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March 24 -- March 18, 2024
Issue No. 529
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Publisher: Christopher Weills
Marketing Director: Robert Moselle
Director of Sales: Ann Cooke; Representative: Ayiko Konopaski
Staff Photographers: Jeff Bayer, Alex Ho, Ed Jay, Josh Nickel, 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, Arnie Passman, Howard Pearlstein, Amaury Pi-Gonzalez, T. Buff,
Shelia Young
Social Media & Production: Jenny Kim, Ammar Bhaiji
Website: www.UltimateSportsGuide.net
Contact us at: theultimatesportsguide@gmail.com
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It's Tournament Time, and Saint Mary's and USF are
Ready to Rumble!
Let's give our local teams some major fan support as they head off to
the Basketball Tournament Wars. When brackets were announced Sunday, the Gaels earned a five seed in the West Region and will face the #12 Grand Canyon Antelopes in their first-round match-up on Friday, March 22. The University of San Francisco men's team will travel to face Cincinnati in the first round of the 2024 National Invitational Tournament (NIT) to take on the two-seeded Bearcats on Wednesday, March 20 at 6:00 pm PT/9:00 pm ET.
Sports Today regularly provides in-depth coverage of both teams, (check back issues, and below), and we are confident they will return victorious. Go Get 'em!
Robert A. Moselle
Marketing Director, Sports Today!
https://www.cce-mcle.com/aboutus
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Contents
Games
Cal Bears (SB) 4, Stanford Cardinal 7
Oakland A's 1, Chicago Cubs 3
Oakland A's vs. San Francisco Giants, rained out
Oakland Roots SC 1, Charleston Battery 1
San Francisco Giants 11, Cincinnati Reds 19
San Francisco Giants 4, Los Angeles Dodgers 6
San Jose Earthquakes 1, Sporting KC 2
Features & Commentary
Cal Voice Can't Bear Pac-12 Orbit, by Dave Newhouse
Donate Today! Add Your Name To The List Below!
Mimi 49ers Helmet, from the Autograph Collection of Rich Yee
Nobody Here But Us Folks, Watching The G League, by Howard Pearlstein
The Sports Today Pollster, by Robert Moselle
The Weekly Longer NIL Thought, by Darren Heitner, Esq.
Wings Over Solano, by Ed Jay
Organizations
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Bay Area Falcons
Bay Area Panthers
Cal Bears
Cal State University East Bay
Golden Gate Fields
Golden State Warriors
Oakland A's
Oakland Ballers
Oakland Roots SC
Oakland Soul
Oakland Spiders
Saint Mary's College Gaels
San Francisco 49ers
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San Francisco Giants
San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose State Spartans
Santa Clara Broncos
Sonoma Raceway
St. Francis Yacht Club
Stanford Cardinal
UC Davis Aggies
University of Pacific Tigers
USF Dons
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna
Seca
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Special Spring Training Baseball Edition
Play Ball!
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Uber-talented Sports Today photographer Darren Yamashita spent last week in Arizona covering both the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants. Below are brief albums from the four games and we invite you to click on each Photo or the Facebook Link for each game for more superb coverage. | |
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San Francisco Giants 4
Los Angeles Dodgers 6
Camelback Ranch, Glendale, AZ
March 12, 2024
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A sign outside of the stadium displays today’s game as fans watch players on a practice field before the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants at Camelback Ranch.
Caption and photo by Darren Yamashita.
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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) and San Francisco Giants second baseman Thairo Estrada (right) react after Estrada attempted to deke Ohtani off of the base during the first inning at Camelback Ranch. Caption and photo
by Darren Yamashita.
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San Francisco Giants 11
Cincinnati Reds 19
Scottsdale Stadium, Scottsdale, AZ
March 13, 2024
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San Francisco Giants new acquisitions Matt Chapman (left) and Jorge Soler (right) stand on the field with first base coach Mark Hallberg (center) during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Scottsdale Stadium. Caption and photo by Darren Yamashita. | |
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A San Francisco Giants fan applauds as San Francisco Giants infielder Pablo Sandoval (48) is announced as a pinch hitter during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Scottsdale Stadium.
Caption and photo by Darren Yamashita.
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Oakland A's 1
Chicago Cubs 3
Sloan Park, Mesa, AZ
March 14, 2024
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A replica of the Wrigley Field message board sits inside the stadium as seen before the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Oakland Athletics at Sloan Park. Caption and photo by Darren Yamashita. | |
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Oakland A's
San Francisco Giants
(Rainout)
Hohokam Stadium, Mesa, AZ
March 15, 2024
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A view of the stadium from the television booth as Oakland Athletics players warm up before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Hohokam Stadium. Caption and photo by Darren Yamashita. | |
Oakland Athletics players and coaches stand around the batting cage during batting practice before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Hohokam Stadium. Caption and photo by Darren Yamashita. | |
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Jordan Hicks (back left) and Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Paul Blackburn (back right) warm up in the bullpens situated next to each other before the game at Hohokam Stadium. Caption and photo by Darren Yamashita. | |
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Oakland Athletics right fielder Lawrence Butler (2) slides into home plate ahead of the tag by San Francisco Giants catcher Joey Bart (left) to score a run during the first inning at Hohokam Stadium.
Caption and photo by Darren Yamashita.
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Former Cal football announcer Joe Starkey --
“Disgusting...ineptness, incredibly incapable people who should have known better, like Larry Scott. How long does the list need to be?”
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Cal Voice
Can't Bear
Pac-12 Orbit
by Dave Newhouse
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The final football season is long gone, the last conference
basketball season just ended, and baseball, softball, tennis, track and field are among all that remains in the Pacific-12 death march, with its grave site already being dug.
The most successful conference in terms of championships won soon will become an obituary, dying of old age — 109 years — but succumbing as well to greed and incompetency.
Joe Starkey spent 48 years announcing Cal football, another dozen years doing Cal basketball, and his memorable call of The Play remains a signature moment in Cal athletics. Thus, he is among the saddest of Pac-12 mourners, and possibly the angriest.
“Disgusting,” he started off on the conference’s demise. “Ineptness, incredibly incapable people who should have known better, people like Larry Scott. How long does the list need to be?”
Scott was the Pac-12 commissioner whose only motive was dollars earned, with conference history an afterthought. That quest for increased revenue became the conference’s primary concern, and so its schools then scattered to the wind.
“It should never have happened,” Starkey continued. “The Pac-12 has always been one of the premier conferences in the country, producing great teams, great players, plus with outstanding universities besides. Everything about it said that this should have gone on pretty much forever. But greed led to its demise, and that’s indefensible.”
Cal and Stanford will join the Atlantic Coast Conference, USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington will be added to the Big 10, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Arizona State will vacate to the Big 12, and Oregon State and Washington State will call the Mountain West home in some sports. The Pac-12, birthed in 1916 as the Pacific Coast Conference, then becomes history.
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The Play was a last-second, game-winning kickoff return for a touchdown which occurred between Sanford and Cal on Saturday, November 20, 1982. Stanford had taken a 20–19 lead with four seconds left and Cal used five lateral passes to score in the final seconds for a 25–20 victory. It is recognized as one of the most memorable plays in college football history and among the most memorable in American sports. The audio call was memorialized
by Cal football announcer Joe Starkey. Photo by Oakland Tribune photographer Robert Stinnett.
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“Scott should have listened to some people. There must have been some who said that this isn’t a good idea,” said Starkey. “There’s so many people out there willing to give us a lot of money, to take this burden off us, so we don’t have to worry about it ourselves. And clearly nobody made that effort.”
Starkey didn’t define those “people,” but other conferences have discovered ways not to disband like the Pac-12, the only obit in the bunch. Starkey, once again, singles out Scott, as the conference shredder.
“He came out of the tennis world, greatly miscast. He hadn’t even been to a college game in a couple of years when he got the job,” Starkey said. “I knew it was going to be a disaster. In fact, when he was offered as a guest on one of my football broadcasts, I said, ‘I’m sorry. There’s no room.’ I just thought it was bad from the beginning.”
Of course, the conference presidents must be blamed, for they hired Scott. It’s all just one big sad wake, prompted further by the corporate-like move of Pac-12 conference headquarters from suburban Walnut Creek to urban San Francisco.
“An expensive spot in the middle of San Francisco,” Starkey added, “which raised the costs enormously. The Big 10 headquarters is in a nondescript building near (Chicago’s) O’Hare Airport. The Pac-12’s motivation was all based on, ‘Aren’t we fantastic, and we’re going to look so much nicer this way.’ “
UCLA is leaving, but not with its football coach at the time of its departure, for Chip Kelly took a ”demotion” to become offensive coordinator at Ohio State. Nice start, expatriates.
“UCLA is the University of California at Los Angeles, just part of the University of California, so it should not have been allowed to leave without Cal’s consent,” Starkey argued. “USC also left, but it’s a private school. UCLA’s leaving changed everything.”
And it created an avalanche, for the Pac-12’s remaining schools, all public institutions, followed in flight elsewhere.
“Only the football teams charter,” Starkey emphasized. “and to play on the East Coast, you have to leave on Thursday, which means more class time missed, more commercial flights. All those things add up.”
And college football is considering a larger 14-team playoff format, further blurring the image of the student-athlete, who has become the student-professional athlete, with the relaxing — elimination? — of amateurism in college sports.
So what happens, eventually, to college athletics? Could this new conference-jumping scenario unravel?
“It’s another version of the pro game,” Starkey answered. “College sports haven’t always been perfect, but everything about it now is opposed to everything I believe in. I’m really sad to see what’s happened.”
Money is the aphrodisiac that dismantled the Pac-12, but money doesn’t always guarantee success. Humiliation, I fear, is ahead for those who have drifted away.
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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 from Triumph Books. 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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Cal Bears 4
Stanford Cardinal 7
Levine-Fricke Field, Berkeley
Sunday, March 17, 2024
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Stanford right fielder Caelan Koch hit two home runs as the sixth-ranked Cardinal defeated the 17th-ranked Cal Bears, 7-4, at Levine-Fricke Field in Berkeley on Sunday, March 17th. Caption and photo by Darren Yamashita. | |
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Over 100,000 aviation fans attended the Wings Over Solano event at Travis AFB in Fairfield on March 16 and 17. They were able to see many aircraft up close and to tour the large cargo planes.
Photo by Ed Jay.
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Blue Angels pilots greet their ground support crew who are vital to the success of each show. Photo by Ed Jay. | |
Blue Angel No. 1 makes final preparations for the Sunday one hour airshow. Photo by Ed Jay. | |
The Blue Angels performed a crowd-pleasing show displaying their flying prowess and precision. Photo by Ed Jay. | |
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Authors Dave Newhouse and
Andy Dolich sold out at Oakland's Fans' Fest
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Goodbye, Oakland has been a remarkable success story | |
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Sports Today Pollster!
Re: NCAA Final Four Championship
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Pick A Team! Any Team!
Attention Sports Today Readers!
This is YOUR chance for fame and glory -- just pick the winner of this season's Final Four Basketball Tournament.
A quick word of advice: Last season's winner was
#5 seed, U. Conn. Kudos to the winner,
Sports Today regular reader Jerry Monkman.
The other three finalists had been seeded 4, 5 and 6, three which had been selected by elite Sports Today readers. It was a glorious day when Jacques Diamond's longshot selections knocked out Stephen A.'s
two #1 picks in one day.
So get valuable data and information from famed Bracketologist Joe Lunardi, but if you have a favorite team, one you'd actually like to have win it all,
go ahead!
Play your hunch, but don't bet your lunch. Enter Now!
Pick ONE team and email it with your
Name, Email address and Selection.
Write: theultimatesportsguide@gmail.com
The winner will be announced in Sports Today and
will receive well-deserved accolades and
world-wide glory.
(Note: Point of personal privilege --
The Creighton Bluejays have just been selected.)
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Do the Giants have a Paul Bunyan
on the Team?
Will anyone have 20 or more home runs?
Possibly Wilmer Flores, but most potential Bunyan Lumberjacks are either new and untested or simply so injured they'll be lucky to get in the lineup.
To allow for more time for readers to study all the new G-Men, the Paul Bunyan Contest has been extended.
If you have noticed a potential Bunyanesque figure on the San Francisco Giants, send in your selection:
Write: theultimatesportsguide@gmail.com
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Nobody Here But Us Folks,
Watching The G League
by Howard Pearlstein
First of all, this isn’t about politics but about being a fan. You know, the kind who identifies: “That’s my team,” same way I do for the Warriors and the 9ers. So – that caveat said, something the president said recently rang true to me. What he said was, “You can’t love your country only when you win.”
But what I heard and what rang true to me was, “You can’t love your team only when they win.” Because I’d seen that before.
I went to Penn State in the 60s, an institution renowned for its powerful football team (Linebacker U), its department of Geology and a bacteriology department run by the woman who developed the first process for mass producing penicillin.
Football was the student body unifying event. Beaver Stadium had a great view of Happy Valley. Seats were free for students. And Rip Engle, the coach, won a lot of games.
But after a while, me being a nitpicking word slinger, I noticed something curious and a bit unpleasant. When we won, the students would say, referring to the team: “We won.” But on the infrequent weeks when we lost, the students would say, referring to the team: “They lost.” There was a definite shift in ownership between winning and losing. No “True fans” or “Semper Fi” going on there, just some sort of transactional loyalty.
So, finally I’m getting to the Dubs and a brief look at being fans of the game as distinct from fans of a team or fans of a player and how it’s important to be all three.
Since there are 30 teams in the NBA, it’s a mathematical certainty that 29 of them are going to fall short of the championship every year. Which means that winning isn’t the only thing. Which I guess makes me – what?
Unamerican? Sorry, Mr. Dead guy who made that a meme, but the game is the thing.
And as I read other writers, damn few of them seem to enjoy the game for what it is regardless of win or loss. Of course, as a Dubs fan, when the predicted MVPs are all seven feet tall, there is an artistic delight watching Gary Payton II go up and grab a rebound, or Trayce Jackson-Davis dunking down on Victor Wembayana, or as always, watching Steph Curry confound defenders with his nano-second moment catch and shoot.
That’s part of the beauty of the game. And appreciation of the way Steve Kerr has been transforming it more and more into a sort of totally interactive game of passes and assists and baskets and specific positions become less and less of a thing – everyone is anyone and any player at any time may make a play from anywhere on the court.
Unfortunately, the rise in gambling, now promoted more and more in tv commercials playing during the games, undermines and eliminates the value of anything but the win.
But there’s more to it than that and maybe we can hold on to a way of remembering it. Watch G League games.
Some of the players like Spencer and Santos might be familiar names, most not so much. But it doesn’t matter, it’s watching the game in its most generic form, how what each player is doing all fits together. Enjoy it on that level.
In a way, it’s still the pure game, worthwhile watching and, another unamerican thing, it hardly matters which player on which team is doing what. Their games are on NBC Sports, upcoming ones March 21, 23, 27, 29, and 30th.
* * *
Howard Pearlstein has been a few places and done a few things.
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Mimi 49ers Helmet -- from the Autograph Collection
of Rich Yee
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Back in 1995 former 49er Ronnie Lott used to hold an annual charity fund raiser on Stanford University's football field which allowed sports fans to mix and mingle with his athlete friends. That year I brought a mini 49er helmet and got it autographed by Ronnie Lott,
JJ Stokes, Keena Turner, William Floyd, Kristy Yamaguchi, Chris Mullin and an unknown player.
Rich Yee, Sports Today Photographer
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Sports Today!/Ultimate Sports Guide would
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Write: theultimatesportsguide@gmail.com
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Special Offer from a Sports Today Reader | |
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Tim from the Midwest is making his 2024 San Francisco Giants season tickets available, as follows: Section 106, row 1, seats 5/6. Prices will vary and the entire season is available. Prices are for both seats and there is no parking.
26 games are 136.50, 28 games are 196.50, 17 games are 296.50,
6 games are 342.50. One is a DH, 3 games are 454.50. (View from 106, Row 1, Seat 7, one seat closer to home plate than seats 5 and 6.)
https://aviewfrommyseat.com/photo/143157/Oracle+Park/section-106/row-1/seat-7/
These are Tim's costs, no markups, no fees, tickets are all via smart phones. For more information: Tim Maroney, 610-519-0125
Tpmmd@hotmail.com
If you are interested, please contact Mr. Maroney directly via his email or phone. Sports Today does not receive remuneration --
we are simply happy to make these seats available to our readers
and as a favor to a loyal subscriber, Tim Maroney.
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Newsletter, Image, Likeness
Vol. 71: I Went To Washington D.C. To Discuss Congress' Role With NIL
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The Weekly Longer NIL Thought
by Darren Heitner
Founder of HEITNERLEGAL
On March 12, I had the very unique opportunity to participate as a witness on an NIL Roundtable discussion hosted by Sen. Ted Cruz and attended by many other U.S. Senators and media members. It was a pleasure to sit on the same panel as my clients, Haley Cavinder and Hanna Cavinder, as well as many other very experienced and qualified professionals, including coach Nick Saban.
That said, I went to Washington D.C. with very low expectations. I have listened to and criticized myriad NIL hearings on Capitol Hill for their unnecessary length, inability to stay on topic, and overall futility. While I have no real appreciation as to whether Congress is any more likely to pass NIL legislation than it was before March 12, the conversation was in many ways refreshing and topical and provided a glimpse as to what it would mean to have bipartisan support on the subject matter, which is unequivocally required for any legislation to have a meaningful possibility of exiting a committee, entering the floor of the House or Senate for debate and potentially being passed.
Here is a clip of my statements during the NIL Roundtable discussion:
continued...
For a full report, click HERE.
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San Jose Earthquakes 1
Sporting KC 2
Children's Mercy Park, Kansas City, KS
Saturday, March 16, 2024
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MATCH RECAP: Earthquakes 1,
Sporting Kansas City 2
San Jose returns home to face Seattle Sounders FC
next Saturday
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The San Jose Earthquakes fell 2-1 to Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night at Children’s Mercy Park in front of 18,219 spectators.
San Jose took the early lead in the 11th minute when a Cristian Espinoza corner kick found Vítor Costa, who promptly swept the ball through traffic into the back of the net. However, SKC returned the favor seven minutes later when Dany Rosero scored on a corner kick. The Quakes continued to create chances, but Alan Pulido netted in the 29th minute to give the hosts the lead to end the first-half scoring.
After intermission, San Jose continued to apply pressure until the final whistle, but an 83rd-minute equalizer from Rodrigues off a set piece came off the board when the VAR booth ruled a handball had occurred before the goal.
The Quakes will return home to take on Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday, March 23. Kickoff from PayPal Park is set for 7:30 p.m. PT and will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, as well as on local radio via AM 810 The Spread (English) and AM 1370 La Kaliente (Spanish).
continued...
Click HERE.
www.sjearthquakes.com
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Oakland Roots SC 1
Charleston Battery 1
Cal State University, East Bay, Hayward
March 16, 2024
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In the second home game of the season, the Oakland Roots SC hosted the Charleston Battery. Both dueled under heavy defensive pressure on both sides to end in a 1-1 final score. Above, getting a semi-open scoring chance midway through the first half, Neveal Hacksaw (#15) gets a shot off but it went wide. The Oakland Roots SC hosted Charleston Battery, United Soccer League, Champions League, at CSU East Bay in Hayward on Saturday evening, March 16, 2024.
Caption and photo by Ron Sellers.
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Taking the full impact at close range, goaltender Paul “The Wall” Blanchette (#20) stops the shot but not without suffering a momentary hand injury late in the first half. Caption and
photo by Ron Sellers.
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A local boy from Pleasanton, Ilya Alekseev (#40) is swarmed by teammates after scoring his first professional goal in his first professional game early in the second half. Caption and
photo by Ron Sellers.
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In the closing minutes of the game, which is knotted up at 1-1, Neveal Hacksaw (#15) takes a header shot in an attempt to put Oakland in the lead but the shot was stopped by the goaltender just inches from crossing the goal. Caption and photo by Ron Sellers. | |
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Oakland Ballers Announce Spring 2024 Open Tryouts
B’s Seek to Cultivate Local Talent and Develop Team
Built By Oakland
(Oakland, CA)—The Oakland Ballers are thrilled to announce their Spring 2024 Open Tryouts, inviting aspiring players to showcase their skills and vie for a spot on the team.
Scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 6th, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM PST, the Open Tryouts will be hosted at the Laney College Baseball Field. Prospective players eager to seize this golden opportunity can secure their spot by signing up online through the provided link.
"We are excited to announce the Oakland Ballers Spring 2024 Open Tryouts. Our Open Tryouts will be an annual tradition to reflect our commitment to developing homegrown talent while showing the world what it means to be ‘built by Oakland.’ Our coaching staff and front office brings with it the experience of 3 World Series Rings, 6 Gold Glove wins, and 5 former Major League Baseball players. We’re here to cultivate excellence for Oakland and hope to see local players join us at Laney College on April 6th for their chance to rep Oakland with pride,” said Don Wakamatsu, EVP of Baseball Operations for the Oakland Ballers.
The Oakland Ballers coaching staff includes manager Micah Franklin, J.T. Snow as first base and bench coach and Aaron Miles who is third base and infield coach.
continued...
Click HERE.
www.oaklandballers.com
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( Story and Photos provided by Porsche Newsroom US)
Most powerful series-production Porsche of all time sets record lap times at Laguna Seca and the Nürburgring; the Taycan Turbo GT and Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach Package
STUTTGART, Germany, Mar 11, 2024—Porsche is expanding the model line-up of its all-electric sports sedan to include the Taycan Turbo GT and the Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach Package. The latter is built for the track and dispenses with the rear seats in favor of an even better power-to-weight ratio. At peak power, both models can deliver more than 1,000 hp [1]. In combination with various lightweight construction and aerodynamics measures, these all-electric GT sports sedans raise the bar in terms of driving dynamics. A more powerful and efficient pulse inverter that uses silicon carbide as the semiconductor material is used on the rear axle. The first Taycan Turbo GT models should be delivered to customers from this summer.
Stuttgart. Not yet on the market, but already a record holder: The Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach Package earned the title of fastest electric series-production car at the Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca, in California, on February 23, 2024. With a time of 1:27.87, Porsche development driver Lars Kern put in a faster lap than any other driver has before with a series electric car.
Not long before that, a pre-production version of this same new model set a new class record on the Nürburgring. Kern was also at the wheel on that occasion and posted a lap time of 7:07.55 on the Nordschleife. This official lap time is a whopping 26 seconds faster than Kern recorded for his last record lap in a Taycan Turbo S sport sedan equipped with the performance package back in August 2022. This time also stands as the current record for series-production electric cars and also makes the Turbo GT the fastest four-door of any powertrain type on the Nürburgring.
continued...
Click HERE.
www.weathertechraceway.com
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Paving is Complete at Sonoma Raceway!
Charity event lets participants break in the new asphalt on the newly-repaved road course.
After 61 days of work, crews from Bay Cities Paving & Grading and ABSL Construction finally removed their hard hats to celebrate the completion of the Sonoma Raceway road course repave project. In honor of the first complete repave in 23 years, the track is offering to be one of the first to drive the newly repaved road course, and support local kids and families in need at the same time.
The transformation started to take shape after the Christmas holiday with crews milling the old surface of the track as the calendar flipped to a new year. Over the course of two months, the track was ground down, cracks were repaired and brand-new, long-lasting asphalt was put down to enhance the racing surface at Sonoma Raceway. With paving complete, the 2.52-mile road course is once again ready to host some of the fastest cars and most talented racers in the world.
To start, the Drive For Charity – First Laps event March 11 from 9am – 4pm will give participants the opportunity to take three laps around the track in their own car and experience the smoothest surface the track has seen in decades. All proceeds benefit Speedway Children's Charities Sonoma, the charitable arm of Sonoma Raceway, which supports local children and families in critical need.
continued...
Click HERE.
www.sonomaraceway.com
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Bears Take 3 Of 4 At Manhattan Beach
No. 6 Cal Tops No. 15 GSU, Comes Back To
Beat No. 13 UH
LOS ANGELES – The No. 6 California beach volleyball team ended the East Meets West Invitational on Saturday with its third straight win over a top-15 team, coming back to defeat No. 13 Hawaii 3-2 several hours after picking up a 4-1 win over No. 15 Georgia State.
Cal 4, Georgia State 1
The Golden Bears (12-4) began the day with a quick 4-1 win over the Panthers (9-8), a dual which saw all five matchups decided in two sets.
continued...
For a full report, click HERE.
Photo: Al Sermeno / KLC fotos
www.calbears.com
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Defeat at Denver
Stanford fell to No. 14 Denver 10-6 on Sunday afternoon to conclude its Colorado road trip
DENVER, Colo. - Stanford fell to No. 14 Denver on Sunday afternoon, 10-6. The loss snapped the Cardinal's five-game win streak as both Stanford and Denver move to 5-3 on the season.
In a game that showcased two impressive defenses, goals were hard to come by across the first two quarters of play. Stanford scored first when Annabel Frist fired home from a free position attempt to give Stanford an early one goal lead 40 seconds into the game.
Denver went on to score two goals in the first quarter and one in the second to take a 3-1 advantage heading into halftime.
continued...
Stanford Athletics. For a full report, click HERE.
Photo: Jack Larkin / Stanford Athletics
www.gostanford.com
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Spartans Down Nevada, 4-0
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Irena Murdyan and Duru Durgun each won in singles and doubles to lead the San José State women's team (9-2, 1-1 Mountain West) in a 4-0 win over Nevada (6-5, 1-1 Mountain West) on Sunday afternoon.
- The Spartans earned the doubles point before securing three straight-set wins in singles.
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Muradyan played with Cheuk Ying Shek in the No. 1 doubles flight and registered a 6-2 victory.
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Durgun and Rozalina Youseva clinched the doubles point with a 7-5 win on court three.
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For a full report, click HERE.
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Saint Mary's College Gaels | |
MBB | Fifth Seeded Gaels Headed to Spokane to take on 12 Seed GCU in
NCAA Tournament
MORAGA, Calif. — The 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket has been set, and for the third consecutive year, your Saint Mary's Gaels (26-7) sit as a five seed. The Gaels won 26 games this season, including 23 of their final 25 en route to both a regular season and postseason WCC Title. Saint Mary's will have the luxury of not having to travel too far this year either, as they will play their first matchup of the tournament in Spokane, Washington, on of the closest regional sights to the Saint Mary's Campus.
The Gaels opponent in the opening round will be the 12th seeded Grand Canyon Antelopes (29-4), who will be making their third NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, and their second in as many years. Also playing in Spokane in the West Region will be the fourth seeded Alabama Crimson Tide (21-11) and the Charleston Cougars (27-7).
To REQUEST up to 4 tickets for BOTH the First and Second rounds being played in Spokane, Wash. on Friday, March 22nd and Sunday, March 24th please complete this form before 8 AM on Wednesday, March 20th. Completing this form is not a guarantee of tickets. Tickets will be assigned based on donor level. When you are assigned tickets, you are obligated to purchase the same number of tickets for any First Round tournament game the Gaels play AND the Second Round game should the Gaels advance. All sales are final, no refunds or exchanges. Tickets to all games will be sent electronically from the host site 12-24 hours prior to tip-off to the email entered on this form.
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For a full report, click HERE.
Photo / Tod Fierner / Saint Mary's Athletics
#GaelsRise www.smcgaels.com
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Dons Impress at Hornet Invite
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Competing up North for the second consecutive week, the University of San Francisco men's and women's track & field teams participated in the Hornet Invite, hosted by Sacramento State on Friday, Mar. 15, and Saturday, Mar. 16, at Hornet Stadium.
The women's program had a successful meet, earning a sixth-place team finish in a 17-team field with 42 points, while the men secured eight points and finished in a tie for 11th.
Beginning on Friday evening, Grace Copeland kicked off with a strong finish in the 3000 meters, earning third-place at 9:39.68. On the men's side, Ellis McKean made his season debut, leading the Dons in the 3000 meters, finishing in 15th place with a time of 8:35.73.
continued...
For a full report, click HERE.
Photo: Christina Leung
www.usfdons.com
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Men's Tennis Blanks Seattle
and UC Santa Cruz
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The No. 62-ranked Santa Clara men's tennis team swept two matches, both in shutout fashion, against Seattle and UC Santa Cruz on Saturday at the Degheri Tennis Center. The Broncos blanked Seattle 4-0 and rolled past UC Santa Cruz 7-0 in the late afternoon match.
Match 1: Santa Clara 4 - Seattle 0
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Santa Clara (10-2) made quick work of Seattle (2-10) with a 4-0 win in the first match on Saturday.
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Guillaume Dalmasso and Luca Lemaitre both won their doubles and singles matches.
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The Broncos claimed the doubles point with 6-4 victories on courts three and one. Lemaitre teamed with Tiago Boschmans to down Yu-Han Hsieh and Veselin Kiselkov on court three. Dalmasso and Lerby followed with their win atop the lineup over Jun Sasagawa and Filip Stipic.
- Playing at singles No. 1 for the first time this season, Dalmasso disposed Sasagawa 6-0, 6-3 to give the Broncos a 2-0 advantage.
- Lemaitre pushed the Broncos lead out to 3-0 when he beat Veselin Kiselkov 6-2, 6-2 at No. 3.
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The match clincher came at No. 2 when Sebastian Buxman beat Julian Worn 6-4, 6-2.
continued...
For a full report, click HERE..
www.santaclarabroncos.com
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University of Pacific Tigers | |
TIGERS CLINCH PAIRS WIN AGAINST
SANTA CLARA
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.- Sophomore Josephine Kinlan and junior Ashley Davies clinched a win on twos over Santa Clara in the 4-1 loss in Cal Poly. The Pacific beach volleyball team returned later to take on Cal Poly, but the Tigers fell 5-0 to the Mustangs.
The Tigers faced the Broncos for their second conference contest of the season. Davies and Kinlan took their second win over a WCC opponent this year, having previously defeated Portland at the Big West/WCC Challenge earlier this month.
Kinlan and Davies battled back after a first set deficit to the Broncos. The duo edged out Casey Campbell and Hailey Benesz in the final two sets to win 13-21, 21-19, 15-11 for their third pairs win together this season.
continued...
For a full report, click HERE.
www.pacifictigers.com
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Aggies Finish Off their First Day 2-0
in San Luis Obispo
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The Aggies went 2-0 today at Cal Poly against opponents North Florida and Santa Clara, sending their record to 8-6.
Aggies took down North Florida to start the day 3-2. McGuire and Miller won in straight sets at court one, as well as duo Heller and Mitchell at court four and Braun and O'Steen at court 5.
UC Davis 3, North Florida 2
Doubles competition
1. Colleen McGuire/Kylie Miller (UCD) def. Presley Murray/Madison Espy (UNF) 21-19, 21-18
2. Michaela Rezentes/Taylor Pierce (UNF) def. Morgan Coolbaugh/Kimi Waller (UCD) 21-16, 19-21, 16-14
3. Mariana Fel. Sanchez/Mackenzie Murphy (UNF) def. Sam Lazenby/Mia Olen (UCD) 23-21, 21-17
4. Lindsay Heller/Tabitha Mitchell (UCD) def. Cameron Humphries/Hayden Wooldridge (UNF) 22-20, 21-15
5. Anna Braun/Kate O'Steen (UCD) def. Iris Fletcher/Hallie Phelan (UNF) 24-22, 21-17
continued...
For a full report, click HERE.
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Cal State University East Bay Pioneers | |
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Pioneer Softball Sweeps Doubleheader From Toros With a No-Hitter and
Second Shutout
HAYWARD, Calif. – Cal State East Bay softball opened up a CCAA series at Pioneer Softball Field on Friday afternoon against Cal State Dominguez Hills. In the series opener, Marissa Quintero pitched a no-hitter, as Cal State East Bay won 8-0 in five innings by run rule. The Pioneers followed up with a 7-0 win in the second game on Friday.
Game One - Cal State East Bay 8, Cal State Dominguez Hills 0 (5 innings)
After two scoreless innings, the Pioneers' offense would explode for five runs. Gabriela Rivera hit an RBI single, and Adriana Martinez and Alexa Zumstein each hit a two-run double, adding up to a 5-0 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Pioneers would score two runs – one on an RBI groundout to second base by Rivera and one on a Cynthia Carrillo RBI single through the left side that drove in Annelise Garcia for a 7-0 lead.
continued...
For a full report, click HERE..
Photo: Justine Willard / KLC Fotos
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RACE COMMITTEE
The St. Francis Yacht Club Race Committee is renowned for running some of the best sailboat, kiting and windsurfing races in the world. Comprised of over 200 member and non-member volunteers, our Race Committee's dedication to the sport shows in the 140+ days they spend on the water each year.
Sign up to Volunteer
All of the Race Committee races, trainings and events utilize the online volunteer registration program called CERVIS. Everyone is welcome to create an account and start volunteering or attending trainings at any time! Click LOG IN below to access your account. Please do not hesitate to call the Race Office with questions at 415-655-7756.
continued...
For a full report, click HERE.
www.stfyc.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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Are you Web-Savvy using SquareSpace?
Sports Today/Ultimate Sports Guide would
love your help. If interested, shoot us an email.
Write: theultimatesportsguide@gmail.com
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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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“A must read…an in-depth look into stories that come from all avenues of professional sports."
-- Andy Dolich, prominent sports executive with fifty years experience with the NFL, NBA, MLB & NHL
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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. Open Monday through Thursday at 4pm. Friday through Sunday at 12pm. Happy Hour 4pm to 6pm. Look forward to seeing all your smiling
faces once again.
https://www.thechieftain.com/
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Recent Facebook Albums to Enjoy | |
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California Golden Bears (SB) 4, Stanford Cardinal 7, March 17, 2024. Caption and photos by Darren Yamashita.
Oakland Roots SC 1, Charleston Battery 1, March 16, 2024.
Photos by Ron Sellers.
Oakland A’s vs. San Francisco Giants Rained Out, March 15, 2024. Captions and photos by Darren Yamashita.
Oakland A’s 1, Chicago Cubs 3, March 14, 2024.
Captions and photos by Darren Yamashita.
San Francisco Giants 11, Cincinnati Reds 19, March 13, 2024. Captions and photos by Darren Yamashita.
San Francisco Giants 4, Los Angeles Dodgers 6, March 12, 2024. Captions and photos by Darren Yamashita.
San Jose Earthquakes 0, Vancouver Whitecaps 2, March 9, 2024. Captions and photos by Alex Ho.
San Francisco Giants Fan Fest, March 9, 2024.
Captions and photos by Darren Yamashita.
Stanford Cardinal (MBkB) 80, Cal Bears 58, March 7, 2024
Captions and photos by Darren Yamashita.
Cal Bears (SB) 8, Boise State Broncos 2, March 3, 2024. Captions and photos by Darren Yamashita.
Cal Bears (SB) 6, Boise State Broncos 4, March 3, 2024. Captions and photos by Darren Yamashita.
USF Dons (MBkB) 68, Gonzaga Bulldogs 86, Thursday, February 29, 2024. Captions and photos by Darren Yamashita.
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Weekly Bay Area
Sports Calendar
Monday, March 18, through
Sunday, March 24, 2024
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Monday, March 18
Golden State Warriors vs. New York Knicks, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, March 19
San Jose Sharks @ Nashville Predators, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, March 20
Golden State Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies, 7 p.m.
Thursday, March 21
San Jose Sharks vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 22
Golden State Warriors vs. Indiana Pacers, 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 23
San Jose Sharks vs. Chicago Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m.
San Jose Earthquakes @ Seattle Whitecaps FC, 7:30 p.m.
Oakland Roots SC @ Phoenix Rising FC, 7 p.m.
Sunday March 24
Golden State Warriors @ Minnesota Timberwolves, 4 p.m.
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FIELD OF PLAY
For the past 60 years, Michael Zagaris has taken his camera behind the scenes of the NFL, capturing the moments that define America’s game.
To order: https://www.zagarisbook.com/
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LOL, Loss of Logo: What’s Your Next Move? was written for sports professionals by Andy Dolich and Jack Hirschman and offers valuable takeaways for everyone chasing the fancy logo and corner office. | |
The Emerald Mile: The epic and award-winning story of the fastest ride in history through the heart of the Grand Canyon, by Kevin Fedarko. A thrilling true tale during the legendary flood of 1983. | |
More than a cookbook, this culinary delight was written to preserve a great chef's traditional family recipes and stories of her childhood for her far-flung grandchildren. Author Leonie Samuel-Hool recounts stories of a vanished society and legends of the gods and goddesses that protect and sometimes make mischief in Indonesian homes, fields and foods. The recipes are explicitly presented. | |
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 foreword, is "full of Yankee winning keys, star-studded competition, and insights about one of baseball's historically fascinating periods." By Charlie Silvera with Dave Newhouse (Author). | |
To Order: $15 hardcover, $10 paperback, plus $4.95 shipping. Send check/M.O. to Christopher Weills, P.O. Box 4515, Berkeley, CA 94704 | | | |
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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!
Go to www.checkforbikes.org or email contact@checkforbikes.org
with questions or to order.
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The Ultimate Sports Guide is very appreciative to the ongoing contributions made by former staff photographer Kenny Karst and Robert Moselle. Mr. Karst, now retired, continues to contribute helpful ideas and his archives.
Mr. Moselle, Esq. is now lending his extensive editorial experience and marketing savvy to the publication.
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