Sports
Prep talk: Documentary shows the history of CIF Southern Section since 1913
Throughout a new 45-minute documentary showing the history of the CIF Southern Section, the face and voice of its voluntary historian, John Dahlem, lets everyone know about his determination and dedication to preserve, explore and uncover invaluable tidbits of an organization that began in 1913.
A 45-minute documentary on the history of the CIF Southern Section will get its first public airing on Saturday after the Santa Margarita-De La Salle football game on Spectrum.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
From the very first game programs produced by high schools to revealing the unusual sports that used to be played, this documentary offers informative and intriguing details and will be much appreciated by anyone who has participated in California high school sports, whether as a coach, player, parent or past participant.
There are so many historical items Dahlem found before his death last year. From old video to old trophies to old medallions, it’s a look back and a look forward on how high school sports has changed, including the fact girls weren’t welcome to compete in playoffs until 1974.
Nothing was more intriguing than Dahlem showing there used to be a hand grenade competition, with a student from Huntington Park winning the first competition. Yes, it was about arm strength, so baseball players were good throwing hand grenades.
The film will receive its first showing on television on Saturday night on Spectrum at the conclusion of the Santa Margarita-De La Salle state football championship game. Then it will move to the Southern Section’s YouTube site.
Former Southern Section commissioner Rob Wigod serves as narrator in the project in which Taylor Martinez was the executive producer.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
Sports
Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman critiques NIL landscape, transfer rules and Lane Kiffin’s LSU move
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For the past couple of decades, former NFL star quarterback and Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman has shared his thoughts on what he’s seen during whichever game he and his longtime broadcast partner are calling.
The three-time Super Bowl winner is currently part of the “Monday Night Football” broadcast crew. Aikman has routinely given his take on a variety of football-related topics, from the state of NFL officiating to college football.
Some of Aikman’s latest thoughts about the college game centered on the growing number of players who have taken advantage of the transfer portal in today’s polarizing NIL landscape.
The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and many others have referred to the state of today’s sport at the collegiate level as the “Wild West.”
Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman stands with his Monday Night Football Broadcast announcer Joe Buck before a game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants at Acrisure Stadium. (Barry Reeger/Imagn Images)
“College football has become the Wild West, as everybody knows. Forget about Lane Kiffin for a minute, but starting with NIL, there just has been no guardrails. I’m on the National Football Foundation Board, so I hear firsthand from a lot of the commissioners and athletic directors and the people involved in all of that. It’s gotta get cleaned up, first and foremost,” Aikman told The Athletic.
When asked about student-athletes’ mobility in today’s world, Aikman reflected on his personal choices during his time competing at the NCAA level.
NFL GREAT TROY AIKMAN FIRES BACK AT JERRY JONES’ TRADE PLAN AMID LOSING EFFORT: ‘HE MAY WANT TO CANCEL’
“I was a transfer. I went from Oklahoma to UCLA, and I’ve always felt that if a coach is able to pick up and leave, that a player should have the same opportunity if a coach leaves,” he continued.
UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman (8) runs the ball during a college football game against Arizona on Oct. 2, 1988, at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Ariz. (Mike Powell/Allsport/Getty Images)
“What’s happened obviously over the years since I got out of college football is that in recent years with NIL, there’s been no accountability on the players,” Aikman continued. “So the players pick up and now they’re leaving all the time whereas before it was typically the coach. The player used to have to sit out a year. Now, the players can up and go regardless of whether or not they’ve been paid. It’s every man for himself.”
Aikman then dived into another college football hot topic – Lane Kiffin’s decision to leave Ole Miss in favor of LSU. The NFL analyst gave his best guess on what fueled Kiffin to make the leap.
“Lane Kiffin’s motivation? Is it his thoughts that it’s a better opportunity for him at LSU? Possibly. Is it money? Possibly. Is it lifestyle? Possibly. I can’t answer any of those questions.”
Then-Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin throws a football before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Oct. 25, 2025. (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)
“But whatever his motivation is, he feels like LSU is the right place for him. So I don’t fault him for that at all. I know there’s always hard feelings. Ole Miss did not want to lose Lane Kiffin,” he said. “Once he made the decision to leave, now he’s a pariah. Let’s get this guy just as far away from us as we can. I understand that as well. Everybody gets a little bit jaded.”
Aikman concluded that those in positions of power should ultimately take charge and focus on getting things in order. “Where I’m at is I think there’s gotta be some leadership at the very top that kind of cleans all of this up. Starting with players that accept money, there’s gotta be some accountability and responsibility on their behalf to have to stick with a program. I gave money to a kid. I won’t mention who. I’ve done it one time at UCLA. Never met the young man. He was there a year, he left after the year. I wrote a sizable check, and he went to another school. I didn’t even get so much as a thank you note.”
Aikman is scheduled to be on the call for a Week 15 matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins on Dec. 15.
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Sports
Take a swing? Two Buss brothers consider investing in baseball’s Athletics
Could two members of the Buss family add some green and gold to their purple and gold?
Joey and Jesse Buss, fired last month as Lakers executives, have explored pursuing an ownership stake in baseball’s Athletics, according to two people familiar with the discussions but not authorized to speak publicly about them.
The discussions were described as preliminary, and it is unclear whether they might result in a deal. Jesse Buss did not reply to a message seeking comment.
In September, Joey and Jesse – sons of legendary Lakers owner Jerry Buss – announced the launch of Buss Sports Capital “to pursue high-impact investment opportunities across the global sports ecosystem.” The announcement said Buss Sports Capital would aim “to partner with forward-thinking professionals to unlock new opportunities in professional sports.”
Joey and Jesse Buss retain their stakes of Lakers ownership. In October, Dodgers owner Mark Walter closed his purchase of majority ownership in the Lakers, in a deal that valued the Lakers at $10 billion. Walter tasked Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and former general manager Farhan Zaidi to assess the Lakers’ front office operations.
Last month, Joey Buss was dismissed as vice president of research and development and Jesse Buss as assistant general manager.
The A’s left Oakland after the 2024 season. They plan to move from their temporary Sacramento home to Las Vegas in 2028, and construction there is underway on an enclosed 30,000-seat stadium originally estimated to cost $1.5 billion. In July, team owner John Fisher told the Nevada Independent the cost had risen into “the $2 billion range.”
Fisher obtained $380 million in public funding. He is responsible for the balance of construction costs. In 2023, The Times first reported that Fisher hoped to generate $500 million toward stadium costs by valuing the A’s at $2 billion and selling 25% of the team to minority investors.
Fisher has since used a higher valuation in soliciting investors. CNBC last year estimated the A’s franchise value at $2 billion, Forbes at $1.8 billion, and Sportico at $1.6 billion.
The A’s have posted four consecutive losing seasons. They say they are rebuilding toward their planned 2028 arrival in Las Vegas, and they have an impressive core of position players, including first baseman Nick Kurtz — the American League rookie of the year — shortstop Jacob Wilson, catcher Shea Langeliers, designated hitter Brent Rooker, and outfielders Lawrence Butler and Tyler Soderstrom.
Times staff writer Broderick Turner contributed to this report.
Sports
Browns to start Shedeur Sanders at quarterback for remainder of 2025 season
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There will be no more quarterback moves for the Cleveland Browns for the remainder of the 2025 season, as Shedeur Sanders will stay as the team’s starter for the next four games.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters that he’s seen Sanders “constantly and consistently gotten better in each of these games,” as he’s started the last three contests after fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel suffered a concussion in Week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens.
“He’s been working very hard. I feel good about where his development is heading,” Stefanski said of Sanders. “He knows there are always gonna be plays that he could be better and those types of things, but he’s very intentional about getting better each and every game he’s out there.”
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Cleveland Browns’ Shedeur Sanders (12) and Teven Jenkins (74) celebrate a touchdown in the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans in Cleveland, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Sanders became the first Browns quarterback to win his first-ever start in the league after helping take down the Las Vegas Raiders for Cleveland’s third win of the season.
And while Sanders completed a season-high 64% of his passes against the San Francisco 49ers in his first start at home, the Browns weren’t able to see the same victory on their record at the end of that contest.
BROWNS COACH DRAWS FURY AS SHEDEUR SANDERS SITS DURING CRUCIAL 2-POINT TRY
Sanders made his third start in a row on Sunday in sloppy conditions in Cleveland against a lowly Tennessee Titans team that beat them, 31-29, to capture just their second win of the year.
During the game, Stefanski drew the ire of Sanders fans when the quarterback was off the field for a two-point conversion try despite throwing a touchdown pass to tight end Harold Fannin Jr. Stefanski, instead, tried for a wildcat play with rookie running back Quinshon Judkins leading the way. The play ultimately didn’t work out, and fans wondered what could’ve been if Sanders was in the game.
Shedeur Sanders of the Cleveland Browns stands for the national anthem prior to a NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on Aug. 8, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Logan Bowles/Getty Images)
“Browns removing Shedeur constantly on goal 2 go situations and going wildcat needs 2 be studied,” Shannon Sharpe wrote on X. “He’s on the SL. That’s bulljive.”
Skip Bayless even called for the removal of Stefanski after seeing what transpired at the end of the game.
“SHEDEUR TO FANNIN FOR THE CLUTCH TD — THEN STEFANSKI TAKES SHEDEUR OUT FOR THE WILDCAT — DISASTER. STEFANSKI BLOWS ANOTHER GAME. HE JUST COULDN’T STAND SEEING SHEDEUR TIE THE GAME WITH A 2-POINT CONVERSION AFTER SUCH A GREAT LONG TD DRIVE. FIRE STEFANSKI!”
Sanders was impressive despite the losing result, going 23-of-42 for 364 yards passing with three touchdowns and his first career rushing score.
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The Browns will travel to the Windy City to face the Chicago Bears in Week 15, followed by games against the Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers and finishing the season against the Cincinnati Bengals.
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