L.A. United

Over a century since the first motion picture studios opened in Hollywood, the district in Greater Los Angeles is buzzing over the recent success of their sports teams. 2012 is indeed shaping up to be a great year for professional sports in Los Angeles. And with the presence of Hollywood stars in sports stadiums and arenas in L.A., being a Hollywood sports fan has never been this thrilling.

The buzz began with Major League Soccer's Galaxy, captained by Landon Donovan, but whose star attraction has been England's David Beckham. The Galaxy and Beckham have been together since 2007, and after three seasons of gradual improvement, coach Bruce Arena, Donovan and Beckham helped deliver the Galaxy the 2011 MLS Cup title. It was the Galaxy's third Cup title, but their recent win helped renew interest in soccer in the Los Angeles area. The 2012 season got underway and the Galaxy are looking to repeat as Cup champions.

Major League Soccer, the youngest of the five major professional sports leagues in the United States, has been struggling to make money throughout the league's history, as several teams failed to make profit in the 2011 season. More recently, the league signed up with NBC to broadcast their games, bringing increase national exposure to the game of soccer. Then again, it may take several years before the MLS becomes a certified Major League presence in America.

Arguably the most popular and successful team in the Los Angeles area, the Lakers had a rollercoaster regular season before settling for the third seed in the Western Conference and winning yet another division title. Kobe Bryant continued to strike the scoring charts; by season's end, he had finished in fifth place in the all-time list. But the Lakers season was not without any drama.

Andrew Bynum drew considerable ire from coach Mike Brown for his recent adventure in the three-point area. The Lakers traded popular long-time starting point guard Derek Fisher and added speedy Ramon Sessions, who quickly adjusted well to the Lakers' scheme. Pau Gasol, a subject of offseason trade rumors, saw his play suffered during the season. Metta World Peace went wild on James Harden and was suspended for seven games. And the Lakers had to contend with the sudden rise of L.A.'s other NBA team, in addition to being dubbed as 'too old'.

The Clippers were for many years, the NBA's laughingstock, dwelling at or near the bottom of the standings for far too long. Then Chris Paul arrived, and hopes and expectations grew for this long-time NBA bottom-feeder. And with Blake Griffin playing the role Tyson Chandler used to fill in New Orleans, the Clippers were off to new heights, literally.

The newly-acquired nickname 'Lob City' is used to describe the airborne calisthenics Paul and his fellow backcourt partners Chauncey Billups, Randy Foye and Mo Williams created to feed passes toward high-flyers Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Kenyon Martin. And with a new winning attitude came a byproduct: a playoff berth and a winning record, something not seen in six years. 'Lob City' is indeed alive and well these days, and this period of success may last a long time.

Both the Lakers and Clippers have advanced in the second round to meet the Thunder and Spurs, respectively.

The Staples Center's third tenant, hockey's Kings, entered the playoffs as the eighth seed. In a season fitting for a Hollywood movie, the Kings endured a lot of drama all season. They fired coach Terry Murray, then a few weeks later Darryl Sutter took over, but the Kings throughout the year were known for Jonathan Quick's strong goaltending, and little offensive firepower. Then came the playoffs, and the silver and black were back in business.

Ousting the top-seeded Canucks and second-seeded Blues helped the Kings make history by becoming the only NHL team to manage the trick. Both teams had no clue in solving L.A.'s strong goaltending wall in Quick, in stopping its dreaded penalty kill, and in preventing a revived offense from striking first. The Kings' instant ascension attracted Hollywood stars, and even the appearance of the Stanley Cup in an episode of 'Bones' generated buzz and hope for the long-suffering fanbase. 

Baseball's Dodgers and Angels are heading into opposite directions. The Dodgers are leading the National League West, while the Angels are languishing near the bottom in the American League West. Matt Kemp has been a home-run machine, while Albert Pujols has been rather human. A month and a half into the Major League Baseball season, we beg this question: Will the Angels snap their early-season funk, and will the Dodgers sustain their early-season momentum? Still a long way to go for both teams.

Now, when will the NFL revisit Los Angeles? It's been almost two decades since the Rams and Raiders packed shop for St. Louis and Oakland, respectively, and there hasn't been any progress regarding the NFL's return to Hollywood. But there's still room for prayer, and the fans only hope that the NFL came knocking on Los Angeles's doorstep.