Monday, January 17, 2022
Issue No. 416
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Publisher: Christopher Weills
Marketing Director: Robert Moselle
Director of Sales: Ann Cooke
Staff Photographers: Jeff Bayer, Alex Ho, Ed Jay, Ron Sellers, Darren Yamashita, Rich Yee. Kenny Karst (retired).
Contributors: Steve Chain, Andy Dolich, Pete Elman, Rob Flammia, Bruce Macgowan, Robert Moselle, Dave Newhouse, Howard Pearlstein, Amaury Pi-Gonzalez, T. Buff, Shelia Young
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Letters to the Editor
Take My QB And Coach, PLEASE!
Many of you 49er fans have been belly-aching over Jimmy G’s performances of late. After Sunday's OT win over the Rams, you may want to reconsider those complaints.
You should extend some empathy to AZ Cardinals fans who once again watched Kyler Murray, the Cardinals’ short-sighted and egotistical QB, and his overrated coach, Cliff Kingsbury, blow another home game against the Seahawks. That makes five home games in a row in the loss column, and leads us to wonder how badly they will lose their wild card game with the Rams on January 17.
Either way, Cardinals’ owner Bill Bidwell and GM Steve Keim should seriously consider canning both Murray and Kingsbury on Black Tuesday, January 18th! Maybe 2022 will be a better season for the Cards.
Signed: A soon-to-be former season ticket holder
Phoenix, AZ
Winter Olympics: All Downhill From Here
I've been so obsessed with the 49ers lately that I have been advised to lower my stress via another Letter to Sports Today. I thank you, as do my friends and co-workers, for this opportunity.
I've never been a big fan of the Winter Olympics, which this year commence on February 2, although I do acknowledge the athleticism and dedication of the athletes. It's just that nobody's gonna put me on two sticks of wood, on a mountain top, and then yell "PUSH!" To quote GHWB, "Na gonna do it -- wouldn't be prudent." Plus, I hate the cold, can't skate, and to me a Triple Lutz sounds like a high-priced cocktail.
Fortunately, I hadn't made my travel arrangements, as the IOC has announced that only residents of the People's Republic of China will be permitted to attend the Games as spectators. For the participants, the "Athlete Villages" look like 1950s housing projects in The Bronx. All athletes will be required to remain within the bio-secure bubble for the duration of their participation, including restrictions on travel to and from Games-related venues. And NHL players, maybe the toughest athletes on the planet, won't compete.
More cameras per square inch than an Instagram Convention, undercover police, and obligatory military exercises should make for quite a Party, (as in Communist Party). All topped off with a contest of "Where's Uyghur?"
I hope Americans win all the Gold possible. Our Olympians are great people and I wish them well.
Jerry Monkman
South San Francisco
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Contents
Columns
Hardly Trivial by T. Buff
Games
Cal Bears vs. Southern California United (men's gymnastics)
Harlem Globetrotters 73, Washington Generals 69
San Francisco 49ers 23, Dallas Cowboys 17
Features & Commentary
A Half Century of Conflict, to be continued... by Dave Newhouse
Las Vegas and the New Gold Rush for Sports, by Amaury Pi-Gonzalez
Sports Haikus©️
Sensationalism in Sports Journalism Headlines by Howard Pearlstein
Organizations
Oakland A's
Oakland Roots
San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose State Spartans
Sonoma Raceway
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
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San Francisco 49ers 23
Dallas Cowboys 17
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In a high-drama game fit for inducing heart attacks, the
San Francisco 49ers (11-7) survived a late fourth quarter rally by the Dallas Cowboys (12-6) for a 23-17 upset win in Arlington, TX. One 49er standout, among many, was Deebo Samuel who rushed for 72 yards, the most by a wide receiver in a playoff game since the Super Bowl era began in 1966. The versatile receiver also ran 26 yards for a touchdown the play after an interception thrown by Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott. With the win the Niners advance to meet the Green Bay Packers (13-4) at Lambeau Field in the NFL Divisional Round on Saturday, January 22, at 5:15 p.m. • FOX • Deportes
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Trent Williams, Deebo Samuel make
NFL All-Pro First Team
Left tackle Trent Williams and wide receiver Deebo Samuel
have made The Associated Press’ All-Pro First Team in recognition of their stellar seasons for the 49ers. Both earned first-team
All-Pro honors for the first time in their careers, as determined
by a vote of 50 media members of the Associated Press.
Williams tied for the most votes of any offensive lineman with 46. He was one of only 12 players to cross the 40-vote threshold.
Samuel, in only his third season, made the All-Pro First Team
with 21 votes, joining two wide receivers who were unanimous selections, Davante Adams (Packers) and Cooper Kupp (Rams).
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San Francisco 49ers History Revisited |
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“They had something on us,” echoed fellow linebacker Wilcox. “They might have cheated.” Dave Wilcox, #64, Class of 2000,
Pro Football Hall of Fame
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A Half Century of Conflict,
to be continued...
by Dave Newhouse
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Fifty years ago, Dave Wilcox, Tommy Hart and Skip Vanderbundt
of the San Francisco 49ers were being demoralized by the Dallas Cowboys, and those difficult memories remain vivid for them even now as senior citizens.
“We could never beat them,” Vanderbundt, a 49er linebacker, said of those Texas-style defeats. “No matter where we played them, or when, they kicked our butts.”
“They had something on us,” echoed fellow linebacker Wilcox. “They might have cheated.”
Wilcox laughed at his own attempt at comic relief. But it wasn’t all that funny from 1970-1972, when the 49ers and Cowboys met three straight years in the postseason, including twice for the NFC championship, and Dallas triumphed each time.
And this past Sunday, the 49ers and Cowboys met for the 38th time, including eight playoff games, which was too much for Hart, a long-ago defensive end.
“I can’t take this pressure,” he said a few days before the game in Dallas, “because I get too nervous. I’ll watch a movie on TV instead.”
Hart had a right to feel conflicted, because he coached for both Dallas and San Francisco after his playing career, which included a 49er single-game record of six sacks, registered against the Los Angeles Rams during a Monday night game in 1970, won by the 49ers, 20-6.
But Hart knows where his true heart is when he added, “I want the 49ers to win, no doubt about that.”
With the old 49ers watching, the current 49ers nearly blew a 16-point fourth quarter lead Sunday, but held together long enough to pull off a 23-17 upset victory over the host Cowboys to advance in the NFL playoffs, traveling to Green Bay to face the NFC’s top-seeded Packers in, likely, freezing weather. Just another 49ers-Cowboys classic, with the 49ers winning, for once, this time.
There was one bright spot in the early ‘70s, when the 49ers beat the Cowboys on Thanksgiving in Dallas, 31-10, with Vanderbundt scoring twice on an interception and a fumble return.
“It’s hard to beat the same team twice in a season,” he said. “But those were crushing defeats (to Dallas in the playoffs). It got to be so frustrating.”
The first postseason loss to Dallas occurred in ’70 during the last pro football contest played at Kezar Stadium, when the Cowboys prevailed, 17-10, in the NFC title game as their mysterious, mum running back Duane Thomas “killed us,” Vanderbundt remembered.
In ‘71, the same two teams met again for the NFC championship, this time in Dallas, and the Cowboys won, 14-3. But what was about to take place in ’72 made those first two 49er defeats seem anti-climactic.
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Charlie Krueger was a defensive tackle for 15 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. Krueger was also a two-time All-American and a member of the San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame and
the Texas Sports Hall of Fame
Following their Thanksgiving victory in Dallas, the 49ers jumped on the Cowboys early, 28-13, in a first-round playoff game at Candlestick Park. But, then, came the most stigmatized negative play in 49er history. Preston Riley had been named the 49ers’ Special Teams Player of the Year, but with time running out that transforming day, he fumbled away a Dallas onside kick, and the Cowboys pulled out a 30-28 victory.
The 49ers then cut Riley, who never played another NFL game. But that fumble continued to torment him for decades afterwards.
“I’ve never gotten over it,” he said in 2014. “It has haunted me every day of my life. Just talking about it now, I’m about to break up. I’ve been treated for depression a couple of times. I feel so bad, a lot of sadness and remorse in letting my teammates down.”
Riley got into police work and then construction in his post-football life. However, his teammates don’t hold him responsible for that loss, having blown a 15-point lead. “Poor guy,” said Wilcox, “but he was one of many (who contributed to the defeat).”
After that third straight postseason setback by Dallas, even the victors were sympathetic toward the 49ers. “I feel so sorry for those guys,” said Blaine Nye, the Cowboys offensive guard who was a Stanford alum.
It took another decade, and Joe Montana’s pass to Dwight Clark that resulted in The Catch as the most famous play in franchise history, for the 49ers to correct past pitfalls and finally beat Dallas in the postseason.
Shortly thereafter, San Francisco had its first Super Bowl victory.
The current 49ers had a “70” on the back of their helmets this season, honoring the retired number of stalwart defensive tackle Charlie Krueger, who passed away last January. “It undoes me every time I see it,” Krueger’s widow, Kristin, said of that decal. “It’s quite an honor.”
An interesting twist: Charlie and Kris decided to marry that Thanksgiving weekend in 1972, but felt they needed permission from head coach Dick Nolan first. So Kristin phoned Ann Nolan, the coach’s wife, who relayed the message to her husband, who gave his approval BEFORE the Cowboys game in Dallas, and the coach and his wife then attended the wedding.
“Thank goodness we had beaten them. Good timing,” Kristin recalled.
Charlie Krueger grew up in Texas, in Caldwell, and attended Texas A&M. Thus did those Cowboys games hold special meaning for him?
“I think he just wanted to win,” said Kristin, “but he wasn’t a fan of (Cowboys coach) Tom Landry.”
A rivalry to be continued.
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Dave Newhouse's journalism career spans more than half a century, including 45 years at the Oakland Tribune before his retirement in November 2011. His most recent book, The Yankee Way, is available in bookstores and on amazon.com. Dave grew up in Menlo Park, graduated from San Jose State, and has radio and television experience, in addition to his work as an award-winning sportswriter and columnist. For earlier articles by Dave published in
Sports Today, click HERE.
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2022 Coaching Staff Announced
We are excited to announce our 2022 coaching staff. Following our announcement of Mark Kotsay as the new Green and Gold manager, we are adding Brad Ausmus as bench coach, Tommy Everidge as hitting coach and Chris Cron as assistant hitting coach. Darren Bush moves to third base coach/run prevention coach, Eric Martins is now first base coach/infield coach and Mike Aldrete takes over as quality control coach. Scott Emerson returns as pitching coach and Marcus Jensen is back as the A's bullpen coach.
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A's Final Environmental Impact Report |
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The City of Oakland released the Final EIR (Environmental Impact Report) for the Oakland A's Waterfront Ballpark Project on Friday, December 17. The report
The release of the Final EIR is a huge milestone in the project's lifecycle. Now is the time for the community to show its support. The Waterfront Ballpark Project will create $3 billion in economic impact, 7,000 jobs, much-needed housing including affordable housing, drive business to Jack London Square, and make significant financial and other contributions to ensure environmental justice for West Oakland. This project is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Oakland. After 3+ years of work and countless hours of research and coordination, we do not need more process, we need action.
The Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing on Wednesday, January 19, to consider providing a recommendation to the City Council regarding the Certification of the EIR for the Oakland Waterfront Ballpark District Project. The Planning Commission meeting is solely on whether to recommend its approval of the EIR to the City Council, not a meeting to discuss the merits of the Howard Terminal Project. Please see full meeting details below:
Planning Commission Hearing (1/19)
Instructions for Public Comment: To comment by Zoom video conference, click the “Raise Your Hand” button to request to speak when Public Comment is being taken on an eligible agenda item. You will then be unmuted during your turn and allowed to make public comments. After the allotted time, you will then be re-muted.
We need your support. If you are able, please attend the hearing via Zoom and sign up to speak in support for the project. Whether or not you are able to speak, please consider sending an email in support, stating why you (and your business or organization) supports the project.
If you support the project, but need additional information, please contact Burt Boltuch, a spokesperson for Town Business, a group of several hundred local business and community organizations that was formed to support the Howard Terminal Project and support community efforts to achieve racial, economic, social and environmental justice. He can be reached at burtboltuch@gmail.com. Emails can also be sent to drarmstrong@oaklandca.gov or cpayne@oaklandca.gov.
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The Harlem Globetrotters pay tribute to African American athletes, including Muhammad Ali. Synonymous with family entertainment and remarkable basketball skills, the worldwide icons made several Bay Area appearances over the weekend, including Chase Center on Saturday afternoon, January 15. Caption and photo by Rich Yee.
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TNT Lister leads a fast break past a Washington General.
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Hot Shot ran circles around his opponent and then left him in the dust.
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Dazzle executes an acrobatic flip while spinning a ball on one finger.
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"My goal is for everybody to do their jobs, the way they're hired to do, whether it be to coach, recruit, film practice, create 'cut-ups,' whatever their responsibility is inside the department. My goal is to make everything around them as crystal clear as possible and as picturesque as a mountain lake," said Thienes, who likens his responsibilities to those of a general manager for a professional sports team franchise.
Thienes is Football Scoop's first director of operations award winner from a Mountain West member school and just the second award winner from a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) institution located in the Pacific and Mountain time zones since the award's inception in 2009.
"'There is no one in the country I believe is more deserving than Ben. He represents our team and this profession at large so well. He is consistently thinking ahead and thinking through challenges, and coming up with solutions. We owe a huge amount of success to Ben and his staff. We're very fortunate to have him, and I couldn't do it without him,'' head coach Brent Brennan told Football Scoop.
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Watch any program on CCE's YouTube channel, or, for attorneys, earn MCLE credits online, economically, with "The Best in Topics and Talent."
Center for Continuing Education, Monterey, CA is a State Bar of California MCLE approved Provider, #8450
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Cal Bears Sweep SoCal United |
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Everyone is ready to start 2022 season with the Cal Benefit Cup, a home dual meet as the Golden Bears played host to Southern California United in a men's gymnastics meet and program fundraiser at Haas Pavilion on Saturday evening, January 15, in Berkeley. The Bears would take the meet, 382.100-310.900.
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Senior co-captain Caleb Rickard lets out a yell of celebration after sticking his landing from the vault and taking the high score of 14.500.
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Haiku: A traditional Japanese haiku is a three-line poem with seventeen syllables, written in a 5/7/5 syllable count. Sports Today! has expanded Haikus to embrace our readership and invites you to submit your own. Top entries will be published!
The Ultimate Sports Guide/Sports Today! Thank you for your many entries!
This week's selection process focuses on the topic du jour,
the 49er-Cowboys playoff game. This VICTORIOUS ENTRY most accurately and viscerally channels the emotions of 49er fans and those of many other teams to reflect their resentment that "America" is equated in any way with the vile City or State in which the Cowboys are located. Such association MUST be stricken from the sports lexicon, with sanctions imposed on announcers who dare to utter it.
No punches pulled; this Haiku is about Good over Evil.
Kudos to JACQUES DIAMOND, OAKLAND, CA.
JACQUES DIAMOND, take your place on the Haiku Podium,
with your Haiku proudly published in Sports Today!
COWBOYS ARE AMERICA'S TEAM? NOT!
EVIL INCARNATE
DALLAS HAS THE GRASSY KNOLL
WIN OR LOSE, THEY'RE TRASH
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As noted in the USG's own Haiku below, we invite entries for
"Best Sports Haiku." The winner will be published!
Sports Haikus ©️ USG/Sports Today's Haiku Invitation
Ultimate Sports Guide
Wants to Publish Your Haiku
You must send it in
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The front doors of the Tropicana Casino Hotel Resort in Las Vegas
which could wind up being the home to either the
Oakland A’s or a new MLS franchise or both
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Las Vegas
and the
New Gold Rush for Sports
by Amaury Pi-Gonzalez
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Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber is looking to Las Vegas for expansion: “Las Vegas is a front-runner for MLS 30th team,” said Mr. Garber, who added, “We are looking to build a stadium right off the strip."
Sin City has gained national attention in recent years with the birth of the NHL Las Vegas Golden Knights and the Oakland Raiders, now the Las Vegas Raiders, both playing in the most famous desert in the country.
Now they are also in the mix for MLS's 30th team, according to Garber who added “Our 30th team is really going to round out expansion in Major League Soccer, so stay tuned, because in the first quarter of 2022 we should be announcing a 30th team.”
It makes sense for MLS to build a new stadium for their expansion team in Las Vegas, since it is an outdoor sport with the regular season beginning in late February and ending early October. They play lots of games in the summer and in Las Vegas you need an indoor air conditioned stadium.
Obviously Oakland A’s aficionados are still in a unique situation where the team is moving forward with two parallel plans, one for the Howard Terminal ballpark at Jack London Square in Oakland, and one someplace in Las Vegas.
That is sort of good news for each plan. In Oakland the EIR (Environmental Impact Report), is a 3,500 page document which the city of Oakland's Planning Commission could vote on next month and approve. This is just one step in a very long process as the A’s and the City of Oakland are still in on-going negotiations about how to pay for the project and the infrastructure around it.
Meanwhile in Las Vegas, the A’s are also involved in looking for land to build a new stadium. Early in 2021 MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred gave the team permission to look for alternate sites in other cities, in case they cannot build the Howard Terminal ballpark.
The Tropicana Hotel site on Las Vegas' famous strip is a primary target. Dave Kaval, president of the A’s and owner John Fisher have made repeated visits to the desert and are evaluating other options, like a plot owned by Wyndham Hotel and Resorts Las Vegas and another by betting casino company, Caesars Entertainment.
It has also been reported (although not confirmed) that the Hughes Corporation (originally owned by Howard Hughes) has offered “free” land to the Oakland team if they wish to build their new park in Summerlin, an affluent suburb minutes from the strip. Las Vegas media also has reported the A’s have looked at Henderson, Nevada, just a few minutes from the Strip for their new park.
A’s fans by now have heard just about everything they need to know; stuff they like, and stuff they do not, like the team announcing last year a substantial increase in the price of their season tickets, which was not very well received.
The one positive is the Howard Terminal plans are moving along, although (we must keep in mind) it is still a non-binding agreement. Many scenarios are floating around in the Bay Area among fans and media.
One is that the A’s will play in 2022 at the Oakland Coliseum but sometime during the season they will announce their plans for Howard Terminal, although it’s still in development. However, they do not believe that is going to materialize and will announce that they will be moving out of Oakland. By 2023 they will be playing at their AAA facility, Las Vegas Aviators Ballpark, while they build their new permanent home in Sin City.
Your guess is as good as anybody's. But two things that you can bet on, in the near future Las Vegas will have an MLS team and the other one: sometime this year we will finally know where the A’s are going to play. The commissioner has made it abundantly clear that his patience with Oakland is about to expire. The ‘fish or cut bait’ scenario is coming soon.
During the 2021 season the Oakland A’s played 80 games at the Oakland coliseum and averaged 8,767 fans per game, which ranked #29 among the 30 teams in baseball. The Miami Marlins finished last, averaging 7,933.
We have to consider that most teams' attendance have gone down during the past two seasons because of all the Covid-19 restrictions. And this upcoming 2022, which has been in a lockout by owners since December 2, could figure to be a wild card.
Is another variant on the way after Omicron? How will states handle all this? We are a big and complex country. We have 50 states and they all have different laws and regulations.
Like we say on radio as well as television, “Stay tuned for more news to come.”
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Amaury Pi-Gonzalez is Vice President of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame Museum and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com.
For earlier articles by Amaury Pi-Gonzalez published in
Sports Today, click HERE.
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Considering all the hoopla
about Super Bowl Wild Card Weekend,
this question should be a no-brainer for all.
What team was the first wild card team to win
the Super Bowl?
Bonus points if you know the first Wild Card team to make it to the Super Bowl...
(See answer below...)
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Steph and Draymond pay homage to the red hot Andre |
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Sensationalism in Sports
Journalism Headlines!
by Howard Pearlstein
It used to be that sports writers were the only journalists you could count on because they HAD TO BE accurate.
The morning after a nail-biting heart-attack win against the Utah Jazz, the Chron led with: Steph Curry Saves the Warriors from the Brink of Collapse.
Of course we can say that about any game in which Steph plays, whether he drops 40 points or, on a bad night, 12. He's still in there, getting double-covered but passing the ball, setting up shots and making them pay for three guys covering four.
But not in the Utah Jazz game. (Jazz in Utah? Mormon hipsters?)
Saves? Brink of Collapse? Those words say "last minute heroics."
Sports writers have to get it right, because we, the readers, KNOW if the touchdown pass was 34 yards or 37 yards.
So yeah, Steph counted for 28 points -- and Wiggins had 25 and Otto Porter Jr. had 20, and GP2 had 12 and Andre Iguodala had 12 and Jordan Poole had 10 on his return to the game after days and days of plague-sequestering.
But Saves the Warriors from the Brink of Collapse is an emotional point of view that says “WOW FINISH!” and anyone who watched the game was riveted to the TV screen down to the very last seconds of, "Are we pulling it off or are we folding?"
And it was Andre Iguodala's three-pointer with seconds left that put the Dubs two scores away from the Jazz and a sigh of relief was metaphorically heard all over Oakland and the Bay Area.
If anyone had sneezed or looked away and missed it, there was Steph Curry paying homage to Iguodala and celebrating him, walking around Andre, wiggling fingers like cartoon heat-waves and keeping his distance to make it absolutely clear that Andre was "too hot" to touch.
Credit where it’s due – the one thing anyone watching the game knew what had happened.
Howard Pearlstein
Oakland, CA
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Earthquakes Sign Goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski
to New Contract
24-year-old started 33 of 34 matches in 2021
SAN JOSE, Calif. - The San Jose Earthquakes announced today that the club has signed goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski to a new contract through the 2024 season with a club option for 2025.
"JT has quickly become a leader on the field and a role model in the community," said Earthquakes General Manager Chris Leitch. "Not only is he someone our academy players can look up to, but he's developed into one of the best young goalkeepers in all of Major League Soccer."
Marcinkowski, 24, started 33 of the 34 regular season matches in 2021 and was the youngest goalkeeper in Major League Soccer with at least 26 starts. Among all goalkeepers in MLS, Marcinkowski ranked second in saves (129) and finished the season with a 10-13-10 record with five shutouts. Marcinkowski also received the team's Andrew Bedard Spirit of the Game/Humanitarian of the Year award in 2021 for his outstanding and consistent contributions to the local community.
The Alamo, Calif. native has made 49 career starts for San Jose since signing a Homegrown Player contract ahead of the 2018 season. In addition to making 24 starts on loan with USL Championship side Reno 1868 FC and earning the team's Rookie of the Year award, Marcinkowski made five MLS starts in 2018. He then made 16 starts for Reno in 2019 before taking over as San Jose's starting keeper midway through the 2020 season. Marcinkowski led the team to a 6-3-2 record in his 11 regular season matches in 2020 to clinch a playoff spot.
Marcinkowski has represented the United States at several youth national team levels, including U20 and U23, and competed in competitions such as the 2017 FIFA U20 World Cup and the 2020 Concacaf Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship. He has yet to make an appearance for the senior national team but has participated in three prior camps (May 2019, January 2020, December 2020).
Transaction: San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) - Earthquakes sign GK JT Marcinkowski to a new contract through the 2024 season with a club option for 2025.
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Advertise in Sports Today!
* Reach thousands of fans on a weekly basis
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Ann Cooke, Director of Sales |
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"Good things come to those who wait"
The Guinness is pouring well and honestly we can't drink it all by ourselves so join us. We will be open 7 days a week, Monday through Thursday, 3pm til close. Friday through Sunday 12pm til close. Look forward to seeing all your smiling
faces once again.
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Editor's Note
Have a favorite Sports Moment you would like to share?
With perhaps a photo or two? Send a brief description along with any photos and we'll make room. Why not bring those memories to life?
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Dear History Lover:
This holiday season consider giving the gift of education with this film. It’s intended for all ages and released at the right time with the prevalence of systemic racism, and social justice as a current topic.
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Where The Bay Comes To Play! |
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Oakland Roots Name Lindsay Barenz as the Club's
New President
Oakland, CA - Oakland Roots are proud to announce that Lindsay Barenz will become the club's new President. Barenz joins the organization having most recently served as President of Business Operations for the Washington Spirit of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and brings a diverse track record of experience in men’s and women’s professional soccer at both the club and league level, law, union organizing, and entrepreneurship. She starts on January 18, succeeding Interim President Steven Aldrich, allowing Steven to focus on his role as Club Chair.
“I’m incredibly excited to join Oakland Roots Sports Club and help them in their mission to build the leading, Purpose-driven sports team in the United States,” said Barenz. “I believe strongly in the club’s vision of how a sports organization should be built and I’m excited about the opportunity to work in a wonderful city like Oakland. I can’t wait to get started.”
In her role with the NWSL, Barenz led the sale of the league’s broadcast rights and helped secure several league-wide partnership deals. Prior to that she served as the Vice President of Strategic Business Development and General Counsel for the Utah Royals FC, Real Salt Lake, and Real Monarchs and was Real Salt Lake’s Alternate Governor on Major League Soccer’s Board of Governors.
“We could not be more thrilled to welcome Lindsay to the club,” said Oakland Roots Chair Steven Aldrich. “Not only does she bring experience at the highest level of the game in this country but she is someone who has consistently chosen to lead with purpose throughout her career. Her shared passion for our vision for Oakland was apparent from the first time we met and she will further elevate the club on and off the field.”
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Born in the Bay Area, Barenz grew up in Centerville, Utah and is a graduate of the University of Utah and Yale Law School. She previously lived in Washington, D.C. where she spent time as a union activist and later as a member of the Obama Administration in the White House Office of Management and Budget. She is the founder of a digital media company covering arts, culture, theater, and performance in New York City, and worked as a mergers and acquisitions attorney with the law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP.
In 2015, Barenz managed Jackie Biskupski’s campaign for Mayor of Salt Lake City, electing the first openly gay mayor of Utah’s capital city and she currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah.
Welcome to the Family, Lindsay.
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WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca |
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Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company |
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Le Mans Meets Monterey
24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary
Launches in Monterey August 2022
MONTEREY, Calif., Jan. 13, 2022 – The world’s most famous endurance race—the 24 Hours of Le Mans—is sprinting toward its 100th anniversary in 2023 by launching a full year’s celebration, which officially begins at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion August 17-20, 2022, at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Eschewing a traditional automaker as featured marque, the Rolex Reunion will celebrate the companies, and men and women who made history at the French Classic.
To begin the international celebrations, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), owners of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, created a movie-quality video showing some of the memorable moments over the years. The 1.5-minute “1923-2023 Soon a Century of Legends” that provides a glimpse into Le Mans may be seen HERE.
Visitors to the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion will be treated to a full sensory experience of sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste that brings the spirit and pageantry of Le Mans to Monterey. Four race groups will be dedicated to celebrating Le Mans that begins with 1923 and progresses through 2005.
Complementing the racing and pit activities will be a vibrant Paddock where guests may rub shoulders with legendary Le Mans drivers. Family activities in the Hagerty Marketplace like the Ferris Wheel, go-karts, vendors and car corrals are all planned to enhance the guest and participant experience.
More than 400 authentic and historic race cars will be on track, each one steeped in history. From the pre-1920 Ragtime Racers where riding mechanics sit alongside the driver, to the sleek prototypes that swept through the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans’ Mulsanne Straight at more than 200 mph, the variety of historic race cars will be unmatched.
Due to the event’s popularity, there are a limited number of VIP ticket packages available, while multiday, individual tickets and camping are available online at WeatherTechRaceway.com or by calling the Ticket and Accommodations specialists at 831-242-8200.
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Sonoma Raceway bringing back the Chute for 2022 NASCAR Weekend
SONOMA, Calif. – There’s nothing like high speed turns at an iconic road course, and this year, NASCAR drivers will be flying down the Chute once again as Sonoma Raceway and NASCAR announced the return of the popular stretch of racetrack during the June 10-12 race weekend.
“We heard from many fans and drivers how much they loved it when we raced the Chute,” said Sonoma Raceway EVP and General Manager Jill Gregory. “The Carousel was part of the original course and we reverted back to it for our 50th Anniversary in 2019 and used it again in 2021. But we race to bring excitement and drama to the fans, and an overwhelming majority of them asked us to bring back the Chute.”
Since the Toyota/Save Mart 350 Cup race length will remain at 350 kilometers, the race will be extended from 90 laps to 110 laps, giving fans more opportunities to see the cars battle for position. It also sets Turn 7 up as a high-speed corner where many legendary passes and confrontations have occurred.
“It will be more exciting for the fans just because those are a couple of wild corners with some new hairy passing zones,” said 2021 NASCAR Champion and Toyota/Save Mart 350 race winner Kyle Larson. “Mistakes can be made in those corners when you're bouncing over curves so the cars will be moving around a lot. It will be exciting. It will be pretty wild because you can go all the way to exit of Turn 4 on the other side of the curve and barely miss the wall.”
The Chute was constructed prior to the 1998 race and used in every Sonoma NASCAR event through 2018. This stretch of the raceway connects Turn 4 as the cars approach the top of the hill to Turn 7 as the cars prepare for the downhill march through the “S” turns. Martin Truex Jr. was the last driver to win on the Chute layout in 2018.
“Drivers and fans have missed the passing opportunities and close racing created by the Chute so we’ll be returning to that configuration for the NASCAR Cup Series and the return of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series,” said Scott Miller, NASCAR Senior VP of Competition. “NASCAR has seen drama and incredible action at road course races, and we’re looking forward to even more intensity as the Next Gen race car debuts and the Chute returns at Sonoma.”
Stage breaks for the 110-lap Toyota/Save Mart 350 will be at laps 25 and 55. Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event will be 75 laps with stage breaks at laps 20 and 45. The General Tire 200 ARCA Menards Series West race will be run prior to the Truck race on Saturday.
Tickets for the June 10-12 race weekend are available at www.sonomaraceway.com. Ticket packages including weekend and single-day, camping and fun extras such as pit passes and scanners also are on sale now through the raceway’s website or by calling the box office at 1-800-870-RACE.
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Hardly Trivial Answer by T. Buff |
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The 1980 Raiders
were the first Wild Card team to win the Super Bowl, beating the Philadelphia Eagles, 27-10, in Super Bowl 15.
The most recent team to accomplish the feat was the
2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who beat the
Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 55
Bonus points if you knew the 1975 Dallas Cowboys were the first Wild Card team to make it to the Super Bowl.
The Cowboys lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-17.
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Recent Facebook Albums to Enjoy |
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Weekly Bay Area
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Monday, Jan. 17, through
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Monday, January 17
San Jose Sharks vs. Los Angeles Kings, 1 p.m.
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Wednesday, January 19
Thursday, January 20
Golden State Warriors vs. Indiana Pacers, 7 p.m.
San Jose Sharks @ Seattle Kraken, 7 p.m.
Friday, January 21
Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets, 7 p.m.
Saturday, January 22
San Francisco 49ers @ Green Bay Packers, 5:15 p.m.
San Jose Sharks vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, 7:30, p.m.
Sunday, January 23
Golden State Warriors vs. Utah Jazz, 5:30 p.m.
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Navigating a career in any business is highly complex, especially in the world of sports and entertainment. Knowing how to separate the logo on your business card from your personal identity is a valuable skill for creating your own career path. Building a career in the sports industry is easier said than done, especially since the business is extremely addictive. Cool corporate logos and titles should never control your true sense of self; your name on the card is much more important! Welcome to the world of LOL, or “Loss of Logo.”
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The New York Yankees are the greatest dynasty, not only in baseball but in all of sports. The Yankees, in fact, embody a series of dynasties, from Ruth-Gehrig through Jeter-Rivera. But the absolute greatest Yankees were the 1949-1953 pinstripers, winners of an unprecedented five consecutive World Series. The Yankee Way, Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa writes in the book's forward, is “full of Yankee winning keys, star-studded competitions, and insights about one of baseball's historically fascinating periods.” Key contributors to this dynasty, including Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Billy Martin, Phil Rizzuto, and manager Casey Stengel, are remembered by their teammate, Charlie Silvera, catcher and co-author.
Dave Newhouse was an award-winning sportswriter/columnist for the Oakland Tribune before his retirement. He has continued his work as an author and The Yankee Way is his eighteenth book. He lives with his wife, Patsy, an artist, in Oakland, CA.
ISBN 978-1-937943-60-8 – 196 pages – $24.95
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