Contest

UCLA and Steve Alford. A basketball program of unmatched pedigree led by a former prodigy who became a national champion and Olympic gold medalist before making a steady climb up the coaching ladder. On paper, a harmonic convergence. How they came together, a choreography of those themes, would make for a dazzling introduction, which UCLA held at center court in historic Pauley Pavilion last month. The aura of John Wooden, his contributions to sports and society - and those 10 national titles - was thick.

The 18,000-plus fans who crammed into Staples Center didn't want to leave, lingering to digest what they had seen and savor an improbable moment. Who could blame them for trying to prolong a moment so stunning that it was at least the equal of the many feats the Kings pulled off last spring in winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in 45 years? The Kings won a game they seemed bound to lose Thursday, rallying for two goals in the last two minutes for a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks to take a solid 2-0 series lead.

In 1986, lawmakers decided the problem of illegal immigration had to be dealt with. More than 3 million people were living in the United States after crossing the border illegally or overstaying their visas. A new law signed by President Ronald Reagan gave legal status and a path to citizenship to most of those unauthorized residents - helping many secure a slice of the American dream but also giving fuel to critics who sought to turn "amnesty" into a pejorative. Less than 30 years later, the number of immigrants living in the country illegally is thought to have nearly quadrupled, and the freighted baggage of amnesty looms over new efforts to reform the nation's immigration laws.

Switching from cold, snowy vistas to the backdrop of a Pacific sunset, the NHL on Monday confirmed the Kings and the Ducks will face off in an outdoor game Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. Dodger Stadium. The contest, the first regular-season NHL game scheduled for an outdoor venue in a warm-weather city, will be played on a portable rink laid out from first base to third base. Contingency plans will be made for rain or other issues. "I think that's a perfect setting for a hockey game," said Kelly Cheeseman, chief operating officer of the Kings' parent company, AEG. "With the mountains and the palm trees in the background, you couldn't ask for a more magical setting.

The sharp cracks echoing from the East Bakersfield street were loud enough to jolt Ruben Ceballos from a midnight slumber. Then he heard screams. The 19-year-old jumped from his living room sofa and hurried to the kitchen door, which offered a view of the violent scene outside - Kern County sheriff's deputies repeatedly striking a man in the head with batons as he lay on the pavement. "I saw two sheriff's deputies on top of this guy, just beating him," Ceballos said in an interview Monday.

Calling all inventors: Wal-Mart Stores Inc. wants you to parade your stuff. The nation's largest retailer is holding a contest, called Get on the Shelf, for a chance to snag a spot on its stores and website for your product. Think of it as American Idol: Retail Edition “That's uncovering the next great singer, this is uncovering the next product,” said Chris Bolte, vice president of @WalmartLabs, the retailer's social media and e-commerce arm. “This is a way for us to really provide our consumers with a voice on the kind of products that Wal-Mart carries.” That's because the contest will be determined by the public, who will vote on videos created by contestants and posted onto http://GetOnTheShelf.com . Aspiring businesses and individuals have until Feb. 22 to upload a clip about their product onto the site.

The largest showdown of its kind, the 20th Annual Belly Dancer of the Universe Competition offers something for everyone: dance classes, competitions at every age, world-renowned belly dancers in different styles and an evening performance featuring international stars Suhaila Salimpour, Sadie and Atlantis. Long Beach Convention Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach. $15-$30. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (562) 433-6615. www.bellydancerofthe universe.

A round-up of entertainment news stories for Thursday. Mel Gibson (remember him?) is expected to plead no contest to domestic violence charges and avoid jail time. ( Los Angeles Times ) Julie Taymor is out of the troubled "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark," but the Broadway show will go on. ( Los Angeles Times ) Spider-Man's first comic book appearance sold for $1.1 million -- or about 1/65th of the budget of his new musical ( New York Daily News ) Julianne Moore has landed the plum role of Sarah Palin in HBO's "Game Change.

A 57-year-old Lake Forest City Council member has pleaded no contest to driving under the influence of alcohol after he was spotted driving on the wrong side of the road, authorities said. Peter Alan Herzog pleaded to a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence after he was suspected of driving with a blood alcohol content of more than twice the legal limit. On Nov. 17 around 8:15 p.m., Herzog made a left turn from Portola Parkway onto Lake Forest Drive onto the wrong side of the road, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

WASHINGTON -- In a race seen as a test of the strength for the tea party movement, Democrat Patrick Murphy appeared poised to defeat freshman Rep. Allen West, a top tea party figure, in Florida's 18th Congressional District. The race was one of the tightest House contests in the country, with Murphy receiving 50.4% of the vote to West's 49.6%. With all precincts reporting by Wednesday morning, Murphy's .8-point lead was greater than the .5-point margin that would trigger a recount, but West had not conceded.

CARLSBAD, Calif. - The Legoland Hotel, which opened April 5, got plenty of little things wrong in its first weeks. But its designers got one thing enormously right, and that will make this place a screaming success: kid-centricity. "The dragon is made out of Legos!" my daughter, Grace, who is about to turn 9, said as we approached the hotel entrance a week after the opening. Inside the lobby, Grace; my wife, Mary Frances; and I found a faux fountain, a play pit full of little plastic bricks and dozens of deeply absorbed children who were collaborating on a rainbow-hued monolith, constructing pretend weapons, hollering, whispering, running, jumping and dragging their parents from one discovery to the next.

If you have more than 80 pounds to lose and no fear of puking on a treadmill on national TV, here's your chance: NBC's weight-loss show "The Biggest Loser" is launching a nationwide search for Season 15 contestants. Auditions begin May 4 in Los Angeles, Chicago, Oklahoma City, Salt Lake City and Charleston, S.C. On May 11, auditions will be held in Atlanta, Boston, Cincinnati, Dallas, Philadelphia and Phoenix. Casting in Los Angeles takes place 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Citadel Outlets at 100 Citadel Drive.

Los Angeles' mayoral race has kicked into full gear in recent days, with new polls, ads, debates and a weekend appearance by a former president at a pastrami landmark. Eric Garcetti leads Wendy Greuel by 10 points among likely voters in a new poll by the Los Angeles Times and the University of Southern California. The two candidates sparred over each others' integrity in a debate on Spanish-language television, and will meet in another face-off Monday night. Greuel launched an ad attacking Garcetti.

Record spending will continue in the last remaining race for a seat on the Los Angeles school board, as a political action committee has put together a war chest of about $600,000 to use on behalf of a candidate endorsed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. In all, the Coalition for School Reform, which is spearheaded by the mayor, has raised nearly $4.5 million for three Board of Education races to support candidates who would back the aggressive policies of Supt. John Deasy and pledge to keep him on the job. Contributors praise Deasy for including student test scores in teacher evaluations and limiting job protections that they view as impediments to academic progress.

Los Angeles mayoral candidate Eric Garcetti has edged ahead of opponent Wendy Greuel in fund-raising for the May 21 runoff contest, raising $1.27 million during the 4 1/2 weeks that followed the March 5 primary election. The haul means that Garcetti has more than $2 million on hand for his campaign, according to reports filed Thursday. Greuel took in $1.12 million during the same fund-raising period, which ended Saturday, and has nearly $1.5 million available for the campaign. Greuel called the pace of her fund-raising "explosive" and portrayed it as a sign that voters are frustrated with the status quo. Her campaign strategist, John Shallman, struck a similar theme, describing Greuel's take as evidence that residents want someone to "break the gridlock at City Hall.

The next two Saturdays will determine who will become the newest headliner at the Riviera Comedy Club . In recent weeks, the hotel has been auditioning comics from around the country in a contest with a prize worthy of a TV talent show: a gig on the Las Vegas Strip. A total of 226 people from across the country submitted videos of their funniest material, from which 16 people were chosen to compete live on stage. The last of four finalists will be selected during a show that begins at  10 p.m. Saturday.

Newt Gingrich, facing a double-digit loss to rival Mitt Romney that some predict will doom his presidential bid, sought to turn the results of Tuesday's critical Florida primary into a victory, arguing that the contest is now defined as between himself and the former Massachusetts governor. "Florida did something very important coming on top of South Carolina. It is now clear this will be a two-person race between the conservative leader Newt Gingrich and the Massachusetts moderate," Gingrich told a few hundred people in a half-empty ballroom here.

Plácido Domingo will create his 140th operatic role when he debuts next month in Verdi's "The Two Foscari" at Los Angeles Opera. To note the occasion, the company is hosting a Twitter contest in which it will give away a performance package that includes two orchestra tickets. L.A. Opera is asking contestants to tweet a description of an operatic character that Domingo has played using 140 characters or less. Entries must include the hashtag #PD140.   The winning contestant, decided by L.A. Opera, will win two orchestra tickets for opening night, a pair of backstage passes to meet the cast and a pair of tickets for the opening-night party.

When Los Angeles mayoral rivals Wendy Greuel and Eric Garcetti started scrambling last month to line up key supporters for the May runoff, Maxine Waters was near the top of the list for both - well worth any wining, dining or flattery that might be required. On Monday, Greuel reveled in her success in winning over the Democratic congresswoman from South Los Angeles at a joint appearance outside City Hall. It was the latest testament to the power of the black vote in the race to replace Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Doug Anderson, a high-flying forward from the University of Detroit Mercy, capped his college career on Thursday night by easily winning the dunk contest at McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta to begin Final Four weekend festivities. The 6-foot-6 senior from Kalamazoo, Mich., did nothing but impress, including a final 360-degree dunk in which he brought the ball between his legs and did a reverse windmill slam. Check out the video above to believe it. You'll also see Anderson do a double-pumping, two-handed reverse dunk, and leap above another player, grab the ball from his raised arm and slam it as his head rises above the rim. Four dunks, four perfect scores for Anderson, who many are saying could win the NBA dunk contest.