Research shows female athletes are up to eight times more likely than their male counterparts to experience an ACL tear. These injuries often require surgery and a 9-12- month recovery period. For any kind of athlete, that kind of setback can be physically and emotionally devastating. The good news is that with proper training, awareness and early intervention, many of these injuries can be prevented or treated effectively to avoid long-term damage.

The ACL is one of four primary ligaments in the knee. It helps keep the knee stable and protects the meniscus and cartilage when an athlete changes direction, pivots or lands from a jump.

Why are young female athletes more likely to tear this ligament? Several factors are involved. 

Anatomically, females tend to have a more “knock-kneed” alignment, which puts greater stress on the ACL, especially during awkward landings or sudden direction changes. On average, females also have less muscle mass around the knee compared to males, which means they have less natural support for the joint. 

Hormones, including estrogen and progesterone, may also affect ligament looseness and stability. In adolescent females, hormonal fluctuations during or after puberty may further increase the risk of injury. Research from Cedars-Sinai and other institutions suggests that certain phases of the menstrual cycle, when estrogen levels are high, may be linked to a higher likelihood of ACL injuries.

Sports that require cutting, pivoting and jumping are the most common culprits in knee injuries. These movements can put sudden, intense strain on the ligament, particularly in athletes who haven’t learned proper landing mechanics.

Some ACL injuries are dramatic—athletes may hear a pop, experience immediate swelling and feel their knee give out. Other injuries are more subtle, especially when the tear is the result of a non-contact incident. In those cases, the most telling symptom is a persistent sense of instability, particularly when trying to cut or pivot.

Diagnosis involves a clinical exam and is confirmed with imaging, usually an MRI. In most young, active patients, surgery to reconstruct the ligament is the best option. We typically use a tendon graft from the same leg to replace the torn ACL. While walking and basic activities often feel normal within a few weeks, returning to sport takes much longer—as much as a year for the graft to integrate and strengthen.

Prevention, however, is where we can make the biggest impact. ACL prevention programs—incorporating strength training, neuromuscular control drills and jump-landing instruction—are essential. These can be as simple as bodyweight squats, hamstring-strengthening movements and plyometric drills that teach athletes to land with knees aligned and under control. When done consistently, often as part of a warmup, these programs significantly reduce injury rates.

For athletes returning from ACL surgery, my advice is always the same: be patient. The knee may feel strong after a few months, but the biology takes time. Returning too soon risks reinjury, which can be heartbreaking after months of rehab. 

Once an athlete has torn one ACL, their risk of tearing the other is about four times higher. Not only does the athlete carry the same anatomic risk factors in the healthy knee, the individual also is likely to overcompensate. Imbalances in knee strength and the nervous system effectively make the healthy knee perform overtime, increasing the risk for injury.

All of this is why prevention training is not just a pre-injury strategy—it’s a lifelong habit for any athlete who wants to stay healthy and competitive. And even if reinjury does occur, it’s not the end of a sports career. With proper treatment, revision surgery and dedicated rehabilitation, many athletes successfully return to their sport stronger than ever.  

Michael Banffy, M.D., is chief of Sports Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics, specializing in joint preservation, cartilage restoration and advanced hip, shoulder and knee arthroscopy. He serves as a team physician for the Los Angeles Rams, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Loyola Marymount University Athletics.

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The program will convert four tennis courts to 16 permanent pickleball courts to accommodate the growing interest in the sport over the past few years. Specifically, tennis courts 7, 8 and 12 at La Cienega Park and court 1 at Roxbury Park Tennis Facility would be converted to pickleball courts. Staff received direction from the Recreation and Parks Council Liaison at its Feb. 27 meeting to conduct an additional sound study to consider other court configurations, secure official court measurements and finalize the proposed rules and regulations. The recommendation also calls for implementing new reservation software and adding staffing to support expanded hours. 

The Pickleball Pilot Program was initially launched in 2020 by the Recreation and Parks Commission to gauge public interest in the sport from the Beverly Hills community. Two tennis courts at the La Cienega Tennis Center and one at Roxbury Park Tennis Facility were converted into pickleball courts using temporary overlay lines and portable nets. However, the program was put to a halt due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and resumed in 2021 when facilities reopened to the public. 

By 2022, the city began receiving noise complaints from neighbors near La Cienega Park, which prompted the Recreation and Park Commission to move pickleball from courts 13 and 14 to courts 1 and 8. In response to the noise complaints, city staff commissioned professional studies, which found that noise levels on some courts exceeded Los Angeles County standards, while others remained within acceptable limits. 

Despite challenges over the sound, and the delay in program roll-out during the COVID-19 pandemic, the program demonstrated strong growth and community support. However, some public feedback remained mixed, with approximately equal numbers supporting and opposing the program at community meetings—reflecting the tension between pickleball enthusiasts and tennis players concerned about court availability.

At the Aug. 5 Study Session, residents echoed similar concerns and sentiments from past meetings.  

During public comment, several pickleball players voiced their enthusiasm for the sport and encouraged the council to finalize the Pickleball Pilot Program. However, some tennis players believed there were too many tennis courts being converted for pickleball and would attract players from outside Beverly Hills.

Jessica Smash, president of the Los Angeles Tennis Group, recognized the benefits of pickleball, but spoke on behalf of the tennis players who “don’t want to lose any more tennis courts.” 

In a letter sent to the council prior to the meeting, Daniel Fink, a Beverly Hills resident and physician, cited recent published research on the adverse health effects of pickleball noise on nearby residents. He argued that just as Beverly Hills pioneered smoking restrictions, it should protect residents from “unwanted noise exposure.”

During council discussion, Councilmember Mary Wells said she supports the staff recommendations, but suggested that the council revisit its noise ordinance for residential areas because of the rise in popularity of pickleball. Councilmember Craig Corman similarly agreed with the staff recommendatwions but inquired about the possibility of putting a sound blanket on a given fence to combat the noise issues. 

Later that evening, at its Regular Meeting and Parking Authority Meeting, City Council voted to approve a contract with Trueline Construction & Surfacing, Inc. for the tennis courts resurfacing project, which includes the conversion of the four tennis courts into 16 pickleball courts at Roxbury Park Tennis Facility and La Cienega Tennis Center.  

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“Women know we can do it. We’ve been shouting from the rooftops that we’re able. I’m tired of firsts … Who’s the best person for the job?”

The next morning Candace was awakened by the local and national news organizations camped out in her family’s front yard. Rolling out of bed, Candace, with her parents by her side, greeted the enthralled media. Everyone wanted to know about this burgeoning basketball phenom.  

To their surprise, she was not motivated by being the first high school girl in history to dunk. 

“It was more because my brothers dunked at 16. I wanted to dunk before they did.” 

Nor did she want to be the player known only for dunking. What mattered to Candace was everything about basketball.  

“My talent always lied in my ability to be versatile. I could bring the ball up the court, pass, shoot, rebound and run the floor like a guard. The dunking, I was resistant because when I dunked everybody just wanted me to dunk. I never wanted to just stay in that lane.” 

Candace had the maturity to recognize that being caught up in the moment could derail her career. At the same time, she had the foresight to understand the depth and breadth of her limitless potential. It’s what propelled her into becoming one of the most celebrated and influential athletes of this generation. 

With two Olympic gold medals, two NCAA championships as MVP and three WNBA titles, no feat has been unattainable for Candace. In 2008 Candace was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft and joined the Los Angeles Sparks. She succeeded in her first year, again making history, as the first and only player to earn WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year. She did this while pregnant. In 2016, she led the L.A. Sparks to their WNBA championship title, again in 2021 with her hometown’s team the Chicago Sky, and one more time in 2023 with the Las Vegas Aces. 

Off the court, Candace, aka Ace (from the last three letters of her name), has similarly dreamed big. She’s established herself as a media entrepreneur, as the first-ever on-air female analyst for both the NBA and NCAA on Turner Sports, as well as the spokesperson and ambassador for companies such as Adidas (President of Adidas Women’s Basketball), NBA2K, CarMax, Gatorade, Muscle Milk, Invesco QQQ and Dick’s Sporting Goods. With her authentic voice, Candace is an activist fighting for equality in sports and business. She is the subject of a full-length ESPN documentary entitled “Unapologetic,” and the founder of a production company, Baby Hair Productions. As a globally recognized public speaker, her TED Talk was ranked the sixth most popular in 2021. She is also an investor in several women’s professional sports teams.  

Earlier this year, with all of her momentum, Candace decided to pivot, not on the court, but in life. In an Instagram post to her 1.1 million followers, she said, “It’s time … I’M A BUSINESS man, not a businessman. This is the beginning … I’m attacking business, private equity, ownership, broadcasting, production, boardrooms … with the same intensity and focus I did basketball. My mission in life, like Pat Summitt [her legendary coach] always said, is to ‘chase people and passions and you will never fail.’ Being a wife and mom still remains priority #1.” 

As this is the year of the woman in leadership, I was given the rare opportunity to sit down with Candace, the GOAT, as she is often called by Shaquille O’Neal and other NBA superstars, to talk about her sports journey’s lessons, the importance of family, and her future aspirations in pushing the boundaries for women.   

Ever since Candace can remember, basketball has been an essential part of her life. 

“My basketball was in my crib.” 

Born April 19, 1986, in St. Louis, Missouri, Candace Nicole measured 2 feet long. Her proud parents, Sara and Larry Parker, happily brought her home to meet her brothers, 11-year-old Anthony and 8-year-old Marcus.  Soon after, the family of five moved to Naperville, Illinois where Candace was raised. Today, after a successful 10-year career playing in the NBA, Anthony is the general manager of the Orlando Magic.  Marcus also resides in Florida and practices medicine as a radiologist. Candace proudly suggests her “super intelligent, super intuitive” brothers helped shape who she is, thanks in part to the family’s stimulating dinner conversations. Her admiration for her brothers and their impact on her life remains steadfast.   

“My mom always tells the story that I walked at 8 months and was running at 9. I was always in the mix with my older brothers and whatever they did, I was trying to be there.”

Larry met Sara at the University of Iowa. He played basketball for the Hawkeyes; Sara was a cheerleader. Larry was Candace’s first basketball coach; Sara organized the team’s practices and tournaments. Yet, they raised their children without gender roles. 

“We didn’t have the, ‘You’re a boy, you cut the grass.’ I cut the grass. My brother cooked. I took out the garbage. We vacuumed. There weren’t certain gender roles.  My parents said, ‘If you can do it and you work for it, why can’t you accomplish it?’” 

That philosophy was embedded in Candace’s psyche, until her first crash course in winning. It was junior year of high school, her team went 34-0, and they won the state championship.   

“I remember thinking the game is becoming easy. I was kind of doing what I wanted on the court … taking the game for granted a little bit. And I tore my ACL.” 

It was her wake-up call. 

“They say absence makes the heart grow fonder … I became fueled by the ‘can’t.’ ‘Oh, you don’t think I can come back from this and be the player that I was?’ I’m going to come back and be better.”

She learned to commit to the process with laser focus, a foundational strategy for her life.   

“It was the commitment to not be physically out there doing jump shots, but bettering my jump shot by doing leg lifts and making sure that I’m rehabbing … and getting up early and studying and not letting school slip away.” 

With a multitude of knee, shoulder and foot surgeries, Candace equates the emotional rollercoaster injury ride to life itself.  She believes you need to have balance.  

“I was miserable when we lost. I would wake up, and I wouldn’t want to open the shades because we lost. I wouldn’t want to get out of bed because we lost. I’ve had to learn that you do what you can. You live in your purpose, and then you relinquish the results in whatever you’re doing. So even in my marriage, I’m divorced and remarried again. Even in being a mother, there’s so many times where you’re up late at night hoping that you’re doing the right thing, and you do what you feel is best and relinquish the results.”

“I wanted to be a mom so badly. I always envisioned it when I was a kid. I damn near played house until I was 13 years old.”

Despite the projected year sabbatical caused by the injury, Candace returned to the court her senior year of high school after five months of rehabilitation and went on to win back-to-back championships. She became the first female to win the McDonald’s slam dunk contest at the All-American Game, beating out two future NBA players, and was named the Gatorade Girl’s High School Player of the Year in 2003-2004, which earned her a trip to Los Angeles, her very first. 

At 17 years old, she was fixated on seeing Beverly Hills. “That’s all you heard about … 90210.”  Today, the city is a regular stop for her. You might pass Candace, listening to Adele or Jay-Z, as she cruises Mulholland Drive on the way to Beverly Hills for a business meeting or a fun dining experience at Wally’s, Honor Bar or Crustacean.

Back then, Candace was one of the most sought-after basketball recruits in the nation. She committed to the University of Tennessee, playing for the Lady Vols (Volunteers) under Pat Summitt, one of the greatest women’s basketball coaches of all time. 

Brimming with anticipation, her freshman year at Tennessee quickly turned to disappointment.  Her doctors discovered a hole in her injured knee, which meant another operation. While sitting out the entire year, her sadness swelled with the news of her parents’ divorce. It was Coach Summitt’s leadership style and assurance of Candace’s return that helped her through. She came back the following 2005-2006 season with a vengeance, delivering the first dunk in a NCAA tournament game, which she performed twice. The following year, in addition to dating a rising basketball star at Duke University, Sheldon Williams, Candace led the Lady Vols to win the NCAA championship, ending the current drought that had plagued Tennessee. As the now 6’4” college basketball sensation, Candace graced the cover of Sports Illustrated after clinching the 2007 championship. By her senior year, Candace had solidified a second NCAA championship, the hopes of a professional career and the possibility of a U.S. Olympic Team position. 

In 2008, Candace struck gold. As the WNBA’s biggest ticket, McDonald’s, Adidas and Gatorade all vied for her ambassadorship. Poised to make history in Los Angeles with the Sparks, she married Sheldon and received the honored invitation to represent the United States in the Beijing Olympic Games. It was not surprising that, with all of her momentum, she won her first gold medal. 

While standing on the gold-medal platform, watching the raising of the American flag and listening to the United States national anthem, Candace was exploding with joy in her heart, thanks to the new life growing inside her. 

Nine months later, “Out popped joy!” says Candace about her newborn daughter, Lailaa. 

“I wanted a daughter, and I wanted to be a mom so badly. I always envisioned it when I was a kid. I damn near played house until I was 13 years old. I was the youngest sister who always wanted a younger sister. I begged my parents, and they said, ‘No, you are the younger sister.’ In college, I was babysitting on Friday nights instead of going to parties. And then when I hit reality, it was like, ‘Well, you can’t do that and have a career.’  But I watched one of the greatest leaders do it.” 

Pat Summitt had a family during her career. 

“She [Pat] wasn’t playing; she was coaching, which I think is a little bit more intensive, honestly. And so, when I was about to have my daughter, I was like, I can do this. I know I can do this, and I’m not going to sacrifice one for the other.”

Within 51 days of giving birth, Candace was back on the court playing at full strength. During halftime, in the locker room that first year on the Sparks, Candace would breastfeed Lailaa while Coach Michael Cooper would give the team direction.  Candace made history again at the end of the season when she became the first woman awarded Rookie of the Year and MVP, even though the Sparks did not make it to the finals.  

Through it all, Lailaa breastfed for almost 15 months. 

“She wouldn’t take a bottle. She never had formula. And that’s not to say that’s the best for everybody else. But I put my mind to not sacrificing motherhood for my career, and not sacrificing my career for motherhood.”

Despite the WNBA’s establishment 12 years earlier, the disparity between Candace and her male counterparts in the NBA was blatantly obvious. NBA salaries for their superstars were in the multiple millions. Candace had to play in Russia, in the offseason, to make ends meet. 

“It was a great experience, don’t get me wrong. We had charter flights, we had chefs, we had drivers. I stayed in a fabulous apartment. My daughter went everywhere with me. I made a great contract where I could take care of my family … take care of my mom. I could do the things that I wanted to do … But I wish I could have done that here.”

When asked about her former Sparks teammate, Brittney Griner, whose arrest and detention in Russia made international headlines, Candace reveals it hit home on two levels.

“It’s like the part of the place that you thought was a certain way, and you were treated in that way, and then you see the different side of it. It’s scary. It really is.”

On a deeper level, Candace shares it’s personal. 

“My wife is Russian.”

With compassion, Candace explains, “It’s the war, and that means that you don’t know when things are going to get back to normal, or be OK, or be safe. I’ve always been super supportive of her and her feelings because I don’t care what type of home you come from, you defend your home, that’s where you’re from. That’s where her heart is.” 

Anna (her government name) or Anya Petrakova was born in Budapest, Hungary and raised in Russia.  Like Candace, she was introduced to basketball by her father, Viktor Petrakov, who played pro basketball in Russia and was a member of the Soviet Union’s National Basketball Team. After a successful college career in America at the University of Louisiana, Anna went pro in Russia, playing for several teams.  And like Candace, she received the invitation to represent her country at the London Olympics as a member of Russia’s Women’s National Basketball Team in 2012. Honored with the 2015 Player of the Year Award in the Russian Premier League, she is considered one of the most successful players in Russia.  

In 2012, Candace was introduced to Anna, the UMMC Ekaterinburg team’s new power forward. A teammate friendship began. Both women were in committed relationships.  By now, Lailaa was 3 years old, almost bilingual, in English and Russian, and more than ever, the center of Candace’s universe.

“This kid was on 12- to 14-hour flights from two years old. She would get on and say, ‘Is this a lay down flight?’ She knew that was overseas. If it’s just juice, it’s probably two hours. She’s just been here on earth before, I mean, I have it tattooed right here.”

Candace points to the tattoo on her forearm and reads it.

“My reason, Lailaa Nicole.”

Mother and daughter share the same middle name. 

“I’m so grateful that I had a kid that allowed me to do both [career and motherhood] and has been a part of this journey. And Lailaa is super special. I still believe she was sent here for me.”

Eventually, the wear and tear of a long-distance marriage for Candace and Sheldon became evident. While she was overseas for half of the year with her daughter and her mother, Sheldon was jumping between NBA teams. The stress of two professional careers spanning the globe was too much. Their marriage failed in 2016, one of the many challenges Candace faced while in the public eye and performing at top level on the court.  

As the sad reality of her impending divorce loomed, other negative news landed. Candace was passed over for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team, despite still leading in the WNBA. Worse yet, Pat Summitt, Candace’s lifelong coach, mentor and friend was losing her battle to early-onset dementia in the form of Alzheimer’s.  

But Candace rebounded, a true sign of a champion.  By powering forward, she led the L.A. Sparks to their first championship in eight years. When asked her secret for working through the ups and downs of life, both on and off the court, she recounted one of Coach Summitt’s life lessons.  

“Pat was who she was, when she was winning eight championships and when she lost 194 times, or however many losses she had. I think it’s just being that same steady person and never getting too high or too low. That’s what I respect. It’s committing to the process.” 

Live from the basketball court, seconds after Candace’s championship win in 2016, with her highest rebounds of the season, ESPN announcer Holly Rowe asked Candace, “What does this moment mean to you?” Fighting back her tears, Candace responded, “This is for Pat.”

Over time, and as a surprise to both Candace and Anna, their friendship evolved into love.  In 2019, while on a birthday trip to Mexico with Anna, Lailaa, family and friends, Candace presented a birthday cake to Anna with the words, “Will you marry us?” Two years later, they publicly revealed they had been married, along with the news that they were expecting their first child together.

Going public about her marriage to Anna was challenging for Candace. 

“People come to be who they are on their own time. And sometimes it takes people longer. It took us a long time because the life that we had envisioned for me, for her, wasn’t what the reality was. We were a happy family within these walls. And when we walked out, we were something that we weren’t. We were acting like we weren’t together when we were. I introduced her as Anna. But who is this person? Is she a friend?… And so, I just encourage people to work to be true to who they are in whatever setting they’re at. I think when you start trying to play too many roles, and be too many things to too many different people, you lose yourself.”

Especially as a parent, Candace felt she had to lead with truth and conviction.

“I can’t tell my daughter to be proud of being tall and do what you want, and follow your heart when I am not doing it myself. I want my daughter to know me as somebody that even if it’s a whisper, or even if it’s taking a big gulp before I say it, I’m going to be the one who says it. Even if it’s not popular, even if it’s looked down upon.”

Today Lailaa is big sister to brothers Airr Larry, 2 ½ years old, and 6-month-old Hartt Summitt, named after Candace’s father and Pat Summitt. 

“People ask me what age I like. I like whatever age they’re at. I feel like every year they just get better.” 

Suddenly, she calls to Airr in a higher-pitched, happy voice, having spotted him in the hallway of their home, shooting a shot into his Little Tikes basketball hoop.

“Hi Goose [Airr’s nickname]!  Did you have a good day at school? You’re going to take a nap?”

Candace shares, “He gets up and gets buckets before breakfast a lot of times, from his crib. I’ll give him the ball. When he shoots into the hoop, he always says, ‘Kobe!’ It’s really cute.” “Kobe” originated from reading Kobe Bryant’s book together. They also enjoy reading about “the GOAT,” Michael Jordan, Candace’s hometown hero.   

Airr responds sweetly with one word, “Basketball.” Candace repeats encouragingly, “Basketball, you’re right,” as the nanny brings Airr to Candace. 

“Give me kiss, give me kiss.” Airr leans in to kiss his mom. “I love you,” says Candace.

As the nanny carries him away, Candace admits, “I might say that I have, from a very young age, shown him basketball and how to shoot. We have basketball hoops all around our house, and every time we walk past them, he has to do his little shot.”

Does Candace plan on being a “boy mom” coach, mirroring Kobe’s “girl dad” status? 

“A hundred percent, yes!” 

With her blended and growing family, Candace is not guided by a particular religious denomination, but rather by her strong belief in one’s intention and purpose. 

“I wholeheartedly believe that we know when something is wrong or something is right … [It’s important] to hold yourself accountable and be disciplined, to do what you say you’re going to do.” 

She adds, “Kids will humble you … [They] don’t care who you are, how many MVP awards you get. You’re Mom.”

Often asked, Candace will not commit to her all-time favorite winning moment as she compares the question to choosing her favorite child. But when I requested her to name “three” favorite winning moments in honor of her three children, she happily responded.  

“Winning the first WNBA championship.”

“My Olympic gold medal in London because I got to share it with my daughter.”

“My high school first championship. Committing to the process and being rewarded for it.”

Driven by passion and purpose off the court, Candace has worked to break down barriers. Believing that sports can change lives, she has made inroads as an advocate for equality for women on a professional level as well as for youth.  

“I think sports is bigger than just sports. Sports is life. You’re teaching life lessons to young kids.”

As an ambassador for national brands, her speaking engagements and influential power continue to produce successful partnerships that provide for youth organizations.  As an example of her efforts, Gatorade and the Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation Sports Matters Program partnered with Candace and donated $100,000 to continue advancing youth sports equality. 

As a role model, her ability to communicate her expertise and insightful perspectives has pushed the boundaries for women in broadcasting. In 2018, Candace broke into the male-dominated world as the only female analyst for the Men’s March Madness Tournament. Acing her analysis in that first year, she was offered a multipronged broadcasting role for Turner Sports, which included regular analysis and commentary for the NBA on TNT and NBA TV, along with the NCAA tournaments.  She continues in this role today with Turner Sports for the 2024-2025 NBA season. 

To illustrate her impact on the world of men’s and women’s basketball, when David Stern, Commissioner of the NBA and founder of the WNBA, suddenly passed away on Jan. 1, 2020, the NBA network went to Candace for her comments. As a female basketball legend and a savvy broadcaster, she reflected on his contribution and “his foresight to see that women’s basketball could grow.” She continued, “The WNBA is the longest-standing women’s professional sports league in the history of the United States. We are so grateful for what he’s done, as we continue to try to follow the blueprint of what the NBA has done to grow the game.”

As a producer, for her first Baby Hair Productions project in 2022, Candace chose to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the landmark federal civil rights law that changed sports in America. But now, Title IX is in question in certain states as gender identity and transgender issues have surfaced. Candace infuses her “I can” motto into making sure Title IX is inclusive for everyone. 

“If you say you can’t, then you have to find a way that you can. Great understanding without completely agreeing is something that I wish our country got to a place of. And I think sports has always been a great unifier and has always united us in tragedy. There has to be a way for everyone to be able to compete.” 

She cites the New York Yankees playing in the wake of 9/11 and Kobe’s tragic death. Yet she’s frustrated by the blame game interfering with Title IX’s blanket acceptance today.  

“In America, it’s always women’s problems, and it’s not just a women’s problem. Why do women have to make the policies and figure out all of this stuff? And then we get blamed for it if it doesn’t work. I love the responsibility, but can we do this with everyone? Title IX was meant for equality in the very essence of the law. Somehow it gets lost in wrestling. Somehow it gets lost in male gymnastics. It’s always on the women’s sports. There are others that are benefiting from inequalities of Title IX, and we all have the responsibility to figure it out.”

Candace’s fight for equality in the corporate structure is just as important to her. As an outgrowth of her ambassadorship, combined with her leadership style, Candace has accepted the new role as President of Adidas Women’s Basketball. Her brand loyalty began when she was 15 years old, and Adidas supplied her team with products. 

“We grew together. We’ve been through injuries, pregnancy, I mean, we talk about CEOs changing. I’ve been through leadership change … There’s an allegiance that you grow up with in a brand, and I think it’s established at a young age. And so, I think for me as president, I want to impact youth and grassroots, and then we’ll find our signature athlete … who believes in the brand like I do.”

Today, Candace is an investor in the female professional sports teams Angel City Football Club and League One Volleyball LOVB, as well as an Athletic Ambassador for the Avenue Capital Group, Marc Lasry’s sports fund. Melding corporate management with sports franchise management and ownership is a huge goal of Candace’s. She aspires to own an NBA or WNBA team one day.

“Why not?” Candace fires back.

“Women know we can do it. It’s never been a question. We’ve been shouting from the rooftops that we’re able. I’m tired of firsts. The first female president of hockey, the first female president of NHL, NBA, NFL teams. Come on, man, this is 2024. We’ve got to get over this. Who’s the best person for the job? I think men are figuring it out, and I don’t think it’s telling women that we can do it. I think it is men realizing that diversity of thought is better.”

During a controversial broadcast on Turner Sports when Shaquille O’Neal strongly suggested that the WNBA lower the rim for better dunking statistics, Candace shut him down by not giving the question attention.  

“Sometimes people are fortunate to continue to not know what they don’t know. You sometimes don’t know the perspective. You don’t know the story. You don’t know what’s behind it. You don’t know the years and years and years of fight. And some people are fortunate to not ever have to experience that. I don’t think he was saying it to be disrespectful.”

After 13 years in Los Angeles leading the Sparks, Candace decided to go back to her hometown and play for the Chicago Sky. In her first year with the team, her leadership and expertise helped the team win its first-ever championship in 2021. 

But living far from her family in Los Angeles was hard for Candace. The following year, she accepted the offer to join the Las Vegas Aces, miles closer to home. Armed with her drive and positive energy, after one season, Candace led the Aces to their first title in 2023. Once again, Candace made history and remains the only player to win the WNBA championship with three different franchises.  

Unfortunately for Candace, the second half of her final championship season was spent on the bench due to another injury. She announced her retirement on social media earlier this year in April after 16 years of playing professional basketball. 

“I promised I’d never cheat the game and that I’d leave it in a better place than I came into it. The competitor in me always wants one more, but it’s time. My heart and my body knew, but I needed to give my mind time to accept it. … My last game, I walked off the court with my daughter. I ended the journey just as I started it, with her.”

At the end of our interview, while reflecting upon David Stern and his need to form the WNBA, Candace reveals her desire to move forward with a bigger purpose. 

“A lot of people celebrate when things come to fruition and everything happens. But you also have to think about the steps that it took and the no’s and the nays and the disbelief. He [Stern] was someone who truly bought in and stuck with it, and stuck through it when things weren’t right. Sometimes it’s going against the grain, and sometimes it means not being liked. And sometimes it means people not believing in what you say, but still continuing to go forward with it because there’s a bigger purpose. That’s what I want to do within women’s sports. I think slowly but surely, we’re a different game. And it doesn’t mean that we have to have the same path as men’s basketball. We have a blueprint, but we can change the plans a little bit.”

Thoughtful, authentic and inspirational, Candace commits to the process.    

“That’s what I’m going to do with women’s basketball. I’m going to continue to be a visionary of what’s next and what lies ahead. How can we make a bigger jump? How can we make a bigger push?” 

The post Candace Parker: Powering Forward appeared first on Beverly Hills Courier.

The BHHS Normans beat Vasquez High School after scoring two major touchdowns— a huge win for a team that has had a few rough seasons, as Athletic Director Tim Ellis explained to the Courier. “A couple years ago we were losing games— it was 55 to nothing in the middle of the second quarter— and so we needed to find schools of the same caliber that were also struggling,” he said. But that all turned around at the last game.

To secure the victory against the Vasquez Mustangs, freshman Rocco Taylor scored a touchdown after a 55-yard punt return. He later scored a touchdown after a 90-yard kickoff return that put them in the lead at 26 points and although they missed the extra point, they beat the Mustangs in their first game of the season.

Ellis credits a large part of this win to the new head coach’s leadership and his ability to earn the team’s trust so early on. Muhammad joins BHHS after spending 13 years at Windward High School in West Covina. When their football program was shut down, he knew he wasn’t ready to quit, so he decided to return home to Beverly Hills where his son attends Beverly Vista Middle School. As a coach and a father, Muhammad knows the importance of leaving a positive impact on his team. “When I look for a coach, I look for somebody who’s good for kids,” said Ellis. “When the kid goes home at night and they’re talking at the dinner table about what happened during the day, I want that talk to be positive [about] the coaches that are in front of our kids.”

Aside from his many years of experience, Muhammad also brings with him his whole team of coaches. This was a blessing for BHHS, as Ellis explained, because it has been difficult to secure a long-term football staff in the seven years since he became the athletic director. Last year, the head coach stepped down at the last minute, leaving Ellis to take his place and essentially work two jobs at the same time. But he believes that this new team of coaches is here to stay.

As BHHS rebuilds its football program, Ellis was happy to confirm that there are nearly 40 students on this year’s roster, with 17 freshmen. He looks forward to a new beginning with Muhammad and to watching him establish the new program in the coming months.

“I believe in what the football program can do for a school,” said Ellis. “Just the whole ‘Friday Night Lights’ thing and the fact that by having a solid football program, it sets a tone for the year for the school, in terms of spirit and all the things that go with it on the high school campus. And I think he’s the guy.”

The post BHHS Football Wins First Game of Season with New Coach appeared first on Beverly Hills Courier.

A recent study by Statista charted the dawn of the digital fitness age. According to its findings, in 2019, there were 8.5 million fitness mobile apps downloaded. In 2020, the number swelled to 16.8 million (we all know why). In the intervening years, downloads have held steady at around 16 million. According to a recent forecast by Allied Market Research, the global fitness app market was valued at $13.78 billion in 2020. It’s projected to reach $120.37 billion by 2030.

The figures for 2024 so far reflect the rise of a recent fitness trend—the hybrid workout model, a personalized mix of an old school, in-person gym experience, and a new school, high-tech, at-home one for the ultimate flexibility.

Leading the market is a group of trainers whose two-way livestreams, social media posts and on-demand videos have catapulted them to celebrity status. Collectively, millions around the world log on to their virtual classes.

Lucky for Beverly Hills, their home base is your backyard. So, not only can you livestream with your favorite workout instructor, but you also have the option of catching a class in real life with them.

Here are some of the top “fit-fluencers” and “fit-trepreneurs” who are ready to sweat with you—either virtually or in person. Whether you’re looking for tried and true workouts like yoga and classical Pilates or you’re ready to try something new like low-impact resistance training, dance cardio or high-intensity boxing, you might just find your next workout obsession.

DANI COLEMAN

Pvolve

From its launch in 2017, Pvolve was set up by its founder, Rachel Katzman, as an omnichannel brand with on-demand and live virtual workouts, brick-and-mortar studios and dedicated social media content across all platforms. It was well received from the start, but membership skyrocketed during the pandemic when tens of thousands discovered Pvolve (which stands for “personal evolution”) and former professional dancer, Dani Coleman.

Coleman joined the fitness company as head trainer in 2020. A few months later, when gyms and studios were forced to close, her job mainly consisted of filming on-demand videos and teaching live virtual classes. Coleman quickly became one of the fitness brand’s most popular trainers. Around the same time, Jennifer Aniston found Coleman’s Pvolve livestream workouts online, logged on to her classes anonymously, and followed along, quickly becoming obsessed. Coleman is now Aniston’s personal Pvolve trainer, and the pair work out several times a week together. As for the “Friends” star, her obsession with Pvolve led to her officially joining as a partner in the company last year.

“I was so excited to hear Jennifer Aniston was a secret streamer of our online workouts,” said Coleman. “I feel grateful Pvolve has brought us together. In working with Jen, I’ve learned she loves a challenging workout. It’s rewarding to support her in getting the results she wants and for her to see how she doesn’t have to strain or break her body to achieve them.”

For Katzman, this is what Pvolve is all about. “I think the hottest trend is longevity,” she added. “People are starting to understand what we do to our bodies today will impact us in three, five, 10-plus years, and the wear and tear we may be able to take in our early 20s will have a dramatic negative impact on us later in life. You don’t have to walk around with shoulder, neck or back pain anymore, and you shouldn’t have to sacrifice reaching your physical goals in order to feel good in your body.”

Pvolve is now a coast-to-coast fitness phenomenon. Last year, the low-impact resistance training program doubled its subscribers and had a 40% increase in studio memberships. It has a celebrity following that includes pop star Olivia Rodrigo and actress Dakota Johnson. There are four owned and operated Pvolve studios, one in Chicago, another in New York, and soon, two in Los Angeles. The sunlit, breezy flagship in West Hollywood features a state-of-the-art studio with a stunning rooftop deck for outdoor classes and private training, locker rooms and a fully stocked primping area. A second outpost is set to open this summer in Santa Monica. In addition, more than 50 Pvolve franchises are currently in the works nationwide.

Whether you take a Pvolve class in-studio, on-demand or as part of the two-way live virtual studio (where members take a live class and directly engage with trainers), the workouts are the same. The Pvolve method involves a series of controlled and precise movements using the company’s proprietary equipment, such as resistance bands of various lengths and resistance strengths and exercise balls like the signature P.ball, designed to float between your thighs to target that hard-to-tone area. Standing on a numbered mat, which acts as your compass, the trainer guides you through proper form, calling out numbers that correspond to numbers on the mat for correct foot and body placement, while you stretch and pull resistance bands or squeeze balls. Those following along at home can purchase equipment bundles (which include the mat, bands and balls) or individual equipment from the company’s website. “Adjusting to teaching virtually was interesting at first,” said Coleman. “But the numbered mat was an absolute game changer.”

A variety of workouts are offered for all formats, from low-impact for toning to a heart-rate bumping combo of cardio and form-focused strength training. There’s also a stretch class and a progressive weight training program, designed for women over 40, or anyone looking to build strength. Many of the workouts are geared toward women, such as pelvic floor strengthening exercises, and workouts for every stage of a woman’s cycle, from menstrual to pre/postnatal to menopause. Pvolve’s in-studio workouts are 45 minutes and virtual workouts range from 15 minutes to an hour, with equipment or no equipment options.

To connect with her virtual fans, Coleman uses her social media but doesn’t let it consume her life. “I understand the importance of content creation and these virtual spaces. However, I personally try not to get caught up in them and stay focused on what’s important. For me, that is making health and fitness spaces more accessible, equitable and diverse. I hope that’s represented when you see the work I am doing.”

In person, Coleman, who teaches exclusively at the West Hollywood studio, is a force of nature. She’s that cool girl you want to be friends with, the one who’s so confident and comfortable in her skin, but down-to-earth and completely approachable. It’s no wonder her classes fill up fast.

MEGAN ROUP

The Sculpt Society

Certified celebrity fitness trainer Megan Roup launched The Sculpt Society (TSS) app in 2017. Roup already had a massive social media presence and regularly posted videos of her workouts and fitness advice to her more than 500,000 followers. Realizing she had a built-in audience who craved her content, the former New Jersey Nets dancer decided to create a platform where members could access a variety of simple, upbeat and energetic at-home workouts with no equipment required. It took off. “Pandemic or no pandemic, I think the rise of digital fitness would have to happen,” said Roup.

Today, the app has hundreds of thousands of members who can stream from anywhere in the world, on any device. They can choose between dance-cardio, sculpting, yoga and meditation, and “quickie” workouts lasting 10 minutes to full 45-minute burn-a-thons.

To connect with virtual members, some halfway around the world, Roup invites them to stay on the video link for a “coffee chat” after each live workout. There’s also a private TSS Facebook Group, for subscribing members only, where they can connect with Roup and one another. “There’s conversation and connection there,” she said. “I’m just constantly talking with my community, on Instagram and direct messages [as well]. I feel really lucky in that way. I think that’s the beauty of social media; you really have a direct line to clients and members and can just listen to them and their needs and what they’re looking for; it’s really important. Those are definitely the biggest ways I connect with them. And then, of course, pop-ups around the country where I get to, you know, meet them in real life!”

In 2021, pregnant with her first baby, Roup and her husband moved across the country from New York City to West Hollywood, to be close to the fitness instructor’s family in Santa Barbara and the fitness capital of the world. While at this stage Roup has no plans to open a brick-and-mortar studio, she set up a weekly residency at Playground West Hollywood, where L.A. area locals can catch a Sculpt class with Roup every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m., if they can score a spot.

In addition, Roup is also a full-time content creator for Instagram and TikTok, requiring her to post several times a day on each platform. She spends a lot of time making videos. “These are often me just walking my community through my day pretty organically,” she said. “Then I go live and create content for the TSS app.” The videos might look like big budget productions, but Roup said, “I literally film in my kitchen. I’m the lighting director, the videographer and the editor. I set it all up myself.”

Besides the infectious energy and generous spirit she brings to her workouts, what sets Sculpt apart?

“I’m a really big believer in short workouts. They make it easier for my members to show up consistently and make working out a habit. Consistency is what makes it effective,” she said. “Time and time again, we hear from our members they feel they’ve gone on this life journey with me. And at each stage, there’s something new for them and they feel so supported through it all with us. So, I think it’s the combination of those things, making working out fun again, joyful and effective.”

MARIA LEONE

Bodyline Pilates

From a small office at the front of her Beverly Hills Bodyline studio, fitness instructor Maria Leone explained how, after two decades teaching Pilates in Beverly Hills, she unwittingly became one of the top Pilates “fit-fluencers” in Los Angeles.

“The other day, my 19-year-old daughter told me, ‘Mom, Pilates is really popular right now, all my friends are doing it!’ And to me, 19-year-olds are the barometer; if they’re doing something, it really has become a thing,” Leone said. Certainly, when pics of Harry Styles at a Pilates studio in London recently went viral on social media, the decades-old exercise received a measurable uptick.

Leone’s past and current private clients have included a mix of Olympic athletes, industry elites and celebrities (from A-list to reality show megastars). In addition to the four to five private lessons she holds, either in person at the Beverly Hills studio or via video with those who live outside the area, Leone leads two to three group classes per week. On weekends, she drives to the private homes of her exclusive clients who can afford the heftier fee, about $400-$600 per 45-minute session. Not all of them are hiding from paparazzi, though. “Some just don’t want to drive and deal with parking, and they can afford it,” Leone said.

On top of all of that, five times a week she shoots and edits short video segments for her Instagram feed, @bodylinela, which currently has over 130,000 followers and growing. Earlier this year, she added a paid subscription page for fans who want more of her content. Membership grants them access to a stripped-down version of Leone. “I don’t have to really worry about what I look like or what I have on or if [the video] is catchy. It’s very freeing in a way. And I can show other things that I don’t want to show the whole world, even stuff about my body that I don’t particularly like.” Leone recently shared a poignant video of her and her mother, who has advanced dementia, in a segment about the benefits of Pilates on Alzheimer’s patients. It’s these types of private moments Leone also reserves for her closest subscribers.

Of course, keeping up with the subscription page requires more content, about three to four additional videos to shoot, edit and post per week.

Leone, a professional dancer who’s worked with Debbie Allen and Paula Abdul, leaned on her background as a performer and educator. “I’m not going to go out there and show my body and cute outfits. I can’t do that, but I can do who I am on Instagram and just see what happens.” Turns out people were interested. A lot of people.

“There wasn’t anyone else on that platform doing my take on Pilates, which is very much about educating the people in my industry.”

In terms of Pilates, Leone has somewhat of a coveted pedigree. She studied classical Pilates under Mari Windsor, who brought Pilates into the mainstream. Her West Hollywood studio was a Who’s Who of Hollywood, and everyone from Dustin Hoffman to Miley Cyrus were her clients. Windsor was trained by Romana Kryzanowska, one of the few protégées of Joseph Pilates, the inventor of the exercise and its contraptions himself. And in the age of mashup workouts, Pilates purists from far and wide have sought out Leone, virtually and in person.

In addition to creating content for social media, Leone also shoots videos for her Bodyline Pilates YouTube channel and on-demand streaming service, which have tens of thousands of views. Most are of Leone working with people of every age, athletic ability and size, and it resonated.

“So many more people know about me now, and it’s amazing. And I’m not showing rock-solid bodies. I’m talking about moving and feeling connected and teaching people about their bodies and helping different types of bodies.”

Leone added, “But, there’s nothing like in-person training.”

Until recently, her studio offered one-on-one private Pilates lessons almost exclusively. Due to the rising demand for group workouts and the enormous popularity of ClassPass, Leone has begun to add a few group sessions to the studio’s schedule. “You need eyes on you,” she said. “It’s an energy exchange, too. It’s not just the class, it’s the place, the environment, the people, the culture; it all makes a difference.”

NOAH NEIMAN

Rumble Boxing

Fat burning, stress relieving, metabolism increasing, the benefits of boxing go on and on. It’s quickly gaining traction as one of today’s hottest workouts. And no place is hotter to hit the bag right now than Rumble, which has celebrity fans from David Beckham to Kendall Jenner KO’d.

Founded in 2017 by Noah Neiman, Rumble is now part of Xponential Fitness, one of the largest global boutique fitness brand franchise groups. Currently, there are 80 Rumble boxing gyms around the country and the world (from Australia to Tokyo), with an additional 350 set to open within the next two years.

Neiman hails from Barry’s Bootcamp, where he was a master trainer for the fitness company for several years. “While I was there, I kind of built up my own personal brand on social media,” said Neiman. “I’ve been training, boxing and doing jiu-jitsu and martial arts my whole life, and just fell in love with the calmness that it brought me. So, I wanted to bring that discipline to the world and do it in a way that had a much bigger chance of being digestible to the mass public because I grew up in the dirty, dingy boxing gyms of Pittsburgh and New York. And I love them. But I know that the average consumer isn’t going to love that.”

Neiman opened the enormously popular West Hollywood location in 2018. It remains the only corporate-owned Rumble boxing gym, as well as the company’s headquarters. As such, it’s massive, 6,600 square feet, and houses state-of-the-art amenities like infrared saunas and hyperbaric chambers. With its dim lighting and endorphin-inducing tunes thumping through the sound system, the vibe is more nightclub than dingy boxing gym. The playlists, custom hip-hop and house music mashups, are curated in-house and designed to get you pumped.

“It gives you a level of confidence that you can throw some punches and know what you’re doing, and you’re as strong and healthy as you can be. And that’s the most important thing.”

– Noah Neiman, 

Rumble Boxing Founder

Each 45-minute workout features a mix of high-intensity interval training, metabolic conditioning, weightlifting and, of course, boxing. About half of the workout is spent pounding the company’s proprietary water-filled, tear-dropped-shaped bags. “I didn’t want to open a boxing space where you just box. I knew the efficacy of a workout was tied to having some kind of strength-training program as well,” explained Neiman. “So, we don’t just box, we lift weights, from 5 pounds all the way up to 45 pounds. And similar to the Barry’s Bootcamp model, we do squats, lunges, push-ups, pull-ups, curls and shoulder presses. We work your chest, your back, your abs, your cardiovascular, and you get to punch things.”

If you’ve never thrown a fist, fear not, you’ll be instructed on the six basic punches before you begin. Advanced pugilists have several options to stay fit, from express 30-minute workouts to 60 minutes and 12 rounds of boxing and strength training.

While Rumble’s emphasis is on in-person training, the company’s app gives members priority status when booking appointments. They can also chart their progress with the in-app tracker and connect with other members. Rumble-branded boxing workout videos are also available on-demand to members through the XPlus app, owned by Rumble’s partner Xponential. There, they can find a host of prerecorded at-home, Peloton-style workouts, with live component options as well.

“This is what I really believe can help communities, which was the ultimate goal, to give people an outlet, a safe place to express their physicality and to get better at fighting,” said Neiman.  “It gives you a level of confidence that you can throw some punches and know what you’re doing, and you’re as strong and healthy as you can be. And that’s the most important thing.” 

The post The Fit-Fluencers of Beverly Hills appeared first on Beverly Hills Courier.

12. (tie) Arizona 

When head coach Jedd Fisch led the Wildcats to victory over blood rival Arizona State, it was reason to celebrate on campus. After all, the Wildcats had been drubbed in their last two meetings against the Sun Devils by a combined score of 108-22. But as the Kansas City Chiefs or any man who has been married for 10 years will tell you, it’s hard to do something two consecutive times.

Like finding $20 in an old jacket, Fisch’s 5-7 season last year was a pleasant surprise. But we’re not so sure how long that euphoria will last. Fisch is relying heavily on quarterback Jayden de Laura to lead this team out of the desert. After de Laura transferred from Washington State last season, the offense improved from 17.2 to 30.8 points per game. 

Despite the improvement from 1-11 in 2021, Zona went on a four-game spree last season where they gave up 45 points or more to Pac-12 opponents. And with nine defensive starters leaving the crime scene, there aren’t many clues as to how this defense plans to get better. 

The bottom of the Pac-12 may have more tomato cans than a Warhol painting, so there may be a few pleasant surprise wins again this year, but even Kari Lake’s math won’t get Arizona to a bowl game this season.

12. (tie) Iowa State

Like residents of London, Iowa State experienced a brief moment in the sun in 2020 and 2021. Thanks to quarterback Brock Purdy and running back Breece Hall, head coach Matt Campbell was able to resurrect the program and lead them to a few winning seasons. But with Purdy and Hall now in their second NFL seasons with the 49ers and Jets, respectively, these Cyclones aren’t likely to do much damage, scoring 14 or fewer points in seven games last year.

Campbell was betting on quarterback Hunter Dekkers to make a developmental leap and lead this team back to the winning column. But Dekkers is stepping away from the team and freshman quarterback JJ Kohl may have greatness and a lot of defensive linemen thrust upon him this season.

Campbell should definitely tip the schedule makers for putting Northern Iowa and Ohio on the calendar early this season. But once Iowa State gets into the heart of a Big 12 schedule that includes Oklahoma, Texas, Baylor and TCU, expect these Cyclones to be the ones getting blown out.

11. Purdue 

The Purdue faithful are despondent as their successful head coach Jeff Brohm heads back to his alma mater Louisville to take over that program. Many felt Brohm had taken the coaching job at Purdue as a stepping stone to bigger things… and they were right. This will be Ryan Walters’ first head coaching position after serving as defensive coordinator at Illinois the last two seasons, and he’ll need the luck of finding a roommate that shares their Netflix password to bring in the talent necessary to keep Purdue in the win column. 

First, he’ll need to replace standout quarterback Aidan O’Connell who is rolling the dice in training camp with the Las Vegas Raiders. Hudson Card, who transferred from Texas, is the likely candidate. Purdue’s best path to victory may be the returning starters on defense under Walters’ tutelage. But with games against Ohio State, and on the road against Virginia Tech and Michigan, Purdue has a schedule as unforgiving as an ex-wife. Purdue? More like Purdon’t.

10. Arizona State

After a humiliating loss to Eastern Michigan last season and some pesky recruiting violations following them around, Arizona State decided the Sun Devils needed to exorcise their head coach. So out with the old (Herm Edwards), and in with 33-year-old Kenny Dillingham. The new coach is bringing in last season’s Notre Dame quarterback Drew Pyne to open up the offense and hold down the position until five-star recruit Jaden Rashada is ready for the job.

Much like Kim Kardashian taking an algebra test, Arizona State will need all the points they can get. Their defense gave opponents offenses so much television time, the Screen Actors Guild is striking to get them a union wage. The run defense surrendered more real estate than an NBA player’s divorce agreement as opponents racked up over 188 yards per game carrying the football.

The Sun Devils may be optimistic with the energy Dillingham has brought to the program. But with UCLA, USC, Washington, Oregon and Utah on the schedule, a bowl game is nothing more than a desert mirage.

9. West Virginia

Poor West Virginia. Imagine how they must feel watching the great players in the South head to luxury destinations in the SEC, the land of milk and NIL money.

Well-respected head coach Neal Brown, who put Troy University on the map, enters his fifth season in Morgantown, and his seat is hotter than Olivia Dunne’s floor routine. Brown is hoping his quarterback Garrett Greene can unleash the same dual threat magic he used to upset Oklahoma last season. West Virginia is actually 18-4 under Brown when they rush for over 100 yards in a game, and they’ll need to do more of that as their top three receivers have seceded from the university. They’ll also have to do it without offensive coordinator Graham Harrell who left to take a similar job at Purdue. The running game will need to help Mountaineers mine the clock for time. Their defense digs holes that no coal miner could survive, giving up over 400 yards and 30 points per game last season.

Divine intervention may have helped with West Virginia’s scheduling, as they’ve drawn all four newcomers to the Big 12—Houston, Central Florida, BYU and Cincinnati. But otherwise expect the West Virginia faithful to continue losing their religion.

8. Rutgers

New Jersey may be the home of guys who like to make offers you can’t refuse. But the invitation to join the Big 10 may have been something Rutgers should have reconsidered in 2014. This season will mark a decade since the Scarlet Knights moved from the then Big East (now AAC) to their current conference, but it hasn’t exactly been a Big 10, as they’ve gone 12-58 in conference play.

Like the girls at the Bada Bing on a Saturday morning, the talent is a little light in Piscataway, making it difficult to score. The end zone has been as off limits as Area 51, as Rutgers offense has averaged just 13 points per game (128th nationally) and 254.5 yards per game (130th nationally) against FBS opponents. Greg Schiano has brought back his old offensive consigliere Kirk Ciarrocca to try and restore the family’s honor. Quarterback Gavin Wimsatt started six games last season, and much like Rutgers’ recruiting staff, he had trouble finding receivers, completing only 44.8% of his passes. It may not get better. Behind a makeshift offensive line, he’s going to take some hits that would make Tony Soprano wince.

The defense resembles a divorced dad back on the dating scene—it starts out strong but tires out quickly. They’re playing the field so much, by the second half, they’re looking to enter the witness relocation program. Eight starters are back, which might help this team cover some big spreads for the paisans. But a bowl game? Fugheddaboutit!

7. Georgia Tech

For a while, it seemed like the Yellow Jackets were buzzing with coach Paul Johnson’s triple-option offense. But in the following 3 ½ years under his replacement, Geoff Collins, Georgia Tech was a bug on the ACC’s windshield going 10-28. Brett Key stepped in mid-season last year and stabilized the hive with a 4-4 finish in 2022.

It won’t help that the team is losing a promising quarterback in Jeff Sims, who transferred to Nebraska. He may have simply kept running out the stadium door as their atrocious offensive line gave up 39 sacks last season. They were able to pick up some solid receivers in the transfer portal, including Dominick Blaylock from Georgia and Christian Leary transferring from Alabama. 

The defense had trouble stopping long runs, as the team allowed 189 yards rushing per game. That doesn’t bode well with games against Ole Miss, Clemson, Miami and Georgia on the docket. Sorry, Georgia Tech, you’ll continue to be a Ramblin’ Wreck in the ACC for a while longer.

6. Vanderbilt 

Remember when Vanderbilt won the SEC title? Neither do we, because it’s never happened. And it looks like the world’s emptiest trophy case will be lonely for another year, as the Commodores set sail this season over troubled waters. 

Head coach Clark Lea deserves some praise for his squad’s late season upsets at Kentucky and home against Florida. You’re likely to find him sleeping at the door of the transfer portal to keep opposing coaches from poaching his rocket-armed sophomore quarterback A.J.  Swann.

Vanderbilt’s defense would be the saddest thing in Nashville, if it weren’t for all of those country singers losing their wives, dogs and pickup trucks and writing songs about it. The Commodores surrendered over 460 yards and 36.0 points per game last season. With a 55-3 loss to Alabama, 55-0 drubbing from Georgia and a 56-0 volunteer trouncing from Tennessee, the Vanderbilt student body will be used to their favorite cheer, “It’s alright! It’s ok! You’re gonna work for us someday!” 

Star punter Matt Hayball’s booming kicks send opposing teams to their end of the field, where they will have to travel a little farther to score inevitable touchdowns this year. This year’s Vanderbilt team is like a 6-year-old whose parents have hidden the cereal—the bowls are out of reach.

5. Indiana

Much like the rest of the world, Indiana has struggled since the pandemic. After posting a 6-2 record in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, the Hoosiers are 6-18 overall and 2-16 in the Big Ten. 

Allen hasn’t decided who should take the reins at quarterback between Brendan Sorsby and Tayven Jackson. “We’ve got two talented quarterbacks,” Allen said “They can both throw it and run it. Who is able to do that at the highest level, protect the ball, and move the team down the field?” Good question, coach. If we knew the answer, you probably would have picked one by now.

What do you call a defense that gives up 33.9 points per game and loses its top four defensive backs? You call 911. Indiana scrolled the transfer portal faster than Pete Davidson on Bumble. Defensive end Andre Carter from Western Michigan is the most promising playmaker of the bunch. 

Stranger things have happened in Indiana, But even Eleven couldn’t save this team from a schedule that includes Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin and Maryland. Bet the farm against them before it gets foreclosed.

4. Virginia

The “Harvard of the ACC” is the slogan Virginia University made up to charge their student body double the tuition. And what do you get for all that money? Not a good football team, that’s for sure. It’s nice that Virginia is for lovers, because you’re definitely going to need something else to keep you busy on Saturday afternoons. Head coach Tony Elliott was brought in from Clemson to ignite this far-too-Cavalier offense, but like the Titanic, it still rests at the bottom of the Atlantic at 17.0 points per game. Monmouth transfer Tony Muskett will battle it out with inexperienced backup Jay Woolfolk to start at quarterback. Winner gets to unload the ball faster than their crypto portfolio behind a completely different offensive line for the second year in a row.

Thankfully, the defense may keep the other boys from scoring too often. Eight starters return for defensive coordinator John Rudzinski’s unit to stop some of the bleeding, especially with a road schedule that includes underdog games at Tennessee, Maryland, North Carolina, Miami and Louisville. If things get any worse for Virginia, they may have to secede from the ACC. 

3. Northwestern

With a 1-11 record last year, virtually everything was uncertain about Northwestern football coming into this season, except for their head coach. Pat Fitzgerald was a beloved former player and the winningest coach in Northwestern history, leading the school to 10 bowl games in 13 seasons. So, it was understandable that the college football world was shocked when Fitzgerald was fired after an investigation that revealed a variety of hazing that took place within the football team over the last several years. 

Once the popular Fitzgerald was shown the back door, the job he left vacant was about as desirable as being a North Korean travel agent. Maybe that’s why newly hired defensive coordinator David Braun was asked to assume the position with the ink on his contract still wetter than a weekend in Seattle. Braun already had a tall task in front of him as the Northwestern defense. But defense isn’t the only puzzle Braun needs to solve. The Wildcats’ offense has been on strike, scoring only 13.8 points per game, dead last for all Power Five teams.

A team that already had an uphill climb faces steeper odds as several players have thought aloud about hitting the transfer portal after Fitzgerald’s firing, which would leave the roster thinner than Donald Trump’s hair. 

2. Stanford

Stanford prides itself on being one of the elite academic schools in the country, and if you don’t believe it, without prompting, an alumnus will tell you within three seconds of meeting you! Yet with all that brainpower buzzing around campus, they still can’t seem to put together a good football team. David Shaw was the winningest coach in Stanford’s history, but like Judd Apatow making funny movies, all good things must come to an end. After going 14-28 in the last four seasons, Shaw decided to take himself out of the game, leaving the job to Sacramento State’s Troy Taylor. But with only two starters coming back on offense, Taylor will need to be more creative than George Santos’ resume to find some wins this year.

There are some bright spots for the Cardinal. E.J. Smith, aka son of Emmitt, showed early promise last year before getting injured in the second game of the season. But which quarterback is handing him the ball? There haven’t been this many guys vying for the same job since Emily Ratajkowski got divorced. They do have All-Pac-12 tight end Benjamin Yurosek returning. But like Donald Trump’s legal team, expect a lot of last-minute replacements in the starting lineup on offense.

On defense, just like Twitter, the news continues to get worse. This was a squad that finished 112th out of 115 Power Five defenses, as five conference opponents poured out a 40+ point game in their honor. New defensive coordinator Bobby April III brings NFL experience to the field, but unfortunately, he doesn’t get to bring NFL players with him. Stanford may produce some of the best doctors in the country, but it’s going to take a lot more to resuscitate this football program.

1. Colorado 

It’s Prime Time in Colorado! Hall of Fame cornerback and trash talker Deion Sanders puts on a cowboy hat and rides into Boulder on his very high horse to take over a 1-11 Buffaloes team on the brink of extinction. After being last in the nation last season in defense, giving up 44.5 points per game, Coach Prime is going to need some special accounting tricks to balance that scoreboard.

As Sanders’ first order of business, he shuffled most of the Buffaloes off the roster, advising most of the current players on the team not to let the door hit ‘em where the Good Lord split ‘em. Neon Deion seems confident that along with the bright lights he brings, the NIL money that will roll in on his arrival will allow them to spend bigger than the Mets’ payroll for replacements. 

He didn’t have to look far for a quarterback as nepo baby Shedeur Sanders takes over at quarterback after throwing for 70 touchdowns the last two seasons at Jackson State. But even Duolingo can’t tell us how those numbers will translate in the Pac-12. Sanders is already talking about winning the Pac-12, but that may be high hopes, unless that transfer portal is a time machine. With 33 incoming transfers, there will be talent in the future, but for now, Coach Sub Prime’s team will be underwater.

Dishonorable Mentions

Teams from the Power Five Conferences (listed alphabetically) that will underachieve by winning four to seven games are: Boston College, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Missouri, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Washington State. 

Danny Sheridan is one of the country’s most eminent sports analysts. He provides football odds for USA Today’s Sports Weekly and served as USA Today’s Sports Analyst for three decades. He makes frequent TV and radio appearances and is in demand as a speaker for his expertise in sports analysis. Sheridan’s preseason College & Pro Football, NBA, Baseball, March Madness and Previews are featured in national publications yearly. He is the author of several books, publishes one of the country’s most popular sports newsletters and is a private advisor to an elite roster of high-net-worth individuals. A graduate of the University of Alabama, Sheridan was inducted into the Mobile, Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2019. 

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At least 85% of NFL bettors bet favorites, and only one of 1,000 bettors win money betting on the NFL, which tells me that oddsmakers (who know this) inflate the line to attract equal betting on both teams. The two best teams in the NFL last year were Kansas City and Philadelphia (28-6 SU combined), but both combined for a 15-19 regular season spread record.

If you bet a favorite, you’re laying more points than you should, especially on the popular public teams. I expect NFL dogs to bark loud again all season long as players are not adjusting to the 18-week grind, which takes a toll on them. Last year all regular-season underdogs were 54% vs. the spread (To break even, a bettor needs to average 52.4% ATS.)

Here are some additional tips:

*Go against the Super Bowl winner the first four games of the season. They’ll be overhyped, have an inflated line and the public can’t wait to bet on them. Last year the Los Angeles Rams were 1-3 ATS and in 2021, Tom Brady’s Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Bucs was also 1-3 ATS out of the gate, combining for a two-year money-burning 2-6 spread record!

*Bet against the Super Bowl winner in its first home game, a marquis Thursday night festive occasion (for the home team) that kicks off the new season. The Commissioner is there, along with the fans and national media to acknowledge the defending Super Bowl champs. Their media-ignored opponent will play hard to avoid being embarrassed like a sacrificial lamb. The LVI Super Bowl champion LA Rams as a two-point home underdog got creamed by the Buffalo Bills 31-6.  In 2021, TOMpa Bay as a nine-point favorite, barely survived Dallas 21-19 and was lucky to win the game.

*In Division regular-season rematches, bet against the team that beats the spread the first time they meet. Double your bet if they’re a road division underdog. Philadelphia as a seven-point road favorite routed the NY Giants 48-22. In the rematch, even though the Giants rested all their starters for the following week’s playoffs, and though Philadelphia needed the win to capture the No. 1 playoff seed, it struggled as a 17-point home favorite to win 22-16!  All that glitters is not gold.

*Last year Division road underdogs and Division dogs were both 59% ATS. Both trends figure to continue in 2023. Don’t buck them even if you make half as much as Roger Goodell. 

*In 2021, six-point-or-less road underdogs were a huge money maker,  averaging 64.5% ATS. In 2022, NFL dogs of 3.5 points or more were 60% ATS.  Averaging 55% ATS is considered a very profitable year.

*Teasers:  Don’t bet them, as there’s a good reason they’re called “teasers.” They might look good, but your chances of beating them and making money aren’t. I will slightly contradict myself by pointing out that six-point two-team teasers do win if one teases a +1.5, +2 or +2.5 underdog up to +7.5, +8 or 8.5 or a 7.5, 8 or an 8.5 favorite down to 1.5, 2 or 2.5, as you capture key numbers.

*Parlays:  Also, don’t bet them, as more than one-third of a bookmaker’s profits come from them. Two-team parlays pay 2.6:1 (true odds are 3:1); three-team parlays pay 6:1 (true odds are 7:1) and four-team parlays pay 10:1 (true odds are 15:1). You have as much chance of beating parlays as Gisele announcing on her Instagram page that she and Kim Jong Un have fallen in love.

*Halftime wagering;  The bookies post a new point spread for the second half. Always bet the team at halftime that you think will beat the original game’s opening line. For example, if a 6–7-point underdog is winning at halftime, take them again, as the odds are if they cover the original spread, they’ll also beat the halftime spread.  Note many times it’s very hard at halftime to predict who will cover the original line, in which case, pass on the halftime line.

*Go against successful point spread teams from last season, as oddsmakers who underestimated them last year will adjust this year. The best teams in 2022 ATS were the New York Giants at 13-4 and the Detroit Lions at 12-4-1.

*Lastly, do NOT bet on double-digit Favorites, as they were 27-3 SU, but a miserable money-losing 11-19 ATS last year (36.6%). Houston, one of the NFL’s worst teams was a double-digit underdog 5 times last year and covered 4 of the 5 (80% ATS), with two of those covers being against the Super Bowl teams, Philadelphia and Kansas City! Houston’s only ATS double-digit loss last year was +14.5 at Miami where they lost by 15. 

Danny Sheridan is one of the country’s most eminent sports analysts. He provides football odds for USA Today’s Sports Weekly and served as USA Today’s Sports Analyst for three decades. He makes frequent TV and radio appearances and is in demand as a speaker for his expertise in sports analysis. Sheridan’s preseason College & Pro Football, NBA, Baseball, March Madness and Previews are featured in national publications yearly. He is the author of several books, publishes one of the country’s most popular sports newsletters and is a private advisor to an elite roster of high-net-worth individuals. A graduate of the University of Alabama, Sheridan was inducted into the Mobile, Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2019. 

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The winners of all this are the fans, especially those who go out to see it in person. And lo and behold, Southern California spectators will get their every-75-year chance. This year’s U.S. Open, or tournament player bloodletting, will be at the famed and exclusive Los Angeles Country Club, June 15-18. 

 It is usually the best golf in the world played every year, mostly because it is usually the most treacherous. The Masters in Georgia might be more famous because it is played at the same gorgeous Augusta National Course every year, and because it always has a genteel air about it. The U.S. Open is usually about as genteel as a sledgehammer. 

The British Open is foreign, more mysterious. There is nothing mysterious about the U.S. Open. It hits you right in the face.

Going to a U.S. Open is an opportunity for every weekend golfer who has spent hours in sand and high grass and behind trees and up to their knees in water, to watch multi-millionaire golfers, the best of the best, do the same thing. Get your tickets now. 

The U.S. Open may be the greatest spectator sport ever. It is a pressure cooker, played on a deviously designed obstacle course, for large sums of money. The winner will get more than $3 million. Just making the cut will get you a decent down payment on a house. Pressure? Try taking that putter back from 10 feet to win, with a new yacht jangling around in your brain.

Come and see it, local golf fans. Your only shot before this year was 1948 at Riviera. Ben Hogan won, and he was a man with steel nerves. They have called the course ever since “Hogan’s Alley,” and deservedly so. This year’s winner could spark a new nickname for LACC—Koepka’s Crypt? Speith’s Sanctuary? Dustin’s Domain? Rambo’s Ranch?

There are many things and people to look for if you manage to make your way out to LACC. The players are already famous and many became so because of the U.S. Open.

Some samples:

UCLA’s Corey Pavin hit the best shot of his life on the last hole in 1995.  His four-wood stopped five feet away, he knew he had won. Halfway up the fairway, he needed to stop, squat down for an instant and collect himself.

–Four years later, Payne Stewart sank his winning putt, thrust his fist forward and kicked one leg out behind him in celebration. They made a statue out of that moment.            

—Rory McElroy walked part of the last hole in 2011 with his father when his win was more a rout than just a win. He had arrived in golf and still stays near the top.

—Justin Rose hit a five-iron approach shot on the last hole in 2013 from a spot right near where Hogan had hit one to win years earlier, and watched in joy and relief as the ball settled within two-putt range and he knew he would win. Hogan heroics, from the same place with the same thing at stake, had been done with a one-iron.

—Jordan Spieth, who had won the Masters earlier in 2015, won a duel in the U.S. Open a few months later with the much older and more veteran Dustin Johnson. Spieth was one group in front of Johnson, hit his second shot on the last hole, a par five, to within two-putt range and made the birdie to take the lead on sandpaper scratchy greens at Chambers Bay, Wash. Johnson was the only remaining contender. He did the same, reaching the green in two. But when he missed his birdie putt, the golf world started celebrating Spieth as the next big thing. And for a while, he was, winning the season-ending Fed-Ex Cup in ’15 and also the British Open in 2017. But his statue will be that of a golfer, holing out from a greenside bunker to get into a playoff in the John Deere Classic and tossing his club at his caddy in joy. Spieth won the playoff. He was 19 at the time. 

—Then there is the underrated, below-the-radar Beau Hossler, who is a regular on the tour now. In 2012, at age 17, as a qualifier who would eventually go from Santa Margarita High School to the University of Texas to join Spieth, actually led the U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco for a couple of holes in the second round. His caddy for that one was a friend of his dad’s, who had been in the delivery room when Hossler was born. Webb Simpson won that year, but Hossler announced he was around to stay. And he has.

—Do not forget Phil Mickelson, the once-beloved superstar from San Diego, who was born in 1970, when some golfers still played with brassies and mashies. Mickelson has won six major titles and dozens more tour stops. He actually won the 2021 PGA tournament just days shy of his 51st birthday. The only major title he has not won is the U.S. Open, where he has been second six times. He lost one U.S. Open when, in the lead, he hit a shot on the final hole off a sponsor’s tent. Mickelson recently took the money and ran to the LIV tour, sending his popularity down the tubes. But Phil is Phil and winning at LACC would get him invited back to lots of parties.

Which brings us to the LIV, a tour sponsored by Saudi Arabia, which pays its golfers so well it might as well just give them oil wells. Mickelson is the symbol of the revolt from the long-established PGA Tour, but LIV players are not hiding in desert sand dunes. In the last 15 years, current LIV players Grahame McDowell, Martin Kaymer, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Koepka (twice) have won U.S. Opens. If a LIV player wins, especially if Koepka repeats his recent PGA title run, the beer will not taste as good in the PGA hospitality tent.

Look for the current stars, Scottie Scheffler and Jon (Rambo) Rahm, to be out in front. Or look for another improbable win like Lucas Glovers’ in 2009 at an impossible-to-play public course in New York called Bethpage State Park. Glover won his only major in a monsoon and probably never felt a drop of rain.

The U.S. Open is 5,000 storylines, and that’s after they make the cut on Friday. It is the predictable and the improbable. It is sport at its toughest and most exciting.

Buy a ticket. Walk the course. Listen and watch for the pain and anguish. Unless you are 95 and went to Riviera when you were a teenager in ‘48, you can be among the firsts in Southern California to experience the closest thing in sport to waterboarding.

It is the chance of a lifetime. And if U.S. Open site selection history is any measure, you won’t get another one in your lifetime.

Editor’s Note: Daily gallery tickets for the Championship rounds are sold out, but there are VIP tickets available for our Beverly Hills Courier supporters to purchase (and would make a great Father’s Day gift). For more information on the available tickets, please contact Alana at ahutchinson@lasec.us. 

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Beauty Tailgate at Bloomingdale’s Century City

10250 Santa Monica Blvd.

Feb. 11-12, Noon-6 p.m.

To celebrate the big game, Bloomingdale’s will host an immersive beauty tailgate experience at its Century City location this weekend with complimentary beauty touch-ups from brands like Estée Lauder, Bobbi Brown, M.A.C and Clinique, cornhole and ping-pong games with prizes, and light bites. The event is open to the public and located outside of the cosmetics department.

The Tailgate Tour Super Week

Santa Monica Third Street Promenade

Feb. 11-12, 12 to 10 p.m.

The Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, Fox Sports Radio, iHeartmedia and KTLA Channel 5 have come together to bring a tailgate experience to the Third Street Promenade this weekend. The tailgate includes live DJ’s, complimentary drinks and snacks, competitive football challenges and other activities for football fans. The event is free and open to the public. To learn more, visit TailgateTour.com.

Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest

Crypto.com Arena, 1111 S. Figueroa St.

Feb. 11-12, 8 p.m.

For its third installment, the 2022 Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest includes three nights of music, with headliners like Miley Cyrus, Green Day, Halsey, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani and Machine Gun Kelly. To buy tickets, visit https://www.superbowlmusicfest.com/. 

“The Big Game” Super Bowl Event at Tatel

453 N. Canon Drive

Feb. 11, 10:30 p.m.; Feb. 12, 9:30 p.m.

Tatel Beverly Hills, the Spanish eatery backed by Pau Gasol, Rafael Nadal, and Cristiano Rinaldo, will be hosting a two-night event this weekend to commemorate Super Bowl LVI. The events will feature famous athletes and musical acts, with special performances from Ne-Yo, Georgia Sinclair, ABRXSE and Luck. The first night will be hosted by former football player Michael Irvin, and the second night hosted by Jonathan Cheban (known as Foodgod), and former football players Dante Hall and LeSean McCoy. To RSVP, email Tatel@taraink.com. 

Shaq’s Fun House Presented by FTX

Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, 665 W. Jefferson Blvd.

Feb. 11, 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Shaquille O’Neal’s annual Super Bowl event is equal parts music festival and carnival. This year’s version will feature performances by Lil Wayne, Zedd, Diplo and DJ Diesel (Shaq’s spin master alter ego); a full carnival and FTX ferris wheel; a Wynn Nightlife VIP experience; and a Taste of Los Angeles featuring vendors Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles, Pink’s Hot Dogs, Diddy Riese, Meat District butcher crafted premium burgers, Daring Foods plant-based chicken, Papa John’s pizza and KazuNori: The Original Hand Roll Bar (for VIP guests). To purchase tickets, visit https://shaqsfunhouse.com/tickets/. 

Sports Illustrated: The Party

Century Park, 2000 Avenue of the Stars

Feb. 12, 9 p.m.

Sports Illustrated’s annual Super Bowl event is advertised as “the biggest party of Big Game weekend” with a lineup of musical guests including Kygo, Jack Harlow, DJ Irie and surprise guests. Tickets start at $750, and VIP tickets include access to the open bar for five hours. To purchase tickets, visit https://sitickets.com/event/si-the-party. 

Big Game Weekend: Saturday Night Lights Hall of Fame Party

1439 N. Ivar Avenue,

Feb. 12, 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. (21+ only)

Capture Studios and Fame Hospitality are hosting what promises to be one of the biggest pregame events this weekend at the Sunset Room Hollywood. Taking the stage will be Meek Mill, Diplo, GUNNA and more alongside a star-studded guest list. General admission tickets can be purchased at http://superbowl-la.eventbrite.com/. 

Tropical Tailgate at Freehand Los Angeles

416 W. 8th Street

Feb. 13, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

The Broken Shaker, a rooftop lounge located at the Freehand Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, is hosting a tropical tailgate on game day with a musical performance by DJ Short Shorts. Following the event, which runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Super Bowl will be screened. No RSVP is needed, but guests will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Rah Rah Rosé at the Beverly Hilton

9876 Wilshire Blvd.

Feb. 13, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

For those who are seeking an alternative to football this Sunday, the Beverly Hilton invites you to drink rosé poolside at the hotel. The Rah Rah Rosé event includes a rosé tasting along with pairings of wine and cheese. This event is open to hotel guests and the public. 

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“Hi Lisa!”  I turn to Jeanie Buss, smiling, warm and welcoming.  It’s a personal greeting, not by an assistant, but the owner herself of arguably the greatest franchise in NBA history, today valued at $4.6 billion.  She moves my attention to the nearby commanding golden door, the majestic gateway all Lakers pass through every day.  I begin to imagine the past and future “greats” on their way into the Laker
training sanctuary, as Jeanie leads me up the imposing staircase to the executive offices. 

Just outside her suite, the championship rings are displayed in a glass-encased shrine. Jeanie explains the winning story behind each uniquely designed ring. I can sense her humble pride and the fond memories they elicit. On the wall hangs a painting, by Megan Moore, depicting seven Laker superstars, commissioned by Phil Jackson for the team. Jeanie shares, “These were the guys, the core team that won 2000, 2001, 2002. It’s kind of like basketball paradise.”  

Turning the corner, past sweet Delores, a teacup Maltese in her mini daybed, Jeanie guides me into her office. I gasp at the sight of the royal Laker procession. Eleven exquisite gold Tiffany trophies are perfectly placed on the credenza, the stunning basketball facility, their backdrop beneath. Jeanie offers, “Hear the beat of the balls bouncing? (Of course, I could.) It’s the heartbeat of the center.”

The Los Angeles Lakers had won 16 titles, 10 of which under the leadership of Dr. Jerry Buss. Given the franchise’s championship culture, one may have thought success would come easily in the next era. 

But after her father’s passing, the Lakers’ winning record disappeared. Jeanie knew she had to make tough decisions to win the Lakers’ place back atop the mantle. Courageously, as President, she released her brother, head of basketball operations, and restored the Laker dynasty to its former glory, after a decade of absence.

Earning the most recent trophy, awarded in 2020, Jeanie led the Lakers to their 17th Championship, tying for the most ever won by one team in the NBA. 

Jeanie is more than an owner; she is now the driving force behind this legendary sports franchise, and she is leading in her own style. 

CEO World Magazine lists Jeanie Buss in the “top 10 most powerful women in the business of sports.” Adam Silver, the Commissioner of the NBA, calls Jeanie “NBA royalty” and tells the Courier, “She has been an influential and respected voice in our league for decades.” 

As the first female controlling owner and President to win an NBA championship, Jeanie Buss holds the sceptre as the Queen of the Court.

Jeanie Marie was born September 26, 1961, the third of four children of Dr. Jerry and JoAnn Buss. Challenged as a young girl by the heartbreaking divorce of her parents, Jeanie found sports to be a welcome pastime. As Jerry was building his lucrative real estate business while owning and running the Los Angeles Strings, he didn’t have much time for his eldest daughter. Still, he invited her, beginning at age 14, to attend many World Team Tennis meetings. In high school, Jeanie played girls basketball at Pacific Palisades High School and was the official scorekeeper for the high school boys basketball team.

Bouncing from one home to another, she entered another type of competition, the Miss USA program. Jeanie finished as a finalist in the Miss Beverly Hills Pageant and won the crown in the Miss Palisades Pageant. Upon her acceptance to USC, she decided to move full time into her father’s new home, the renowned Pickfair estate in Beverly Hills. It was 1980, the year after Dr. Buss bought the Lakers and the Great Western Forum.

Within the first months of living with her dad, Magic Johnson appeared at Jeanie’s front door to begin his career as a Laker. He was 19, and Jeanie was 17. In what was Magic’s, Jerry’s, and Jeanie’s rookie year, the Buss family won their first championship, in 1980, thanks in part to fellow teammate veteran Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. With the thrill of this first victory, the absolute desire to win was forever cemented.

Under her father’s tutelage, Jeanie grew more fascinated with sports. At age 19, Jerry offered her a job, while still in college, as General Manager of the Strings. He also introduced Jeanie to a young woman he was impressed with, Linda Zafrani. Forty years later Linda (now) Rambis is the Executive Director of the Lakers and works alongside Jeanie in every aspect of the Lakers’ organization.

After graduating with honors in business, all the while learning by her father’s side, Jeanie was appointed head of the Los Angeles Blades roller hockey team and named “Executive of the Year” by the league. Impressed with her abilities, Dr. Buss increased her role. He named her President of the Forum, while upping her responsibilities in the Laker organization including serving as the Alternate Governor on the NBA Board of Governors. In 1999, she was named Executive Vice President of Business Operations for the Lakers, and eventually, Vice President of the Lakers. At the same time David Stern, the Commissioner of the NBA, assumed Jeanie would run the Los Angeles WNBA team. But Dr. Buss corrected him and said Jeanie is going to run the Lakers one day.  

During her meteoric rise, Jeanie was always guided by what felt right to her. A large picture of Jeanie as a little girl hangs on the wall behind her desk. She says that it honors the little girl in her heart and is meant to remind her not to lose that spirit in a world that can be crushing.
“Little Jeanie inspires me to be strong, to remind me of who I am at the core.” Always having a mind of her own, she appeared in Playboy after her only marriage ended in 1995. She began to receive more press attention when she was highlighted in a Sports Illustrated article about the Buss family headlined “She’s Got Balls.” Shortly after, Phil Jackson, of the Chicago Bulls dynasty, arrived to coach the Lakers. Jeanie began dating him, which turned into an engagement. The high-profile Los Angeles relationship ended after 16 celebrated years.

Following her father’s passing in 2013, the Laker’s ownership was placed into a trust with the beneficiaries including Jeanie, her two older brothers, her younger sister, and her two half-brothers. Jeanie became team President and the representative for the Lakers on the NBA Board of Governors while continuing to oversee the business and basketball sides of the Lakers. Her brother, Jim, became Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations. 

But after three straight years of the Lakers missing playoffs, when Dr. Buss only missed the playoffs twice in 32 years, Jeanie knew she had to make changes.

“Pressure is a Privilege” says Billie Jean King, Jeanie’s dear friend. In 2017, Jeanie did not fold. Instead, she created a partnership with UCLA Health and led the building of one of the finest training facilities in the NBA. She fired her brother as head of basketball, and a nasty fight ensued in the courts and on the world stage. But Jeanie prevailed, saying she did not attain new power. She exercised the power that she had, and the judge agreed.

Jeanie asked Magic Johnson to come back to steady the ship, and the two welcomed Rob Pelinka, Kobe Bryant’s lifelong basketball manager. Together they enticed “game changer” LeBron James and reshuffled the coaching staff. Quickly it became clear the Lakers were back on their path toward greatness.

But Jeanie could not have predicted what was to come.

In 2019, less than a year after he was greatly responsible for signing LeBron James, Magic resigned, telling the press before he talked to Jeanie. Later he said, “If I talked to her first, I would have never stepped down.” Then Jeanie’s mother passed. David Stern, her close confidant and mentor, suddenly collapsed and later died. And little did she know, she was approaching one of the worst tragedies in NBA history.

One month later, Kobe was killed in a helicopter crash with his daughter, Gianna, devastating all of Laker Nation and the world. As a warrior and leader, Jeanie pushed forward, even in the face of the impending doom of the monolithic pandemic. She remained strong, focused and determined, applying the lessons learned from all the great teachers she had along the way.  

Incredibly, in the most emotionally and physically challenging year in NBA history, especially for the Lakers, Jeanie led the Lakers to win the championship title.

Her story has made history. And not just in basketball.

Jeanie is a leader who endorses female empowerment. As co-founder and investor of WOW, Women of Wrestling, Jeanie helps to provide a path for female athletes. Working toward refining leadership as a woman, and encouraging diversity, she dyes her hair rainbow colors in support of Laker Pride Night, a celebration of LGBTQIA+ history month. And this 2021-22 NBA season, Jeanie proudly welcomes Shay Murphy to the Lakers coaching staff, the second female coaching associate in the team’s history.

Having a soft spot for comedy, Jeanie is joining comedy star Mindy Kaling and comedy writing star Elaine Ko, as Executive Producer along with Linda Rambis, for a 10-episode comedy series for Netflix, based on the back office of a female-led NBA team. While Jeanie has said the show is not based on her life, she believes the nearly 40 years of backstage drama that she and Linda experienced will go a long way. It makes sense as Jeanie has dabbled with stand-up comedy and feels humor has helped her deal with her many losses.

Jeanie is also executive producing a nine-part docuseries to be released in 2022 on Hulu. Teaming up with the renowned film director Antoine Fuqua, the series will examine four decades of Laker history, and, in particular, the “Showtime” era told by the organization itself. 

As a business creator, Jeanie is co-founder and co-owner of Cincoro Tequila, a portmanteau of the Spanish words for five and gold. Originating serendipitously one night in 2016, after an NBA owners meeting, five “golden” participants birthed the business idea. The diners included: Jeanie, Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck and his wife Emilia Fazzalari, Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan, and Milwaukee Bucks owner Wes Edens. Today the company proudly displays four different expressions of tequila.

During the pandemic, the fight for racial equity intensified. Guided by Jeanie and her Lakers, the Los Angeles community learned how sports can teach the world about hate and inequality while promoting empathy, understanding, and a path toward healing. The mural entitled “Leave a Legacy” by Gustavo Zermeño Jr. on the wall of the Bixby Coffee building in the Mid-City area exemplifies this message with Kobe on top. “In the Paint” is also a Lakers’ program Jeanie is proud of. Its mission is to “support and uplift” BIPOC artists.

Adam Silver tells the Courier, “Jeanie learned from her father what it takes to run a successful NBA franchise. She has built on that knowledge and established her own identity and leadership style. She’s inquisitive and thoughtful in her approach and has surrounded herself with other talented executives.”

As a leader, Jeanie exhibits kindness with everyone she comes in contact with, emphasizing collaboration and inclusivity. She is comfortable taking chances, first consulting the most talented people who surround her, one of the many lessons from her father. And she never loses sight of the fact that the Laker Nation is the heartbeat of what the Lakers stand for.  Everyone comes together under the purple and gold flag. The platform is bigger than any individual, player or coach. 

Within the NBA, Jeanie encourages and supports other teams to do their very best, believing it only makes the league better and more competitive. Commissioner Silver adds, “Jeanie is very active in league matters and is a key member of our Labor Relations and Advisory/Finance Committees. Her perspective is valued by her fellow team owners as well as the players because of her lifetime of NBA experience. She has strong opinions, but she’s also collaborative and understands how to build a consensus.” 

When asked whether she would have been Governor for the Lakers if her father hadn’t owned the team, she answers, “Probably not.” But after five years of running the franchise and leading the Lakers to its first championship title in 10 years, she knows she’s got what it takes. 
“I deserve to be here,” says Jeanie.

An icon in our community, Jeanie has fond memories of receiving the Beverly Hills Courier on her front doorstep in Beverly Hills. Understanding the importance of community connectivity, she has happily honored the Courier with this exclusive and intimate conversation.  

It’s holiday time. And the city shines with festivities and lights. It’s also a time of reflection. Can you share a special Beverly Hills holiday memory?

Is there anything better than Rodeo Drive with holiday lights sparkling overhead? Beverly Hills is so beautiful at holidays. I remember one season; my dad took me to lunch at The Grill on the Alley. And he said, “I want to buy your Christmas present today. We’re going to walk over to Tiffany’s and I want you to pick out something special.” I think he knew what he wanted me to get, one of the key necklaces. But it was really about the idea that we spend the time together and create a lasting memory. It was really such a special day.

On move-in day to Pickfair, you found a surprise tucked away in a closet upstairs.  What was it? And tell us about the powerful female force looking over you? 

My dad bought the Pickfair estate, which was where Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, the first real movie stars of their generation, lived in Beverly Hills. When they met, they were both married to other people. They got very high-profile divorces, unusual in the 1920s. So, they were kind of shunned by the Hollywood establishment. They moved to the outskirts, to Beverly Hills, to an old hunting lodge. Hollywood was where everybody wanted to be, but they weren’t welcomed in Hollywood. 

What treasure did you find?

That first day at Pickfair, I found an Oscar that was Mary Pickford’s.

An Oscar statue? Just collecting dust in the house, and no one knew about it?

Yes. They gave her the honorary Oscar, for Lifetime Achievement in 1976. One of her last appearances on-screen. She passed away in 1979 and the house went into probate. Dad made an offer of what he felt the land was worth and it was accepted. Soon I was studying everything about Mary, and she’s always been an inspiration for me ever since. She started United Artists with Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, DW Griffith, who was the big director, at the time.  She was a woman that was at the forefront of her industry and had a seat at the table. And you know, she was the highest earning star and a brilliant business woman.

And therein lies how she has been your north star.

Yes.  Beverly Hills is a really great chapter in my life.

Soon thereafter, a tall, skinny, young man with a big smile named Magic Johnson showed up at your Beverly Hills front door. You learned a lesson in that first encounter about the power of the Lakers. What was it?

When the doorbell rang my father was busy with another matter and asked me to bring Magic into the living room, offer him something to drink. So I was making small talk. Magic said, “You know, I’m really happy that I was drafted by the Lakers, but I’m only going to sign a three-year deal because I want to go home and play for my hometown team in Michigan, the Detroit Pistons.” And I went, “What??” I said, “Excuse me for a minute.” And I ran upstairs to my dad and said, “You’re not gonna believe what he said. He’s only going to stay for three years.” I’m like hyperventilating, I’m so worried about this. And my dad just calm, cool and collect, didn’t miss a beat. And says, “Jeanie, the first time he puts on the Laker uniform and walks up out on the floor at the Forum, he’s never going to leave.” And he was exactly right, (giggles) because Magic never left. He could be the mayor of Los Angeles. He is Los Angeles!

When you began working for your father, he connected you with Linda Rambis. Tell us about this relationship. 

When I started working for my dad, I was a student at USC. When he offered me the job, I said, “Oh great. Now I can quit school.” And he said, “No, you have to finish school. Or you can’t have the job. You either have to do both or stay and concentrate on school.” And of course, I wanted the job and he said, “I want you to work with Linda,” who had been working for him for a couple of years. She’s an excellent marketer. My dad was so impressed with her and offered her a job on the spot after he met her. He felt that she had the street savvy, the toughness that I lacked and that we would complement each other in terms of skillset. It’s been a collaboration since. I treasure it.

Title IX was passed when you were a young girl. Almost 50 years later, we are still far away from equality. In what aspects do you think we may get a little closer to equality in the NBA? More female coaches, female governors, back-office employees?  And what about the male and female financial disparity?

Well, it’s kind of two different things.  Title IX was to give equal access to facilities, and opportunities for male and female athletes.  Today you have women who are competing in sports from a young age who train hard and earn a scholarship and have their college tuition paid for. That was the goal of Title IX.

When you start talking about pay, the reason there is a discrepancy is that you get paid based on the revenue that you bring in. And so you can’t say, how can a male basketball player make so much more than a female basketball player? Well, I guarantee you, if the revenues were the same, it would be the same. And if the revenues were more in women’s basketball, it would be more than men’s. It’s about revenue catching up.

As an entrepreneur, I say, there’s all these female athletes who have trained from the time they were 8, 9, 10, 11, who go on and receive a scholarship to college and compete for their school. Now what do they get to do after? These are athletes who have sacrificed a lot to be at the top of their sport. But unless you’re going into the WNBA, or maybe you’re a tennis player, or now there’s a woman soccer league, there just aren’t enough places for women to turn pro to earn money after training and dedicating themselves. So that’s why I’ve invested in WOW, Women of Wrestling. People like me have to make opportunities for female athletes to earn a living, to have a chance to perform to a massive audience, to be given a platform, and rewards for all that dedication from the time they were children with the dream of being an athlete. And so, for me, wrestling made the most sense.

But women have been wrestling.

Only as part of men’s wrestling, the side show, the undercard match. They didn’t ever get to be the center stage. They didn’t get to be the show. And so, WOW is an all-female wrestling league and it’s just like wrestling, good versus evil, women standing up for what they believe in, right or wrong, misguided or not. They will fight with passion and, let them fight it out in the ring. Wrestling has some of the greatest athletes that we’ve ever seen, and it’s given a platform to people like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, John Cena, and Hulk Hogan. They’ve had a chance to become superstars because of the platform and the personality and the athleticism that they have.  Where is that for women?  This is a small investment I can make. And it’s me personally. It’s not the Lakers doing this. This is from my own funds. This is from my own passion. And I want to see these women have a chance to be the stars they were meant to be.

In the NBA, there are less than a handful of female owners in a pool of 30 NBA teams.  What about referees? What about coaches, assistant coaches, trainers, women who really understand basketball, not just great players? When will we see more opportunities for women in the NBA?

Compared to where it started 30 years ago?  We have so many more female referees in the training system coming up who are gaining the experience to call games in the NBA. It may not be perfect now, but the changes that I’ve seen in my 30 years are amazing. It’s only a matter of time that it’ll be more reflective of the population. And in all aspects of the business, the front office, ticket sales, broadcasting, sponsorship sales. It’s been great to see the evolution.  And, you know, if I can inspire the next… I hope that’s the case.

With over 400K Twitter followers, tell us about your Twitter profile picture.

Sports Illustrated was doing a story on my family. It was 1998. They interviewed both my older brothers, my younger sister, myself and my father about the family, but about my dad really, and what his plans were with the Lakers when he retired. This was before they had even moved to STAPLES Center. My dad told us all to cooperate with the story, which included a photo shoot. So they sent a photographer to my house. He comes in and he explains to me how he wants to do the picture. Well, I snapped and quickly declined because I told him that I thought he was just trying to make me look foolish. And he goes, “I’m really sorry, but I don’t know who you are. I’m a fashion photographer. I’ve never been hired by Sports Illustrated before. They told me to come and take a picture of you. And the only requirement that I had was I had to somehow put basketballs in the picture.  I was trying to find inspiration.”

He said, “I found that how Italian women hold melons, it’s like from your heart.” And I go, kind of like a pin-up shot. I love pin-up stars like Rita Hayworth and Betty Grable. I wasn’t naked for the shoot, I was wearing a bathing suit, but I didn’t realize he could photograph me in a way that you wouldn’t know if I was wearing anything or not. And it ended up being this beautiful picture, like a 1940’s pin-up. Sports Illustrated loved it so much that they changed the entire article to “She’s Got Balls.”

A great name for you today.

It foreshadowed a lot. I’ve had corporate people tell me “I don’t know if we can work with you. You have to change your Twitter picture.” And I’m like, what are you telling me? To censor a picture that was in Sports Illustrated?  It’s like, no.  I’m not changing it.

In 1995 you were featured in Playboy. What inspired you to do it?

I was coming out of a divorce.  I was 32 years old at the time, and I’d always wanted to model in Playboy. My Aunt Susan was a Playboy bunny. My dad owned the Playboy Club in Phoenix, Arizona. Playboy was part of my life. My dad was very good friends with Hugh Hefner, but I auditioned like any other person who wanted to pose for the magazine. They had to send my pictures to Chicago to be approved.  I never mentioned anything to my dad until they approved me as a model.

You were called a model?

Yes. I wasn’t a centerfold. I didn’t qualify.

What a loss for them.

(giggling) No, seriously. It was an experience that I did for me. It was for my own personal growth and coming to terms with who I am and fulfilling a dream. Jimmy Connors, a friend, and member of the L.A. Strings tennis team married a former Playmate of the Year, Patti McGuire.  I always looked up to her, and I remember asking her about it. And she said, “Once you do it, it will always be part of your life. You’ll be somewhere and when you least expect it, somebody will walk up and ask you to sign a copy of the magazine.” Still, to this day, I get people sending me photographs to autograph. And I feel if people take the time to mail them to me and ask me to sign them, then it’s something that you do. But Patti was right; it lives forever.

You have said in the press that Dr. Buss was worried; you were so ambitious that you wouldn’t create a family. You have also said in the press recently that you are mom now to your players.

And when I become grandma, that’s when I have to resign (giggles). No, I mean, now I am the age of the parents of most of our players. When I was in the relationship with Phil Jackson, he was definitely the father figure for many of them. And so, it was a natural fit for me to evolve into that role of mother. That was an important time for me to understand as a role model. 

You’re the mother to all these young players, and the kids keep coming and keep coming.

And it’s hard when they leave the nest. It’s very hard on me.

Tell us about your mom. We hear so much about your dad. How did she influence you?

My mom just was a sweetheart. I have her laugh and anybody that met her would use the words kind and sweet smile. I like to think that’s what I got from her.

Were you close?

Not as close as I was with my dad. I wasn’t interested in cooking and homemaking. When I was a kid, my dad would send me out for donuts or whatever, and then I’d deliver the donuts and then I wouldn’t leave the room. I’d go sit in the corner, and listen to what they were talking about.  I found business fascinating.  

In an effort to support your athletes off the court, you have created an environment that encourages their outside interests, in particular their entrepreneurial pursuits. Why is this important?

There would be some people in my position over the years who would say, “Hey, the players made a lot of money, once they’re gone, I don’t care what happens to them.” And to me, it’s like, once you’ve been a Laker, you reflect on our organization, whether you’re currently playing or 20 years after you retire. You are part of the Laker family, the Laker brand. It’s important that anyone who has been on the Laker team is healthy and thriving and doing well.

Please tell us more about your relationship with Phil Jackson.

He just bowled me over. Like, wait a minute, what’s the deal with this guy? As soon as I heard his voice, there was something about his voice that I just knew. And I said to him, if we’re go

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The Abraham Accords established peace and normalization between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. The signing of these agreements marked the first public normalization of relations between an Arab country and Israel since that of Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994.  

The Consul General of Israel for the Pacific Southwest region Dr. Hillel Newman was in attendance.

With the rise of anti-hate sentiments and acts of violence increasing over this past year, this clinic comes at an important time to show inclusion and diversity triumph over intolerance and bigotry. The success of the Abraham Accords has demonstrated what people of different cultures can achieve when working together.

“With the Jewish New Year upon us and the one-year anniversary of The Abraham Accords, we celebrate this momentous occasion by bringing students of different faiths, cultures and backgrounds together. Deep appreciation to Enes Kanter for volunteering to instruct and to Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy for hosting this message of peace and coexistence,” Newman. 

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Beverly Hills Mayor Bob Wunderlich presented the winners with the $1000 in prize money. Other prizes were awarded to the top eight teams.  

Vose and Warmington will also have their names inscribed on a custom trophy crafted by Disney Studios. The trophy incorporates four wooden bowls used by Walt Disney as a member of the Beverly Hills Lawn Bowling Club, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded him by President Lyndon Johnson. The three foot high wooden structure is topped off by a small white ball used in lawn bowling (a “jack”) with a statuette of a mischievous Mickey Mouse. The trophy is on display at Roxbury Park.

The Beverly Hills Lawn Bowling Club is one of the most iconic lawn bowling clubs in the U.S. Founded in 1929, one of the club’s most enthusiastic founder-members was Walt Disney. Today, the club consists of 70 members, most of them Beverly Hills residents, with ages ranging from the mid-20s to well into the nineties. 

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In the late 1930’s, Scotti had initially traveled to San Francisco to create a mural for the Golden Gate International Exposition held at San Francisco’s Treasure Island, but was subsequently engaged to undertake a project creating a mural in the gym. Made in 1938 on upwards of 30 canvas panels, the piece depicts scenes of ranch and farm life with horses, sheep, and cattle and has been considered as a nod to early agrarian years in Beverly Hills. 

With renovations underway at the swim gym and decades of exposure to chlorine, talk of potentially covering, restoring, or moving the celebrated mural has raised concerns in the community. With that, the Cultural Heritage Commission has come on to help find a viable solution for the piece.

The Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) Board of Education has preliminarily considered covering the mural and moving it elsewhere, intact, to allow more wall space for school memorabilia from sporting tournaments in the gym. However, no decision has been made regarding the mural, its restoration, covering, or removal at this time. 

According to Mark Odell, urban designer for the city of Beverly Hills, BHUSD staff is considering other locations for school memorabilia in conjunction with the construction of an additional school facility, Building C.

However, during the meeting, vice chair of the Cultural Heritage Commission, Kimberly Reiss, raised questions. “I’m not sure that this mural was part of the WPA project in California,” Reiss said. “It is not on the list of New Deal artwork.”

“If you look carefully at the mural, what we think might be early California, I think is more likely, Argentina,” Reiss said. “And if you look at the people and what they’re wearing, it would seem to point in that direction. This is purely speculative on my part, but I do believe that it’s depicting early Argentina commerce, and there’s horses and rams and a family.” 

Reiss also voiced concerns about possible chlorine damage to the piece from years of being housed above an Olympic sized swimming pool. “I don’t think it was intended to be in a room that had a lot of chlorine,” Reiss added. “In order to save this piece, I would personally be open to relocating. I know that’s not Kosher in preservation, but I believe that the work of art is more important than its location.”

Her findings sparked questions about the mural’s historical relevance to the community, too.”There’s also evidence that Scottie, among other artists, created many murals for the Argentine pavilion at the Golden Gate Expo,” Reiss said. 

“Scotti won awards for the murals that he completed in that pavilion,” Reiss added. “And I personally am led to believe that, after that Expo was completed, they didn’t have a place for this mural, and therefore it was offered to the community.”

The Golden Gate International Exposition opened in October of 1939 and ran through May of 1940 to celebrate the city’s two newly built bridges: the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge. The swim gym at Beverly Hills High School was built in 1939. Commissioners hypothesized, given the overlapping dates and the size of the mural, few structures were big enough to house such a piece, making the gym an ideal location. 

“It may be worth preserving, and maybe we can find some place that’s big enough,” Chair Craig Corman said. “I mean, it’s been there all these years, so it’s certainly part of our culture. But it’s interesting that it wasn’t original, or may not have been original, to the design, and may not even depict what everyone thought it depicted all these years.”

While no action was taken on the matter, staff and commissioners have been tasked with uncovering the true origins of the mural before making any recommendations directly to the school board for future review. The next Cultural Heritage Commission meeting will be held on Oct. 13.  

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The Arts and Culture and Recreation and Parks Commissions voted on Aug. 10 and Aug. 24, respectively, to recommend that the city look into bringing a full service outdoor gym decorated with one of the fiery, frenetic, provocative paintings of the late neo-Expressionist megastar Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Arts and Culture Commission Council Liaisons John Mirisch and Lili Bosse were supposed to vote on Aug. 25 on whether to move forward with a feasibility study, but the meeting was postponed until an unknown date. If they sign off, city staff will work with the sponsoring National Fitness Campaign (NFC) to determine possible locations and ways to raise the $220,000 it will cost to install and purchase the fitness center and lease the Basquiat art for five years.  

After all the necessary studies and signatures, an NFC crew will be able to install the gym and the art in just four days. At that point, Beverly Hills will become the first city on the West Coast to host a Basquiat court, and just one of 10 cities across the country invited by the NFC to consider one.  

“I really like the idea that this would be the first of its type, like how we brought Sing for Hope to the West Coast,” Arts and Culture Commission Chair Deborah Frank said. “Since we are a visionary city, this to me would be phenomenal to be out front and different than any other city in California.”

The project is organized, licensed, and installed by the National Fitness Campaign; a San Francisco-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting accessible fitness. Since 2012, the NFC has built over 500 identical outdoor fitness courts throughout the country, with the purported goal of eventually placing one within a 10-minute bike ride of every American.

In recent years, the NFC expanded its mission to “build an outdoor art gallery across the country,” as NFC Public Art Campaign Director Gloria Cox told the Arts and Culture Commission. A centerpiece of that mission is its Signature Series, which each year works with a different artist or their estate to license their art and affix it to gyms in 10 select cities each year. In 2021, that signature artist is pop graffiti star Keith Haring, and his famous acrobatic chalk outlines are currently watching other bodies contort at eight locations across the country.

This year, NFC chose Haring’s friend Jean-Michel Basquiat, the iconoclastic, countercultural New York artist who died in 1988 at just 27 years old. Basquiat’s work uses drawing, poetry, and painting to explore race, class, colonialism, sex, gender, poverty, and wealth (thorny, adult themes that Recreation and Parks Commissioner Alissa Roston wondered would be appropriate for children.)

Basquiat sold his first painting to Debbie Harry for $200 in 1981, but his paintings have sold for as much as $110 million in recent years. 

But the NFC is offering Beverly Hills a five-year lease to that art at a relative discount: for $220,000, the city will get access to the court in perpetuity, installation of all art and fitness equipment, and support with sponsorship and fundraising. The 38′ x 38′ concrete slab on which the equipment will be placed is not included, but Cox said sometimes concrete companies donate the slab in-kind. The city would also be responsible for equipment maintenance, but Cox said that light maintenance typically adds up to around $500 a year. 

After five years, the graffiti-proof film will be rolled up and returned to the Basquiat estate. At that point, the city will have a few options: it could lease another featured artist for five years for around $25,000 for five years, work with the NFC and the Basquiat Estate to purchase another Basquiat license for $10,000 a year or select a local artist. If the city vouches for the local option, the city will pay $25,000 for design, production, and installation, and NFC will provide a $5000 grant to the artist. Finally, the city could opt for the standard blue wall seen at most of the current 500 locations, which would cost $10,000.

While not $110 million, the costs are not insignificant. With fundraising assistance from the NFC, the city could raise the money through a combination of donations, sponsorships from health care and fitness organizations, and the General Fund.

Commissioners also wanted to know who would supervise the equipment (the ADA-compliant structure would be monitored like any other city playground, though it would only be available to people 14 or older), the size of the court (38′ x 38′), the capacity (30 people, without social distancing), and most pressing, where to put Basquiat and his balance beams. 

“I think discussion of any parks will get us into hot water right now, so I’m going to demure,” Community Services Director Jenny Rogers replied to Arts and Culture Commissioner Stephanie Vahn. “What we want to do is get direction today that you love it, and let’s find a location that’s not going to be controversial.” 

All Commissioners did seem to love it. “I think the outdoor aspect is of course phenomenal at this time, so to me this is a perfect fit for the city and combining it with art is so creative and unique,” said Arts and Culture Commissioner Karla Gordy Bristol, who noted that she produced an entire talk show about Basquiat. “And not just any art, to select such a phenomenal artist with a great legacy is something that I think is extra special.” 

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Euro Caffe makes no secret of its love of soccer (or, rather, football), with team photos, signed jerseys, and other sports memorabilia adorning every inch (or, rather, centimeter) of its walls. Ever since the cafe’s start on South Santa Monica Boulevard in 2002, it has made itself a haven for fans of the global sport.

“It just happened that we had the TV on and people started coming and watching the soccer games and it became a soccer club,” Myda Kemanjian, who runs the cafe along with her husband Vartan, told the Courier.

Many of the observers that day had been coming to Euro Caffe for years to watch games. One of the regulars, Giacomo, works nearby at Celine. He’s from Italy and explained, “The Italian population is around 17 million. Right now, they all think they can do better than the coach and players.”

When asked the meaning of the unhappy exclamations following a missed shot, Giacomo hesitated. “Strong words,” he offered diplomatically.    

But in a tense overtime, Italy scored two goals on Austria, eliciting a surge of cheers from the crowd and pushing the team into the quarterfinals. Italy will face the top ranked team from Belgium in a highly anticipated match up on Friday, July 2. Space at Euro Caffe is limited and reserved for customers on a first-come-first-serve basis. 

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Community Services Director, Jenny Rogers told the Courier that the city is looking forward to welcoming residents back after the pandemic-related closures. 

“As we begin to re-open many of our Community Service facilities, and resume onsite programs and events, we could not be more excited to welcome everyone back in-person and look forward to providing those experiences that our community has come to depend upon. We are eager to see you all in person, to connect you physically and socially with one another, and to support your well-being–mind, body and spirit,” said Rogers. 

She added, “While the pandemic brought us a year we will never forget, we learned just how strong and resilient we are as a community. The last year has brought us together like never before and created a strong, lasting bond of friendship, compassion and caring. We look forward to welcoming our community back to our beloved Community Service facilities, celebrating the return of treasured programs, events and services and continuing the creation of community and the deep relationships that we’ve forged!”

Here is a look at the much-missed programs and activities residents can soon enjoy once again.

Recreation

In welcome news for families, recreational services are reopening in the city. The basketball courts at Roxbury Park are open to limited occupancy from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Youth sports, including AYSO and Little League, will resume competitive play on April 12, using the sports fields at Roxbury Park and La Cienega Park. Adult spring baseball league will resume competitive play beginning April 24. Picnic tables have already reopened on a first-come, first-served basis. Beginning April 15, picnic table rentals will resume at La Cienega Park, Roxbury Park and Coldwater Canyon. Reservations can be made at the respective sites by calling the main number for each site.

Additionally, the sand volleyball court at Roxbury Park is open for drop-in play during park hours from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tennis and pickleball play is open to online reservations for La Cienega Tennis Center and Roxbury Park Tennis Courts. Reservations can be made online at www.beverlyhills.org/bhrec. Beverly Hills Tennis Center is now offering tennis and pickleball lessons/clinics, and Summer Tennis Camps. For more information, visit www.beverlyhillstennis.com, call 310-285-6825 or email proshop@beverlyhillstennis.com.

Classes and Camps

Both in-person and virtual spring classes and spring/summer camps will be available this year. Summer Camp offerings include youth sports and day camp, as well as specialty camps in theater, math, science, fitness, enrichment and more. Although many in-person camps sold out during early registration, some slots remain. A complete catalog of summer camps can be found at www.beverlyhills.org/summercampbrochure.

Library Services

As of April 19, the library will be open until 8 p.m. for sidewalk /curbside pickup and drop off of library materials. The library itself will be open three days per week (hours vary) for in-person services by appointment beginning April 26. Those services include browsing of collections on the first floor of the library and checkout; holds pick-up inside the building and brief reference interactions to assist finding materials. To make an appointment, visit www.bhpl.org.

Greystone Mansion & Gardens

The grounds of Greystone will be open to visitors on select dates in April starting April 22. Beginning May 5, reservations will be available on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Advance reservations are required, and capacity is limited. Reservations can be made online at www.beverlyhills.org/bhrec beginning April 13 (BH residents) or April 14 (non-residents). Reservations are available up to one week in advance.

Small, non-commercial photography permits (such as engagement photos) limited to household plus a photographer, maximum of six people, will be allowed starting April 22 on select dates. Permit applications open April 12 at BHEvents@beverlyhills.org or 310-285-6830.

At this time, no events are scheduled and no event rentals at Greystone are being offered. The city will continue to closely monitor the state and county’s protocols for reopening and hopes to announce more information in the near future.

Will Rogers Park

Small, non-commercial photography permits limited to household plus a photographer, with a maximum of six people, will be allowed starting April 12. Permit applications are available at BHEvents@beverlyhills.org or 310-285-6830. 

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“After COVID for a year and a half, we all just want to celebrate,” a student who identified himself as John told the Courier.

“We just knew to come here. No one organized it or anything,” another student said.

In response to a request for comment by the Courier, UCLA condemned the events of the night. 

“While the whole Bruin community is excited about the men’s basketball team advancing to the Final Four, we are disappointed that some members of our community engaged in misconduct and disregarded L.A. County Department of Public Health guidelines and our own campus pandemic protocols on Tuesday night,” Katherine Alvarado, Assistant Director, Media Relations for UCLA told the Courier.

In UCLA’s COVID-19 Public Health Mitigation Requirements, students are instructed to “follow all requirements for events and gatherings” issued by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health). Those requirements stipulate the wearing of masks “when you are around people who don’t live in your household.” Public Health guidelines permit for small outdoor gatherings of people from up to three households, provided that participants socially distance and wear masks. The guidelines do not allow large gatherings.

Alvarado added that the Dean of Students Office and Student Affairs Leadership is “actively engaging with leaders of student organizations that may have been involved in the misconduct.” The school could not disclose individual disciplinary actions for privacy reasons, but violations could result in “additional training to interim exclusion from housing and/or the campus, and referral to the formal disciplinary process for potential sanctions.”

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) arrived on the scene on the 30th to extinguish a burning couch in the middle of the road. Although LAPD officers wore riot gear and carried less lethal munitions and zip cuffs, they did not declare an unlawful assembly. The crowd eventually dispersed of its own volition.

The game that incited the revelry was a match-up of Biblical proportions. David versus Goliath. The underdog, UCLA, against the favorite, University of Michigan. In a stunning upset all the sweeter for its surprise, the Bruins toppled over the Wolverines 51 to 49 on Tuesday night, sending themselves to the Final Four for the first time in 13 years. Gonzaga is viewed as the overwhelming favorite. 

“When an upset like this happens, it’s unbelievable, it’s crazy,” said a man who identified himself as Tj. 

Along with schools across the country, UCLA has struggled to enforce its COVID-19 safety protocols among its increasingly stir-crazy students. After Halloween, UCLA announced that a group of at least 20 students had tested positive for the virus, according to the Daily Bruin. The students had all attended the same gathering. Reporting shared on Twitter by journalist Emily Holshouser documented a trend among UCLA’s Greek life of skirting COVID-19 rules with few reprisals for violations.

“It’s my alma mater and I’m ashamed,” one onlooker in his 50s who declined to give his name told the Courier about the scene on Roebling.

Even with the relaxing of COVID-19 restrictions, UCLA cautioned, “The recent limited easing of COVID-19 restrictions comes with a great deal of responsibility and we must do everything we can to slow the spread of the virus and consider the impact of our actions on friends, family, neighbors and UCLA community.” 

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The new rules permit outside sports to take place in counties that have reached an ACR of 14 or fewer new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population. As of Feb. 23, the County’s rate was 12.3. Youth low-contact sports now permitted by the District include cross country, golf, swimming, boys’ and girls’ tennis, and track and field. 

Outdoor, high-contact sports such as basketball, football, ice hockey, lacrosse, rugby, rowing, soccer and water polo may resume all activities, including practices, training and competitions.

“Track and field will be modified,” said Director of District Athletics Tim Ellis. “There probably won’t be any jumps because of the cleaning of the mats. Throwing of the discus will probably be restricted because of having to clean the apparatus. And the same with relays, because of having the batons touching different kids.”

Ellis described COVID-19 protocols that are in place. 

“So, all of our athletes will start on Moreno Drive in their designated gate. They check in daily through the District site, they have their temperature taken before entering their respective pods of 12 athletes, and every 20 minutes we break for hand sanitation and water. We will continue these practices even as the public health order eases their restrictions,” said Ellis. 

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As of Feb. 4, Public Health has identified 1,129,503 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 17,308 deaths. Additionally, a third case of COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7, the variant discovered in the United Kingdom (U.K.), has been identified. Presence of the B.1.1.7 variant in L.A. County means virus transmission can happen more easily, and residents and businesses must be more diligent at implementing and following all standard public health safety measures, including face coverings, distancing, and handwashing, put in place to prevent additional cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.

Along with the majority of the state, L A. County is in the most restrictive purple tier in the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy. In order to move into the red tier and have additional opportunities for reopenings, L.A. County’s daily case rate must be at or below seven new cases per 100,00 people and the County’s test positivity rate must be at or below eight percent.  As of Jan.  23, L.A. County’s adjusted case rate is 38.7 new cases per 100,000 people and the test positivity rate is 11.3 percent.

Public Health notes that residents have a long way to go before transmission in the county is considered no longer widespread. By following all the rules, progress can be made toward a less restrictive tier.

“We share our deepest condolences to everyone who is mourning the loss of a family member, a loved one or a friend. Our prayers are with you always,” said Barbara Ferrer, Ph.D., M.P.H., ME.d., Director of Public Health. “Super Bowl parties have the power to derail our recovery and given the likelihood that there are more infectious variants circulating in our community, let’s not take chances with our own health and the health of others by creating easy opportunities for the virus to spread.  This weekend, we ask that you not share with others your respiratory droplets, which are more easily spread when we raise our voices, cheer, sing, and chant. The serious consequences of gathering indoors with people outside of your household to watch the Super Bowl is just not worth it.”

Public Health also indicates that it is constantly aligning vaccine strategies to reach the most vulnerable. “As a reminder, we are prioritizing vaccinating individuals 65 years and older, while working with our partners and the state to further plan for vaccinating additional workers in the prioritized groups. Given the limited weekly shipments, a limited vaccine supply requires balancing priorities. While the state is updating its distribution plans, the County must also look at how best to protect the most vulnerable with the goal of reducing mortality.  We ask for patience until we receive all the vaccine we need to get to everyone who wants to get vaccinated,” said a statement.

At this time, COVID-19 vaccine remains very limited. Public Health’s www.VaccinateLACounty.com connects residents eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations to appointment registration links and much more. For those without access to a computer or the internet or with disabilities, a call center is open to help schedule appointments at 833-540-0473 daily from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

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Depending upon your age, your vision of the future could be Buck Rogers or George Jetson or even Marty McFly, but vehicles always feature prominently in those visions. When it came to the cars of the future, like Marty’s hoverboard and George’s transport, they clearly were going to levitate – “Where we’re going, we don’t need roads!”  However, we’re still (mostly) earthbound and roads are required. Nevertheless, the exotic cars on the near horizon are pretty spectacular conveyances and, for your holiday viewing pleasure, here is a sampling as we go to press.  As befits a car of the future, many of these are motivated in full or in part by one or more electric motors.

I’ve set them out alphabetically, which works out well in part due to my personal affinity for Aston Martins and in part in an homage to the recently departed Sean Connery, the quintessential James Bond who, when true to his Ian Fleming roots, always drove an Aston.

Aston Martin – For a relatively small company, Aston Martin consistently punches well above its weight. Its partnership with Red Bull Racing has brought incredible performance and design to an already-accomplished company and the upcoming Valhalla is Exhibit A.  Slated for 2022 production (if 500 cars is a “production”), the naturally-aspirated (no turbo, no supercharger) V-12 is a mid-engine two-seater which can achieve the once-mythical 1:1 power ratio (a car whose weight and which horsepower, expressed in kilos and brake horsepower, is one kilo per one horsepower). Expected to cost in the range of $1,300,000 (each, not for all 500), the Valhalla will be available in both street and track-only versions.

Bugatti – My earliest memories of this storied brand were as a child, seeing a neighbor’s Type 35B Bugatti drive by. The sights, the sounds and especially the smells were memorable as those cars did burn off quite a bit of castor oil, which fragrance lingered long after the car was out of sight and earshot.  Today’s excitement focuses on the Centodieci (Italian for “110” in honor of the marque’s recent 110th anniversary), a 1,500hp W-16-motored beast of a car of which only ten will be made (sorry, all are sold) at a projected 8 million euros (about $9.3 million as of this writing).  A gorgeous car that shows both its Bugatti heritage and its forward-thinking futuristic design, I hope that at least one of these beauties makes it to California.

Ferrari – An atelier whose founder, Enzo Ferrari, was born to create fast cars, even Enzo’s name sounds fast! And their newest creation does not dissappoint. Behold the Ferrari Omologata (which means “homologated” or certified for competition – it’s the “O” in “GTO”). This V-12 stormer was commissioned by a discerning customer and created as a one-off coach-built aluminum touring car which is equally at home on the track. A two-year process resulted in this sinewy and slippery vehicle that is destined to slice though the wind for its lucky owner. Starting as an 812 Superfast, the transformation is truly spectacular. Price and horsepower haven’t been disclosed, but fortunate are the few who will see it in “person.”

Koenigsegg – Never heard of it?  I’m not surprised. This stealthy Swedish supercar company has created some of the most amazing cars on the planet as it has incredible productivity for a company of its size.  Want an example? The new Gemera (from Swedish words meaning “give” and “more”) and billed as the first “Mega-GT,” this four-seater can run circles around many two-seater exotics. With three electric motors and a twin-turbo three-cylinder gas engine, the combined output is over 1,700hp, good enough for 0-60mph in 1.9 seconds and a top speed of around 250mph, this baby is expected to set you back around 1.9 large (as in millions of dollars – price does not include speeding tickets or bail).

Lamborghini – Anyone who has seen a Lamborghini in its natural habitat (on the road) knows that this is a brand which likes sharp creases and big angles. The limited-edition Sián Roadster is a chip off of a very angular block.  With a big motor (the most-powerful V-12 that they’ve made to date) and high-tech hybrid motivation assistance (with an unusual super-capacitor system), the Lambo pumps out a total of 819 horsepower, enough for 0-60mph in about 2.9 seconds and a top speed is over 215mph. The design is roofless, no doubt so that the occupants can commune with the heavens, and with all of that performance, it’s clearly able to dodge the occasional raindrops in Los Angeles. It’s no wonder that the production run of 19 units already is sold out.

Mercedes-AMG – New arrivals to MB-land may think of the Mercedes brand as luxury cruisers and, of course, they’d be right but there’s so much more to the brand, including Formula 1 racing.  Many of the company’s AMG-branded cars are real screamers and the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series is a case in point. Running with Mercedes’ most-powerful AMG V-8 of all time (720hp twin-turbo), 0-60mph takes 3.1 seconds and the top speed is 202mph. The power is about 100hp greater than the “regular” AMG GT 63 S Coupe. Pricing is not yet announced. This definitely is not your father’s (or grandmother’s) Mercedes Benz.

McLaren – McLaren (founded by New Zealand-born race driver Bruce McLaren) was satisfied for many years to make components for other car manufacturers and then racing cars but, turned to making their own road-going cars, first in small quantities, like the universally-adored F1 of the 1990s and then to large numbers starting with the MP4 12C. The latest from this fun factory is the Elva, a spritely two-seater whose DNA apparently is traceable to a sports car, a motorcycle and a fighter jet. With no windscreen, the body was designed to divert airflow in order to create a “wind curtain” in front of the cockpit. The lightest road car McLaren ever has produced, it sports an 800-plus horsepower twin-turbo V-8 motivating it to 60mph in under three seconds. Only 249 of these cars will be made, at prices starting at $1.69M.

Pininfarina – A car company based in both Germany and Italy – what’s not to like? Owned by Mahindra & Mahindra Company (a motor vehicle company based in India), they licensed the name from the famous Italian design studio Pininfarina, who designed the sleek and sexy car named Batista, the company’s first offering, which will be limited to 150 vehicles. Interestingly, Pininfarina turned to Rimac, the motor and control company in Croatia, to create the electric motor and associated components. The Batista is the first vehicle to be sold under the Pininfarina name as the design house had heretofore focused mostly on designing exotic cars for the likes of Ferrari. Slated for first deliveries by 2022, and with a price of about $2,500,000, the Batista is projected to use its 1,900 horsepower to go 0-60mph in under two seconds and top out at about 250mph.

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In fact, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) has recorded the highest number of new cases  since late-August not associated with backlog cases.

On Oct. 29, Public Health confirmed 19 new deaths and 1,745 new cases of COVID-19.

This increase in cases coincides with the reopening of several sectors, as well as increased gatherings associated with watching sport competitions, including celebrating the Lakers and Dodgers victories.

“At many of these gatherings, people were together without distancing or wearing face coverings, often inside, and unfortunately, at times they were transmitting COVID-19 to other people,” said a statement this week from Public Health.

The County’s daily case numbers continue to keep the County in the State’s most restrictive purple tier (Tier 1) in the Blueprint for a Safer Economy. Currently, the County’s adjusted case rate is 8.0 new cases per 100,000 people. This is an increase from the 7.6 adjusted case rate reported last week. In order to move to the next less restrictive Tier, the County must reduce its daily number of new cases to seven or fewer new cases per 100,000 people for two consecutive weeks.

To date, Public Health has identified 303,369 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 7,040 deaths. The number of confirmed cases in Beverly Hills is 752.

The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations has stabilized. The number has remained below 1,000 daily hospitalized patients for most of September and October, and the County continues to average under 800 hospitalized patients per day. This continued stability in hospitalization numbers while the numbers of daily cases increase is likely due to a combination of three factors: First, younger people are primarily driving the increasing numbers of new cases and this is a group that may be less likely to become seriously ill and require hospitalization from COVID-19. Second, for those who do require hospitalization, the ability of health care providers to offer better therapeutic treatments often leads to shortened length of stays; and third, there is often a lag between the time we start to see increases in cases and subsequent increases in hospitalizations.

Public Health notes that those who have been part of celebratory crowds in close contact with others not wearing face coverings may have been exposed to COVID-19. They should take the following precautions over the next 14 days: remain apart from others as much as possible, get tested, and monitor themselves for symptoms of illness. If they know they were in contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19, they need to quarantine for the full 14 days, even if they have a negative test.

“Many people, especially our younger residents, are interacting with each other while not adhering to recommended prevention measures, while our older residents continue to experience the results of increased spread with the worst health outcomes, including death. We have learned a lot about how this infection is transmitted since the beginning of the pandemic and it’s useful to reflect on what we know so that we can better understand the risks associated with certain activities. Activities that have been linked to a high number of COVID-19 cases include parties, wedding celebrations, in-person dining at bars and restaurants, and on and off-campus socializing at universities,” said Barbara Ferrer, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Ed., Director of Public Health.

For more information and resources, visit www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

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While hair salons can now open at 25 percent capacity, and you might be thrilled to reunite with your stylist, many of the other beauty industries are still left in the lurch.

Spring Place in Beverly Hills has decided to hold some pampering pop-ups on their rooftop space on Wilshire Boulevard. The first one in September was with Flybrow guru Suzie Moldavon, who started the business by making “office calls” to tame the brows of busy working women all over town. It was such a success that they have already booked the next event for Sept. 23, and more will follow in October.

“Since women don’t go to their offices anymore, we’ve had to come up with new ways to still be in varied neighborhoods all over LA.,” Moldavon told the Courier. “We’ve had to pivot and adapt as rules and regulations in the beauty industry have dictated. We’ve found new partners with similar clientele and a desire to try to reinstate some sort of self-care and ‘normal’ back into people’s lives,” she said. www.flybrow.com/

Hot 8 Yoga, with branches from Pasadena to Santa Monica, has been holding virtual classes during the COVID-19 fitness shutdowns, but has started offering outdoor classes since late-August in locations including Beverly Hills.

The instructor-led, 60-minute group classes are physically distanced on outdoor terraces. They are still providing mats, towels and all the props to clients, but you must bring and wear a mask at all times. Book a single class or commit to a package of five to ten outdoor sessions. For more information on the Wilshire location schedule in Beverly Hills contact info@hotyoga.com.

Speir Pilates of Santa Monica was set to open its second studio in West Hollywood this past March on Santa Monica Boulevard and King’s Road. Now you can work out on one of their five rooftop machines overlooking the Hollywood Hills with owner Andrea Speir, who is also an instructor.

Kickstart your day with reformer classes or wind-down with a sunset evening class. “We wanted it to be very spaced out,” Speir told the Courier, “So there is a distance of 7 feet between machines. You’re on our own little island so it’s very safe.”

Even with the unhealthy air-quality of late, Speir has not seen much of a slow-down as none of the classes take place in the middle of the day. “We have actually been selling out about two weeks in advance,” she said. “This is a great way to be back in the community again with human connection and interaction with a safe distance.” www.speirpilates.com/

To work out a few of those kinks from all the new exercise classes, The Peninsula Beverly Hills has been offering rooftop massages, along with highly coveted manicure-pedicures, in cabanas. Anyone in town is welcome to book, including non-hotel guests through spapbh@peninsula.com.

And, the hotel has been experiencing so many guests who want to work from the rooftop cabanas, they have updated services in place that includes Wi-Fi, and Apple TV where guests can connect their laptop and have a mini-meeting, take appointments, give small presentations with up to four people. Cabanas run $450 during the week and include a non-alcoholic stocked fridge and on-demand waitstaff from the Roof Garden restaurant.

Known for networking with powerful women from Diane von Furstenberg to JLo, The Allbright women’s members’ club has recently reopened their West Hollywood location, along with the newly redesigned outdoor rooftop space by lauded “Architectural Digest” 100 designer Brigette Romanek.

Overlooking Melrose Place and the Hollywood Hills, the space will supply the backdrop and stunning views for yoga, sound baths, cooking and cocktail masterclasses, workshops, and dining on spicy tuna wonton nachos or vegan poke bowls with watermelon.  The club has also just launched a new wellness center, Dr Refresh, that will include vitamin drips and other facial services and cosmetic treatments.

Prospective members can visit the club and check out the programming before signing up or you can opt for a free two-week trial digital membership to check out the weekly activations. www.allbrightcollective.com.

Tennis anyone? The Luxe Hotel on Sunset Boulevard has opened its tennis courts, on the upper level of the parking structure, previously for guests only, to the public. According to executive manager Sarah Clark, “I have had a few tennis instructors also use the tennis court to bring their own clients to train them.”

You can also arrange a class with Natural Pilates of Brentwood who has set up their outdoor studio in the parking lot with tents. “It’s a beautiful and welcoming atmosphere that their clients and our guests have really enjoyed,” Clark told the Courier. “They are also hosting a yoga retreat in October.”

For something a little more entertaining on the upper level, the Luxe Sunset is also offering monthly date night or family night movies for up to 25 cars. You can order food on your cell phone and have it delivered,  from popcorn and candy to cult favorite Pizza Wagon of Brooklyn, lobster rolls, Caesar salad, cocktails or wine.

“With every movie we show, we curate the menu and create a memorable experience with fun treats and small takeaways,” said Clark. “This has been a popular neighborhood activity, and where else can you go in your pajamas for a night out?”

For Pilates on the Westside before a little shopping or lunch, The Studio (MDR) has set-up on the roof of the PLATFORM in Culver City.

The classes started at the end of August and will be ongoing until further notice. “The Studio (MDR) doors have been closed since March 15th due to Covid-19,” co-founder and CEO Lisa Solomon told the Courier. “State and County guidelines are now allowing fitness studios to open outdoors, so we were very excited for the opportunity to partner with them. We have our regulars and many new faces filling up the classes, which is very exciting,” she added.

Classes are 45 minutes seven day a week from 7 a.m. to noon and with high demand, signing up beforehand is highly recommended. “We have smaller machines than we do in our normal studios.  Microformers vs. Megaformers, which work perfectly with the outdoor setting and are 8 feet apart to adhere to social distancing guidelines. Clients still get the signature (MDR) Lagree workout but in an open-air setting.”  www.thestudiomdr.com

If you’re planning to attend any of the L.A. Design Festival installation kicking-off on Sept. 24 at the ROW in DTLA, the outdoor complex is also offering morning yoga classes on the roof with a cityscape view from Sanctuary Fitness. https://sanctuaryfitness.com/

And, if you are missing your weekly Soul Cycle spin classes, newly formed SoulOutside offers options at Santa Monica Place and Olive Street downtown L.A. locations. www.soul-cycle.com/soulconnected/souloutside

For an overnight rooftop getaway, The Beverly Wilshire will be reopening on Oct. 1 and has set a new bar for a glamping staycation on its expansive rooftop. Accessible through a wrought-iron staircase off the Veranda Suite, a 10-foot-tall tent awaits complete with a Four Season’s queen-size bed, a crystal chandelier and fur rugs. This romantic escape above Rodeo Drive includes a fireplace on the terrace for sipping cocktails before the eight-course meal with Ossetra caviar and wagyu beef, followed by 24-karat gold s’mores or a Champagne flight. Greet the morning sunrise with a private yogi-session that can also be arranged on the private terrace. Only in Beverly Hills.

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The Beverly Hills Bike Share program was launched in May of 2016 with 50 smart bikes and several stations throughout the City. As part of the Bike Share Connect network with the City of Santa Monica and UCLA, members can ride free for an unlimited amount of 90 minute trips. Additional steps are being taken at this time to sanitize the fleet of bicycles and minimize the spread of COVID-19. 

“We continue to develop a framework for programs and projects to make navigating the city easier, more enjoyable and more equitable across all modes: walking, bicycling, riding transit and driving,” Deputy Director of Transportation, Aaron Kunz, told the Courier. 

The City is developing a “Beverly Hills Mobility” webpage that will soon provide pedestrian-bicycle education materials and resources to navigate the City using different modes of transportation, added Kunz. 

The local business community has embraced the biking trend with enthusiasm. 

Local jeweler and cycling connoisseur, Rafi Avedissian owns a collection of bikes. His top pick is a Colnago, known as the “Ferrari of bikes.” Other high-end bikes in his repertoire include an Argon 18 for shorter distances, and a Cannondale with WE wireless shifting by FSA for long distances. 

“I bike three to four times a week early in the morning in the hills from Hillcrest, Loma Vista and Carla Ridge,” he told the Courier. On the weekend, Avedissian takes a long-distance jaunt 4.5 hours to Palos Verdes using surface street routes. Along for the ride is local restaurateur Giacomino Drago as well as Claudio Marra from Full Speed Ahead and Vision, who makes premier bike wheels in Milan. Other popular bike trails for enthusiasts include the Santa Monica mountains, PCH, Latigo Canyon and Topanga to Calabasas. 

For many cycling enthusiasts, it’s not simply about the ride. The latest gear, from shoes to socks, gloves, helmets and even sunglasses, is also important. Rapha in Santa Monica is a great place to score the latest bike-wear for men and women. Once you look the part, head to Giant on Main Street in Santa Monica for race and gravel mountain bikes. The shop has recently seen an uptick in hybrid or fitness-hybrid bikes which are traditional road bikes, but with an upright handlebar. Prices range from between $450 to $1,000. This increase in demand is due to the popular shift in cycling for commuting since COVID-19. 

For something more low-key, Helen’s Cycles in Santa Monica is the perfect place to buy a “cruiser” for the local bike path. There is also an uptick in the folding bike market. “They are apartment, office and elevator friendly for urban riders and no longer viewed as a quirky invention that is rickety or flimsy –just a cool bike that you can go for a ride on,” said Steve Boyd, North America General Manager at Tern Bicycles in Long Beach. Folding bikes in acoustic versions range from $400 to $ 2,500 and electric options will set you back from $2,000 to $6,000. 

As for the surge in electrical or e-bikes, “Folks are getting older or have injuries but still want to ride or are commuting,” said Boyd. And, while everyone wants to get to work and get in a work-out, no one wants to arrive in a full sweat at the next board meeting. 

For commuter safety, it’s hard to believe you are not required by law to wear a helmet, even navigating rush-hour traffic, (unless you are under 18-years-old in California), but Boyd recommends buying a smart tested and certified brand from Giro, Abus, Nutcase, or L.A.-based Thousand. 

Boyd tells his customers to break in the bicycle seat for a few weeks before going the upgrade or custom route. “Specialty level bikes – not one that you buy at a retailer like Walmart –come with a good saddle, so big, wide or soft it doesn’t matter, it will take time to break in,” he said. “And you won’t want a bounce tractor seat with a sheepskin cover if you ride a lot as it will end up causing friction and making the ride worse.” 

“Recreational cycling with your family is booming right now but high-performance racing is not,” added Boyd. “With the pandemic, retailers are having a hard time supplying modest bikes for tooling around the neighborhood because everyone wants to get out and do it.” 

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