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Derek Fisher is out as the Los Angeles Sparks' head coach and general manager.

On Tuesday, the Sparks announced that they have parted ways with Fisher after a 5-7 start in his fourth season as head coach.

"The Sparks and I have mutually agreed to part ways as I shift my focus back to pursuing other opportunities and private endeavors," Fisher said in a press release.

Sparks' Assistant Coach Fred Williams will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the 2022 WNBA season.

"On behalf of our ownership group, I want to thank Derek for his efforts and contributions to the Sparks franchise," Managing Partner Eric Holoman said. "We wish him the best moving forward. I have full confidence in Fred Williams to step into the role of interim head coach, bringing a wealth of experience leading WNBA teams.”

LOS ANGELES: Liz Cambage happy to finally get chance to play for Sparks

Fisher was named the Sparks head coach in December 2018 and was named the general manager of the organization in December 2021. Over three-plus seasons, Fisher lead the Sparks to a 54-46 regular season record and two playoff appearances, where they went 1-4.

The Sparks are currently in 8th place in the WNBA standings.

“I want to thank the LA Sparks organization, ownership, staff, players, and fans for the opportunity they have afforded me over the last four years as a part of this historic franchise,” Fisher said. "Their support has allowed me to grow as both a coach and front office executive and I am proud of what we have accomplished.”

In addition to his stint with the Sparks, Fisher also served as the head coach of the NBA's New York Knicks from 2014-2016. He won five NBA titles playing with the Lakers.

Williams has more than 30 years worth of coaching experience. Before joining the Sparks as an assistant in 2019, he served as the head coach of the Dallas Wings (formerly known as the Tulsa Shock) from 2014-2018, where he worked with Liz Cambage, who joined the Sparks this season.

Jeff Fisher could afford to be stubborn, predictable, hidebound, uncreative, uninspiring, indefensibly mediocre and historically unsuccessful and still keep his job as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams.

He just could not afford to be publicly embarrassing.

The Rams relieved Fisher of his head coaching duties Monday afternoon. It would have been no surprise for most coaches. The Rams have lost eight of their last nine games, the last two by a combined score of 68-24. They amassed a 31-45-1 record under Fisher over nearly five seasons. Change was overdue the way a library book found in the attic of an abandoned house is overdue.

But the Rams announced an inexplicable Fisher contract extension just one week ago. Fisher had become some hybrid of Wolverine, a horror movie villain and a tenured college professor who falls asleep during his own lectures. The football world was just coming to terms with the fact that Fisher's perennial, indefatigable mediocrity was as inevitable as death, taxes and laundry.

But then came the embarrassment.

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First, there was a public feud with Rams legend Eric Dickerson. Dickerson claimed Fisher made him feel unwelcome around the organization because the Hall of Fame running back was too critical. Fisher downplayed the hostility of his position toward Dickerson. The organization was caught in the middle of a public relations nightmare between a popular old player and an unpopular coach while trying to re-establish a beachhead in the Los Angeles media market.

Then, there was the media conference call in which Fisher identified Danny Woodhead as one of the Patriots running backs. Woodhead has not played for the Patriots in four years. Casual fantasy football gamers wouldn't make the blunder Fisher made during his week of preparation for an important game. It became a national punch line, and it gave the impression of a head coach who had checked out from his day-to-day responsibilities.

Third came FishyLeaks. Fisher name-dropped a pair of draft picks that did not pan out during a press conference, tacitly throwing blame for those selections (and, by consequence, for the disappointing Rams offense) on general manager Les Snead, who answers to Fisher. After the remarks, Albert Breer of The MMQB investigated and ferreted out some friction in the Rams organization. Fisher made a point of calling out those who "leaked" the information. It painted the image of a coach more interested in information and damage control than solving his team's problems.

Lastly, there were Todd Gurley's postgame remarks after Sunday's 42-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Gurley compared the Rams offense to a "middle school offense" and claimed players were just "going through the motions."

Harry How/Getty Images

Finally, all the boxes were checked off. Failure of team marketing? Checked by Dickerson. Failure of game-planning? Checked by Woodhead. Failure of organizational stability? Checked by FishyLeaks. Failure of team chemistry/system "buy-in?" Todd Gurley, checkmate.

Failure to win football games? That was never going to get Fisher fired. Fisher leaves the Rams tied for the most losses in NFL coaching history. Andy Reid has two fewer wins than Fisher but 52 fewer losses. Bill Belichick could go 0-16 for six straight years and still have a higher winning percentage than Fisher.

Rams owner Stan Kroenke builds department stores for a living. He was around the league for decades as a minority owner before taking over the Rams in 2010, but he also owns the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and Arsenal, so he's not a guy who spends time studying game plans. Sports exist for Kroenke to build, fill and cross-promote entertainment complexes. He likely has only a vague idea of what NFL head coaching really entails. He hired himself a coach that almost won a Super Bowl once, is on a first-name basis with everyone in the NFL and beats the Seahawks every now and then.

Fisher sold Kroenke on the idea that he provided "stability" while the Rams moved from St. Louis to Los Angeles. Kroenke bought it. He spun the standard cliches about attacking, aggressive defense and establishing the run on offense. Kroenke believed them as though they were new. Fisher was no longer very good at coaching—the game had passed him by, in a variety of ways, since his Tennessee Titans heyday—but he was outstanding at looking, sounding and acting the part. Kroenke was willing to go along with his old-school football wisdom.

Fisher acquired a ransom in draft picks in the 2012 Robert Griffin trade, selected some very good players, yet kept finishing under .500. He engineered a Sam Bradford-for-Nick Foles trade that was little more than a waste of time and energy. He pulled a reverse-Griffin by spending picks to trade up for Jared Goff, decreed Goff unready to start, waited two months, then inserted the poor kid in the lineup to remove all doubt.

Fisher squirmed away from accountability every time. Why can't a team built out of a bundle of high draft picks reach the playoffs? Why did the Rams draft an unprepared quarterback, and in an era when rookie quarterbacks often perform well during on-the-job training, why couldn't Fisher's staff prepare him? Fisher always kept the Rams on the verge of being competitive, burning resources while keeping them perpetually a year away from putting the pieces together. Kroenke let himself be strung along, figuring one day Goff would be great, everyone else would be acclimated to California and the 13-3 seasons would begin.

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You can fool a multimillionaire like Kroenke but not at his own games: marketing, public relations, promotion. And you certainly cannot humiliate him. Kroenke knows a public relations nightmare when he sees it, and Fisher spent the last two weeks serving them up in rapid succession. As for Fisher's stability-unity-toughness cliche bundle, it's hard for anyone to seriously believe he is somehow keeping the troops goal-oriented when his brightest young star, suffering through a miserable season, begins venting about "going through the motions."

Fisher could lose all he wanted. But he couldn't make Kroenke choose between him and Dickerson, as well as the season-ticket purchasers sympathetic to Dickerson. He couldn't make Kroenke take sides between him and Gurley, the guy whose image goes on all of the merchandise. Fisher couldn't make Kroenke look this silly in the days after that ill-conceived extension was announced. Business magnates like Kroenke eat contracts like Fisher's for breakfast all the time when it means moving on from a bad idea.

So Kroenke fired Fisher, politely affirming his "great respect for Jeff as a coach, person, father and friend," because professionals extract themselves from bad deals with the least possible drama. The Rams are left without an obvious replacement, because people like Fisher are far too survival-savvy to keep potential rivals among their assistants. John Fassel, special teams coordinator and son of former Giants head coach Jim Fassel, is the likely interim successor, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Kroenke will embark on his coaching search offering an appealing situation: new market, new stadium coming soon, top quarterback prospect ready for grooming, some Pro Bowl talent, a fanbase ready to embrace anyone who isn't Jeff Fisher. Kroenke may look for a big name like Mike Shanahan or a hotshot young coordinator. Maybe he has learned his lesson from the NFL "old school" and seeks innovation. Maybe he's seeking another flavor of comfort food.

Whoever gets the Rams job will probably have a year or two to sort through the Fisher rubble. Kroenke appears to be a deep-pocketed owner who holds a fairly long leash.

Just don't embarrass him the way Fisher did. You'll only end up embarrassing yourself.

Mike Tanier covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @MikeTanier.

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It was just before Thanksgiving 2019, and I was traveling from my home in Grand Junction, Colo., to Denver to see relatives for the holidays. Over the years I’d made the trip many times aboard the California Zephyr, which is often billed as America’s most scenic train ride: It meanders through the Colorado Rockies exposing vistas rarely seen if you drive by car. I decided to get a cup of coffee and spend the morning sitting in the observation car enjoying the awesome scenery.

After settling down, I noticed a tall, handsome man with a classic driving cap sit down not far from me. At that very moment, I spotted a spectacular site: wild horses racing alongside the train. Startled, I pointed and spoke out, “Look!” (If you have never been on a train before, this is how one acts in the observation car.)

As we watched, marveling, the man in the driving cap shared that while sitting in this observation car on an earlier trip, he’d spotted a bear out in the unspoiled wilderness. And that’s how we got to talking, and talking. I found him intriguing, the conversation was fun and easy, and I wanted to continue it. When it came time for lunch, I couldn’t help myself. I asked if he’d care to join me in the dining car.

No thank you, he’d said. “I think I’ll just eat my trail mix.”

Lifestyle

Dec. 2, 2020

I admit to having some bruised feelings as I made my way out of the observation car and headed for lunch. But we’d seemed to really hit if off. Maybe he just wasn’t hungry?

When I made my way back through the observation car, he was still sitting there. But a new passenger — a young man — was in the seat I had earlier occupied.

I decided to be uncharacteristicly bold. I decided to give him one more chance. I patted him on the shoulder as I walked by and said, “You didn’t save my seat!” The young man bolted straight up and offered me the seat back.

I took it.

Feb. 11, 2022

The train ride over the Rocky Mountains takes about eight hours, and we talked the whole way. Paul and I found we had so much in common. Our backgrounds were both in sciences — nursing for me, engineering for him. We both loved salmon, salads and Altoids. Our political and religious views were complementary too. That was some kind of miracle right there. And he, like me, was headed to Denver to be with relatives over the Thanksgiving holiday. What a kind, smart man I had met.

Still, as we exchanged contact information, I couldn’t help but wonder if I would ever hear from him again. Soon we were in Denver being shuttled away and Thanksgiving was in the air.

That Friday, Paul texted me. “I really enjoyed our conversation,” he said, “Hope you had a fun Thanksgiving!” He said he was heading back to California the next morning, once again aboard the Zephyr.

My heart leapt. As luck would have it, “I am on the same train,” I texted back. “Hope to see you ...”

Thus leading to our second eight-hour date. I think we both knew we wanted to spend a lot more time together when the rocking and rolling of the train led to a playful bump of shoulders that felt electric. We both got off the train at Grand Junction because he was moving into a sleeping car for the rest of his journey. Time was running short — the conductor told him he needed to hurry and motioned to him to get back onboard.

We just looked at each other, unsure of what to do next. We both moved in for a hug. It turned into a kiss that surprised us both — and was spotted by my shocked daughter, who had arrived to pick me up.

“What was that?” she said as soon as I was within earshot.

During his return trip to California, Paul and I texted seemingly nonstop. (By this time, he’d confessed that he’d realized he fumbled my invitation for lunch that first day, but by the time he tried to catch up with me the lunch line for the dining car had grown too long. He said he’d feared he’d “blown it.”)

Once we were both back home, we realized we needed to see if “us” really worked away from the magic of the train ride. I decided to be bold once more. I proposed that I come to his place for New Year’s Eve or he come to mine. He countered with a better offer. We decided on a snowy Colorado Christmas and Santa Barbara for New Year’s to ring in 2020.

We have been together ever since, continuing back and forth between Colorado and California. Mountain biking is his passion, so he loves the western Colorado trails. It has been a challenge, though, putting a Southern California man in Colorado. We have snow, you know. But that isn’t a problem. I’m in love with the ocean, beautiful beaches and relaxed lifestyle that Santa Barbara offers, including daily drives along Cabrillo Boulevard to check out the ocean, the dolphins playing, the surfers and, of course, the gorgeous views.

Walking our little dog Foxy at Hendry’s Beach and the Douglas Family Preserve has been so invigorating to me that it has given me a new outlook on life.

You see, I am 81 and he is 74. Our adult children and our 13 grandchildren (I have six and he has seven) are thrilled for us. When I met Paul, he was widowed and I had been single (divorced) for 32 years. I was not looking for love. I thought my life was full and felt that I had a happy life.

It has been so very unexpected to find myself falling in love at this time of my life.

But it has been so wonderful learning to love again.

>The author is a retired registered nurse.

L.A. Affairs chronicles the search for romantic love in all its glorious expressions in the L.A. area, and we want to hear your true story. We pay $300 for a published essay. Email [email protected]. You can find submission guidelines here. You can find past columns here.

Blaine kicked off our review of the Jeff Fisher Era by taking a look at the RB situation. Now I get the pleasure of reviewing the wide receivers and tight ends.

I hope y’all are sitting down, because this is going to be painful.

During Jeff Fisher’s time as the head coach of the St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams, the NFL had quite the boon of young WRs entering the league. There were game changing talents (Sammy Watkins, Amari Cooper), superb specialists (Tyler Lockett, Tyreek Hill), a couple of elite TEs (Travis Kelce, Jordan Reed), and the WR class of 2014 - which is turning out to be as good as advertised.

Fisher was the Rams coach through 5 NFL drafts (2012-2016). Here are all of the receivers taken in those drafts who have made a Pro Bowl (# of appearances in parenthesis):

Alshon Jeffery (1)T.Y. Hilton (3)Tyler Eifert (1)DeAndre Hopkins (1)Cordarrelle Patterson (2)Travis Kelce (2)Jordan Reed (1)Sammy Watkins (0)Mike Evans (1)Odell Beckham Jr. (3)Allen Robinson (1)Jarvis Landry (2)*Amari Cooper (2)Tyler Lockett (1)Tyreek Hill (1)

That’s 14 receivers with a combined 22 Pro Bowl appearances without counting Sammy Watkins - who is highly regarded and has a 1000 yard receiving season and 17 touchdowns (more than any Rams receiver in that time) under his belt through his first three seasons.

*The ONLY receiver on that list the Rams were not in a position to draft was Amari Cooper in the 2015 NFL Draft.

In place of any of the receivers above, the Rams drafted the following players under Fisher’s rule:

*Brian Quick*Chris GivensTavon Austin*Stedman Bailey*Bud SasserTyler HigbeePharoh CooperTemarrick HemingwayMike Thomas

*No longer with team (Quick is a Unrestricted Free Agent)

There isn’t a single Pro Bowl appearance between those players. They’ve all been disappointments to date and honestly I’m not sure if more than 3 of those remaining on the Rams roster today will be back next season.

In regards to free agency, the Rams had plenty of opportunities to add talent their as well. The following receivers changed teams via free agency from 2012-2016: Vincent Jackson, Wes Welker, Mike Wallace, Desean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Golden Tate, Steve Smith, Jeremy Maclin, Torrey Smith, Michael Crabtree, Andre Johnson, Marvin Jones, Mohamed Sanu, Anquan Boldin, Martellus Bennett, Jermaine Gresham, and Julius Thomas. That’s quite a list.

Which free agent receivers did the Rams sign over that period? The other Steve Smith, Kenny Britt, and Jared Cook.

They instead chose to spend those funds on Cortland Finnegan, Jared Cook, Jake Long, Scott Wells, a Nick Foles extension, overpaying Rodger Saffold, and choosing Mark Barron over Janoris Jenkins last season.

#Yikes.

So it’s without question that the Rams had ample opportunities to address their receiver issues under Jeff Fisher. They just chose not to.

Have a look at the before and after:

Forgive me for being blunt, but that 2011 group is ugly. Brandon Lloyd had his moments, but they didn’t come with the Rams. The best of the rest may be Lance Kendricks - which is scary.

The sad part is that you can make the case that it’s better than the 2016 group.

In this year’s group, you had a 1000 yard receiver in Kenny Britt and not much else. Tavon Austin struggled mightily and Brian Quick continued to be...well... Brian Quick. If Britt was under contract at a reasonable rate for next season I may be inclined to call the 2016 group better. But he’s not.

At least the 2011 group had players who had shown they could produce in the NFL. Lloyd led the league in yards in 2010. Amendola and Alexander could produce to a lesser extent, but were never healthy. The 2016 group has no one who could reliably produce.

Sean McVay is left with Tavon Austin, Lance Kendricks and a bunch of youngsters who have shown nothing in the NFL.

It’s depressing, but Jeff Fisher inherited an ugly group of WRs and found a way to leave his successor with even less.

It’s a homecoming for the New York-based brand.

Los Angeles—Jennifer Fisher is offering an in-person experience for its Los Angeles clientele.

The celebrity cult-favorite jewelry brand, which has fine and costume pieces, is opening a Los Angeles flagship in Beverly Hills.

It’s the second retail location after the New York City flagship, discreetly located on the second floor of a building on Fifth Avenue near Union Square.

Fisher said L.A. was the natural choice to expand the company’s physical footprint.

“L.A. is one of our biggest markets,” she said, “with a clientele that really responds to the styling and design of the jewelry. The collection fits very well with West Coast style.”

It’s also a homecoming of sorts for Fisher, who grew up in Montecito, California but today calls New York City home.

“Growing up in Montecito outside of Santa Barbara, my grandfather was a polo player and also a silversmith,” Fisher explained. “He would make jewelry, like rodeo buckles, bolo ties, collar stays and money clips. I remember when I was a kid I would sit out there and watch him make all of this silver jewelry for his friends. It didn’t really hit me until a few years ago that that was a huge influence on me.”

Both coasts have informed her designs, which are at times edgy and on-trend (think hoop earrings for days) but timeless (like her classic gothic letter nameplates).

The 1,200-square-foot Beverly Hills store has a clean, contemporary elegance that works on either coast.

Fisher enlisted friend and interior designer Michelle Gerson to create the space, though Fisher is renowned for her own décor expertise, having twice collaborated with CB2 on a home collection.

The new Jennifer Fisher store in Beverly Hills is clean and minimalistic, with lighting from Entler Studio and marble pieces from the designer’s collaboration with CB2.

Fisher said of the store’s look and feel, “I have always had a love for clean interiors and minimal living, and one of my best friends, Michelle Gerson, happens to be a fabulous designer in New York.

“She helped bring my vision for the store to life. The chandeliers are from Entler lighting. I wanted the cases to feel light and bright and airy—almost floating. That is why they are white and very minimal. The chaises and coffee table are from my CB2 collaboration.”

Exposed brick walls and industrial details feel reminiscent of New York, while the lightness and brightness is trademark California.

“It was important