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March , 2023
Issue No. 476
For Gmail addresses, we recommend using the link immediately below for a pristine copy.
View as Webpage
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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, Harvey Cohen, Andy Dolich, Pete Elman, Rob Flammia, Bruce Macgowan, Robert Moselle, Dave Newhouse, Howard Pearlstein, Amaury Pi-Gonzalez, T. Buff, Shelia Young
Social Media: Jenny Kim
Website: www.UltimateSportsGuide.net
Contact us at: theultimatesportsguide@gmail.com
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The Ultimate Sports Guide proudly announces the release of Insights and Outtakes, Excerpts and Epiphanies from the World of Sports, a compendium of Pete Elman essays which have appeared
in Sports Today.
Crafted to perfection, talented sports writer Elman covers the Warriors, A's, Raiders and
Bay Area sports.
Absorbing, frank and informative, Elman's smart prose makes for entertaining reading and brings to life our sports world with a deft touch.
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Highly recommended by:
Dave Newhouse, former Oakland Tribune sports journalist
and author of 19 books
Andy Dolich, prominent sports executive with fifty years experience with the NFL, NBA, MLB & NHL
Arif Khatib, author, filmmaker, founder of the African American Sports Hall of Fame
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Bonus for Sports Today Readers!
One of Pete Elman's essays is included
for your enjoyment
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Letters to the Editor
The Warriors' Boomerang Ellipse Has Started
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The Warriors' victory over the Bucks has proven the Boomerang theory is true. The Dubs are programmed to curve their path into an ellipse and start a return flight, like the flying Boomerang, and return to their Champions' point of origin. A true team effort in overtime, with contributions from every player. Bravo!
Robert A. Moselle
Monterey, CA
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G-Men Conquer "The World"
In preseason MLB action, the SF Giants beat "The World Team," 5-1.
Perhaps our diminutive players have some "pop" in those bats, and our pitchers, e.g., DeSclafani, will return to form as we learn who we have on our team. A lot of new faces. Let's hope our "Joc adjusts" to first base and delivers some key hits.
I am guardedly optimistic after what I thought would be a gloomy season after the loss of Belt and Longo.
Kristen LaRue
San Francisco, CA
Sports Today's 30-1 Longshot, Non-profit Final 4 Tournament Update
The Brackets are in and of the five Sports Today readers who entered and made four selections each, (which included a bona-fide psychic), a remarkable 16 of their 20 selections made it into the tournament.
Yes, College of Charleston at 1,000-1, is in (thank you, Kristen LaRue). Props to Jacques Diamond and Jerry Monkman of "The Monkman Files" who each hit four-out-of-four. Psychic Dennis Shary hit USC and ST's own Robert Moselle still has Duke, Creighton and St. Mary's. All of the 20 selections were 30-1 odds or longer when picked.
Selectors whose teams make it into the Final 4 will receive major promotion from Sports Today for their favorite non-profits in this unique format, created for fun and to benefit people in need. Good luck!
Courtesy ©️ of Sports Today: "By Fans, For Fans!"
We wish Saint Mary's in the NCAA Tournament and Stanford in the Women's NCAA Tournament much success, as well as Santa Clara in the NIT and USF’s Women in the NIT as well. San Jose State is in the CBI tournament. What a bonanza for Bay Area basketball fans!
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Contents
Columns
Hardly Trivial by T. Buff
Games
Cal Bears 1, UCLA Bruins 10
Cal Bear (MGYM) vs. Army, William & Mary
Guatemala 1, Panama 1
San Jose Earthquakes 1, Colorado Rapids 0
Features & Commentary
Art Thoms, from the Autograph Collection of Rich Yee
Consider A Donation
Looking Over the Ledge, by Pete Elman
Prop Bets on the Future of the Oakland A's, by Andy Dolich
San Jose State Regaining Winning Form, by Dave Newhouse
The VISION Thing, by Howard Pearlstein
Organizations
Cal Bears
Golden Gate Fields
Oakland A's
Oakland Roots
Saint Mary's College Gaels
San Francisco Giants
San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose State Spartans
Santa Clara Broncos
Sonoma Raceway
St. Francis Yacht Club
Stanford Cardinal
University of Pacific Tigers
USF Dons
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
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Mountain West Player of the Year Omari Moore had a double-double with 26 points and 10 assists to lead San José State to a 81-77 win over Nevada in a quarterfinal game at the Mountain West Tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center | | |
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San Jose
State Regaining Winning Form
by Dave Newhouse
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San Jose State doesn’t have a rich history in basketball, hovering too many years at the poverty level, but what occurred this winter brought a big smile to the most successful Spartans men’s hoops coach ever in terms of postseason achievements.
Coached by Turnaround Tim Miles, these Spartans just achieved only the second 20-win season in school history, including their very first Mountain West Conference tournament victory — 81-77 over Nevada in overtime — after eight previous failures. And to think that the Spartans were 8-23 a year ago in Miles' debut as their coach.
Turnaround Tim has had this similar effect at previous schools -- at Colorado State and Nebraska -- revising dormant programs, but his latest accomplishment greatly impressed Stan Morrison, the only coach to lead San Jose State to the NCAA Tournament. That would be the 1995-96 season which is a story in itself.
Those Spartans were nothing to look at record-wise, 13-17 overall and 9-9 in the Big West Conference. Their miraculous conversion occurred in the conference tournament, knocking off the University of Pacific, 77-57, UC Irvine 71-67, and Utah State in the championship final, 76-75 in overtime.
But that last victory deserves special notice because of it dramatic finish. So let Morrison relive that glorious moment once again.
“We weren’t very deep back then, but we played our butts off,” he recalled. “Rich Taylor, our starting center, then made the biggest shot a player of mine ever made. The clock was winding down (in OT), and we were trying to get the ball to Olivier St. John, our best player, only he was covered. So Rich took the only 3-point shot of his life, and it went in, which meant we got to play Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament.”
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Kentucky’s Antoine Walker and Walter McCarty double-team San Jose State’s Roy Hammonds in the NCAA Midwest Regional First Round
at Dallas, TX on March 14, 1996
That game against the Wildcats didn’t go so well. After leading for 16 minutes, and trailing by four points at halftime, the Spartans then wilted, losing 110-72 to a Wildcat team that would produce 11 NBA draft picks.
Although those Spartans didn’t have a winning season, they qualified for the NCAA Tournament, which no other San Jose State team has done before or since. Oliver St. John, who later became Tariq Abdul-Wahad in the NBA, led the team in scoring at 17.2, followed by forwards Sam Adams at 13.5 and Roy Hammonds at 11.5, and way down the list to Taylor at 5.2, even though he made the biggest shot ever taken by a Spartan.
Morrison also was a head coach at UOP and USC, but in reliving that magical SJSU season, the beginning wasn’t as reflective as the end, and there wasn’t much in the middle either.
“I had guys at the start who thought they had all the answers, so I just turned them off,” he said. “Then one day Sam Adams asked me what could the team do to play in the postseason. I said, 'Play together.’ Suddenly all the practices improved.”
And so then did the actual games, and even though those Spartans had a losing record, they still accomplished more in the big picture than all other SJSU teams.
Morrison, 83, lives in Riverside where he’s as active as ever, “working around the clock” doing community work with 20 nonprofits. He has a rich basketball history, playing on the 1959 Cal team which won the NCAA Championship. But he’s excited about the Spartans, and what’s ahead for them.
“They didn’t get to go to the NCAA Tournament,” he said, “but their winning 20 games was a major step that needs to be celebrated. I’d love to see them build on that, and don’t take things for granted. I see a young team with potential, with an amazing coach. The residuals will be evident the first day of practice next season in body language. For how you play the game is the dominant theme you think about in the offseason.”
After beating Nevada, San Jose State lost to San Diego State, 64-49. Morrison called the conference champion Aztecs a “superior team, so I was not surprised by the outcome. It was tough for San Jose to get off a shot. Maybe the stage was too big for them.”
With the transfer portal a key element in college sports, and with the Spartans upsurge this winter, they could be stronger next season, that is if they can hold onto Turnaround Tim, whom other schools may be coveting.
The Spartans were hopeful of playing in their first National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in 42 years, but were not invited. Instead, they will play in the CBI tournament. Go Spartans!
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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. Newhouse is the author of 19 books. His most recent book, Goodbye, Oakland, 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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Prop Bets Enliven The Game | |
Prop bets are now Big Business | | |
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Prop Bets on the Future
of the
Oakland A's
by Andy Dolich
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A prop bet in sports, short for proposition bet, is a wager that is not directly tied to the final score or outcome of the game. In 2022, $7 billion dollars was bet on the Super Bowl. One year later it was estimated that $16 billion bucks was wagered on Super Bowl 57. Thirty six states and Washington D.C. now allow legal betting on sports powered by the ease of putting a few bucks down through digital devices.
Props are a great way to add additional action to a game, and often easier to beat than efficient markets like point spreads.
The number of props expands dramatically for the Super Bowl due to its popularity and cultural significance. Anyone seeking NFL Super Bowl’s prop bets can now browse more than 1,000 different options at leading sportsbook sites. For example:
* How long will the national anthem last?
* What color Gatorade will be poured over the winning coach?
* Will a Field Goal or PAT doink unsuccessfully off the upright?
* Coin flip, heads or tails?
* How long will the Halftime Show last?
* How many Bratwursts will be sold at the game?
* Who will score the first TD?
* What will the longest run of the game be?
OK, you get the point. I was thinking that to spice up the ongoing saga of the Oakland A’s and their pursuit of a new ballpark at Howard Terminal or a still-to-be determined location in Las Vegas, why not create a Parallel Path of Prop Bets relating to the process that is playing out every day in everyway on what will be happening to the Oakland A’s. Here’s are some suggested Parallel Path Prop Ballpark Bets.
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Who will throw out the first pitch at the Howard Terminal site?
* When will the A’s sign a binding legal contract to build a new
ballpark?
* What company will have their name on the A’s new ballpark?
* On what date will John Fisher hold his first ever press conference?
* When will the last Rooted in Oakland banner be removed at the
Coliseum?
* What day does the A’s Coliseum lease run out in 2024?
* What will the A’s Coliseum attendance be in 2023?
* On what date will Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Baseball
Commissioner, Rob Manfred and A’s owner John Fisher meet to
discuss the ongoing negotiations to build a $12 billion dollar new
urban ballpark city at Howard Terminal?
* If John Fisher sells the A’s, who will the buyer be, at what price?
* What will the all-in price be for the ballpark at Howard Terminal
and the convertible domed stadium in Las Vegas?
* How much public money has been committed to the A’s Howard
Terminal project?
* When will the team officially erase Parallel Path from any of their
communications?
* Once a new ballpark deal is announced, how many days until a
game is played on the new field?
* What will the official announced capacity be at the new ballpark?
* Will an NBA expansion team play a game in their new arena in Las
Vegas before the A’s ballpark hosts a game in Neonville?
* How many games will the A’s win in the 2023 season?
* How many pitch clock infractions will occur in MLB during the 2023
season?
Let the betting begin!
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Andy Dolich operates Dolich & Associates, a sports consultancy, in Los Altos. A local resident, Dolich has more than 30 years of experience as an executive for professional baseball, basketball, football, hockey and soccer teams. For earlier articles by Andy Dolich published in
Sports Today, click HERE.
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Consider A Donation
Sports Today is a dynamic sports journal distributed each Monday to the sports industry and media professionals, colleges and universities and avid San Francisco and Northern California sports fans.
FREE of charge since 2014, each issue provides extensive professional and collegiate team coverage, unmatched photo essays, schedules, scores, humor and much more. Our contributors are highly respected journalists and authors who provide a wide array of in-depth articles, and our Letters to the Editor delight readers.
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or theultimatesportsguide@gmail.com
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Live Out Your Major League Dreams
This is your chance to live the life of a Major Leaguer and play on the same fields as your Green and Gold. Join us for A's Fantasy Camp in Mesa, Arizona, from Jan. 10-16, 2024, for a one-of-a-kind experience that includes daily games, hands-on baseball instruction, and more.
Learn the fundamentals from legendary coach Ron Washington and other notable A's alumni during daily games and workouts at the Lew Wolff Training Complex as you prepare for the Championship Game at beautiful Hohokam Stadium, the Spring Training home of your A's. The evenings will be filled with unforgettable stories and memories from the past. Don't miss out on this five-day/six-night opportunity to take the field and make your baseball dreams a reality.
Ron Washington, 2024 Fantasy Camp Headliner
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Known for his work with infielders after his 10-year playing career, Ron Washington was a coach for 13 seasons with the A's. Under Washington's tutelage, the A's led the league in fielding in 2004 and 2005 while finishing second in 2006. "Wash" was also instrumental in the development of third baseman Eric Chavez, who won six consecutive Gold Gloves from 2001 to 2006. | |
Turn your dream of making it to the Big Leagues into a reality by registering today. With a limited number of roster spots still available, don't delay. All proceeds benefit the Oakland A's Community Fund. | |
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Cal Bears vs. Army,
William & Mary
Saturday, March 11, 2023
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Freshman Harrison Gregory scored a personal best 13.80 on the floor exercise, as the University of California Golden Bears hosted the Army Black Knights and the William and Mary Tribe in a Men’s Gymnastics meet at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Saturday, March 11. Caption and photo by Ron Sellers. | |
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With his team in the background erupting with cheers, sophomore Jasper Smith-Gordon sticks his landing on the vault with a 14.80 score.
Caption and photo by Ron Sellers.
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Cal Bears 1, UCLA Bruins 10 | |
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Cal Bears outfielder Tatum Anzaldo had one of Cal's three hits on the day as the Bears fell to the #2 ranked UCLA Bruins, 10-1 in six innings at Levine-Fricke Field in Berkeley on Sunday, March 12th.
Caption and photo by Darren Yamashita.
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Art Thoms -- from the Autograph Collection of Rich Yee | |
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I recall meeting retired Oakland Raiders defensive tackle Art Thoms at a San Francisco sports collector’s show. As I was walking down one of the rows of tables there was a huge man sitting at a table who looked straight at me and pointed his fist at me. On one of his fingers was the biggest Super Bowl ring I had ever seen. I did not recognize him at the time but he gave me a closer look at the ring and started telling me about who he is and what he’d done. He looked very intimidating but was very friendly and outgoing. I purchased this mini helmet from him and he not only signed it but also included the years he played in the NFL, ’69-‘77, Super Bowl XI and #1 in 1969.
Rich Yee, Sports Today photographer
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The VISION Thing
by Howard Pearlstein
We cheer people with “vision.”
Sometimes.
As when it’s a coach of our favorite team, i.e., Bill Walsh, Steve Kerr, people who can see things most of us don’t – the potential of a player, the effect of a quickly drawn-up play, a change in the basic style of play.
Not so much when it’s someone who can see that the things that give us jobs and make our lives so much easier are also destroying our world. But there’s another factor in there, the one that Upton Sinclair observed: "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it!"
The point is, they can see something that most people can’t.
So watching the Dubs game against the Grizzlies the other night, I was wondering where the constant motion and accurate shooting went, and getting more and more WTF!? about why our players were standing around like Elementary School crossing guards, just watching while other players ran right by them, multiple times, to score.
And I remembered a conversation I had with the late John Muir – not the one who walked the Sierra in street shoes but a descendant of his, the structural engineer best known for his Volkswagen Idiot Book.
We were sitting on a porch in Manzanillo, Mexico, drinking tres equis beer and watching the great comet Kohoutek. And it was ENORMOUS -- very faint, but without the light pollution of the USA cities, could see that it actually DID cover half the sky.
He was telling me about a time when he was working as an aerospace engineer in Seattle. He and his team were working on an essential component which involved a spinning part that needed to be able to work continually for years, for the life of the engine. And it had been weeks and they still couldn’t get it. Oh, yeah, for a while, a few minutes, an hour, but sooner or later it crashed.
And they were there late one night when the janitor came by, a local Inuit, part of the displaced Seattle community, who stood there watching them for a while until they took a break. And John told him why they were there so late, night after night.
And the Inuit said to him: “The problem is that thing (the part that spins) is the wrong shape.”
John told me he knew about how the Inuit were supposed to be able to see two things at once, like trompe l'oeil drawings and sculpture. We see one and then the other. They are apparently able to see both at once.
And John said “OK, what should it be?” And the Inuit said, “May I?” And took one of the files on the workbench and spent a few minutes slightly changing the shape of the piece and then put it down and said: “It should work right now.”
And it did, he told me, ran all night and the next day and the rest of the week because that man had a different way of looking at things and could see the problem.
And those coaches I mentioned are like the Inuit, looking at things a different way. Those of us without that special vision, well, we depend on trust and magic. (Full disclosure – I put on my old Return of the Death lineup T-shirt this morning for some magic as I write this – Curry, Durant, Green, Thompson, Iguodala.)
A lot more moving parts in an NBA team, but we gotta trust our coach to see what it needs now.
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Howard Pearlstein has been a few places and done a few things.
An old friend once said, "Howard, you live your life like you're trying to fill in a dust jacket blurb." Well, then all I have to do is write a book that will get published.
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Guatemala fans implore on their team. Guatemala drew with Panamá, 1–1, in an international friendly at PayPal Park on March 12, 2023 in San Jose, California. Caption and photo © 2023 Alex Ho. | |
No. 11 Bears Sweep Texas, Oregon
Cal Extends Win Streak to Nine Matches
HONOLULU, Hawai'i – The win streak continued for the No. 11 California beach volleyball team Saturday afternoon with a pair of sweeps over Texas and Oregon. Winners of nine straight, the Golden Bears now boast a 10-2 record and are 4-0 at Hawai'i's Queen's Cup.
No. 11 Cal 5, Texas 0
continued...
For a full report, click HERE.
www.calbears.com
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Bing Stars for United States National Team
The goalkeeper from Stanford’s class of 2019 is playing in the FIH Pro League, consisting of the top field hockey nations from around the world.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand – Former Stanford All-American and CSC Academic All-American Kelsey Bing '19 continues to star in her post-collegiate playing career, competing for the United States national team in the FIH Pro League this winter.
Bing has helped steer the United States to five points over four matches, including a sensational effort in a shootout victory over New Zealand and a victory over China, 2-0.
continued...
By Stanford Athletics. For a full report, click HERE
www.gostanford.com
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SJSU Wins Second Straight Mountain West SAAC Community Service Award
SAN JOSE, Calif. - San José State Athletics earned its second consecutive Mountain West Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Community Service Award, announced by the league office on Thursday. The Spartans claimed their first-ever Mountain West SAAC Community Service Award in 2021-22 after spending over 9,000 hours of service in the community, and followed that up with more than 10,000 hours in 2022-23.
continued...
For a full report, click HERE.
#AllSpartans
www.sjsuspartans.com
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Saint Mary's College Gaels | |
Multiple Second Place Finishes at
Sacramento State Invite
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — With rain battering down all across Northern California, Saint Mary's rowing moved from Lake Natoma to the Port of Sacramento on Saturday for the Sacramento State Invite. With calmer conditions there, the Gaels were able to muscle their way to two second place finishes on the day, facing a lot of regional competition that they will be seeing more of as the season progresses.
continued...
For a full report, click HERE.
#GaelsRise
www.smcgaels.com
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Outdoor Track and Field Thrives
at WCCAA Meet
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- Competing together for the first time in 2023 as a complete team, the USF Dons outdoor track and field team excelled as they competed at the WCCAA Meet on Saturday afternoon. The Dons women had a tremendous afternoon as they won the women's section of the meet as they accumulated 82 points to finish in first place, while the USF men came in fourth place with 27 points.
continued...
For a full report, click HERE.
www.usfdons.com
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Beach Volleyball Sweeps the Day
at West Valley College
SARATOGA, Calif. — The Santa Clara University beach volleyball team made it a tri-sweep on Saturday, winning three matches in a single day, all by scores of 5-0. The Broncos swept Feather River College, Cabrillo College, and host West Valley College, all at the West Valley College Beach Volleyball Complex.
continued...
For a full report, click HERE.
www.santaclarabroncos.com
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University of Pacific Tigers | |
Swim Teams Close Out Season in Final Day
of NIC Championships
ELKHART, Ind. - The Pacific swim teams wrap up the final day of the National Invitational Championships, closing out the 2022-23 season. The men's team finished 24th of 41 teams with a score of 134.5 points, while the women's team ended up 43rd of 58 competing teams with a score of 30.
continued...
For a full report, click HERE.
www.pacifictigers.com
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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
https://www.cce-mcle.com/
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San Jose Earthquakes 1
Colorado Rapids 0
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Earthquakes manager Luchi Gonzalez speaks with captain Jackson Yueill (#14) prior to the match. The San Jose Earthquakes defeated the Colorado Rapids, 1–0, in a MLS Matchday 3 game at PayPal Park on March 11, 2023 in San Jose, California. Caption and photo by Alex Ho. | |
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Colorado Rapids midfielder Alex Gersbach (#16) and San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Jackson Yueill (#14) battle for the ball.
Caption and photo by Alex Ho.
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Local Agricultural Titan Tanimura & Antle Becomes First
MONTEREY, Calif., March 9, 2023—Tanimura & Antle is an icon in not only in the Monterey community, but the Ag industry at large. With over 40 years of sustainable innovation in the business of agriculture, they lay claim to an impressive history of milestones that have set the standard for the industry. Partnering with another historical and iconic brand, Tanimura & Antle has now become the Official Agriculture Partner of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
continued...
Click HERE.
www.weathertechraceway.com
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NASCAR Champion Kyle Larson Will Race First Ever Xfinity Series Race at Sonoma Raceway!
SONOMA, Calif. – NASCAR Cup Series champion and Northern California native Kyle Larson will race in the first-ever DoorDash 250 Xfinity Series race at Sonoma Raceway June 10, 2023. Fans at the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series race weekend June 9-11 will now have two chances to see the 2021 race winner tackle the only west-coast road course on the NASCAR schedule.
continued...
Click HERE.
www.sonomaraceway.com
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Oakland Fall 3-1 Away in San Antonio
in Season Opener
San Antonio FC got on the front foot early with a cross from a set piece forcing a save from Paul Blanchette inside of ten minutes. That chance was quickly followed by another San Antonio attack when Niko Hansen drove at Oakland Roots’ defense giving the home side the lead 1-0 in the 13th minute. Following the goal, Joseph Nane and Edgardo Rito would quickly pick up yellow cards before Oakland found their first chance. Oakland had their best chance of the first half when Lindo Mfeka played a quick set piece ball to Memo Diaz leading to a chance for Emrah Klimenta on the volley, saved by Jordan Farr from San Antonio. Moments later, Lamar Batista found the back of the net with a skillful overhead kick to give the host the 2-0 lead. Farr was forced into one more huge save to preserve the two goal lead into the half when Darek Formella missed from close range.
continued...
For a full report, click HERE.
www.oaklandrootssc.com
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Oakland Roots Soccer Club Media Day | |
March 6, 2023 -- As with everything with the Roots at the moment, everything is new: new facilities, new players, new head coach, and new jerseys. I spent several hours at the facilities, capturing the warm-ups and practice, then had Noah Delgado, their new coach, sit down to answer questions as various players were pulled into doing short video segments. Caption and photo by Ron Sellers. | |
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St. Francis Yacht Club Announces Felix Weidling to Lead Race Department
SAN FRANCISCO, CA—St. Francis Yacht Club has selected Felix Weidling to lead its Race Department and serve as Race Director. Weidling comes to San Francisco from Kiel Yacht Club, where he served for a decade as Race Secretary and organized various world and continental championships in addition to Kiel Week, an annual nine-day sailing event that draws 4,500 sailors, 1,800 boats and 300,000 spectators, plus millions of visitors to the city for the festivities.
continued...
Click HERE.
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Bonus for Sports Today Readers!
By Pete Elman, author of
Insights and Outtakes
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Steph Curry showing the passion of a champion against the Bucks
Looking Over the Ledge
by Pete Elman
It was a Thursday night in March, in Memphis. The embattled, injured, exhausted and out-of-sync reigning champions were playing their third and final game of a road trip, one that began with optimistic expectations, but in the end proved to be a crystal clear snapshot of where they are. It was, by all accounts, a microcosm of a season that has gone off the rails. And, after nine years, they were at an inflection point; they have officially arrived at the moment of reckoning.
The yellow brick road that the team has followed with remarkable success, lit by joy, passion and pride, the path that has led this historic, resilient team to four (and it should have been six) titles, has likely reached its terminus, and it is a scary spot.
The Golden State Warriors are now truly looking over the ledge.
For nearly a decade, led by the greatest player in the franchise’s storied history, they have been able to summon up the will to stare down the four horsemen of the apocalypse: the league, who has wanted to take them down from their lofty perch; their opponents, often younger, faster and taller pretenders to the throne; the inevitability of oncoming age; and finally, their own insecurities and doubts, roadblocks that this team has, through teamwork, joy, leadership and character, managed to overcome time and time again.
After a terrific 5-0 home stand that featured the best defense of the year, everyone thought they had turned it around. Klay, Looney and Draymond were all playing well, Steph was returning, Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga were rolling, and Donte DiVincenzo had been brilliant, Wiggins would be back soon, and the hope was that by April Gary Payton Jr. would be ready and the Warriors would glide into the playoffs whole, healthy and ready to make a run.
But then the Warriors lost Thursday, badly, to a Grizzly team missing their best player, (who has jeopardized his status as the face of the NBA with a string of brain-dead off-the-court incidents) their fierce Kiwi leader, and their top big man off the bench. And it wasn’t even close. It got so bad that the defining takeaway was near the end, the game hopelessly out of reach, when a disinterested Klay Thompson allowed arch-enemy Dillon Brooks to steal a lazy pass and go to the bucket for an and-one, the icing on the cake of a total disaster in Tennessee.
It was a sobering reality check. Thompson often looks out-of-sync. Looney is visibly exhausted; after two years of never missing a game, the Ironman is showing fatigue. Poole has reverted, going from unstoppable to unfocused. Kuminga rolled an ankle and will miss several games. Meanwhile, Wiggins is inexplicably missing in action, and if and when he returns it will take him a while to catch up. We anxiously await the return of Payton, who will also have to shake off some rust.
As great as Steve Kerr is, it may be that, for the first time since he arrived in 2014, players aren’t responding to his exhortations. The bottom line is that this season’s version of the Warriors is simply not good enough to withstand excessive turnovers, inconsistent defense, and an inability to win on the road.
* * *
Fast forward to Saturday. After that brutal road trip the Warriors returned home to face the Milwaukee Bucks, holders of the league’s best record and winners of 19 of their last 20 games. Missing the Greek Freak, they still have a deep, veteran team, led by their brilliant two-way guard Jrue Holiday.
Wait, have I forgotten to mention somebody? Do I need to say his name?
In a tight, thrilling game that featured Donte DiVincenzo rebounding from his worst game of the year to one of his best, it was, in the end, all about number 30. That would be the no-longer baby faced, now-chiseled Steph Curry, slayer of Cavaliers and Celtics--and anybody else that tries to breach the walls of his kingdom. He showed up after missing eleven games and did not skip a beat, lighting it up for 132 points in the last four games. The man is unbelievable.
Curry, guarded most of the night by Holiday--arguably the best defensive guard in the league--would not let his team lose, scoring 22 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. He singlehandedly led his team back from an eight-point deficit with two minutes to go, nailed a tying three-pointer with 18 seconds remaining, and then blocked Holiday’s drive to the bucket with two seconds left to send it into overtime, where the Warriors won going away, 125-116.
But it will take more than the Nullifier to turn this around. The (lack of) defense on the road is mind-boggling; an endless series of blow-bys, matador defense, not covering the three-point line and missed switches, all of which mysteriously disappear when they play in the friendly confines of the Chase Center.
At this late stage, 68 games down with 14 to go—six at home and eight on the road---the Dubs are sitting in sixth place in the bunched-up West. But there is something amiss in the team chemistry. Can Kerr fix it in time?
All dynasties must end. If and when the inevitable happens tears will be shed. For this has been in incredible run, and nobody wants it to end without one more shot at the brass ring, a last hurrah where they go out in a blaze of glory, on their own terms. I am begging the basketball gods; please let my guys exit with some dignity, fighting to the finish. Please don’t let it end, not like this.
So here I am standing on the ledge, looking down at the darkness on the edge of town, and I see a few tiny flickers of light below. It’s a birthday cake, and there’s Steph Curry, who turns 35 tomorrow, and he is not ready to blow out the candles.
Pete Elman
Rockridge, March 13, 2023
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Recent Facebook Albums to Enjoy | |
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San Jose Earthquakes 1, Colorado Rapids 0, March 11, 2023.
Photos by Alex Ho.
Oakland Roots Soccer Club Media Day, March 6, 2023.
Photos by Ron Sellers.
California Outdoor Opener (Track), March 4, 2023.
Photos by Ron Sellers.
Stanford Cardinal (MBkB) 81, Washington Huskies 69, February 26, 2023. Photos by Darren Yamashita.
Cal Bears (MBkB) 57, Washington State Cougars 63, February 25, 2023. Photos by Ron Sellers.
Stanford Cardinal (WGYM) vs. Oregon State Beavers, February 24, 2023. Photos by Rich Yee.
Cal Bears (MBkB) 56, Washington Huskies 65, February 23, 2023. Photos by Ron Sellers.
Cal Bears (WBkB) 81, No. 25 USC Trojans 78 (Overtime), February 19, 2023. Photos by Darren Yamashita.
Cal Bears (WGYM) vs. UCLA Bruins, February 18, 2023.
Photos by Ron Sellers.
UCLA Bruins (WGYM) vs. Cal Bears, February 18, 2023.
Photos by Ron Sellers.
Saint Mary’s Gaels (MBkB) 71, BYU Cougars 65, February 18, 2023.
Photos by Darren Yamashita.
Cal Bears (WBkB) 54, UCLA Bruins 67, February 17, 2023.
Photos by Darren Yamashita.
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Weekly Bay Area
Sports Calendar
Monday, March 13, through
Sunday, March 19, 2023
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Monday, March 13
Golden State Warriors vs. Phoenix Suns, 7 p.m.
San Francisco Giants @ San Diego Padres, 1:10 p.m.
Oakland A's @ Colorado Rockies, 1:10 p.m.
Tuesday, March 14
San Jose Sharks vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, 7:30 p.m.
San Francisco Giants @ Arizona Diamondbacks, 1:10 p.m.
Oakland A's @ Chicago White Sox, 1:05 p.m.
Wednesday, March 15
Golden State Warriors @ Los Angeles Clippers, 7 p.m.
San Francisco Giants vs. Chicago White Sox, 1:05 p.m.
San Francisco Giants @ Arizona Diamondbacks, 1:10 p.m.
Oakland A's vs. Seattle Mariners, 1:05 p.m.
Thursday, March 16
San Jose Sharks vs. Seattle Kraken, 7:30 p.m.
San Francisco Giants @ Seattle Mariners, 1:05 p.m.
Oakland A's @ Kansas City Royals, 1:05 p.m.
Friday, March 17
Golden State Warriors @ Atlanta Hawks, 4:30 p.m.
Oakland A's vs. San Francisco Giants, 1:05 p.m.
Saturday, March 18
Golden State Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies, 5 p.m.
San Jose Sharks vs. New York Islanders, 7:30 p.m.
San Francisco Giants vs. Chicago Cubs, 1:05 p.m.
Oakland A's v. Cincinnati Reds, 1:05 p.m.
Sunday, March 19
San Francisco Giants vs. Los Angeles Angels, 1:05 p.m.
Oakland A's @ Los Angeles Dodgers, 1:05 p.m.
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