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Monday, Sept. 21 through Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020
Issue No. 347
San Francisco 49ers Woes
The San Francisco 49ers suffered a number of significant injuries in Sunday's 31-13 victory over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Probably the most significant was defensive end Nick Bosa, who suffered a left knee injury. Fellow teammates to also go down included quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (high ankle sprain), running back Raheem Mostert (knee), and defensive tackle Solomon Thomas (left knee). The Jets also experienced a number of injuries and a possible culprit is considered to be the new artificial turf. Unfortunately the 49ers return to the same field on Sunday morning when they face the New York Giants at 10:00 a.m. Above, in a high point from last season, NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Nick Bosa picked off a pass from Carolina Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen and returned the interception for
Oakland A's 2
San Francisco Giants 14
San Francisco left fielder Darin Ruf drove in four runs, including this 2-run home run, as the Giants put up 14 runs on the board to defeat the Oakland Athletics for the first time this season, 14-2, at RingCentral Coliseum on Sunday, Sept. 20. Caption and photo by Darren Yamashita.  
Shortstop Brandon Crawford broke the game open with a grand slam in the 6th inning, here celebrating from a distance with first base coach Antoan Richardson. Caption and photo by Darren Yamashita.
Pitcher Tyler Anderson bounced back from an early ejection in his last start to give up two unearned runs over 5-2/3 innings, evening his record at 3-3. Caption and photo by Darren Yamashita
Oakland third baseman Jake Lamb provided all of the scoring for the Athletics with a two-run single in the sixth inning. Lamb is hitting .364 with two home runs and 7 RBIs in six games in the green and gold. To view a game photo album, visit our Facebook Page and be sure to LIKE us or visit www.ultimatesportsguide.net. Caption and photo by Darren Yamashita.  
Oakland A's 6
San Francisco 0
 Oakland was relentless in Saturday afternoon's game and won by the identical score of the night before: A's 6, Giants 0.
Outfielder Ramon Laureano went hitless on the day but scored one of Oakland's six runs in the seventh inning. The A's lowered their magic number to clinch their first division title in seven years to one game. Photo by Rich Yee.
 The A's have had great success in rallying community support for their playoff drive and spectators have included lions, tigers and even elephants
 The tale of the tape reflected another shellacking of San Francisco by the identical score as the night before: A's 6, Giants 0. Oakland remains perfect against the Giants in the 2020 season, sporting a 5-0 record. To view a game photo album, visit our Facebook Page and be sure to LIKE us or visit www.ultimatesportsguide.netPhoto by Rich Yee.
Oakland A's 6
San Francisco 0
 Athletics on-air personality Dallas Braden stands for The National Anthem before the game between the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants at RingCentral Coliseum on Friday evening, Sept. 18. 
Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson hit a 3-run home run as the A's shut out the San Francisco Giants, 6-0. Caption and photo by Darren Yamashita.
Starter Chris Bassitt tossed 6-2/3 innings of shutout ball, striking out seven, to earn his fifth win of the season. Caption and photo by Darren Yamashita.
Designated hitter Tommy La Stella had two hits and an RBI, raising his batting average with the Athletics to .309. Caption and photo by Darren Yamashita.
 Giants shortstop Brandon Crawfold makes a sliding catch of a foul ball in the first inning. To view a game photo album, visit our Facebook Page and be sure to LIKE us or visit www.ultimatesportsguide.net.
Odds to win the 2020 World Series
San Francisco Giants -- 160/1
Oakland Athletics -- 12/1
Ryan Vogelsong, pitcher, retired in Georgia
There are a handful of San Francisco Giants players who have signed with the team twice and right-handed pitcher Ryan Vogelsong is one of them. Drafted by the Giants in the 5th round of the 1998 MLB draft, he spent two years in their minor league system before making his MLB debut with San Francisco on September 2, 2000. After a disappointing start to the 2001 season, Vogelsong was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates where he pitched in just two games before requiring Tommy John surgery which kept him on the sidelines until the end of 2003. Over the next several years Vogelsong hopscotched from the Pirates to the Hanshin Tigers in Japan, then back to the majors in 2010 for brief stints with the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Angels before finally signing again with the Giants in 2011, who brought him up from AAA Fresno immediately to replace injured pitcher Barry Zito. From 2012 to 2015, Vogelsong was an integral part of San Francisco's starting rotation of pitchers, assisting the Giants in their acquisition of World Series rings in 2012 and 2014. He returned to the Pirates in 2016, and finished his career in 2017 after a brief stint in the minors with the Minnesota Twins. Vogelsong now lives in Suwanee, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, with his wife, Nicole, and son, Ryder.
Caption and photo by Kenny Karst.
Who Am I?
I made my MLB debut with the Oakland Athletics in 2016 and my first major league victory was against the San Francisco Giants. Over the last three years, I've been used as a starter, long reliever, and short reliever, recording my only save in 2019. Concept and photo by Darren Yamashita.
The BEST Bay Area sports photos from
Michael Zagaris, Ed Jay, Rich Yee, Darren Yamashita,
Ron Sellers, Alex Ho, Rob Edwards, Kenneth Wong,
Timothy Reynolds and Larry Rosa 
Where The Bay Comes To Play!
Dan - final
Hardly Trivial by T. Buff
The NBA playoffs overlapping the start of the NFL and college football seasons leaves me questioning which sport I should ask a hardly trivial question about... Who is the only NBA player to win a Heisman Trophy?
(See answer below...)
"It's an ocean planet. As the oceans go, so goes the planet."
-- Bill Carvalho, Wild Planet founder and president

Wild Planet Foods has been honored with TWO awards by Whole Foods Market -- Global Supplier of the Year AND Environmental Stewardship! The annual awards recognize suppliers who embody Whole Foods Market's mission and values through a proven commitment to quality, environmental stewardship, organic integrity, innovation, and partnership.

More Awards and Counting!
Prevention  -- 100 Cleanest Packaged Food Awards
Men's Health -- 125 Best Foods for Men
Prevention -- Eat Clean Best Packaged Foods
Every Day with Rachael Ray -- Brand New Buy
Better Homes and Gardens -- Catch of the Day
Clean Eating -- Clean Choice Awards
Natural Health -- 3rd Annual Good Food Awards
Runner's World -- Good Catch

For more information, visit www.wildplanetfoods.com
Football Lingo
Even in COVID times, cliches don't change
Andy Dolich -



COVID Kickoff


by Andy Dolich
Every sport is distinguished by their own dialect, jargon and insider language when explaining the complex nature of what they do, even if it makes no sense.

With footballs again flying through the air in the middle of a Pandemic, it’s time to review what we will be hearing when players, coaches, broadcasters and media mavens start searching for the best way to describe the players and play in the Covid competition of the National Football League!

We really Competed -- That’s nice. What were you supposed to do, take a nap?

He Tested Positive -- That is a major negative.

He took that one To The Tent -- We should have results shortly.

He has an Infectious Personality -- He was immediately sent home and quarantined.

He has Underlying Conditions -- We are still trying to work it out the details with his agent.

You have to Take Care of the football -- It will be sanitized after every fumble.

This could be his Breakout Season -- Our medical team is doing everything in its power to make sure this doesn’t happen.

He is an amazing Downhill Runner -- Too bad that all the fields we play on are flat.

Games are Decided by Turnovers -- Betty Crocker just joined our football operations staff and is cooking up a storm.

He really Works at his Craft -- The varnish job on the deck of his sailboat is outstanding.

This team Won’t accept Losing -- Not making the playoffs for five years sucks.

That was a Great Football Play -- That usually happens in a freaking football game.

Protocols -- He thought he was supposed to phone a bunch of his teammates.

They Brought the House -- Illegal based on new League protocols.

You Can’t measure Heart -- Actually you can with an EKG, ECG and Angiograms.

His Mechanics are Screwed Up -- That is what happens when you have eight high-performance imported cars sitting in your garage.

He has a gun/rocket/bazooka/machine gun/RPG/ for an arm -- We always get hassled by the TSA on road trips.

He’s a Shutdown Corner -- It’s the rest of the neighborhood that he has trouble with.

This is a Statement Game -- We will be checking our deposits and withdrawals with our CFO.

It’s like a Chess Match between these Two Coaches -- Unfortunately our coach only plays dominoes

We are going to play The Full 60 Minutes -- Even though the total time of game action during an NFL game is approximately 18 minutes.

He’s a Great Locker Room Guy -- Unfortunately his play on the field sucks.

He always brings his Athleticism and Physicality to the Game Shocking, since every NFL player is at the top of the Superhuman food chain in athleticism and physicality.

He is Great in Space -- Elon Musk just called about working with him at SpaceX.

He can Move the Chains -- Always impressed at the postgame press conference that his neck can handle that load of gold.

Big Third Down -- One time, just one time, can an analyst say this third down is completely “unimportant?”

He’s our Bell Cow -- Does anyone really know what a Bell Cow is and what they do?

We had a great week of practice!” -- The 34-7 loss on Sunday was a complete surprise.

The National Football League -- We aren’t morons. We know what sport it is, We know the name of the League. We don’t need announcers saying it 231 times during the broadcast.

Early season games can set the tone for the rest of the sprint in the midst of a marathon..........at least until the third game. Remember, It’s a Marathon, not a Sprint.

Enjoy the Season!
* * *
Andy Dolich has over five decades of leadership in the sports industry, including executive positions in the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, pro soccer and lacrosse. Presently Dolich is COO of the Fan Controlled Football League (FCFL) and teaches sports business at Stanford's School of Continuing Studies.
Dolich is also co-author of the book:
Golden Gate Fields
My Father Footstep wins the 8th race at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday,
Sept. 19. The mile turf race ran in 1:40.50 with a purse of $39,000, ridden by Cristobal Herrera, trained by Felix Rondan and owned by Andres Rondan.
San Jose Earthquakes 1
Portland Timbers 6
Carlos Fierro scores first MLS goal (above); Jack Skahan makes MLS debut

SAN JOSE, Calif. - The San Jose Earthquakes fell to the Portland Timbers, 6-1,
on Saturday night at Earthquakes Stadium.

Quakes midfielder Carlos Fierro, making his first start of the season, scored his first MLS goal, while rookie midfielder Jack Skahan made his MLS debut.

The two teams were separated by just one goal at halftime (2-1), but the Timbers scored four in the second half, including a pair in the final
five minutes of the match.

The Earthquakes will now prepare to travel to face the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday, Sept. 23, presented by the City of San Jose. Kickoff from Dick's Sporting Goods Park is set for 6:00 p.m. PT and will be broadcast on NBC Sports California Plus, KNBR 1050 and 1370 KZSF.


Oakland Roots
Oakland, Calif – Oakland Roots Sports Club will join the USL Championship for the 2021 season. The USL is the largest and fastest growing professional soccer organization in North America with teams throughout the United States and Canada. Roots will represent The Town across the country and around the world with matches on ESPN+, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

“We are excited to join the USL Championship in 2021,” said Club Chair Steven Aldrich. “Playing in the Championship is a great opportunity for Oakland Roots to continue our journey of using soccer as a force for social good. We can’t wait to showcase the passion, pride, and commitment of our players, fans, and The Town to an even wider audience next year.” 

#OaklandForever

Hardly Trivial by T. Buff
1993 Heisman Trophy winner, Charlie Ward
Florida State's Charlie Ward wasn't drafted into the NFL after announcing he was pursuing an NBA career. Ward played 11 seasons in the NBA, mostly with the New York Knicks and averaged 6.3 points and 4 assists for his career. https://bit.ly/3hKlCfE will take you to a fascinating Heisman history reflecting what happened to all the Heisman winners.
 Charlie Ward's NBA career ended in Houston in 2005. His NBA stats can be found here: https://bit.ly/3ksjoU6
Ricky's Sports Bar --
GoFundMe page established to help
SAN LEANDRO (CBS SF) — A well-known San Leandro sports bar may have to close after 74 years because of the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic on business, the bar’s owners said last week. Financial struggles could shut down Ricky’s Sports Theatre and Grill at 15028 Hesperian Blvd., which has been
open since 1946.

“Nobody wants to be in this spot,” owner Tina Ricardo said in an interview.
“I hope to get it back open.”

Ricky's has been closed during the shelter-in-place order and still has bills to pay, wrote supporter Dr. Robert Gingery, a vascular surgeon, on a GoFundMe page to raise money for the bar. Gingery is friends with the owners,
Tina and Ricky Ricardo.
To help this valuable and venerable community treasure, please visit the GoFundMe page: Save Ricky’s Sports Bar organized by Robert Gingery
Raiders Fan Profiles
In the last seasons of the Oakland Raiders in Oakland, Ultimate Sports Guide photographer Ed Jay collected images and stories of some of the Raiders most passionate and beloved fans. To view and read their stories, click on this link and revisit your all-time favorites. Above, Shea Ohlott.
Who Am I?
Oakland A's pitcher Daniel Mengden

Daniel Mengden was drafted by the Houston Astros in the fourth round of the 2014 MLB draft. Prior to the 2015 trade deadline, the Astros traded Mengden and Jacob Nottingham to the Oakland A's for Scott Kazmir. On June 11, 2016, Mengden made his MLB debut against the Cincinnati Reds and won his first MLB game in the Battle of the Bay against the San Francisco Giants
on June 27, 2016.

In 2017, he'd remain in the rotation for the remainder of the season, finishing with 14 starts. Mengden recorded 2 wins and 9 losses with 71 K's in 72 innings. Mengden spent the majority of the season in the minors, pitching in only seven starts. In 2018 he was 7-6 with an ERA of 4.05 in 22 games (17 starts) and in 2019 Mengden went 5-2 with an ERA of 4.83 in 13 games (9 starts).

Mengden was just designated for assignment after coming off the 10-day injury list due to the positive Covid-19 result in Houston.

To see Mengden in action against Colorado in July, visit our Facebook Page and be sure to LIKE us or visit www.ultimatesportsguide.net. Concept and photo
In the House!
The 2019 Fall/Winter edition of the Ultimate Sports Guide, a San Francisco Bay Area sports reference publication published twice a year for avid Bay Area and Northern California sports fans, is in the house. The Ultimate Sports Guide is distributed free of charge or may be ordered via subscription. Each seasonal edition provides professional and collegiate team coverage through commentary, photo essays and player profiles. To order, visit www.ultimatesportsguide.net or send $5 to: Ultimate Sports Guide,
P.O. Box 4515, Berkeley, CA 94704. Write theultimatesportsguide@gmail.com
or call (510) 845-2035. Cover photo: Rich Yee. 
Back Issues
not to be missed!
Offering superb photography and
entertaining chronicles


Click here for 2019 editions.

Weekly Bay Area
Sports Calendar
Monday, September 21 through
Sunday, September 27, 2020
Games for most major and minor league sports, including collegiate and high school teams,
have been cancelled.

Monday, September 21
San Francisco Giants vs. Colorado Rockies, 6:45 p.m
Tuesday, September 22
San Francisco Giants vs. Colorado Rockies, 6:45 p.m.
Oakland A's @ Los Angeles Dodgers, 6:40 p.m.
Wednesday, September 23
San Francisco Giants vs. Colorado Rockies, 6:45 p.m.
Oakland A's @ Los Angeles Dodgers, 6:40 p.m.
Thursday, September 24
San Francisco Giants vs. Colorado Rockies, 12:45 p.m.
Oakland A's @ Los Angeles Dodgers, 6:40 p.m.
Friday, September 25
San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres, 4:10 p.m.
San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres, to follow
Oakland A's vs. Seattle Mariners, 6:40 p.m.
Saturday, September 26
San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres, 6:15 p.m.
Oakland A's vs. Seattle Mariners, 1:10 p.m.
Oakland A's vs. Seattle Mariners, to follow
Sunday, September 27
San Francisco 49ers @ New York Giants, 10 a.m.
San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres, 12:05 p.m.
Oakland A's vs. Seattle Mariners, 12:10 p.m.
Enjoy the
 Ultimate Sports Guide website!

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The vast majority of student-athletes dreaming of athletic stardom won't make it to the pros. Yet, the discipline and skills they've developed while balancing a sport and academics make them ideally suited for satisfying careers elsewhere. In 20 Secrets to Success for NCAA Student-Athletes Who Won't Go Pro, the authors draw on personal experience, interviews, expert opinion, and industry data to provide a game plan for student-athletes through key transitions at each stage of their careers, from high school through college and beyond. Modeled on Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, this book provides a much-needed strategy for achieving career success. Readable and concise, it will be a valuable tool for students, parents, and sports administrators. To order, click here.
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Contact Information:
Ultimate Sports Guide
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The Ultimate Sports Guide is very appreciative to the ongoing contributions made by former staff photographer Kenny Karst, now retired. Mr. Karst continues to contribute through helpful ideas and his archives.