Who's Hot and Who's Not in Sports: Southern California

I've been considering doing this exact series for a long time, mainly because I talk a lot about sports markets--mainly who the top teams and the "black sheeps" are in each area. Regarding how I'll do this, I had to think about how I would go about cooking up this series, but after careful consideration, here's how it'll go:

The stories will cover each of North America's sports markets, and only teams in the main four leagues (NHL, NBA, MLB, NFL/CFL) will be mentioned. In order for a market to qualify for individuation, it has to have at least three of the four leagues represented. The reasons for the rule about the leagues: the four main leagues are the most established, and it prevents a cluttered story, as some markets are so large that they have pro teams all over. Also, the teams have to be currently in said market, no former teams or future teams mentioned.

So let's get things started with a market I know very well: Southern California.

For decades, pro sports was primarily Eastern, only going as west as Chicago and St. Louis. When sports did go farther West, Los Angeles was always the hot spot. The second largest sports market in the continent, LA is the epicenter of West Coast sports, though SoCal sports has also stretched out to Anaheim and San Diego over the years. For the most part, the success has been here more often than not, and with that, let's take a look at the nine teams who call Southern California home.

NBA (Lakers and Clippers)

Let me just say that I absolutely don't like the Clippers' current logo. The Clippers have been trying so badly to get out of the Lakers' shadow, but nothing is working. They finally moved out of the Lakers' house a couple of years ago, now currently playing in Inglewood's Intuit Dome. They got the new logo, they keep getting big names, but the result is the same: failure.

The Lakers are a far cry from that team who won the championship in 2020 (even farther now that LeBron James is on his way out of there), but the Lakers are still the big brother, having won 17 NBA Championships (12 after moving to LA) and serving as one of the most prestigious franchises in sports. The Clippers? Not so much. No Finals appearances, and they've only been in the Conference Finals once.

MLB (Dodgers, Angels, and Padres)

The Dodgers own baseball in SoCal. Even without the team being on the verge of a possible dynasty, they still own it. Since moving to Los Angeles from Brooklyn in 1958, the Dodgers have won eight World Series--including three of the last six (2020, 2024, 2025). Only the Yankees have won more in that span. Of course, three years after the Dodgers headed West, the Los Angeles Angels debuted and served as the American League's counterpart to the Dodgers, and have spent the last 60 years playing in Anaheim, which is the Los Angeles of Orange County. Southern California got a third MLB team in 1969 when the San Diego Padres began play.

Now the Angels and Padres haven't come close to being on the Dodgers' level, but at least the Angels actually won a World Series in 2002. They are also the unfortunate owners of MLB's longest current playoff drought; currently at 11 seasons, and it looks like it'll reach a full dozen this year. As for the Padres, they've won two pennants, which is one more than the Angels, but neither of them have turned into anything. The Padres are tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for the longest wait for their first title. They debuted in 1969, the same year that Divisional Play began, but they have yet to win the whole thing.

NFL (Rams and Chargers)

The NFL and the City of Angels have always had a complicated relationship. It was in 1946 (a year after their first NFL Championship) that the Rams were uprooted from Cleveland to Los Angeles, pretty much becoming LA's first pro team in any of the main leagues. For decades, they were LA's only NFL team, and yes, that's true because the Los Angeles Chargers were in the AFL, and they moved to San Diego after their first year. Then Al Davis decided to move the Raiders to LA in 1982. Then 13 years later, LA--the second largest city in the US--lost both teams. In 2016, after 21 seasons in St. Louis and a Super Bowl Championship, the Rams returned to LA. When a second LA team was announced, everyone expected the Raiders. It ended up being the Chargers. A lot of Angelenos were not pleased.

Hard to believe that this upcoming season will be the Chargers' 10th back in LA. Since 2020, the two teams have shared Inglewood's SoFi Stadium as their home, but it's painfully clear that it really is the Rams' house, while the Chargers are paying rent. The Rams have the prestige; having won two Super Bowls--their latest win at their home stadium. The Chargers? They made Super Bowl XXIX as a San Diego franchise, but haven't come close since. Right now, both LA teams should be in the playoffs in 2026, but it's the Rams with the Super Bowl expectations. Getting Myles Garrett will do that.

NHL (Kings and Ducks)

The 1967 NHL expansion included a Western extension, with the Los Angeles Kings being one of the six teams who debuted in the league and helped double the league's size from six to 12 teams. The Kings spent their first several seasons as victims of circumstances, especially in the 80s as the lone American team in the Smythe Division--with the Oilers and Flames being loaded. Though, they did manage to wheel and deal their way into getting this Wayne Gretzky guy, and they did finally reach the Stanley Cup Final in 1993, but fell short. Speaking of 1993, that year (1993-94) would see the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim make their debut, and one thing I've noticed: they definitely seemed to outshine their big brothers lately.

The Kings' first Cup Final appearance: 1993--Year Twenty-Six. The Ducks' first Cup Final appearance: 2003--Year Ten. The Ducks also won a Cup first, doing so in 2007, their 13th season of play. The Kings would have to wait another five years to capture the Cup, winning in 2012 and getting a second Cup in 2014. So yeah, the Kings are the big brother, but it's not by much, especially with the Ducks having a longer 2026 playoff run than the Kings did.

So when it comes to SoCal, who rules and who is the "black sheep"? If you go by overall history, it's the Lakers, but if you believe in "What have you done for me lately?," it's the Dodgers. I've seen it all, up close and personal, on my local TV, and honestly, I think the Dodgers have surpassed the Lakers as SoCal's top team. "But, Clyde," you'll say, "they bought those two championships, and won a Mickey Mouse ring before that." They really need to stop that disrespect to the 2020 ring. I honestly think that the only reason why the Dodgers' 2020 ring gets dissed is because it's the Dodgers. Anyone else wins that ring during that COVID-shortened year would get praised (except for the Yankees). As for 2024 and 2025, yeah, they were bought. Most--if not all--championships are. Dodgers won three championships in six years. That's good enough to be on top of SoCal sports.

As for who takes the "black sheep" role, that's easy: the Clippers. I remember them being one of the worst teams in the NBA during my high school years, and when they finally did have the talent to win, they couldn't even get to the Finals. Hell, they couldn't even get to the Conference Finals except for that one time in 2021. The Clippers are a pathetic mess, and it's not getting any better for them any time soon.

So what are your thoughts? Do you agree that the Dodgers are SoCal's top team? How about the Clippers being SoCal's black sheep? Feel free to post your thoughts in the comments section below!