Bay Area native Daniel Descalso sits down with Tripper Ortman at Venture Goods in Lafayette to talk baseball. Descalso discusses his upbringing as an A's fan, his days at St. Francis High School in Mountain View, coming up through the minors, winning a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals and much more.
Alex Jensen and Brett Thomas of "The Battery" analyze offseason the offseason moves from the 49ers and Golden Bears while also jumping into more analysis of the Warriors as they head toward the All-Star break.
Baseball Insider Jon Zuber comes back into the Outdoor Podcenter to talk Oakland Athletics hot stove as well as new and future hall of fame inductees.
Since 2001, Wilcox has made stops at Boise State, Cal, Tennessee, Washington, USC and Wisconsin. Since 2006, he has held Defensive Coordinator roles.
Former Cal catcher and current CEO of The Catching Academy flies solo to discuss Cal's coaching search, the Niners in limbo and the Warriors (relative) struggles.
The Bucks' next visit to Oakland is March 18th...
By Jason Gordon
There really isn't another athlete quite like Giannis Antetokounmpo in the NBA. Comparisons have been drawn to guys like Kevin Durant and Tracy McGrady, but he has a few inches on both of those players. The only thing Durant holds as a physical feature over Giannis is a little over an inch wingspan advantage. The "Greek Freak" has taken the NBA by storm this season. He is up in all the major statistical categories on his career averages. His 23.9 points per game are nearly 10 up from his career average. His assists, rebounds, and field goal percentage are also a few points higher than the numbers he has put up prior to this season. Heck, if he started handing out a few more assists per game he would be right next to James Harden and Russell Westbrook with a near triple-double average per game. While this may seem astronomical to some, Giannis has held this potential since being drafted in 2013.
The next crazy thing about Giannis is that he just turned 22 in December. He has been referred to with high regard by guys like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. That is some high praise being shed his way, but the Milwaukee Bucks would not trade him for any player in the entire NBA. The Milwaukee Bucks were criticized heavily when drafting the Greek superstar with the 15th overall pick in the 2013 draft. He was said to be a talent that wouldn't leave his home nation and team and the development process he would require left him years away from the NBA. The Bucks have done well scouting foreign born talents before and the Bucks ownership group made a confident decision with the pick. Giannis has doubled nearly all his statistics each year he has played in the league and he has given the Bucks a sense of relevance they haven't seen since Ray Allen led the team.
So, when does his improvement become limited or reach a road block? That has yet to be seen. He has improved upon his ball handling each year, making him one of the most versatile players in the league. He can play any position with his size, giving the team an advantage over any potential match-ups that pose a threat. He has turned the Bucks into a winning organization once again, also making other players around him better. His plug-and-play style makes him a nightmare for opponents to deal with. The Bucks, as a team, are currently 18-16 and 6th in the Eastern Conference standings. Their record takes some shine away from impressive victories over teams like the Cavaliers and the Thunder. The attention that Giannis draws also help create opportunities for players like Jabari Parker, Greg Monroe, and Malcolm Brogdon.
The Bucks are also currently without a player that has been nothing but spectacular for them over the past few seasons in Khris Middleton. His return will help open up the floor for all players and may create a mini “Big 3” with Parker and Giannis. This team is a force when fully healthy. The return of Middleton, albeit probably a year away, will place the Bucks in the running for the top spot in the East. Giannis and the team are the real deal; just sit back and watch his improvement reach new heights as his career progresses.
Section925 Hoops Insider Jon Wheeler brings us back into the Hoop Cave to talk about the Warriors at a crossroads, how Cal's lack of overall athleticism may hinder them in March, whether SMC can make the tourney without winning the WCC, and the bright future for USF Dons basketball.
Battery mates Alex Jensen and Brett Thomas get back together to talk through the Raiders' playoff season, the Niners' fire sale and the Golden State Warriors post Christmas.
Section925 Baseball Insider Jon Zuber stops by the podcenter to talk Oakland A's, hot stove, and HOF ballots.
By Connor Buestad | Connor@Section925.com
Over the first weekend in December, America’s four best women’s soccer teams converged inside Avaya Stadium, the home of the San Jose Earthquakes, for what turned out to be a spectacular event for the ever-growing sport. Georgetown, USC, West Virginia and North Carolina were the final four who made this year’s College Cup, all of which brought contrasting styles and abundant diversity to the “The Beautiful Game.”
With soccer legend Julie Foudy up in the broadcast booth and fans upwards of 6,000 intently watching above Avaya’s fan-friendly pitch, West Virginia was able to knock off 22-time National Champion North Carolina in the first Friday semi-final. In the nightcap, the USC Trojans took care of Georgetown to set up a evenly matched Sunday showdown featuring national team-level talent up and down both rosters.
Sparked by an unexpected header goal in the first few minutes of play, USC went into halftime holding a one goal lead, despite repeated offensive chances by West Virginia. In the second half, the levee finally broke as Canadian National Team star Ashley Lawrence sent a missile into the back of the net to pull things even in a suspenseful National Title Game. It didn’t take long, however, for USC to answer with a clutch, well placed goal of their own, as Katie Johnson placed the eventual game winner into the bottom right corner of the net. Just for good measure, Johnson stuck again with a top-shelf strike that West Virginia’s keeper had no fighting chance at. In the two Final Four games Johnson spent in San Jose, she racked up a total of three goals, two of which were game winners. Not bad for a player who has overcome a series of knee injuries and came into Sunday’s championship as a substitute.
The loss by West Virginia was taken especially hard for a group of young women who were arguably the more talented team on Sunday evening. A team proud of it’s diversity and international talent that has elevated its program to its best season in program history. Tears flowed on the field after the final horn, but the Mountaineers, led by Lawrence, were gracious in defeat in the post game press conference. Regardless of which side you were rooting for on Sunday in San Jose, no one can argue how bright the future is for Women’s soccer across the globe. The showcase on the field in San Jose spoke for itself.
Stanford is one win away from advancing to Houston, Texas and their second straight College Cup.
By Connor Buestad | Connor@Section925.com
The defending National Champion Stanford Men's Soccer Team is one win away from a repeat trip to the 2016 College Cup. After a dramatic double OT win over Virginia in the Sweet 16, the Cardinal now head on the road to face the Louisville Cardinals. The match will air on ESPN3.com at 4pm PST. If the 5th seeded Cardinal can get past #4 Louisville they will face the winner of unseeded Virginia Tech and #2 Wake Forest. The other half of this year's college soccer bracket consists of unranked Providence V. #9 North Carolina and #3 Clemson V. #6 Denver.
Stanford is coming off their third straight PAC-12 championship and their 14th conference title in program history. This year's team is led by Foster Langsdorf (co-PAC-12 Player of the Year) and Tomas Hilliard-Acre (PAC-12 Defensive Player of the Year).
Louisville enters Saturday's match coming off a home win versus Notre Dame. Their best player, Tim Kubel is among the finalists for the MAC Hermann Trophy or the Heisman of college soccer. The defender ranks fifth nationally with 11 assists for Louisville.
Survive & advance.#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/Y6vgwvQvr5
— Stanford Athletics (@GoStanford) November 28, 2016
The #NCAASoccer Men's Quarterfinals are set. Who is going to Houston for the #CollegeCup? 🏆 pic.twitter.com/U21PBBPkP1
— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) November 28, 2016
Alex Jensen and Brett Thomas of “The Battery” are back to discuss Saint Mary's Hoops and the West Coast Conference. The two also dive into Durant and the new look Dubs, and give their outlook on new stadium plans in Oakland with Lew Wolff out of the picture.
Section925 Football Insider J Torchio and special guest Tommy Renno come into the Podcenter to preview UCLA at Cal this Saturday, and finally, we hear the real reason The Insider hates UCLA.
Cal freshman Charlie Moore exploded for 38 points in just his second game in a California uniform. The Chicago native put the Bears on his back in the absence of first team preseason all-American Ivan Rabb to lead his team to an OT win versus UC Irvine. Read more about Charlie’s story in this Section925 feature.
Big Game hero and Section925 Insider J Torchio returns to the Podcenter to talk about the 119th Big Game, Cal's bowl eligibility, and waxes poetic about what it means to participate in the Big Game as a Cal Football player. Also, this podcast marks the successful retirement of the ToodleLew movement and sign-off.
Dabbing on the AFC West (photo by Ezra Shaw)
By Merlin Edwards III | @YosoyMEII
For years and years it seemed as if everything in the cosmos was working against the Oakland Raiders. It was the other teams and their owners hate of the Al Davis brand. It was the busts of draft picks and overpaying of aging free agents. Hell, it was even the referees who seemed to have a vendetta against the Silver & Black. Oakland hasn't reached the football mountain top since the 80's and the fan base has coped with it in different ways. A lot of fans using "the universe hates the Raiders," as a main argument. Well, that argument is no longer applicable.
For Raiders fans young and old, starting off 7-2 by beating the Denver Broncos at home on primetime Sunday Night Football feels magical. It felt like flying out of the stadium on a Silver & Black magic carpet in a whole new world. A world where Raiders fans can be confident that they will win big games. A world where Oakland has a franchise quarterback that can win games throwing for 500 or 200 yards. A world where the defensive line looks menacing and the offensive unit can slow down a top 5 defense with a Defensive Player of the Year. With the way this team has been playing, this is a world that the Raiders can live, thrive, and dominate in, for years to come.
In order to dominate the NFL, the Raiders will need to play like they did on Sunday against every other team they play. If the Raiders can execute a game plan and attack a defenses weaknesses like they did to Denver, they will be able to out coach and outplay everybody in the league not named Bill Belichick or Tom Brady. The coaching staff went into this matchup knowing they could have an advantage in the trenches and made a point to punch them in the mouth by running the ball early and often. It was no accident that Latavious Murray had his first 100+ yard rushing game of the year. Jalen Richard and Deandre Washington added a little extra burst and change of pace needed as well. Being able to run the ball so well against a defense that talented crippled Denver. They were no longer able to take advantage of their top tier defense against the pass because Derek Carr barely had to throw the ball! On top of that, the Offensive line was able to hold back the vaunted Broncos defensive line. Carr was only hit twice the whole game with one sack and one pressure. That's it. Von Miller was able to record that only sack and was quiet the rest of the day. Part of the reason Bill Musgrave (Raiders Offensive Coordinator) and the Raiders were so successful was because of the scheme that they were running as well as the quality of play. There were 6 offensive lineman on the field for more than 50% of the snaps and that is not seen much in today's NFL. Even though the Raiders consider themselves a throwing team, Musgrave was able to exploit a major weakness in Denver's defense and run all the way to a victory. Musgrave, however, wasn't the only coach who had a good day at the office.
Defensive Coordinator Ken Norton Jr. had his group humming on Sunday and it showed with a third consecutive week holding an opposing offense to under 300 yards. Kahlil Mack continued his resurgence as one of the leagues best pass rushers and he has brought this D-line up to a top sack-attack level. They have been hurrying, pressuring, hitting, and sacking the QB at a higher rate than we have all year. Part of that is because Mack has 5 sacks in his last 3 games, but the rest of the line is falling into place behind him. It is also helping the secondary out because, even without Sean Smith the past two weeks, they have been able to keep other offenses passing games in check. This is starting to look like a defense that is coming together and who knows what can happen after the bye week and when the team gets Aldon Smith and Mario Edwards Jr. back. Everything seems to be coming together for this team and they have a chance to really make a long suffering fan base proud.
The key to this bye week is just to get healthy and study up. The players should get a chance to look around the league and see their opponents live and enjoy some football before ramping it back up to play the Texans on Monday night. As long as everyone stays safe and healthy, this team is poised to make a playoff run. The sky is the limit and for the first time in a long time, rather than the world being against the Raiders it feels instead like it's their world to take.
