• Saturday February 25th – Irvine Pony at Harvard Park
• Sunday February 26th – Saddleback Pony at Heroes Park
• Saturday March 10th – Newport Harbor Pony at Mariners Park

But there is nothing lazy about Lupul, and that’s why you would never know about the surgeries, the mysterious infection, the IV antibiotics, all the doctors and specialists and physical therapists, the year out of hockey. Lupul is playing a power game on the left wing, and he is producing like he never has before. He has not only made a comeback. He has gotten better.

Look at the NHL scoring leaders: No. 1 is the Pittsburgh Penguins’Evgeni Malkin, a former scoring champion, with 54 points. Next is the Vancouver Canucks’Henrik Sedin, a former scoring champion, with 52 points. Then there is Lupul with 51 points, tied for third with two of the most dynamic players in the game – the Tampa Bay Lightning’sSteven Stamkos and the Detroit Red Wings’ Pavel Datsyuk.

Lupul has clicked with teammatePhil Kessel, who is only one point behind, and he is on pace for 35 goals and 90 points, which would shatter his personal bests. He needs only two points to tie his career high. No wonder he has been mentioned for the Masterton Trophy, awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication.

“People take credit for players’ success a lot in our game,” said Dave Nonis, the Leafs’ senior vice-president of hockey operations. ” ‘It was the coach.’ ‘It was this.’ ‘It was his linemates.’ I think Joffrey deserves the credit for his success. Yes, he’s got players who have played well with him. But he put the time in and the work in, and he prepared for the season as hard as any player we have on our team.”

You don’t take the game for granted when it was almost taken from you.

Lupul was playing for the Anaheim Ducks in 2009-10 when he had surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back. It was supposed to be routine. His recovery was supposed to take weeks, not months, not a year. Lupul – the seventh overall pick in the 2002 draft, already a six-year NHL veteran at age 26 – was supposed to have a bright future in front of him.

But then he needed a second surgery. And then he developed an infection. And then he spent six weeks taking intravenous antibiotics three hours a day. And then – just when he thought everything was fine, just when he started to rehab – he didn’t come back. The infection did. Eight more weeks of IV antibiotics three hours a day.

Read full article: Toronto’s Joffrey Lupul: A lot more than a comeback

Especially because they were given to him for free.

“This is one of my first deals right here with Oakley,” said Brown with gushing pride. “I got Oakley and Audi. Audi took care of me. But Oakley took care of me and they’re down in Orange County. They’re gonna supply me with my glasses, which I guess, that’s what being the Lakers coach is.

“When I was in Cleveland, I got the frames for free, and that was it. But now I’m the Lakers coach. Shoot, Oakley’s giving me the frames and the glasses, and plenty of them for free, so I can’t complain at all.”

It was then pointed out Phil Jackson is also an Audi pitchman, so perhaps the two could team up for a spot? Slow down, says Brown.

“I think they at me as ‘Junior’ or something like that, because I’m not in any commercial. I’m not getting paid big bucks like Phil, but I do get to drive one, so I’m happy about that. So I thank Audi of Santa Monica for taking care of me. (Laughs) You [media] guys like that plug, huh? (Laughs) Hey, now I’m just driving an Audi. With that plug, it might turn into some cash. And if it does, whoever ran it, I’m taking to lunch. If you guys get it on your station and I get paid for it, then it’s on me.”

“Well, it’s on Audi,” clarified Brown with a laugh.

As two guys with a love of lunch, particularly lunches with a bill footed by somebody else, Brian and I kindly request the Land O’ Lakers readership retweet this post to death until you see Mike Brown on television driving an Audi. Make sure to include hashtags with “Audi,” “Mike Brown” and “K Bros,” so the car company honchos don’t give credit — and our meal — to some TV cameraman or rival blogger. In our imaginations, the deep-pocketed folks at Audi only frequent places rated 5-10 stars, so this is a very exciting opportunity for us.

Via ESPN 

Scott Brooks has helped build the Oklahoma City Thunder into a true contender.
Like every other current head coach in the NBA, Scott Brooks has definitely paid his dues. Oklahoma City Thunder head coach had stints as an assistant coach with the Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings and Seattle SuperSonics before first being named Oklahoma City’s interim and eventually full-time head coach in 2008.

Since then, all the former Cal-Irvine Anteater standout has done is helped build the Thunder into a true contender not just in the Western Conference, but in the Association.

But if there was one experience that really helped shape him as an NBA head coach, it was the three seasons he spent in Denver — parts of two of which were as an assistant under current Nuggets coach George Karl, who was hired in Denver in Jan. 2005.
I think George is one of the best coaches in the league. One of the things I learned with George is you make no excuses,” Brooks said. “If you have guys hurt, it doesn’t matter. You go out and do your best to try to win the game. If you have eight guys in practice, it doesn’t matter. You try to figure out a way to have the best eight men practice.”
And his former boss epitomized such a no-excuses approach in how he handled several off-court issues during his time in the Mile High City.

“He’s a no-nonsense, no-excuse kind of guy and on top of all that, he had to fight through his son having health issues and himself having health issues and he fought through it. Not a lot of people can do what he did,” Brooks said. “He had to deal with those two issues plus manage an NBA team. That gave me a lot of respect for that man.”

Full article by Steve Hunt: foxsportssouthwest.com- Time under Karl helped shape Brooks

DENVER — George Karl wasn’t being difficult. He just wanted his “glue guy.”

And the Denver Nuggets coach certainly wasn’t being demanding. He just coveted his underrated center.

That’s why Karl pleaded and petitioned with the front office to bring back both guard Arron Afflalo and Brazilian big man Nene. Management listened and locked them up with five-year deals. The perfect holiday presents.

To Karl, Afflalo and Nene were the building blocks he needed to make a run at a ninth straight playoff appearance. Karl doesn’t require a superstar, just stability. He doesn’t need a headliner, only hard worker.

Karl’s philosophy will once again be this: Keep rotating in fresh players from his deep bench. It’s a formula that worked last season in the wake of the blockbuster deal that sent Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks last February. The team went 18-7 down the stretch, before falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs.

He believes this way of playing can be sustained over the course of an entire season, even if it’s somewhat abbreviated because of the lockout. And Karl is eager to put his theory to the test.

“The best team wins championships,” Karl said, placing heavy emphasis on the word team.

Read full article via Associated Press: Nuggets coach embraces challenge of getting back to playoffs without a superstar on roster