The Sports Report: Daytona 500 marred by crash that leaves Ryan Newman in serious condition

Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news.

NASCAR instituted a series of safety measures since the death of Dale Earnhardt in the 2001 Daytona 500, but all the memories of how dangerous the sport can be came rushing back Monday night when Ryan Newman was involved in a horrific crash that sent him to the hospital.

“He is in serious condition, but doctors have indicated his injuries are not life threatening,� Roush Fenway Racing said in a statement. “We appreciate your thoughts and prayers and ask that you respect the privacy of Ryan and his family during this time. We appreciate your patience and cooperation and will provide more information as it becomes available.�

The crash occured on the last lap of the 209-lap race, the longest in Daytona 500 history, which had Denny Hamlin and Newman battling for the lead when Ryan Blaney pushed Newman past Hamlin. Newman took the lead and then he and Blaney locked bumpers, sending Newman to the wall and airborne. He was then hit head-on by Corey LaJoie and then Newman’s car slid on its roof, throwing sparks and even fire.

It took safety workers several minutes to extricate him from the car before he was taken to Halifax Medical Center.

Hamlin went on to win the race in the second closest margin in Daytona history, 14-hundredths of a second over Blaney. Hamlin also became the first back-to-back winner since Sterling Marlin won in 1994 and ‘95. It was Hamlin’s third win in five years and the fourth for Joe Gibbs Racing, whose namesake was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame this year.

“We pushed Newman to the lead and then we got a push from the 11 [Hamlin],� Blaney said before knowing Newman’s condition. “I kind of went low and he blocked that and so I was committed to pushing him to the win and have a Ford win it.

“I don’t know. We just got the bumpers hooked up wrong and I turned him. … It looked pretty bad. I was trying to push him to the win. I don’t like saying that things just happen because I feel really bad about it.�

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UCLA BASKETBALL

Charisma Osborne scored 22 points, including seven in overtime, and No. 8 UCLA rallied to beat 15th-ranked Oregon State 83-74 on Monday night.

Japreece Dean added 22 points and 12 assists and Michaela Onyenwere had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Bruins (22-3, 11-3 Pac-12). They overcame a 14-point deficit in the third quarter.

Mikayla Pivec had 19 points and nine rebounds before fouling out with 3:42 left in overtime for the Beavers (19-7, 7-7), who have dropped three in a row. Destiny Slocum also had 19 points but was held to three points in the five-minute extra session.

The Bruins never trailed in overtime, getting 3-pointers from Osborne and Dean. The Beavers were limited to two field goals and three free throws.

KINGS

The Kings traded Tyler Toffoli was traded Monday to the Vancouver Canucks for forward Tim Schaller, 20-year-old prospect Tyler Madden, a second-round pick in the 2020 NHL draft, and a conditional fourth-rounder 2022 — a seemingly big haul for a player on an expiring contract.

“He was terrific,� Kings general manager Rob Blake said in a text of Toffoli, 27, who had spent all eight seasons of his NHL career with the Kings. “Like [former Kings forward Kyle] Clifford, has meant so much to [the] organization. They are Stanley Cup winners.�

From the start of the season, Toffoli had been targeted as a potential trade chip. In the last season of a contract worth $4.6 million in annual average value, he appeared to be a top-six luxury for a team that didn’t figure to factor into the playoff race.

In the opening two months, however, the former second-round pick was struggling to keep his place near the top of the Kings’ lineup. After scoring four points in the first five games, he tallied only one goal in the next eight before coach Todd McLellan made him a healthy scratch on Oct. 30.

He returned to the lineup but managed only eight points (three goals, five assists) over his next 18 appearances. Eventually, on Dec. 10, he was dropped to the fourth line.

Then, he turned around his season.

Beginning with a two-point performance on that December night against the New York Rangers, Toffoli went on a hot streak. In his last 28 games, he had 21 points (12 goals, nine assists), a plus-six rating, three game-winning tallies and a strong 13.6 shooting percentage. He ascended back to the top line and took the team lead in goals (18). After his four goals in two games last week, he was named the NHL’s third star of the week.

Madden, a third-round pick in 2018 currently playing his second season of college hockey with Northeastern University, was considered one of the Canucks’ best prospects. In 27 games at the NCAA level this season, he had 37 points (19 goals, 18 assists) and a plus-four rating.

The acquisition of a second-rounder, meanwhile, gives the Kings 10 total picks in the draft, including multiple selections in the second, third and fourth rounds.

DODGERS

When Justin Turner saw Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred’s comments Sunday in which he defended his investigation into the Houston Astros’ illegal sign-stealing scheme and referred to the World Series trophy as a “piece of metal,� rage boiled.

“I don’t know if the commissioner has ever won anything in his life,� Turner said in front of his locker Monday. “Maybe he hasn’t. But the reason every guy’s in this room, the reason every guy is working out all offseason, and showing up to camp early and putting in all the time and effort is specifically for that trophy, which, by the way, is called the Commissioner’s Trophy.

“So for him to devalue it the way he did yesterday just tells me how out of touch he is with the players in this game. At this point the only thing devaluing that trophy is that it says ‘Commissioner’ on it.�

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DUCKS

Andrew Mangiapane had three goals and an assist, and the Calgary Flames rallied for a 6-4 victory over the Ducks on Monday.

Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and an assist for Calgary, which trailed 3-1 early in the third period. Sam Bennett and Sean Monahan also scored.

Mangiapane’s 12th goal got the Flames within one 4:46 into the third. After Bennett tied it 19 seconds later, Mangiapane set up Tkachuk at 12:59. Tkachuk’s initial shot was stopped, but he fired in the rebound from a scramble.

Mangiapane completed his first career hat trick with an empty-netter, taking a pass from Johnny Gaudreau. Mangiapane’s four-point performance also was a career best.

Adam Henrique, Jakob Silfverberg, Nicolas Deslauriers and Devin Shore scored for the Ducks. Ryan Miller made 37 saves.

SOCCER

Carlos Vela has played 72 times for Mexico, taking part in two World Cups and winning two Gold Cups. Yet for all his international success, Vela remains as much an enigma as an icon in his homeland, where he has never played a club game.

Part of that veil will be lifted Tuesday when he leads LAFC into Estadio León for a CONCACAF Champions League playoff game, his first in Mexico in anything other than the tri-colored kit of the national team.

“It’s a game everyone’s been waiting for, the most important game of this part of the season,� León president Jesús Martínez said in Spanish.

“This game is going to draw a very important audience and we’re very excited.�

So is Vela, who left Mexico and the Chivas academy system for Europe when he was 16, beginning an odyssey that would see him play for seven teams in three countries before leading him home again 15 years later.

“Obviously it’s my country. I love Mexico,� Vela said. “I’m happy to have the chance to play there. I hope it’s a great game.

“I hope I score some goals. And I hope we win.�

TODAY’S LOCAL MAJOR SPORTS SCHEDULE

All times Pacific.

Kings at Winnipeg, 5 p.m., FSW

BORN ON THIS DATE

1895: College football player George Gipp (d. 1920)

1938: Former Dodger player Manny Mota

1945: Golfer Judy Rankin

1947: Marathon runner Carlos Lopes

1950: Former Angel Bruce Kison (d. 2018)

1960: Hockey player Andy Moog

1964: Former Dodger Kevin Tapani

1967: Soccer player Roberto Baggio

1969: Hockey player Alexander Mogilny

1981: Basketball player Andrei Kirilenko

DIED ON THIS DATE

1933: Boxer James J. Corbett, 66

1998: Baseball broadcaster Harry Caray, 83

2001: Race car driver Dale Earnhardt, 49

2001: Baseball player Eddie Mathews, 69

2015: Basketball player Jerome Kersey, 52

AND FINALLY

Manny Mota talks about playing with Roberto Clemente. Watch it here.