Lakers coach JJ Redick, Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Mario Gutierrez lose their homes in wildfires
Lakers coach JJ Redick, Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Mario Gutierrez lose their homes in wildfires
LOS ANGELES (AP) — As the punishing winds that fueled the deadly fires in the Los Angeles region have eased, members of the sports community are beginning to deal with the fallout.
Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick said Friday his family lost its rented home in the fire in Pacific Palisades this week.
“I’m not sure I’ve wept or wailed like that in several years,” he said after practice.
The NBA postponed Saturday’s home games for both the Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers as part of the league’s response to the wildfires.
The Lakers were to play host to San Antonio. The Clippers were to play host to Charlotte. No makeup dates have been announced, and the league didn’t say if more games — both the Lakers and Clippers are scheduled to be home Monday and Wednesday as well — will be affected.
“The NBA and the Clippers and Lakers organizations have been in communication with local officials in Los Angeles and Inglewood about the ongoing situation in the Los Angeles area and the game postponements ensure no resources will be diverted from the wildfire response efforts,” the league said.
Redick said the house burned down Tuesday while the Lakers were on the road. Redick’s wife, Chelsea, and their two sons were safely away from the neighborhood.
NFL
The Arizona Cardinals stadium staff has worked nearly nonstop over the past days to put on an NFL playoff game with short notice. The LA Rams-Minnesota Vikings wild-card game was moved from Inglewood, California, because of the devastating fires in the Los Angeles area.
Among the biggest challenges: Securing staff to fill the 3,500 positions needed to put on a game, ranging from food service workers to parking attendants. There’s also the logistical hurdles of painting the field in Rams’ colors and updating multimedia for the videoboards around the stadium.
The idea is to make State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, feel at least a little like SoFi, the home of the Rams. Mark Dalton, Cardinals vice president of media relations, said the franchise was happy to help their division rival, especially considering the situation.
“There are many, many people working to make this happen,” Dalton said. “It’s truly a team effort.”
Meanwhile, the NFL family is providing $5 million to support communities affected by the wildfires.
Individual contributions from clubs and ownership groups from the Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings, Houston Texans and NFL Foundation will help support local organizations.
Commissioner Roger Goodell says the league is “heartbroken” over the losses in the LA area and “inspired” by the heroism of first responders and residents helping each other.
The Rams are supporting the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, benefitting both city and LA County Fire, and American Red Cross. The Kroenke family, which owns the Rams, is donating $1 million through their foundation to the LAFD Foundation.
The Chargers are helping the Red Cross, LAFD Foundation, Team Rubicon and pet rescue organizations.
On Saturday and Monday, the Chargers and Rams players, coaches and staff will wear team-specific LAFD hats and shirts. The items will be available for purchase, with proceeds from Chargers apparel going to the LAFD Foundation and Rams sales going to the LAFD Foundation and Red Cross.
Game-worn jerseys and select game-used footballs from both wild-card games will be sold on NFL Auction with proceeds going to the Red Cross.
The Minnesota Vikings and the Wilf Family Foundations are providing a matching $1 million contribution to support on-the-ground relief efforts. The Houston Texans are also donating $1 million. The NFL Foundation is donating a matching $1 million.
College basketball
Top-ranked UCLA will be idle on Sunday after Northwestern declined to travel to Los Angeles.
The Wildcats also will miss their game Wednesday against JuJu Watkins and No. 4 USC.
Northwestern said its decision was “due to concerns surrounding ongoing wildfires affecting the greater Los Angeles area.”
UCLA said there is no immediate threat posed to its Westwood campus by the fires. Based on air quality data, the university is allowing indoor and outdoor activities.
UCLA offered Northwestern the option of playing at a different venue, but the Wildcats chose to stay home.
The Big Ten is looking into options to reschedule the games.
USC is still scheduled to host Penn State on Sunday, with the Nittany Lions visiting UCLA on Wednesday.
UCLA coach Cori Close and assistant Tony Newnan have homes on the edge of the Palisades fire evacuation zone.
“We’ve been very fortunate the winds went the opposite way,” she said Friday
Several of the Bruins players are from out of state or other countries, but they were uneasy.
“I do think there’s some anxiety there, no question,” Close said.
Pepperdine has shifted game times for its men’s and women’s doubleheader against Loyola Marymount on Saturday.
The women’s game will start at 1 p.m. PDT and the men will begin at 4:30 p.m. at Firestone Fieldhouse.
Access to the campus located above the Pacific Ocean in Malibu is limited to the north. Pacific Coast Highway south of campus remains closed because of the Palisades fire.
NHL
The Los Angeles Kings’ home game against Calgary on Wednesday was the first major sporting event to be postponed by the fires.
Kings forward Trevor Moore, the team’s lone California native, saw the fires raging below as their plane took off Thursday for Winnipeg for the start of a five-game trip.
“It’s definitely hard,” Moore said Friday before the Kings faced the Jets. “I open up my Instagram and see a lot of people I grew up with who lost family homes, so you think about all those people. It’s a tough time.”
The Kings will wear helmet stickers honoring the LAFD.
“It’s horrible,” said Moore, from Thousand Oaks. “You can’t imagine losing your childhood home in a fashion like that, something where you have so many memories. And you lose cherished memories and pictures and everything that was so important to you. It’s hard to really imagine.”
Horse racing
Santa Anita Park and the over 1,800 horses stabled on the grounds in Arcadia have not been threatened, although air quality has been impacted by the Eaton fire.
Still, the racing community has been affected.
Jockey Mario Gutierrez, a two-time Kentucky Derby winner, lost his home in the fire, according to agent Mike Ciani.
Several trainers were forced to evacuate their homes and remain without power.
“But it’s nothing compared to what some of these other families have had to endure,” trainer Tim Yakteen said Friday. “We’re very fortunate.”
Friday’s 10-race program has already been rescheduled for next Thursday. Track officials said racing will resume Saturday as long as the air quality meets standards.
Soccer
U.S. Soccer is moving its January training camp for the U.S. women’s team, as well as the Future Camp for up-and-coming USWNT prospects, to Florida because of the LA fires.
The training camps, which feature 50 players, will run from Jan. 17-23 at the Inter Miami CF’s Florida Blue Training Center in Fort Lauderdale.
“The safety of our players and staff is always our top priority, and with the fires still burning, many areas in a state of emergency, and the air quality next week an unknown, we made the decision to move the camps,” U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker said.
Swimming
USC has canceled its outdoor swimming meet against UC San Diego on Saturday because of potential air quality concerns in downtown Los Angeles.
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