Sports

Is Clippers' series over? 'Dallas to Cancun' ad near Crypto.com Arena trolls Mavericks

Published

2 years ago

May 1, 2024

Is Clippers' series over? 'Dallas to Cancun' ad near Crypto.com Arena trolls Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks probably have not made their summer vacation plans just yet.

With their first-round Western Conference playoff series with the Clippers tied at 2-2, the Mavericks could see their season end as early as Friday night. In that case, the Dallas players might actually appreciate the contents of a billboard that’s near Crypto.com Arena for Game 5 on Wednesday night.

But probably not.

The ad at L.A. Live was placed by global travel company Skyscanner on the building at 1011 S. Figueroa St., just across Chick Hearn Court from the Clippers’ current home facility.

It reads in big letters, “Dallas to Cancun.” In smaller print underneath, it says, “For great flights to Cancun, visit Skyscanner.”

There’s no mention of the NBA, its teams or the playoffs, but the implication is clear — time for the Mavericks to start planning their vacations because this series is essentially over.

Andre Le Masurier, the global head of brand at Skyscanner, told The Times in an email Wednesday that the idea behind the billboard was “not so much to solely troll the Mavs, just to have some fun and stir the pot a little.”

“We’re a global company, comprised of NBA fans, fans of basketball and sports culture in general,” Le Masurier said. “We saw this moment as a fantastic opportunity to engage with Clippers and Mavericks fans and show some of our values and personality.”

The Clippers told The Times in an emailed statement Wednesday that “the billboard at L.A. Live is not owned or operated by the Clippers.”

“We have the utmost respect for our opponents and in no way endorse this message,” the Clippers added.

According to Le Masurier, the ad was inspired by the “1-2-3, Cancun!” catchphrase that was first uttered by Nick Van Exel and other 1998 Lakers players when they were on the verge of being swept out of the playoffs by the Utah Jazz.

“We’ve always thought the ‘1, 2, 3, Cancun’ meme was super fun, so when our creative partners at Courage Inc. came to us with the idea to do something clever and support the local team, we couldn’t resist,” Le Masurier said.

“We thought it was a fun way to bring some attention to Skyscanner with a little playful banter on a giant billboard outside one of the NBA’s most famous arenas, where this cultural phenomenon was born. The trash talking, trolling and rivalries are part of what makes the sport so compelling. But win or lose, Mexico is always a great spot to recharge the batteries and Skyscanner is one of the best at helping you get away for less.”

Of course, the series is anything but over.

Each team has won a game apiece at Crypto.com Arena. The fourth-seeded Clippers won Game 1 over the fifth-seeded Mavericks 109-97 without the services of Kawhi Leonard, their star player who was out with an inflamed right knee. Leonard returned for Game 2, scoring 15 points on seven-for-17 shooting and missing all five three-point attempts in 35 minutes during Dallas’ 96-93 win.

The series moved to Dallas, where Leonard had nine points and nine rebounds in 25 minutes as the Clippers lost 101-90 in Game 3. Leonard missed Game 4 with the same knee issues, but the Clippers won 116-114 behind James Harden, who finished with 33 points and scored 11 of the team’s final 16 points.

Leonard has been declared out for Game 5. The teams will return to Dallas on Friday for Game 6.

If there’s a Game 7, it will be Sunday at Crypto.com Arena, after which the members of one of the teams actually might find themselves on Skyscanner or another travel service booking their vacations.

“We hope fans of the Clippers and Mavs get a chuckle out of it,” Le Masurier said of his company’s ad.

Sports

ESPN star rips iconic college basketball team with $22M roster for disappointing season

Published

10 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

ESPN star rips iconic college basketball team with M roster for disappointing season

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The Kentucky Wildcats basketball team may still make the NCAA Tournament, but Dick Vitale thinks this iconic program should be much better than their 19-12 record this season considering their whopping $22 million roster.

The legendary ESPN college basketball analyst didn’t hold back his feelings about the Wildcats as they played Florida during Saturday’s prime SEC matchup. After the Gators hit some free throws to extend their first-half lead to 26-19, Vitale started to lay into the Wildcats.

Head coach Mark Pope of the Kentucky Wildcats in a game between the Florida Gators and the Kentucky Wildcats on March 7, 2026, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY. (Jeff Moreland/Icon Sportswire)

“I’m going to say this right here, I’ve done several Kentucky games, win or lose, $22 million this team [which has been reported] in terms of the NIL for their players,” he said, per Awful Announcing. “I think in $22 million, they could have put together a better roster than they did. I really do.”

The Wildcats ended up losing by a score of 84-77, and Vitale continued about Kentucky near the end of their 12th loss of the season.

“I’ll tell you one thing, you don’t want to walk out of here thinking you got a moral victory,” Vitale said, referencing a hard-fought game against the No. 5-ranked Florida team. “Moral victories don’t count at this level of basketball. And you hear some of the people, ‘We played them close. We played them tough.’

“The bottom line is you’re Kentucky. You’re Kentucky. And you’ve got to leave here with a win, especially at home. There are no moral victories. Come on. I don’t want to hear that.”

Collin Chandler and Jasper Johnson of the Kentucky Wildcats celebrate in the first half against the Ole Miss Rebels at Rupp Arena on Jan. 24, 2026 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

The Wildcats were once the top program in the country under former Coach John Calipari, who left for Arkansas after being unable to make a long March Madness run in recent seasons, including a shocking first round upset to the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

The Wildcats have been coached by Mark Pope since, and they made the Sweet 16 in last year’s tournament before losing to Tennessee.

Kentucky Jasper Johnson in action vs Michigan State at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY on Nov. 18, 2025. (Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated )

But this year, Kentucky is 10-8 in SEC play, and now face the No. 9 seed in the upcoming tournament this week. The winner of each conference earns a tournament berth, but the Wildcats know good seeding in the NCAA Tournament requires a strong run heading into Selection Sunday this upcoming weekend.

The Wildcats will start their SEC Tournament play on Wednesday against No. 16 LSU.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

Sports

Chargers agree to deal with former Dolphins fullback Alec Ingold

Published

11 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Chargers agree to deal with former Dolphins fullback Alec Ingold

The Chargers bolstered their efforts to protect quarterback Justin Herbert all while diversifying their offense by agreeing to a multiyear deal with veteran fullback Alec Ingold on Sunday, the team announced.

Ingold’s deal with the Chargers reportedly is for two years and $7.5 million.

Ingold will be no stranger to the Chargers’ plans on offense. He played the past four seasons in Miami under coach Mike McDaniel, the Chargers’ new offensive coordinator. Last year he caught eight passes for 52 yards and ran the ball twice in 17 games.

Ingold caught 47 passes for 372 yards and rushed for 34 yards in 20 carries in four seasons with the Dolphins. He also had two rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown.

Before his time in Miami, Ingold played three seasons with the Raiders.

The deal comes two days after the Chargers signed veteran center Tyler Biadasz to take over for the retiring Bradley Bozeman. They agreed to terms on a one-year deal with edge rusher Khalil Mack on Saturday.

With the free agency negotiation period set to begin Monday at 9 a.m. PDT, the Chargers remain in strong position to be significant players in the free-agent market. They rank among the top-five teams in salary cap space, per Overthecap.com.

Sports

Cowboys star, fiancée end relationship month before wedding: report

Published

22 hours ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Cowboys star, fiancée end relationship month before wedding: report

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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and his fiancée, Sarah Jane Ramos, reportedly broke up with their wedding around the corner.

Prescott and Ramos’ relationship had been “rocky” in the weeks leading up to the breakup and things exploded between the two at their joint bachelor and bachelorette parties, TMZ Sports reported on Saturday.

Dak Prescott and Sarah Jane Ramos attend the Farrah Fawcett Foundation Tex-Mex Fiesta on Oct. 30, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. (Omar Vega/Getty Images for Farrah Fawcett Foundation)

Ramos shared pictures of her trip with her friends on Instagram on Friday.

“I truly believe you can get through anything in life as long as you have really great friends. I love these girls so much,” Ramos captioned the collage of snaps.

Prescott was not pictured in any of the 16 photos and videos posted to her social media account.

Sarah Jane Ramos and Dak Prescott pose for a photo before Dak Prescott’s Faith Fight Finish Foundation Gala on May 17, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images for Faith Fight Finish Foundation)

Ramos also posted photos of her bridal shower back on Feb. 23. There were no photos of Prescott in the carousel either.

“The most intimate and beautiful bridal shower of my dreams,” she added on Instagram. “So grateful for my aunts who hosted it and my girlfriends and family that came to celebrate. I love you all so much and can’t wait to marry the love of my life with all of you by my side.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Prescott’s representative for comment.

Prescott posted a series of photos on his Instagram of Ramos and his family on July 20, 2025. There’s only a September advertisement posted on his account since.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and Sarah Jane Ramos pose on the NFL Honors Red Carpet before Super Bowl LX at Palace of Fine Arts on Feb. 5, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

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The NFL star and Ramos announced they were engaged on Oct. 18, 2024. The couple have two children together.

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