Basketball

Even though Monta Ellis has reached "IT" status, the team is still dysfunctional. [SFGate]

Ice Randolph is out 1-2 weeks. [CC Times]

More Ellis gushing. See if you can spot the blasphemy in the blog post title. Think musical. With all this Ellis love flowing, maybe RT will write something for us? [SJ Merc]

Baseball

The Giants don't offer Bengie Molina arbitration. [SFGate] Meh.

Baggarly combs through the arbitration-less free agents and identifies some possible Giants targets. Dye, Damon, Hudson, Tejada? [SJ Merc]

Football

Maiocco's 53 man review of the 49ers-Jaguars game. [Press Democrat]

The 49ers are bringing in Dwight Clark to help make "The Catch" on the business end. [SJ Merc] Please, no complaints about terrible puns stretched terribly thin.

Raiders fans buy a billboard to try and sway Al Davis' cold black heart.*[Sac Bee]
*Al Davis' heart color and temperature are speculated.

Hockey

The Sharks continue to kick so much ass they don't bother taking names. [SFGate]

Continue Reading

Football

* Is Roger Craig a Hall of Famer? Not really. [Pro Football Reference]

* I love how the Niners have one good offensive weekend and people are talking about who gets the credit. How about the people who should get fired for running such a terrible offense for the first 11 weeks of the season!? [SF Gate]

Hockey

* The first person to tell you the Heatley trade was a no-brainer was ... ME! Nice try Mark Purdy. [SJ Merc]

Basketball

* Monta - Stephen Jackson = All-Star / IT player. Remember when you were talking to that guy that said trading Jackson was a bad idea? How dumb does that guy look!? [SF Gate]

* NBA Rookie rankings. [CNNSI]

Continue Reading

Football

Kawakami sums it up best: "Josh McDaniels saved the 49ers season…by trading Jay Cutler to the Bears last off-season." [SJ Merc]

It's about a 50/50 chance Frank Gore will become the 49ers all-time leading rusher. Raise your hand if you knew who the current all time rushing leader was? You're lying. [ProFootballReference]

Matt Wilhelm made some big plays filling in for Take Spikes. [SFGate]

Post game quotes from both locker rooms. [Press Democrat]

You know it's bad when Mark Roman gets an INT on you. He hadn't had one since 2006! [SJ Merc]

The loss was not entirely Cutler's fault. [NFP]

You want to watch the Raiders on Sunday? Well, you better buy a ticket. [Sac Bee]

Baseball

John Shea tries to forecast the bad contracts that will be offered this off season. [SFGate]

Hockey

Sharks blow a two goal lead and then lose in shoot out. Whatever, wake me when it's the playoffs. [SJ Merc]

Continue Reading

The fact that Kawakami felt he had to write this article is embarrassing. [SJ Merc]

Football

The most over-hyped non-story of the week: Vernon Davis' supposed bulletin board material, “The guys up front, I think we can destroy them. I don’t see anything spectacular about their front line.” Whatever. It's two teams without a winning record playing in the middle of November, not Joe Namath before Super Bowl III. Retarded. [SJ Merc]

Is there anything Stanford football announcer, Bob Murphy can't do? [SF Merc]

Basketball

WTF?!?!?! Were in the second week of the NBA season and the All Star ballots are out? [SFGate]

You know what's not helping the Warriors trade Stephen Jackson? Everybody saying the need to trade him. [SFGate] P.S. It's not going to help.

Baseball

Baggarly sees Molina's chances of returning to the Giants somewhere between remote and unlikely. [SJ Merc]

Hockey

Dan Boyle, last night's hero. [SFGate]

Continue Reading

Baseball

Lincecum got busted. I hope he wins the Cy Young even more now. [SFGate]

Baggarly with some clever taunts Lincecum may hear in the future. [SJ Merc]

Tsk, tsk, tsk, Ray Ratto, you're old and out of touch. [SFGate]

Football

Ratto reminds Raiders fans that they have not sunk as low as possible. [SFGate]

2008 First round pick, Kentwan Balmer, will see increased playing time over the next few weeks. [Press Democrat]

Kevin Lynch's plan on implementing a spread offense. Slowly. [SFGate]

Usually, teams like to lay low on a bye week. The Raiders can't help themselves. [CC Times]

Basketball

Warriors-Clippers preview. (Everybody, but RT yawns.) [SFGate]

Hockey

Sharks, lose? Sharks lose. [SFGate]

Soccer

Women's soccer, dirtier than you think. [Deadspin]

Continue Reading

Football

The 49ers might open up the passing game a little. Maybe. [SJ Merc]

Also from Kawakami, Crabtree is a game changer for the 49ers. [SJ Merc]

JaMarcus Russell showed up to work at 6:30am on Wednesday, setting his own personal best. Next stop, Championship! [SFGate]

Niners biggest challenge this week? Contain Peyton Manning. [SJ Merc]

Louis Murphy and Chris Johnson are hurting. [CC Times]

The Crabtree tampering case is still moving forward. Yay? [ProFootballTalk]


Basketball

It's time for Cal basketball to step up. Isn't that what they've been telling the football team? [SFGate]

Will RT be watching Curry v. Nash tonight? I think so. [SFGate]

Hockey

Ray Ratto gets red-ass about the Sharks. [SFGate]

Continue Reading

Football

Singletary is trying to right the ship, as evidenced by Dre Bly's apology. [SJ Merc]

Bruce Jenkins says don't forget about Josh Morgan. [SFGate] I was disappointed that Morgan didn't get in on that play as well. Everything was going wrong for the 49ers on Sunday.

Ray Ratto with Raiders tidbits. [SFGate]

Interesting article by Malcom Gladwell analogizing Fight Dogs and Football players. [The New Yorker]

Tom Cable is in the news, you hear about this, you hear about this? (My Leno intro) [CC Times]

Baseball

Sabean and Bochy still without contracts and looks like it's one and done for Lansford as his patient approach wasn't well received by the Giants hackers. [SJ Merc]

Basketball

Even unaffiliated writers are begging Cohan to sell the Warriors. [Yahoo!]

Hockey

Sharks lose after shoot out. Rt is sad. [SFGate]

Continue Reading

Football

* Crabtree is actually going to play for the Niners!? It's a miracle! [ESPN]

* I have never agreed with Ray Ratto in the past but I actually agree with him here [SF Gate]

* Which incident do you think the Commissioner is referring to? [CC Times]

Basketball

* I will admit it - I love Warriors basketball and Tim Kawakami does a great job reporting on it. More on Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry. [SJ Merc]

Baseball

* Its never to early to discuss what players the Giants will either fail to sign or overpay for. Welcome to the off-season. Also, please don't sign Jermaine Dye. [SF Gate]

Hockey

* I don't know about you but I am excited for the Sharks slow start ... they may be saving their energy for the playoffs for once. Go Sharks! [SJ Merc]

Misc

* Sometimes sports and sex can sell together. [ESPN]

Continue Reading

Football

Tidbits from the 49ers' mauling of the St. Louis Rams. [SFGate]

The Raiders are _______. Cam Inman chose "lacking leadership and offense" for today's column. [CC Times]

Some Niners were skeptical about the pink breast cancer awareness cleats, but it was only momentary. [SFGate]

The blame game is about to begin and heads will roll. Not Al Davis' head, of course. [SFGate]

The tsunami in Samoa hit close to home for Isaac Sopoaga, but he was relieved to hear his family was safe. [Merc]

Baseball

Giants season - Over. [Merc]

A's? Been over. [CC Times]

Basketball

Warriors played their first exhibition game last night against the Clippers. [CC Times]

Hockey

After a disappointing opening game, the Sharks went to town on the Ducks. [Merc]

Continue Reading

Football

Here's a Michael Crabtree update. [Twitter]

No plans to make any roster moves with Gore on the shelf for a couple weeks. [Sac Bee]

The Raiders bring back a familiar face to return kicks. [CC Times]

Baseball

Is it good or bad that Bengie Molina could be the best San Francisco Giants catcher of all time? [SFGate]

A's. [SFGate]

Kawakami supports bringing back Sabean-Bochy, but be sure to add fine print. [Merc]

Basketball

Do you think Bruce Jenkins knows the Warriors SBNation site is called, Golden State of Mind? I say no. [SFGate]

Cam Inman says Ellis and Jackson are brats. [CC Times]

Kawakami says Ellis and Jackson are smarter than management. [Merc]

Marcus Thompson's Camp Notes from Day 1. [CC Times]

Hockey

For the Sharks' newest #1 fan, RT. Ray Ratto rains on your parade. [SFGate]

Continue Reading

Football

Bruce Jenkins' thoughts on Sunday Week 1 of the 2009 NFL season. [SFGate]

Yes, it was an ugly win for the 49ers. Isn't there another tag line though? [Ratto] [Kawakami]

I think Cam Inman had the best assignment yesterday. Go watch football with Madden and then write about it. [CC Times]

Gwen Knapp reminds us that it wasn't just the offenses that had a rough game yesterday. Ref Don Carey was fumbling all over the place. [SFGate]

Tonight is a big litmus test for JaMarcus Russell. MNF against a strong defense. Can he handle it? [CC Times]

Hockey

After the first Heatley trade rumors were denied, another Heatley trade happened. Good move, giving up Cheechoo and Michalek and getting a shooting assassin. [Merc]

Baseball

From Friday, some actual A's writing worth reading. The A's top hitting prospects. [CC Times]

Apparently, Tim Lincecum uses the Magic 8 Ball when responding to whether he pitches tonight: "All signs point to yes." [SFGate]

Philthy posted his Top 5 Dodgers I hate on Facebook, but I couldn't think of a top five myself. I think Casey Blake makes the list,but that's probably just recent bitterness. I'd say Brett Butler because his betrayal burned. Philthy had Jeff Kent #2, but Jeff Kent made his name as a Giant, and his Dodger career was just the last chapter in his career.

Continue Reading

Baseball

Bruce Jenkins has an interesting idea to help clubs introduce propsects to the fans.It'd be cool, but seems unlikely. It would be nice for CSNBA to broadcast some minor leagues games during the break, though.

Gwen Knapp sprinkles sunshine and rainbows on the Giants and then bats her eyes. But Krukow as a minister? That's good stuff.

When you have to resort to talking up a two-hit game by Rajai Davis, you might be an A's fan.

Football

Kawakami's review of the first weekend of 49ers training camp.

Matt Maiocco's update of yesterday afternoon's 49ers practice mentions Vernon Davis is the leading receiver thus far.

Kawakami also talked to Vernon Davis yesterday and Davis likes the new offense that has him running shorter routes.

Javon Walker, yes THAT Javon Walker, looks great. Darrius Heyward-Bey? Not so much.

Hockey

Mark Purdy thinks the Sharks have a good shot at landing premier goal scorerer, DannyHeatley.

Continue Reading

Baseball

Sometimes Kruuk goes a little too Ron Santo on us. Ratto says, "Grab some pine, MEAT!"

Gwen Knapp pours over a MLB manager popularity poll answered by big leaguers.

Ann Killion's latest details one of the reasons the Giants rule the Bay Area over the A's. The Giants embrace their history, the A's? Not so much.

Bruce Jenkins handicaps the NL Wild Card race.

Is it just me or are the combination of Lincecum and Haren making Billy Beane look foolish? Buster Olney on Haren:

his ERA is 2.19, a league low; his ratio of walks and hits to innings of 0.81 is easily the best in the NL. His ratio of strikeouts to walks, at 7.53, is the best in the majors.And stats from last night:

Why he won, from Trevor Ebaugh of ESPN Stats & Information:

A. Opposing batters went 0-9, 4 K (all looking) against the fastball.
B. Retired 13 of 14 batters in two-strike counts.
C. Threw 82 percent (14 of 17) strikes with the curveball.

So, Billy Beane decides to cash in on Haren and get some prospects before the A's have to give Haren big money. We all know how Beane operates. But, why couldn't the A's have kept Haren and turned him into their version of Lincecum? From Cot's Contracts, here is what Haren is making in Arizona:

• 4 years/$44.75M (2009-12), plus 2013 club option
• signed extension with Arizona 8/5/08, replacing option year & final guaranteed year of previous contract
• 09:$7.5M, 10:$8.25M, 11:$12.75M, 12:$12.75M, 13:$15.5M club option ($3.5M buyout)

Haren is 28 and will earn all of the money Arizona pays him. At least the A's would have a dominant face of the franchise to build fan support around. Being a fan might mean you're rooting for laundry, but you also want a personal connection to the team and that's what the A's are missing. And, Eric Chavez is making $11 M this season, $12 M next season(If he doesn't retire) and a $3M buyout in 2012. Also, Matt Holiday is making $13.5M this season, almost double what Haren is making.

Basketball

Free Agency started last night and not much has happened as of yet besides guys choosing not to opt out: Kobe, Boozer and Okur. Rockets' GM, Darryl Morey is taking a progressive approach to free agency, via Twitter.

Amare in a Warriors uniform is looking less likely and it has nothing to do with including Stephan Curry.

Football

Barrows goes in-depth with the LBs, part 1. Part 2, featuring P-Willy!

Hockey

Mark Purdy is still around to put heat on the Sharks to get something done.

David Pollack is reading the tea leaves.

Continue Reading

Baseball

I'm starting to worry about Kawakami, he's being too positive lately.

Tough news for one of the A's promising young starters. Looks like Tommy John for Josh Outman.

During this time of tainted sluggers and records, Gwen Knapp goes back to 61* and says that Cooperstown should induct Roger Maris.

Basketball

If you missed it yesterday, Kawakami updated the Amare/Warriors situation and threw a new name into the mix, last year's #2 pick, Michael Beasley. Pure speculation on TK's part, but very interesting. RT is going to put together his own piece on the Warriors' trade options this offseason for tomorrow or Wednesday.

Football

Matt Barrows eases your offseason 49ers needs with an in-depth look at the D-Line. Part 2. I know this is only his second season, but this is a make or break year for Balmer. He needs to be starting by the second half of the season or it's going to be tough to dodge the Bust label. First round picks are supposed to have the ability to get on the field quickly. Barrows mentions Balmer has been working out with justin Smith, so if he still can't make the starting lineup with a high motor mentor like Smith?

Soccer

I went to Santa Cruz, which was foggy, instead of watching the US-Brazil Confed Cup final. Nuff said, right? Nope. Props to Ann Killion, though as she actually follows soccer.

Hockey

The Bay Area/Country seemed amp'd for the NBA Draft/Trades involved on Thursday, but what about the NHL draft? Purdy says it was a bore for the Sharks, but the off season could get more exciting...

Continue Reading

Basketball

The Monta Situation has not diffused over time. Kawakami runs down the options that face the Warriors heading into the draft regarding The Monta Situation. Let me float my own theory out there. Riley and Nelson heard the grumblings of ME and decided to preemptively strike before Monta's trade value plummeted by him demanding a trade through the media. Rileson flew out to Memphis and massaged ME's ego and said his best option was to tow the line while Rileson look for the best deal. Rileson told ME that if he demands a trade publicly, it will make things exceedingly more difficult to move him, so they come up with some BS story about not drafting another play making guard. Aren't you supposed to draft play makers in the Top 10? Very suspicious to say the least.

Kawakami's then expands on how The Monta Situation and other actions since the back-stabbing of Mullin have reverberated around the league, and not in a good way, at all.

Kevin Love tweeted that his coach, Kevin McHale, was going to be fired and broke the story. How is it different than some unknown front office source leaking that info to someone in the media? This isn't an issue of Kevin Love mis-twittering(?), it's ownership's fault for taking too long to pull the trigger publicly.

Mark Purdy spotlights a rookie free agent with tremendous measurables, but a lot of baggage, tasered by police baggage, to hurdle before he makes it.

Football

Frank Gore and Moran Norris are BFFs! Isn't it strange? A tailback and his lead blocker becoming friends? Weird, right? I know.

Thanks for mailing it in, Ratto. You told us nothing and nothing.

Bsaeball

Sammy Sosa. Tested positive. For PED's in 2003. I guess someone has to write something, but this:

If Sosa had any chance for a Cooperstown induction, Tuesday's development seriously hurt.

Sosa had almost no chance for Cooperstown before Tuesday's development and all Tuesday did was give the BBWAA more ammunition to continue being holier than thou.


Hockey

The Sharks are in the mix for a Swedish goalie.

Continue Reading

Baseball

Bruce Jenkins is bitching about the Giants' 6-4 road trip? The game to bitch about was the first game in Washington where the bullpen blew the game for Lincecum.

Gwen Knapp points out the hypocrisy that is the NCAA.

Some guy (is Susan Slusser on vacation?) tries to produce some smack about the Giants to hype up A's-Giants this weekend. FAIL!

In Baggs' post game notes, a quote from Nate Schierholtz sums up the whole Bay Area-Giants-A's vibe.

Schierholtz said he went to more A’s games, but he was a bigger Giants fan.

Hockey

Something just doesn't sound right reading Ratto's head line. Just keep those 2 girls away from that 1 cup. Ratto seems to be hinting that the Sharks may have been passed by several teams in the west, with or without Marleau.

Basketball

The Warriors need a PG and this is the draft to get one. Kawakami on the latest PGs to workout with the Warriors.

MTII takes a closer look at potential Warriors' draft pick, Brandon Jennings. Thompson sums up what the Warriors choices are:

The question is going to become what the Warriors want most: a playmaker who can’t shoot (Jennings), an excellent shooter who isn’t really a true point (Stephan Curry), a shooting guard with some point guard skills (Evans), a prototype NBA point guard who needs a lot of development (Holiday), an undersized, hard-nosed PG (Flynn), or a veteran off another roster.

Football

Matt Maiocco wraps up the latest round of 49ers OTAs with some interesting stuff about QBs coach Mike Johnson.

Continue Reading

Football

Gavin Newsom doesn't like the 49ers.

Dre Bly is excited to be a 49er ... fans not so much.

I think I read this story every year about the Raiders.

Baseball

John Shea says RJ could be the last 300 game winner. Sabathia might have something to say about that.

I would rather be an A's fan than a Sharks fan because at least I can expect to lose.

Is there any way the Giants cannot take a guy named Grant Green!? Anyone who has been to North Beach knows what I am saying.

Basketball

Patty Mills is staying in the NBA draft ... no word on which Euro team he will play for next year.

Continue Reading

Hockey

The Sharks finished off the choke job last night, losing 4-1 and the series 4-2 to the Anaheim Ducks. Ratto has a message for Sharks fans, stop being such pathetic sycophants! The Sharks are over hyped every year and bow out in the playoffs in similar fashion, again and again.

The Sharks know the sound of silence, but someone should be talking, someone should be mad. But no, just silence.

Baseball

Zito was ballin against the Dodgers last night and apparently it's taken two years for him to remember how to be himself. Really? Two years? It's not like I expect him to win 18 games, every year. Just give us league average.


From Schulman's post game notes:

Zito ended up throwing 109. He said he was upset he walked Mark Loretta to start the four-run rally in the seventh, and for not "bearing down" on Casey Blake, who then homered, but he also said, "I never got over 95 pitches all spring. Once I got into the 110 area I tired out."

Why didn't Zito throw more than 95 pitches all spring? This is exactly the reason why poeple think pitch counts are bogus. Just yesterday, Bruce Jenkins had this annecdote about pitch counts in his blog:

Thanks to Randy Johnson for the latest appropriate commentary on pitch counts. An espn.com writer noted that Johnson had a 150-pitch game at USC and wondered if that was a bit excessive. "I used to throw 135-140 in the major leagues," he said. "So when I see someone coming out after 100 pitches, I kind of laugh."

The Giants still need a Manny. I could not possibly write anything sarcastic enough to rebut this article.

In case you live in a cave, another Barry was at the game last night. What's Barry been up to lately? (via Baggs blog)

The A's have no identity and Bruuce Jenkins serves up a killer line about Matt Holiday:

Holliday is a living, breathing symbol of the Coliseum: sturdy and accomplished, yet somehow doomed.

Football

Matt Maiocco is serving up 49ers draft leftovers.

Get your Raiders questions answered in the live chat with Jerry Mac at 1pm.

Continue Reading

Football

Bruce Jenkins with some second hand insight on 49ers draft pick, Nate Davis with some other draft notes and weekend baseball and basketball observations.

The 49ers landed Michael Crabtree with the #10 pick. Is he a diva? Who cares? All that matters is how he plays on Sundays. It's the greatest NFL truth.

Mike Florio, of ProFootballTalk.com, writing at SportingNews has his own opinion on what getting drafted 10th adn playing across the Bay from a team that passed on you might do for a diva. (Item #3)

Twittering the NFL Draft, by Cam Inman. 90% easier than writing an acutal column.

Kawakami has the winners and losers from the draft, one of each for the Bay Area teams.

In case you didn't hear, nobody liked the the Raiders draft.

Jerry Mac's draft wrap.

Dan Brown collected various draft grades from various "experts" on the 49ers draft.

Bee-rows sasy the 49ers addressed their OT/OLB needs with UFAs.

Raiders draft bashing courtesy of Kawakami. Who else?

Basketball

From this weekend, Bruce Jenkins argues that the Warriors should try to acquire Andre Miller.

Hockey

Thornton, Marleau and Setoguchi stepped up in game 5, but Nabokov needs to step up tonight. Seriously, has Nabokov become overrated? Was he always overrated? I mean, Jonas Hiller is schooling him this series. Jonas Hiller. Not Martin Brodeur. Jonas Hiller.

No excuses, play through your injuries, it's do or die tonight.

Baseball

Steve Holm hates the Dodgers.

Scott Ostler dreams wistfully of Manny on the Giants. Get over it! Remember when the 49ers brought Kurt Warner to town and he signed the next day with the Cardinals? That's waht Manny wanted the Giants to be. Stop all the bitching about Manny. Call up Ralph on KNBR and talk about how good the Giants would have been if they'd signed Vlad five years ago. How about we focus on kicking the Dodgers ass? Good.

Did Brian Wilson stay out too late Saturday night?

Baggs says there may be a roster move before the game tonight against the Dodgers. Also, Tim Alderson and Madison Bumgarner may be making their last starts for the San Jose Giants. Me and RT went and saw Alderson pitch last week and he was pretty impressive.

Someone let me know if there's any A's news.

Continue Reading

Hockey

The Sharks are own 3-1 vs. the Ducks after last night's shutout. Ratto nails the analysis with one sentence:

As the Ducks' tactical defensive superiority dawned upon them more and more, the Sharks lost heart.

Since the Sharks just changed coaches, maybe they should look into trading Marleau and/or Thornton?

Baseball

The Giants' value fell five percent versus last year and the A's value fell one percent, according to Forbes.

Sean Gallagher has been sent to Sacramento, hardcore A's fans rejoice.

Baggs has Bochy's answers to readers' questions. Sorry Dallas McPherson fans, he hasn't even played in Fresno yet because of back spasms.

Interesting piece from Buster Olney asking if Albert Pujols is the perfect player?

Olney also mentions Grady Sizemore's fast, well balanced start. I saw the highlights from Cleveland yesterday and that ballpark is empty. Could Sizemore be "gettable" for the Giants?

Football

In case you haven't heard, the NFL Draft is this weekend. Cam Inman says the 49ers should take a pass rusher first, QB later.

Kawakami says both Bay Area teams are needy.

David White looks at the Raiders' past Top 7 picks.

Jerry Mac with a couple of pre-draft notes including a mention of the "Crabtree Diss." All he said was, "No comment." Who cares?

Continue Reading