October: A Nightmarish Month For LA Sports

Oct 15, 2015; Stanford, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins coach Jim Mora reacts during a 56-35 loss against the Stanford Cardinal in a NCAA football game at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It’s not Halloween yet but October has proven to be a nightmare for the Los Angeles sports landscape, both on and off the field.  

Ghosts from the past continue to haunt the baseball teams, some blood suckers inserted themselves into a very scary situation, and both hockey teams started the season playing like the zombies from the “Walking Dead” — except slower and with less biting.

Enough with the Halloween metaphors, but October really has been crap for LA.

It started with the baseball scene.

First, despite having a 18-9 record in September and pulling themselves within a game of a playoff spot, the Los Angeles Angels failed at returning to the playoffs after having the best record in baseball last year.

It was the final nail in the coffin to a difficult season that spiraled out of control as their GM Jerry Dipoto was let go in a power struggle with manager Mike Scioscia.

The Los Angeles Dodgers were revisited by their playoff problems, despite having home field advantage in the best of five NLDS against the New York Mets the Dodgers lost the winner take all Game 5 in front 54,000 fans hoping to see a different outcome in October.

Despite Clayton Kershaw burnishing some of his playoff ghosts, terrible situational hitting did in the other Dodgers ace Zach Greinke in 3-2 loss.

The loss has already started to claim members of the organization as long time trainer Stan Conte resigned perhaps as a result of the parade hamstring injuries that hamstrung the roster throughout.

Whether Conte’s resignation is a just an isolated transaction or the sign of an overhaul is something for the rest of winter.

Los Angeles has the unique college football rivalry where the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans are separated by just a few freeway exits, October has them caught worse than traffic on the 405 (look it up, out-of-towners).

UCLA lost a game at home in October once again and then they lost to Stanfurd again.

UCLA seems to be unable handle losing three defensive starters for the year including the dynamic Myles Jack, as they were woefully unprepared to combat the ASU and Stanfurd ground game.

For USC, it was what was happening off the field as much as on the field that has sunk their season.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian is now former head coach as his personal demons became too much to overcome as he was fired by athletic director Pat Haden after stories came out that Sarkisian was drunk during practices and games.

The ascension of assistant Clay Helton meant that USC was on its fourth head coach in four years with a lot of uncertainty for the future.

Hockey season started but you couldn’t tell in Southern California, as it seems the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings seemed to have gotten their calendars mixed up.

Looking like they were still in pre-season mode both teams combined to go 1-8 in their first several games played.

For both clubs it seems their biggest weaknesses were what were to be strengths.

For the Kings, their usual strong defense left them as they gave up 12 goals in their first three games — and for the Ducks it’s been their lack of offensive as they’ve managed to only score 2 goals so far this season.

So far October has sucked for LA sports, and it’s only half way through.

But don’t worry folks, the Cubs and Mets are playing to lose in the World Series so about 20 million people will soon join us in our misery.