Monday, Dec. 14, through Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020
Issue No. 359
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A Sportscaster's Memories |
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San Francisco Giants' Bobby Murcer was a highlight from
Bruce Macgowan’s first night in the press box.
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The Press Box – Sanctuary for Cynics but an Oasis for Hardcore Sports Fans
by Bruce Macgowan
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Bruce Macgowan, Bogey, wife Colette and daughter Molly
The Press Box. Oh yeah, I spent a lot of time watching games from there. I always felt at home, as if I were in my own office when I sat down to watch and report on the games. Whether it was at Candlestick, Levi’s Stadium, the Oakland Coliseum and Arena, the Shark Tank, or Memorial or Stanford stadiums, it didn’t matter. Life in the ‘sports bubble’ was reality, so how could you not enjoy it there?
To be sure, there was deadline pressure. When I was covering the 49ers back in my days before KNBR, I was working for as many as 12 different radio networks and stations around the country and because the Niners were in the midst of a dominant decade, well, you can imagine how busy it was.
A regular season game against the rival Dallas Cowboys in the late 1980s might have been my most challenging assignment ever. I was asked to do over 30 reports, each one from 20-45 seconds long, before, during, and after the game from my phone in the press box. Then of course afterwards all of us reporters hustled down to the locker rooms to get comments from people such as Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott and Roger Craig.
I would tape my interviews, usually on a cassette recorder, then literally run back upstairs to the press box and feed interview sound bytes down the phone line to my clients. The pace during those games, or any post season playoffs which involved our NBA or baseball teams, was also sometimes frenetic and exacted a toll. I was usually completely drained at the end of the day!
But how could you not enjoy the press box? As cramped as some of them were, especially at old Candlestick, you had the best view in the house, a usually comfortable chair, TV monitors nearby so you could watch replays, access to breaking info on injuries and other important items, free food
before and after games, (always a perk for hungry media folks!) and the chance to mingle with a lot of well known writers, TV and radio announcers, front office types, old time players and of course, the occasional celebrity who might drop by.
There is a certain cynical air which permeates the press box because most reporters, especially those who write, are natural skeptics. They have to be. But I sometimes wonder if they’re enjoying what they do.
“How can you sit up here with these stuff shirts?” the late KNBR talk show host Ralph Barbieri once asked me during one of his rare visits upstairs.
“I can’t enjoy the game here,” he explained. “I can’t boo or cheer. I can’t get into what’s happening.”
‘SHUSSH!,’ these guys are always telling me when I come up here!” (Ralph had a loud, distinctive voice.) “I tell ya Bruce, I gotta be around ‘the roar of the greasepaint, the smell of the crowd,’ ” was one of Ralph’s favorite quotes and the title of an old, popular Broadway play.
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Bruce Macgowan handling his chores in the Candlestick Park press box
I’ll never forget my first time in the Candlestick baseball press box. It was for a weeknight game back in 1975. The Giants were facing the Houston Astros in the middle of a forgettable season. About 8,500 fans were rattling around the stands on a typically cold and windy night. As I tentatively walked through the doors to see if I could get a score sheet and a media guide, I was immediately confronted with a tall, gruff, intimidating older gentleman who bluntly asked me: “What are you doing here? This is the press box. Let me see your credential?”
I showed him the small business card-sized press pass the Giants had left for me at the will-call gate. “OK, I guess you’re all right. Go find yourself an empty seat,” he kind of grumbled and shuffled away.
I tentatively moved into the third row where no one was sitting and looked around to make sure I was okay. Most of the writers, a bunch of guys in their 40s and 50s, were plopped in front of their typewriters and hammering away pregame feature stories. The symphony of clacking sounds plus clouds of cigarette and cigar smoke hanging in the air made for a distinctive atmosphere. None of the windows were opened because of the chilly night so that made things even more memorable.
Occasionally one of the scribes would walk over to the beer faucet and fill up a paper cup to drink and then head back to his seat to continue his work. A few of the guys -- I remember an older reporter named Joe Sargis who worked for UPI -- would glare at me on the way back to his seat, making me feel as if I didn’t belong.
I found out later that the old press box guard who had confronted me earlier was actually a former Major Leaguer who had been a great catcher in the 1930s and 40s. He was a Santa Cruz native who loved being around the game so Giants management gave him a small stipend to keep order in the press box and make sure no one sneaked in. His name was Ernie Lombardi and his nickname was ‘The Schnozz’ because he had a big, red bulbous nose.
As I recall, the Giants won the game that night, as outfielder Bobby Murcer got the big hit and a right hander by the name of John D’Aquisto pitched seven innings and picked up the win. It was a forgettable game, long since consigned to the dust bin of baseball history, but it was important game for a shy, 23-year -old radio reporter. It was the first time I sat in the press box, something I then did regularly over the next 44 seasons.
Good times!
Long-time Bay Area sportscaster Bruce Macgowan has been recording his 45 years of broadcast experience for a forthcoming book to be published shortly.
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San Francisco 49ers 15
Washington Football Team 23
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Frustration and disappointment were the prevailing Niners feelings after another close contest ended in defeat, this time to the resurgent Washington Football Team (6-7), 23-15, in Glendale, AZ. An error-prone 49ers offense turned the ball over twice for 14 points and has recorded 18 giveaways in the last seven contests. Injuries again ravaged the team's play, as Deebo Samuel left the game after the very first play, re-aggravating a hamstring injury. Other players lost for a period of time included Trent Williams, Raheem Mostert and Fred Warner. The stingy 49ers defense played well, limiting Washington to just three field goals and a total of 193 yards for the entire game. Niners fullback Kyle Juszczyk (pictured above in an earlier game) scored on a six-yard pass. The 49ers next visit the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Dec. 20 at 10 a.m. on CBS. Photo by Darren Yamashita.
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Stanford Cardinal 27
Oregon State Beavers 24
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Stanford players celebrate above in a win after quarterback David Mills passed for 292 yards and a touchdown and ran for two scores to lead the Cardinal (3-2) to a 27-24 victory over Oregon State (2-4) on Saturday night in Corvallis, OR. Mills completed 21 of 29 passes and did not commit a turnover. For the third week in a row Stanford has emerged victorious and will end the season in Los Angeles on Saturday, Dec. 19 against the UCLA Bruins. Game time is 5 p.m., on ESPN2. Photo courtesy Stanford Athletics.
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San Jose State Spartans 30
Nevada Wolf Pack 20
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Las Vegas, Nev. - San José State qualified for the Mountain West football championship game with a historic 30-20 victory over Nevada in Las Vegas on Friday night, Dec. 11. The 2020 Spartans will be the first team in program history to play in a conference title game.
SJSU will enter that game with a perfect record of 6-0 after a dominant second half paved the way to a 10-point win over the Wolf Pack. The team trailed by 13 points at halftime but the dominant San José State defense pitched a shutout in the contest's final two quarters.
A balanced attack both through the air and on the ground led the
Spartans in this one.
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DL Arik Armstead named 49ers nominee for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year presented
by Nationwide
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SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The San Francisco 49ers announced DL Arik Armstead (#91) as their 2020 nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide. Named after the late Hall of Fame running back of the Chicago Bears, the award is given annually to a player demonstrating outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field. The 2020 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year will be announced during NFL Honors, a primetime awards special to air the week of
Super Bowl LV, on CBS.
Since being drafted by the 49ers in the first round (17th overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft, Armstead has been a consistent philanthropist, with a particular focus on education and his hometown of Sacramento, Calif. Through his foundation, the Armstead Academic Project, Armstead has raised over $200,000 to reinvest into his community.
As a nominee, Armstead will wear a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year helmet decal through the end of the season in recognition of his accomplishments on and off the field. All 32 nominees will receive a $40,000 donation in their name to their charity of choice. The winner will receive a $250,000 donation to the charity of their choice.
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San Francisco 49ers Schedule |
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Blake Martinez, inside linebacker,
New York Giants
by Kenny Karst
Would you believe me if I told you Stanford's Blake Martinez once intercepted back-to-back passes thrown by Cal's Jared Goff? It's true -- you can look it up. As a sophomore inside linebacker for the Cardinal in 2014, Martinez picked off the celebrated Golden Bears quarterback, who later became the first overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams, on consecutive throws during the Big Game at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley. Martinez continued to shine in his senior year with Stanford, and he was named to the 2015 All-Pac-12 team by the Conference and the Associated Press. Upon graduating, Martinez entered the 2016 NFL Draft and was selected 131st overall in the fourth round by the Green Bay Packers. Against the rival Chicago Bears on October 20, 2016, Martinez recorded his first NFL interception off the hands of another familiar Pac-12 quarterback: Matt Barkley, formerly of the USC Trojans. Following his four-year $2.72M contract with the Packers, Martinez signed a three-year $30M contract with the New York Giants in 2020.
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Quarterback Derek Carr threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Henry Ruggs III with five seconds left, lifting the Las Vegas Raiders to a wild 31-28 victory over the still-winless New York Jets on Sunday, Dec. 6 |
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We Lost! What else needs to be said? In the world of sports, more than you can imagine. At the post game press conference losing coaches have a really difficult time saying We Lost! Next!
If you were New York Jets coach Adam Gase and his ex-defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, their postgame presser should have been: ”We aren’t 0-12 by accident!
What you do hear from the rationalizers of rotten performances goes something like this:
- “That performance was unacceptable.”
- “We embarrassed ourselves.”
- “We will clean it up.”
- “We had a great week of practice.”
- “We will ask the league to look at that call.”
- “We will bounce back.”
- “We need to be better.”
- “It starts with me.”
- “Special teams let us down.”
- “Do not blame that game on the defense.”
- “Do not blame that game on the offense.”
- “Scoreboards don’t lie.”
- “Our season is on the line.”
- “We gave ourselves a chance to win.”
- “We thought we corrected our mistakes.”
- “I made the call.”
- “We shot ourselves in the foot.”
- “We came up short.”
- “We competed.”
- “In all my years in the game I never saw that.”
- “We will make changes.”
- “We win and lose as a team.”
- “Playoffs!”
- “I want Winners!”
- “You play the game to win!”
- “They are who we thought they were.”
- “We are the Dumbest Team in America.”
- “We gave them the game.”
- “Everything is on the table.”
- “Nothing is off the table.”
“WE LOST!”
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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 (FCF) and teaches sports business at Stanford's School of Continuing Studies. Dolich is also co-author of the book:
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Cal Bears 38
Stanford Cardinal 83
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Stanford freshman Cameron Brink tallied 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks as the #1 ranked Cardinal defeated the California Golden Bears, 83-38, at Haas Pavilion on Sunday evening, Dec. 13. Photo and caption by Darren Yamashita.
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Forward Francesca Bilibi became the first Stanford woman to dunk in a game, after a steal and breakaway late in the second quarter.
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Cal freshman Ugonne Onyiah just missed recording a double-double, pulling down 11 rebounds to go along with her nine points.
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Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer recorded her 1098th career victory, tying the late Pat Summitt for the most in NCAA women's basketball history. VanDerveer can eclipse the mark with a victory over the Pacific Tigers Tuesday night in Stockton. To view a game photo album, visit our Facebook Page and be sure to LIKE us or visit www.ultimatesportsguide.net.
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Hardly Trivial by T. Buff |
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Sometimes, not all the spoils go to the victors.
Who is the only Super Bowl MVP to have played
on the losing team?
(See answer below...)
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USF guard Ioanna Krimili scored scored 26 points as the Dons beat the California Golden Bears, 67-62, at Haas Pavilion on Thursday, Dec. 10.
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Forward Leilah Vigil grabbed 12 rebounds and chipped in 7 points, ending the game with a team best +10 in plus/minus. Photo and caption by
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Please watch this message from Giants Manager,
Gabe Kapler
It is our last day of the #BayAreaUnite x #GivingTuesday campaign and we still need your help! Thank you to all of our donors for your generous support this year.
As we enter the final day of the campaign, make sure to tell your friends and family to donate. Help us continue to serve our youth and provide great programming to our Junior Giants for the 2021 year.
“Anyone and everyone, anywhere can be a Junior Giant at Home as long as you’re willing to step up to the plate.”
-- Lauren Valles, Junior Giants AmeriCorps Ambassador, San Bruno League
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Liam Hendriks Earns All-MLB Honors
Liam secured another accolade to mark his stellar 2020 season. Your votes contributed to the 2020 All-MLB Team presented by CohnReznick, which recognizes and commemorates the top performances of the
2020 regular season.
The 2020 AL Reliever of the Year converted 14 of 15 save opportunities and compiled a 1.78 ERA in 24 relief appearances this season. Hendriks ranked second in the Majors in saves and did not have a blown save over his final 14 chances. He struck out 37 batters in 25.1 innings and walked just three
while yielding one home run.
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In The Shadow of Obscurity |
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Author Arif Khatib (above left)
As a person who has traveled the world and chronicled his journey, and recently completed his memoirs for his family, Arif Khatib set out to create a book that would combine three of his passions: sports, history and social justice, while shining a much-needed light on the contributions of forgotten and unheard-of athletes of color. The Shadow of Obscurity: Toiling in a Reluctant Society realizes his vision.
Author Pete Elman (above right)
Pete Elman is a musician, journalist, author and teacher. Originally from Washington, D.C., he grew up loving rock and roll, sports and history. His father, a Justice Department lawyer who argued cases in the Supreme Court—most notably Brown vs. Board of Education—imbued in young Peter a strong sense of social justice.
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Where The Bay Comes To Play! |
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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
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"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
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Live Auction set for new film,
Because They Believed
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Arif Khatib founded the African American Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame in 2000 and has inducted over 350 retired professional athletes and honored over 250 community leaders. (The name was changed to the Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.)
ENH Publishing recently released Khatib's new book, written with co-author Pete Elman, titled In the Shadow of Obscurity: Toiling in a Reluctant Society, as a companion to Khatib's upcoming documentary, Because They Believed.
The Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame, in association with the NFL Alumni Northern California Chapter's Caring for Kids, is hosting a virtual fundraising event to help complete the film and support the Chapter's ongoing fundraising efforts. The silent auction began on Thursday, December 10, and will go until Wednesday, December 16.
The official live auction will take place from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 P.M. (PST) on Wednesday, December 16. In addition to the auction, Mr. Khatib has promised a fun time with great gifts, surprise "live" interviews, and a short preview of his film, which is in the final production stages and needs your help. Admission to this event is FREE.
Because They Believed is a 90-minute documentary film containing interviews of athletic trailblazers who were the first to break through racial barriers to participate and excel in their particular sport. These athletes tell on camera how they overcame obstacles to become successful and respected professionals, and how they boldly integrated sports which were at the time segregated.
These are the stories of forgotten male and female athletes and coaches who competed from 1940 to the present; stories of perseverance and dignity and dedication which changed the world of sports forever; stories which will educate and inspire people of all ages and backgrounds; and stories that must be told and immortalized. The film memorializes the lives of these pioneers who helped open the doors for the professional athletes of color today.
Click here to register for the event on Wednesday, December 16,
from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 P.M. (PST)
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San Jose Earthquakes Update |
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BUS 106 — Professional Sports in the Pandemic: Searching for a Future
That Works
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Quarter: Winter
Date(s): Jan 20—Feb 24
Drop Deadline: Jan 22
Tuition: $470
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Day(s): Wednesdays
Duration: 6 weeks
Time: 7:00—8:50 pm (PT)
Unit: 1
Instructor: Andy Dolich
Status: Open
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On March 11, 2020, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. NBA games were immediately cancelled. In rapid succession, much of the country sheltered in place and daily routines drastically changed, including the sports world. Get ready for the “New Different.” From games played in “the bubble” to fanless venues, sports executives have been experimenting with ways to keep their businesses running while also trying to keep fans, players, and staff safe. The business of sports has often been a trailblazer in creating innovative business models, crafting improved customer experiences, and widening community engagement. The “New Different” in sports has seen some winners and a number of “what were they thinking?” failures. This course will focus on the latest developments in the spectator sports business and what lessons they have learned—and continue to learn—during the ever-changing dynamics of COVID-19. Students will hear from thought leaders from major Bay Area teams and sports organizations who are shaping the “New Different” for the future of sports. Tentatively scheduled are Rick Welts, Golden State Warriors; Al Guido, San Francisco 49ers; Sohrob Farudi, Fan Controlled Football; Mindi Bach, Oracle Sports; and Steve Page, Sonoma Raceway. Sports fans and business managers of all industries interested in restructuring how they go to market should find this course valuable.
Andy Dolich, President, Dolich Consulting; Chief Operating Officer, Fan Controlled Football League
Andy Dolich has held executive positions in the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL. (COO of FCF Fan Controlled Football) He is a co-author of 20 Secrets to Success for NCAA Student-Athletes Who Won't Go Pro, a co-host of the podcast Life in the Front Office, and a columnist for the Ultimate Sports Guide
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Hardly Trivial by T. Buff |
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The MVP has come from the winning team every year except 1971, when Dallas Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley won the award despite the Cowboys' loss in Super Bowl V to the Baltimore Colts. https://bit.ly/2JZ740T will take you to his Dallas Cowboys page. Chuck is still kicking at 84, awaiting his election into the Football Hall of Fame.
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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,
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Back Issues
not to be missed!
Offering superb photography and
entertaining chronicles
* Click here for 2019 editions.
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Weekly Bay Area
Sports Calendar
Monday, December 14 through
Sunday, December 20, 2020
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Games for most major and minor league sports, including collegiate and high school teams,
have been cancelled.
Monday, December 14
Tuesday, December 15
Saint Mary's College Gaels (MBB) vs. Eastern Washington Eagles, 7 p.m.
Stanford Cardinal (WBB) @ Pacific Tigers, 6 p.m.*
Wednesday, December 16
USF Dons (MBB) @ USC Trojans, 6 p.m.
Thursday, December 17
Friday, December 18
Pac-12 Football Championship Game, TBA
San Jose State Spartans (MBB) vs. Santa Clara Broncos, TBA
San Jose State Spartans (WBB) @ Sacramento State Hornets, canceled
Saturday, December 19
San Jose State Spartans vs. Boise State Broncos, Mountain West Conference
Championship, TBA
Stanford Cardinal @ UCLA Bruins, 5 p.m., ESPN2
Washington Huskies @ USC Trojans, 5 p.m., Pac-12 Championship Game
Stanford Cardinal (MBB) vs. Arizona, TBA
Saint Mary's College Gaels (MBB) vs. Colorado State, 5 p.m.
Cal Bears (WBB) @ UCLA Bruins, 12 p.m.
Stanford Cardinal (WBB) @ USC Trojans, 2 p.m.
Sunday, December 20
San Francisco 49ers @ Dallas Cowboys, 10 a.m., CBS
USF Dons (MBB) @ Grand Canyon, 5 p.m.
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Enjoy the
Under the ultra-skilled leadership of Cal graduate Ricky Liu, a team of talented Cal students assembled the elegant Ultimate Sports Guide website for your readers. Ricky's team included Natalie Leung, Yafei Liang and Kasey Woo. Visit www.ultimatesportsguide.net
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Need a website designed or tuned up?
We can help!
Write: sportstoday@ultimatesportsguide.net
or call (510) 845-2035
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Join Us As A Sponsor!
Economical and rewarding.
Write: sportstoday@ultimatesportsguide.net
or call (510) 845-2035
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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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5980 Stoneridge Drive, Ste. 122
Pleasanton, CA 94588-2723
CalBRE License #:01770629
Agent 510.512.2145
Office 925.847.8900
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Many people -- maybe even you -- have been getting out on their bikes more during Shelter-in-Place. "Check for Bikes" clings and bumper stickers are great ways to keep bicyclists safer out there on the road by promoting awareness by drivers to share the road. Keep safe out there and keep your neighbors safe by using or passing along vinyl clings for inside a car window or windshield and
4" circular bumper stickers. We have Youth and Spanish versions, too!
with questions or to order.
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Ultimate Sports Guide
P.O. Box 4515
Berkeley, CA 94704
510-845-2035
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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.
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