"Tales from Tobacco Road" - A Duke Alum Recounts Life in Krzyzewskiville

By John Crowell,  Class of ’08

33 years ago, when the legendary Mike Krzyzewski first stepped foot on the Duke University campus, no one could have predicted that he would build a college basketball empire inside a tiny 9,000 seat gym in Durham, North Carolina. There were no national titles at Duke. There was no Grant Hill, Christian Laettner, J.J. Redick or even DeMarcus Nelson. Today, Duke proudly hangs banners from 4 NCAA Championships, 15 Final Four Appearances, and countless ACC Championships at the crown jewel of college basketball venues, Cameron Indoor Stadium. This article will take you on a journey to a place you may have never seen or heard of before. A place where students endure one of the harshest environments on planet earth. The conditions are grueling. Temperatures can reach as low as zero degrees. An average day may consist of rain, snow, sleet and bitter winds. There are no restaurants, no vendors, and no source of readily available nourishment. An individual may consistently fight hunger and thirst with Natural Light and ChexMix.  This, my friends, is Krzyzewskiville.

Day 1

6:30AM - A familiar blue hue is reflected within the tent of a Cameron Crazy. The sun has risen above the gothic architecture at Duke University, casting majestic shadows among Krzyzewskiville (K-Ville). With the ascending sun comes rising temperatures. From the bitter cold and damp night, comes a humid, sweat filled morning in an 8-person tent. Cell phone alarms sound and chatter breaks out. It is time for the Crazies to take on the day and head off to class to earn their degree.

For many freshman Crazies, there is no time to shower or change as their dormitories are located 2 miles away on a separate campus. In droves they file towards the Old Chemistry building as most enter Duke with Pre-Med or Engineering aspirations. The stench of the average Crazy is palpable. As a freshman, every academic course is in the morning and a considerable distance from home, leading to afternoon showers and naps. Unfortunately for some, this blissful moment may be delayed when returning for a check-in at K-Ville is required.

12:30AM - An ear piercing crackle emits from outside of Cameron Indoor followed by a blue coated individual on a megaphone calling for a mandatory check-in. This person is the Line Monitor. They are fellow colleagues at Duke of all classes, from freshman to seniors. However, to many they are viewed as reincarnations of the Blue Devil himself. Armed with the power to “bump” tents and give “warnings”, they are no better than the parking police. Emboldened by their artificial power, they cause panic among the Crazies.

12:35pm - In the distance, a gangly student, having never taken a full running stride, races awkwardly toward the check in. Papers are flying, books are crashing to the concrete and unfamiliar muscles are pulsating. “Tent 31, Tent 31!” proclaims the Monitor. At last, the Crazy arrives in a sweat, gasping for oxygen in the crisp winter air. He presents the Monitor with his student I.D. and a check mark is made, confirming their presence.

This ritual is performed all throughout the day at intervals even the best of engineers cannot predict. The only solution is to have one member in the party remain at the tent at all times. Tempting fate by leaving the tent unmanned could result in the loss of a coveted tent position, or even worse, stadium seating (or standing room only in this case).

5:30PM – As the sun arches across the gray sky, temperatures begin to decline and darkness sets upon the campus. Dinners are finished, showers are completed and homework is organized for the upcoming evening.  The Crazies must now return to K-Ville for the night.

7:00PM – What happens next is a sight to behold. One by one Crazies return to K-Ville and an incredible transformation occurs. What was once a tranquil and barren landscape now turns into a bustling town. Roars of laughter erupt inside of a tent as a story about an uneducated Tar Hole is told. Not far away, the nostalgic sound of ping pong balls careening off red solo cups can be heard long into the night. All the while, dedicated students huddle under the lamps lining K-Ville, surrounding the extension cords which supply a lifeline to their bulky laptops.

---

Day 30

Fast forward four weeks and students are still camping out in line. Arduous days have passed. Grass has turned into mud.  The orchard of tents sway meekly in the wind as the past month has taken its toll. Tarps overlay broken tents, piles of beer cases lay amongst the rows and many other signs of a battered community are displayed. But a scent of excitement is in the air as K-Ville is about to embark on another remarkable transformation.

There are parts of the basketball universe that tailgate before big games – in Durham, North Carolina there is the 24 hour party to tip-off of the world’s best rivalry. As the day before the game progresses, K-Ville’s population grows vigorously with the advancement of more Crazies. Tents are abandoned and the grounds become rich with students, fans and relatives. There is a glorious influx of Natty Ice, pizza, red solo cups and glee. Games of beer pong, flippy cup, kings and many other inventive games are taking place.

8:00PM (Rivalry Eve) - As the students "party on Wayne", out comes the man himself. Below his office building, Coach Krzyzewski, in all his magnificence, gathers a crowd of awe stricken Crazies around himself and the team. He then calms the rabid fans and delivers an inspirational speech that drives a tingle up your spine. One final gesture towards the parking lot as Domino's Pizza arrives by the truck load and the real party commences.

The 6^th man has just been emboldened and raised to a herculean level of pride. All through the night, music echoes off the stone walls, sending out a resounding message for miles that Duke is ready and UNC better be wary. Tents are thrashed as an animalistic mentality erupts. Men beat their chests and women dance around jovially. It is truly a site to be had.

The night passes and the sought after day has finally arrived. The weather is perfect as the sun beams down on Cameron Indoor creating a radiant and pulsating aura. GAME DAY. The Crazies ritually paint themselves blue and white in preparation for battle. The rest cannot be described in words. The atmosphere inside that building versus UNC can only be truly appreciated in person.

Standing sideways in the bleachers with arms extended, the Crazies are now inside. The journey is complete and now it is time for Carolina to go to Hell.

GO. DUKE.

John Crowell's Definitive Guide to Surviving Krzyzewskiville

• Tent: The quality depends on the size of your group, your affinity for tents, and cost. There is a low survivability rate of tents after "Tent Diving" before the game.
• Chairs and Tables: It's your new home for a month, make it comfortable.
• Electronics: Extension cords, computers, ipads, etc. Education is still required when tenting.
• Snacks: Food is available nearby, but sometimes that's just too far. Always have a supply of munchies around.
• Walkie-Talkie: Because cell phones are boring.
• Bedding: Face it, you're going to be living in a tent for 4-6 weeks, get comfy. Air mattresses are critical to survival in K-Ville.
• Warmth: It's not the Midwest, but it gets damn cold, and damp, and muddy, and rainy, and then sunny, and crisp like Thanksgiving morning, or then lightning and thunder. Who knows. It's North Carolina. Sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, sweaters, jackets, beanies, uggs, other people. Anything you can do to stay warm.
• Booze: And lots of it. The best warmth is often found within a cold Natty Lite... or 15. It also adds to the entertainment value. A lot of time is spent sitting idly, so why not crack a 24 rack and invent some games.
• Friends... Good Friends: This may seem obvious, but you will get to know your peers at Duke quite quickly. Cannibalism no, but it is not a far cry from some of the intense moments you'll have in K-Ville. The tent police are strict and you must work together to stay alive in line, literally and figuratively. There is no greater test of friendship than a month in Krzyzewskiville.

Section 925 Podcast Episode 22

Kevin (@kpluswax) hops back on the pod with Connor (@fake_boestad) to recount his trip to Cajun Country for the Super Bowl and and his experience inside MSG when Steph Curry went off for 54 points. They also discuss the recent sanctions levied upon the Gaels of St. Mary's.

Check it out here or on iTunes.

Bill Walton Delivers one of the Best Podcasts of All Time

Bill Walton came on the Dan Dakich podcast last week and turned in 40 minutes of listening bliss. From Jerry Garcia to Larry Bird to Dr. Martin Luther King, Walton discusses everything under the California sun. Enjoy it here... http://media.1070thefan.com/Podcasts/2155/022213_BIllWalton.mp3

"Talking Bourbon Street Karmic Super Sunday Superdome Letdown Blues"

By Josh Hunsucker (@jphunsucker)

I still feel this way.

It's been two weeks since Super Bowl XLVII and I can’t stop feeling like my girlfriend broke-up with me. Let me preface this entire diatribe with the fact that I know it is completely irrational. With that said, I still blame myself.

During the Giants 2012 World Series run, Murph and Mac always talked about “particles”. The mystic, fleeting, and intangible thoughts and feelings that fans have. On some level, the particles swirl together and make some sort of a karmic difference, good or bad. For example, before the NLCS game Barry Zito pitched (sorry for the lack of details, I’m an A’s fan) a woman named Inga (check out comment 63, called during both the NLDS and NLCS)  and spoke about a how she envisioned Barry Zito rising to the occasion and how the stars were aligning for him. This is particles.

Fast forward to SB XLVII, I know that we (yes we) got down 28-6, but I can’t help thinking about the fact that some of my decisions heading into the game added up to some particles going against us. First of all, we went to The City for the game. Prior to that, we never left the 209 for a game. I also wore a gold satin jacket for the game for the first time all season. I even rationalized that it was like the team wearing the SB patch. Among the myriad of particles that added up against me though, not watching the game with my kids, which we had done all season, may have been the karmic back-breaker.

When I look back on all of the karmic particles that I spun in the Ravens direction, I feel like Maverick after he gunned Viper and left Hollywood and Wolfman's wing. You never leave your wingman, you should always dance with who brought you, and you never change up routine before the big game. Maverick's immortal words echo in my head every time I think about SB XLVII, “I know better than that. . . . That will never happen again.”

After the game The City felt and looked like someone had died. People wandered the Marina looking like they had just succumbed to the drunken zombie Super Bowl apocalypse. I felt dazed all night. A fight in the bar spilling over into the area I was standing couldn't pull my sullen gaze away from Steve Young begrudging praising the Ravens. I even had a random dude ask me if I needed a hug as I blankly stared at one TV showing highlights and another showing Mexican League baseball.

On Monday, I knew the first week would be bad. I knew I would feel terrible. Losing the Super Bowl is undiscovered territory for Niners fans. What I didn’t know is that this empty feeling would continue to linger for two weeks with no sign of going away. Pitchers and catchers didn’t help. The Warriors having a “great” year hasn't helped. Nothing is working. I feel as lost as Lewis and Clark if they had never found Sacajawea.

I still log onto 49ers.com or go onto the 49ers App like a sullen ex stalking their long lost love on Facebook. I can’t put my 49ers jerseys away for the spring. I keep wearing my Niners shorts to bed hoping to wake-up on Super Sunday with the chance to change my mind about going to The City. But I know its not going to happen. Where do we as Faithful go from here? How do we get through this?

Unbreak My Heart.

"A Rivalry Renewed" - Saint Mary's and No.5 Gonzaga Square off in Moraga

By Connor Buestad (connorbuestad@gmail.com)

It was 1999 and Matt Santangelo, Casey Calvary and Richie Frahm were doing damage at the Big Dance.

They played for a small Jesuit school out of Spokane, Washington that nobody had ever heard of, but these guys didn’t seem to care. Santangelo ran the point, Calvary crashed the boards and Frahm casted three bombs from the corner. It was a formula that somehow worked well enough for the Zags to knock off Minnesota, Stanford and Florida that year en route to the Elite 8, an awe-inspiring tourney run that still to this day is not forgotten by college roundball purists.

On Thursday night in Moraga, the ghost of that special Gonzaga team will be present when the Zags go on the road to face St. Mary’s College in a game to decide first-place position in the West Coast Conference. The 3,500 seat McKeon Pavilion will be filled to the gills, the game will be on ESPN2 and the level of play will be extremely high. All this is thanks in large part to the tone that ’99 Gonzaga team set during that special tourney run. In that one year, the WCC went from being an afterthought to becoming a conference basketball fans can’t take their eyes off of.

The year following Gonzaga’s magical Elite 8 run, Mark Few took over as head coach. Few has now been at the helm for 12 seasons. He has won the WCC regular season crown 11 times. Through the years, Few has coached the likes of Dan Dickau, Blake Stepp, Adam Morrison, Derek Raivio and Matt Bouldin. The Zags have yet to make it back to the Elite 8, but they are always a tough out in the NCAA tourney.

The school is undoubtedly the class of the WCC, not to mention maybe the most consistent college basketball team on all of the West Coast. Gonzaga routinely packs their raucous home gym, “the Kennel”, and has the guts to play the toughest non-conference schedule in the nation, year in and year out.

Up against Few and the Zags on Thursday will be a team in St. Mary’s who has been building a formidable program over the past decade. When head coach Randy Bennett arrived in Moraga in 2001, he inherited a team that had just gone 2-27. St. Mary’s had no football team (they still don’t), a small gym, a tiny fanbase, little funding and not much upside to speak of. Unfazed, Bennett took the challenge head on, using a creative strategy to recruit talent from the shores of Australia to come play hoops for him in the Bay Area.

Perhaps his biggest star from Australia in the early going was Daniel Kickert, who took the Gaels to the NCAA tournament in 2005. Bennett then struck it rich with Patty Mills who got SMC into the field of 64 in 2008. Today, the Gaels feature a host of impact players from Australia including Matthew Dellavadova, Jorden Page, and Mitchell Young.

Thursday’s matchup should be a high-scoring affair with tremendous guard play on both sides. Neither team is up to par with North Carolina or Kentucky when it comes to athleticism, but when it comes shooting the three, both teams can really stroke it. Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga’s Sophomore guard out of Canada, is one of the most pure shooters in America. One of Pangos’ backcourt partners just happens to be David Stockton, so you can bet Gonzaga knows how to tickle the twine. On St. Mary’s side, Dellavadova, Page, Stephen Holt and even Beau Levesque all know how to connect from long distance.

Tune into ESPN2 this Thursday at 8 Pacific, 11 Eastern, 5 Hawaiian to see the latest installment of this red hot rivalry. And, oh yes, don’t forget to pay homage to Richie Frahm by getting some shots up at halftime in your backyard. Enjoy.

(Note: A portion of this article was writtten and published by me on another site at an earlier date. This is the first time it has been on Sec925)

Section 925 Podcast Episode 19

With the start of Spring Training just weeks away, Connor has Adrian Spinelli (@Spinelli37, www.EverythingEcstatic.net) on The Pod to discuss big league baseball. Spinelli takes listeners around the league, starting in Oakland as he breaks down the A's acquisition of Jed Lowrie. Spinelli also weighs in on Hall of Fame voting, Hiroyuki Nakajima, Josh Hamilton, the Upton Brothers, and Mike Trout.

Check it out here or on iTunes.

Battling a Knee Slow to Heal with a Spirit That Won’t Die

By Connor Buestad (connorbuestad@gmail.com)

For the better part of Paul McCoy’s life, no athletic feat seemed out of reach. Blessed from a young age with explosive quickness and breathtaking body control, McCoy enjoyed a remarkable high school career as a three-sport athlete in Oregon, competing in basketball, football and track. After winning the Oregon State Championship in basketball as a senior, he went on to Southern Methodist University, where he became the first SMU freshman in history to lead his team in scoring. Even at a shade under six feet tall, McCoy quickly established himself as the big man on campus. The game seemed to come easy to him, the sky was the limit.

McCoy had his sights set on a possible career in the NBA until one fateful day during his sophomore year in college. He went up hard for a layup, and an excruciating pain shot through his right knee. That’s when everything changed.

The ACL was torn, and for the past three years, McCoy has been a prisoner to a knee that has refused to fully heal. Since February 2010, he has gone under the knife four times and has been in and out of training rooms and rehab facilities.

“Paul is definitely battle tested,” explains teammate Kyle Rowley. “What’s it been? Four surgeries? Coming back from that is not easy. He’s put in a ton of work.”

After transferring from SMU, McCoy is now in his senior year at Saint Mary’s – and eager to return to the court. McCoy was expected to play for the Gaels last year, before reinjuring his knee on the second day of preseason practice. Fortunately the rolling hills of Moraga have served as a nurturing backdrop for a tireless recovery process filled with starts and stops, ups and downs.

“It’s weird, coming from SMU, this is like a totally different school,” said McCoy. “It’s more than just basketball. It’s the stuff we do outside of basketball. It’s a team. So much credit goes to Coach Bennett and how he runs things here.”

Despite his long layoff, McCoy still shows superstar qualities. Quick with a smile and always engaging in conversation, he displays a confidence level and sense of pride that rubs off on everyone he’s around. No wonder: He has succeeded in big games and huge moments. But he still wants one more chance to compete at the highest level.

Now, after years of rehabilitation and recovery, it looks like his time has finally come to return to the hardwood, this time in a Gael uniform.

“I can only control how much effort I put into it,” he said. “It’s more on Coach Bennett, having faith and trust in whatever role he gives me. At this point, with four surgeries and sitting out for three and a half years, I’ll do anything to stay on the court.”

No matter what kind of results he sees on the floor this year, though, it’s likely that the Gael community won’t soon forget the character and resolve Paul McCoy has exhibited in his quest to return to the game he loves.

"Semper Fi" - Reno Wright Soaks in Playoff Pigskin at The 'Stick

By Reno Wright (@TheRealReno)

As I walked into The 'Stick on Saturday night, the chants reverberated throughout the tunnel.

"FAAAAAAAAAITHFUL"! "NIIIIIIIIIIIINERS"! It still rings in my ears even after two days.

For anyone lucky enough to have attended a 49ers game on Candlestick Point over the years, you know these cheers. You have heard them thousands of times throughout a game. But on January 12th, 2013 there was something more to these cheers. Something truly special. Being it the second round of the playoffs, playing the hated Green Bay Packers all added an oomph to the chants sung passionately around the stadium. It could also have been that everyone was extraordinarily inebriated, which they were. Eat your heart out English Premier League Soccer. Spare me World Cup final. This was NFL Playoff football in San Francisco. I was lucky enough to not only score tickets to this game (thanks to Orinda native Tania Celante and her husband Tim Losee), but also pregame field passes. Saying I was lucky is an understatement. The scene before a football game is pretty mundane usually. Players stretch and run around getting warmed up, kickers see what their range is that day, and fans just sit and watch this odd scene. But this night was nothing like that.

Jay-Z's "N Words in Paris" blasted through the speakers as the players bobbed their heads to the beat. There was some smack talk between the Niners DB's and the Packer WR's as both here going through drills near the 50 yard line. Fans were screaming their heads off already. The stadium joined in unison in a "Let's Go Niners" chant that was louder than anything I have ever heard.

I attempted to take this all in while making some small talk with former Cal coach Jeff Tedford. At one point I even found myself ripping up the grass of Bill Walsh Field and shoving it into my pocket.

A few quick notes:

-B.J. Raji is the largest man I have ever seen. It would take 3 people to put their arms around him.

-Navarro Bowman is frightening in person.

-The dude with the long blonde hair and 'stach combo is the most chill bro ever. Take a look here.

After being told at least 10 times that we had to leave the field, Tim and I finally went to our seats just as Huey Lewis and the News started singing one of the most stirring renditions of the Star Spangled Banner since Whitney Houston in 1991. Not a dry eye inside The 'Stick. Then something happened that I think launched the crowd to another level. Clyde Carson appeared on top of the dugout and starting singing Slow Down. The fans went absolutely insane. Everyone, and I mean everyone was dancing. On their seats, in the aisle, even the 49ers were dancing on the sideline.

The crowd was in a frenzy as the Niners started their first drive, and then Kap made the one poor play of his record setting night. An across the body pick six that showed his inexperience. The crowd was dead silent for a moment, before realizing that the offense looked really good before the interception. And of course Kap did what he has done all season after making a poor play. He carried the team down to the Packers' red zone and then ran it in himself for the score. Little did anyone know that that moment would be the start of something no one thought possible.

Colin Kaepernick had the night of his life. (side note: As I was watching him run all over the Green Bay defense, I was having a flashback to him doing the same thing to the Cal Bears in Reno a few years back. Then I thought how much Tedford must hate Kap. First he destroys the Bears on national television, then he outplays the best player he had ever coached. THEN I realized that Tedford didn't ever recruit Kap out of Turlock, CA. Hence why he's looking for a job now, I guess.)

The game played out better than any of the Faithful fans could have expected. When Kap hit Crabs after the Jeremy Ross fumble (felt bad for the former Bear), the woman behind me (wool here btw) and her mother both exclaimed the game was over. The momentum of the score and the crowd was going to be too much for the Pack to overcome. And they were right thanks to this man.

Atlanta based rapper 2 Chainz popped up on the dugout and starting rapping something fierce. And once again, the crowd went bananas. Dancing, singing, drinking... it was just unreal. Basically, The 'Stick hosted a hip hop concert and a football game broke out, or whatever.

After that, the Niners never trailed. And while the score at half was close, the Faithful were a confident bunch. When the Pack tied it at 24, the confidence washed away a little bit after the Niners were forced to punt. The crowd was actually quiet for the first time all game. People even started sitting down, which was unheard of for the entire first half. We needed a big play to get us back in the game, and Patrick Willis delivered.

It should be noted that the Niners did a good job of pressuring Rodgers, but his ability to escape is wildly impressive to the point of all out frustrating. It seemed every time a 49er had him dead-to-rights, Rodgers made just enough of a move to get outside the pocket and safely throw the ball away. But on this play, Patrick Willis made one of the more impressive plays I ever seen. Blitzing from his weak side spot, Willis was popped by Jon Kuhn. But PWill somehow kept moving forward and popped Kuhn back with a killer forearm. It looked like Rodgers was surprised that Willis had made it through after being hit and could not get out of the way in time. Willis dropped Rodgers for the sack and the crowd erupted into a frenzy. I could not hear a word anyone next to me was saying. The crowd was back and so were the Niners.

On the next SF series, Kap showed the nation why Harbaugh decided to go with him over Alex Smith. A 56 yard keeper that absolutely made the Packer D look silly. After that play, the Niner Faithful in attendance would not have a reason to sit until they got into their cars to go home. It was an amazing night of offense by the 49ers, and the cherry on top, at least for me, was the final TD by none other than Section925 favorite Anthony "Boobie" Dixon. I just hope Dixon knows that in LR6, row 19 seat 7, there was some maniac in a gold satin jacket screaming "Boobie! Boobie! gettin hot on dey azz!!!"

Needless to say, everyone in my section had no idea what I was talking about. Oh by the way, I also was able to hang out in the player parking lot after the game.

A couple more notes follow:

- Donte Whitner is incredibly nice. I happened to be standing by his car when he came out of the locker room. He was more than happy to chat with me a little bit about the game and the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry. He also has terrific form when high fiving. FYI. - Crabs drives a white $400,000 Maserati. OAB. - Anthony Davis came out in what had to be an XXXXL authentic Joe Thronton jersey. - Vernon Davis signs everyone's stuff and looks happy to do it. He interacted with the fans more than anyone. - Everyone loves Alex Smith. Had a lot of people around him asking for his autograph. - Randy Moss came out in a full length fur coat. Hand to God. It was everything I hoped for from Raaaaandy.

I later got to go back out onto the field and walk around a bit. As I looked around the emptying stadium, I suddenly became overwhelmed by the whole experience. It was just unreal to be there and look around The 'Stick from the field level again. The red end zones, the red outline on the numbers, beating a playoff nemesis, witnessing a record breaking night. I suddenly had a flash back to the late 80's and 90's era when I became part of the devoted Faithful Family. Remembering those painful losses to Dallas, New York, and Green Bay, the "Owens Owens Owens" game, beating Dallas in '95, the comeback victory over the Giants in 2003.

The memories of those games were so vivid. And to be walking that same field where so much joy and heartache took place for us all those years. It was just a moving feeling. I suddenly felt like we, as the Niners fans of this era, are finally in with those old school fans from the glory years of the 80's. We are enjoying an incredible era in Niner history, and this night was one of what will be many special nights for us 49er Faithful. See you in Hotlanta...

Section 925 Podcast Episode 14

Click to listen... Section 925 Podcast Episode 14

Connor brings Kevin (@kpluswax) back for his second go-round on the pod to preview the Niner-Packer playoff match-up at the 'Stick. St. Mary's pending road game at Gonzaga is also discussed, not to mention an update on Kevin's New York Knicks. Other personalities mentioned include Omar "Broadway O" Samhan, David Lee, Greg Popovich, Chuck Klosterman, Patty Mills, Amare Stoudemire, Aaron Rodgers and Bob Rosenblum.

San Francisco's Bruce Mahoney Game – “A Tradition Unlike Any Other”

By Connor Buestad | Connor@Section925.com

San Francisco isn’t supposed to still have this much tradition left in it.

It was supposed to be lost somewhere during the Dot Com boom and bust. Or at a martini bar in a gentrified yuppie hideout, or at a Mark Zuckerberg keynote address on internet privacy, or at an Orange Friday at AT&T Park. The seven by seven stretch of real estate bordered by the Bay and Ocean Beach is thought to have become too blue for it’s own good. Too liberal, too progressive, too obsessed with 3G, 4G and 5G. Too far from its roots.

In a city of transplants and tech mercenaries, the notion of being from San Francisco, has developed an increasingly foggy definition. Ask a post grad on polk street who’s “from San Francisco” where they went to high school, and the zip code usually won’t start with 941.

To be certain, not all of the tradition has gone by the wayside. Not even close. It is still there, still burning as hot as ever, it just requires one to look a few layers below the surface, like inside a 55 year old gymnasium near the corner of Fulton and Masonic.

The first time Sacred Heart Cathedral and Saint Ignatius (both private Catholic high schools in San Francisco) played against each other, the year was 1893, or maybe it was 1891, but no one seems to be exactly sure. Fittingly, the game was held on Saint Patricks Day, on the corner of 8th and Market. The Irish of SH beat the Wildcats of SI by a final score of 14-4. Leather helmets may or may not have been worn and the forward pass may or may not have been invented at this point. The game was believed to be a cross between football and rugby. Admission to the game was five cents even.

World War I came and went, Babe Ruth did his thing for the Yankees, and eventually history gave way for the arrival of The Greatest Generation.

For the six years between 1939 and 1945, America was at war. Up and down the hallways of SI and SH, conversation didn’t consist of SAT scores and safety schools, but rather when and where you and your buddies were headed off to fight for your country. The era was ripe with pride and love for country and the football, basketball and baseball fields held less relevance in the grand scheme of things as they do today. To call the era tumultuous would be an understatement. America’s history was hanging in the balance.

As heated as the rivalry between Sacred Heart and Saint Ignatius was in the 1940’s it obviously paled in comparison to the realities of war overseas. Many products of the two proud schools lost their lives serving their country, but two stood out as special young men.

The Bruce Mahoney Trophy was established in 1947 to memorialize the death of Bill Bruce of Saint Ignatius and Jerry Mahoney of Sacred Heart. Bruce served as the student body president for SI, graduating in 1935. During his tenure as Wildcat, he was also a standout football player. Mahoney was an All-City football and basketball player at SH and also went on to be an accomplished boxer during his time in the service. Both men died while members of the Navy during WWII, Bruce in an airplane crash, Mahoney in a sinking submarine.

Since 1947, these two San Francisco cross-city rivals have duked it out for the right to hold the fabled Bruce Mahoney Trophy. Each year, the two schools play a football game in the fall at Kezar Stadium. Once the home of the San Francisco Forty Niners, Kezar is an historic venue that sits on the southeast corner of Golden Gate Park. The winner goes up 1-0 in the three game Bruce Mahoney Series that also includes basketball and baseball.

Come winter, the first time the two schools meet in basketball counts toward the Bruce Mahoney Series. If the series moves to 1-1, the first baseball contest of the Spring, held at Pac Bell Park, ultimately decides who takes home the trophy for the Summer.

While the football and baseball games between these two schools are wondrous events in their own right, it is on the basketball court where the Bruce Mahoney rivalry reaches it’s most fevered pitch.

Fittingly, the Bruce Mahoney basketball game takes place in the heart of San Francisco, inside War Memorial Gymnasium on the campus of USF. Built in 1958, the 5,300 seat facility seeps with history and nostalgia. Some call it “The House That Bill Russell Built” as it opened it’s doors two years after Russell left the Hilltop for a hall of fame career for the Boston Celtics. For the Bruce Mahoney game, literally every seat is accounted for. Students from both schools pack the upper levels, the last rows ducking to avoid the low ceiling.

At this point, of course, the football game has already been decided months ago. Now, the trophy is on the line in earnest. For the crop of seniors down 1-0 in the best of three Bruce Mahoney series, every possession takes on a do or die significance. The 10 players on the court carrying the bragging rights and expectations of a sea of fellow students and proud alumni. A palpable tension fills the air, every basket cheered passionately, every foul call argued vehemently.

Much like the Axe in the Cal-Stanford Big Game, the fabled Bruce Mahoney trophy serves as a constant reminder of what’s at stake. In the 65 years the trophy has been in existence, St. Ignatius has won the series 45 times, compared to just 20 wins for Sacred Heart. Sacred Heart won the trophy last year, however, and were looking to build momentum and close the gap with a repeat series win in 2013. If they wanted to retain the trophy in 2013, they would need to not only beat SI in hoops, but they would also have to win on the diamond.

On this night, St. Ignatius would prevail over Sacred Heart by a score of 56-46. Trevor Dunbar ran the show for the Wildcats all night from the point guard position. A wizard with the ball in his hands, Dunbar repeatedly drew oohs and ahhs with his uncanny dribbling skills. Led by Khalil James, Sacred Heart never seemed to back down and proved fun to watch. Undersized, the Irish did yeoman's work on the glass all evening to keep the game in question deep into the fourth quarter.

After the final buzzer sounded at War Memorial and the Wildcats of St. Ignatius climed into the stands to greet their fellow students, yet another small chapter of the Bruce Mahoney series was etched in history. More important than who won and who lost on Tuesday night, was that the history and tradition between these schools grew one game stronger, and for that, San Francisco should be proud.

Section 925 Podcast Episode 13

Click to listen... Section 925 Podcast Episode 13

Long time listener, first time caller Kevin (@kpluswax) hops on the Bianca's Fresh Take hotline from his digs in NYC. The 925 native dishes and swishes on his two favorite teams, the Knicks and the Niners. Weeks also delves into an array of topics including Jets and Giants, Boobie Dixon, Sonny Dykes, Jeremey Lin, David Lee, Rasheed Wallace, JR Smith and a whole lot more.

Section 925 Podcast Episode 12

Click to Listen... Section 925 Podcast Episode 12

Twitter legend @BigWoaf88 makes his first Section925 Podcast appearance and does not disappoint. "Woaf" dishes on his love for the Cowboys, Bulls, and Dodgers, while also diving deep into the current sports scene in general.

Other topics include the Niners QB quandry, Notre Dame's resurrection, Luke Ridnour's illustrious NBA career, MJ, B-Diddy, John Starks, and much much more.

"God is a Gael" - Saint Mary's Looks to Retain its WCC Crown in 2013

By Connor Buestad (connorbuestad@gmail.com)

Granted it wasn’t the Olympics, or a WCC bout against the Zags, or even a Division I opponent, but if Matthew Dellavedova sees an opportunity to take a charge, you can bet he’s going to take it.

The Sonoma State Seawolves did the honors of kicking off the 2012-2013 campaign in Moraga last weekend, and by halftime the score was 48-24 in favor of the Gaels. This didn’t stop Dellavedova, St. Mary’s Senior Captain, from quietly setting the tone for what is expected to be a special year of West Coast Conference basketball in Moraga.

From the last row of 3,500 seat McKeon Pavillion, I could see the play develop beautifully with a bird’s eye view. A Sonoma State guard saw a clear path to the basket from the left wing, while Dellavedova was at the top of the key. As the two players broke toward the basket, a collision was immenent. Sure enough, Dellavedova arrived at the point of contact just in time, bit down on his signature mouthpiece, and proceed to get runover by a Division II backup.

What looked to be a textbook charge taken by Dellavedova, ended up being overturned by the officials during the ensuing timeout. The St. Mary’s bench could do nothing but laugh it off. Regardless of the botched call, the play confirmed something much more important. Dellavedova is back in Moraga for his swan song, and he still loves acquiring floor burns.

Coming off a historic year in which St. Mary’s won both the WCC regular season and tournament titles, the Gaels come into this season with arguably their deepest, most experienced team ever. Even with the news that Randy Bennett’s squad is being investigated by the NCAA for a possible recruiting violation, hope and promise spring eternal in Moraga. Picked in preseason polls to finish third in the WCC this year behind BYU and Gonzaga, the level of small school college hoops has never been higher on the west coast and SMC will be right in the thick of it all.

The Gaels first two wins of the season, first against Sonoma and then on the road against the always tough Utah State Aggies, have revealed a St. Mary’s team filled with talent, depth, personality and substance. As enjoyable as the Frank Allocco Jr./Brad Millard era of Flex Cuts and Bronco half court sets was, Randy Bennett has slowly developed a program that oozes with talent and raw athletic ability. They may have had to outsource their recruiting to Australia to do it, but St. Mary’s has finally found themselves on even ground with the Gonzaga’s and BYU’s of the world, and I’ll be damned if it isn’t fun to watch.

St. Mary’s has lost two key players from last year’s squad that fell to Purdue in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The biggest loss was undoubtedly Rob Jones. A DVC alum, Jones was the Gaels’ second leading scorer and a physical presence around the basket. The Gaels also said so long to Clint Steindl, a long armed marksman from Australia who, when hot, was known for his ability to tickle the twine from beyond the arc. Luckily, Randy Bennett did what he always does, he reloaded the Gael roster with a new crop of exciting talent.

St. Mary’s will feature a bench this year that consists of five capable backups, two of which are experienced transfers. Sporting a thick frame and six foot eleven inches of height, Matt Hodgson will bring a dynamic skill-set to Moraga. Born and raised in Queensland, Australia, Hodgson spent his first two years of college playing ball for Southern Utah University. Like all the Australian’s Bennett recruits, Hodgson is noticeably skilled for a man of his size. A southpaw, Hodgson is not afraid to let fly with a lefty three bomb from time to time.

James Walker III comes to St. Mary’s off the Junior College hoops circuit. The Long Beach native began his career playing for Utah State in the WAC. Feeling inhibited by the Aggies half court style offense, Walker came back home to California to play his Sophomore year at Citrus JC. All he did there was win the California Junior College Player of the Year award while leading his team to the JUCO Final Four. Almost more importantly, Walker brings with him a Southern California swagger that has endeared him with the St. Mary’s student section. From his well cropped faux hawk to his Allen Iverson arm sleeve, to his checkered socks, it appears Walker has brought a welcomed slice of Silver Lake up north to the East Bay.

Also on the St. Mary’s bench, and perhaps just as hip, is Jorden Page. A redshirt Junior, Page is yet another Gael in the long line of Aussie imports. Similar to Patty Mills, the slight-of-build Page takes a silky smooth approach to the game. Page never seems to be over exerting himself out of the court, but instead buzzes around the court looking for ways to get his bigger teammates involved. Like Walker, Page brings his own sense of style to the hardwood, most recently rocking what appear to be a pair of leggings under his oversized Adidas shorts.

Rounding out this year’s Gaels Bench Mob are Senior Kyle Rowley from Trinidad and Redshirt Freshman Jordan Giusti from San Ramon. Rowley comes in at 7’0” and 280 and is tatted to the nines. By the looks of him, it is clear he has been around the block in the WCC and has been through some wars. If and when he is called upon to offer a hard foul in a key situation, Kyle Rowley will be ready and waiting.

Jordan Giusti, on the other hand, will serve as happy-go-lucky backup point guard. Giusti has been through some wars himself, those of the North Coast Section variety during his time at San Ramon Valley High School. If anything can prepare him for going up against Mark Few’s defense up in Spokane, Washington, it is Frank Allocco’s in Concord, California. The left handed guard plays with a ton of positive energy and will be a great asset for the Gaels off the bench.

So far during this young season the Gaels starting lineup has consisted of Dellavedova, sharpshooting Junior Stephen Holt, Junior Beau Levesque, Sophomore Brad Waldow and Senior Mitchell Young. Save for Rob Jones, SMC returns all of their starters from a year ago. It is assumed the offense will again go through Dellavedova and with good reason. Like a great leadoff hitter in baseball, as Dellavedova goes, the SMC Gaels go.

As always, standing in the way of the Gaels winning another WCC title are the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Currently ranked 19th in the nation, the Zags are the undisputed favorites to win the conference. Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr. are two of the best shooters you will ever see, while Elias Harris and David “Don’t Call Me John” Stockton are also great players in their own right. The Zags are scheduled to come to town on February 14th, in what figures to be the best basketball game held in the Bay Area all winter.

Thanks to their continued success as a national program, St. Mary’s will be featured during ESPN’s traditional “Feast Week” over Thanksgiving. The Gaels have been invited to head down to Anaheim to play in the DIRECTV Classic featuring Cal, Xavier, and Georgia Tech. The overwhelming majority of prognosticators are picking the Gaels and Bears to square off in the final.

Considering the proven leadership of Randy Bennett, the experience of Matthew Dellavedova, and a talented, albeit eclectic supporting cast, expectations have never been been higher for College Hoops in Lamorinda. The road has been paved to the Georgia Dome for the 2013 Final Four. Now let's see how far the Gaels can travel down it...

“The Silent Assassin" - Bayview Native Dion Jordan Quietly Shines for No. 3 Oregon

By Connor Buestad (connorbuestad@gmail.com)

If you have ever found yourself in a conversation with a University of Oregon student or alumnus, one thing becomes abundantly clear from the get-go. Duck fans are obsessed with their football team.

Void of a professional sports franchise for hundreds of miles, the small town of Eugene treats its football team like a precious crown jewel. Football as religion is typically reserved for SEC country, but Autzen Stadium is more like a place of worship as opposed to a venue to watch a sports event. Oregon football players are treated like royalty and the holy grail of sportswear companies, Nike, treats Chip Kelly like a Messiah.

For the past three years, little Eugene has been the epicenter of west coast football. In 2010 they lost in the Rose Bowl to Ohio State, in 2011 they lost in the National Title Game to Auburn, and last year they went back to the Rose Bowl and beat Wisconsin. Dion Jordan was on the team all three years. Not a bad run by anyone’s standards.

When I first met Dion Jordan, it was on the turf where he grew up. Youngblood-Coleman Playground in San Francisco’s Bayview-Hunter’s Point District. It was early August and Jordan was just days away from heading back up to Eugene to begin Fall camp and the 2012 season. If I wanted to talk to him, he suggested I meet him at his hometown football field. Fair enough.

The football field at Youngblood Playground is the home field for the San Francisco Brown Bombers Pop Warner football team. With ages ranging from 7 and under (Tiny Mite) and fifteen and under (Midget), the Bombers are one of the most accomplished Pop Warner programs on the west coast. Today was the first week of practice for the 2012 campaign, and it certainly didn’t look like the coaching staff had made cuts yet. Seemingly every inch of the 100 yard gridiron was occupied by an undersized kid in an oversized helmet.

Out at mid-field, amongst all the madness of a Pop Warner practice, Jordan stood calmly, quietly offering tidbits of advice to San Francisco’s next generation of pigskin superstars.

“I love being out on the football field,” Jordan explained. “Even though it is a violent and crazy game sometimes, I’ve always thought of the football field as my sanctuary. A place where I can clear my head and just focus on playing and having fun.”

Standing at 6 foot 7 and weighing 240 pounds, it is almost striking how long and athletic Jordan looks in person. Slated to be a first round pick in next Spring’s NFL draft, Jordan looks every bit like a San Francisco 49er. At one point one of the Brown Bomber Tiny Mite’s ran up to Jordan and asked him point blank, “Are you in the NFL?” You couldn’t blame the 7 year-old running back for asking.

Now in his Senior season, Jordan is again leading the Ducks’ defense in sacks. With 4.5 speed in the 40 and an awe-inspiring wingspan, virtually all the Mel Kiper Juniors of the world agree Jordan is a can’t miss NFL Defensive End in the making. However, five years ago, Jordan’s NFL dream looked to be over before it started.

After growing up in San Francisco, Jordan’s family moved to Chandler, Arizona where he would play his high school football. With breathtaking speed and dominating length and height, Jordan starred as a wide receiver and eventually grew into a Pac-10 blue chip recruit at wide-out. Following a game during his senior year, Jordan was involved in a gruesome car fire accident inside his friend’s garage. Jordan was airlifted to the hospital and was lucky to survive the life-threatening episode. Luckily, former Oregon coach Mike Bellotti honored Jordan’s scholarship offer, and he set off to play receiver for the Ducks.

If there is one constant theme that surrounds Chip Kelly’s Oregon football team, it is the program’s unquenchable thirst for speed. There is speed at every position, even quarterback and offensive line. If you aren’t fast, you don’t play at Oregon. In Jordan’s case, with so much speed on Oregon’s offensive skill positions, he was moved to Defensive End early in his career.

“I enjoyed wide receiver, but my speed really allows me to do well in Oregon’s fast-paced style of defense,” said Jordan. “Coach Aliotti (defensive coordinator) wants us to be extremely fast on the defensive side of the ball and we try to take pride in that.”

As far as Jordan’s NFL hopes, starting to learn a brand new position in the middle of college was a risky proposition, but the fact was that it was best for the team. And for the soft-spoken Jordan, if it was best for the team, he was willing to do it.

“The reason why guys come to Oregon is because they want to win National Championships,” says Jordan. “People think guys come because of the Nike uniforms or the locker rooms, but it’s not that. It’s the chance to play on the best team, with the best players. Coach Kelly is really competitive and recruits the best guys he can, and great players want to be a part of that.”

Now in his Senior year, Jordan is leading a team that has a legitimate shot at bringing the U of O its very first football National Championship. As Jordan carries the weight of Oregon fans’ hopes and dreams, he certainly doesn’t let it show outwardly. His violent defensive position on the field has produced the likes of Bill Romanowski and John Randle, but somehow Jordan exudes the quiet calm of a buddhist monk rather than a crazed hitman. Out on the field Jordan drives blindsided quarterbacks face-first into the turf, but off the field he is rarely caught without a relaxed smile on his face.

Jordan makes it clear that he is focused on bringing an historic Championship to Eugene, but he also admits to striving toward his lifelong goal of the NFL. When I asked him if he watched the NFL combine last February to compare himself to the best draft prospects of 2012, Jordan quickly grinned. “I did. I watched the combine closely,” laughed Jordan. “I actually made a little chart of what guys at my position were doing. How fast their 40 time was, how much their bench press was. I wanted to work toward being at the highest level out there.”

When Jordan takes the field next Saturday against the California Golden Bears, he will be back home in the Bay Area in front of his hometown friends and family. An Oregon degree in Sociology, a National Championship ring, and a handshake on stage with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell all wait in the wings for the skinny kid from south side of San Francisco. If it is up to Dion Jordan, he will tackle all three accomplishments with a full head of steam. Once number 96 gets going, he’s not easy to stop.

"And Down the Stretch They Come" - The Oakland A's Bring Their Glory Days Back to Life

By Connor Buestad (connorbuestad@gmail.com)

Last season, after finishing 14 games below the .500 mark, Billy Beane did what he typically has to do during the offseason. He held a fire sale. Strapped with the lowest payroll in baseball, Beane was forced to give up Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill and Andrew Bailey. By that time, Mark Ellis and Hideki Matsui were long gone too. By the end of last Fall, the A’s had nothing in the way of proven talent. They were a dumpster fire, and owner Lew Wolff was determined to keep pouring gasoline all over the flames.

By now, the “Moneyball Era” had run its course. Everyone had read the book and watched the movie. Billy’s secrets were no longer private and it looked as though he had run out of cards up his green collar sleeve.

Meanwhile, Lew Wolff spent the offseason trying to get his A’s the hell out of Oakland. For all he cared, his team might as well lose over 100 games in 2012. The goal was profit, and Oakland wasn’t providing it. If the movie “Major League” was art, Lew Wolff was doing his best to imitate it.

Ironically, the San Francisco Giants, the darling across the bay, have been one of the reasons why the A’s haven’t quite left yet. Giants brass isn’t too thrilled about the idea of San Jose residents going to A’s games instead of Giants games, thus they’ve taken to the courts to prevent a Silicon Valley ballpark.

Instead, the A’s were set to stAy put in Oakland, at least for the 2012 campaign. Lew Wolff would have to wait at least another year to end baseball in Oakland. Yes, the stadium naming rights would be sold to “O.co”, half the place would still be tarped, and the women’s bathrooms would still have troughs to save money (or so I’m told).

I remember it vividly when the A’s signed Manny Ramirez. I was irrationally ecstatic for reasons unknown. Maybe it was because of ManRam’s carefree attitude, or because he ended the most vicious curse in baseball history, or because he was a hitting savant. For whatever reason, I’ve always loved the guy.

Billy Beane, on the other hand, didn’t necessarily love ManRam, so much as he had no money in the bank to work with. Beane drafted a contract for the zany, 40-year-old slugger, that read pretty much as follows: “If you hit, we’ll pay you. If you don’t, we won’t.”

Apparently, steroids really do make a difference, thus forcing a clean Manny into baseball obscurity relatively quickly. He never played a game in the Bigs for the A’s in 2012. For all intents and purposes, he was a bust and Billy Beane had just dug himself a bigger hole.

I remember it even more vividly when the A’s signed Cuban export Yoenis Cespedes. I learned of the news on Twitter of course, from a lifelong A’s supporter, @_Sparky_B. “Did the A’s just land Pedro Cerrano?” he asked. Honestly, no one really knew at that point and fewer people probably cared. A ridiculous, over-the-top video of “Yo” hitting bombs with his shirt off started flying around the interwebs. If nothing else, it gave A’s fans something to talk about.

The only problem with Cespedes, beside the fact that he appeared to swing for Mt. Davis on every pitch, was that the A’s broke their piggy bank on him. On a team where starters routinely get the league minimum salary of $480,000, Cespedes would be earning $9,000,0000 per year. When he sat down in the A’s press room to sign his Yankee-esque contract, Billy Beane (allegedly) whispered to himself, “This guy better not suck.”

Back in March, when the A’s boarded their flight to head off to Japan to start their season against the Mariners, they looked like a safe bet to be the worst team in baseball. Their best hitter supposedly couldn’t hit a curveball, their best pitcher (Bartolo Colon) couldn’t miss a meal, and their owner wanted to lose every game. Even the Banjo Man thought this team was going to be god awful.

In many ways, to be perfectly honest, this team has been terrible. For starters, the team has had no trouble breaking the Major League record for strikeouts (I stopped counting at 1,333). As mentioned before, their most proven hitter, Manny Ramirez, never was good enough to play a game in the Majors. Brandon Inge, who carried the team for much of the year, is now out for the season with an injury. Josh Reddick, the team leader in home runs, recently ran off a streak of zero hits in 30 at bats.

The A’s best pitcher, Bartolo Colon, was exposed as a roid monger midway through the season. Their second best pitcher, Brandon McCarthy, was drilled in the dome by a line drive that fractured his skull. Their third best pitcher, Brett Anderson, was put on the DL with a strained oblique. The list goes on...

Despite all this, for reasons unbeknownst to anyone, through all the injuries, all the slumps, all the burnouts, and all the long odds stacked up against them, the A’s have somehow found a way to bring a winner to the city of Oakland and the greater East Bay.

Now that I stop and think about it, maybe it was the “Bernie Lean” that did it.

As the story goes, pitcher Jerry Blevins of the A’s is a big fan of the movie “Weekend at Bernie's”. The 1989 comedy chronicles the escapades of two young insurance salesmen who discover their boss is dead. Believing that they are responsible for his death and that a hitman will kill them unless Bernie is around, they attempt to convince people that he is still alive. Thus, a dead Bernie is constantly being dragged around and looks like he is leaning back, or “doing the backstroke with no arms”. In "Weekend at Bernie's II", Bernie acutally rises from the dead and does a zombie like dance.

In 2009, the rapper ISA created the song "Moving Like Berney". The song became popular in the South and somehow made its way onto Blevins' ipod. Blevins then suggested the song to Coco Crisp, who then put ISA's "Moving Like Berney" on the clubhouse playlist.

Next, as an inside joke, third baseman Brandon Inge decided to make "Moving Like Berney" his walk up song. By this time, the berney lean was really catching fire as the Right Field Bleacher Creatures caught wind and started leaning themselves.

Most recently, the rappers ATM and IMD decided to make a remix of the original "Moving Like Berney" track. They approached Coco with the song and have now granted the rights of the remix to the A's. After Inge went out with a season ending injury, Coco made sure to keep the Berney tradition alive and walk up to ATM and IMD's "Bernie Lean" each at-bat. 14 walkoff wins later and the rest is history.

Heading into the A’s final series of the year versus the Rangers, Oakland finds themselves in a last second sprint toward a most improbable trip to the playoffs. With a payroll of just $49,137,500, the A’s hold a record of 91-68. With a payroll of $195,998,004, the Yankees are 92-67. Amazingly, the A’s are doing this with a five man pitching rotation made up of all rookies. Pardon me for not spending my Friday nights at Stockton Port and Sacramento River Cat games, but who in their right mind has heard of dudes like Jarrod Parker, Travis Blackley, AJ Griffin, Dan Straily and Tommy Milone? The timeless phrase “Well, stranger things have happened before," could and should be replaced by, “Well, the 2012 Oakland Athletics did (I won’t jinx it) the playoffs.”

It is certainly no secret that the city of Oakland has seen better days. A sputtering economy, struggling schools, and increased violence never seem to be far from the discussion when one talks about Oakland in 2012. That said, it is even less of a secret of how far fetched and unlikely this Athletics playoff run has been.

You won’t see any splash hits, panoramic bay views or Coke bottle slides when you come to Oakland. Nor will you see any panda hats or lines for gourmet sushi rolls. But, what you will see is team seemingly destined to shock the baseball world, one Bernie Lean at a time. The Athletics’ days may be numbered in the city of Oakland, but they sure have decided to throw one hell of a going away party. Fortunatley, everyone is invited.

"New Morning" - Week 4

Frank Gore looks to be an inconvenient truth for the Jets this Sunday.

By: Josh Hunsucker @jphunsucker

In case you were wondering, you can't just show up in another team's stadium and decide you are going to win without giving them a vote. Last week the Niners slept walked through four straight quarters of football and looked generally like zombies. The defense made Christian Ponder look like Madden '04 Vick.

The offense couldn't get any time of possession going, Frank Gore only touched the ball 12 times even though he averaged 5.3 YPC, and the game pretty much sucked the life out of me (the drive out of Tahoe that afternoon did not help either).

Here's the GOOD NEWS. The Niners are still the prohibitive favorite in the NFC West (despite the feisty Nards). The Niners are facing a Darrelle Revis-less Jets. Mark Sanchez is less than scary. Jesus Tebow barely gets on the field. Bart Scott is fighting reporters. The Niners had their 2.0 version of the bonding road trip to Youngstown, Ohio that was a catalyst for their success last year. So life is still good. The loss in Minny passed away quickly, and losses like that always do when the Niners are playing well.

Is there room for legitimate concern? SURE (the Vikings may be kind of good though but yes there is). Am I scared that we still haven't improved on offense since last year even though we seemingly upgraded? I will say that Mike Crabtree is finally making me smile each game. He is finally living up to my t-shirt jersey purchase, making tough catches, running hard, and generally being a man. Don't think that the change to the Jerry Rice facemask had nothing to do with it.

Did it make me sick to my stomach that a shifty guy like Percy Harvin (similar to Santonio Holmes) had a huge game against us (yes us), and was generally uncoverable? Yes, yes it did.

More good news, Mark Sanchez is considerably less mobile than Ponder and Shon Green is considerably less Adrian Peterson-y than Adrian Peterson.

If I can offer any hard hitting advice for Niners fans this week, don't under estimate the power of Jets' wideout coach Sanjay Lal, the great Miramonte WR coach of yesteryear. The Jets will be ready this Sunday and will be ready to prove that they are not the worst 2-1 team in the league.

The Niners NEED to get something cooking on offense. I'd like to see a steady dose of Frank "The Inconvenient Truth" Gore and some nice play action, which stretches the field. All of which opens up the field for our best player, VD. How is the media not talking about him in the same breath as Gronk and Jimmy Graham? Bewildering?!?!

The early start time SHOULDN'T have an adverse effect on the Niners this week. I have to believe Jim Harbaugh addressed the lack luster performance in Minny and motivated the team to forget the past and look at the Jets game as a New Morning. In classic Neo-Niner fashion, it won't be pretty but it will be a W.

Niners 23-20 and the season will again seem as bright as a New Morning.

“Welcome to the Show” - Cal Heads to The Ohio State Horseshoe to Face Urban Meyer

By Connor Buestad (connorbuestad@gmail.com)

On a recent Tuesday evening, downtrodden from a long day of work and an even longer stretch of Bay Area fog, I flipped on the tube and took a tour of my house’s DVR contents. As it were, my roommate, a Texas transplant and former high school quarterback, had recorded "ESPN All-Access: Ohio State Training Days" for the entire house to enjoy. It was ESPN’s collegiate spinoff on HBO’s ever popular “Hard Knocks”, and I was eager to find out what kind of motivational entertainment was in store. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. By the end of the documentary, I was about ready to put my beer down and run through a wall for Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer.

This Saturday, at 9am PST, the California Golden Bears will head into football crazed Columbus, Ohio and do battle with the Buckeyes in front of a national television audience on ABC. If the show “Training Days” serves as any indication, the Bears will be encountering an angry sea of red that is ferociously hungry and desperate for success. The Horseshoe will be filled to the gills with raucous fans, all of which will be looking for blood in the water when Jeff Tedford and his troops set foot on Ohio soil.

Anyone who has followed college football over the last decade knows that Urban Meyer is a phenomenal football coach. Arguably, he is the best college football coach in the game today. In 2004, while at Utah, Meyer used Alex Smith as his quarterback to take a virtually unknown program to a 12-0 undefeated season. Meyer then moved on to Florida where he coached for six seasons. All he did there was win two National Championships in 2006 and 2008 with likes of Chris Leak and Tim Tebow leading his offenses.

What fewer people understand about Meyer is his uncontrollable obsession with the game of football. After losing in the SEC Championship game in 2009 to Alabama, Meyer was rushed to the hospital. Suffering from stress induced chest pains and dehydration, Meyer was so taxed by his quest to win it all that he was nearly having a heart attack. He quit for a few days after the incident, explaining that he needed to get healthy and spend time with his family. But sure enough, he was inevitably back inside the Florida coaches office by week's end. Since then, Meyer coached his final season at Florida, spent one year as a TV analyst, and finally found his way back to Ohio State, the place where he began his coaching life as a wide receivers coach back in 1986.

From the first whistle of “Training Days”, Urban Meyer’s unmatched passion for football comes pouring out of him. His main slogan for his players is to “bring the juice” at each and every moment of practice. Whenever he fears “the juice” is missing, Meyer lets his players know about it in a menacing, commander-in-chief type voice. He is also fond of the phrases “be a badass” and “be an angry football team”. High above the Ohio State workout facility, the phrase “Train Like an American Hero” is written for all to see upon entering.

“Training Days” makes it no secret that Urban Meyer runs his program like a tightly-knit military unit, always ready for any battle on the horizon. The 2012 version of the Buckeyes will not be eligible to play in a postseason bowl game, due to prior violations under coach Jim Tressel. All the more reason why Meyer’s ability to create such a high intensity training camp is so impressive. Meyer is so dedicated to the idea of having a close football team that he even has his players take naps together. During double-days, instead of having his team scatter for lunch in between practices, Meyer and his staff bought 70 air mattresses and sent his players into the weight room at noon and had them sleep on the floor for an hour together. The Ohio State weight room floor: Urban Meyer’s version of military barracks.

Even despite all the demands Meyer puts on his team of 18-22 year olds, “Training Days” depicts a team full of players that seem to love their football coach. If nothing else, the team respects Meyer for all the energy he puts into bringing his team to the top of the college football world. Unfortunately, Meyer has been known to let college football take over his life, with the quest of winning the national championship becoming all consuming. In the wake of Meyer’s physical breakdown at Florida and subsequent trip to the hospital, Meyer’s daughter Nicki requested that her dad sign a family contract promising that he stay healthy and well adjusted for the rest of his coaching career. Among the requests Urban had to sign for Nicki included such remedial tasks as “eating 3 meals a day” and “sleeping with the cell phone on silent”.

In Urban Meyer’s first two games at the helm in Columbus, his new team has defeated Miami of Ohio and Central Florida, both in impressive fashion. Meyer now will set his sights on the Golden Bears of Cal, a team who is in desperate need of a strong effort come Saturday. Bears’ coach Jeff Tedford, at one point credited with turning around the Cal football program, has now found himself on the the proverbial hot seat. His job security at its lowest level to date.

Tedford’s boom years saw Old Blues dawning tie dyed “Ted Head” shirts and the likes of Marshawn and DeSean running wild across the Old Memorial Stadium turf. His success earned him enough good faith to make what became a 321 Million Dollar stadium upgrade seem reasonable. But now, countless concerned eyes look to Tedford, wondering how long this stadium investment will take to generate a return.

It could very well be argued that Jeff Tedford and his staff have no reason to fear any team in the country. After all, the Bears are used to playing the likes of USC and Oregon year in and year out, both powerhouses in their own right, both ranked higher than Ohio State. That said, when Tedford scheduled this game with the Buckeyes, it was before he knew Urban Meyer would be his opponent. It was also before he knew Ohio State would be ineligible to play in a bowl game in 2012, making each regular season game, and the quest for Meyer to go undefeated all the more important.

Cal’s first two games this year have both been extremely disappointing. First, the Bears let Nevada spoil their long awaited homecoming with a 31-24 loss. Zach Maynard failed to start the game at quarterback because of a missed tutoring session over the summer, and the Bears never seemed to recover from their slow start. Cal followed this up with an uninspired victory over Southern Utah. In a game that was figured to be a blowout in favor of Berkeley, Cal committed 12 penalties and the contest was still up for grabs in the fourth quarter.

The fact of the matter is, the 2012 version of the Cal Bears are not a Rose Bowl contender. Barring something more miraculous than “The Play”, the 53 year Rose Bowl drought is going to tick one more spot to 54 by year's end. Yet, if Cal ever has dreams of getting back to the “Granddaddy of Them All”, they will have to find a way to rise to the level of the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Come Saturday morning, Bear fans the world over will turn their eyes to a football mecca, Columbus, Ohio. As Cal chases their blue and gold flag out of the tunnel and onto the Horseshoe turf, Bear Backers won’t necessarily need a win in order to be satisfied. But one thing's for sure, the Bears better well bring some juice. We all know Urban Meyer will.

Section 925 Podcast Episode 6

Section 925 Podcast Episode 6

Josh goes coastal to bring in his former college roommate and Connecticut's #1 Niners fan Huss to discuss the Niners' off-season, make game-by-game picks, and break down Week 1 versus the Pack.

“Series of Dreams” – A 49er Faithful’s 2012 Preview

By Josh Hunsucker (@jphunsucker)

*Author’s Note: In a former blogging life I wrote a weekly 49er post called “The Displaced Faithful” (I lived in Kansas) with my good buddy and Connecticut’s #1 Niners Fan, “Huss”. Last year, as I boarded up my blog for law school, I consolidated my posts into an intimate email to my homeboys. Well, with the advent of Section925.com, I guess my weekly Niner posts are back and open for public consumption. Just know the titles will generally be musically thematic (if not all Dylan) and the analysis will be inspired, or at least completely biased and homerific-logic if you can suspend reality and not think too much about it. Gracias, enjoy, and Go Niners!

If any Niners fan considers last year as anything but an amazing and sublime journey that went down in a hail of gunfire, yet everyone at the funeral was glad that the person lived that long, then you weren’t a FAITHFUL from 2002-2010. For the new bandwagon fans please click this (Faithful please do not click this) and then do the math (no disrespect to the great Brian Jennings) of why we were not in the playoffs. So yeah, while losing at home on the NFC Championship Game because of one bone-head special teams play by the 49ers and one great special teams play by the Giants was a bummer, I will take heartbreak any day over being in a numb, heartless, failing relationship (plus we got this and this and that’s ok with me).

Looking forward to this season I was trying to think about how I would break down our (yes our) chances this year. As I kept thinking, I was never thinking of anything specific that I could focus on to say “X" is why we will be good. We have all 11 defensive starters back, Alex Smith does not have a new offense to learn, we added offensive weapons at the wide-out position, we have Jim Harbaugh, we have depth at running back, Aldon Smith is going to play on downs not named third, his brother Justin is a man of men, Boobie Dixon made the roster… the list goes on. On paper there is nothing too very scientific as to why the Niners are going to be good. When you’re constantly thinking about the 49ers, like I do, they are just a dog gone good team.

Even though the schedule, compared to last year, seemingly is a hand of cards that is no good to be holding (Green Bay, Jets, Saints, and Pats on the road and no crappy third place teams like last year), the strength of schedule is, by definition, ranked a lowly 26th (if you buy into that, I don’t really but sort of). The other thing is that the 49ers are road tested from last year, so a split on the road this year for those games is not bad. For the record, I’d put my money on losses at GB and NO and wins at NY and NE. I am still rattled by the Saints fans at the Superdome when I witnessed, first-hand, 72,000 people rooting against the great UC Davis graduate, JT O’Sullivan.

I know what the critics are saying. Similarly, I don’t think that the Niners will win 13 games this season because 1) we are not sneaking up on anyone and will get everyone’s best shot, 2) our schedule has the aforementioned “four BIG road games,” plus the Lions, Bears, and Giants (oh my…sorry I hate myself for that), improved Dolphins and Bills, and the always tough game in Seattle, and 3) nothing really bad happened last year so Murphy’s Law says it will happen this year via injury (knock on wood), Seattle being super good, or something screwy happening. Having said that, The NFC West still has the Nards and the Lambs and 10 or 11 games will get the job done.

I know that I’m not making any great connections about why the Niners are going to be successful this year. And unlike the years past I am not falling for some intricate scheme or a theory that wouldn’t pass inspection. On my internal confidence barometer it seems like the path the Niners have been hurled by Coach Harbaugh is the right one. Now, I’m not going to any great extremes, like Super Bowl or bust. BUT, 10,000 Elvises and 1 Boobie Dixon can’t be wrong. Sometimes it’s inexplicable, sometimes it’s ugly, but the Niners are a tough team that get it done and there is nothing that would make me think that is going to change going into the fall of 2012.

As us Faithful walk out of the darkness of the off-season and into the weekly shadows of doubt, I’m not going to go into any great trouble over whether the 49ers will make the playoffs this year. After thinking about the Niners' future this off-season, I believe it is whatever it seems. There is nothing too heavy to burst the bubble of them making the playoffs, and once they get there, who knows... I’m just thinking of a series of dreams.