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ANAHEIM >> The jouey from prospect to player in the NHL often can be a winding one, few paths remaining as straight and uninterrupted as the blue line. For every Cam Fowler, who was a draftee one day and - three months later - a Duck, there are scores of players who go from Point A to Point ...

ANAHEIM >> The jouey from prospect to player in the NHL often can be a winding one, few paths remaining as straight and uninterrupted as the blue line. For every Cam Fowler, who was a draftee one day and three months later a Duck, there are scores of players who go from Point A to Point B on...

There were many of them. A litany of issues stymied USC in its season-opening 52-6 loss to top-ranked Alabama on Saturday night. When Trojans coach Clay Helton addressed reporters on a teleconference the following day, he frequently circled back to one of them: offensive line struggles. Regarded as one of the team’s most experienced units throughout training camp and fall practice with all five starters back, it struggled against a stiff Alabama front seven, failing to pave much of a path for ruing backs or keep quarterback Max Browne upright. “The biggest thing is we went up against a really, really good front,” Helton said. “Not only did they play well, but their movements and pressures a...

LAS VEGAS >> UFC 202 didn’t feature any title fights, but it offered several compelling matchups and scintillating performances. And while no belts were on the line Saturday at T-Mobile Arena, championship ramifications were all over the card. Here’s a look at what happened and what could happen as it pertains to UFC gold: Conor McGregor Can we just call his welterweight rematch against Nate Diaz a fight for the People’s Championship? Each fighter has his rabid fans, yet both delivered efforts that could be applauded by any MMA fan. (And by the way ... the UFC roster should regard McGregor as THEIR champion, seeing how McGregor was reportedly paid a UFC record $3 million and Diaz rake...

Le’Veon Bell believes his surgically repaired right knee feels so good he could play “tomorrow.” The wait will be considerably longer for the Pittsburgh Steelers ruing back, perhaps all the way until October if his appeal for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy is denied. While Bell apologized for being a distraction as the Steelers reported for training camp Thursday, he declined to get into specifics, saying only he was notified in March that he’d been suspended. ESPN.com reported Bell missed a drug test. “It’s a little frustrating,” Bell said. “I’ve got to handle it for what it is and just keep moving forward.” Bell expects the appeal to be heard sometime in August, giving the Ste...

ANAHEIM >> The Angels on Thursday started their rookie catcher Jett Bandy for the second consecutive game. It was the first time they had done so this season since Bandy was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake in late May to replace Geovany Soto who was put on the disabled list because of a to meniscus in his right knee. Bandy, 26, began Thursday hitting .321 with a .333 on-base percentage and .393 slugging percentage, spaing 10 games. He was also 3 for 4 against the Astros on Wednesday in Houston. But if Scioscia, a former catcher himself, has grown increasingly comfortable tuing to Bandy it’s because of his work behind the plate. “You’re going to measure a catcher for what he does on ...