Lloyd gets kick out of workout
We already knew Carli Lloyd could kick. Anyone who needs a reminder only needs to rewatch the first 16 minutes of the 2015 World Cup final (spoiler alert: Lloyd scores three goals to lead the U.S. to a 5-2 win over Japan).
Or they could watch the videos of Lloyd kicking field goals Tuesday in Philadelphia at a joint practice between her beloved Eagles and the Baltimore Ravens.
Lloyd, who comes from Delran, N.J., (less than half an hour away from Philadelphia) nailed a 55-yard kick as well as multiple attempts from 40 yards, the Eagles said.
And all through goal posts much narrower than the regulation ones.
“What did you expect? She’s a World Champion,” the Eagles said in a tweet that featured video of one of the kicks.
An hour later, the Eagles posted another video of Lloyd kicking.
“Now that we have your attention, here’s a 55yarder!” the team wrote.
The Ravens retweeted the video with an applause emoji and only one word: “Casual.”
Lloyd, a two-time FIFA women’s player of the year who scored three goals for the U.S. at the World Cup this summer, tweeted a video during practice.
“I’m really impressed with all these guys,” she said. “It’s awesome to be here. Really looking forward to the season. And fly, Eagles, fly!”
Eagles kicker Jake Elliott, who made two of five attempts from 50-plus yards last season, retweeted a video of Lloyd’s 55-yarder. “Unreal stuff !” he wrote.
Gil Brandt, who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as an executive, retweeted the same video and commented: “Honestly, I don’t think it will be long before we see a woman break through this NFL barrier. I’d give her an honest tryout if I were, say, the Bears.”
Too much ink
Larry Bird was not pleased with a mural of him that recently popped up on a multifamily residence in the Indianapolis neighborhood of Fountain Square — so much so that his attorney contacted the artist about making some changes.
Can’t imagine what the basketball legend was so upset about. It’s only an image of Bird in his Indiana State uniform, just like we remember him.
Well, except for the red cardinal tattoo on his left cheek.
And the tattoo of the amorous bunnies on his right forearm.
And the ones of the spider web on his left shoulder, a basketball on his right palm and a heart featuring the words “muckrock” on his right biceps.
And the words “Hoosier” around his neckline and “Indiana” on his left forearm.
And all the other tattoos artist Jules Muck splashed all over the image of Bird, who is ink-free in real life.
Attorney Gary Sallee spoke with Muck about her mural featuring his client.
“Larry’s position is he has elevated himself from where he began to where he is now through a lot of hard work. He has developed a brand that is marketable and he needs to protect that brand,” Sallee told IndyStar. “The mural, as originally painted, was a departure from that brand.”
Sallee added: “He just doesn’t want to be seen as a tattooed guy.” Muck understood. “This is another human being that is obviously not liking it,” she told IndyStar on Wednesday morning. “If he was happy and thought it was funny, that’s a different story.”
The two sides came to an agreement, Muck said. She would remove all the tattoos except for the “Indiana” one on his arm and will move her “Muck Rock” tag to somewhere else on the mural.
“Larry deserves some sort of prestigious mural,” she said of the Hall of Famer whose jersey has been retired by Indiana State and the Boston Celtics. “That’s not my calling. That’s not what I’m here to do. I just wanted to have a little fun.”
Sports poll
Many Lakers fans seem concerned that the team could reunite with Dwight Howard in their quest to find a replacement for the injured DeMarcus Cousins. So, our new poll question is: Should the Lakers acquire Howard? You can vote online at poll.fm/10389250 or you can email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com with your answer.