Front Row Seat: San Diego FC working on exit of Hirving 'Chucky' Lozano
The face of SDFC won't be much longer, the Chargers once again disappoint (their fans) in the postseason, SDSU basketball hits its stride, and more in today's newsletter.
Hey y’all! I’ve been out of town the last few days, but I’m back and your regularly scheduled program can resume.
The last thing I wrote is, unfortunately, still relevant and worth linking to:
San Diego FC
San Diego FC working on exit of Mexico star ‘Chucky’ Lozano - ESPN
San Diego FC said Friday that they were working on the exit of Mexico star Hirving “Chucky” Lozano after just one season with the MLS club.
“We have communicated with Hirving and his representatives that he will not be part of the sporting plans moving forward,” San Diego sporting director Tyler Heaps told reporters.
“That was not a decision that was taken lightly. That was something that was well talked through from owners down to leadership down to myself and [coach Mikey Varas], and has been communicated with the rest of the group.
Hirving ‘Chucky’ Lozano was meant to define San Diego FC - instead, he leaves as a costly mistake - GOAL.com
San Diego invested heavily. Lozano saw a chance at a comfortable final chapter slip away. And Sporting Director Tyler Heaps, who engineered the signing that defined the club’s launch, will always have this deal attached to his tenure.
Sure, Lozano produced in goals and assists. But at the end of the day, results, impact, and image matter far more for Designated Players. And Lozano’s failure to fully deliver, combined with his impending exit, has left his stint in Southern California falling well short of expectations for all involved.
San Diego FC, coach Mikey Varas agree to multi-year contract extension - San Diego Union-Tribune
“From Day 1, Mikey set the standard for who we want to be as a club,” said SDFC sporting director Tyler Heaps. “His leadership, tactical clarity and alignment, and commitment to player development were instrumental in delivering a historic inaugural season. Beyond the results, Mikey has helped build a strong culture and identity that reflects San Diego FC’s values, and we’re excited to continue this journey with him leading the team.”
SDFC returns to the field Feb. 3 for a Concacaf Champions Cup match against Mexico’s Pumas UNAM. SDFC opens MLS play on Feb. 21 against C.F. Montreal.
NFL Playoffs
The Winners and Losers of NFL Wild-Card Weekend - The Ringer
Defending Justin Herbert didn’t get any easier on Sunday night. No matter how difficult Herbert’s teammates made his job, there’s no way to put a positive spin on scoring three points in a playoff game. Herbert’s performance in the Chargers’ 16-3 loss to the Patriots isn’t worth defending anyway. He stunk, managing only 159 passing yards on 31 attempts. He scrambled for 57 yards but lost 39 of them back on six sacks. Herbert just didn’t cope well with the pressure New England predictably put him under all night. He was quick to leave the pocket but couldn’t make the necessary plays to keep the Chargers in it.
Did Aaron Rodgers just finish his NFL career with pick 6? He explained how he’ll make retirement decision after Steelers’ blowout loss - Yahoo Sports
“I’ve answered this before,” Rodgers responded when asked. “Every game could be my final game.”
So while he lauded Pittsburgh as “a special place,” speculation will continue about whether the Pro Football Hall of Fame committee will begin considering Rodgers for entry in 2030 or not until later.
ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” broadcast crew members, who have met with Rodgers for production meetings this season, indicated their expectations.
Sideline reporter Lisa Salters said Rodgers answered a question about whether this season was his last with a “probably.” Color analyst and Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman said “I think we are watching Aaron Rodgers’ last game.”
“If I was betting,” Aikman added during the fourth quarter, “I’d say this is the last game we’ll see him play.”
SDSU / UCSD / USD
Magoon Gwath has big game vs. Fresno State (again), Aztecs stay in first place - San Diego Union-Tribune
Gwath returned to the starting lineup after two games coming off the bench and finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in 22½ minutes. He scored SDSU’s first two baskets in each half, shot 8 of 12 (and made both attempts beyond the arc) and had a steal diving on the floor for a loose ball.
His career averages in three games against Fresno State: 19 points, eight rebounds and three blocks while shooting 72.7% overall and (yes) 7 of 8 on 3s.
Tritons Remain Perfect in Big West Play - UCSD Tritons
UC San Diego women’s basketball defeated UC Riverside, 70-54, on Saturday afternoon in LionTree Arena. The Tritons (10-5, 5-0 Big West) won all four quarters over the Highlanders (5-10, 3-2 Big West) to remain unbeaten in Big West play.
Erin Condron recorded a career-high 22 points and added 12 rebounds and two blocks for her fourth double-double of the season. Dymonique Maxie tallied a season-best 17 points, while Sabrina Ma chipped in eight points and led the Tritons with three steals. Rosa Smith led the team with four assists and Condron finished with three.
Toreros Drop Result to Tigers Saturday - USD Toreros
USD men’s basketball dropped a 77-70 decision at Pacific on Saturday evening, splitting the season series with the NET No. 126 Tigers.
Junior guard Ty-Laur Johnson led the Toreros in scoring again, tallying 19 in the Alex G. Spanos Center to go with seven rebounds and seven assists. Despite holding Pacific’s Elias Ralph – who entered the game averaging 18.2 points in WCC contests – to six points, USD was overwhelmed by TJ Wainwright’s volume as he scored a game-high 25 points, going 5-14 from three.
Odds & Ends
Tommy Pham is the MVP of baseball access journalism - The Bandwagon
You might have seen that Tommy Pham has some ideas about stats that would make Tommy Pham look better.
The free agent outfielder, who turns 38 in March, is aiming to land a contract to play his 13th MLB season. And this week, The Athletic published a story dedicated to the ways in which Pham says player performance is “not being quantified like it should.”
His “pitch” is pithily titled — PhamGraphs, admittedly very good — but it’s nebulous and solution-free. Really, it’s just two long-known hurdles to player valuation highlighted, small problems turned into a big article for online discussion by virtue of a major leaguer acknowledging them.
How Brooks Koepka’s PGA Tour defection can serve as inflection point in ending golf’s long-fractured state - CBS Sports
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp met with Koepka on multiple occasions. Meetings took place. A new pathway was concocted out of thin air. Majority approval was achieved, and on Monday, membership was made aware of the reinstatement decision. All of this transpired in a three-week window during the holidays leading into the start of the 2026 season.
In doing so, the PGA Tour not only opened an expedited pathway for Koepka to return without serving a year-long suspension, it created an opportunity to deal a massive blow to its rival, one from which it may not be able to recover.
Everybody Loves Bill Kennedy - Defector
Kennedy blew a tire Friday night early in the game between Philadelphia and Orlando, and had to be carted off the floor with what seems to be a hamstring injury that left him both out of pocket for the next few months and in tears on the court. But that’s not the news here. It’s that Bill Kennedy, who once again is an official, will actually be missed rather than mocked, by fans and players alike. It probably helps that he wasn’t traded for a generational player.
But also Kennedy is an idol of sorts, simply because he inherently gets the relationship between a referee and the outside world, and makes it work in the only way it can: by simply and competently competing for the amorphous entertainment dollar without getting in the way of the actual product. In other words, Kennedy is guilty of having fun with one of the least pleasurable parts of modern sports, and therefore allowing us to have fun with it too.
How U.S. Soccer is allocating World Cup tickets – to USA supporters, but mostly paying members - The Athletic
U.S. Soccer will reserve most of its 2026 World Cup ticket allotment for paying “Insiders” and other stakeholders, but will allocate all of FIFA’s scarce $60 tickets to members of three independent supporters groups, including the American Outlaws.
The Sports Highlight Of The Day Is This ICE Goon Eating Shit - Defector
Federal agents continued their operations in Minneapolis over the weekend, where they were met with resistance from local residents who do not want to see their communities invaded by masked shitheads, who are there to kidnap and kill their neighbors. Groups of people have come together to protest, to chase ICE agents out of their neighborhoods, and to make sure Gregory Bovino can’t piss in peace,
In some instances, ICE officers have been defeated by the elements themselves.
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