Monday, Mar. 15 through Sunday, Mar. 21, 2021
Issue No. 372
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Kind of Blue (1959) remains one of the most popular jazz albums of all time, having sold over five million copies in the United States |
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Kind of Blue
by Andy Dolich
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While watching the NBA All-Star game from Atlanta I was reminded of Miles Davis’s jazz classic album, Kind of Blue. To me the greatest musicians and best ballers have many of the same skills.
When you look at the greatest hoopers in history
What do they all have in common?
Poise, grace, technical skill
But also…an ability to improvise
To read what the defense gives them
And still find a way to play their own tune
When certain teams hit the floor
It’s poetry in motion
Is a finger roll that much different than a drum roll?
Doesn’t a baseline hold a tune together
The way Draymond anchors the paint?
Watching Steph Curry dance, then go high off the glass
Is its own love supreme
And a team that’s in tune with one another
Makes the most beautiful music right before our eyes
A masterpiece that we’ll never see in same exact way again
It’s always live, always reinventing itself,
The jam goes on -- as long as there’s a stage
And there’s players hungry to play
When the Dub first came to the Bay in ‘62
They landed in San Francisco
At the same time, the Fillmore district
was full of jazz musicians defining the Bay Area sound
But jazz isn’t just about solos
It’s about playing off of one another
A fluid ensemble --
Give and goes are like trading fours
You don’t pass to the man,
You pass to the space
And let your teammate get to it
Whether it’s B-ball or Bee-Bop
It don’t mean a thing if ain’t got that….
Basketball, like jazz, is about your ability to imagine
To stretch what’s possible,
Increase your range
Extend notes
Or cut them in half, quarters, make them stutter step
Then pass to the open man
Splash, then slap his hand.
Yes -- Basketball and jazz have a lot in common
It’s not what you play
It’s how you play it.
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The 2021 All-Star game had a tune all its own
Timeless -- Miles Davis and Charlie Parker
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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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Golden State Warriors 131
Utah Jazz 119
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While Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) controlled the tipoff over the Warriors Kevon Looney (#5), the game would belong to Golden State as they turned back their guests in convincing fashion, 131-119. The victory ended
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Andrew Wiggins (22) lit up the scoreboard with 28 points and three-for-four from downtown. Photo by Rich Yee.
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Pursuit from Mike Conley (#10) could not stop Curry from a 50%
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Draymond Green, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2017,
has not regressed. Green ended his night with his 26th career triple-double with 11 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists and four steals. Photo by Rich Yee.
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At game's end the scoreboard read in the Warriors favor, 131-120. Yet a check of the NBA website reveals a different story: Warriors 131, Jazz 119.
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A's, Giants, Warriors,
Kings & Sharks Schedules
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Information is evolving and subject to change.
Updates will be provided as we learn more.
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We are very encouraged by Governor Newsom’s recent announcement updating state guidelines that would permit fans to attend baseball games at Oracle Park, subject to final approval of local health officials.
We have been working over the past several months to develop plans and protocols to ensure a safe gameday experience. In the coming days, the Giants will submit our operational plans for review and approval by local health officials.
Our dedicated FanSafe website will serve as the primary source for information regarding the opportunity to safely welcome fans back to Oracle Park. In addition, we will share regular updates via this bulletin.
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Oracle Park & GBAC STARTM
Facility Accreditation
Oracle Park achieved Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) STARTM accreditation, the gold standard for prepared facilities.The achievement verifies that Oracle Park implements best practices to prepare for, respond to and recover from outbreaks and pandemics. Under the guidance of GBAC, the San Francisco Giants have implemented the most stringent protocols for cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention in its facility.
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Welcoming Back Fans
The Giants received approval from Major League Baseball and the City of Scottsdale to host a limited number of fans at Scottsdale Stadium. Our FanSafe practices will be implemented throughout the 2021 Spring season and will guide best practices for welcoming fans back to Oracle Park.k
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Oakland A’s to Broadcast 162 Games this Season
on Bloomberg 960 AM
Spanish-language broadcasts will be available for
60 regular season home games
OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland A’s announced that all 162 regular season games will be broadcast on Bloomberg 960 AM during the 2021 season, which is set to begin on Thursday, April 1. Every A’s game this season will also be broadcast on A’s Cast on iHeartRadio, the Club’s 24/7 audio streaming station and official home of A’s audio content. The A’s Cast station is free for fans in the Bay Area and can be accessed in one click at athletics.com/AsCast. Fans outside of the Bay Area can access on-demand content, including the pre and postgame shows, for free at athletics.com/AsCast.
Ken Korach will return for his 26th season with the A's and his 16th as the team's lead radio announcer, pairing with Vince Cotroneo, who will begin his 16th season with the Club. Ray Fosse will also make special appearances throughout the season.
The A’s daily live sports talk show, A’s Cast Live, hosted by Chris Townsend, will air prior to the start of every weekday evening game this season. Fans can also listen to the A’s Total Access Pregame Show with Chris Townsend one hour before first pitch, plus the A’s Clubhouse Postgame Show immediately following every game.
A’s games can be heard on 960 AM and KOSF-HD2 FM 103.7. A’s fans outside the Bay Area can continue to catch games on the A’s Radio Network, which includes KHTK–AM 1140 in Sacramento and 12 additional radio affiliates throughout Northern California.
Spanish-language broadcasts will be available for 60 of the A’s home games this season on KIQI (1010 AM, San Francisco) and KATD (990 AM, Pittsburg). Amaury Pi-González returns for his 28th season with the A’s and 44th season overall in MLB; he will be joined by Manolo Hernández-Douen, who will begin his 13th season as an A’s analyst.
During Spring Training, weekend home games (March 14, March 27) will be available to fans on Bloomberg 960 AM; all remaining Spring Training games, including home and road games, will be available on A’s Cast.
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Cal Bears sweep Loyola Marymount
in doubleheader, 11-5, 6-4
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Cal center fielder Dylan Beavers went 3-4 with a home run and 3 RBIs to lead the Bears to an 11-5 victory in game one of a doubleheader against the Loyola Marymount Lions on Saturday, March 13 at Evans Diamond in Berkeley.
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Junior Sean Sullivan pitched six strong innings to earn the win.
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First baseman Nathan Martorella hits a 3-run double in the third inning of game two as the Bears swept the doubleheader with a 6-4 victory in the nightcap. Photo by Darren Yamashita.
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Leadoff hitter Darren Baker was on base six times during the doubleheader, collecting four hits and two walks. Baker is the son of former San Francisco Giants manager Dusty Baker. 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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Spring training is in full swing, signaling the beginning of the baseball season. Forget basketball and hockey trivia, let's move onto baseball...
Babe Ruth signed his first contract with what baseball club paying him $250 per month? (Hint: It was a minor league ball club with a name that would not be a MLB club name until 1954.)
(See answer below...)
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Stanford Cardinal 8
UC Irvine Anteaters 6
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Stanford Cardinal pitcher Brandt Prancer surrendered one run and three hits over six innings as the Cardinal defeated the UC Irvine Anteaters, 8-6, at Sunken Diamond in Stanford on Sunday, March 14. Caption and photo
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Closer Zach Grech pitched two perfect innings to earn his fifth save of the year.
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BUS 180 — Technology and Innovation
in the Year of Empty Arenas
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Quarter: Spring
Course Format: Live Online
(About Formats)
Date(s): Apr 13 - Jun 1
Drop Deadline: Apr 15
Tuition: $545
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Day(s): Tuesdays
Duration: 8 weeks
Time: 7:00 - 8:50 pm (PT)
Unit: 1
Instructor: Andy Dolich
Status: Registration opens Feb. 22, 8:30 a.m. (PT)
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Stanford Continuing Studies
Many of the 140 million fans who would have attended live sporting events in the last year have taken a seat in front of the television and other digital devices as the pandemic has kept arenas and stadiums empty or with greatly reduced in-person spectators. The same is true for cultural and arts entertainment venues. Despite the physical divide, fans and audiences are getting involved because innovators are exploring new strategies of engagement. Focusing on spectator sports, this course will explore the creative realities of fan-immersive experiences based on new sports platforms such as FCF (Fan Controlled Football) along with fantasy sports, avatars, video streaming, virtual ticketing, and more. We also will look at the future long-term interplay of business economics and fan engagement, and how—if and when live spectators can physically re-enter venues, even at reduced capacity—industry innovators will be exploring new technologies to enhance the experiences for the virtual and live spectators of the world of sports and entertainment. Scheduled as guest speakers for this course are Jamie Pardi, co-founder and CEO, FanCompass; David Yorke, co-founder, Umpires Media; Sohrob Farudi, co-founder and CEO, Fan Controlled Football; Mindi Bach, senior director of sports PR, Oracle; and Ted Griggs, former executive
at NBC Sports Group.
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. 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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José Mota (left), analyst, and Amaury Pi-González, play-by-play, in the Fox Sports West TV broadcast booth, Los Angeles Angels,
Angel Stadium, Anaheim, CA
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José Mota and the Los Angeles Angels make history
by Amaury Pi-González
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José Mota, a longtime baseball sportscaster with the Los Angeles Angels, is the first Latino and former major league player to broadcast for a major league team full-time in the English language.
Starting this season, José Mota and Marc Gubicza will alternate as analysts with veterans Matt Vasgersian and Daron Sutton handling the play-by-play on the Los Angeles Angels television network.
With the departure of longtime Angels play-by-play man Victor Rojas, who took a new job as general manager of the Texas Rangers Double-A affiliate starting in 2021, the Angels hired Matt Vasgersian, a well known baseball man from national television who was born in Oakland and raised in Moraga, while Daron Sutton returns to the Angels organization as a television play-by-play broadcaster. Sutton previously called Angels games on the radio during the 2000-01 season.
In essence, the Angels have revamped their television talent and now have a two-broadcast team.
José Mota has worked for the Angels for two decades. Until 2020 Mota was handling all the pre- and post game shows on Angels television. José is one of three brothers, all sons of former Los Angeles Dodgers great Manuel (Manny) Mota. For seven seasons José handled analysis as I did the play-by-play for the Los Angeles Angels Fox Sports Network Spanish telecast.
In 2007 we both worked for the Angels radio station in Spanish on KLAA 830AM (now their English flagship station), a 50,000 watts powerhouse, during all 162-regular season games, home and away, traveling with the team.
During the 1990s José played for the San Diego Padres and the Kansas City Royals. Personally, José is as knowledgeable as anybody I have worked with. He is straight forward, honest, very intelligent and versed in the game of baseball and raised from the Dodgers dugout by his father, Manny Mota.
A truly great move by the Angels, a classy organization who treats their people with respect and much professionalism. Congratulations to all of them, but especially to my good friend, José Mota. Felicidades, José.
Stay well and stay tuned.
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Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Oakland A’s lead Spanish play by play announcer on flagship station 1010 KIQI Le Grande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
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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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San Jose Earthquakes Update |
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We’ll play our first home match of the 2021 season on April 24 against FC Dallas! It is expected to be the first professional sporting event in Santa Clara County with fans in attendance since March 2020. |
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Hardly Trivial Answer by T. Buff |
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Jack Dunn and Ned Hanlon look on as Babe Ruth signs his first big league contract in 1914
Impressed with Ruth's pitching abilities, Joe Engel,
a former Mount St. Mary's student, along with a teacher at St. Mary's, Brother Gilbert, brought Ruth to the attention of Jack Dunn, owner and manager of the then minor-league Baltimore Orioles. (No connection to the future MLB club). After watching Ruth pitch in a workout for half an hour, Dunn signed Ruth to a contract for $250 a month
on February 14, 1914.
Suggestions? Caught me off-base for misinformation?
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For the best real estate listings homes and property on
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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, Mar. 15 through
Sunday, Mar. 21, 2021
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Monday, March 15
Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 7:30 p.m.
Sacramento Kings @ Charlotte Hornets, 4 p.m.
San Francisco Giants vs. Kansas City Royals, 1:05 p.m.
Oakland A's @ Cleveland Indians, 1:05 p.m.
San Jose Sharks @ Vegas Golden Knights, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, March 16
San Francisco Giants @ Texas Rangers, 7:05 p.m.
Oakland A's @ Arizona Diamondbacks, 1:10 p.m.
Wednesday, March 17
Golden State Warriors @ Houston Rockets, 5 p.m.
Sacramento Kings @ Washington Wizards, 4 p.m.
San Francisco Giants vs. Colorado Rockies, 1:10 p.m.
Oakland A's vs. Kansas City Royals, 1:05 p.m.
San Jose Sharks @ Vegas Golden Knights, 7 p.m.
Thursday, March 18
San Francisco Giants @ Seattle Mariners, 7:05 p.m.
Oakland A's @ San Diego Padres, 1:10 p.m.
Friday, March 19
Golden State Warriors @ Memphis Grizzles, 5 p.m.
Sacramento Kings @ Boston Celtics, 4:30 p.m.
San Francisco Giants @ Cincinnati Reds, 7:05 p.m.
Oakland A's vs. Chicago Cubs, 1:05 p.m.
San Jose Sharks vs. St. Louis Blues, 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 20
Golden State Warriors @ Memphis Grizzles, 5 p.m.
Sacramento Kings @ Philadelphia 76ers, 5 p.m.
Oakland A's @ Los Angeles Angels, 1:10 p.m.
San Jose Sharks vs. St. Louis Blues, 6 p.m.
Sunday, March 21
San Francisco Giants vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, 6:05 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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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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