The world (and all five of its rings) according to Jim: • We got next, right? Some time during Sunday’s closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics, the torch (figuratively) and the five-ringed Olympic flag (literally) will be officially passed, and Southern California will be on the clock. The opening ceremony of the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad, split between the Coliseum and SoFi Stadium, will be July 14, 2028, and the party will run through July 30, followed by the Paralympics Aug. 22 to Sept.
3. The countdown will be 1,429 days. It goes quickly.
Thankfully, most of the heavy lifting is already done, which is the beauty of bringing the Games to a community where most of the needed facilities are already in place, paid for and privately owned. ..
. • I said most. If you are a member of the softball community griping about your sport being relocated to Oklahoma City, you have a legitimate gripe.
Usually, when someone is sent from L.A. to OKC, that means they’re not cutting it, or not yet out of options.
(Right now, we call it the James Outman Shuttle. More on that subject below.) .
.. • From this viewpoint, there are three projects that need to be completed in those 1,429 days that will allow Southern California to show its best face to the world.
One is, yes, that softball stadium. Yes, OKC hosts the Women’s College World Series and the Softball Hall of Fame. But where do a large percentage of college players come from? Where do college coaches spend their summers recr.