USC and L.A. Sports Council Team Up On 'Touchdown For Youth'

LOS ANGELES (September 22, 2010) –- Once again, USC and the L.A. Sports Council Foundation are teaming up on “Touchdown For Youth,” an annual program that allows thousands of economically disadvantaged kids from the area to attend a Trojans home football game each year.

For each $30 tax-deductible contribution from an individual or corporation, one child will be provided a ticket to the game plus refreshments.

This year’s edition of “Touchdown For Youth” is the game vs. Arizona State at the Coliseum on Saturday, November 6.

Anyone interested in supporting “Touchdown For Youth” should call (213) 482-6333.

Now in its 18th year, the program is run jointly by USC and the L.A. Sports Council Foundation. USC distributes the tickets to youth charities affiliated with the university’s athletic department.

“‘Touchdown For Youth’ can provide a special experience to young people who may never have been on a campus or inside the Coliseum, perhaps inspiring them to one day pursue a college education,” said USC Athletic Director Pat Haden. “Hopefully, we’ll have a great turnout and the kids will help cheer on the Trojans to a win.”

Sheldon I. Ausman is the founder of “Touchdown For Youth,” inaugurated at the 1993 Super Bowl, played at the Rose Bowl. Ausman, Director of Client Services for Gumbiner Savett Inc., is a member of the L.A. Sports Council Foundation board of directors.

Thanks to the strong support of our local business community, 2,000 youngsters attended last season’s “Touchdown For Youth” game (USC vs. San Jose State). Over the life of the program, over 40,000 youths have been able to enjoy Los Angeles-area collegiate and professional football games.


The Los Angeles Sports Council is a private, nonprofit organization that encourages economic and community development through the promotion of spectator sports programs in the Los Angeles and Orange County area, including support of our local teams and the attraction of events to the area.

10 Years Ago She Had $100,000 In Debt; Today She's Debt-free

Despite making a six-figure salary, Lynette Khalfani-Cox racked up $100,000 in credit card debt 10 years ago. She used plastic to pay for everything, from trips to clothes to dinners, even using cash advance checks to pay for her children's private school tuition and to buy land.

When she finally tallied up all her debt and saw she'd crossed the $100,000 mark, she decided to make a change. She paid it all off in three years -- a time in which she was laid off and got divorced.

Yahoo.com:  QA with Lynnette Khalfani-Cox

ANGELS TO KICK-OFF 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

The Angels will formally unveil their 2011 plans surrounding the club’s 50th Anniversary and accompanying year-round celebration on Friday September 24th. The 2011 Angels campaign theme is More Than “A” Season, an event that will encompass a 12-month celebration of 50 years of Angels Baseball.

Throughout the year, Angels fans will experience a season unlike any they have ever seen before. The 50th Anniversary is about the fans and their celebration of great moments throughout Angels’ history. Many unique events are centered on fan interaction including retro nights and giveaways, 81 first pitches with former Halos, special programming on Fox Sports West, AM830 and more.

Starting this Friday, the Angels’ 50th Anniversary logo will be revealed in select locations throughout Angel Stadium. Locations include prominent placement on the windows above the home plate gate, as well as the batters eye in center field, where the 2010 All-Star Game sign was previously located. In addition, the club’s home, road and alternate uniforms for the 2011 campaign will be on display.

Fans are welcome to join the 50th Anniversary kickoff taking place at the Home Plate Gate of Angel Stadium Friday between 5 and 7pm. Friday night’s activities include the opportunity to see live interviews as current and former Angels discuss their place in club history with AM830 & Fox Sports West. Fans will also have the opportunity to win prizes at the event.

There were many factors important to the Angels when development of the logo began. The first was the gold halo, signifying the club’s Golden Anniversary. It also pays homage to the Angels previous usage of a gold halo on past club marks. The logo conveys the celebration of 50 years of Angels Baseball, signified by the number 50 in club numbering featured predominantly beneath the halo. The ribbon below celebrates the club’s expansion in 1961 through 2011 prosperity. Finally, the “A” logo and use of the color red emphasize the current brand imagery.

The Angels will commemorate the Golden Anniversary on-field with enhancements to the 2011 club uniforms. In lieu of the current silver halo, Angel hats will now feature a gold halo around the primary “A” logo as well as a 50th anniversary patch affixed to the left side. On the front of the club’s home, road, and alternate red jerseys, a gold halo is featured on the “A” of the club lettering. The 50th anniversary patch will appear on the right sleeve, while an “A” patch with gold halo will be featured on the left sleeve.

Blacks Trail Significantly In Financial Literacy Compared To All Americans

Please take a few moments to watch this story by my good friend Stephanie Elam.  In this CNN report, Stephanie discusses what is oftentimes a taboo subject within black families and households: money!

One alarming stat from this story is that the median net worth of black Americans is only $28,000 compared to $140,000 for all Americans.





Now that you have a better understanding of the situation, you might be wondering what you can do personally to reverse this trend. You could start by reading this article from Black Enterprise magazine. Being financially responsible is truly a lifestyle decision.

Blake Griffin Is Ready To Go

I went to the Clippers practice facility earlier this week to do a 1-on-1 interview with Blake Griffin--a.k.a the #1 question mark going into the Clippers upcoming season.

Griffin's road to recovery from mid-season knee surgery has been pretty much right on-course since he woke up from the anesthesia.  He's been running for months.  He took part in the team's Summer League practices, although he did not play in any of the games.  Basically, everything pointed to him being 100% in time for the start of training camp at the end of this month.

Well, I have news for you after witnessing some pickup games the other day.  If Blake Griffin is not 100% recovered from that knee injury right now, then I don't know what 100% looks like.

Not only was he running with a limp or a brace, but the explosion we all witnessed during his two years at Oklahoma and in those handful of preseason games last year seems to be the same as it was before the surgery.  I didn't see all of the pickup games, but he had at least 4 rim-shattering dunks while I was there, including one that started as face-up post on DeAndre Jordan and ended with a face-at-rim-level, one-handed punch.  DeAndre may still be looking for Blake after getting shook with that spin move.

During my interview with Griffin after the pickup games, we discussed a number of topics relative to him personally and the team as a whole.  You can watch parts of that interview in the video section on foxsportswest.com.

One of the subjects I was most interested in was what Griffin thought of his new head coach.  He told me that he actually knew more about Vinny Del Negro as a player rather than a coach--makes sense considering Del Negro played 12 NBA seasons while coaching for only two years in Chicago.

Griffin said that three early impressions of Del Negro stand out to him before training camp has even started.  1) He puts a high priority on player development.  2) He wants the team to get out and run.  3) He doesn't "over coach" (in other words, Del Negro may be the complete opposite of Mike Dunleavy).

So with Griffin fully healthy and Del Negro making quite the first impression on the franchise player, everything points towards a good start to training camp--something the team hasn't had since 2005 (Sam Cassell's first year with the team).  However, even with that being said, the Clippers still have several other question marks to answer as training camp and the season progress, including but not limited to, 1) How will Baron Davis fit in with the new coach and system?  2) How did the Team USA experience affect Eric Gordon?  3)  Can Chris Kaman back up his All-Star season with another one?

We should start to find out some of those answers when training camp opens September 28th.

USA Today: Eric Gordon's game more worldly entering NBA season

By J. Michael Falgoust, USA TODAY

Los Angeles Clippers guard Eric Gordon walked off with more than his first gold medal — and the first for USA Basketball in the world championships since 1994 — this month.

"I think I'll be able to bring more leadership (to the Clippers). I tried to get better playing with guys who are better players," Gordon says. "You have to learn off that vibe."

USA Today:   Eric Gordon's game more worldly entering NBA season

National Anthem Makes Impression On Eric Gordon

 
--Listening to song while wearing a gold medal around his neck makes Clippers star appreciative of what he represents--

by Jeff Rabjohns
Indianapolis Star

The moment likely will have a lasting impact for Eric Gordon.

On Sunday, instead of hearing the national anthem play before a game, he heard it while wearing "USA" on his uniform with a gold medal hanging around his neck.

"It makes you more appreciative of your country and what you really represent," Gordon said Tuesday after returning from Turkey, where he helped the U.S. win the FIBA world basketball championship for the first time since 1994.


Indianapolis Star:  Anthem makes impression on Gordon

Clippers Spirit Ready For The Season

As we get closer and closer to the start of the upcoming NBA season, I know some of you can't wait to see how the new-look Clippers perform this season.  With a new coaching staff and some new players, there are quite a few questions to be answered.  

However, there is one pertinent question regarding the Clippers that has already been answered: Who are the new girls on the Clippers Spirit?


Click here and here to find out!

Larry Scott Is On A Mission To Turn Around PAC-10

I had the chance to once again visit with PAC-10 Commissioner Larry Scott this past weekend during the Colorado/Cal football game in Berkeley.  Since he replaced legendary commissioner Tom Hansen a year ago, I have spoken to Scott on a handful occasions—both on and off the air.  From the very beginning, I sensed that he had two clear missions for the conference going forward: to be bigger and better.

It was no secret that Scott’s number one goal for the PAC-10 was to expand the conference by a minimum of two teams so the conference could have the always highly profitable conference championship game (expect an announcement on future division alignments by the end of October).  The implementation of this post-season showcase has led to an influx of hundreds of millions of dollars for the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and SEC over the last few seasons.  What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, right?

foxsportswest.com: Larry Scott Is On A Mission To Turn Around PAC-10

Hollywood Ending For Torii Hunter And Brother

Imagine gathering for your annual holiday season celebration with the family, and just before you sit down for dinner, your dad tells you to expect one more additional visitor this year: the brother you never knew you had!

Now even if your family was as dysfunctional as the Bundy’s, that would still be a shocker of epic proportions, especially during the holidays. But that’s exactly what happened to Torii Hunter and his family five years ago.

foxsportswest.com:  Hollywood Ending For Torii Hunter And Brother