The Sports Report: Shohei Ohtani joined Dodgers because he wants to win

Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news.

From Jack Harris: There were more than 300 media members there in person, and countless more fans watching on television from home.

For the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in September, since becoming a free agent at the start of the offseason, and since signing with the Dodgers on a heavily-deferred 10-year, $700-million contract this week, Shohei Ohtani spoke publicly during an introductory news conference at Dodger Stadium on Thursday.

His first words donning blue and white?

“I would like to thank the Los Angeles Dodgers organization for giving me an opportunity to play here,” he said through interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. “I can’t wait to play for the Dodgers. They share the same passion as me, a vision and history of winning.”

So began the Ohtani era at Chavez Ravine, one that has already generated immense local, national and global excitement surrounding the two-way star since he announced his decision to sign with the Dodgers on Saturday.

After six years in Anaheim with the Angels, Ohtani’s introduction in Los Angeles on Thursday was a spectacle, with the center-field plaza at Dodger Stadium packed with cameras and reporters eagerly awaiting Ohtani’s first public comments since Aug. 9.

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OHTANI POLL

We asked readers of our Dodgers and Sports Report newsletters, “Are you happy with the Shohei Ohtani deal?” After 21,471 votes, the result:

Yes, 85.5%
No, 14.5%

ANGELS

From Jack Harris: Before Shohei Ohtani made his decision last week to sign with the Dodgers, he and his agent, Nez Balelo of CAA Sports, approached the Angels near the end of his free-agent process, giving Ohtani’s old team a chance to convince him to stay in Anaheim.

However, Angels owner Arte Moreno wouldn’t budge. According to multiple people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly, Moreno wouldn’t match the 10-year, $700 million deal that Ohtani eventually signed with the Dodgers.

Not even the late effort from Ohtani’s camp to continue negotiations changed his mind.

The Angels did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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CLIPPERS

From Andrew Greif: For the last five weeks as the Clippers swung from the extremes of six consecutive losses to five straight victories, and hitting every point on the spectrum of basketball success between those streaks, the most consistency they could point to was their durability.

James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George had started together in all 18 games since Harden’s arrival via trade, meaning that for all the tests the Clippers endured in those five weeks since Harden joined the lineup, the depth of their stars was not among them.

Until Thursday.

With George out because of what the team called a sore hip, after injuring himself in a win Tuesday against Sacramento, Harden validated why he was brought to Los Angeles — to serve as a ceiling-raiser for the team when they are healthy, and superstar insurance when they are not.

In a game as notable about who was playing as who was not, with Golden State’s Draymond Green serving the first game of his indefinite suspension levied by the NBA, the Clippers survived a vintage shooting performance by the Warriors’ Klay Thompson behind Harden’s own return to a dominant form. The 121-113 win was the Clippers’ sixth consecutive, continuing a streak that began started two weeks earlier with a win on the same floor against Golden State.

The Clippers (14-10) have won 11 of their last 14 games.

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Clippers box score

NBA scores

NBA standings

CHARGERS

From Jeff Miller: The Chargers came to Sin City and were criminally and vulgarly bad Thursday, their performance the most embarrassing since the franchise moved from San Diego.

In fact, this showing had to be one of the most embarrassing since the Chargers came into existence 64 years ago.

They fell three touchdowns behind after one quarter against a Las Vegas team that had scored as many as 21 points in a game only twice all season.

The Raiders scored 21 more points in the second quarter, turning the night into a punchline as the Chargers eventually lost 63-21, that total point the most a Charger team has given up in a single game.

The defeat dropped the Chargers to 5-9 and assured them of their first losing season since 2020, the final year of Anthony Lynn’s tenure as head coach.

Brandon Staley replaced Lynn and now finds himself likely nearing the end of his run as head coach.

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Chargers’ 63-21 road loss to the Las Vegas Raiders by the numbers

Chargers box score

NFL weekend schedule

NFL standings

RAMS

From Gary Klein: Two years ago, Matthew Stafford led the Rams to victory in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium.

On Wednesday, the NFL announced that Super Bowl LXI, which will cap the 2026-27 season, was awarded to the Rams’ home.

Does Stafford, 36, anticipate still playing for the Rams?

“I have no idea,” he said, chuckling. “That’s a long way away.”

Stafford still is working on helping the Rams qualify for the NFC playoffs this season. The Rams are 6-7 heading into their home game Sunday against the Washington Commanders.

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71-year-old crowd control worker sues Rams after suffering brain bleed during brawl at SoFi

NHL

NHL scores

NHL standings

BOWL SCHEDULE

All times Pacific

Saturday

Myrtle Beach Bowl
8 a.m., ESPN
Georgia Southern vs. Ohio

New Orleans Bowl
11:15 a.m., ESPN
Louisiana vs. Jacksonville State

Cure Bowl
12:30 p.m., ABC
Appalachian State vs. Miami (Ohio)

New Mexico Bowl
2:45 p.m., ESPN
New Mexico State vs. Fresno State

L.A. Bowl
4:30 p.m., ABC
Boise State vs. UCLA

Independence Bowl
6:15 p.m., ESPN
Texas Tech vs. Cal

Monday
Famous Toastery Bowl
11:30 a.m., ESPN
Western Kentucky vs. Old Dominion

Tuesday
Frisco Bowl
6 p.m., ESPN
Marshall vs. UTSA

Thursday
Boca Raton Bowl
5 p.m., ESPN
South Florida vs. Syracuse

Friday, Dec. 22
Gasparilla Bowl
3:30 p.m., ESPN
UCF vs. Duke

Saturday, Dec. 23
Birmingham Bowl
9 a.m., ABC
Georgia Tech vs. Troy

Camellia Bowl
9 a.m., ESPN
Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois

Armed Forces Bowl
12:30 p.m., ABC
James Madison vs. Air Force

Potato Bowl
12:30 p.m., ESPN
Utah State vs. Georgia State

68 Ventures Bowl
4 p.m., ESPN
South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan

Las Vegas Bowl
4:30 p.m., ABC
Northwestern vs. Utah

Hawaii Bowl
7:30 p.m., ESPN
San Jose State vs. Coastal Carolina

Tuesday, Dec. 26
Quick Lane Bowl
11 a.m., ESPN
Bowling Green vs. Minnesota

First Responder Bowl
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Texas State vs. Rice

Guaranteed Rate Bowl
3 p.m., ESPN
Kansas vs. UNLV

Wednesday, Dec. 27
Military Bowl
11 a.m., ESPN
Tulane vs. Virginia Tech

Duke’s Mayo Bowl
2:30 p.m., ESPN
North Carolina vs. West Virginia

Holiday Bowl
5 p.m., Fox
No. 15 Louisville vs. USC

Texas Bowl
6 p.m., Fox
No. 20 Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M

Thursday, Dec. 28
Fenway Bowl
8 a.m., ESPN
No. 24 SMU vs. Boston College

Pinstripe Bowl
11:15 a.m., ESPN
Miami vs. Rutgers

Pop-Tarts Bowl
2:45 p.m., ESPN
NC State vs. Kansas State

Alamo Bowl
6:15 p.m., ESPN
No. 12 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 Arizona

Friday, Dec. 29
Gator Bowl
9 a.m., ESPN
No. 22 Clemson vs. Kentucky

Sun Bowl
11 a.m., CBS
No. 19 Oregon State vs. No. 16 Notre Dame

Liberty Bowl
12:30 p.m., ESPN
Iowa State vs. Memphis

Cotton Bowl
5 p.m., ESPN
No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Missouri

Saturday, Dec. 30
Peach Bowl
9 a.m., ESPN
No. 10 Penn State vs. No. 11 Ole Miss

Music City Bowl
11 a.m., ABC
Auburn vs. Maryland

Orange Bowl
1 p.m., ESPN
No. 5 Florida State vs. No. 6 Georgia

Arizona Bowl
1:30 p.m., The CW
Toledo vs. Wyoming

Monday, Jan. 1
ReliaQuest Bowl
9 a.m., ESPN2
No. 13 LSU vs. Wisconsin

Citrus Bowl
9 a.m., ABC
No. 17 Iowa vs. No. 21 Tennessee

Fiesta Bowl
9 a.m., ESPN
No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 23 Liberty

Rose Bowl
2 p.m., ESPN
No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 4 Alabama

Sugar Bowl
5:45 p.m., ESPN
No. 2 Washington vs. No. 3 Texas

Monday, Jan. 8
1:30 p.m., ESPN
National Championship Game

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1925 — The first NHL game is played at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The Americans score first, but the Montreal Canadiens prevail 3-1, before 17,000 in attendance.

1929 — The Chicago Blackhawks defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1 in their first game at Chicago Stadium. Vic Ripley scores twice in 35 seconds during the second period to the delight of the 14,212 fans in attendance.

1935 — Detroit Lions win NFL championship with a 26-7 win over the New York Giants.

1946 — Chicago Bears beat the New York Giants 24-14 at the Polo Grounds for the NFL championship. A record crowd of 58,326 attend the game. Sid Luckman’s 19-yard touchdown run in the fourth puts the Bears ahead 21-14. Before the game, New York’s star fulback Merles Hapes is declared ineligible by NFL commissioner Bert Bell for not reporting bribe attempt to throw the game. New York police phone taps produced coversations with gambler Alvin J. Paris and Hapes. The Bears were 10-point favorites.

1973 — Tennessee beats Temple 11-6 in the lowest scoring NCAA basketball game since 1938. With 11:44 left in the first half and Tennessee leading 7-5, Temple holds onto the ball without a shot. Tennessee doesn’t take a shot in the second half, but manages four free throws by John Snow.

1973 — Sandy Hawley becomes the first jockey in history to win 500 races in a year, riding Charlie Jr. to victory in the third race at Laurel Race Course.

1974 — Oakland’s Jim “Catfish” Hunter is ruled a free agent by arbitrator Peter Seitz when A’s owner Charles O. Finley fails to live up to the terms of Hunter’s contract.

2000 — Georgia Southern beats Montana 27-25 for a second-straight Division I-AA championship and its a record sixth championship.

2012 — Matt Scott throws two touchdown passes in the final 46 seconds and college bowl season starts with a wild one when Arizona rallies to beat Nevada 49-48 in the New Mexico Bowl. Arizona trails 45-28 entering the final quarter.

2013 — Jamaal Charles ties a franchise record with five touchdowns in a game as the Kansas City Chiefs beat Oakland 56-31. The Chiefs become the fourth team ever to make the playoffs a year after losing at least 14 games.

2016 — In the biggest Division I women’s basketball rout ever, No. 3 Baylor overwhelms Winthrop 140-32. The 108-point margin of victory surpasses the 102 set by Grambling when it beat Jarvis Christian College 139-37 in 1986.

2017 — Mount Union wins its 13th Division III football national championship with a 12-0 victory over defending champion Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Purple Raiders (15-0) limit Mary Hardin-Baylor to 144 yards. The Crusaders (14-1) had not trailed all season and had their 29-game winning streak snapped.

2019 — Raiders play their final NFL game in Oakland conceding 17 unanswered 2nd half points to go down 20-16 to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Compiled by the Associated Press

And finally

The Shohei Ohtani news conference. Watch and listen here.