The Dodgers owner has decided to remove players' names from the back of uniform jerseys. Frank McCourt cites "tradition" as the rationale; I guess something else justified curtailing the Dodger Stadium organ and the firing of play-by-play announcer Ross Porter. Names have appeared on the Dodgers' whites since 1972. With the Red Sox sweep of the World Series, it's nice to see the blot removed from the reputation of Billy Buckner, whose infamous bobble of that grounder in the 1986 Series tainted a marvelous career that began here in L.A.

Also in Sports: The Clippers formally agree to play 10 more seasons at Staples Center. This just a couple of weeks after Anschutz boss Tim Leiweke said he didn't much care if they came or went.

And: In Phil Jackson's book excerpt in Los Angeles Magazine (not online), he reveals that Kobe Bryant took a cell phone call in the locker room huddle before the final playoff game against Detroit last season, then after the game Kobe didn't accompany the team back to Los Angeles. Jackson sounds mighty happy to have "the kid" out of his life.