season was going as we made the five-minute drive from Con’i to Intuit Dome.
“Good, considering Kawhi has been out for so long. The fact the rest of the team was able to hold it down, that makes the rest of the season promising.”
We finally got to the arena, which we both agreed looked like the ARTIC train and bus station in Anaheim. Music was blasting. People shot baskets at two courts near the entrance. A dance crew dressed in gray jogging suits did their thing. Nelson stared at it all and just grinned.
“Look at how clean everything is,” he said, referring to the design scheme. “That’s one of the reasons I never really wanted to go to a game, either. I once went to a concert at Staples Center. It was ugly.”
Nelson made his way to a spot where we could look down at the Clippers practice facility, where a solitary player was practicing. “Amir Coffey!” Nelson exclaimed. “He’s a hustler.”
Our seats, which were a Christmas surprise from Cynthia to her husband, were the nosebleeds of the nosebleeds.
“That’s where the real fans are, anyways,” he said with a laugh. Nelson then pointed to a section of seats behind one end of the court far below us.
A Clippers fan holds up an “L.A. Strong” shirt during the first half of the Clippers’ 109-98 win Monday at the Intuit Dome. It was the Clippers’ first home game since the start of devastating wildfires in Los Angeles.
(Jessie Alcheh / Associated Press)
“That’s called ‘the Wall.’ You have to go through this process and you really have to be a Clippers fan to sit there. They ask you things like who’s your favorite player, how many years have you rooted for them — it’s like a quiz. [Clippers owner] Steve Ballmer wanted a space for the real ones.”
Cynthia tried to buy tickets for the Wall but didn’t pass muster in time.
Nelson nursed a margarita and held on to a Clippers sweatshirt I bought him; I downed my double Jack Daniels. It was Korean Heritage Day, so the arena played Psy, BTS and Blackpink while flashing all sorts of lights.
It was game time.
The Clippers came onto the court wearing black-and-white T-shirts that read “LA Strong.” It was their first home game since the devastating Pacific Palisades and Eaton fire that brought ruin to tens of thousands of Southern Californians. Public address announcer Eric Smith mentioned the disasters and their “unfathomable devastation” in a short speech, but the few fans who showed up — attendance was announced at a generous 13,119 — wanted to focus on something else for a few hours, at least.
Nelson booed the Heat as they were introduced, and applauded when it was the turn of his squad. Leonard was nowhere to be seen. “He doesn’t seem to be playing today,” Nelson said with disappointment.
Then Leonard ran onto the court.
“He’s playing!” Nelson shouted.
That would be as joyful as he’d be for the first half.
Leonard looked rusty. The Heat were raining down three-pointers. Nelson groaned when the Clippers turned over the ball and shook his head when they missed easy shots. Mostly, he stayed quiet. He was enraptured. He never checked his phone once.
At halftime, with the Clippers down 48-43, I asked how he liked watching a game in person.
“It’s really nice,” he replied. “Live, you really get into the flow of things. And it’s such an amazing view.”
I was happy he was happy, but was afraid my compa’s first game would be a blowout loss. Then the Clippers came alive.
Center Ivica Zubac kept grabbing rebounds and muscling his way toward dunks to fans growling “Zuuuuub.” James Harden scored 13 points in the third quarter as the Clippers clawed back from a 17-point deficit. Nelson began to clap louder. His head bobbed with the music. When small forward Norman Powell did a shake-and-bake before hitting a three to give the Clippers a lead they never relinquished, Nelson yelled “Ohhhh!”
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard controls the ball in front of Miami Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. during the first half of the Clippers’ 109-98 win Monday at the Intuit Dome.
(Jessie Alcheh / Associated Press)
We cheered and booed throughout the fourth quarter, and even mooed as part of a Chik-fil-A promotion that promises free chicken sandwiches to all attendees if an opposing player misses back-to-back free throws in the fourth quarter. When the game ended with the Clippers on top, 109-98, Nelson sat back for a bit and basked in the moment.
“Beautiful,” he finally proclaimed. He put on his sweatshirt so I could take a photo with the Clippers court behind him, then we left Intuit.
“That was really good,” Nelson said as we walked through the chilly Inglewood night. “All I can think of right now is, ‘When am I gonna come back?’”
He explained how tonight was a typical Clippers victory this season: “They’ll be up, then they start to get behind, then they hustle back to win but give their fans freaking anxiety. But Kawhi is going to get better. The Clippers are going to get better. It’s going to be good this year.”
We drove back to Orange County, and agreed to attend another game this season. The following day, I hung out with Cynthia and she told me how ecstatic Nelson was.
“He even wore his sweatshirt to work,” she said with knowing eyes. “And I said, ‘Is that appropriate?’ And he said, ‘Of course it is!’”
We’ve got the Wall next time, Compa Nelson. Zuuuuub.
Trump says there’s ‘no time frame’ to secure Iran deal
Republican Minnesota Senate candidate Tom Weiler joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss President Donald Trump’s blockade in the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S.-Iranian conflict continues and react to Gov. Tim Walz’s, D-Minn., criticism of the president.
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Saudi Arabia was among the countries seeing missiles fly into their airspace as a conflict broke out in the Middle East between the U.S. and Iran.
The prospect of Iran targeting its Middle Eastern neighbors like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates put some sporting events on hold and questioned others. Formula 1 races in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain were canceled and rumors swirled around whether future WWE events could be held in the kingdom.
Roman Reigns celebrates his win during WWE’s Royal Rumble at Riyadh Season Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 31, 2026. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
As the Trump administration brokered a ceasefire with Iran, WWE announced on Thursday that its Night of Champions premium live event will be held in Riyadh on June 27.
“We are proud to welcome Night of Champions back to Riyadh and look forward to delivering another unforgettable night of WWE action for fans in the Kingdom and around the world,” General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Al-Sheikh said in a news release.
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Sami Zayn makes his entrance during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
The release touted that WrestleMania 43 will still be held in Riyadh in 2027. It will be the first time that WrestleMania is held outside the U.S.
WWE president Nick Khan was adamant before WrestleMania 42 that the event will still take place in Saudi Arabia despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“We’re doing WrestleMania next year in Saudi,” he said at a Sports Business Journal event, via The Sporting Tribune. “First time ever, WrestleMania will be outside the United States or Canada. And we’ve had a big, fruitful partnership with them.”
John Cena wrestles CM Punk during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
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He added that those complaining about WrestleMania being held in Saudi Arabia were a “vocal minority.”
Thousand-dollar tickets and hundreds of dollars in fees shocked some hopeful Olympic fans this month, but they did not keep LA28 from boasting strong sales in the committee’s first ticket drop.
LA28 announced Thursday that it sold more than 4 million Olympic tickets during the first ticket drop. The private organizing committee will have a second ticket drop in August with “refreshed inventory across all Olympic sports at a range of price points.”
But after the popularity of the first purchasing period, many of the lower-priced tickets have already been scooped up.
LA28 said roughly half of the total 1 million $28 tickets were sold during the locals presale, which was limited to people living near venue cities in Southern California and Oklahoma City.
The average price per Olympic ticket is less than $200, which includes a mandatory 24% service fee, and LA28 said about 75% of all tickets, including final events, will be under $400. The premier seats at high-demand events command more than $1,000 per ticket, but the highest priced categories make up about 5% of the total ticket inventory.
Artistic gymnastics sold out the quickest in Drop 1. Four new Olympic sports — flag football, lacrosse, softball and squash — sold all their available inventory for the first drop. After five days of local presale, global ticket sales opened and drew fans from 85 countries and all 50 states and U.S. territories. The largest international sales came from the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico and Japan.
For the first female-majority Olympic Games, LA28 reported that women’s Olympic sessions outsold men’s 93% to 88% during the first drop.
“The response to our initial on-sale was nothing short of historic. Fans from near and far have spoken: the world wants to be part of the LA28 Games,” LA28 chief executive officer Reynold Hoover said in a statement. “The success of Drop 1 is about more than momentum — it reflects LA28’s commitment to delivering a fiscally responsible Games that create a lasting legacy for Los Angeles and its communities.”
Drop 2, which will begin in August, will have additional tickets across all Olympic sports, including those that may have sold out during the first purchasing windows. The registration period for Drop 2 opened Thursday and will continue until July 22. Fans who registered for the first drop of tickets but did not receive a time slot and fans who did not buy their maximum 12 general ticket allotment will automatically be entered into the random lottery Drop 2. The new registration period is only required for anybody who did not sign up for the initial drop.
Fans are still limited to 12 Olympic tickets and up to 12 soccer tickets that don’t count toward the general maximum. There is a four ticket per ceremony limit for the opening and closing ceremony that count toward the 12-ticket maximum, which is cumulative across all LA28 presales and ticket drops.
LA28 will have multiple ticket drops with assigned purchasing time slots before ticket sales move to a first-come, first-served format closer to the Games, which open on July 14, 2028. LA28 began its ticketing process earlier than most other Olympic Games with tickets going on sale more than two years in advance of the opening ceremony. The early timeline has created excitement for the first Summer Olympics in the United States since Atlanta 1996, but also prompted concerns about scheduling. Fans clamored for tickets with little information about which teams or athletes would be competing in most sessions.
Tickets are not refundable, but fans can opt for verified resale when LA28 launches its official resale system in 2027. AXS and Eventim is the official secondary ticket marketplace of the LA28 Games and Ticketmaster and Sports Illustrated Tickets have also signed on as additional verified resale platforms.
LA28 will have 14 million tickets available for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which would eclipse the record of 12 million tickets sold for the Paris Games. Paris 2024 sold an about 9.5 million tickets for the Olympics, but used a different ticket system than LA28. For Paris, 3.5 million tickets were sold during the first phase, during which fans were required to buy tickets to at least three different sports instead of the option for single-event tickets available during LA28’s Drop 1 process.
Tickets for the 2028 Paralympics, which will be the first in L.A.’s history, will go on sale in 2027. Ticket sales and hospitality are expected to cover about $2.5 billion of LA28’s expected $7.1 billion budget for the first Games in L.A. in more than 40 years.
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An envoy for President Donald Trump has reportedly asked FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in the 2026 World Cup this summer.
The Financial Times reported the plan is an effort to repair the relationship between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which soured after the former’s comments against Pope Leo XIV regarding the war with Iran.
United States special envoy Paolo Zampolli suggested the idea to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
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President Donald Trump receives the FIFA Peace Prize from FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 5, 2025. (Emilee Chinn/FIFA)
“I confirm I have suggested to Trump and Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup. I’m an Italian native, and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri at a U.S.-hosted tournament,” Zampolli told the outlet. “With four titles, they have the pedigree to justify inclusion.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.
Italy had a chance to be in the World Cup already, but it lost in a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a qualifying playoff final.
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Italy became the first World Cup-winning team to miss three consecutive tournaments after the 4-1 penalty shootout loss earlier this month.
“We still don’t believe it that we’re out and that it happened in this manner,” Italy’s Leonardo Spinazzola told reporters at the time, according to the New York Post.
“It’s upsetting for everyone. For us, for our families and for all the kids who have never seen Italy at a World Cup.”
While Zampolli told Infantino about his proposed plan, FIFA’s president said Iran “for sure” will play in the World Cup despite the conflict involving the U.S.
Mehdi Taremi of Iran celebrates after scoring a goal during a 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Group A game against Uzbekistan at Azadi Stadium in Tehran March 25, 2025. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu)
“The Iranian team is coming, for sure,” Infantino said during the CNBC Invest in America Forum earlier this month in Washington, D.C.
“We hope that, by then, of course, the situation will be a peaceful situation. That would definitely help. But Iran has to come, of course. They represent their people. They have qualified. The players want to play.”
Infantino visited the Iranian national team in Turkey, which is where it has its training camp.
All three of Iran’s group stage games are scheduled to be played in the U.S. That remains the case after Iranian government officials suggested to FIFA that their games be moved to Mexico because they could not travel to the U.S.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum revealed FIFA’s rejection of Iran’s request, and it is insisting Iran play where it’s scheduled — SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and Lumen Field in Seattle. Iran said earlier this month it would only decide on its team’s participation once it heard from FIFA regarding its relocation request.
Iran is scheduled to play at SoFi Stadium against New Zealand June 16 to begin its tournament. It will also play Belgium at the stadium before finishing group play against Mo Salah and Egypt in Seattle June 26.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino attends an international friendly between Mexico and Portugal at Banorte Stadium in Mexico City March 28, 2026. (Antonio Torres/FIFA/Getty Images)
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Trump wrote in a Truth Social post last month that Iran would be welcome to compete in the World Cup as scheduled, though it might not be “appropriate” considering the conflict.
“The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety,” he wrote.
Trump also told Politico, “I really don’t care,” when asked about Iran’s participation in the tournament. Infantino, who has a strong relationship with Trump, said Trump has “reiterated” to him that the U.S. welcomes Iran’s team to compete.
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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