Steph Curry poured in 40 points in the Warriors' 20th consecutive win on Wednesday night in Charlotte. (photo by Nell Redmond)
Former CAL basketball player and coach and current Section925 Insider Jon Wheeler comes inside the Hoop Cave to talk Dubs, Bears and Saint Mary's Gaels early season roundball.
Antioch junior Najee Harris will play his college ball at Alabama, but first he'd like a shot at De La Salle in the NCS Championship. (Doug Duran)
By Connor Buestad | Connor@Section925.com
Thanksgiving has arrived and with it comes copious amounts of food and football to consume over the next few days. Starting with your backyard game with Uncle Larry, to the Cam Newton Show in Dallas, to rivalry week in the college ranks, this long weekend is about as close as one gets to a pigskin paradise.
Fortunately for Bay Area football junkies, there will be more to talk about over your Turkey Day spread than the Raiders three game losing streak or CAL’s disappointing second half of the season in Berkeley. Instead, feel free to read below and get up to speed on the high school football scene. The North Coast Section playoffs are in full swing, with teams all over the area providing enticing final four matchups both tomorrow and Saturday at a field near you.
Oakland Section Playoffs -- Silver Bowl Championship No. 1 McClymonds (11-0) vs. No. 2 Fremont (6-5) 3pm Friday at Laney College
Well let’s call an audible from the jump here and discuss a game that is neither a final four tilt, nor an NCS game. Instead, it’s the Silver Bowl, which crowns the champion of the Oakland Athletic League. These OAL teams don’t participate in the traditional NCS bracket, but the winner will likely earn a spot in the state championship bracket that culminates at Sacramento State this year.
As one can imagine, the Silver Bowl has quite the rich history. A game that traditionally was played at the Oakland Coliseum saw the likes of Marshawn Lynch enjoy coming out parties in front of East Bay faithful. Today, some argue that OAL football has lost a step, and the Silver Bowl now is played in more humble digs at Laney College, north of the Coliseum.
Mack comes into this game riding an impressive five game Silver Bowl winning streak, so the safe money is certainly on the Warriors in this one. That said, Mack only beat Fremont 7-0 earlier this season, so an upset isn't out of the question.
McClymonds has been no stranger to controversy over the last two seasons. Last year, Danville native Kevin Davidson decided to commute to West Oakland to play for Mack, where he put up staggering numbers and earned a scholarship to UC Davis. It wasn’t long, however, that he was ruled ineligible due to zoning issues and had to return to San Ramon Valley for his senior season.
This year, Mack assistant coach De’Carlos Anderson was filmed on a team bus getting into a heated altercation with a player. Even still, head coach Michael Peters has guided his team to a perfect record in 2015 and they seem poised for their sixth Silver Bowl victory.
NCS Playoffs Division 1 Semifinal: No. 4 Pittsburgh (10-2) at No. 1 De La Salle (10-1) 7pm Friday in Concord
So now to the North Coast Section and who better to start with than De La Salle? The Spartans began the year ranked number 1 in the entire nation, only to lose their first game. Granted, it was on the road in Texas versus powerhouse Trinity, but De La certainly doesn’t accept any kind of losing. Young coach Justin Alumbaugh quickly circled the wagons and the Spartans easily reeled off 10 impressive wins in a row, including a 52-6 drubbing of Long Beach Poly, a team dripping with D1 and even NFL prospects.
On the other side of the ball is Pittsburg, a team all too accustomed to the top-to-bottom strength of De La Salle. This would be a monumental upset for Pitt to pull off, especially considering their losses to Monte Viste and Antioch already this year. If Pittsburgh expects to have a chance, running back Montaz Thompson and wideout Jordan Parker must have career days in Concord.
NCS Playoffs Division 1 Semifinal: No. 3 Foothill (11-0) at No. 2 Antioch (11-0) 7pm Saturday at Antioch HS
On the other side of the Division 1 bracket, we have a very enticing matchup of two 11-0 teams in Foothill and Antioch.
The player to watch in this one is Antioch’s junior running back Najee Harris, owner of 33 touchdowns already this year. Just like current Alabama Crimson Tide star Derrick Henry, the gifted Antioch running back also wears number 2 and lets dreads flow out the back of his helmet. At 6’2” – 222lbs, Harris is a can’t-miss back that seamlessly mixes speed and power. Surely, it would be a treat to see him face off with De La Salle’s heralded defense in the D1 NCS final.
NCS Playoffs Division 2 Semifinal: No. 3 Concord (8-4) at No. 2 Miramonte (11-1) 7pm Saturday in Orinda
Jack Schram’s Miramonte Matadors have put together an impressive 11-1 season, their only blemish coming to defending state champion Campolindo. Traditionally speaking, the Mats wouldn’t think twice about beating Concord, but this is not your father’s Minutemen. Concord has been red-hot as of late, with Harold Tidwell leading the way from the running back position. In three of their last four games, the Minutemen have managed to put up 50 points or more. It will be up to Miramonte’s Tim Tague (QB) and Clayton Stehr (RB) to keep the Concord offense off the field.
NCS Playoffs Division 2 Semifinal: No. 4 Granada (6-6) at No. 1 Clayton Valley Charter (10-1) 7pm Friday at Clayton Valley
The Clayton Valley Ugly Eagles lost in the State Championship game last year at the StubHub Center and are eager to get back. Their offense has been bit by the injury bug, but a strong defense should propel them past a six loss Granada team.
NCS Playoffs Division 3 Semifinal: No. 4 Bishop O’ Dowd (7-5) at No. 1 Campolindo (11-1) 7pm Friday in Moraga
Campolindo’s dramatic, come-from-behind victory in last year’s State Title game over El Capitan will go down as one of the best amateur football games in Bay Area history. Just ask 49ers veteran beat writer Matt Maiocco, who watched the heroics from the bowels of Levi’s Stadium.
Kevin Macy has a hungry team back for another championship run in 2015, their only loss coming on the road at Napa 21-14. Their next test will be the Dragons of O’ Dowd, the private school in Oakland more known for their basketball program as of late. Jacob Westphal leads the Campo offense under center, flanked by junior running backs Matt Ringquist and Nikki Moore. The Cougar defense is anchored by Jack Cassiday and Devin Regan. The winner of this one will meet either Analy (Sebastapol) or Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park) in the NCS D3 final.
NCS Playoffs Division 4 Semifinal: No. 4 Moreau Catholic (11-1) at No. 1 Marin Catholic (10-1) 1pm Saturday in Kentfield
Even with the success of NFL prospect Jared Goff, the Wildcats of Marin Catholic are still keeping it old school and playing afternoon playoff games in Kentfield. Even without Friday night lights, Marin Catholic continues to churn out great quarterbacks. Their current QB is Darius Peterson, who unlike Goff, is just as comfortable running the ball as he is sitting in the pocket. Just like O’ Dowd, Moreau is more known for their basketball prowess, but running back Jullen Ison’s six TD’s in last weekend’s playoff game has the Mariners thinking ‘Ship. The winner of this one will face Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) or Fortuna in the D4 Final.
(Make sure to follow @Section925 on twitter, instagram, facebook and snapchat for updates on big moments in Bay Area sports)
With their 111-77 rout of the Los Angeles Lakers, the Warriors became the first NBA team in history to begin a season 16-0. Relive the special night at Oracle with this photo essay. Photographers include Thearon W. Henderson, Doug Duran and Ray Chavez.
Jabari Bird is one of five Golden Bears averaging double figures (photo by Tony Avelar)
By Connor Buestad | Connor@Section925.com
In keeping with preseason hype and expectations, the 2015-2016 Golden Bears basketball team has not disappointed through the first four games. They’ve played a cupcake schedule thus far no doubt, but reassuringly, the Bears have yet to show any chinks in their armor en route to a flawless start in Berkeley.
Still yet to play on the road, Cuonzo Martin’s collection of youthful talent has breezed through the likes of Rice, Santa Barbara, East Carolina and Sam Houston State, none of which ever seemed to pose much of a threat. Martin’s starting five of Tyrone Wallace, Jordan Mathews, Jabari Bird, Ivan Rabb and Jaylen Brown have shared the ball beautifully thus far with each of the starters averaging double figures.
Wallace has led the Bears in scoring with 20-a-game, followed by future first rounder Brown. Wallace has racked up the assists as well, mostly due to the fact that weapons constantly seem to be open for the senior guard to pick and chose from.
Now with time under their belts to take off the training wheels, the ultra-competitive Martin is chomping at the bit to put his team up against some formidable competition. He’ll get to do so on Thanksgiving night at the Orleans Casino-Arena in Las Vegas versus San Diego State.
Thursday night’s Turkey Day special will air on Fox Sports 1, and pit upstart Coach Martin against 70-year-old Steve Fisher. Fisher has been at San Diego State for well over a decade now, but still is best known for his Fab-5 teams during his days in Ann Arbor. The Aztecs were picked to win the Mountain West a few weeks ago, but losses at Utah and at home to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) have some wondering if Fisher is finally losing his edge. Regardless, Martin insists he’s seen SDSU play (see interview below) and expects them to be “physical, athletic, and long,” especially on defense. Malik Pope and his signature flat-top seems to be a sure-fire first round pick. Expect more than a few dunks in this one to accompany your pumpkin pie.
Assuming the Bears win on Thursday, CAL will match up with Bob “Huggy Bear” Huggins a day later in the two day tourney’s championship game (assuming WVU beats Richmond). A member of the very tough Big-12, the Mountaineers have nobody on their roster over 6’9." It’s safe to expect a run-and-gun affair in this one against the Bears’ equally small lineup, so take the over if you’re in Sin City giving thanks over the weekend.
“Press Virginia” as people like to call Huggy’s squad made it to the Sweet 16 last year, before bowing out to Kentucky. Devin Williams in an inside-outside threat, Jevon Carter is a pest on defense and Esa Ahmad was Ohio’s High School Player of the Year. Perhaps most importantly, Huggins will feel right at home screaming his head off on a Las Vegas sideline.
Expect the Bears to return to the East Bay with a 6-0 record, along with a Las Vegas trophy to add to the case. Enjoy Thanksgiving, but save some room for the Bears.
(Photo by Stephen Dunn)
Long time listener, first-time caller Evan Raskin makes his first appearance on the Bianca's Fresh Take Hotline to talk hoops with Connor. Raskin briefly discusses his days on Tobacco Road, hypes the 12-0 Warriors, bashes Doc Rivers and tells us what to look for around the NBA.
J Torchio (#11) beat John Elway in the 1980 Big Game.John Tuggle (#31) was the subject of ESPN's 30for30 "The Irrelevant Giant." (photo courtesy of Steve Oldenbourg)
Big Game Pod! Former Cal QB J Torchio and Stanford LB Chris Hawkins join @Tripperino inside the Podcenter for a point-counterpoint on the 2015 Big Game and reflections on their favorite Big Game memories.
No. 14 CAL's season opener is Friday night vs. the Rice Owls. (Photo by John Polzer of calbears.com)
By Connor Buestad | Connor@Section925.com
Let’s start with some perspective: In the modern era of college basketball, we’ll say after 1960, CAL basketball has appeared in the Sweet 16 just twice. Not once have they marched their way into the Elite Eight. 55 years later, the CAL basketball program is being described around the nation as a shoo-in to make the Round of 16, with realistic expectations of a Final Four run. Loaded with a starting lineup consisting of three potential NBA first rounders, a coach with a proven thirst for winning, and a fan base overdue for success, the vibe has never been better along Bancroft Way.
In his first year at the helm in Berkeley, head coach Cuonzo Martin led a relatively young group of Bears to a 7-11 mark in PAC-12 play. With the return of Jordan Mathews and Jabari Bird, Coach Martin figured to have a solid core to work around for the 2015-16 campaign. Get one year bigger and stronger, sprinkle in some talented freshmen and go at it in year two. That’s the narrative most Old Blues expected to unfold. What happened next, no one could have predicted.
First, Tyrone Wallace announced he would be returning for his senior year. How Cuonzo convinced Mr. Wallace to stay is anyone’s guess. The 6’5” point guard has been described by NBA scouts as someone ready for the League. He averaged over 17 points last year in a tough PAC-12. Most expected him to move on to greener pastures, but Cuonzo convinced him otherwise. The first domino had fallen.
With senior facilitator Wallace committed for one more year, Cuonzo set off into the deep dark waters of big time college basketball recruiting in search of the biggest fish he could find. His SEC roots led him first to Georgia, where he fell in love with All-Everything Jaylen Brown. A top-five blue chip recruit destined for the NBA. A player the likes of Coach K and Calipari and Izzo all salivate over. The type of player that doesn’t move to Berkeley to play amateur basketball for a year. Cuonzo still went after him.
Yet no matter how thick of a sales pitch Coach Martin had up his sleeve, he would need one more piece of bait to reel in a player of his stature. Namely a top-10 national recruit that could help clean the glass, distract the defense and catch lobs for 40 minutes a night. That’s where Ivan Rabb came in.
At 6’11” and skilled, Rabb too had options of his own. Virtually any school in the country was clamoring for his services, namely the Arizona Wildcats. Young Ivan was still undecided when he took the floor of the California State Championship Game vs. So-Cal power Mater Dei. Conveniently, the Saturday night game was played inside Haas Pavilion, in front of a loud, passionate crowd not only rooting for a Bishop O’ Dowd win, but to “Beat L.A.” Rabb clearly enjoyed the atmosphere, winning the game in the final seconds with a clutch free-throw and bringing his Oakland high school their first state title in 34 years. As students and fans rushed the floor to celebrate the triumph, you could almost see Ivan thinking, “Hey, I could really get used to this whole scene.”
Days later, Rabb signed on to be a Bear, spurning Arizona in the eleventh hour. Now with his first big fish in the ice chest, Cuonzo got greedy and went looking for more. If the best player in the nation in Ben Simmons signed with LSU, maybe Cuonzo could convince Jaylen Brown to come to CAL.
When Cuonzo Martin speaks, people listen. (Photo by John Polzer)
How Cuonzo really convinced Brown to pick CAL is tough to tell. Some point to the fact that Cuonzo had a relationship with him during his days at Tennessee. Others claim that Shareef Abdur-Rahim, a graduate of Brown's Georgia high school, played a major role. What we do know, is that Brown took an unexpected unofficial visit to Berkeley (Brown had to pay) and took a look around the Bay Area and sat down with Coach Martin. Kentucky, North Carolina and Michigan all bent over backward for the ultra-athletic swingman. But, out of nowhere, Jaylen Brown announced he would be taking his talents to Berkeley.
Suddenly, CAL boasted a starting five with three McDonald’s All-Americans (Brown, Rabb, and Bird), as well as two future pros (Wallace and Mathews). After the dust settled from Martin’s unprecedented recruiting haul, Martin said simply, “You work hard, do your job to the best of your ability and it goes back to building relationships over time. Then sometimes you’re blessed with a gift.”
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If looking at the history of CAL basketball tells us anything, it’s that talent matters a whole lot. Certainly, having phenomenal coaches like Lou Campanelli and Mike Montgomery is a blessing and a backbone for any basketball program. But, as most coaches will tell you, it’s the players on the floor that makes the most impact. When Todd Bozeman led the Bears past Duke into the Sweet 16 in 1993, he was only 29-years-old. Surely, Jason Kidd and Lamond Murray were running that show. In ‘97, the last time CAL made the Sweet 16, Ben Braun was in just his first year at CAL. Safe to say Ed Gray, Tony Gonzalez, Alfred Grigsby and Randy Duck were mainly responsible for that run. As these coaches logged more experience in Berkeley, they didn’t necessarily have more success. Talent was the not-so-secret sauce.
Cuonzo Martin seems to understand this trend, judging by the way he’s pursued the best talent in the country to set up his program for success. It also doesn’t hurt that CAL’s second year head coach was a star player himself at Purdue alongside Big Dog Glenn Robinson. Neither does it hurt that he learned to coach under Gene Keady, played in the NBA, beat cancer, and navigated the mean streets of East Saint Louis as a youth. As a head coach, Cuonzo has taken struggling programs in Missouri State and Tennessee and put them back on solid ground. He’s already done exactly that during his short stint in Berkeley.
The new-look Bears will officially take the floor for the first time together this Friday night at home versus Rice. Ranked 14th in the nation, most hoop pundits foresee a second place finish in the PAC-12 for the Bears behind mainstay Arizona. The main question marks surrounding CAL are whether they will be able to share the ball and defend consistently. Critics also wonder how accurate Jaylen Brown will shoot and how strong Ivan Rabb will be in the paint.
Most of these questions will be answered during CAL’s non-conference schedule starting this weekend. This Monday the Bears will host UC Santa Barbara of the Big West and over Thanksgiving they will square off with San Diego State former Fab-Five head coach Steve Fisher. Most likely, CAL will meet Bob Huggins and West Virginia on day two of their Las Vegas’ T-Day tourney. Other notable non-conference games include a mid-December home game vs. St. Mary’s of Moraga, an ESPN televised roadie at Virginia, and a post Christmas game against Steph Curry’s alma mater Davidson.
Barring a disaster, CAL will be firmly in the mix when Selection Sunday rolls around in March. If all goes according to plan, the Bears will own a favorable seed heading into the Big Dance, with plenty of late-night SportsCenter highlights already under their belt. As every CAL fan can attest, what will happen in postseason play is tough to tell. God knows Bears supporters have endured their share of heartbreaking seasons (the 2015 Bears Football recent four game skid comes to mind). But will the talent Cuonzo Martin has assembled in Berkeley (he even added Steve Kerr’s son for good measure), the sky really is the limit in Berkeley.
"For the love of elevation." Jaylen Brown will wear #0 in Berkeley.
Peter Vogt, Director of "The Play" movie and Steve Dunn, #3 on the field during The Play, come into the Section925 Podcenter to reminisce about The Play and the making of the film. Go to theplaymovie.com for tickets, to download a copy, or order a DVD.
(Special thanks to Executive Producer Dagmar Ortman for making the podcast possible.)
A legendary play that has become part of the lore of college football celebrates its 25th anniversary! Go Bears!!! Visit http://CalBears.com for tickets and information
"Air Iggy" (Photo by Ezra Shaw)
By Michael S. Rampa
The Warriors improved their record to 8-0 after defeating the Detroit Pistons 109-95 on Monday night at The Oracle. That makes it 23 straight regular season W's for the Warriors in Oakland dating back to last year. No other team in Golden State history has started a season this hot since they moved to the Bay Area in 1962. Michael Jordan's record season of 72-10 is still in play. Hell, 82-0 should still be considered a possibility so long as Steph Curry is in the lineup every night. The Warriors are stupid good.
Through the first eight games, this might be the most unselfish Warriors team I've ever watched. They lead the league in scoring, averaging just an eyelash under 115 points per game and their assists per game is sitting north of 26 per. They move the ball so beautifully and players routinely pass up a good look at the rim to get a teammate a better shot. It's truly the way basketball was meant to be played.
The Dubs are always laughing, slapping hands and the bench goes crazy when Curry hits a big three or Iguodala slams down a dunk with authority. These Warriors set picks and screens for each other. They are willing to step in the lane and take a hit from a 6’10" power forward barreling down on them to force a charge. Everywhere you look, up and down the lineup, every player seems to be fully invested. Winning is their bottom line and it’s all they seem to care about.
I realize team chemistry alone will not win you championships, not to mention back-to-back titles. You have to have the talent to go with it. Steph Curry, the reigning MVP and the team's clear alpha dog, is the fourth highest paid player on the team this year. The fourth! He could have walked into Joe Lacob’s office before training camp and demand he rip up his current contract.
Of course, he didn’t do that. Not Steph's style. He is a team first guy and realizes he needs good players around him to add to his championship résumé. Steph knows he will get his monster contract soon enough and we all are aware that he could score 50 points almost every night if he wanted to. But is that what’s best for the team? Not according to Curry. An assist is just as important to him and he loves getting his teammates the ball with a nifty pass to excite the Roaracle crowd.
Surely, the road through the Western Conference will be tougher than ever this year. The Clippers are better than last year, as is San Antonio, and Houston will be right there again down the stretch. Oklahoma City has Kevin Durant back, so that instantly makes them a force again as well in the West.
As it stands, the Warriors are clearly the best team in the NBA. They are firing on all cylinders through these first eight games and doing it without their head coach, Steve Kerr. Fortunately, Luke Walton has done a nice job running the team in his absence. Similar to when a CEO goes on a safari and someone under him or her is left in charge of the company. They simply need to read the “how to manual,” follow the CEO’s orders and don’t change anything while they are away. Walton has taken over the reigns beautifully, and there is no reason to believe he can't keep it up. Clearly, the players respond well to his style.
If the next 74 games are as entertaining as the first eight, then Dubs fans are in for a wild ride. Somehow, Steve Kerr's back injury has done nothing more than speed this team up, rather than slow them down. Tomorrow they'll walk into Memphis 8-0. The smart money says they'll fly out unblemished. Perhaps the haters should have held their tongue. The Dubs are rolling.
(Photo by Jeff Ragasa)
KTVU Weatherdude Bill Martin joins Baseball Insider Jon Zuber at Venture Quality Goods to talk Baseball, Beer, Barometric Pressure, and how El Niño will impact your 2015-16 ski season.
(Photo by Jeff Ragasa)
KTVU Weatherdude Bill Martin joins Baseball Insider Jon Zuber at Venture Quality Goods to talk Baseball, Beer, Barometric Pressure, and how El Niño will impact your 2015-16 ski season.
KTVU Weatherdude Bill Martin joins Baseball Insider Jon Zuber at Venture Quality Goods to talk Baseball, Beer, Barometric Pressure, and how El Niño will impact your 2015-16 ski season.
39 years young, Charles Woodson continues to be a force in the Raiders' secondary (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson)
By Merlin Edwards III I @Trey_Me
When the Oakland Raiders travel to Pittsburgh this weekend to face the Steelers, they no doubt have a tough task ahead of them. Playing on the road in the Steel City is never an easy task, regardless the year.
The upstart Raiders head into the game at 4-3, good enough for a Wild Card spot if the playoffs started today. This is the first time in quite a while when a Raiders-Steelers game has held any kind of significance in November. The Steelers are still hanging onto playoff hopes despite having key injuries to major players on their team. First Ben Roethlisberger went down, followed by Le'Veon Bell who was lost for the season. Unfortunately for the Raiders, however, they still have one of the best receivers on the planet in Antonio Brown. Not to mention the fact that Big Ben is back in the fold, showing signs of the high passing production he's known for.
In order for the Raiders to win this game, Oakland's defense must do a couple of different things to slow this Steelers offense down:
• The secondary cannot give up big plays to Antonio Brown or any of their other deep threats. They need to keep from being leaky in the pass game by playing man coverage with help over the top, by the safeties. Trust your front seven to get pressure on the QB and man up on 80% of plays, just like in the Chargers game. The Steelers have a deep receiving corps, but trust the DB's to hold their own as they have done in recent weeks. Short passes are okay here and there, but never the deep balls, because they will be attempted often by Big Ben.
• Stop the Tight End! One of the only things the Raiders defense has been really bad at this year is slowing down the TE. Almost every opposing team has had a touchdown or a big yardage day by their slot receiver or Tight End. Oakland needs to use that platoon system with the linebackers and find a way to stop Heath Miller.
• The Defensive line has to continue its dominance up front. With DeAngelo Williams starting for the injured Bell, the Raiders have to stay stout and keep the running game from getting going. In the few games that Williams started, he played very well, but that cannot continue. Without slowing the run game down, Big Ben will carve up this secondary and it will be on the offense to score a ton of points to keep up.
• Kahlil Mack and Aldon Smith need to each have a sack. If both guys can get to Big Ben at least once, that will mean the defensive line will have a good day as a whole. There are seemingly always a couple different guys who get pressure because of different blitz packages, so if Mack and Smith can get there as well, it bodes well for the front seven.
• Tackles need to be finished every time. If any of the playmakers on the Steelers get in the open field and start breaking tackles, it will not be good news. Not only would that give up huge plays to Brown who has incredible breakaway ability, but the Steelers only need two or three of those per game to eek out wins. Pittsburgh is a good team and little fundamental mistakes like missing tackles will be exploited.
It may seem like a tall task to ask the Raiders to be successful in every one of those aspects, but if they can get close to playing a complete game on defense, this can be another blowout in favor of Oakland. The Steelers have enough weapons to get first downs and chew the clock, but if the Raiders hold them to field goals and limit touchdowns, the offense may be able to outscore Pittsburgh's.
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Looking at the offensive side of the ball, Derek Carr is playing at an elite level, and the weapons at his disposal are close behind him. The steelers have been pretty good at generating turnovers this season, but with the way Carr is playing, they will be lucky to get one. Here are a couple keys for the raiders offense:
• The Offensive Line needs to keep Derek Carr clean. It was surprising when the Jets top 5 defensive line could not sack DC last week. The Pittsburgh D-Line is not as good, but Coach Mike Tomlin loves to run a lot of exotic blitzes. Unlike previous years, the Steelers secondary does not have a ton of sacks, but they blitz more than 3 or 4 a lot on passing downs. Center, Rodney Hudson, needs to keep up his Pro Bowl season and lead this line to another great day.
• The backfield as a whole needs to have another big game. This is not the big bad Pittsburgh Steel Curtain defense of yonder. They still have some nasty guys up front, but they have shown that they can be moved around a bit. Hopefully, Latavius Murray can have a good game, but if not, Taiwan Jones and Marcell Reece need to have a chance to get out of the backfield and get the ball in space. The lightning speed of Jones along with the size and quickness of Reece can really cause problems in the open field.
• Amari Cooper needs to have a huge game. This is one of the first times that he is not going to be facing a top 10 cover cornerback this season. Even the least talented teams that Oakland has played have had a really good DB. (Joe Haden on the Browns and Jimmy Smith on the Ravens). Antwon Blake and William Gay are decent players but Amari can absolutely torch both of them. Look for some deep routes in the first couple series from AC/DC.
• Whether the Raiders are up big, down big, or in a close game, they need to finish strong. The last two weeks they have been fortunate to be ahead by a couple scores and thus went into prevent-defense mode. It did not work either time, and the games were closer in the end than they should have been. The offense needs to put these games away in those situations. The Raiders must use their O-Line and get first downs by running the ball and throwing short completions to run the clock out. The only way opposing teams can get back in games is if they have the ability to get the ball back to their offense.
The offense has the potential to do all of those things, and there is a good chance they will win if they do. If they can play their game on offense, it might not matter how much the Steelers can score. Big Ben seems to still be feeling his injury a little bit, and the Raiders can exploit that as well. The defense needs to be able to hold its own but if it comes down to a shootout in the high 30's, Oakland can still win the game. There are more holes on the defensive side for the Raiders, but the offense may show that it is good enough to pull out a big win on the road.
Prediction: 24-21 Raiders. Oakland gets a win on a Janikowski field goal.
Jed being Jed.
By Devin Wright | @TheRealReno
It took eight weeks into the Niners' season for it to finally all come crumbling down. All the hard work, all the joy, all the excitement that the franchise built starting in 2011. It all just got flushed down the toilet.
On Monday, the Niners traded Vernon Davis, and somehow decided that Blaine Gabbert would be better than starting Colin Kaepernick. An unreal turn of events made real by the weak leadership of Jed York, and the poor work done by Trent Baalke (look at these draft classes starting in 2011.) Baalke is generally given credit for 2010, but that draft was laid out by Scot McCloughan... before he was released for hitting the bottle too hard.
So with that, I'd like to take a moment to unpack some of this. I'd like to take a look back to see where all this went so terribly wrong.
2014-15 Season - The Unraveling
The Niners had just come off a heartbreaking loss to Seattle in the NFC championship game. It was their third trip in three seasons under Jim Harbaugh, losing two and winning one before losing the Super Bowl to Baltimore. About a month before the season, a report came out that the the Niners actually tried to trade their head coach to Cleveland for some draft picks. That was then denied by the front office, but confirmed by Cleveland's (remember this as we go on). Then reports started coming out from Trent Dilfer, Dion Sanders, and Jay Glazer that Harbaugh has been losing the locker room. That the players were unhappy with him because he was grinding them too hard in practice.
As the season progressed, we slowly kept hearing negative things leaked about Harbaugh. That he let the players dress in different locker rooms, that he didn't care about the new stadium. That he and Baalke no longer were on speaking terms, that he pulled the players off of the Levi's field during practice to embarrass the owners. The list of stories just kept growing.
After an 8-8 season, Jed York and Trent Baalke told the media that they have had a mutual parting of ways with the winningest coach they have had under the York ownership. In the words of right guard Alex Boone, "He (Harbaugh) does a great job of giving you that spark, that initial boom," Boone said, via NBC Sports. "But after a while, you just want to kick his ass. He just keeps pushing you, and you're like, 'Dude, we got over the mountain. Stop. Let go.' He kind of wore out his welcome."
Falling short in the Super Bowl shouldn't equate to getting over the mountain. But Boone serves as a voice for the front office, so it makes sense that he would say something that reflects how the owners feel.
2015 Offseason - "A Mutual Parting"
In an interview with KNBR, York bumbled his way through questioning and stood by this "mutual parting of ways" narrative. He pounded his chest and said that the Niners needed to win Super Bowls, win with class, and that he could be held accountable for all of this.
My take on this is that Jed really thought they were a Super Bowl winning team and by saying "I should be held responsible," it meant that when the Niners eventually won the Super Bowl, he will be the one responsible for it. I don't think he realized the backlash that would come from it should the team falter. It's a perfect representation of someone who does not think ahead, or consider every scenario when thinking through a decision.
Once a symbol of San Francisco's bright future, Colin Kaepernick has now been benched in favor of Blaine Gabbert. (Photo by Michael B. Thomas)
They started a coaching search that was a mess from the get-go, with endless signs that they had no apparent plan in place to hire a quality replacement. They told Fangio he was out, let Roman go to Buffalo, the told Adam Gaase that if he was hired he needed to hire Jim Tomasula as his DC, to which Gaase polity said, "I don't even get to hire my own staff, who are you guys? I'll pass."
So the Niners ended up promoting Tomasula to HC, Eric Mangini to DC, and Geep Chryst to OC. Read that again and try not to laugh. For me, this was the proof of what I mentioned above. The leadership had, and continues to have, no vision or remote idea of what their plan was and is.
The veteran players like Justin Smith, Frank Gore, and Patrick Willis all took a look around and decided they would be better off elsewhere, or even retiring. Chris Borland and Anthony Davis decided taking a break from football/not getting paid, would be better than playing for this staff. Hell, Michael Crabtree was offered more money by the Niners and he still decided to move across The Bay to play second fiddle to Amari Cooper and catch passes from a 2nd year QB instead of playing for York, Baalke, and their lap dogs.
Rumor is, at an owner's meeting, Jed York began telling people that he thought this team would go 11-5. He even made a comparison to the firing of Warriors coach Mark Jackson, and the hiring of Steve Kerr. I guess when you build a stale stadium 60 miles south of the team’s city, you really get on the high horse.
This Season - The Nosedive
It only took three games into the season for the owners to realize how wrong they had it. The offense looked terrible in losses to Pittsburgh and Arizona. The defense was being thrown on like it was a passing league tournament at DVC, and Kap's regressing was so bad that the coaches even admitted they could not trust him to throw in 3rd and long situations.
(Side note: competent coaching would be not telling the whole league that you don't trust your QB in certain situations. It kinda makes it easy to game plan for.)
Fans, and writers began asking where York and Baalke were in all this. Did they have anything to say publicly? Of course they didn't. Instead, they pulled their finger off the dam, and started again with the leaks. First by telling Jay Glazer that Kap was too isolated and losing the locker room (sound familiar?) Reports of a locker room fight between Vernon Davis and Joe Staley soon came out. And who had to answer of all these stories? Poor Jim Tomasula, a guy who could barely utter a complete sentence at his first press conference. He compared the fight to being at an Italian dinner, and that in the end, everyone kisses and makes up. You just shake your head when the coach compares his team to a family squabbling over chicken parm.
Now eight weeks into a terrible season we all could see coming, the Niners have dealt the corpse of Vernon Davis to Denver, and finally decided that Kap's career in SF is done. On Sunday against the Falcons, the Niners will roll out Blaine Gabbert, who will hand the ball to Kendall Gaskins, throw to Vance McDonald, and be protected by Erik Pears, Marcus Martin, and Jordan Devey. Oh boy.
Fans have already started looking to the future. Talk about trading Joe Staley, drafting Jared Goff, and starting the rebuild process has quietly begun. But think about that future with what is currently in place. The coaching staff is inept, meaning good young players will not develop. And how could anyone trust Baalke with making good picks in the draft anyway?
Arguably the best pick he has made has just been benched for Blaine Gabbert. The best player he has drafted that currently is a starter might be a fullback. And with Jed York believing that leadership is collecting Levi Stadium cash, hiding in the shadows, and leaking unflattering stories about players and coaching staffs, I just don't see how anyone could have faith in the future.
The Niners are waiving the white flag. But this isn't waiving a white flag for the season, this is a white flag for the franchise under Jed York and Trent Baalke.
For Jim Tomsula, 2015 has been a season spent searching for answers. (Photo by Christian Petersen)
USC'S SOPHOMORE SENSATION JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER IS THE LEADING RECEIVER IN THE PAC-12. (PHOTO BY RALF CHEUNG)
Football Insider J Torchio tip-toes back into the podcenter to discuss Cal's loss to UCLA, preview Cal/USC, and whether anything is predictable in the wild 2015 PAC-12.
Photo | Ben Margot
By Josh Hunsucker | @jphunsucker
Let the games begin. Last season, I got to see the first Warriors title of my life. I’m still thankful and have to keep pinching myself to make sure it's still real. One thing I didn’t anticipate as fan of the WORLD CHAMPION GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS was, for how great it was to win the title, no one in the media or on a team that has never won anything, let alone was even good enough to face us (yes us) in last year’s playoffs, can’t wait to discredit our (yes our) title as less than a true World Championship. Let’s make it clear, WE ARE CHAMPIONSHIP. Does it take a certain amount of luck to win any title? YUP. Can a title be won on luck alone? NOPE. Did WE earn that title? YUP. Are we Championship? YUP.
After the Golden State Warriors won the 2015 NBA Championship, "Brazilian Blur" Leandro Barbosa (who famously predicted the Warriors would win it all) was very happy.
The best part of all of the Warriors title undercutting is that it has given the Dubs plenty of motivation not to be complacent with just winning the 2014–15 title. Last year the Warriors couldn’t win by going small. Now, they are the de facto faux-champions in an alternate universe where LeBron won the series but somehow lost the title, or vice versa?
No way. Now, the title defense maybe means a little more to the Warriors as a collective group. Klay and Bogut are clearly pissed. Even the generally middle of the road MVP, Steph Curry gave a great “apology” for winning the title. I can’t wait for these guys to defend the title.
And I can’t think of a better way for me to do my part to defend the title than to pump out an unnecessarily long retro-diary of opening night! WE GON’ BE CHAMPIONSHIP 2.0 starts tonight. STANCE!
Photo | Scott Strazzante
Pregame
Pump-up Video: I am a sucker for pump-up videos. If you remember the 2008 Celtics Finals pre-game video, that is the gold standard with a maniacal Kevin Garnett inexplicably yelling at everyone in the Garden. It’s hard to do a championship pre-game video, so much to fit in but you have to keep it tight. I give this one a B+ mostly because I have no other one to compare it to but because the great “Strength in Numbers” motto was shadowed by some Joe Lacob “look at me, this lonely banner, look at what I did, I said I would bring a title to Golden State and I did” self-aggrandizing opening shots. And in his defense, he did do all of that and I am very thankful for him but just leave it out of the pump-up video. Other than that nice overview of the season, it was fairly accurate showing the Dubs only making threes and dunks (one Curry reverse lay-up), and a solid recap. EVERYBODY GET GOLDEN!!
Ring Ceremony: Does anyone find it weird that we include the Philly Championships? Golden State has two titles if you ask me. When you have to immediately question the “4x Champs” post-title t-shirts there is something wrong.
Adam Silver is awesome. Short sweet speech and the reason the NBA is on the way up and the NFL is on the way down.
God I am excited for the abbreviated Luke Walton era! The crowd is already on his side. Bill is a phone call away for sage advice and I’m sure Bob Weir is too.
Bogut with the middle finger fitting! He wasn’t lying!
Wait, how was Curry not given his ring last? Alphabetical order? Come on Warriors, I know that you haven’t won the title in 40 years but let’s not burry the lead. AANNNND to wrap it up BRRRRAAAAAANDON RUSH and KLLLLAY THOMPSON!
Photo | Ezra Shaw
Banner Raising: Steph for president 2016! The guy gets it. I thought his parade speech was great but he just killed it again! Freddie Mercury blasting…goose bumps. That banner is beautiful.
[TNT cuts to commercial] In my mind, smash cut to Coach Luke “OK guys lets get out there and have a day!!” and the team just looks glazed over from the pregame hoopla. I want to know the record of NBA champs in their title defense home opener after all of the pre-game (earned and justified) self-agrandizing? It can’t be good. Remember the Steph MVP playoff game? They played in a post-coital daze. Can’t wait. Actually, who cares were are the champs!
RIP FLIP/Anthem: Nice touch to honor Flip Saunders. As a KG lover you have to tip your cap to Flip. Naya with the PIPES. USA! Let’s go! God, Alvin Gentry wants to kick our ass tonight.
Photo | Noah Graham
1st Quarter
12:00: Dear God, C-Webb is the color guy are they trying to do some weird Don Nelson curse? What’s happening? Very happy to see the Dubs didn’t get crazy with the championship opening night unis. Simple Larry O’Brien trophy and gold number outline, classy.
11:34: No, no, no…Draymond! How many Draymond “I got this” opening three point misses did we have last year? Need stats on the percentage that landed and our win/loss record.
10:55: Bogut with a prayer pass that landed, awful defense by Nate Robinson. Steph is so damn smooth. The crowd is officially hyped the DEFENSE chant is palpable on my TV with the volume only at 10 because everyone is asleep.
9:14: Steph 3-pointer no.1.
8:55–8:39: C-Webb (and America) astonished the Kendrick Perkins looked competent on offense. No hyperbole that was the best Perk move of all time. Maybe the Pelicans won’t have to go to Anthony Davis 99.99% of the time tonight to get buckets. “Here we see Hakeem, I mean Perkins.” C-Webb playing loose tonight.
6:50: Steph 3-Pointer no. 2.
6:19: So much for not coming out fired up. These guys came out guns blazed. “You talking rings?”
5:45: Loving the Steph v. Perk scoring battle. This is what the NBA wants.
5:02–4:38: Steph 3-Pointer no. 3. Shouldn’t Coach Gentry know that you have to pick up Steph at half court? Uncontested 3’s will be wet. SPLASH. Steph looking determined to eviscerate the Pelicans and the NBA. I’m sure the Clippers think the Dubs are lucky for not drawing them on opening night. Cant’ wait.
3:56: Steph 3-Pointer no. 4. Heat check time. Ish Smith ankle check time. Am I in basketball heaven?
3:15–2:45: I AM in basketball heaven! This possession is the epitome of why we won the title. Teamwork, hustle, unselfishness, a little luck, great ball movement, give up good shots to get great shots [thank you Jalen], and Steph Curry with the shot. The roof is coming off and we have 40 more games at home.
37.7: I know Harrison Barnes was working on his post game this offseason but Jesus, please pass the ball when the defense rotates. How is a person name Ish doing this to us? Good timeout by Coach Luke. Running out of steam and then Steph gets and easy bucket.
16.2: The bench is call James Michael.
0:00: Steph goes for 24 in the first. Poor closeout. I hope we didn’t blow our wad.
Photo | Ezra Shaw
2nd Quarter
10:51: Jesus the second squad looks rough. What the hell is going on out here?
10:10: Spare me with the 3D Silicon Valley game viewer glasses. Just stop it.
8:42–7:31: Anthony Davis is pressing. Forcing shots. This is good. Mo Buckets taking charges, blocking shots, and missing bunnies. Mo Buckets doing Mo Bucket things in his first action back since missing that dunk in the Finals. This second quarter has been the crème de la crap. This is looking more like the uninspired and limp post-championship celebration performance I expected. Finally we see Steph Curry and Draymond Green in the second quarter.
5:53: Anthony Davis looks awful. Can’t make free throws, traveling. He has to be pressing. Too much ownership given by Coach Gentry?
5:30: Is Coach Luke the NBA version of Tom Blackwood with these mad genius inbound plays?
3:50: Wonderful pass by Steph on the flex cut to a trailing Bogut. Svelte Bogut looks quick and springy.
3:30: Draymond goes temporarily insane. T, well deserved.
46.8: Somehow we are up 8. Getting good looks and just not knocking them down.
11.0: That was a clean swipe by the Brazillian Blur. On a side note, how much is Anthony Davis’ unibrow really worth in terms of branding? I’m sure there is some unaffiliated t-shirt company in NOLA has made some dollars off of his brow’s likeness but has Davis? I don’t know but wouldn’t you rather look good? It’s not like the unibrow is getting a national following. It’s not the new beard or even ironic mustache. Who is his PR team?
0.8–0:00: Steph just unstoppable. 29 after 24 minutes. Sick. 59-49 Dubs.
Photo | Ezra Shaw
3rd Quarter
11:11–10:48: Curry to Bogut is going off. The Pelicans are terrified of Steph. Putting Nate Robinson and Perk in the pick and roll will always be successful. Crowd ready to collectively wait or Perk at the buses after he tried to decapitate Steph.
10:18: Is there anyone more disliked by other teams’ fans than Draymond? Think about it, who would be public enemy number one for Dubs fans? Chris Paul? Blake Griffin? I mean across the NBA I feel like the general fan base of each team probably dislikes Draymond and boos him whenever he gets the ball. God I love that guy. He plays so damn hard and antagonizes the other team. I think Anthony Davis just gave him a “don’t you know who I am” look after Draymond took that offensive foul and Draymond just bounced up and smiled. What an asshole, he is my asshole.
Yay more tech stuff. The Bay Area is soooooo techy.
8:29: Pelicans looking like they are barely hanging on and the Dubs looking like they are back-to-back 3s away from making this a 20+ point blowout.
7:30: Interesting early takeaway from the season. Teams are going to try and deny Steph the three point line, in addition to the ball. Dubs look like they are countering with running a four high set and having Steph back cut with the rim protectors sucked put by our bigs. Coach Luke!!
7:12: Bogut just got smacked in the face. Reverse headbutt. Stitched, right?
6:55–6:24: FESTUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anthony Davis tell me how my ass tastes. JESUS. Davis goes right back at Festus and forces a bad contested shot. Jesus, Festus on the back cut for the dunk. [Coach Luke’s cell phone “DAD: Throw it Down FESTUS! I haven’t seen a force of nature like that in Oakland since July 24, 1987 when the original Dream Team, Dylan and the Dead, played a show at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum like this world had not yet seen. “And the saviors who are fast asleep, they wait for you. And I wait for them to interrupt me drinkin’ from my broken cup, and ask me to open up the gate for you” FESTUS. I love this game. I am your father].
5:00: Alonzo Gee could probably start at outside linebacker for the Niners. That dude is an athlete.
3:23: Steph Curry 3-Pointer no. 5. 40-points. Time out NOLA. They are lucky he hasn’t hit at least 8 by now.
1:59–1:25: There’s Barnes. Big 3. Let’s close this quarter out! Let’s not give Ryan Anderson a fade away 3-point play.
34.2–0:00: C-Webb is bored. He hasn’t spoken in about 3 minutes. Marv doing everything he can milk something out of him. Yeoman’s work in this 19-point blowout.
Photo | Ezra Shaw
4th Quarter
12:00: Obligatory Craig Sager-Coach Luke interview (welcome back Craig!). Clearly he did not go to the Coach Pop school of interview. A bit rambly and over gracious. The NBA moves fast Coach Luke!
10:28: If it looks like leather, smells like leather, feels like leather, it’s going up. That has to be a tattoo that Mo Buckets has. Two awful shots in a row. 1-for-2 and Coach Luke yelling at him. C-Webb even woke up to make a comment.
9:25–8:40: Anthony Davis 1-for-20. The guy just looks awful tonight. Barkley was right, he looks like Michael Jackson playing with a bunch of Titos. Aaaand Draymond picks Davis’ pocket, followed by a gloriously awful slow break.
8:39–5:10: Ho hum. Ho hum. We just witnessed the dictionary definition of crap basketball by both teams. Warriors 0-for-11, Pelicans 2-for-something high.
5:02: FESTUS with the double clutch hammer! [Coach Luke’s cell phone: DAD: As I take in the Alpine breeze, high atop the Sierra Nevadas, I think of the great warrior-poet Ernest Hemmingway. “Courage is grace under pressure.” From the outermost cosmos of the universe to the deepest seas, here, on our mother Earth. As Hemingway penned those inimitable words he must have imagined a young Festus Ezeli, running jumping, dunking. Free like Neil Young’s heart of gold, free like a Bird, Larry Bird, flying. When music hits you, you feel no pain and I am the luckiest man in the world to have seen that grace from Festus Ezeli. Throw it down! Luke, it is…and I am…YOUR FATHER.]
4:36–51.7: Basketball operations have effectively stopped for both teams. The game is effectively a Summer League/Pre-season game.
0:00: Dubs win 111-95. It looks like there is a chip firmly on the Dubs’ collective shoulder. No ugly ring night tonight. No getting lucky. Coach Luke 1-0. Steph rolled to an easy 40-point night. Let the title defense begin. As the MVP said, “we’re off and running.”
Golden State Warriors 2014-15 Opening Night Introductions
Photo | Mike Zarrilli
Baseball Insider Jon Zuber joins Tripper inside the outdoor pod center to review the MLB playoffs, including his take on the Utley slide, and preview the World Series (spoiler alert--he is picking the Royals).
IT'S BEEN THAT KIND OF YEAR IN ATHENS. (PHOTO BY SCOTT CUNNINGHAM)
By Peter Horn | @PeterCHorn
What if I were to tell you there was an organization whose CEO had been in place for 15 years, made more than $3.0 million per year and for the last half of his tenure, delivered a disappointing and deteriorating product while funding continued to pour in unabated? No, this isn’t a Ben Carson-endorsed miracle vitamin pyramid-scheme; this is the University of Georgia football program.
Mark Richt is a polarizing figure, but not in the traditional sense of the word. Fans are divided into one of two camps: those who seek to hold the coach accountable for his on-field results (or lack thereof), and those who view Richt’s success shaping high-character young men and his pearly white reputation as performance mitigants. The time has come to separate the coach from the man, and to reassess the program’s aspirations and how best to achieve them.
True, not everyone in the former camp is ready to see the coach ride off into the sunset (although it seems more and more of the Richt loyalists are shown the light with each passing Saturday afternoon), but they at least support their stance with logic. And as much as a growing portion of our fanbase does not want to hear it, there is a case to be made for another year or two under Richt. The much-discussed Indoor Practice Facility (IPF) is a surface manifestation of a deeper fundamental issue: under the previous administration, the UGA football program did not have the same level of support as its SEC rivals. Many would argue it still does not.
Despite a season in which Georgia lost to arguably its top three current rivals, the administration pushed chips forward on the table after 2014 in an effort to remove the program’s self-imposed limitations. The purse strings were loosened as coordinators received raises, Richt received a contract extension and Athletic Director Greg McGarity stated that he looked forward to helping Richt “move our program forward in all areas,” including the IPF which Defensive Coordinator Jeremy Pruitt had publicly, if not brashly, stated was a necessity.
With the governor removed from the engine, the question remains: is the right man behind the wheel?
At first glance, Richt’s tenure at UGA has been a model of stability and success. Averaging 9.7 wins per season without a trace of scandal—save for Richt’s self-reported violation for supplementing his underpaid assistants with his own money—rarely leaves a coach standing in the soup kitchen line. But as always, the devil is in the details.
In Richt’s first seven seasons, UGA boasted an 80% overall winning percentage, 65% winning percentage against top-25 teams and 63% winning percentage against top-15 teams on its way to collecting four SEC East championships and two SEC league crowns. In the last seven seasons it’s won the SEC East twice with no league championships while registering an overall winning percentage of 72%. During this time, its winning percentage against top-25 teams fell to 49%, and against top-15 teams, to 33%, nearly half its previous mark.
And the full story isn’t told on a spreadsheet. Sprinkled throughout the “L” column are monumental, program-deflating, national stage embarrassments that have become seemingly annual occurrences. The 2008 Alabama blackout debacle, the 2012 South Carolina bloodletting at Williams-Brice, last year’s inexplicable curb-stomping by the Gators in Jacksonville. The list goes on.
Football is a zero-sum game and the SEC is an admittedly tough place to conduct business. That being said, there are certain characteristics that have become associated with Georgia football teams that can only be explained by the common denominator standing at the helm of the ship: lack of attention to detail, costly mental lapses, lack of grittiness and killer’s instinct, poor clock management, an inability to outsmart opposing teams and a tendency to fold under pressure. In layman’s terms, they’re sloppy, they’re vanilla and they’re soft, and they’ve been that way for quite some time.
The SEC East has been historically weak for the last five years, during which time Georgia, with the aid of its division rivals, managed to pinball its way into two SEC East championships, ceding the last two to newcomer Missouri despite being the preseason favorite both years. As Tennessee and Florida both return from their respective down periods, it will become clear just how low of a ceiling this program has under Richt. And it seems to be getting lower.
Perennially the “sleeping giant,” Georgia sits on a hotbed of recruiting talent; the state of Georgia trails only California, Texas and Florida in terms of D-1 prospects produced. And while UGA recruitniks will forever claim the coaches should do a better job locking down the state’s borders from surrounding SEC and ACC poachers, they get their share of top recruits. At the start of the 2015 NFL season, UGA had the fourth most alums on NFL rosters of all universities. During Richt’s tenure, the top seven NFL player-producing programs accounted for 11 of the 14 national championships. I’ll let you guess which program on the list is the outlier without a national title.
Though it’s becoming more and more populated by tumbleweeds and the distorted shadows of the Bulldog nation’s broken dreams, those still in Richt’s corner are quick to point to the cautionary tale of Tennessee in the post-Fulmer years as an anecdotal “Be careful what you wish for” warning. Shouldn’t UGA be happy with 9-win seasons and an occasional Outback Bowl appearance? Haven’t you ever had a Bloomin’ Onion in January with the Tampa sun on your face?
And this is exactly the kind of defeatist attitude Georgia must purge from its program if it wants to become elite. It’s time to throw out all the participation trophies at Butts-Mehre Hall and ask the tough questions. What are you playing for? A no-scandal nine-win season that keeps donors just enough appeased so the checks keep rolling in, or a legitimate shot at a national championship? And if it’s the latter, does Richt at this point in his career offer the best chance to get there? Does he offer any chance to get there?
When Georgia trotted Faton Bauta out onto the field against the 11th ranked Florida Gators, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was a harbinger of things to come. Call it an act of desperation, but when you know the incumbent cannot get the job done, the upside of the unknown renders the incremental risk moot. Would making a head coaching change risk a handful of blue-chip recruits and a couple losses in the near term? Sure, but if your aspirations are higher than the occasional SEC East title when your divisional rivals are in the gutter, the upside should be well worth the risk.
Georgia knows what it has in Richt. The question is, are they satisfied with the ceiling? If the answer is no, then a change must be made, because maintaining the status quo is the equivalent of a pooch kick up three points with 18 seconds left: playing it just safe enough to guarantee a loss.
35-year-old Luke Walton will be at the helm for the Dubs when they kick off the NBA season on Tuesday night vs. NOLA. (photo by Lenny Ignelzi)
Bay Area writer Adrian Spinelli (@Spinelli37) checks in for a Section925 Small Batch Podcast. Spinelli and Connor rehash Game 6 of the ALCS, preview the NBA season, and dish on the Oakland Raiders chances vs. San Diego.
(Via our friends at the "California Gridiron Collection")
40 Year Anniversary Celebration - Week 5
California vs. Oregon
October 11, 1975
Autzen Stadium – attendance: 18,500
Following a stunning, come-from-behind victory over San Jose State in Week 4, the Golden Bears traveled to Eugene to take on the Ducks. With Joe Roth ailing, Fred Besana was given the start in front of 18,500 fans inside cold and rainy Autzen Stadium.
Oregon entered the game with the fifth best pass defense in the country but surely the Ducks secondary would be no challenge for the Bear's high-powered passing game. Well, that would not be the case on this day. The Bears offense sputtered in the first half and with the halftime score only 10-7 in the Bear's favor, Joe Roth came off the bench to spark the offense – the running game offense. Both Besana and Roth struggled with the passing game as they combined to only complete 7 out of 17 passes for 107 yards.
Yet, while the Ducks figured out a way to slow down the Bear's passing attack, they had no answer for All-American candidate Chuck Muncie (and the rest of Cal's running game). Muncie ran 26 times for 207 yards (8 yards a carry) and three TDs. Muncie's big day combined with the defense's eight takeaways allowed the Bears to soundly beat the Ducks 34-7.
(Via our friends at the "California Gridiron Collection")
40 Year Anniversary Celebration - Week 4
California vs. San Jose State
October 4, 1975
California Memorial Stadium – attendance: 32,788
Returning home after a thrilling 33-21 victory over WSU in the Palouse, the Golden Bears faced a strong non-conference opponent in the Spartans from San Jose State. The Spartans had already beaten Oregon and Stanford on the road and were looking for their third victory over a Pac-8 school. Entering the fourth quarter, the Bears had a comfortable 20-10 lead. But in true Golden Bear fashion (as evidenced the past two weeks of the 2015 season), Cal squandered a double-digit lead by allowing San Jose to score two touchdowns in the fourth period.
Ahead 24-20 late in the final period, Spartan fans could almost taste victory in Memorial. But Spartan fans, and Cal fans for that matter, had no clue that they were about to witness the emergence of an elite, big play quarterback. Starting his first game for the Golden Bears, Joe Roth jogged onto the field with 3:10 remaining and did what all great clutch quarterbacks do – calmly hit their playmakers.
Facing a third and 23 situation deep in Cal territory, Roth hit Chuck Muncie over the middle for a gain of 25 yards. Next, Roth targeted dependable wide receiver Steve Rivera for a 23 yard gain down to the San Jose 42-yard line. After running back Tom Newton lost four yards, the Bears had a third and 14 situation when Roth decided to air it out. Roth hit speedster Wesley Walker, who beat Gerald Small on the play, for a 46 yard touchdown with 1:06 left on the clock.
With a 27-24 victory in week four of the 1975 season, Cal evened its record at 2-2 and the mystic of Joe Roth, the big play quarterback, began.
(Via our friends at the "California Gridiron Collection")
40 Year Anniversary Celebration - Week 3
California vs. Washington State
September 27, 1975
Martin Stadium – attendance: 24,500
Rarely do you get a chance to look back 40 years and see one photograph that captures a seminal moment. The California Gridiron is pleased to bring Cal football fans one such chance.
The first picture below shows Cal trailing Washington State 21-20 with 14:31 left in the 4th quarter. Walking to the line of scrimmage with a confident stride to take the ball from center Duane Williams is Cal's reserve quarterback, Joe Roth. Roth is seconds from taking the snap and plunging 1-yard on a QB sneak for the go ahead and decisive touchdown giving the Bears their first victory of the 1975 season.
In the Cal media guide, the September 27 contest between the Bears and the Cougars is simply listed as a 33-21 victory in Pullman. What’s not mentioned and what every Cal football fan should know is the backstory to this game and why a reserve quarterback was able to come off the bench and lead his team to victory. The events of that Saturday afternoon were a major turning point for the Bears and the history of Cal football.
In the first quarter, the Bears were beating the Cougars 7-0 and Cal's starter, Fred Besana, was having a great day as he hit on 6 out of 7 passes for 98 yards. However, staying true to their game plan, head coach Mike White and offensive coordinator Paul Hackett turned to their backup quarterback from Grossmont College to start the second quarter.
From Cal's sideline jogged a lanky 6’4”, 205-pound quarterback who loved wearing white cleats and the #12 jersey like his idol Joe Namath. The backup shined in the second quarter and as the Bears ran to the locker room for halftime White and Hackett are seen discussing the quarterback situation. Both coaches agreed that "it was time to make a change" and that Joe Roth should be promoted to the #1 spot.
Joe Roth would be the Bears #1 quarterback for the rest of the 1975 season. Cal had their first win but more importantly there was a feeling that something different was in the air surrounding the Bears. The football team returned to Berkeley with a 1-2 record, a new starting quarterback, and a challenging San Jose State opponent waiting for them in the fourth week of the season.
(Via our friends at the "California Gridiron Collection")
40 Year Anniversary Celebration - Week 2
California vs. West Virginia
September 20, 1975
Memorial Stadium - attendance: 23,875
Following the road loss to Colorado in week one of the 1975 season, the Golden Bears returned home as heavy favorites to take on the Mountaineers of West Virginia. Led by legendary coach (ok, he wasn’t a legend quite yet) Bobby Bowden, West Virginia beat California 28-10 playing smash mouth football. The Mountaineers rushing attack went for 337 yards behind their two running backs Heywood Smith (146 yards on 24 carries) and Arthur Owens (123 yards on 16 carries).
The Bears' offense sputtered all day due to penalties, dropped balls, and a turnover but there was one bright spot. Cal's backup quarterback, Joe Roth, made his first appearance at quarterback in the second quarter and led the Bears 67 yards in 13 plays for their only touchdown of the day.
The Bears were now 0-2 and headed to Spokane (not Pullman) in week 3 to take on Washington State in their Pac-8 opener. It was still early in the season but the winless Bears needed to figure out things quickly or the season might get away from them. Would they regroup and right the ship against the Cougars or would the Bears get beat again? Find out next week here on the California Gridiron.
40 Year Anniversary Celebration - Week 1
California vs. Colorado
September 13, 1975
Folsom Field - attendance: 46,211
Opening their 1975 season against a powerful Colorado team, the Bears found themselves heavy underdogs entering the game.
However, Cal showed signs of what was to be a great offensive machine in 1975 as they matched the Buffalos point for point through the first three and one-half quarters. Colorado scored on a 61 yard punt return early in the first quarter and that miscue by the Bears proved to be the determining factor in the game's outcome.
Quarterback Fred Besana got Cal on the scoreboard with a one yard plunge that was set up by Chuck Muncie's 62 yard romp in the first quarter. Muncie and teammate Tom Newton each gained over 100 yards for the Bears. Muncie gained 112 yards while Newton picked up 106. Muncie scored two second quarter TDs which kept Cal's hopes alive and on both accounts the scores were set up thanks to Newton: first on a 58 yard run and then on a 39 yard screen pass.
Colorado mounted an awesome display of offense gaining 545 yards to the Bears' 408. However, the Buffs lived up to their name as they ran like their mascot. Under the guidance of quarterback Dave Williams, Colorado picked up 437 yards rushing. Despite the ball control, the Buffs could only penetrate the Bears goal line twice via the run. Williams once found wide receiver Emery Moorehead for a surprise 45 yard touchdown pass and twice the Buffs had to rely on the accurate foot of Tom McKenzie for field goals of 20 and 45 yards.
A 53 yard touchdown pass from Besana to Wesley Walker tied the game in the third quarter only to see Dave Williams give the Buffs the lead with a 12 yard scoring run. Besana then got the Bears rolling again by penetrating the Colorado territory with less than a minute remaining only to have one of his passes picked off and insure Colorado the win by the final score of 34-27.
#40 Year Throwback
Here's a glimpse of how the season ticket booklets have changed in 40 years...
As the CAL Bears settle into their 133rd season of football in Berkeley, the "California Gridiron" is providing us with a look back to the magical season that took place in 1975. The #40 holds historical significance this season as it was in '75 (40 years ago) that the Bears were co-champions of the Pac-8 Conference.
During the course of this season, the California Gridiron will take you back to the mid-70s as we chronicle one of CAL's most special seasons on a weekly basis. Fans of the California Gridiron will get to relive each game of the 1975 season as we share with you programs, ticket stubs, game recaps, and newspaper clippings.
Jared Goff fell 37-10 to the Bruins during his freshman trip to the Rose Bowl in 2013. (photo by Stephen Dunn)
Tripper and J Torchio welcome a live studio audience into the Section925 Outdoor Podcenter as the two discuss Thursday's CAL vs. UCLA matchup. Torchio gives his take on Josh Rosen of UCLA, Jared Goff's potential to bounce back in Pasadena, and the PAC-12 race at the halfway mark.
The slide heard 'round the world. (photo by Sean M. Haffey)
By The Section925 Staff
In Game 3 of the NLDS between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets, Chase Utley broke up a double play attempt that led to a run for the Dodgers. The collision at second base ended up breaking the leg of Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada.
That evening, the Section925 text-line was abuzz with discussion regarding whether Utley's slide was dirty or just good playoff baseball. Here at Section925, we like to settle disputes by engaging in a friendly game of "Give Me Five Good Reasons" (#GM5GR). The rules are simple, give five concise arguments to weigh in on a controversial issue. Connor will kick things off and Josh will respond. Let us know where you stand in the comments section...
Connor - The Slide was a Dirty Cheap Shot:
Reason #1: Just ask the players
Was it fair that Chase Utley was handed a two game suspension (pending appeal) for his hit on Ruben Tejada? Well let's ask some respected ball players from around the game. How about Pedro Martinez. As cutthroat of a competitor you would ever meet. A guy that was known for his penchant for buzzing the tower. A guy who was never afraid to do anything to win said this: "If you tell Utley to teach kids to slide, would you teach them to slide like this? It bothered me to see Utley's slide and the way he went after Tejada."
Or how about Mark Mulder: "Utley plays hard and I would want him on my team, but I never said it wasn't a late/dirty slide."
Or how about former second baseman and current Baseball Tonight analyst Joey Cora. A guy who understands exactly what is dirty and what is not dirty when it comes to breaking up a double play: "When your back leg lands past the bag, it's dirty."
Or how about Jose Molina. A grider if there ever was one. The trusted backstop for the St. Louis Cardinals. As tough and experienced as they come in modern baseball had this to say: "Dirty play by Utley."
Reason #2: Benches Clear For Much Less
Check out this slide by Brett Lawrie against the Royals earlier this year. Granted, this was a much cleaner slide than Chase Utley's, one in which Lawrie actually slid. Even so, benches still cleared. As a general rule, benches only clear when a player crosses the line and does something dirty. Not when a player makes a "good-solid-hard-nosed-aggressive-play."
Reason # 3: Utley Could Have Broken Up the Play Without Breaking Tejada's Leg
For all intents and purposes, Ruben Tejada was defenseless. He was spun around and wasn't ready to be hit by Utley. Sure, that is Tejada's fault in part, but Utley could have just as effectively wiped out Tejada with a more traditional slide. Take this slide by Will Clark as a perfect example. Yes, it induced a brawl because of whatever he said after the play, but I have respect for Clark going in low on this play. Could he have barreled in 3 feet higher and potentially broken the second baseman's leg? Sure. But that was unnecessary. A strong and low slide straight over the bag was more than enough to break up the double play.
Reason # 4: Utley's Reaction Says it All
Notice in this video clip how Chase Utley reacts to breaking Ruben Tejada's leg. Does he step on the bag because he believed he was safe? No. Does he lend a hand to Tejada after the play was over? No. Instead, he simply flees the scene of the crime as fast as possible. Textbook form for an L.A. hit-and-run.
Reason # 5: Chase Utley Never Touched The Base
Chase Utley never touched second base. After getting up from breaking Ruben Tejada's fibula, he didn't even bother stepping on second base, because he knew he was out. If the MLB rule book states that you can take out a runner at second, fine, I get it. But you should also be required to touch the base you are running to to be called safe. Did Tejada touch second? No. But the "neighborhood rule" excuses this as Tony La Russa so eloquently points out.
In sum, Chase Utley's actions were inexcusable. The phrase "Bush League" comes to mind. Beat L.A.
Josh - The Slide was a Hard-nosed Legal Play:
Reason #1: The slide was legal and is a part of the game
Joe Torre pointed to MLB Rule 5.09 for the reason Tejada was suspended. It states, “A better is out when... A preceding runner shall, in the umpire’s judgment, intentionally interfere with a fielder who is attempting to catch a thrown ball or to throw a ball in an attempt to complete any play.” This rule is meant to prevent plays like Albert Belle killing Fernando Vina, not a runner breaking up a double play, which is a routine part of the game.
Just look at how the rule is meant to be enforced, the comment to the rule provides, “The objective of this rule is to penalize the offensive team for deliberate, unwarranted, unsportsmanlike action by the runner in leaving the baseline for the obvious purpose of crashing the pivot man on a double play, rather than trying to reach the base. Obviously this is an umpire’s judgment play.”
Players are taught from an early age to deliberately break up double plays by sliding hard into the pivot man turning a double play. Breaking up a double play by taking out the player turning the double play is a warranted and sportsmanlike play and has been enforced as such for years. Utley’s was no different. He stayed in the base path and in the umpires judgment it was not illegal.
Reason #2: If you don’t want players making that type of slide, legislate those types of plays out of the game
If Tejada isn't hurt, we don't have this conversation. In fact, even when players get hurt we don't have this conversation. Just in this season, Brett Lawrie and Chris Coghlan have slide into second in an attempt to break up a double play and have injured players (for play off teams) and it was a blip on the radar. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.
I get that health and safety of players is an important issue. When Buster Posey got nailed at home plate it wasn’t a dirty play, it was a legal hard-nosed play that is not safe. Just as David Halberstram and Bill Walton said, those are the breaks of the game. Just like the Buster Posey rule or targeting in the NFL, if the league wants to make the game safer they can change the rules or they way they are enforced.
Reason #3: Why Did Tejada Reverse Pivot?
Everyone knows that Chase Utley plays the game hard and is no stranger to breaking up a double play. Just ask Ryan Theriot. Nearly every aspect of baseball is situational. You can’t tell me that Ruben Tejada, sitting at double play depth, didn’t know that Chase Utley, with a 90-foot head of steam, wasn’t going to come in to second hard if there was a double play scenario. Even with the poor toss from Dan Murphy, Tejada should have side stepped to avoid contact. When he decided to reverse pivot he planted his leg in a spot that there would inevitably be contact.
Reason #4: You can’t tell players not to slide hard
There is no way Utley can slide to intentionally injure or avoid injuring a player when breaking up a double play. If he plays hard the chances are greater that a player could be injured but that is the risk of playing the game. He is not a ninja or a trained assassin. Could the slide have been more eloquent? Yes. Would this slide happen in the regular season? Probably not. But this is the playoffs and these guys are paid to win. You don’t stay in professional sports until you are 37 unless you add value to your team. Utley’s value as a veteran is that he is a hard-nosed player with veteran leadership. You tell him he can’t play like that and you are telling him to give up his job.
Reason #5: Just ask the players
This argument has to be a wash, right? There was a smattering of views across the league. Even Cal Ripken on the broadcast thought the play was clean. The Flyin’ Hawaiian Shane Victorino, a longtime Utley teammate said, “Always called him one of my toughest teammates...Utley showing why I always called him a winner!!!” Let’s not rely on the players/former player’s opinion decide whether the play was clean or dirty.
Look, I don’t like the Dodgers just as much as any season ticket holder in The Section but you can’t tell me that a hard slide into second base to break up a double play in a playoff series where a player happens to get hurt is a dirty play. Go hard or go home.
