Lakers Win-Fans Riot

Looted shoe store















Even though I was born and raised in LA, I have always rooted against the LA teams. I guess it was my way of being a rebel. The history of the Lakers in recent years convinces me that as a town, LA does not deserve a winner. Four times in recent years, the Lakers have won the NBA title. And four times, fans have spoiled the victory by getting out of hand to one extent or another outside the Staples Center. Last night was another full-scale riot as the usual suspects further tarnished the already faded image of a once-great city. I was hoping the Orlando Magic would win, partially to avoid what has now become automatic following a Laker championship.

During the melee, officers were hit with rocks, police and civilian cars were attacked, fires were set, a bus was smashed and stores were looted. One shoe store lost almost its entire 150,000 dollar inventory. Store owner Richard Torres told reporters he rushed to the store when he heard of the riot but to no avail. As of this writing, approximately 18 hooligans have been arrested. Eight officers were injured, six of whom required hospital treatment.

Almost as shameful was watching the local LA news reports this morning, which treated the riot in a cavalier manner. The only thing that mattered was that their Lakers won. One bubblehead blonde anchor, wearing a Laker t-shirt, chided the on-scene reporter who described the riot as wearing a "puke-green" tie. Others described the up-coming victory parade, which will cost the city about a million bucks, by telling us that "LA deserves it". It was almost as bad as the first riot when sports talk jock Vic "the Jerk" Jacobs* pooh-poohed it by comparing it to the "real riots" he remembered from New York then went on to praise the Laker fans.

(* I am referring to Vic "The Brick" Jacobs, an obnoxious, loudmouth sports commentator given to fur coats and teen-age street jargon. Notice that I have cleaned up the sobriquet I have given him. Usually I refer to him by a nickname that rhymes with "brick".)

At any rate, LAPD Chief (and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa stooge) Willam Bratton promises more arrests since they have excellent photos and video of the "knuckleheads and thugs", as Chief Bratton calls them. Of course, he will probably soften his language when it turns out that many if not most of the offenders are illegal alien street gang members. If so, one wonders if the police will notify ICE of the arrests. Probably not, and Chief Bratton will probably tell the public that if they don't like it, they can leave the city (as he has previously stated). I wonder if Chief Bratton would like to repeat that to Mr Torres-or to his eight injured officers.