Sports
Galaxy's return to MLS Cup final began with a boycott
To truly understand how far the Galaxy have come in reaching the MLS Cup final on Saturday, you first must know where they started.
The Galaxy headed into last season having lost more games than they’d won since 2017. They’d made the playoffs twice in six seasons and had gone a team-record nine years without playing in the league championship game.
Once the model franchise in MLS, the Galaxy had become a dysfunctional mess. And it didn’t look like things would be getting better any time soon.
So when the Galaxy announced that Chris Klein, who presided over that free fall as the team’s president for a decade, had been given a contract extension, Andrew Alesana had seen enough. The team already had his money — he’d recently renewed the season ticket he had had since 2007 — but it would no longer have his support.
So just before the start of the 2023 season Alesana, president of the LA Riot Squad, joined with three of the team’s other main supporters groups to organize a boycott, promising to stay away from games until changes in the front office were made.
And guess what? It worked.
Will Kuntz, who would become the architect of the team’s turnaround, was hired three months later, Klein was sacked a month after that and after rebuilding the front office, the Galaxy quickly rebuilt their roster. The result was one of the most dramatic turnarounds in MLS history.
After winning just eight games in 2023, the Galaxy matched a modern-era record with 19 victories this season. After finishing in the penultimate spot in the Western Conference standing last season, the Galaxy tied for the top spot this season, becoming the first team since 2011 to go from second to last in the conference to the MLS Cup in one season.
And it all started when the fans went on strike.
“It’s crazy where we’ve come from in a year,” Alesana said. “I definitely take some pride in the team being as successful as they are.”
So does Mark Villa, a season-ticket holder since the first game in Carson in 2004.
“My kids grew up in this stadium,” he said. “The last eight seasons have been difficult to slog through as a fan. But seeing this revival really does start to make up for it.”
Villa said supporting the boycott was a difficult but necessary decision — and one that forced AEG, the Galaxy’s parent company, to listen.
“They already had our money. That’s all they care about,” he said. “The media scrutiny brought by the boycott grew to a point where [AEG] could no longer hide from it.”
Nor could they ignore the planes circling the stadium calling for the firing of Klein and technical director Jovan Kirovski. Or the empty seats and the boos that cascaded down after games. Seventeen months later some AEG officials admit privately that the boycott influenced their thinking and might have accelerated changes that were already being contemplated.
In other words, the fans were heard.
“The Galaxy became mediocre and the fans got fed up with that. They demanded that there be change,” said ESPN commentator Hérculez Gómez, who won an MLS Cup with the Galaxy in 2005. “If this pressure didn’t exist AEG would have just gone on and the Galaxy wouldn’t be in the position it is today.
“I don’t think change happens if these fans don’t take matters into their own hands.”
One immediate result of those changes was that Dignity Health Sports Park became a fortress again. Only two teams in MLS won fewer games at home than the Galaxy last season; this year the Galaxy were unbeaten there in 20 games in all competitions. Ten of those games were sellouts, helping the Galaxy break the franchise single-season attendance record.
If AEG learned nothing else, they learned that if they build a winner, the fans will come — or in some cases, come back.
“It really means a lot for the players,” winger Joseph Paintsil said. “The crowd, the people shouting, making noise. It gives us the energy to push for them, because they came for us.”
“Of course you notice,” Gómez added. “And you know, who else notices? The opponents. When you’re loud, when you can make your presence felt, the opponent notices. And they notice that the home team is feeding off that.”
Other ownership groups should also notice. Because if a boycott can work in Southern California, it can work in San José, where the Earthquakes haven’t had a winning season in 11 years. Or Washington, where D.C. United hasn’t won a playoff game since 2015. Or Chicago, where the Fire has made the postseason just twice since its last playoff victory in 2009.
“I definitely think other teams’ fans should look at this as an example,” Alesana said. “If people stopped showing for games, they can affect their ownership.”
As a former Galaxy player, Gómez has a different take. For him, the turnaround this season in Carson was personal. And he’s happy the fans see it the same way.
“When you go through the Galaxy, it’s once a G, always a G,” he said. “There are clubs that you go through in your career, there are fan bases that you come across, that seem to always remember, seem to somehow hold on to the past. There’s something to be said about that.”
“It’s special because not many places around the world have that,” he added. “It wasn’t too long ago that the Galaxy was the only team you spoke about when you spoke about a super club. It lost that, and now it’s regaining that, and people love it.”
Especially the people who boycotted the team to make it happen.
⚽ You have read the latest installment of On Soccer with Kevin Baxter. The weekly column takes you behind the scenes and shines a spotlight on unique stories. Listen to Baxter on this week’s episode of the “Corner of the Galaxy” podcast.
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Earlier this month, the Pittsburgh Steelers entered a head coaching search for just the third time since hiring Chuck Noll in 1969.
On Jan. 13, Mike Tomlin announced he would step down after 19 seasons as the franchise’s head coach.
During the search for their next head coach, the Steelers interviewed a number of candidates, many of them young assistants in the vein of Noll, Mike Tomlin and Bill Cowher, all of whom arrived in Pittsburgh as relative unknowns and left with Super Bowl rings and Hall of Fame-worthy resumes.
During an introductory press conference with the Steelers that got emotional at times, McCarthy, a Pittsburgh native, beamed with pride about his third head coaching opportunity.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy at a news conference announcing him as the new Pittsburgh Steelers head coach at PNC Champions Club at Acrisure Stadium Jan. 27, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
“I thought I’d at least be able to get started,” the new Steelers head coach said, trying unsuccessfully to choke back his emotions while looking out at members of the McCarthy family inside Acrisure Stadium.
McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers spent several years together when both were part of the Green Bay Packers. McCarthy coached the Packers to a 125-77-2 record from 2006-18. Rodgers left the Packers after the 2022 season. He spent two seasons with the New York Jets before signing a one-year deal with the Steelers last offseason.
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy during the first half against the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium Jan. 5, 2025. (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)
While Rodgers had a relatively productive first season with the Steelers, the 42-year-old quarterback is undoubtedly much closer to the sunset of his storied career than the onset. It is unclear whether Rodgers will return to the Steelers in 2026, pursue an opportunity with another team or simply step away from the game.
The possibility of a reunion between Rodgers and McCarthy was brought up during Tuesday’s news conference. McCarthy expressed optimism about potentially getting another shot at coaching Rodgers.
“Definitely, I don’t see why you wouldn’t,” McCarthy replied to reporters’ questions about possibly working with the four-time MVP.
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In 2022, ahead of Dallas Cowboys coach McCarthy’s return to Lambeau Field, Rodgers said the passage of time had given him a greater appreciation of the seasons he spent with his former coach.
“It’s probably normal in any relationship you have,” Rodgers said at the time. “When you’re able to take time away, and you have that separation, it’s natural to look back and have a greater sense of appreciation and gratitude and thankfulness for that time.”
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy, right, speaks at a news conference introducing him as the next head coach of the Steelers as owner Art Rooney II listens in at PNC Champions Club at Acrisure Stadium Jan. 27, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
McCarthy oversaw the Packers’ 2010 season when the franchise won its lone Super Bowl title during Rodgers’ career, but the relationship between the quarterback and coach eventually soured. McCarthy was fired late in the 2018 season.
Neither McCarthy nor his hometown Steelers have been back to the big game since. He knows the clock is ticking.
“It’s time to bring another championship back to this great city,” McCarthy said Tuesday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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It’s time to see which Mission League basketball teams are ready for some March Madness in February.
The tournament is set to begin Thursday after Tuesday’s final results clarified seedings.
The final game of the night was Crespi pulling out a 65-61 win over Loyola when Isaiah Barnes scored while falling down with 15 seconds left for the game-clinching basket. Despite the loss, Loyola claimed fourth place in the seedings while finishing in a three-way tie for fourth with Crespi and St. Francis.
The Cubs, though, are 14-14 and will need a win Saturday against the winner of Thursday’s Bishop Alemany (No. 8) vs. St. Francis (No. 5) game to keep alive their Southern Section playoff hopes. You need a .500 or better record to be considered for an at-large berth.
The other Thursday game has No. 7 Chaminade at No. 6 Crespi. That winner will play at Harvard-Westlake on Saturday.
Crespi was led by 6-foot-9 Rodney Mukendi, who scored 17 points. Deuce Newt had 15 points for Loyola.
Harvard-Westlake 90, St. Francis 56: Joe Sterling got back his shooting touch, making seven threes and finishing with 27 points. Amir Jones added 17 points for Harvard-Westlake. St. Francis did not play center Cherif Millogo.
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 81, Bishop Alemany 48: The Knights claimed second place in the Mission League and an automatic spot for the Southern Section playoffs. Zach White had 26 points and 10 rebounds. Notre Dame played without NaVorro Bowman.
Sierra Canyon 79, Chaminade 28: Brandon McCoy had 18 points and Maxi Adams added 17 points for the Mission League regular-season champions.
Crean Lutheran 76, La Habra 67: The Saints took over first place in the Crestview League.
Mira Costa 53, Peninsula 41: Logan Dugdale has 17 points and 10 rebounds for Mira Costa (23-4).
Sports
Amanda Anisimova defends right to avoid ‘clickbait’ questions about US politics at Australian Open
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American tennis star Amanda Anisimova called out a reporter at the Australian Open for asking “clickbait” questions about representing the United States under the Trump administration, saying it was her “right” not to speak on political matters.
Speaking to reporters after her fourth-round victory over Wang Xinyu, Anisimova was asked about how she is handling the “discourse” that has surrounded her after a reporter asked her and several American tennis players about their thoughts on representing the Stars and Stripes.
Amanda Anisimova of the U.S. is congratulated by Katerina Siniakova, right, of the Czech Republic following their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (Dita Alangkara/AP Photo)
“I feel like the internet is – it’s tough. It comes with the job, which is something I’ve learned to get used to,” she said, adding that there are days “where it bothers me a little bit.”
Anisimova, a finalist at the 2025 U.S. Open and Wimbledon, later addressed the incident involving the reporter, who OutKick reported was freelance journalist Owen Lewis.
“In my other press conference, the fact that I didn’t want to answer a question that was obviously intended for just like a headline and clickbait, that was my right. It had nothing to do with my political views or anything like that.”
Anisimova was initially asked at an earlier press conference how it felt to “play under the American flag right now.”
“I was born in America. So, I’m always proud to represent my country,” the New Jersey native said. “A lot of us are doing really well, and it’s great to see a lot of great athletes on the women’s side and men’s side. I feel like we’re all doing a great job representing ourselves.”
Amanda Anisimova of the United States in action against Simona Waltert of Switzerland in the first round on Day 2 of the 2026 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Jan. 19, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)
TENNIS STAR AMANDA ANISIMOVA DISMISSES REPORTER’S CYNICAL QUESTION ABOUT US: ‘I DON’T THINK THAT’S RELEVANT’
But the reporter later clarified his question, asking “in the context of the last year of everything that’s been happening in the U.S., does that complicate that feeling at all?”
Anisimova fired back, “I don’t think that’s relevant.”
Speaking to reporters Monday, she said it was wrong for fans to assume her politics based on that response, saying, “The fact that people assume that they know my stance on certain important topics is just wrong. It’s not factual. It’s tough, but I’ve learned to get used to it.”
Amanda Anisimova reacts after defeating Naomi Osaka during the women’s singles semifinals of the US Open tennis championships in Flushing Meadows, New York, on Sept. 5, 2025. (Frank Franklin II/AP Photo)
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Many social media users, including former American tennis stars John Isner and Tennys Sandgren, came to her defense and criticized the reporter’s line of questioning, which other American tennis players, including Taylor Fritz, were asked.
Fox News Digital’s Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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