Hail to the Halos, the second fiddle champions

There is an age-old saying that asking a Dodger fan if he'd like the Angels or Giants to win the World Series is analogous to asking a condemned man if he'd like a firing squad or the electric chair. As a transplanted New Yorker residing in Los Angeles, I could not be happier. Well, I'd be happier if the Mets won the World Series, but I gave up that dream midway through the season. Over the past few years, I've developed a hatred of the "successful" Los Angeles teams, mainly the Lakers and Dodgers, and developed an affinity for the "underdogs," the Clippers and the Angels. Now it seems as if the underdogs are making a name for themselves. I still cannot believe the Angels won the World Series.

The Angels have always been hard to predict. Frankly, I thought they would fall on their face at the beginning of the season. Who would've thought the Angels would surpass the Seattle Mariners, who set the major league record in wins last season, in victories? They managed to finish ahead of the Mariners and win the wild card. Nobody expected the offensive spike this season by middle-infielders, shortstop David Eckstein and second baseman Adam Kennedy. I think hardly anyone thought Scott Spiezio would fill in adequately for Mo Vaughn. Before the season, I thought the Mets got the better half of the Mo Vaughn deal, but Kevin Appier came through earning 14 wins in the regular season. His post-season play wasn't the greatest and his 11.37 World Series ERA nearly cost the team the championship.

I honestly thought the team would lose to the Yankees at the start of the Playoffs, But instead the Halos shocked and amazed, dropping the Bronx Bombers in four games. Lo and behold the power of the rally monkey. Next came the pennant and finally the championship. Now after winning the title, the Angels are going to, that's right, Disneyland. Right down the block. I wonder if they get a discount being company employees and all?

Still, I get the feeling that the Angels do not get the same respect as their nearby rival, the Dodgers. World Series viewership dropped even further this year, partly because many Los Angeles residents don't care about the Halos. Even with a championship season under their belt, the Angels still lost money this past year in part because of low attendance brought on by a lack of popularity.

With Disney pumping millions of dollars into improving Edison Field and a $62-million payroll, the Angels just don't have the money-making ability to earn a profit. It's sad, but hopefully a new owner will find a way to generate new revenue. Good luck to Disney in finding a buyer, apparently the Angels are projected to lose money for several seasons to come.

The Angels have proven that a team can win a championship even if they are playing second fiddle, hopefully the Clippers will be able to prove the same within the next few years. With a young core of talented players, the Clippers have the ability to dethrone their stadium-mate, the world champion Los Angeles Lakers.

Michael Olowandi has the size and potential to be a dominant center, he's still learning and is almost there. Lamar Odom is one the most talented players in the NBA, having the ability to play any position on the court. Elton Brand is the dependable player and foundation that a team like the Clippers needs. Andre Miller is the star point guard that every team covets. Quentin Richardson is a star in the making. The Clippers have talent no doubt, however their owner Donald Sterling seems content to never open his wallet. With just about all of his premier players entering contract seasons, Sterling seems content to let them walk rather than paying them the dollars they deserve. If the Clippers can avoid injury the team has the potential to make the playoffs this year. Since the Clippers high-flying transportation two years ago, the team has been drawing more and more fans. Hint to Sterling: Keep these guys.

For many years the Clippers were the laughing stock of Los Angeles. Knicks fans would go to Clippers games to see the Knicks earn an easy victory. There were very few true Clipper fans out there. Before they moved into the Staples Center Clippers games were quiet venues where many fans were rooting for the visiting team.

Still, their perpetual underdog status led to my love of the Clippers. The perennial loser struck a cord with other Angelenos including former News-Letter sports editor Dave Gonen who started the Web site http://www.goclippers.com. Now, after years of losing, having a strong team feels extra nice. Imagine if only they had the necessary fans to back them up.