Jim Alexander, Freelance Journalist Profile

Articles

Alexander: Denis Bouanga’s winner puts LAFC on the global stage

5 days ago | sbsun.com | Jim Alexander

LOS ANGELES — Call it the $9.55 million goal. Or call it Denis Bouanga picking up the mantle that had been left behind by Carlos Vela, a torch unofficially being passed a few days after LAFC’s first icon officially retired, picked up by the team’s current star.
The Audible: On Carlos Vela, the NBA’s young stars and in-game interviews

1 week ago | sbsun.com | Jim Alexander |Mirjam Swanson |Jim Alexander

Jim Alexander: We had a significant retirement in SoCal sports this week, albeit one that was dramatically underplayed. Carlos Vela hung ‘em up this week, after a 19-year soccer career that included stints in Spain and the Premier League – and El Tri on the international level, including two World Cup tournaments under Mexico’s banner – before coming to the expansion Los Angeles Football Club in 2017.
Alexander: Ducks face questions as Joel Quenneville takes over

4 weeks ago | presstelegram.com | Jim Alexander

ANAHEIM — From a purely hockey standpoint, the Ducks’ hiring of Joel Quenneville to be the 12th head coach in the team’s history is a no-brainer. Anaheim has a roster of young talent ready to take the next step, and Quenneville has a proven ability to take such a collection of talent to greatness. He’s done it with the Chicago Blackhawks and the Florida Panthers, and he has three Stanley Cup rings as a head coach (and a fourth as an assistant in Colorado) to show for it.
Alexander: Let’s enjoy our sports heroes while we have them

1 month ago | whittierdailynews.com | Jim Alexander

Those of a certain age – and for those who haven’t figured out the translation of that term, it means the fire department is on alert every time we have a birthday – might actually remember the first time baseball Hall of Famer Frank Robinson was traded. It was in the winter of 1965 when Robinson – who had already won a National League MVP award for Cincinnati – was traded from the Reds to the Baltimore Orioles.
Alexander: Tennessee Volunteers prove too much for UCLA in NCAA Tournament

2 months ago | dailybreeze.com | Jim Alexander

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Maybe this was a microcosm of UCLA’s men’s basketball season. Impressively good at some points, frighteningly bad at others. For around 14½ minutes Saturday night, the Bruins went toe-to-toe with the Tennessee Volunteers, the No. 7 seed in the Midwest Regional slugging it out with No. 2 in what was very much a road game in the heart of Southeastern Conference country.
Alexander: Does the road get harder for UCLA men’s basketball? When wasn’t it?

2 months ago | presstelegram.com | Jim Alexander

LEXINGTON, Ky. — It would be easy to say the road now gets harder for the UCLA men’s basketball team, now that 10th-seeded Utah State has been vanquished and No. 2 seed Tennessee awaits the Bruins on Saturday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament’s Midwest Regional. But that would almost imply that there’s a point when the road wasn’t a grind for the Bruins.
Alexander: The (old) Pac-12 will be represented well in March Madness

2 months ago | dailybreeze.com | Jim Alexander |Jim Alexander

The world according to Jim:• Once the Selection Sunday brackets are unveiled, here’s an idea for those who want to participate but are unsure who to pick: Why not take a flyer on the former Pac-12 programs in the field, especially on the women’s side?
Alexander: For UCLA’s Mick Cronin, 500 is just another number

Feb 23, 2025 | dailybreeze.com | Jim Alexander

LOS ANGELES – Mick Cronin, at 53, is now the youngest college basketball coach to reach 500 victories. In his mind, that and five bucks might get you a tall latte if you drink the stuff. His coaching legacy means little to him.
Alexander: The No. 1 UCLA women keep rolling, but the standards are high

Feb 2, 2025 | sgvtribune.com | Jim Alexander

LOS ANGELES – The standards do not change, even as UCLA’s women’s basketball Bruins continue to stack victories and remain the hunted. They will be No. 1 in the AP poll for the 10th straight week – a record for a Big Ten team – after Sunday’s 79-53 conference victory over Minnesota, a tight game that turned into a rout thanks to a 20-6 Bruins run inside the final 7:06. But no, the bar hasn’t been raised. It was always high.
Alexander: Result was lopsided, but Lakers-Celtics rivalry goes well beyond one game

Jan 24, 2025 | dailybreeze.com | Jim Alexander

LOS ANGELES — Never let anyone tell you that the Lakers-Celtics rivalry doesn’t still run white hot. Exhibit A: Some 2½ hours before game time Thursday night, two buses carrying Boston players, coaches and support personnel turned into the L.A. Convention Center complex, headed for the tunnel leading to the arena. On the street, a small but vocal number of Laker fans were waiting. As the buses approached, they started booing.