Central Valley Cowbell

Former Bulldogs Figure Into Championship Sunday?

2007-01-22T10:10:00.000-08:00

I suppose I could've seen Bernard Berrian playing an important role in yesterday's NFC title game. Five catches for 85 yards is a pretty good day for anyone, but that sick touchdown catch not only pretty much ensured victory for the Chicago Bears, but it also ensured that I lost 20 bucks on the New Orleans Saints.

Now, the question becomes what he can do for an encore. That depends entirely on Sexy Rexy Grossman, of course, but since we all know he's in love with the deep ball, is it out of the realm of possibility to imagine something like a 70-yard post pattern behind that Indianapolis Cover 2?

Congratulations to Berrian! I'll be rockin' his jersey two weeks from now, at least when I'm not working.

I offer my condolences to Logan Mankins and James Sanders as well. You can't blame Mankins for New England's loss last night, seeing as he managed to fall on a loose football in the end zone for the Patriots' first six points. I'm sure they would've manhandled that Indy defensive line, too, if Belichick had given the running game a chance. Sanders, on the other hand, had 8 tackles trying to fill in for Rodney Harrison. That couldn't have been an easy task, but he had a solid performance. Knowing that team, though, I'm sure they'll retool and be back in the Super Bowl picture next year.

Also somewhat involved (or not involved at all) were Cameron Worrell and Omar Stoutmire. Worrell, a backup safety for the Bears, will be headed to Miami. Stoutmire didn't play much, I don't think, since I'm not seein' his name in the boxscore. That's too bad, I'm sure he would've done a better job than Fred Thomas.

Look Who's Back!

2007-01-12T21:50:00.000-08:00

Well, well, well... Russ Ortiz, how the hell have you been?

To anyone who may be concerned about re-signing our old friend, why would you be? It's only a one-year deal and it's only $380,000! I'm pretty sure that's the league minimum, correct me if it's not. And he's only 32 years old, so the guy isn't too far removed from his prime, either. The Arizona Diamondbacks are on the hook for another $8 million and change, so I'd definitely give the guy a whirl, too.

Let's not forget the guy averaged over 200 innings a season during his first stint in San Francisco, and with a bullpen that has as many questions are ours, innings from our starters will be crucial. There isn't much pressure, either, seeing as the front four in the rotation are likely to be Zito, Cain, Lowry and Morris. I expect he will get at least 10 wins if he can crack the starting five... for less than half of what Jamey Wright made last year!

Also, give it up for Rich Aurilia. Why did we ever let him leave, anyway? I'm not going to expect another season like 2001 (although that'd be real nice of him), but this was another low-risk signing that'll make Brian Sabean look like the God damn genius he is if Richie can approach his numbers from last year. Actually, I just read that Aurilia's probably gonna be the Opening Day first baseman, so if he hits 20 homers we should probably name him King of San Francisco or something.

(Fun fact! The Giants got only 19 homers out of Mark Sweeney, Shea Hillenbrand and Lance Niekro last year... 2003 was the last time we got 20 homers out of first base, I think, between the luscious J.T. Snow and El Gato Andres Galaragga.)

(Also... I really miss Andres Galaragga.)

It's good to have you two back. You took us toward the promised land once upon a time, now do it again, damn it! We want to win just as much as you do.

David Beckham: Still a Better Buy Than Gil Meche

2007-01-12T21:34:00.001-08:00

Okay, so David Beckham is getting $250 million dollars over the next five years. Wow.

I've been a little lax on my soccer enthusiasm since getting back from London, but can one guy really transform the nation's mindset on the sport? Even a guy as huge as Beckham is still much bigger in Europe and Japan than here in the States. And I'm pretty sure we've tried this already with a guy named Pele.

I do remember the World Cup, though, and being very impressed with other guys like John Terry, Francesco Totti and Sulley Ali Muntari. Yeah, I know all these guys are locked up with various European clubs, but I think if Major League Soccer is serious about becoming a major player alongside the Premiership and La Liga, they'll continue to push for the star power to come Stateside. People love stars. Hell, if they're willing to throw Beckham that much coin, why not? It's not much different than MLB luring Japan's biggest stars across the Pacific.

A Significant Addition

2006-12-29T13:30:00.001-08:00

How much better can a day get than waking up and hearing your favorite team has signed the top remaining free agent on the market? That was me yesterday.

Barry Zito. Fat contract, to be sure, but in my opinion this was something the Giants had to do. At the very least, our top three in the rotation is set for the next three years: Zito, Matt Cain and Noah Lowry. Lowry's the wild card, because is the 2005 version going to show up or the 2006 rendition? We gave him a reasonable extension last year, but he got hurt and I suspect he was just never right after hurting himself early. But we can slot him into the #3 or #4 role behind Matt Morris, no pressure there, and it gives us a servicable rotation.

And before anyone gives us grief about forking over $126 million, just remember: It's better than giving Gil Meche $55 million.

The Dream Lives On

2006-12-16T11:26:00.000-08:00

Oh, yes, indeed it does!

After shaking off the offensive rust in the first half on Thursday, the 49ers pretty much dominated the second half and beat Seattle 24-14. I don't mean to alarm anyone, but the 49ers STILL HAVE A SHOT AT THE PLAYOFFS.

And really, wouldn't that be phenomenal? Well, maybe not so much for the folks who love to hate the 49ers and their successes (I know quite a few), but screw you guys. There are winnable games at home against Arizona and on the road in Denver, combined with loseable games for the Seahawks at home against San Diego and in Tampa Bay... If it really happened, wouldn't have you have to give Mike Nolan some serious consideration for Coach of the Year? I understand Sean Payton and his uber-Saints absolutely destroyed us a few weeks ago, but come on. You'd have to put Nolan and Payton on equal footing in this case.

Losing Eric Heitmann will hurt a lot, though, as I was listening to the game on the radio and Joe Starkey had pointed out Heitmann had not missed a single snap all season before he broke his leg. Ouch. The silver lining is that now we have 10 days for the offensive line to get cohesive around the new guy, Tony Wragge. Come on, fellas, get cohesive!

If the headline of the game was "Frank Gore Owns Seattle", the subtitle would have to be "How the Prototype Got His Groove Back". I didn't see the New Orleans game due to my travels, but Alex Smith was struggling mightily against Green Bay last weekend. It was good to see him overcome the early difficulities with the rain and the low passes and baffle Seattle with that ludicrous escape from Kelly Herndon and his beautiful bootleg TD to seal the deal. With Gorefest in the backfield (nickname courtesy of Matt Torres), that kind of confidence will go a long way toward fulfilling the Dream.

The ludicrous escape from Kelly Herndon at 1:22, Deion Branch getting destroyed by Keith Lewis at 2:44... just beautiful.

I love the fact that, two weeks ago, all of the talking heads at ESPN were dismissing the Super Bowl curse since it was oh my God SO obvious that the Seahawks were going to the playoffs. There's two weeks left, we'll see what's up.

Let's Just Be Completely Honest

2006-12-12T00:07:00.000-08:00

Think about this very carefully: .270/.454/.545, 26 home runs, 77 runs batted in, 74 runs scored in 130 games.

Even if it is Barry Lamar Bonds, is that worth sixteen million dollars? I didn't think so, either. I love the guy just as much as anyone else, but let's call it like it is... Brian Sabean panicked.

I don't really know what was up with Carlos Lee, someone will have to fill me in on that, but I was floored when Sabean was willing to back a dump truck full of money into Lee's driveway to sign him. That Lee took less money (if $100 mil instead of $112 mil is any more than splitting hairs) to sign with friggin' Houston strikes me as a bit surprising in this offseason of guys like Gil Meche suddenly making as much as... oh, Idunno, he'll be making more than a bunch of last year's All-Stars, that's for sure.

If we're trying to move forward that badly, though, why make this investment? Haven't you pretty much resigned yourself to doing what you said you weren't going to do in making Bonds the focus of the batting order? I mean, who else is there: Ray Durham? Rich Aurilia? In failing to sign any other big boppers, that's essentially what will happen. The whole thing smells like mediocrity.

It's pretty obvious the Giants aren't going to be front-running World Series contenders, but then the question of what exactly we will be remains. If the team is supposed to be building for the future, then why are we bringing back so many faces from the past? No disrespect to Durham, Aurilia and Pedro Feliz, but I fear we're spinning our wheels with illusions of grandeur... The whole "let's win the division because anything can happen in October" thing. I could be wrong, I guess we shall see.

A Ricky Proehl Sighting!

2006-12-11T23:45:00.000-08:00

Right now, I envy Wake Forest football. I never thought I'd say that, but those guys have had a lot more to cheer for lately. Between the BCS Bowl game (even if it is against Louisville) and the triumphant return of the immortal Ricky Proehl, why wouldn't they be happy?

It's a little weird seeing Proehl rockin' #11, but I'm pleased to see he's latched onto another contender, even if it is the Colts. I can imagine him coming up big in the postseason again, and then everyone wondering whether he or Peyton Manning is the bigger hero. Of course, I know better. We know better.

Back With a Vengeance

2006-12-11T22:22:00.000-08:00

So I realize you all must've missed me dearly, but I've got a good excuse, I swear. Actually, I've got a few excuses, not the least of which is the fact I've moved into a new house and went damn near a month without any internet... or at least it felt like a month. Whatever the case may be, I suppose I've got a lot of ground to cover.

Anyway, inbetween working and moving and unpacking and all that other crap, I seem to have missed a lot. I took a trip to London as well -- more on that in a moment -- and when my friend Patrick told me that Carlos Lee took less money to sign with Houston (less than $112 million, really?), I was stunned. The fact that my Giants missed on Alfonso Soriano (disappointing) and Gary Matthews Jr. (somewhat of a relief), too, were really kinda like blips on the radar that just kinda passed me by. I came home to discover that Sabean had re-signed Ray Durham and brought back Rich Aurilia, signed Dave Roberts, and that Jason Schmidt had turned into a damn traitor by signing with Los Angeles. A couple days later, Bonds re-signs for far too much money. More on that later, too.

We'll go back to London for a moment first. It was a fantastic trip and I highly recommend it for everyone, but it gave me an idea for the blog. Before you jump on me for being Simmons-esque, bear with me. I have a lot of good friends who live in the United Kingdom, many of which are rabid fans of many different football clubs: Arsenal, Everton, Manchester United, Liverpool... After watching a Champions League match between Chelsea and Levski Sofia, I realized that it was just as addicting as the World Cup that rolls around every four years. Of course, as an American it's somewhat difficult to find European soccer on television, but I know I'd rather watch that than basketball or the World Series of Darts or something. Come on, ESPN, make it happen!

I happened to catch another match as well, an FA Cup tilt between Salisbury City and Nottingham Forest, and it reminded me of a baseball cap that my good friend Kat Downes had sent to me a while back. She's a Forest fan and since I'd told her she needed to be a Giants fan, I had to return the favor and be a Forest fan, too. And man, let me tell you, I didn't know what I was missing. I've come to the conclusion that English soccer is pretty awesome, and I hereby declare that Nottingham Forest will be the official football club of Central Valley Cowbell.

I'll leave it at that for now, but rest assured that I'm back. We've got a lot to discuss, don't we?

Week 13

2006-12-03T10:17:00.000-08:00

Week 13 Straight Up: 8-4
Week 13 Vs. Spread: 2-2
Week 13 Bets: +1

Season Straight Up: 87-49
Season Vs. Spread: 19-18
Season Bets: +2
Season Upset Special: 7-3

As usual I don't do Thursday games. Actually this week I forgot there was a Thursday game. Also, as semi-usual I'm typing this as the games are being played. But don't worry, I'm not paying attention to them so these picks are clean.

Minnesota at Chicago
Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh
Arizona at St. Louis
Indianapolis at Tennessee
Jacksonville at Miami
San Francisco at New Orleans
Atlanta at Washington
Kansas City at Cleveland
Detroit at New England
San Diego at Buffalo
NY Jets at Green Bay
Dallas at NY Giants
Seattle at Denver
Carolina at Philadelphia

Upset Special: Atlanta

Bets
Carolina -3 at Philadelphia, bet = 2
San Diego -5 at Buffalo, bet = 2
Seattle at Denver -4, bet = 1
Kansas City -4 at Cleveland, bet = 1

Week 12

2006-11-25T21:02:00.000-08:00

Week 11 Straight Up: 8-7
Week 11 Vs. Spread: 1-2
Week 11 Bets: -2

Season Straight Up: 79-45
Season Vs. Spread: 17-16
Season Bets: +1
Season Upset Special: 6-3

Ok, I'm a little late to the party, so I didn't pick the Thanksgiving games (luckily because I probably would have lost them all). Here's the weekend lineup though:

Jacksonville at Buffalo
Houston at NY Jets
Pittsburgh at Baltimore
Cincinnati at Cleveland
Arizona at Minnesota
San Francisco at St. Louis
New Orleans at Atlanta
Carolina at Washington
Chicago at New England
Philadelphia at Indianapolis
NY Giants at Tennessee
Green Bay at Seattle

Upset Special: New Orleans

Bets
Pittsburgh at Baltimore -3, bet = 2
Chicago +3.5 at New England, bet = 1
San Francisco at St. Louis -5, bet = 1
Philadelphia at Indianapolis -9, bet = 1

Week 11

2006-11-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

Week 10 Straight Up: 8-7
Week 10 Vs. Spread: 2-2
Week 10 Bets: +1

Season Straight Up: 71-38
Season Vs. Spread: 16-15
Season Bets: +3
Season Upset Special: 6-2

A decent week again. So far I have met my goal vs. the spread (50%) and with the bets (any positive amount), but not yet with the straight picks (66.7%).

Indianapolis at Dallas
Cincinnati at New Orleans
Pittsburgh at Cleveland
Tennessee at Philadelphia
Atlanta at Baltimore
St. Louis at Carolina
Buffalo at Houston
New England at Green Bay
Washington at Tampa Bay
Chicago at NY Jets
Minnesota at Miami
Detroit at Arizona
Seattle at San Francisco
San Diego at Denver
NY Giants at Jacksonville

Upset Special: Indianapolis

Bets
Washington at Tampa Bay -3, bet = 2
Indianapolis +1 at Dallas, bet = 2
Seattle -3 at San Francisco, bet = 1
St. Louis at Carolina -6, bet = 1

Week 10

2006-11-12T09:20:00.000-08:00

Week 9 Straight Up: 7-6
Week 9 Vs. Spread: 2-2
Week 9 Bets: +1

Season Straight Up: 63-31
Season Vs. Spread: 14-13
Season Bets: +2
Season Upset Special: 6-1

I'm hanging in there and having a decent season. Halfway through and I'm looking pretty good.

Kansas City at Miami
Houston at Jacksonville
San Diego at Cincinnati
Cleveland at Atlanta
Baltimore at Tennessee
Buffalo at Indianapolis
New Orleans at Pittsburgh
Washington at Philadelphia
Chicago at NY Giants
Green Bay at Minnesota
NY Jets at New England
San Francisco at Detroit
St. Louis at Seattle
Dallas at Arizona
Tampa Bay at Carolina

Upset Special: Kansas City

Bets:
San Diego -1 at Cincinnati, bet = 2
Kansas City +2 at Miami, bet = 1
Washington at Philadelphia -7.5, bet = 1
San Francisco at Detroit -6, bet = 1

Week 9

2006-11-04T20:39:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the lack of picks the last couple weeks, but I had some personal stuff to do. I'm back for Week 9.

Week 6 Straight Up: 7-5
Week 6 Vs. Spread: 2-2
Week 6 Bets: -1

Season Straight Up: 56-25
Season Vs. Spread: 12-11
Season Bets: +1
Season Upset Special: 5-1

Kansas City at St. Louis
Cincinnati at Baltimore
Houston at NY Giants
Tennessee at Jacksonville
Dallas at Washington
Green Bay at Buffalo
New Orleans at Tampa Bay
Atlanta at Detriot
Miami at Chicago
Minnesota at San Francisco
Cleveland at San Diego
Denver at Pittsburgh
Indianapolis at New England

Upset Special: Indianapolis

Bets:
Indianapolis +3 at New England, bet = 2
Denver +3 at Pittsburgh, bet = 1
Miami at Chicago -13.5, bet = 1
Minnesota -5 at San Francisco, bet =1

This Man Is Running the Giants Now

2006-10-26T22:36:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to Bruce Bochy.

If ESPN is to be believed, the Giants are going to hold a news conference tomorrow to introduce the former Padres manager (is it "former" right now or is it still "current"?) to the orange and black faithful. And this on the heels of a trip to Japan which, interestingly enough, is the main reason that the MLB higher-ups gave the Giants the green light to make this announcement to begin with.

I'll be honest, I like the move because I've always liked Bochy as a manager. There were times where he didn't have the best talent to work with, but no one stays with a team for 12 years unless he's got some kind of special buzz around him. He's been through this kind of rebuilding mode before, which leads me to believe we'll come out alright on the other end.

So What Do We Do Now? Part 3: Brian Sabean, Barry Bonds and You

2006-10-19T22:51:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago, Brian Sabean ascended to the general manager post up in San Francisco and made an immediate (not to mention hotly contested) impact by trading away Matt Williams for a bunch of guys no one knew much about. I was 12, so I didn't remember until looking it up later that Sabean had defended his decision with some very famous words:

"I am not an idiot."

The rest, as they say, is history. The Giants won the division in 1997 and have been pretty successful ever since, but now the franchise is at a crossroads and... I hate to say it, Brian, but you're gonna have to prove to us again that you're not an idiot. Of course, the stakes this time are somewhat different but no less crucial to the future. If Sabean truly is the man, he'll turn the tide of criticism once again and get this team on the right track.

It all starts, whether we like it or not, with Barry Bonds. I give credit to Sabean and company for coming out and saying that Bonds will have to take a pay cut to stick around. Trust me, I love Bonds as much as the next Giants fan, but anyone could tell you he's not worth $18 million a year anymore. Will the club make Bonds a decent offer, though? The other thing I wonder about is whether Bonds is more interested in getting paid or getting that elusive championship ring... if it's the latter, he's as good as gone and I bid him farewell and good luck. If it were up to you, though, if you were Sabean, would you bring Bonds back?

If we're destined for a season of simple record-smashing, the All-Star Game and six months of mediocre baseball, I have to wonder at that point whether a change should be in order. After all, I just saw that happen in Pittsburgh (the ASG and mediocre baseball, anyway). It's not like Sabean's AARP squad got the job done and most of his free agent signings have been... um, they've sucked. God help me if we end up like the Pirates, man.

Anyway, Brian, the next move is on you.

This Man Could Be Running the Giants

2006-10-19T22:42:00.000-07:00

For those untrained eyes out there, this is San Diego Padres manager Bruce Bochy. Please tell me I'm not the only one who looks like he just took a few hits before this picture was taken. Of course, if that were true, the Giants job might be appealing for its proximity to Berkeley. Good times.

Also, since Lou Piniella passed on the manager opening in favor of the Cubs (HAH!), the other front-runners for San Francisco's job are still Bud Black and Ron Wotus. Both have profilic ties to the organization - Black was a former Giants pitcher and Wotus has been a coach in the organization since I can remember - so it'll be interesting to see where the team goes with this one.

Someone's Looking, Just Smile and Wave!

2006-10-17T15:33:00.000-07:00

Am I the only person who ever kills vast amounts of time on Google? The other day, I was bored enough to run a search on "Central Valley Cowbell" just to see what came up. A great deal of the results were to a Final Fantasy website of which I'm a member and contributor (yes, I like video games, I'm a nerd, ya dig? What's wrong with a little Madden and Final Fantasy XII?). Another result was my first contribution to Deadspin... but then, lo and behold, there was a link to the blog from The Big Lead! Apparently, my dish on Trevor Hoffman was decent enough to catch someone's attention. Woo hah!

I've gotta say, I like where this is going. The only thing I wonder about is that the blog itself didn't show up in the search. How the hell does that work? Slowly but surely, I guess, we'll grow and have fun doing it! The world needs more Cowbell, and I'll keep giving it.

This Isn't Fun Anymore

2006-10-15T00:25:00.000-07:00

I think Hawaii just scored again. Good grief.

I went into work today without really thinking about the Fresno State game, and I looked up at the TV to see that Hawaii was puttin' an old-fashioned whupping on the Bulldogs. 42-17 at halftime? That had to be a typo, except it wasn't.

68-37... That's just embarassing! The players and coached ought to be ashamed. My good friend Nick Perry, a member of the Fresno State band, commented that fans cheered when Tom Brandstater was benched in favor of Sean Norton and come on, you guys should be ashamed, too. There won't be any winners if that derisive attitude persists.

And man, I really don't want to think about next week now.

Week 6 Picks

2006-10-15T00:18:00.000-07:00

Week 5 Straight Up: 11-2
Week 5 Vs. Spread: 3-1
Week 5 Bets: +1

Season Straight Up: 49-20
Season Vs. Spread: 10-9
Season Bets: +2
Season Upset Special: 4-1

Alright! Back in business. I'm in the positive in all of my categories. This has been a good season so far.

Cincinnati at Tampa Bay
Tennessee at Washington
Houston at Dallas
Buffalo at Detriot
Seattle at St. Louis
NY Giants at Atlanta
Philadelphia at New Orleans
Carolina at Baltimore
Miami at NY Jets
San Diego at San Francisco
Kansas City at Pittsburgh
Chicago at Arizona

Upset Special: NY Giants

Bets:
Philadelphia -3 at New Orleans, bet = 2
Buffalo -1.5 at Detriot, bet = 1
Miami at NY Jets -2, bet = 1
NY Giants +3 at Atlanta, bet = 1

Welcome to the Show, Mark Kiger

2006-10-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

In case no one noticed, Oakland A's second baseman Mark Kiger made a little bit of history in Game 3 yesterday by becoming the first player in modern baseball to ever make his major league debut in the postseason. How nuts is that?

The only reason he's on the roster right now is because Mark Ellis had the misfortune of getting hurt... again. Apparently, D'Angelo Jiminez needs a backup or something, so Kiger was added. Just lookin' at the numbers, he was one of those fellows that swats the bejesus out of the ball in the Texas League (AA) but couldn't hang with Sacramento (AAA). Hell, I took a look at the program I got at K-Fed Night, and Kiger's name was nowhere to be found. So who exactly *is* Mark Kiger?

He was born in 1980 in San Diego, went to La Jolla High and then to the University of Florida, where he was part of two Gators teams that made Regionals. After finishing his college career as a three-year starter, the A's picked him in the 5th round of the 2002 MLB draft, no doubt part of Billy Beane's Moneyball philosophy. For the most part, he's been solid if not spectacular all the way to AA ball, and he's struggled somewhat in his stints in AAA. Now, he's an interesting bit of trivia.

Seriously, though, how crazy is that? If Beane is so smart, why did he have to reach that far down to find a replacement for Ellis? No wonder Oakland is staring at a sweep... anyway, congralutions, Mark Kiger, we'll remember you forever. Enjoy it while you can, since you'll probably be back in Texas again next year.

Jeff Weaver Wasn't So Bad

2006-10-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

It was obvious that a lot of Cardinals fans were apprehensive about Jeff Weaver taking the ball for Game 1 of the NLCS, including Will over at Deadspin, but it seems like a lot of people have forgotten that Weaver's got the stuff to be a pretty good pitcher if he gets himself right.

Yes, it probably seems like a million years ago that he was a solid contribution on otherwise lousy Detroit Tigers teams, but I think that ill-fated trade to the Yankees shook him to his core. You know how it goes with everything you do being magnified in New York, and it should be noted that his numbers improved upon heading to the West Coast and playing for the Dodgers. As for this year... well, I really don't know. Can't I just say the Angels suck in general and be done with it?

The fact remains he's had back-to-back solid, if not spectacular, starts here in the 2006 postseason. He made one mistake to Beltran, that's it. If the Cardinals can hang around and extend the Series to five or six games (and they'd better, I picked them to win it all), I'll be happy if Weaver can get the chance to play the hero.

Man, World Series Tickets Are Expensive

2006-10-12T09:54:00.000-07:00

I'm not one of the 12 Oakland A's fans out there, but when I saw that they were having a drawing for the rights to buy World Series tickets I knew I had to give it a shot. After all, I am a fan of baseball and I've never been to a Series game. Much to my surprise, I received an e-mail yesterday saying that I'd won. I'd won!

The sale is on right now online and I was enthused to try and score four tickets for... well, whoever wanted to go with me. I figured Game 2 might be a little easier to score some cheap seats since everyone would be excited for the Game 1 opener, except I seemed to have overlooked the fact that THERE ARE NO CHEAP SEATS.

Now, keep this in mind, I make exactly minimum wage at my job plus tips, so whenever I'm going to spend a fantastic amount of money on something, I like to make it count. Here I thought Oakland was all about being cheap and stuff, but bleacher seats are $65 apiece. Second level seating, which I think is where I was the last time I saw an A's game, is $150 and $175 depending on how close to home plate you want to be. Right behind the plate, it's $225... so four tickets will run me from $260 to $900 before taxes. Err... no.

I suppose I should've seen this coming, but Jesus. And considering I already have a prior engagement called "10 days in London" next month, saving money for that is pretty much priority number one at this point. World Series tickets in Oakland might be expensive, but Britain involves a whole new level of spending that I've gotta be prepared for.

More than anything, I'm a little disappointed. Then again, I really want to go to next year's All-Star Game more than I'd want to see this.

Those Crazy-Ass Rumors You Kinda Wish Were True

2006-10-09T00:04:00.000-07:00

The season's just ended and the playoffs have started and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Those damn Dodgers met a swift demise, the Yankees crumbled, life is alright. And now with all the talk of big change in the Bronx, it's just interesting to hear the rumors.

There was one thing in particular I heard while I was working tonight that floored me: Buster Olney went on ESPN's GameNight and hypothesized there was no chance of Alex Rodriguez returning to the Yankees in 2007, and when they asked him the teams that might be interested, the first club he mentioned was the Giants. No, really! I'm paraphrasing here, but Olney said "he would be the new centerpiece following Bonds." And then I got to thinking about how much sense that made.

Lost in all of the chatter about his latest playoff flop is the fact that A-Rod is still a pretty damn good ballplayer. We've got Omar Vizquel at shortstop already, but Pedro Feliz is a free agent and my grandmother could tell you Rodriguez would be about 10,000 steps up from Feliz. He makes $66 million over the next four years, which is less on average than what Bonds just made... and chances are the Yankees would be eager to dump him and pick up a chunk of that contract. Thus, Rodriguez becomes a HUGE bargain. If you can pick up one of the top five players in the game at, say, $10 million a year, wouldn't you do it?

Let's not forget that we have defended Bonds at every turn during this whole steroid thing, and I think Giants fans wouldn't get nearly so worked up over a slump, considering Pedro Feliz was like the Snow Miser or something for weeks at a time. Too much! Rodriguez will keep the Giants very interesting, if not competitive, and would make for a pretty good centerpiece if you asked me.

So What Do We Do Now? Part 2: The Lance Niekro Quandry

2006-10-08T23:38:00.000-07:00

Lance... what are we going to do with you?

The Giants' farm system has produced a few pretty good pitching prospects, but the hitters have left something to be desired. And is there anyone whose lack of production is more frustrating than Lance Niekro? He was supposed to be "it", the guy at first base who would actually put up some numbers for once, but he just wasn't that good. Niekro is 27, he's not a prospect anymore, so do we fish or cut bait?

I'd like to think he can figure it out, but I just don't see it happening. I'd also like to think we traded for Shea Hillenbrand to do more than just rent him for a couple of months because for .280/20/80, re-signing him at $5-6 million sounds alright by me. Mark Sweeney is around for one more year as well, so resigning the more productive guy leaves Niekro as the odd man out here.

Of all the free agents the Giants have, I think Hillenbrand would be the most important guy to bring back. I'd love to bring back Jason Schmidt, don't get me wrong, but it saddens me to think his asking price is simply going to be too high. Travis Ishikawa isn't quite ready yet, and let's not forget that Hillenbrand can also play third base.

So sorry, Lance.

Do the Bulldogs Really Suck?

2006-10-08T23:13:00.000-07:00

Not that I really want to do this, but we need a quick review of Fresno State's latest debacle. For those outside the know, people seem to be having meltdowns because the Bulldogs lost again to a crappy Utah State team, 13-12. The Aggies, for the record, are 117th in total offense out of 119 teams, average less than 7 points a game and give up nearly 400 yards on defense. How did this happen?!

I will give credit where credit is due, however, because the winning touchdown was scored by Fresno's own Kevin Robinson. As a matter of fact, I went to high school with that guy and he was one of the guys I once kept track of as Hoover High's statistician (the only other player I'm aware of in I-A is Fresno State's Ahijah Lane). He didn't get many touches, but he made the ones he got count for a lot. I should see if I can get an interview with him, but that's for another entry.

For now, I'm going to say that while Tom Brandstater wasn't very good, we can't abandon the guy after five games. Pat Hill doesn't strike me as the kind of coach to have kneejerk reactions to such a slump, but Dwayne Wright is getting his 30 carries or so... so what can he do? Everyone says Sean Norton looked good in August, but no one knows how he'll do if we throw him in the fire (against Hawaii, LSU and Boise, no less)! Stick with Brandstater and let him take his lumps.

There is one thing that keeps coming back to me: how much do we miss Frank Cignetti? Let's face it: That guy knew how to put points on the board. In 2004 and 2005, the Bulldogs were fifth in the country in points per game and were top-30 material in yards. All we're missing aside from Cignetti is Paul Pinegar and Wendall Mathis, so it is reasonable to conclude his departure has had a significant impact?

What we as fans have to decide is whether we're going to stick with this team if they get dragged through the mud or if we're going to bail on the bandwagon because of trouble. We're always talking about the spotlight, but if the fans can't hang with the lowlights, the leap is never going to happen.

Week 5 Picks

2006-10-08T10:03:00.000-07:00

Ok the games will have probably started by the time I post this, but I promise not to look.

Week 4 Straight Up: 9-4
Week 4 Vs. Spread: 2-1
Week 4 Bets: +2

Season Straight Up: 38-18
Season Vs. Spread: 7-8
Season Bets: +1
Season Upset Special: 4-0

Tennessee at Indianapolis
Washington at NY Giants
Detroit at Minnesota
Tampa Bay at New Orleans
St. Louis at Green Bay
Miami at New England
Buffalo at Chicago
Cleveland at Carolina
NY Jets at Jacksonville
Kansas City at Arizona
Dallas at Philadelphia
Pittsburgh at San Diego
Baltimore at Denver

Upset Special: Tampa Bay

Bets:
Kansas City -3.5 at Arizona, bet = 2
Tampa Bay +7 at New Orleans, bet = 1
Buffal at Chicago -9.5, bet = 1
Miami at New England -9.5, bet = 1

So What Do We Do Now? Part 1: Adieu to Alou

2006-10-02T14:11:00.000-07:00

Since my beloved San Francisco Giants missed the playoffs again, I'll be doing a daily... um, something for the next week or so. Clearly, this is not going to be the same team next season, so why not muse about what the boys at Pac Bell should do? Stay tuned!

It had been pretty much a foregone conclusion for about a month or so now, but today it's official: Felipe Alou won't be back as the Giants' manager in 2007.

I'll admit, I was a little disappointed in this, but the change of direction will do the franchise some good. The only thing I ever questioned about Alou was his handling of the bullpen at times, but you definitely can't lay the majority of the blame for the team's disappointments on him. Most of that, I think, is on Brian Sabean. That's for another day, though.

The team was beset by injuries, Bonds and otherwise, and Alou did his damndest to put a good product on the field. It didn't help him any that the farm system hasn't produced many top-notch replacements: Matt Cain was spectacular and Eliezer Alfonzo held his own, but there are still questions about Todd Linden and Kevin Frandsen and their viability. If you have a team built around veterans and the veterans fall apart, what can you do?

Who will replace Alou, you ask? Good question. I think it'll depend on what the front office really wants to accomplish in 2007. The World Series window is virtually shut, so is Sabean going to hire a patsy, re-sign Barry Bonds and hope he can keep butts in the seats as he (maybe) passes Hank Aaron as the home run king and the team sputters to another 75 wins? Or is Sabean going to recognize that taking the team back to the top will require some retooling, hire a manager on the rise and begin the youth movement? Here's a few suggestions:

Joe Girardi - Hey, why not? Everyone has seen the wonders he worked with a Marlins club where everyone still gets carded for alcohol. He'll be the hot commodity this offseason, that's for sure, but if the Giants are looking to get younger and if Jeffrey Loria is stupid enough to let this guy walk, let's go after him.

Dave Righetti/Ron Wotus/Gene Glynn - This falls into the "let Bonds keep fans in the seats" category with the possible exception of Righetti because he's been a pretty good pitching coach in his tenure. I'm just spitballing, of course, but none of these guys makes me think World Series.

Dusty Baker - Just kidding.

There's an ESPN article that mentions Bud Black (Anaheim pitching coach), Bob Brenly and Lou Piniella among possible candidates. Black might be interesting, and he does have previous history as a former Giants. Brenly... no. The guy got lucky he didn't piss that '01 Series away to the Yankees. And Sweet Lou? Do you honestly think he could co-exist in the same locker room as Barry Bonds? I didn't think so. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Tomorrow: Jason Schmidt isn't that old, so why not bring him back?

My Bold Predictions Aren't So Accurate

2006-10-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

I made some baseball predictions before the beginning of the season and I'm lookin' at them now and I'm thinking to myself, "Man, what the hell happened this season?"

AL East - Yankees, Blue Jays (wild card), Red Sox, Devil Rays, Orioles
AL Central - White Sox, Twins, Indians, Tigers, Royals
AL West - Athletics, Rangers, Angels, Mariners

NL East - Braves, Mets, Nationals, Phillies, Marlins
NL Central - Cardinals, Cubs (wild card), Brewers, Astros, Reds, Pirates
NL West - Giants, Dodgers, Rockies, Padres, Diamondbacks

Yeeeeeeah, can I get a do-over? The Blue Jays were torpedoed by Josh Towers early, the White Sox underachieved, the Braves finally disproved that whole "never bet against the Braves" theory, and... you can call me a homer, if you want, I'll make the argument that the Giants also underachieved. I still look stupid, either way.

In all, three of my eight predicted October participants actually made it to the show, including my two World Series picks. I don't know whether to be happy or worried about that, considering I had the Cardinals winning in six and we all know they've been terrible the last two weeks (outside of abusing the Giants, that is). They say you dance with the one who brung ya, though, so I will be sticking with the Redbirds to win it all.

The Weekend From Hell

2006-10-02T00:56:00.000-07:00

I'm really not sure where I want to start here. On the one hand, my beloved Giants limped to the finish line by being unceremoniously swept at the hands of those damn Dodgers (at home, no less) and pretty much marked the end of the "win now" era in San Francisco... I think. On the other hand, the 49ers pretty much got demolished by the Kansas City Chiefs today, 41-0. Yikes. Things got so bad that I pretty much decided it would be a better use of time to sweep down the family pool and pick up dog poop like my dad had asked than to watch the rest of the game. Yeah.

As if that wasn't enough punishment, I got stuck with the Browns/Raiders game in the afternoon... I'm pretty sure even Lamont Jordan wouldn't want to watch the Raiders at this point.

Unless you're one of the 12 A's fans out there, it wasn't a good weekend to be a Bay Area sports fan. And even if you are one of those few and proud, you've got to be concerned that you have to start the playoffs against the Twins instead of the Tigers. Johan Santana in Game 1, good luck with that one. Anyway, the Giants finished in third place, which sounds a lot better than it really is when you consider that Arizona and Colorado tied for last just a half-game back. I should really thank John Smoltz, since he beat Houston and all to avoid the one-game playoff for the NL Central title... can you imagine the Giants having to go back to St. Louis again to get embarassed one last time? A three-way tie for last place would've been bad, very bad.

And then there's the 49ers. Alex Smith, as if to quietly reaffirm my confidence in him, proceeded to throw for 92 yards and 2 interceptions... yowzers. Herman Edwards looked like he could do no wrong, and that's no easy task. The defense made Damon Huard look really good. Let me say that again: DAMON HUARD. HERMAN EDWARDS. No disrespect to Chiefs fans, but come on. I'm pretty sure Frank Gore just fumbled again, too.

What happened to the fight I saw last week against Philadelphia? I know there's no way in hell Kansas City is better than the Eagles, so what happened? There are a couple things we can take comfort in, fellow Gold Rushers: we aren't as crappy as Arizona and I don't care that we lost to them in Week 1 because you all have seen what they've done since then, and we get to play the Raiders next week. Hurrah!

Let's just try not and dwell too much on this, okay? Okay.

Sigh.

2006-10-01T02:04:00.000-07:00

Well... that sucked. Hard.

Week 3 Picks

2006-09-30T19:54:00.000-07:00

Week 3 Straight Up: 10-3
Week 3 Vs. Spread: 3-1
Week 3 Bets: +3

Season Straight Up: 29-14
Season Vs. Spread: 5-7
Season Bets: -1
Season Upset Special: 3-0

That was a very good week and I hope to continue.

Indianapolis at NY Jets
San Diego at Baltimore
Minnesota at Buffalo
Dallas at Tennessee
San Francisco at Kansas City
New Orleans at Carolina
Arizona at Atlanta
Miami at Houston
Detroit at St. Louis
New England at Cincinnati
Jacksonville at Washington
Seattle at Chicago
Green Bay at Philadelphia

Upset Special: Baltimore

Bets:

Detroit at St. Louis -5.5, bet = 2
Seattle +3.5 at Chicago, bet = 1
San Diego at Baltimore +2.5, bet = 1

I Think I'm Okay to Touch on the 'Dogs Now

2006-09-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

There's really not a lot of things worse than watching your favorite football team shoot itself in the foot repeatedly with special teams breakdowns, especially when that's one of your favorite football team's hallmarks. But it's been over two weeks since the Oregon tilt and about a week and a half after Washington, and considering there's another game on Saturday against a supposedly beatable Colorado State squad, I figured I should say something.

I understand that we've got the real deal in the backfield with Dwayne Wright. Everyone and their mother knows that Pat Hill like to run the football, critics be damned. I'm not lookin' for David Carr, but would it kill the coaches to open up the offense a little? Tommy Brandstater is big and strong and he's done well given the number of opportunities to throw the ball down the field, but Jaron Fairman led the team with 12 catches. Twelve! And now, of course, Fairman is done for the season with an ACL injury, if I remember correctly. Come on, Pat, you've got Paul Williams and Joe Fernandez and you haven't used them. What's the deal?

Then again, I'm not really sure if the run-heavy attack is the problem. What is the problem, you ask? I have no idea. I've watched the Bulldogs and just had that gut feeling that something isn't the way it should be. The pass rush has been lacking, which makes you wonder how much they miss Garret McIntyre, but is that really the big issue? Is it Brandstater? The coaches? It's a myriad of little things, I think, none of which are huge but can kill a season nonetheless.

A loss against Colorado State drops the Bulldogs to 1-3. That isn't pleasant, but at least you can say we got the crippling losing streak out of the way early. If we beat LSU and Boise State and win the WAC, will people forget about these games? We'll just have to get there and find out.

Why Exactly Are We Hating on The Prototype?

2006-09-27T21:13:00.000-07:00

I hear this all the time on the local sports radio station and it's really aggravating. "Oh, they got pressured into taking Alex Smith because the draft class was so weak!" "Oh, Alex Smith looked terrible last year, he's gotta be a bust!" "He threw one touchdown pass, what the hell is that?" Seriously? That's all you can come up with?

Let's take a look at the top ten picks of the 2005 draft, shall we? How many smashing successes can you count? Braylon Edwards looks really good when he's healthy, Troy Williamson has his moments, and Carlos Rogers and Antrel Rolle are slowly developing into top cornerbacks. There's not one guy you can say has been great... yet. Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams are off to slow starts here in '06, and let's not get into Cedric Benson and Mike Williams since they rarely see the field. Is it more because he's the center of attention as a quarterback or because the 49ers struggled last year? Considering the talent around him, I'd say surviving 2005 intact would be a success.

Anyone with two eyes can see The Prototype has been considerably better, due equally to improvements at the skill positions and the experience under his belt. You're not going to tell me Frank Gore isn't better than Kevan Barlow and that Antonio Bryant isn't better than Brandon Lloyd, are you? I didn't think so. And yet the men behind the microphone insist it was a blown pick, despite the fact Smith has had just 10 NFL starts. Why, oh, why, are they burying Alex Smith?

Donovan McNabb wasn't that great in his first 10 starts. Neither was John Elway. The guys here would attribute David Carr's lackluster 10 starts to running for his life all the time, even though, you know, Smith was doing a lot of the same thing. I think the sooner they realize not every quarterback has the charm that Ben Roethlisberger has had, the better.

So please, everyone, give the guy and the rest of the team some time to develop. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will the next 49ers dynasty. And yeah, you all know it's coming.

A Tribute to Trevor Hoffman

2006-09-24T23:31:00.000-07:00

There isn't much point in musing over a 1-8 road trip like the Giants just finished, I think everyone can see the gigantic fork sticking out of my beloved club's back. Instead, I'm gonna take the time to focus on a guy who's always killed us and today set a new record as the one man with the most saves in MLB history: Trevor Hoffman.

You can call it a West Coast bias if you want, but I think Hoffman is the best closer I've ever seen. Some people might vouch for Mariano Rivera or Rollie Fingers or Dennis Eckersley, but Fingers and Eck were just before my time and I'm just an unabashed Yankee hater. The Giants have had Rod Beck and Robb Nen in my time, and both of those guys were pretty damn good (not to mention adventurous). Hoffman, though, has been one of the few constant aggravations in my life as a Giants fan ... Then again, he's pretty much owned the Dodgers, Rockies and Diamondbacks, too, and that makes me feel a little better.

I think the most impressive thing is that he's been around for so long, and no one has been able to figure out that sick changeup he's got. Not even my favorite players along the way could step to Hoffman: Matt Williams was just 2-for 15. Barry Bonds is just 5-for-18. J.T. Snow was 4-for-16. Hell, the great F.P. Santangelo was 0-for-4! And when you consider he's played on a lot of teams that just weren't that good (which is more than Rivera can say), the fact he's been able to close out win after win, year after year, with just two wicked pitches is astounding.

And oh, yes, there's Hells Bells. This is the guy that truly inspired other closers to get their own entrance music, except there's really nothing that beats AC/DC in that respect. Where other closers have gone down fighting (like Nen) or committed hubris against the baseball gods ("Game Over", my ass, Eric Gagne), the Padres can thank the Lord for a legend like the Hoff.

Is it fate that he'd be breaking Lee Smith's mark while leading the Padres back into the postseason? Maybe. San Diego's going to be a big player this October, though, and he's going to be the one of the most crucial guys out there. New York, St. Louis, Philly and Los Angeles better hope they don't fall behind late in the playoffs, because Hell's Bells won't take no prisoners, won't spare no lives.

Week 3 Picks

2006-09-23T23:45:00.000-07:00

Week 2 Straight Up: 11-4
Week 2 Vs. Spread: 0-4 (ouch!)
Week 2 Bets: -5 (double ouch!)

Season Straight Up: 19-11
Season Vs. Spread: 2-6
Season Bets: -4
Season Upset Special: 2-0

Well good thing I don't do this for a living is all I can say here.

NY Jets at Buffalo
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
Jacksonville at Indianapolis
Tennessee at Miami
Washington at Houston
Chicago at Minnesota
Carolina at Tampa Bay
Green Bay at Detroit
Baltimore at Cleveland
St. Louis at Arizona
NY Giants at Seattle
Philadelphia at San Francisco
Denver at New England

Upset: NY Jets

Bets:
NY Jets +6 at Buffalo, bet = 2
Cincinnati +2 at Pittsburgh, bet = 1
Washington -4 at Houston, bet = 1
Chicago -3.5 at Minnesota, bet = 1

Taking all road teams in the bets this week. A bold move.

Another Reason to Like the Save Mart Center

2006-09-22T14:05:00.000-07:00

The more I think about, the more I think "Man, how did we ever get by without this place?"

Granted, I've only been to the Save Mart Center for concerts, but it's an incredible venue. And hey, it's drawn some big names to town for once: The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Aerosmith... I don't know, I just think it's done wonders for the city.

But of course, the arena is first and foremost a sports venue and on Saturday night it'll be hosting a preseason NHL game between the San Jose Sharks and the MIGHTY DUCKS OF ANAHEIM. And yes, that needed to be capitalized. Few people realize that I'm a huge hockey fan despite living where I do. Watching the Sharks fall juuuuust short each other is maddening, akin to watching the Giants' inconsistency or any 49ers games under Dennis Erickson. To have the boys come into town and play... dude, where do I sign up?

Fresno's actually a pretty good hockey town, and the local team (the Fresno Falcons) made it all the way to the ECHL conference finals last year. I couldn't find any attendance figures but I can tell you they're pretty popular around here. With any luck, I'll be making this game tomorrow night and I'd like to see lots of others, even if it is just a preseason tilt.

Hockey is just like football in that it never really goes away. I get annoyed at the fact it's hardly ever on TV, but then again it's so much more fun to watch live. Give me a week, I'll have my Sharks analysis up and my general NHL predictions will be set. Let's see Bill Simmons do that!

And by the way, those new Ducks jerseys are horrendous. Go San Jose!

Oldies, But Goodies?

2006-09-19T23:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is getting ridiculous. First, Art Shell decides it would be a good idea to sign Jeff George to play quarterback (and considering Aaron Brooks so far, he might've been onto something) and now the Falcons have gone out and signed MORTEN ANDERSEN to kick field goals. The guy is like... 73 years old! And you're going to be counting on him to hit anything beyond 30 yards?

Of course, this provides an opportunity for some amusement. Who should other teams bring back for similar dire straits? These are the players I came up with:

Arizona Cardinals - Andre Wadsworth
Baltimore Ravens - Michael Jackson
Buffalo Bills - Doug Flutie
Carolina Panthers - Patrick Jeffers
Chicago Bears - Curtis Enis
Cincinnati Bengals - Ki-Jana Carter
Cleveland Browns - ...I got nothing here.
Dallas Cowboys - Richie Cunningham
Denver Broncos - Oh, dude, Ed McCaffrey!
Detroit Lions - Barry Sanders, duh.
Green Bay Packers - LeRoy Butler
Houston Texans - Billy Miller
Indianapolis Colts - Jim Mora, Sr.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Kevin Hardy
Kansas City Chiefs - Derrick Alexander
Miami Dolphins - Karim Abdul-Jabbar or O.J. McDuffie. Or both.
Minnesota Vikings - John Randle
New England Patriots - Michael Bishop
New Orleans Saints - Billy Joe Hobert and Billy Joe Tolliver... and Danny Wuerffel. And Scott Slutzker.
New York Giants - Lomas Brown
New York Jets - Richie Anderson
Philadelphia Eagles - Bobby Taylor
Pittsburgh Steelers - Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala
St. Louis Rams - Az-Zahir Hakim
San Diego Chargers - Natrone Means
San Francisco 49ers - Giovanni Carmazzi
Seattle Seahawks - Michael Sinclair
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Reidel Anthony or Jacquez Green. Maybe Eric Zeier.
Tennessee Titans - Anyone who played on that Super Bowl team.
Washington Redskins - Darrell Green

A Beatdown and a God Damn Miracle

2006-09-19T20:09:00.000-07:00

Should I really be so surprised at yesterday's happenings?

I first knew I was a real sports fan on the final day of the 1993 season, when the Giants needed one last win in Los Angeles to force a one-game playoff in what people have called "The Last Great Pennant Race". Of course, Dusty Baker decided to start Salomon Torres on that day and they lost... I think it was 12-1. It was the first day of a new life as a diehard, and I haven't waned to this day.

Since then, I've seen Brian Johnson's game-winning home run to deliver the NL West title in 1997, the Giants' World Series run in 2002 (I was at Game 3 of that NLCS, as well as the celebration following Game 5), and that Steve Finley grand slam to give those damn Dodgers a division title back in 2004. I'll admit, I didn't like the fact they picked him up this year at first, but that's for another time.

Yesterday... where do you want to begin? I wasn't able to listen to the Giants/Rockies tilt on the radio, thankfully, but I heard the postgame wrap with Duane Kuiper as they were playing clips from the bottom of the second... and them, wham, "Colorado 20, San Francisco 8". Say what? My first thought was centered on Noah Lowry, yesterday's starting pitcher, and whether Brian Sabean was regretting that long-term deal he inked before the season. I like Noah, don't get me wrong, and I have female friends who think he's sexy and all, but he's reminding me more and more of Kirk Rueter. Not the vintage Kirk Rueter, mind you, but the soft-tossing lefty who continually got shelled in 2004 before the team put him out of his misery and released him. I think he's regressed this year after carrying a big load in 2005, so how will he get past this?

And there's those Dodgers, with their "you can't make this up" ending. I have a good friend, Patrick, who's a big Padres fan and called it the worst collapse he'd ever seen. Four home runs on five pitches? Two off of Trevor Hoffman? Really? Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow said it best in their pre-game show today, that they were thankful for being 1,000 miles away. Amen, brothers. I can only imagine how the Padres will rebound, although they're winning 4-1 as I type this.

Back to the Giants... I hate to say it, but I think we're done. You can only get away with being inconsistent for so long. After a sweep in St. Louis and a beatdown like the one you received last night, how do a bunch of old guys come back from that? It isn't happening tonight, either, even with Matt Cain on the mound. He's been our best pitcher since August, far and away, and he couldn't survive the 6th inning. It's 8-3. Assuming San Diego holds on for a win, that leaves us 5 games back of the wild card with 12 games to play... I'm not feelin' it. And man, I don't even want to think about next year yet.

For tonight, I think I'll be optimistic about the 49ers and their chances against Philadelphia on Sunday. The Giants are simply an old team with too many uncertain bats and two good pitchers, that's it. Time for some realization.

A Letter to Bill Simmons

2006-09-18T02:43:00.000-07:00

Dear Bill Simmons,

You know that Rams bandwagon you were touting? It's going to get awful lonely in a hurry.

And please, don't say something like "Oh, the 49ers got lucky." Call it like it is: San Francisco outplayed St. Louis on Sunday. Frank Gore is, indeed, the man. Manny Lawson may be, just maybe, the best rookie lineman to come from North Carolina State this year. Alex Smith can, in fact, play a little. Actually, the guy can play a lot.

Wouldn't it have made more sense to pick a sleeper that actually scored a touchdown or two in the preseason? You know the Rams just barely scored that first touchdown today, right? Where were Torry Holt and Kevin Curtis?

Then again, you did pick New England to win the Super Bowl as well, so I guess I shouldn't take your sleeper pick so seriously. You should know better than to take too much stock in whatever happens in Week 1, too, considering Denver lost pretty handily in Miami to open 2005 and... hey, they went to the AFC title game when all was said and done! I'll be watching your response to this game closely, don't disappoint me.

...

Go 49ers!

Week 2 Picks

2006-09-16T23:35:00.000-07:00

Week 1 Straight Up: 8-7
Week 1 Vs. Spread: 2-2
Week 1 Bets: +1
Upset Special: 1-0

Well, so-so. But I always do poor in the first weeks. Here's week 2:

Houston at Indianapolis
Cleveland at Cincinnati
Buffalo at Miami
Detroit at Chicago
Carolina at Minnesota
NY Giants at Philadelphia
Tampa Bay at Atlanta
New Orleans at Green Bay
St. Louis at San Francisco
Arizona at Seattle
New England at NY Jets
Tennessee at San Diego
Kansas City at Denver
Washington at Dallas
Pittsburgh at Jacksonville

Upset Special: San Francisco

Bets:
Pittsburgh -2 at Jacksonville, bet = 2
Carolina +1.5 at Minnesota, bet = 1
New Orleans at Green Bay +2, bet = 1
Houston at Indianapolis Under 47, bet = 1

Grizzlies Stadium Gets a Proper Corporate Name

2006-09-13T23:16:00.000-07:00

You heard it here first, ladies and gentlemen. And even if you didn't, it just looks good to say that, anyway. All the other legitimate media outlets do that kind of thing, right? Right?

The Fresno Baseball Club, those fellows who own the Grizzlies, have joined the legion of sponsored stadium names across the country and have renamed good ol' Grizzlies Stadium into...

You know, that does kind of roll off the tongue if you say it out loud. Chukchansi Park. You wanna catch a ballgame at Chukchansi Park? Hell yeah, guys, let's go catch a ballgame at Chukchansi Park! It's certainly better than, say, Monster Park (it's really still Candlestick, by the way) or Dodger Stadium (had to do that). I think I like it, too, because the business is localized and doesn't really feel completely corporate, if that makes sense.

For anyone reading this outside of the San Joaquin, Chukchansi Gold is a casino up in the foothills near Coarsegold. They promote the place like hell on the radio and considering how many gamblers there seem to be around here, I don't think there's any danger of it disappearing anytime soon. There's a couple quotes from the press release from both parties that are very true:

"This partnership solidifies Chukchansi Park’s financial viability for the next 15 years. As the anchor of Downtown Fresno’s renaissance, this partnership will continue the momentum of the Grizzlies’ original dream." - Brian Glover, General Partner of the Fresno Baseball Club
"Chukchansi is synonymous with premier entertainment in the Central Valley... We are proud to step up and participate in the renewal efforts in Downtown Fresno. Chukchansi Park will be a great place to bring the community together with a wide range of entertainment.” - Jeff Livingston, General Manager at Chukchansi Gold

Yes and yes. I already had a good time whenever I went to the ballpark this season; my family was in with several family friends on season tickets. Between those Red Pepper nachos, the man Jed Hansen, paying for people's energy and K-Fed Night... and now they're saying they want to do more? Where do I sign up? How exactly should I spread the gospel of "Go to the freaking ballpark and have a good time?"

Fresno was very close to drawing 500,000 fans in 2006, about one visit from every man, woman and child in the city if you want to put it that way. I think, though, that we can do so much better than that. Sacramento drew 10,000 fans a game this year... 10,000! Fresno's final game of the year had 13,970 people in the seats, why can't we do that every night?

Once people realize it's a pretty cheap way to relax and hang out (a 12-game Power Pack costs as much as two tickets to a movie at the Edwards 21 and dinner at Claim Jumper, info here!) , more people will come. It wouldn't kill someone to invest in a sports bar downtown, either, or some World Sports Cafe-esque restaurants... I smell a promising investment there! The whole revitalization can be a huge success, but only if we as a community vitalize it ourselves.

Thanks kindly to Ryan Alexander, Direction of Media Relations for the insider information. Someone down there has some elite Paint skills, too, for sure and props to them as well.

So Is Matt Cain the NL Rookie of the Year or What?

2006-09-13T01:12:00.000-07:00

I was perusing the Giants site and the titular question was brought up. And it got me to thinking.

Unlike the American League, where's there's maybe two good candidates for Rookie of the Year (Justin Verlander and Francisco Liriano), the National League has a bevy of newcomers who've made big impacts on their team. Who's got the chops to take home the hardware? It's pretty simple, but here's a list for you.

5. Matt Cain, San Francisco
12-9, 3.94 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 156 strikeouts

I think his slow start to the year will end up being his undoing here. Trust me, I love Matt Cain as the future of the franchise, but his ERA was above 5 heading into July. Not cool. On the other hand, he's won four straight decisions in the last month and has allowed just one earned run in that time, so I guess it'll really depend on how long the voters' memories are.

4. Josh Johnson, Florida
12-7, 3.20 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 132 strikeouts

Get used to seeing Marlins on this list. The question among this Florida club, which I think will ultimately come down to what the players do in September, is this: Which guy's contribution was the most important to the season's successes? If the Marlins make the playoffs, whichever guy among their numerous rookie ranks makes the biggest impact will have a head up in the voting.

3. Hanley Ramirez, Florida
.286 average, 13 home runs, 47 SB, 108 runs scored

You think Boston really regrets that whole Edgar Renteria thing yet? Ramirez has been the sparkplug atop the Florida batting order all year, providing a surprising amount of pop to complement the constant threat he presents on the basepaths. He's 5th in the majors with those 47 stolen bases, and his OPS compares favorably with a couple of other guys high in that category (Jose Reyes and Carl Crawford). The defense has been shaky at times, but are you really going to nitpick?

2. Dan Uggla, Florida
.293 average, 24 home runs, 85 RBI, .856 OPS

Ah, the immortal Dan Uggla. I'd like to rank him higher but, like I said, I think the Marlins are going to drag each other down. It'll be a shame, too, because this guy came from nowhere and has hit the ball with authority all year long, as well as playing Gold Glove defense at second base. But...

1. Ryan Zimmerman, Washington
.285 average, 18 home runs, 96 RBI, .835 OPS

I've gotta give it to the second coming of Brooks Robinson. So maybe he's not hitting near .400 like he did last September, but Zimmerman's numbers have steadily climbed since a rough April and he should be the odds-on favorite for the first of his many Gold Gloves at third. It's interesting to note, too, that he's hit .326 at the offensive graveyard known as RFK Stadium. That happens to be the best number among Washington regulars.

So, yeah, there you have it. I'll probably be wrong, of course, but it makes for interesting dialogue, right?

The Worst Ways to Lose a Football Game

2006-09-11T01:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, so football kicked off in earnest this weekend and certain things got me to thinking... what would be the worst way to lose a football game?

When you think about it, there've been plenty of broken-hearted fans from coast to coast for one reason or another... Scott Norwood's "wide right", Marvin Harrison getting mugged by the Patriots in the snow, Garrison Hearst breaking his ankle... really, it's painful and causes me to throw things thinking about losing Hearst in that Atlanta playoff game. So before I smash something, let's get to the informal list of the five worst ways to lose a football game.

5. A gadget play

I'll be honest, I'm putting gadget plays on the list because I'm still bitter about Fresno State's self-destruct job against Oregon on Saturday. I mean, my God, who loses a game on a fake field goal? That's pretty weak, if you ask me, and I know it left a few of my friends shaking their heads and wondering how we let that happen.

Of course, the gold standard for gadget play losses is the Music City Miracle. I'm so sorry, City of Buffalo.

4. Missed calls from the official

Seattle's whining from last year's Super Bowl comes to mind, but I'm not about to join the chorus because, you know, the Seahawks suck. Yeah, the referee's missed a couple of things, Mr. Holmgren, we get it. Colts fans remember their trials in New England as well. The general consensus is that it's worse to lose a game based on several missed calls compared to just one missed call, by the way.

3. The whole "pride cometh before a fall" thing

Come on, everyone remembers this! Sure, at the time, Leon Lett's showboating didn't cost the Cowboys a thing since they were destroying the Buffalo Bills, but can you imagine if that strip by Don Beebe meant the game? Would Jerry Jones have had Lett lynched or something? Would the Bills be floundering with an aged front office that the San Francisco Giants would envy? Oh, and by the way, Buffalo lost their game on Sunday in a pretty lousy way, too, with a New England safety.

Poor, poor, J.P. Losman. Tomorrow is another day!

2. Getting destroyed

Let's face it, there's nothing fun about watching your team get absolutely dismantled. Tampa Bay got destroyed by Baltimore yesterday, 27-0. If you want big game destruction, there's the Minnesota Vikings losing in the NFC title game to the New York Giants back in 2000, 41-0. And, of course, we can't forget about any AFC Championship that Pittsburgh has hosted in the last 10 years.

1. "Oh, my God! How could he do that?!"

Everyone seemed to be in agreement that missing a crucial extra point would be the worst way to lose a big game. Any sucker can miss an important field goal and lose a game, but an extra point? Case in point, the River City Relay:

Just be thankful it hasn't happened to your team! If it does, though, you'll have my sympathy.

The Power of the Fortune Cookie

2006-09-09T22:09:00.000-07:00

I had to work a split shift today and ended up staying at work longer than I'd planned this afternoon. Luckily, pizza delivery allows for the opportunity to dig on sports radio all day long if I want, so I listened to the Giants/Padres game while I was out running in the streets. I missed Bonds' home run in the first inning, but I was worried when San Diego began climbing back into the game and eventually tied it at 4-all late.

Eventually, I was able to escape work and get some food while the Giants played into extra innings. A burger was out of the question, considering I eat burgers about a bajillion times a week, so I went by Panda Express and got some orange chicken. Mmm... Anyway, I got my food, took it home and sat down to watch the 11th inning. Of course, if you get the combo meal from Panda, you get a fortune cookie, right? I always eat it last, and I happened to crack it open as Ray Durham came up to bat. Almost immediately, I felt a good omen:

It's probably too small to read here, so I'll type it out: "The near future holds a gift of contentment" If that isn't a good omen, I don't know what is.

A moment later, Durham launched a line drive into Triples Alley and stood on third in the blink of an eye. After Rudy Seanez walked Moises Alou and Pedro Feliz, Mark Sweeney hit a ground ball and forced Josh Barfield to range way to his left. The throw home was offline, Giants won.

All that within about two minutes of my opening the fortune cookie. It could happen to you, too! I'm kinda hoping that "gift of contentment" will mean Fresno State beats Oregon as well, and it looks promising right now, since it's 24-24 with 11 minutes left as I hammer this out. So go get some Panda Express, get the right fortune cookie, and you just might be a believer.

Week 1 Picks

2006-09-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

Well it's the start of another NFL season and time for Del Murder's picks. Each week (hopefully) I will post here with my NFL picks. I'll pick every game straight up and then a handful of games against the spread. I'll place 'bets' on those games and at the end of the year we'll see how well I do. I'll try to pick at least one upset every week. The only other rule is that I don't pick Raider games, since I want to root for them.

Week 1 is always hazy because you don't know what many of these teams are capable of. So I'm not going to try anything bold here.

For those of you who read my other journal you will see that I correctly picked Pittsburgh over Miami. That was my double bet game too, so maybe I should just quit now while I'm ahead. Nah.

Denver at St. Louis
NY Jets at Tennessee
Buffalo at New England
Baltimore at Tampa Bay
Cincinnati at Kansas City
Seattle at Detroit
Atlanta at Carolina
Philadelphia at Houston
New Orleans at Cleveland
Dallas at Jacksonville
Chicago at Green Bay
San Francisco at Arizona
Indinapolis at NY Giants
Minnesota at Washington

Upset Special: Cincinnati

Bets:
Cincinnati +2.5 at Kansas City, bet = 1
Minnesota at Washington -4.5, bet = 1
New Orleans at Cleveland -3, bet = 1

One Man's NFL Predictions

2006-09-05T15:35:00.000-07:00

It suddenly occured to me that I hadn't yet made any predictions for the upcoming NFL season. Seeing as how the first game is two days away, I figured it might be kind of important to get that out of the way before, you know, the games get underway. Without further ado, my predictions:

** - wild card

AFC East
New England Patriots
Miami Dolphins
New York Jets
Buffalo Bills

AFC North
Cincinnati Bengals
Pittsburgh Steelers
Baltimore Ravens
Cleveland Browns

AFC South
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars **
Houston Texans
Tennessee Titans

AFC West
San Diego Chargers
Denver Broncos **
Kansas City Chiefs
Oakland Raiders

NFC East
Washington Redskins
Philadelphia Eagles
Dallas Cowboys
New York Giants

NFC North
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Minnesota Vikings
Green Bay Packers

NFC South
Carolina Panthers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers **
Atlanta Falcons
New Orleans Saints

NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
Seattle Seahawks **
My beloved San Francisco 49ers
St. Louis Rams

Wild Card Round
New England over Denver
San Diego over Jacksonville
Carolina over Tampa Bay
Arizona over Seattle

Divisional Playoffs
Indianapolis over New England
Cincinnati over San Diego
Chicago over Arizona
Washington over Carolina

Championships
Cincinnati over Indianapolis
Washington over Chicago

Super Bowl XLI
Cincinnati over Washington, 31-20

That's right, you heard it here first. Discuss.

I Love to See People That I Hate Completely Fail

2006-09-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

Come on, we all have players or coaches out there that we want to see fall on their faces. I happen to have a lengthy list: Terrell Owens, Brett Tomko, LaTroy Hawkins, Aaron Boone, plenty of others. One guy on the list is former Boise State football coach and current Colorado Buffaloes coach Dan Hawkins' hair.

Oh, I mean Dan Hawkins. Seriously, though, Dan, the 1960s were forty years ago.

He brought us Fresno State fans much pain in his tenure on the blue turf and won four WAC titles before deciding it was a good idea to bail and join the sexual deviants up in the Rockies. It pleased me to no end, then, to read that Hawkins lost his Colorado debut to Montana State, 19-10. At home! To a I-AA team! Exciting stuff, really.

I hope he's embarassed, man. I hope he's had second thoughts about leaving the, um, somewhat friendly confines in Boise. And I hope his team gets whupped again next week against Colorado State, and then again by Arizona State and Georgia. Have fun in the Big 12, sucka!

Can Bonds Really Get the Giants to October? Of Course He Can

2006-09-04T21:33:00.000-07:00

I don't remember the last time the Giants were so frustrating to root for. Since the All-Star break, San Francisco first won 7 of 10 games, and then lost 16 of the next 19 before rebounding to win 15 of the last 20 since August 14. The end result? We're 69-69, but only 4 1/2 games behind the damn Dodgers in the National League West and only 2 1/2 back on the Padres for the wild card. Seriously, I'm wondering to myself: How have these guys lasted so long?

The one guy in the lineup that might strike fear into anyone is Ray Durham. Pedro Feliz is alright, but I wouldn't be surprised if he went cold in September. Mike Matheny, acquired more for his defensive prowess (can we say overrated?), has been out for most of the year. Randy Winn's been okay, Lance Niekro was a early season bust, Moises Alou has been off-and-on hurt, Shea Hillenbrand took a good month before he finally settled in... so seriously, how are we still here?

There's a couple of big reasons, I know. One of them is Omar Vizquel, who has been far and away the best of the signings Brian Sabean made in the last couple years. Aside from the Gold Glove defense, he's the only guy on the club that runs and puts pressure on pitchers with his bat control. Another is Durham, who has been unreal since coming back from the disabled list in late June. A third, always the most important, is Barry Lamar Bonds.

Yeah, that guy, remember him? Even though he's struggled with the bat for most of the season, pitchers still respect Bonds and his on-base percentage reflects that - .263 average going into today, but an astounding .463 OBP. He's walked more than anyone but Bobby Abreu and, despite the Giants' well-chronicled struggles with runners in scoring position, apparently they've done enough to keep winning ballgames every so often. And don't look now, but he's raised his batting average nearly 30 points in the last two weeks. Oh, yes, he's hit five home runs in the last week, too.

It's no secret to anyone that the key to a playoff run rests squarely on Bonds' shoulders. If he can keep up with the torrid pace, division opponents are going to crap their pants... and considering there's one more series with each team in the NL West, I'd say that's a pretty good psychological advantage. I'm not saying he needs to hit 10 home runs this month (although I definitely wouldn't complain if he did), but he hit .333 in August and doing that again would go a long way toward a playoff push. Anything is possible as long as Bonds is around, I'm just waiting to see what he can do next.

Bob Mathias and Why Track Should Still Matter To Us

2006-09-03T17:17:00.000-07:00

With all of the controversy surrounding track and field these days, it might be hard to recall the times where sprinters and pole vaulters and such might have been regarded among the greatest athletes in the world. Everyone remembers Michael Johnson and his golden shoes racing into history in Atlanta back in 1996, but I'm going to ask you to look back a little further so that we can remember one Olympian who passed away on Saturday: Bob Mathias.

Not very many people realize that the Central Valley has been a hotbed for track and field for a very long time, and one of the big reasons why is Mathias. He was born in 1930 down in Tulare and will forever be remembered as one of the most surprising champions in Olympics history, winning the decathlon in 1948 as a teenager (the youngest person to win a gol medal in that day ) and then again in 1952. Besides his track and field exploits, Mathias was a fullback for the 1952 Stanford football team that went to the Rose Bowl. And by the way, he is the first and only person to appear in the Olympics and the Rose Bowl in the same year.

In all, no one ever beat Bob Mathias in a decathlon and he ended up in the U.S. Track and Field Hall of Fame. He served four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and then became the first director of the U.S. Olympic Training Center. I believe the football field in Tulare is named after him, and why wouldn't it be? It's simply a shame, though, that his passing had to be overshadowed by Andre Agassi's farewell and the baseball pennant race. With all of the trouble track and field is having, you'd think there would be a bigger deal.

Maybe Justin Gatlin, Tim Montgomery and Marion Jones should take a look at someone like Mathias and then look at themselves so they can wonder what went so wrong. Back in the late '40s, of course, there was no talk of steroids; Mathias just went out and dominated. And as far as Valley track heroes go, he isn't alone: Tommie Smith was born in Lemoore and won a gold medal in Mexico City in 1968, although he will be forever remembered for his silent protest. Dutch Warmerdam grew up in Hanford and was a record-holder in the pole vault before coaching at Fresno State (the field at Fresno State is named after him). Henry Ellard, although better known as an NFL star, qualified for the 1992 Olympics in the triple jump.

That track tradition carries on to this day. One of the guys I kept track of for the Hoover High football team, Kevin Robinson, was a state finalist in the triple jump before becoming an accomplished wide receiver and kick returner at Utah State. Clovis holds the annual Street Vault out in Old Town each year. Sacramento has held Olympics trials in 2000 and 2004. You can see it, can't you? Not everything about track and field is so grim.

The next time someone makes headlines for shaming track and field, you don't need to think "oh, boy, here we go again." Just take a look back at its champions and hope that, someday, it'll be the sport it should be.

Let's Not Worry About Dwayne Wright

2006-09-02T00:56:00.000-07:00

All things considered, Fresno State's 28-19 win over the Nevada Wolf Pack has to be considered a big success. One of the big reasons for this was a guy considered one of the biggest question marks before the game: Dwayne Wright.

158 yards and three touchdowns later, I think we can Wright looked alright. For those who don't know, he missed all of last season with a serious knee injury. With Wendall Mathis moving on to the NFL and Clifton Smith still not quite 100% from his own tweaks, the majority of the running game would fall on Dwayne's sturdy shoulders. So far, so good.

Tom Brandstater looked pretty polished in his first career start as well. His numbers might look pedestrian (16-24, 124 yards and a TD), but it's important to keep things in perspective. Brandstater managed the game pretty well, made good passes when he needed to and generally kept the Bulldogs in the driver's seat throughout the game.

Special teams, as always, played a big role as well. It could've been a very different ballgame had it not been for the blocked extra point in the second quarter. John Baxter is like special teams God, by the way. Oh, and the freshman punter Robert Malone came in and held his own in Mike Lingua's place, averaging a sound 40 yards per punt. Clint Stitser had a couple of kickoffs go out of the back of the end zone, too, which is a good sign considering he was coming back from a pretty big injury as well.

It was a pretty good start, and I can only see things getting better from here. Chances are we'll need more from Brandstater next week against Oregon, but it's good to know there's a few less questions that need answering.

The Line - Fresno State vs. Nevada, Plus Others

2006-09-01T03:12:00.000-07:00

With any kind of luck, I'll be getting a little bit of help from a friend of mine to cover the weekly betting lines in college football and the NFL. I have a friend, T-Money, who is money in the pro ranks, but I need to get ahold of him to see if he's still up to making picks for this wonderful site. In the meantime...

Nevada at Fresno State (-12 1/2)

This is it, baby. Fresno State is at home, they're on primetime television back east, they're facing a team that they're still sore over losing to in the USC hangover... how many more reasons could you need to start off 2006 with a severe ass-whuppin'?

From last weekend, this line has jumped 3 1/2 points and I can understand. I suppose the only reason to temper enthusiasm would be that Pat Hill only recently announced Tom Brandstater as the starting quarterback, but I believe our defense can shut down the Wolf Pack's pistol offense. Jeff Rowe might just be the best QB outside of the BCS conferences, but his receivers are going to be blanketed by Marcus McCauley and company all night long. Look for the Bulldogs to come out with a vengeance and cover the spread with ease.

#9 California (-2) at #23 Tennessee

Now how often is the opponent favored at Rocky Top? All eyes will be on Marshawn Lynch, the Cal running back who's considered one of the early Heisman favorites, but any chance that the Golden Bears have of winning this game falls squarely on the shoulders of sophomore QB Nate Longshore. You're going to be hearing a lot of that kind of thing, by the way.

The Volunteer defense lost a lot, including NFL first-rounder Jason Allen, but the secondary remains intact and they are experienced. Both teams have very high expectations, but I think this game should be a low-scoring affair. Cal may eke it out, but take Tennessee and the points.

#6 USC (-8 1/2) at Arkansas

Wait just a minute. Didn't this same Razorback team get absolutely demolished at the Coliseum last year? I could've sworn they lost 70-17... oh, wait, they did! What's with the low line?

I suppose there could be a little fuss over losing guys like Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart, but are you going to pretend these Trojans still aren't the team to beat in the Pac-10? It can't help Arkansas that their number one running back, Darren McFadden, is 50-50 to be ready for gametime. Sure, the Arkansas defense finished 34th in total defense last year, but let's not kid ourselves. Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith are still kicking it in Southern Cal, and they'll be kicking it in the end zone a few times in this matchup. Don't hesitate to take the Trojans here.

#11 Florida State at #12 Miami (-3)

This is the toughest one to call, and with good reason. As I recall, the tilt between these two last year was a cover-your-eyes affair, with the Seminoles squeaking away at the end. It shouldn't be the case this year, though, even as both teams return tremendous defenses. As always, it will come down to the quarterback!

I would think Kyle Wright should be under more pressure to win this game, since Larry Coker is supposed to be on the hot seat and all. Miami wants to be relevant in the title chase this year, and most of it is going to depend on him, fairly or unfairly. The recent suspensions may absolutely kill the Hurricanes' chances, since Tyrone Moss and Ryan Moore were going to be impact players at the skill positions. Drew Weatherford, on the other hand, has a pretty good cast to throw to and can claim a bit of momentum from last year (losing the Orange Bowl definitely wasn't his fault). He is the man and I think he'll prove it. Look for the 'Noles to pick up a big conference win on the road... and against a rival, no less!

Just, um, don't hold it against me if you lose any cash on these picks. I mean, hey, I would be, too.

Brandstater's The Brand New Starter

2006-08-29T12:09:00.000-07:00

It appears that Tom Brandstater is the new "The Man" behind center for the Bulldogs. The season opener against Nevada is on Friday, so I guess that's good to know.

From what I've been hearing, it was real close between Brandstater and Sean Norton all throughout training camp. I doubt it would've made a difference no matter which way Pat Hill decided to go, considering they'll both be throwing to one of the deepest and most experienced wide receiver corps in the nation. Paul Williams, Joe Fernandez, Jaron Fairman... more often than not, those guys are going to come down with the football if you put it up there.

And look at it this way: Heaven forbid Brandstater gets hurt or something, but there's going to be a confidence there that the offense won't miss a beat if Norton has to step in. If the two guys were as close as Hill said they were, that makes sense, right? There's pressure to win, of course, but I've had a good feeling about both guys all along.

Can Brandstater be the next great quarterback in a pretty impressive lineage? I don't see why not. Getting off to a solid start against the Wolf Pack will go a long way toward quelling anyone's concerns.

When Your Best Laid Plans Get Blown to Hell

2006-08-29T10:14:00.000-07:00

So I woke up this morning and checked my e-mail, ate some Honey Nut Cheerios and perused a few other sites. Things were looking up... until I came across this.

The first thing that crossed my mind was the reaction I had at Pac Bell Park when Renel the awesome PA gal announced that the Giants had traded for LaTroy Hawkins last year (you can get a rough idea here), and it felt like kind of the same thing. You see, I had drafted Domanick Davis with my second round pick and I was counting on him to be my #2. Now, I don't know.

I'm in my fourth year with a group of guys who all know exactly what they're doing, so there's little margin for error and blowing a high pick like that can kill a season. It didn't help that I watched Carson Palmer torch the Packers last night in his first game back and thought to myself, "Man, I knew I should've drafted him." Palmer went a full 15 picks later, by the way.

Now, if my first round pick Ronnie Brown doesn't prove to be the breakout running back I think he is, I'm toast. The rest of my team is promising, I'll hammer out the roster. This is a 14-team league, by the way, so keep that in mind.

QB - Byron Leftwich (7th round), Philip Rivers (11th)
RB - Ronnie Brown (1st), Domanick Davis (2nd), Kevan Barlow (10th), Jerious Norwood (13th)
WR - Javon Walker (3rd), T.J. Houshmandzadeh (4th), Eddie Kennison (6th), Jerry Porter (9th), Roddy White (14th)
TE - Jason Witten (6th), Click Clack (12th)
DEF - Tampa Bay (8th)
K - Stephen Gostkowski (15th)

Davis aside, I think I did alright. I'm favored by less than two points in my Week 1 matchup, but hey, I can dig that. I've already made a bet with one of the guys in my league, T-Money, that Rivers will be better than Eli Manning in 2006; I figure Eli's punishment for spurning the San Diego Chargers will be forthcoming, especially with New York's schedule.

I'm going to wait until the end of the first week to determine if my season has gone horribly wrong. In the meantime, pray for Domanick Davis. Pray, damn it!

A Review of Kevin Federline Night

2006-08-29T02:36:00.000-07:00

I hate how real life tends to get in the way of the things you want to do.

Anyway, as promised, I went to Grizzlies Stadium on Saturday night as a favor to Will Leitch and Deadspin for their Minor Enterprise coverage and... well, it wasn't too much different from any other game I'd seen this year. That was kind of disappointing, really, as I expected to see a few more wifebeaters and crooked Yankees hats and whatnot. And I really only saw two people wearing the nifty K-Fed temporary tattoos they'd given away to the first 2,000 fans:

That's Scott Bush, a Special Events Account Executive for the Grizzlies and the guy who originally gave Deadspin the lowdown on K-Fed Night. He's a pretty cool guy, as he was nice enough to give me a schedule of the stuff they had going on. K-Fed's former dance troupe led things off with some kind of... I don't know. Dance thing? They weren't very talented, though. Coincidence?

The first real tribute to Fresno's native son was a dance-off between our beloved mascot, a fittingly 559-blinged Parker, and some guy from that group Federline used to be a part of. I'll let you take a look for yourself...

I think Parker got hosed. Maybe if it were a Riverdancing contest, that guy might've won but, even then, he's got nothing on Chad Johnson. Anyway, the next tribute was a E!-inspired True Hollywood Story, but the video didn't turn out so well, so here's a few tidbits you may or may not have known about our fair Federline:

- Attended Bullard High School, the same high school that my dad attended. Heh.
- Worked at Red Carpet Car Wash. I could totally see K-Fed rockin' the red and white candy-stripe duds.
- Got an amazing score on the GED!
- Danced for Pink, among other hacks. Also appeared in You Got Served, but was not recognized by the Academy for his stellar work.
- His new album comes out in October. Mark your calendars.

Things were relatively pedestrian for most of the rest of the game, which I'm sure K-Fed would not have stood for! The highlight of the night, though, came in the 8th inning when fans could jump on the Jumbotron bumpin' to Federline's recently released single, Lose Control. One man did not disappoint me.

You go, Jonathan. K-Fed would be so proud.

It might also be worth noting that I was able to talk (read: yell) to some of the players from the hometown team and the Sacramento Rivercats concerning their thoughts on Kevin Federline and whether they were fans or not. Their answers?

Victor Moreno, Sacramento pitcher - Yes
Trevor Wilson, Fresno pitching coach - No
Guillermo Rodriguez, Fresno catcher - Couldn't hear me, I guess, but something tells me no.
Brandon Villafuerte, Fresno pitcher - No
Dan Johnson, Sacramento first baseman - Yes
Charles Thomas, Sacramento outfielder - No

Clearly, the Rivercats are crazy. That might be why they lost the game, perhaps distracted by their love for K-Fed. Booyaka!

I can only imagine the fervor Mr. Spears could've created if he'd actually shown up, but oh well. There's always next year. Maybe after his CD goes quadruple-platinum... baaaahahaha.

Thanks to Scott Bush for the inside help, Dave Erickson and Mike Firpo for the place to sit, Villafuerte for his candidness and Jonathan and his fine friends Katie and Kristen for the good humor in letting me post the video up here. Peace and love, y'all, and word to yer mothas.

Why We Don't Need to Worry About Skynet

2006-08-26T13:21:00.000-07:00

In case anyone out there is living in fear of a machine revolution, I'm here to tell you that you don't need to worry. The only proof you need is the manner in which a computer will pick your fantasy football team if you have the misfortune of not being able to do it yourself.

I had a Yahoo! public league draft this afternoon that was I planning on attending, but I got pretty busy with errands and such and didn't make it back until the 12th round out of the draft. I ended up with the second pick, with which the computer took Larry Johnson. So far, so good. The second-round choice was Randy Moss, who I'm not really high on but I realize he's still very talented. Domanick Davis in the third round, solid, and then Matt Hasselbeck in the fourth. Hasselbeck is alright, I guess, but I would've been more content to draft another receiver - Andre Johnson, Javon Walker and Darrell Jackson were all taken within the following 10 picks - and wait on a QB.

In the fifth round, I got my second wideout... except it was Plaxico Burress. Of all the guys I just mentioned, I'm the least sold on Burress, so it's just my luck that I got stuck with him. In the sixth, I ended up with Lee Evans. Are you serious? I don't want any wide receiver that might have Craig Nall throwing to him.

Jason Witten was picked in the 7th round, which sounds about right for a top-5 tight end, but the computer's most egregious picks came next in rounds 8 and 9: Indianapolis' defense and Shayne Graham. I never place defense as a high priority and I NEVER draft a kicker before the last round. That's no knock on Shayne, he's one of my homies, but I could've had Jake Delhomme or Matt Jones...

Who?

Matt Jones!

Yeah, I got hosed there. Joseph Addai in the 10th was alright, but Kurt Warner as my backup quarterback in the 11th? Really? If I had been present, I would've picked Philip Rivers at least three rounds later (he's not going to struggle as much as people think, mark my words) and done my best to shore up my depth at running back. I wouldn't be so worried if Warner didn't remind me so much of Mr. Glass.

I got home about ten seconds before my 12th round pick, and I took the opportunity to draft the John Abrahams... I mean Falcons. I spent my last three picks on depth: Roddy White, Zach Hilton and Greg Jones.

You might say I shouldn't complain because I got Larry Johnson, but I really would've rather had Ladainian Tomlinson... who was picked right after LJ. Wonderful. It's a squad I'm not too fond of, but I'll make it work. In the meantime, I'll sleep comfortably with the knowledge that computers aren't as smart as they may seem.

8/25 - If You Haven't Noticed...

2006-08-25T15:06:00.000-07:00

See, this is why I love the California League.

But if you haven't noticed, Valley folk, the Visalia Oaks are playoff bound. It's kind of a shame that minor league baseball outside of the Grizzlies doesn't get much more than a paragraph in the Bee, considering a few hot prospects have rolled through here in 2006: Evan Longoria, Eric Hurley, Tim Lincecum, to name a few. And how much publicity did Reid Brignac get for being named California League MVP? Tampa Bay looks pretty loaded with talent, but no one seems to recognize it.

Lucky for you, it's not too late to take notice since, you know, the playoffs start next week. We all know the Grizzlies (and probably the Giants, too, as much as that pains me to say) are going home once the season is over, so what have you got to lose? Take that trip to Visalia and go watch some playoff baseball, minor league style.

Y'all Ain't Ready For K-Fed Night

2006-08-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

So I first heard about this last week on the local ESPN Radio station when they were talking with someone from the Fresno Grizzlies (the name escapes me) and I didn't think much about it at first... until they mentioned it at Deadspin.

Tomorrow night, the Grizzlies are holding Kevin Federline Night at the stadium. Along with nifty Nerf footballs, the first 3,000 fans get a temporary tattoo. Who could argue with that?

In a gesture of homage to Mr. Will Leitch and Deadspin, I will be there and catch as many details as I can. Wifebeaters, half-assed rhymes from fans, the whole deal. I don't care if I miss work, it will be glorious. It will be an event for the ages.

The thing is, though, I think they're missing out on a potential gold mine here. Why not convince Federline to come out to the park for a live performance? Imagine a mini-set with "Mo Money, Mo Babies", "Lose Control" and "The Ballad of the Butt Rodeo"... how could Federleezee lose? Booyaka!

Anyway, I'll likely be putting a ton of photos up on this site, so stay tuned.

You Think Someone is Bitter?

2006-08-23T10:46:00.000-07:00

Kevan Barlow, my favorite underachieving running back of this decade, was recently traded to the New York Jets but didn't leave quietly... apparently, he compared 49ers head coach Mike Nolan to Adolf Hitler in an interview with the Contra Costa Times yesterday.

Whoa.

But seriously, come on now. You got pushed out the door for a reason, Kevan, and the reason was that you sucked. It was kind of unfortunate to see Nolan let Fred Beasley go, since he was an All-Pro and such, but I doubt Barlow will be missed. The coach didn't have much to say in response, simply stating it was "unfortunate" that Barlow felt the way he did, which I take as "it's okay because Frank Gore will be better than you, so I'm not going to lose any sleep over this."

I think the best part of it was Barlow stating "if it ain't Nolan's way, it's the highway." Well, yeah! A coach has got to command order and respect from his players, don't you think? Have fun with Chad Pennington and his screwed-up shoulder, guy.

It's a National Holiday, Madden 2007 is Out

2006-08-22T16:45:00.000-07:00

Did you stay home from work today? I know I did... but only because I have Tuesdays off.

Even if you were supposed to work today and called in sick, I don't blame you for one second. I was up until about 3:30 in the morning yesterday with some friends of mine, fiddling around with my boy David Carr and his Houston Texans and remembering how unfair Michael Vick is. And then I woke up this morning and played some more. Today is a good day.

And in celebration of the game's release... here's some Frank Caliendo for you.

Calling All A's Fans... All 12 of You

2006-08-20T15:50:00.000-07:00

What is the sound of an Oakland Athletics fan clapping?

Okay, your team is in first place, 25-11 since the All-Star break, the tickets are dirt cheap... so where are you guys? I'm pretty sure I could hear my typing echo throughout the Coliseum these days.

A couple more games would push the total attendance above 1.5 million, but consider that number is just ahead of what the Pittsburgh Pirates have drawn. Pittsburgh. Congratulations, you're on par with the worst team in the National League!

The strangest part of it all is that the final projection is signifcantly lower than the numbers the A's have scrounged up in their recent run of success. There are a couple of significant homestands in September, though, so you Oakland fans still have some time to convince me you're more than fairweather folks.

Reggie Freakin' Bush

2006-08-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

I still can't get over that game, by the way.

I'm absolutely convinced Reggie Bush is a 1,000-yard rusher this year, though. It wasn't like he was running against a bunch of stiffs every Saturday in the Pac-10, right? You heard it here first, ladies and gentlemen.

Who Loves Volleyball?

2006-08-20T01:22:00.000-07:00

I love volleyball.

It is important to remember that there's more going on at Fresno State than the upcoming football season. I mean, come on, we already know Pat Hill's troops are going to steamroll the competition, so let's give these gals the spotlight for a little while!

There's an invitational at the university next week featuring the likes of Kansas State, Pacific and Santa Clara. Two NCAA tournament teams at our house is pretty good if you ask me, but the hometown's got to show 'em what we're made of. They've been picked to finish 6th in the WAC as well, but there's no way we're going to really finish that low, right? Right? Just go watch 'em kick ass, alright?

(For the record, from left to right as far as I can tell: Jessica Peterson, Karlie Houston, Angelique Peterson, Jamie Temperino, Cassie Gilford and a few others. I suspect this picture's a little dated, but corrections would be nice if there're any to be made.)

Jerry Rice Comes Home to Retire

2006-08-20T00:57:00.000-07:00

Shouldn't this have been something that was done a few months ago? The greatest football player ever - yes, I'm biased - finally signed a contract with the 49ers to really retire with the team... in November. Wait, what?

I always wondered what kind of contract a guy would sign just to retire with a certain team. Then again, chances are Rice could come back and still make the team. Hey, it's worth saying! But if it wasn't done before training camp started (when it might've made slightly bigger waves) and won't be official for another three months, I don't know. The timing just seems odd, but you don't argue with a guy like Jerry.

And what was it with everyone telling Jerry Rice to hang 'em up during those last couple years? If the guy could still play, the guy would play. Hell, he was good enough to make the Denver Broncos roster last year and I suspect they would've gone to the Super Bowl if #80 had stuck around. Is it unreasonable to say he would've alleviated that whole "Jake Plummer remembering he was Jake Plummer at the wrong time" thing, considering they got precisely jack from their wide receivers in that AFC title game outside of a couple completions to Rod Smith and Mr. One-Dimension? Hmmmm...

Anyway, I'm really very happy that he's coming back to San Francisco to retire. It was a damn shame he ever had to leave in the first place, but I never stopped rooting for him. The official retirement is going to take place during the 49ers-Seahawks tilt, and I feel like I want to be there to pay tribute to greatness. If you're any kind of football fan, you'll be there, too.

Ricky Proehl: Legend Among Mortals

2006-08-18T12:51:00.000-07:00

Now that he is likely facing retirement, it's time to pay tribute to one of history's most clutch receivers: Ricky Proehl.

In college, Ricky Proehl attended Wake Forest University and became the greatest football player in the institution's history. And yes, I realize Brian Piccolo went there, too, but work with me. After destroying the ACC and setting school records for receiving yards and touchdowns, he was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in 1990.

Amazingly enough, this dire fate did not deter the young Proehl from establishing a franchise rookie record for receptions. He spent four years in the desert performing admirably while the rest of the team sucked, but shockingly wasn't featured as a Bo Jackson-esque god in Tecmo Super Bowl.

To quell his disappointment, Proehl signed with Seattle. The head coach at the time was Dennis Erickson, who is now coaching at the University of Idaho. It's a little known fact that his unsuccessful stints with the Seahawks and later with the 49ers (SIGH) were a direct result of never letting Ricky Proehl see the field. This should tell you everything you need to know about Erickson's incompetence. As soon as Proehl bolted for the greener pastures of Chicago in 1997, he obviously became the best player on an otherwise crappy Bears squad. No, really, look at the numbers.

Anyway, he joined the St. Louis Rams the next season and in 1999 became the only likeable part of "the Greatest Show on Turf". It was his touchdown catch in the NFC title game against Tampa Bay that propelled the Rams to their first Super Bowl win. Two years later in Super Bowl XXXVI, Proehl caught a 26-yard touchdown that would've given the Rams another title, but Mike Martz screwed the pooch and New England ended up winning the game. And just when you thought he couldn't top that, he caught another late touchdown against the Patriots, this time with the Carolina Panthers. Of course, Tom Brady decided to be Tom Brady, though, and the Patriot had another title.

How many other guys have been involved in so many big moments? He's been a unsung hero for pretty much his whole career, but not on this blog. There's been talk that he might sign with the Atlanta Falcons since Brian Finneran got hurt and, hey, who knows? If it happens and Michael Vick emerges as the quarterback all of the experts say he should be and the Falcons win the Super Bowl, this writer will know exactly why.

Ricky Proehl, Central Valley Cowbell salutes you!

Oh, and since I'm all about helping other people (just like Ricky Proehl!), check out Proehl's First Down for Kids Foundation. If this blog happens to reach North Carolina, y'all can do your part.

A Small Tribute to F.P. Santangelo

2006-08-17T00:07:00.000-07:00

Ah, Frank-Paul Santangelo. Everyone knows him by the most random pair of initials in the history of initials, F.P. I always liked him because he was one of those scrappy kind of guys that everyone loves, but he had the one year in San Francisco, 1999, where he didn't play half-bad. He pretty much preceded a guy like David Eckstein, but David Eckstein can go to hell.

Apparently, Mr. Santangelo works the radio waves up in Sacramento now, but I heard him on the Giants broadcast a few days ago. Jon Miller was saying the rating for the game with F.P.'s presence went up by approximately 500%, as well it should. F.P. has the magic touch. Plus, his name is fun to say out loud. F.P. Santangelo. Heh.

If you ever read this, F.P. Santangelo, we thank you for your existence.

The Fresno Grizzlies are Terrible

2006-08-15T20:16:00.000-07:00

Please don't get me wrong, I love the hometown team a lot. The facts are the facts, though, and the facts show that the Fresno Grizzlies just aren't that good. Of course, the main goal of a minor league team is to develop talent for the big league team and, yeah, we've done that with Matt Cain and Noah Lowry among others, but no one wants to be bad.

Our season could pretty much be summarized by yesterday's game against the Las Vegas 51s. Johnathan Sanchez, who was pretty good in his stint with the Giants as a reliever, came to town to develop stamina and become a starting pitcher. The results have been pretty good, including 5 2/3 innings of no-hit ball against Vegas. Upon leaving with an 8-1 lead, anyone would've assumed the game was well in hand.

Well, Vegas scored 7 runs in the very next inning and eventually won 10-8 in ten innings. It feels like this kind of thing has been happening all year long, seriously, but I suspect this wouldn't have happend if my favorite uber-utility guy Jed Hansen had seen the field. I can count three other similar meltdowns that I've seen in person, plus countless more that I've read in the newspaper the next day.

The only team in the Pacific Coast League that's worse than Fresno is the Royals AAA team in Omaha but, come on, it is the Royals. Even then, they'll probably be better once Alex Gordon, Billy Butler and Greg Lubanski climb to the next rung. Actually, it would be impossible to be terrible with those guys. The best guys that the Giants have out in Connecticut are Travis Ishikawa and Nate Schierholtz. Not bad, mind you, but neither will be confused with a guy like Gordon.

You can't place all of the blame on the guys here, though, considering Brian Sabean thought it best to field a team featuring the likes of Michael Tucker, Jeffrey Hammonds and Brett Tomko. If you're spending money on dreck like that, it means you're not spending money on talent in the draft - a deliberate strategy, as far as I've read. But if you're not drafting talent on purpose, the farm system is going to suffer. As for how that strategy has panned out, I direct you to the standings. Maybe Sabean isn't an idiot as he famously proclaimed once upon a time, but it's clear the master plan isn't working.

Despite the hardships, I've gotta give the notoriously fickle Fresno fans a good deal of credit for continuing to support the team. At the rate we're showing up downtown, at least 500,000 people will have gone through the turnstiles and that's a pretty nice number. Maybe it has to do with the team paying for someone's power bill and maybe it doesn't, you tell me. Sports talk radio around here keeps harping about how Fresno doesn't turn out to events unless we're winning and... well, I think we can pretty much quash that hypothesis now.

It's a good thing the community supports the team through the losses, too, considering the affiliation contract with the Giants is up at the end of the year. A strong August (at the gates, anyway) ought to help the San Francisco brass re-up with us.

Kyle Young Will Destroy You

2006-08-15T10:53:00.000-07:00

Fresno State might have a couple of big questions to answer before the season opener against Nevada, but the state of the offensive line isn't one of them. Kyle Young is rather one of the big answers as to why the Bulldogs will pound the rock early and often in 2006. Yeeeeeah, buddy.

Imagine for a moment that you're a defensive lineman and you're starin' down the barrel of this mamma-jamma. Wowzers. I'd hate to be you. It might be bad enough that he's just plain big at 6'5" and 335 pounds, but he'll make your life miserable because he sees everything. He'll know what you're about to do and he'll beat you to the punch and push you back from it. A lot of people already say he's the best center in the nation and, since I'm a homer, I'm inclined to agree with the masses.

Apparently, he's already on the watch list for the Outland Trophy, and why wouldn't he be? Young has helped three different guys rush for 1,000 yards during his time in the Valley and helped keep Paul Pinegar on his feet in 2005 (apparently, opponents managed only 14 sacks in 12 games). Defenses beware, Kyle Young is coming for you.

You Got the Fever? We've Got the Cowbell

2006-08-15T00:32:00.000-07:00

Welcome, one and all, to Fresno's finest (or at least I'd like to think so) sports blog. There's a lot more going here than most people realize, I think, so I'm going to put it out there and see what the world thinks of our fair little town. Trust me, there's more than samurai-sword wielding basketball players and guys who make fun of other guys on laptops in our ranks.

David Carr, Jeff Weaver, Paul Williams, Kevin Robinson, Christian Vitters, *the* Jed Hansen, Scott Rislov... I'll get to all of these guys eventually, and a whole lot more. You guys can just kick back and enjoy the ride.

Central Valley Cowbell

Former Bulldogs Figure Into Championship Sunday?

Look Who's Back!

David Beckham: Still a Better Buy Than Gil Meche

A Significant Addition

The Dream Lives On

Let's Just Be Completely Honest

A Ricky Proehl Sighting!

Back With a Vengeance

Week 13

Week 12

Week 11

Week 10

Week 9

This Man *Is* Running the Giants Now

So What Do We Do Now? Part 3: Brian Sabean, Barry Bonds and You

This Man Could Be Running the Giants

Someone's Looking, Just Smile and Wave!

This Isn't Fun Anymore

Week 6 Picks

Welcome to the Show, Mark Kiger

Jeff Weaver Wasn't So Bad

Man, World Series Tickets Are Expensive

Those Crazy-Ass Rumors You Kinda Wish Were True

So What Do We Do Now? Part 2: The Lance Niekro Quandry

Do the Bulldogs Really Suck?

Week 5 Picks

So What Do We Do Now? Part 1: Adieu to Alou

My Bold Predictions Aren't So Accurate

The Weekend From Hell

Sigh.

Week 3 Picks

I Think I'm Okay to Touch on the 'Dogs Now

Why Exactly Are We Hating on The Prototype?

A Tribute to Trevor Hoffman

Week 3 Picks

Another Reason to Like the Save Mart Center

Oldies, But Goodies?

A Beatdown and a God Damn Miracle

A Letter to Bill Simmons

Week 2 Picks

Grizzlies Stadium Gets a Proper Corporate Name

So Is Matt Cain the NL Rookie of the Year or What?

The Worst Ways to Lose a Football Game

The Power of the Fortune Cookie

Week 1 Picks

One Man's NFL Predictions

I Love to See People That I Hate Completely Fail

Can Bonds Really Get the Giants to October? Of Course He Can

Bob Mathias and Why Track Should Still Matter To Us

Let's Not Worry About Dwayne Wright

The Line - Fresno State vs. Nevada, Plus Others

Brandstater's The Brand New Starter

When Your Best Laid Plans Get Blown to Hell

A Review of Kevin Federline Night

Why We Don't Need to Worry About Skynet

8/25 - If You Haven't Noticed...

Y'all Ain't Ready For K-Fed Night

You Think Someone is Bitter?

It's a National Holiday, Madden 2007 is Out

Calling All A's Fans... All 12 of You

Reggie Freakin' Bush

Who Loves Volleyball?

Jerry Rice Comes Home to Retire

Ricky Proehl: Legend Among Mortals

A Small Tribute to F.P. Santangelo

The Fresno Grizzlies are Terrible

Kyle Young Will Destroy You

You Got the Fever? We've Got the Cowbell

This Man Is Running the Giants Now