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Los Angeles Rams star wide receiver Cooper Kupp was in Minnesota on Monday to see a specialist in the hopes of getting at the root of his hamstring issues, coach Sean McVay said.

The visit comes after Kupp had a setback with his recovery from a hamstring injury last week.

McVay said Kupp remains day-to-day, adding that he should have more clarity on Kupp's availability for Week 1 on Wednesday. The Rams open their season Sunday at the Seattle Seahawks.

"I think you just move forward, and you have to be able to operate with the situation and the guys we do have and if he's able to go then that's outstanding for us and, if not, then that's kind of how we've been operating," McVay said.

"I think the most important thing is that whenever he's ready to take the field, whether that be this week, whether that be Week 2, whatever it is, as long as he's able to have that return to performance, he's feeling like the Cooper Kupp that we all know and love and he's got some clarity on, all right, what is really going on? I think that will be a really good situation for us."

Kupp, 30, was first injured in a training camp practice Aug. 1 and missed all three preseason games.

McVay said Kupp's absence has "forced growth and development" for the rest of the Rams' receivers, who include Van Jefferson and Tutu Atwell.

"Here's what I'll say: I know how badly Cooper wants to be available and wants to be available for his teammates, so I first feel for him. The second thing is what we're not going to do is to get caught up with things that are outside of our control. I'm not doing that," McVay said.

Kupp played nine games in 2022 before a season-ending ankle injury but led the NFL in receptions (145), yards (1,947) and touchdowns (16) in 2021.

Reuters contributed to this report.

HBO’s streaming show about the “Showtime” era is doing too much in its second season, without saying anything of consequence.

In the first season of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, it took five episodes before anyone played a professional game of basketball. The HBO show, created by Max Borenstein and Jim Hecht, dramatizes the “Showtime” Los Angeles Lakers, a dominant team whose reign began with the drafting of Magic Johnson in 1979 and continued through the ’80s, expanding the NBA’s reach and transforming basketball into a television powerhouse to rival baseball and football in America. But its first season was only so interested in the actual on-court competition. Instead, the show trudged through locker-room rivalries, boardroom subplots, and the business machinations of the owner, Jerry Buss, before finally staging a tip-off halfway through, for Magic’s first Lakers game.

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Season 2, which began airing last month on HBO’s rebranded Max service, is the complete opposite: a pedal-to-the-floor dash through four years of Laker history that wraps up an entire NBA season in its first episode. That’s partly because of the history it draws from—Magic Johnson’s first year with the Lakers was a dramatic series of twists and turns that ended in a championship, while his second was largely derailed by a knee injury. But it’s also weirdly emblematic of the strange stretch-and-snap formatting of so much streaming-exclusive television, wherein a plodding, overly methodical first season is followed by one that seems almost panicked, rushing to push out more plot lest its mercurial corporate overlords decree cancellation. For this new season of Winning Time, that format has created a particular sense of factual whiplash, trying to cram a hundred pounds of ’80s NBA facts into a 10-pound bag.

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MIAMI -- The football world has heard plenty about the offseason of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, specifically the jiu-jitsu and breakfall training he learned to avoid head injuries after concussions truncated his 2022 season.

He even demonstrated new techniques in the preseason when he tucked and rolled after taking a handful of hits during two appearances.

But that was four drives against teams without an elite pass-rusher, and the Dolphins’ Week 1 opponent has two.

Miami travels to Los Angeles on Sept. 10 to take on the Chargers (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS), who have two of the best pass-rushers over the past decade. Since defensive end Joey Bosa was drafted in 2016, he and teammate Khalil Mack have combined for 126 sacks, 159 disrupted dropbacks and 36 forced fumbles.

The duo played only five games together last season as Bosa missed 12 with a groin injury, but now healthy, the tandem should provide an immediate test for Tagovailoa and an offensive line that still has questions to answer.

Miami’s pass block win rate of 55.6% ranked ninth worst in the NFL last season -- an improvement from its league-worst 46.6% in 2021.

Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead and center Connor Williams added an influx of talent to the OL a season ago, and they return to their roles in 2023. So does right guard Robert Hunt, who has started the past 34 regular-season games at his position.

“With the offensive line, we’re happy with it,” general manager Chris Grier said Wednesday. “I think you’ve seen the progress from the last two years with the fundamentals and the teaching in this offense in the preseason. In the run game, they’ve done some good things.

“So we’re excited for the guys with the group we have here. Like anything, we’ll always keep looking here and on the roster, but we’re very happy with the guys here. Coaches are very happy. So I think this is a group that we feel we can win with, and we’ll continue to just keep building and working.”

The two biggest questions remain at left guard and right tackle, where Liam Eichenberg and Austin Jackson entered training camp as the starters after missing time last season with knee and ankle injuries, respectively.

Jackson turned in a strong camp in 2022 before injuring his right ankle in Week 1 and playing only one more game the rest of the season. He said he remained present at the facility and in team meetings while injured in order to stay “locked in” and feels like he has turned in the best camp of his four-year career this summer.

The Dolphins declined to exercise his fifth-year option in May, but the former first-round pick has embraced the responsibility of protecting Tagovailoa’s blind side as he plays for his future with the organization.

“I love that responsibility. I truly do,” Jackson said. “It’s what I get up and work for. It’s what I get up and train for. It’s what I study for. It’s what I take care of my body for, so we can be the dominant line that we need to be in order for Tua to keep being himself.

“He’s a great quarterback. He’s going to get the ball out anyways, but he needs more time from us, and that’s a responsibility we take every single day.”

Eichenberg, on the other hand, is not as entrenched as the team’s starter. Miami signed former first-round picks Isaiah Wynn and Cedric Ogbuehi this offseason, and while only Wynn made the initial 53-man roster, he has proved to be a challenger for Eichenberg’s role.

A second-round pick in 2021, Eichenberg’s play has been shaky since entering the league; in that span, his 82.6% pass block win rate ranked 182nd out of 189 qualified linemen. For reference, Wynn’s 86.8% ranks 159th, while Williams’ 92.7% leads all Dolphins linemen and ranks 55th in the NFL.

Eichenberg finished the preseason injured, giving Wynn an opportunity to take even more starter reps at left guard. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel did not name a starter, but he did say Eichenberg would serve as the backup to Williams at center along with Lester Cotton.

Eichenberg tried to power through his injury toward the end of the preseason, but his unavailability certainly didn’t help him hold on to a job that might have already slipped through his grasp.

“We had to kind of hold Liam back. He was determined, but [we] didn’t think it was fair from an evaluation standpoint to put him out there, to try to protect him from himself,” McDaniel said after the Dolphins’ second preseason game. “We’ll make sure that we don’t do anything on our side that we can prevent from him having any further issues.

“I thought Isaiah got his feet wet in the system to a degree. I think he did a real good job trying to attack our techniques, and there is stuff he wants to improve upon.”

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp remains day to day with a hamstring injury, coach Sean McVay said Monday. Here’s what you need to know:

Rams Cooper Kupp is still visiting with doctors in Minnesota to get some clarity on his hamstring. HC Sean McVay says he's still day to day.

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) September 4, 2023

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

What this means

The most telling comment to me from McVay’s news conference on Wednesday was noting, “we’re hopeful that this will give some clarity once he goes and talks to these doctors — because it doesn’t fall in alignment with some of the things that have ended up occurring relative to the standard strains of the hamstring, just based on what’s occurred over the last month and a half.”

If this situation is outside the framework of a typical hamstring strain, as McVay alludes here, I could see the Rams being cautious not only in their research process of the issue but also in getting Kupp back on the field by Week 1. — Rodrigue

What McVay said

“You want to be able to just take it a day at a time,” McVay said Monday. “We’re hopeful that this will give some clarity once he goes and talks to these doctors. It doesn’t fall in alignment with some of the things that have ended up occurring relative to the standard strains of the hamstring just based on what’s occurred over the last month and a half.”

Backstory

Kupp, 30, suffered a season-ending ankle sprain last year that required surgery. He missed spring OTAs to spend time with his wife Anna as they welcomed a new baby. Kupp began training camp normally but pulled up during individual red zone drills after feeling a “tug” in his hamstring.

He is quarterback Matthew Stafford’s favorite receiving target, accounting for over one-third of the Rams’ target share in 2022 before his ankle injury.

Required reading

(Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / USA Today)

Below are three takeaways from Chargers Special Teams Coordinator Ryan Ficken and outside linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu's media availability on Monday:

The Chargers special teams unit is fired up to kick off the regular season with kicker Cameron Dicker leading the position.

After a competitive training camp battle between Dicker and Dustin Hopkins, the team moved forward with Dicker after trading Hopkins to Cleveland last Monday.

Chargers Special Teams Coordinator Ryan Ficken spoke Monday for the first time since the decision, pointing out the deciding factors in the kicker competition ahead of the regular season.

"Dustin, first and foremost, is an elite kicker," Ficken said during his media session. "Either way, however it shook out, we were going to lose a top kicker.

"We felt, as an organization, that the body of work with what Cameron has done — nothing that Hopkins hasn't done — more of what Dicker has done, our faith and belief in him and his consistency with it," Ficken added. "Moving forward, we thought he was the right guy for the opportunity."

The team is excited about the future with Dicker — and rightfully so.

The second-year kicker had quite a rookie season, hitting 19 of 20 field goals overall during his time with the Bolts, including a pair of game-winners that would prove big in the Bolts postseason berth.

And Dicker continued the positive momentum from last season into this offseason, making 62 of 68 kicks during camp practices prior to the season and converting four field goals and five extra points in preseason games.

There's a lot of things to like about how Dicker how performed in the powder blue, but Ficken noted some of the other characteristics that has gotten him success early in his NFL career — and the excitement surrounding Year 2 as a member of the Bolts.

"It's his approach to the game. He plays like he's a veteran kicker," Ficken said. "Nothing sways him at all. He's confident in everything he does. He's consistent in his approach. You know what you're going to get out of him.

"We're really excited that he's still here as a Charger," Ficken added. "Even last year there were opportunities where other teams were pushing for him, we're fortunate that he's here. It was a great competition between those two guys, I thought they made each other better as they competed against each other."

Outside linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu's pro debut is just six days away, but the nerves haven't quite kicked in yet.

"I wouldn't say anything right now," said Tuipulotu, who did not speak at the podium but chatted with reporters in the locker room. "I think the excitement will come closer to the game.

"I think probably just worried about preparation and getting ready for the game," Tuipulotu added.

The 2023 second-rounder kicked off his first regular-season game week Monday as he now focuses on the task at hand against the Dolphins.

And for as much as Week 1 will be his first regular season NFL game, the rookie Tuipulotu is approaching it as if it's just another game — even if it is a big milestone in his career.

"I just feel like it's another game," Tuipulotu said. "I know it's my first NFL game, but I just want to treat it like any other game.

"I know it's not going to be like that, just try to trick my mind into that," Tuipulotu added.

Tuipulotu had a strong first offseason with the Bolts, flashing throughout training camp and even in his limited action during the preseason. The rookie outside linebacker played a total 26 snaps in two preseason games and made his presence felt.

According to Pro Football Focus, Tuipulotu finished with two quarterback hurries and one quarterback hit in just 14 pass rushing snaps. He also showed what he can do in the run game by recording a tackle for loss against the Saints during the Bolts second preseason game.

Tuipulotu credited his coaches for having him prepared ahead of Sunday, as he's hoping to contribute in whatever way he's needed.

"I, for sure, feel prepared," Tuipulotu said. "We had good OTAs, good training camp.

"I feel like the team, [Outside Linebackers] Coach Giff [Smith}, [Chargers Head] Coach [Brandon] Staley been preparing me for whatever I got to do on Sunday," Tuipulotu added. "I'm just ready to go out there and do whatever they want me to do."

Another year, another new rule to watch out for in 2023.

The NFL rolled out a new rule on kickoffs this offseason that stipulates the return team will get the ball at their own 25-yard line if they call a fair catch (and secure the kickoff) anywhere behind that mark.

The Chargers didn't call for any fair catches in that scenario in the preseason, but Ficken gave his thoughts on it Monday afternoon.

"You didn't see much of it," Ficken said. "Maybe situationally, depends on the philosophy that some of these teams are going to have, depending on the situation of the game, the returner.

"Yeah, you might see it, but I just know what our philosophy is and what we're going to do," Ficken added. "It's tough to figure out what the rest of the teams might do, but we have to prepare for teams to fair catch it, to kick different types of kicks when they're on kickoff and we have to be able to recover all of those types of kicks, as well."

Ficken was then asked why a team just wouldn't take the fair catch and get it at the 25, which is solid starting field position.

But he responded with a reminder that a muffed fair catch on the kickoff is just like one on a punt.

So if you muff the kickoff fair catch and recover it at your own 7-yard line, that's where you start. And if the kicking team recovers that muffed fair catch, your offense won't even see the field.

"If you we're 100 percent going to be able to catch the ball, obviously, you have the one rule where you do muff it, the ball is going to be right there at the spot. You have to prepare for that," Ficken said. "It just depends on the situation. If you want to save time on the clock, you may fair catch it. Every situation is going to be dependent upon what we do moving forward on that."

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Los Angeles, often referred to as the "City of Angels," has long held a special place in the American psyche as a land of dreams and opportunities. From the glitz and glamour of Hollywood to the thriving tech scene, LA is a city where people come to chase their dreams, whatever they may be. In this article, we'll explore what makes Los Angeles a city of endless possibilities and why so many are drawn to its vibrant energy.

For countless aspiring actors, musicians, writers, and filmmakers, Los Angeles is the ultimate destination. Hollywood, with its legendary studios and iconic landmarks like the Hollywood Sign and Walk of Fame, has a magnetic pull that attracts dreamers from around the globe. While making it big in the entertainment industry is undoubtedly a challenging endeavor, the city provides a supportive ecosystem of talent agencies, acting schools, and networking opportunities that make it possible for some to realize their dreams of stardom.

Los Angeles is not just about Hollywood fame; it's also a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship. Silicon Beach, a thriving tech scene centered around the coastal areas of Santa Monica and Venice, has become a hotspot for tech startups and digital media companies. This tech renaissance has led to the creation of countless opportunities in fields ranging from app development to e-commerce.

Los Angeles is a true melting pot, with a diverse population that speaks to the city's multicultural vibrancy. The blend of cultures, languages, and traditions creates a unique environment where individuals from all walks of life can find a sense of belonging. The city's neighborhoods reflect this diversity, from the historic streets of Chinatown to the artistic enclave of Boyle Heights.

Los Angeles is home to numerous world-class universities and institutions, making it a prime destination for those seeking higher education and professional development. The University of Southern California (USC), the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) are just a few of the prestigious institutions that call LA home.

Beyond its bustling streets and urban landscape, Los Angeles offers an abundance of natural beauty. The city's proximity to the Pacific Ocean provides opportunities for beachside relaxation, water sports, and scenic coastal drives. Nearby hiking trails in the Santa Monica Mountains and San Gabriel Mountains allow residents to escape to the great outdoors without leaving the city limits.

Conclusion

Los Angeles embodies the American dream in all its forms, offering a vast canvas of opportunities for individuals with diverse aspirations. From pursuing a career in entertainment or tech to embracing cultural diversity and enjoying a rich outdoor lifestyle, the City of Angels provides the backdrop for countless dreams to come true. While the path to success may not always be straightforward, the vibrant energy and culture of Los Angeles continue to inspire and drive those who dare to dream and are willing to seize the opportunities this city has to offer.

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Southern Californians taking a gamble on a busy holiday travel weekend are betting on a good time in the desert.

Las Vegas tops the list of most popular Labor Day weekend travel destinations for Southern California residents leaving town to celebrate the unofficial end of summer, according to AAA.

Here are the top 5 destinations for SoCal travelers based on AAA booking data for flights, hotels, rental cars, and cruises.

Here are the top five Labor Day weekend destinations for SoCal travelers based on AAA booking data for flights, hotels, rental cars, and cruises.

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Source: AAACreated with Datawrapper

Las Vegas also makes the list of most popular domestic destinations for travelers nationwide.

Here are the most popular international destinations, according to AAA.

Best and worst times to travel during Labor Day weekend

Some days and times are better than others for hitting the road over the holiday weekend, according to AAA.

Citing data from transportation-analytics firm INRIX, the Auto Club warned that Thursday and Friday afternoons are expected to be the busiest times on the roads for travel.

"The best times to travel by car over Labor Day weekend are early in the morning or in the evening," Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX, said in a statement. "If you must travel during heavy traffic, navigation apps and local departments of transportation can help steer drivers around long delays."

LAX Labor Day weekend travel forecast

Traveling through LAX? You'll be among nearly 1.1 million passengers expected to pass through LAX between Thursday and Monday.

Friday is expected to be the busiest day, with 229,000 passengers anticipated at LAX. Roughly 224,000 passengers are expected Thursday, and 220,000 on Monday.

"LAX has experienced a very busy summer travel season welcoming more passengers through our airport than we have seen since early 2020," Justin Erbacci, CEO of Los Angeles World Airports, the city agency that runs LAX, said in a statement. "We reached a major milestone in June and July when our international passenger traffic surpassed 2 million guests each month. The passenger volumes for the upcoming Labor Day weekend signify a successful summer and encourage us that this momentum will carry into the fall and winter months."

Airport officials urged travelers to arrive at least two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international trips. They also noted that traffic on the horseshoe loop through the Central Terminal Area will be heavy, with more than 90,000 vehicles anticipated daily over the weekend. Airport parking is also expected to be at a premium, and officials urged travelers to book spaces in advance at parking.flylax.com.

According to the Automobile Club of Southern California, the agency's booking data for flights, hotels, rentals cars and cruises over the holiday weekend are up 4% domestically, compared to last year's Labor Day period, and international bookings are up 44%.

"While AAA does not issue a formal travel forecast for the Labor Day holiday, Southern California travel bookings indicate that vacation interest continues at the high levels of the Memorial Day and Independence Day holidays, which matched or exceeded pre-pandemic levels," according to the Auto Club.