Football in Australia? - A recap of watching Cal football in Sydney

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(Photo by Travis Rowney)

By Travis Rowney | @rowtown23

When September rolls around, the typical American sports fan looks forward to one thing…football. Despite recent controversy regarding concussions, it remains this country’s most popular game. We look forward every weekend (or even Monday and Thursday!) to our favorite couch or armchair and watch the battles unfold. If we are ambitious enough, we even suffer through traffic and outrageous prices at concession stands to attend a game in person.

It’s an American invention, but football is rapidly expanding, and becoming popular around the world. The last couple of years, the NFL has played games all over the world, including England, Germany, Ireland, and Mexico. This reporter recently had the unique experience of attending a football game in Sydney, Australia, that city’s first encounter with the “Gridiron.”

One fact about Australians we should get out of the way: They are sports crazy! In fact, they have four types of “football.” Their national sport of course is rugby. But there are two variations of rugby in Australia: Rugby Union, and Rugby League. Very different games according to the Aussies. Then there’s Australian Rules Football, a game that looks terribly exciting, but nobody seems to understand, not even the Australians. And of course, soccer, which, like most other countries, is often called football. According to one native, “We love it, but we’re terrible at it…”

So what about real football, like American football? As I said earlier, the game is expanding, as the world shrinks. In late August, the University of California Golden Bears took on the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors in the inaugural College Football Sydney Cup. This is the first time that Sydney has hosted any type of American Football Game. Was it a success? Well, you can ask the 61,000 people in attendance. While it wasn’t quite the NFL, Aussies were looking forward to this event with enthusiasm, promoting it as the “The College Football Championship Kickoff.”

(Photo by Travis Rowney)

The game took place at ANZ stadium in Sydney, the same stadium used for the 2000 Summer Olympics. It is now used for all professional rugby, soccer, Aussie football and cricket teams based in Sydney. The stadium has a capacity of 84,000. You can get there by Sydney’s excellent train system, using special “supporter” routes, or by car. There was a huge pregame party next to the stadium at an outdoor bar and patio. This is where all of the tailgating happened. Aussies typically don’t tailgate, at least not for their sports. However, it seemed that everyone was having a great time socializing and enjoying cold beer.

While there were a small sample of Cal and Hawaii fans making the trip, the vast majority of the crowd was Australian. For them, it must have been “American Day” as you could see virtually every NFL team jersey represented, and a fair sampling of the NBA as well. Of course, the most popular jersey was the Jarryd Hayne 49ers jersey. Hayne is an Australian rugby icon who played one year with San Francisco. The promoters tried bringing the atmosphere of an American football game to the concession stands as well, selling “American style” food.  One of the most popular items were hot dogs that were two feet long! (Funny, I’ve never seen anything like those dogs at any football or baseball game in the states!). 

The best description of the game atmosphere would be “festive,” contrasting with the rapid obsession of fans at a game here. Most of the people didn’t understand the subtle rules or strategies of the game…there was a strange silence in the stadium on important 3rd and 4th down plays. As my small section of Cal fans were on our feet for the first crucial 4th and 1, Aussies seemed to look at us in wonder, “Relax…. here’s your beer mate. Cheers!”  So very different from the most recent Cal game I attended against Texas last Saturday (you could hardly hear yourself think in those crucial 3rd downs late in the game…). But they did understand touchdowns (a “try” in rugby) and loved the Cal cannon after each Bear score. It was fun for us experienced “footballers” talking to the friendly Aussies; explaining the rules and penalties and comparing sports backgrounds. Now the “wave”, they understood. Rarely does a full stadium do a wave in unison back in the states. The Aussies have mastered it. Is it possible the Australians are one of the few peoples in the world that actually like us? 

Of course, not all is wonderful about playing so far from home. It’s a long, long, flight; 14 ½ hours from San Francisco to be exact. Leaving late Saturday night, the Cal team arrived in Sydney early Monday morning.  What happened to Sunday? The “red-eyes” after the flight were evident, although the Cal coaching staff did all kinds of tricks to get the players acclimated, including exercises on the plane, and a practice on Monday right after arriving. Then there is the logistics of transporting the entire team (Cal took everyone, not the normal travel roster), staff and equipment. Not to mention that every single player on both teams had to get passports and visas. As Cal head Coach Sunny Dykes said, “That was awful.” While the arrangements were not easy, both teams managed to get there in one piece. However, nobody arrived to California and Hawaiian sunshine. Our summer in the states is actually winter in Australia. However, the football gods blessed us, and game day weather could not have been more perfect. High 60s, blue skies, hardly a cloud.

So football in Australia was quite a success. The big city of Sydney was a fantastic venue for the start of football season. It begs the question whether an NFL game should be played in Australia. This reporter emphatically thinks so. The Aussies would go crazy, and Sydney seems to have the fans and infrastructure. Supposedly, they are bidding for the 2017 Pro Bowl, but a regular season game would be fun too. After witnessing the success of college football in Australia, imagine what the NFL can do. Hopefully, it will happen sooner than later.  Good on ya, mate! 

Riding high after their gamble in Louisiana, Oakland looks to make it 2-0 at home against the Falcons

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The Raiders edged the Saints by a point in a Week 1 triumph. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman)

By Merlin Edwards III

If someone were to tell you last year that the Raiders played the Saints in a shootout with over 60 combined points, on the road, would you dare say they came away with the win? How about if you saw the stat line that Drew Brees was over 60% passing with 400 yards, 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions? Or even that the Raiders would attempt to go for a 2-point conversion to win the game rather than try to tie and go into OT. None of those scenarios have worked out well for the Raiders in a very long time. The last time they were able to overcome those types of tight situations and come out with a win was the 2002-03 season when they made it to the Super Bowl. The fact is, we haven't seen this level of play in ages here in Oakland. So buckle up, Raiders fans. You have a fun, exciting, and contending team to watch and their coming home on Sunday. 

There was concern about the defense going into Week 1, mainly for the linebackers and the secondary, and the Saints were able to exploit some of those weaknesses immensely. Ben Heeney proved that he cannot handle the play calling and leadership role needed at the middle linebacker position. Thus leading the Raiders coaching staff to revoke that right and give it to Malcolm Smith. Sean Smith, one of the top pickups on the free agent market, got benched for DJ Hayden after getting gashed for multiple big gains.

Drew Brees did his Breesy thing and spread the Raiders out with 5 wide receiver sets and empty backfields. The secondary got torched and the linebackers didn't help in coverage whatsoever. Teams obviously can't run the ball without anyone in the backfield, and the fact that the linebackers still didn't go out and help in the flats or the middle of the field in zone coverage is beyond me. They won't be able to get bailed out by the offense against every team, especially ones with elite defenses (like the teams in the AFC West) so that should not be counted on.

Sean Smith is not a bad player and he will be better, so there is not much to panic on with him, in my opinion. He is a 6'2" defensive back that loves to play up on the line and bump guys. When he is matched up with receivers like the Saints have, who are all smaller, speedy guys, it does not bode well for him. The vast majority of teams have big, strong receivers who are their number one options on offense. With a team like Atlanta, who the Raiders play on Sunday, look for Sean Smith to have a much better game.

It was also very encouraging to see DJ Hayden be able to step up and not get beat up and down the field like Smith did in the first half. The front seven looked good without Kahlil Mack having an impact at all and that, I believe, was the most promising part of the defense. The Raiders got after Drew Brees and hit him a ton, leading to a bad throws throughout the game that turned out to be all too important. Mack got double teamed all day and that most definitely limited him, but he has always shown the ability to adapt and figure out how teams are game planning against him. Also, with Bruce Irvin looking so good, those double teams will eventually be forced to slow down and Mack will breakout once again. Even though the front seven got a lot of pressure, the secondary looked bad and the reason why they won the game was because the offense looked so good.

After getting a strip sack on the first series of the game, the Raiders stalled within the 40 yard line and had to settle for a field goal. They did not look good in that first series, but after that, they started to get rolling and eventually did enough to win the game. Derek Carr looks like he is budding into a superstar. From some of the perfect throws he made, to the heart he showed by diving over a defender for a first down, the Raiders officially have their QB of the future. It sure doesn't hurt to have a plethora of weapons around you.

Crabtree showed his true potential as a possession receiver by making crucial catches on 3rd downs to move the chains. Amari Cooper looked like he will be a true superstar, top threat receiver in the league, and his rapport with Derek Carr has clearly gotten better. Latavious Murray looked pretty good at times but with the other young backs they have in Jalen Richard and Deandre Washington, it doesn't seem like the Raiders will need to rely on Murray as much. Murray lead the league in workload, charting over 70% of the teams rushing yards in 2015. Even though he was a 1000 yard rusher, that is far too much to ask from him. With the change up in size and power, Richard and Washington are perfect additions to keep defenses guessing. The Running backs did look good, but the Raiders offensive line was a big reason why everyone shined in the second half.

With the new addition of Osemele and the talent they already had, the Silver and Black were able to overcome 2 injuries and STILL look like the best offensive line in the league. There were holes open left and right for the backs and Carr seemingly had hours to throw the ball. Pancake blocks were a plenty and this group looked like they were all ready for the pro bowl. The Saints don't have a terrible front 7 and the Raiders made them look like they were back in high school. It is always said that all success in the NFL is initiated by good results in the trenches and the Raiders showed that to be true. They will look to continue that dominance in the upcoming home opener against the Falcons, and wow...the Oakland coliseum will be rocking in a way that Oakland fans haven't seen in a very long time.

Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons will be hungry for a win after losing in week 1 but it looks like this Oakland team will have enough to stop them and maybe even win convincingly. Julio Jones is one of the top 5 receivers in the league and Sean Smith cannot have another dud of a game. Maybe having him shadow the #2 receiver and letting Amerson deal with Jones willhelp shut everyone else down because teams can almost always count on Jones to have a good game. The running back by committee idea that the Falcons have adopted may bode well for the Raiders because if Davaonte Freeman gets rolling, he can be a force. Tevin Coleman isn't a bad player but Freeman showed us last year that he can be a superstar. The key to the Raiders on defense this week is to not let the short and medium crossing routes hurt them too much, make sure the running game doesn't get going, and get Ryan on his back consistently.

The Offense got rolling in the opener and they continue to do so this week. There is not many key things that they must do because they have so much talent that they can match up against any defense in the league. Look for the Offensive Line to dominate on Sunday by keeping Derek Carr upright and to open up holes on a regular basis for the talented Running Backs. The Raiders haven't shown the amount of poise and heart they did last Sunday in a very long time. This young team will continue to grow with each other and learn how to win all types of games. The Raiders will be ready to rock in their home opener and will beat the Falcons soundly.

My prediction: Falcons 24, Raiders 35

The Raiders visit New Orleans to kickoff the 2016 season

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(Photo by Ezra Shaw)

By Merlin Edwards III

All of the hype of the NFL season will soon be past speculation. All of the assumptions and what-ifs will finally come to a close, on Sunday, when the Oakland Raiders play their first regular season game against the New Orleans Saints at the Superdome. Finally, full-tilt football is here. 

Starting even before the draft, the Oakland Raiders have been a hot topic throughout the preseason. The talking heads have either picked them for the playoffs, or something close to it. There is optimism surrounding this team everywhere you look, and for good reason. They believe they have found the quarterback of the future, as well as one of the best pass rushers (or overall defenders) in the league. Having those two positions as your best players on either side of the football will always bode well for you in the NFL.

The secondary has been bolstered with the the additions of Reggie Nelson, Sean Smith, and first round pick, Karl Joseph, but having a good team on paper doesn't win football games either. With all of the new additions this defense needs to get very comfortable with each other, very quickly           

There is something to be said for a defense that is great because they are talented, but also have played together with continuity of personnel for a number of years. The Raiders defense is far from the same as last year. Maybe, seeing as they were in the bottom 5 of the league in total defense, having a bunch of brand new players is a good thing. However, anytime the ENTIRE defense, sans a few players, needs to be changed in order to get better, there will naturally be growing pains. It is said in the NFL that offenses are farther along than defenses at the beginning of the season. Defenses typically don't start to dominate until a couple weeks in. If that statement is true, then the Raiders have a lot to prove this week against the Saints.

 

Drew Brees may be getting older but the elite quarterbacks around the league seem to just get wiser with age. He just signed a brand new contract, making him the fifth highest paid QB in the league and he is going to play like it on Sunday. This will be a true test for a Raiders defense that is relatively untested.

Coby Fleener is a new addition that is going to give the Raiders fits. Relying on Ben Heeney to cover the tight end is not going to work. It didn't work last year, and it doesn't look like he's any better at it this year. Brees loves to throw the seam route to his tight ends after spreading the defense out with multiple wide receiver sets. If the Raiders do not find a way to slow down Fleener, it will undoubtably be a long day for the defense.

Sean Smith and David Amerson are both sizable corners and will match up well with the smaller receivers they have in New Orleans. The front seven should have a pretty good day too seeing as it is the only position group with continuity and that is without mentioning the introduction of Bruce Irvin. All of the match ups seem good on paper except for linebacker position, so all fans can do is hope that Ben Heeney can step up and cover somebody. If he can't, the Raiders will have to rely on their talented offense against the Saints mediocre defense to overcome the uphill battle of winning a shootout against Drew Brees.

The Raiders offense brought back almost all of its starters except for upgrading at the right guard position and they look like they may be ready to rock. They have a clear advantage against the New Orleans defense. This is a defense that was in the bottom five in every category that mattered last season, and they didn't do much to help themselves in the offseason.

They have suspect starting corners that Amari and Crabtree should have a field day with. The linebackers are the best part of their defense, but the O-Line should be able to assert its dominance and help Latavius Murray to get to the second level all day. Murray has his limitations with elusiveness and pad level but this is a defense that the offensive line should be able to handle. If the holes are big enough, Latavius will find them and hit them with the speed we all know he has.

Sunday's game has the potential to jump start a Raiders offense and defense for the whole season. Even though many of the experts are picking the Raiders to go to the playoffs, I am still a little skeptical. There are still many question marks that need to be figured out in order for the team to win double digit games. But this weekend is when it starts, and this team gets to prove it to everyone that they are ready for the bright lights.

Getting into a shootout type of game with Brees is never a good idea, but it would be a good start to prove that the offense is ready. Getting tested early on the road and passing that test can be a huge boost for a young team. This is the defense to do it against, and this is the type of offense The Raiders guys hope to show they can stop.

 

My prediction: Raiders 28-Saints 21

Darius Allensworth wears the memory of his childhood friend as the cornerstone of Cal’s defense

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"DA" will lead the Bears in 2016 as a captain of the Cal defense. (Photo via www.instagram.com/ovo_da2/) 

By Connor Buestad | Connor@Section925.com

As a young kid growing up in Southern California, star Cal cornerback and team captain Darius Allensworth had nobody to play Sony Playstation with. With no brothers or sisters in his immediate family, Allensworth was forced to play video games alone, often begging his father, James, to sit down and play a game or two with him, usually to no avail.

The game most often in question, NFL Blitz, featured Allensworth’s favorite player Randy Moss repeatedly hauling in 70-yard touchdown catches alongside hall-of-famer Cris Carter. A video game that favored passing to a laughable degree, every game of NFL Blitz was a nightmare scenario for defensive backs, especially when Moss and Carter were sent deep with young Allensworth behind the control sticks.

When James finally did agree to sit down and face his son in a game of Blitz, he wanted to make sure he taught Darius a lesson. The rule was simple: If Darius lost to his dad, he couldn’t touch the Playstation for a full week.

“My dad would always play me with the Colts and I would take Moss and the Vikings,” explained the younger Allensworth. “Well, my dad would win and take away my Playstation for a week. At first I thought he was joking or something, but he was dead serious. ‘You need to learn how to win’ is what he would tell me. And that was it. I was done for a week.”

Despite not having a bigger sibling in the house to toughen him up, the simple lessons on competitiveness from his dad started to pay off at an early age for Allensworth as he involved himself in seemingly every sport he could find, including basketball, soccer and baseball. Football, of course, was another one of Allensworth’s talents, and his father couldn’t help but see the potential in his son and try to cultivate it.

With a future scholarship in mind and the bright lights of big-time high school football, Allensworth moved away from his middle school friends to go live with his father in Corona, CA and play for perennial power Centennial High. Despite his success on varsity as a freshman, Allensworth felt the strain of being away from his mom Sonja and all the friends he went to middle school with. He was homesick and wanted out of Corona, but there was one problem: his friends from home were all going to Heritage High, a brand new school that barely was fielding a team at the time.

“My dad was furious,” explains Allensworth about his abrupt decision to leave Centennial. “I was at a school where tons of players get scholarships to go play D1, and here I was leaving to go to Heritage which was new and an unknown. My dad warned me I would regret it, but I just missed my best friends.”

James’ concerns were more than valid, especially when you consider his son was leaving a football factory to go to a school that first carried a tackle football team in 2009. Not exactly the blueprint to become a PAC-12 starter, but Darius was willing to roll the dice. If his friend from middle school named Donovan Adams was around, Allensworth figured he’d be ok.

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Allensworth has totaled 73 tackles over the first two years of his Cal career. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey)

Growing up, Adams was two years older than Allensworth. A gifted athlete in his own right, Adams first met Allensworth in middle school, where the two shared their love for sports. Adams was always a beloved kid around town that Allensworth made sure to look up to. When Allensworth returned from his stint in Corona, Adams was there waiting, and their relationship quickly took off. “When I got to Heritage, Donovan was a senior and I was a sophomore. He really did take me under his wing. I was too young to drive so he would pick me up, take me to work out with him. He built a relationship with me and introduced me to all the coaches and showed me around the school. He was really there for me when I moved back.”  

Allensworth only got to play one season alongside his friend before Adams moved onto college, but the two made the most of their time together, not only winning games on the field, but helping to build a high school football program from scratch, literally. “Tackle football didn’t start there until 2009 and I was a sophomore in 2010. Me and my friends had to basically pioneer the recruiting process at Heritage. It was so new to everyone. I remember I got my first scholarship offer from Arizona and had to call my high school coach to let him know. He was really surprised to be honest. It was all so new to everyone.”

By the time Adams had graduated from Heritage, he had successfully laid a solid foundation for Allensworth to follow before moving on to Fort Lewis College, a Division II school in Colorado. But after a short stint in the mountains, Adams returned to Southern California to attend Riverside Community College and take a shot at Division I. On June 6, 2012, tragedy struck the Heritage High family, as Adams was killed in a car crash, just days before Allensworth was set to finish his junior year of high school.

“It was kind of a crazy time. He was respected by so many. It happened with four days left in school. Teachers canceled the rest of the year. Finals weren’t held. His open casket funeral was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. That and the funeral here for Ted Agu.”  

Following the tragedy of his close friend, the local community was left in shock, doing whatever they could to keep Adams’ memory alive. Allensworth was forced to train for his senior season without his trusted workout partner and mentor. He also had to decide where to go to college. Arizona, UCLA and Wisconsin all gave offers, but Allensworth kept one important factor in mind: Donovan Adams' favorite college was Cal.

“When we were younger, Donovan was a big DeSean Jackson fan. And he always carried around this Cal lanyard for like two straight years. Even though we were from So-Cal, he loved Cal,” explains Allensworth. “When Jeff Tedford offered me a scholarship and I visited Berkeley, it all just felt right. Even when Tedford left, it still felt like the right place for me.”

Following an ACL tear in his knee during the fourth game of his senior season, Allensworth would spend his first year up in Berkeley as a redshirt. In his first action in 2014, he came off the bench and played beautifully, earning a starting role last season where he showed he can shut down some of the best receivers in the country. Now as a junior, Allensworth is considered a legit NFL prospect, a team captain, and preseason candidate for the Jim Thorpe Award (given to the nation’s top defensive back). In short, he might very well be the most important player on Cal’s entire defense.

Last year, Allensworth started all 13 games and accounted for 11 pass breakups and 41 tackles. Known around the PAC-12 as a technically sound corner, Allensworth seems to always be in the right place at the right time, routinely in lockstep with downfield receivers and rarely out of position when the ball is thrown his way.

Allensworth has also drawn on the wisdom of his current cornerback coach at Cal, John Lovett. Lovett is about as experienced as they come, having coached at the highest levels around the nation in both college in pro. His most recent job was coaching the defensive backs of the Philadelphia Eagles alongside Chip Kelly. “He brings an NFL mentality to the table,” Allensworth says of Lovett. “He’s honestly taken my game to another level.”

It is no secret that during the course of the Bear Raid era, the Golden Bears have often left much to be desired on the defensive side of the ball. Allensworth has heard the skeptics over the course of his career, but now as he moves into his role as captain, he knows cooler heads must prevail. In explaining the mentality the defense must take on, Alllensworth says, “You have to play free out there. Fast and physical. Playing with pressure is how you get beat. We can’t play with doubt in our head.”

This is easier said then done, especially with the cadre of QB’s the PAC-12 is featuring this year including UCLA’s Josh Rosen and Washington’s Jake Browning. There’s no doubt Allensworth will be tested each and every week with the kind of schedule Cal has this year.

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Darius and his Heritage High teammates honor their late friend, Donovan Adams. (Photo via www.instagram.com/ovo_da2/) 

As Allensworth embarks on his fourth year on campus at UC Berkeley, he can’t help but feel the allure of an NFL contract that could be his with a stellar junior season for the Bears. After all, one of Allensworth’s best friends on the team the last three years has been Jared Goff, this year’s number 1 pick. “J-Smooth! That’s my boy, man,” laughs Allensworth. Every time I watch (HBO’s) Hard Knocks and see him make a bad throw, I have to text him. We’re really close.”

But even with the laundry list of ex-Cal players succeeding in the NFL, Allensworth still manages to keep a level head when talking about himself. He chooses to focus on his friends who helped him get to where he is and the team that he’s taking the field with in Berkeley this year. His laid back, easygoing nature seems to put everyone around him at ease, until the whistle blows and it’s time to lock down the receivers across from him. “I’m definitely a different person out there on the field,” he assures.

A sociology major in the classroom at Cal, Allensworth has taken an interest in the subject and how it breaks down people’s opportunities in life. “I feel like these are important things to learn about especially in the times we are living in today with all the shootings and poverty rates that have been going on. I think it’s really important to know where everyone is coming from and Berkeley has helped me with that,” he says.

Regardless of where Allensworth's life steers him after football, he is always quick to remind you that Donovan Adams will go there with him, ready to help him through any challenges that may arise. For the third season in a row now, Allensworth has worn a piece of Adams on his back, in the form of the number 2. A number Adams coveted during his days at Heritage High. “He wouldn’t let anyone else wear number 2. Wouldn’t even let people try it on. It was his number. But now I get to wear it in his honor at Cal.”

When Allensworth is explaining this, the serious significance of #2, he gazes up at the top rows of Memorial Stadium, remembering Donovan. “Up there in Section PP, that’s where he was with his mom Eileen in 2010. Up there for the UCLA game. He was rooting for Cal I’m sure.”

Cal will host UCLA again this year; this time it will be two days after Thanksgiving. But even if Donovan Adams isn’t in Section PP that night, Darius Allensworth doesn’t believe he’ll be playing that game alone. The older DA will be up there somewhere. Rooting on the Golden Bears.

Alternative Perspectives on the Kaepernick Controversy

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 Colin Kaepernick kisses his bicep following a 49er touchdown. (photo by Kevin C. Cox)

By John Honea

Quick question- how many verses are in the Star Spangled Banner? Let's let that question simmer while we move on for a moment...

Colin Kaepernick sat down during the National Anthem. Sorry if that lacked any shock and awe but that in and of itself is no longer news. What is news, however, is the constant string of reactions that have continued to come in since the 49ers preseason game against Green Bay last Friday. The response has naturally and overwhelmingly been critical, even angry. Some supporters have stepped in, naturally, as protesters rarely stand alone. The focus, however, has leaned on simple courtesy and etiquette: the flag waves, the song chimes in, and we all stand. It is a ritual so ingrained in our minds that one single person out of a stadium of tens of thousands easily distracts from the entire game (granted it was a preseason game).

So who is right? Everyone, really. Who is wrong? Well... everyone, too.

National anthems have played a role in kicking off sporting events for a long, long time. So has the disrespect of those anthems, sorry to say. Consider the NHL, a league in which both the Canadian and American national anthems are played before every game, with the home team's anthem playing first. In Montreal, Canadiens fans have been known to boo the Star Spangled Banner. In St. Louis, Blues fans have booed during the playing of "O Canada." But this is just sport, right? "You're on our turf, and we'll boo your anthem." Little uproar has ever been caused by this. 

Kapernick's decision to sit down during the national anthem was unashamedly a blatant sign of disrespect. But that's what he was going for, so what good is pointing this out? The disrespect to the flag was his goal, but where he angered fans most was in his refusal to take part in a ritual that seems to level the social field. All of us -- fans and multi million dollar athletes alike -- stand at the same time to take part in a ceremony that identifies us as the same. So, for that fan who worked from 9 to 5 on Friday before the game, seeing their starting quarterback whose very name is embroidered on the back of every other replica jersey in the stadium, taking a seat during the national anthem could be considered a bit of a slap in the face. Consider the point missed there, Colin.

But now the follow up interviews have been conducted and his opinion has been voiced. Now we know why he sat. So, allow for a moment the point of view an American veteran.

The natural reaction is of spite and anger. That flag, for a veteran, is an emblem, much as the 49ers logo is. The National Anthem is comparable to a fight song, like one you might find at a university like the University of Nevada-Reno. It is understandable, then, how so many people can immediately react with resentment and even rage. But patriotism may be masking the point here.

The critics of Kaepernick's lack of flag etiquette, while not totally off base, are missing a few considerable points. His actions are, in fact, a practice in freedom. Consider it like this: a man thinks to himself, “I don't like what's going on here,” and sits in protest. Now, there are many other places in the world Kaepernick could have come from, and many, many of those places would have had him imprisoned, possibly beaten, or worse. In this case, social backlash is the worst the accused will have to endure. THAT is the sort of freedom promised in our country. THAT is the freedom Kaepernick is currently practicing. His right to do so is a swinging door. On the one hand what do we think freedom is? The freedom to choose between pizza delivery? Or is it the freedom to stand in front of 160 soda options and mix them to your hearts desire? No, this is it, the freedom to pick and choose your fights, and take a stand (or seat) for it. On the other end, of course, everyone has the right to oppose his view, and state their opinions of it. The whole thing is a picture perfect example of the freedom we enjoy. If Kaepernick were severely punished on a state or federal level for his actions, we really would be oppressed. All of us. 

This is not necessarily to condone Kaepernick's actions, but to say a moment should be taken to consider this as a sign that those freedoms still exist. That we can highlight issues like this through sports can be celebrated. The fact that an athlete can become the center of a social movement says a lot about what is still right in America, whether you agree with it or not. 

All things considered, his choice to sit out for the National Anthem doesn't have to be considered  so disrespectful, as long as he does something with it. Find your audience, Colin, because it isn't Joe Smith sitting in Section 120. You have the ball now. Do something with it. Don't just scramble and throw it away. You have all year to do that.

The answer to the initial question, by the way, is four. There are four verses in the Star Spangled Banner, and anyone ready to cast the first stone should know them all by heart. 

PAC-12 teams set to kick-off college football opening weekend

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The Golden Bears started off their season a week early by beating Hawaii 51-31 in Sydney. (Photo by Mark Nolan)

By Connor Buestad | Connor@Section925.com

Thursday, September 1st:

Southern Utah at Utah

The Utes had an impressive start to last year's season, before sputtering toward the finish. Kyle Whittingham has himself a bona-fide program up in Salt Lake these days. It will be interesting to see if he can replace his starting QB, running back and core wideouts in 2016. If anything, they will fall back on their stout defense that shut down Jared Goff in last season's College Gameday showdown in Utah. 

Oregon State at Minnesota

The Beavers went 2-10 last year under the leadership of new coach Gary Anderson, who came to Corvallis from Wisconsin. This season might not be much easier as they start on the road as 13 point underdogs. 

Friday, September 2nd: 

Colorado State at Colorado

Unfortunately for the Buffs, Kordell Stewart isn't walking through that door. Expect another rough go of it in Boulder this year. Too bad Cal doesn't get to play them this year. 

Kansas State at #8 Stanford

The Cardinal start the season at home with perhaps the best player in the country running the ball for them in Christian McCaffrey. If they can replace Kevin Hogan with a consistent signal caller, you can bet Stanford will be in the hunt for a Final Four birth by season's end. They will give 15 points to K-State on Friday night.

Saturday, September 3rd: 

Rutgers at #14 Washington

Lots of hoopla surrounding the Washington Huskies this year, as no one can seem to decide to long or short their stock. Because of Jake Browning's natural arm and Myles Gaskin's speed, many talking heads are picking Washington to overtake Oregon in the northwest. We'll see. They start vs. Rutgers as 26 point favorites. 

#16 UCLA at Texas A&M

The Bruins find themselves as three point underdogs in Game 1, even though A&M isn't even ranked. It certainly points to the respect people have for the SEC, the 12th Man, and summer heat in College Station. Josh Rosen will lead UCLA at QB, a kid who has received more than his fair share of hype this offseason. 

UC Davis at #24 Oregon

Once the darlings of the PAC-12, the Ducks will start the year barely in the Top-25. They'll try to get their speed offense rolling vs. upset minded UC Davis at Autzen in their opener. 

#20 USC vs. #1 Alabama (Cowboys' Stadium)

The Trojans will take a crack at current college football royalty when they roll into Jerry's World to face 'Bama in the weekend's marquee game. No doubt, many folks will use this as a barometer in the never ending SEC vs. PAC-12 debate.

Eastern Washington at Washington State

Mike Leach is back in Pullman for what should be another year of "PAC-12 After Dark" shootouts in the great northwest. 

BYU at Arizona

Expect a barn-burner in this one as Rich Rod leads his troops against a traditionally solid BYU team. The over/under on this one is hovering around 60 and 'Zona is favored by a point. Keep in mind Arizona won't be technically at home, as the game will be played at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.  

Northern Arizona at Arizona State

A-State expects to finish in the middle of the PAC this year, well-heeled by a stout defense, in particular at linebacker. They start things off with a cupcake matchup at home vs. Northern Arizona.

 

Forged in the Windy City, Charlie Moore embarks on a career at Cal

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Charlie Moore has drawn comparisons to another Chicago turned Berkeley point guard, Jerome Randle. (photo courtesy CalBears.com)

By Connor Buestad | Connor@Section925.com

It’s early August in Berkeley and Charlie Moore has no idea he’s late for his scheduled interview. Seemingly oblivious of his surroundings, the soon-to-be college freshman is planted on the wing on the north side of Haas Pavilion, launching three-pointers in perfect rhythm. Rarely hitting the rim, his calm facial expression doesn’t waver. Catch, release, swish, repeat. The pattern, reminiscent of a Steph Curry pre-game warm up show at Oracle Arena, never seems to change.   

By this time in the evening, members of the women’s Cal volleyball team have taken over the better part of the floor as hip-hop music engulfs the gym. The crowded floor now pushing him further into the corner, Moore remains intent on continuing his shooting bender for as long as possible. At this point, the idea of sitting down and talking about himself for 45 minutes is the last thing on his mind.

“I apologize for making you wait, I was just getting a few shots up,” Moore sheepishly explains to me when he is finally corralled off the court. His baby-face and calm voice providing all the sincerity one could ask for. Now that he’d had his daily fix of basketball, young Charlie had my undivided attention. Beside maybe on a game of NBA 2K17, the basketball junkie from Chicago had nowhere else to be.

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To understand Charlie Moore’s story, it helps to first look at his resume. And the most impressive bullet point reads as follows: “2016 Illinois Mr. Basketball.” Fortunately, the accolade speaks for itself, as Moore seems to have no intention of reminding others of how good he really is.

Generously listed at 5’11”, 170, if you saw Moore walking through campus this fall, you’d surely suspect him of being a Berkeley High student sampling the college life, long before guessing he is the latest prized recruit on Coach Cuonzo Martin’s Cal basketball team. And when you learn that Moore was recently named the best player in the best basketball city in America, it almost requires a double take. This kid did what?

The last four winners of Illinois’ Mr. Basketball Award are a who's who of star players. Ryan Boatright won the award in 2011, and went on to lead UCONN to a national title in 2014. Jabari Parker won in both 2012 and ‘13, then went on to star at Duke before being drafted no. 2 overall by the Bucks. Jahlil Okafor followed in 2014 and won the national title with Duke as a freshman before going no. 3 overall to the Sixers. 2015 saw Jalen Brunson win the award and proceed to win the national title with Villanova this past season. In 2016, Moore quietly etched his name onto the prestigious list of Illinois greats.

His explanation for his success you ask? “My dad (Curtis Moore) put me in the gym at a young age, and I love basketball, so I kept myself in the gym,” says Moore. “I always stayed focused and kept working at my craft.” The simple recipe led Moore to extraordinary results on the court, and goes far in explaining his personality in general.

On the court, Moore plays with a passion and toughness you would expect from an undersized guard who grew up in the gyms of Chicago’s gritty South Side. Fearless with the ball in his hands, Moore attacks the rim repeatedly during games, often finding himself on the free-throw line completing a hard earned three point play. When he’s not throwing his body around on drives through the paint, Moore is equally comfortable launching three-pointers from well beyond the arc. He’s repeatedly squared off with Chicago’s toughest guards, in the city’s biggest games and matched or exceeded their intensity. A showman on the court, Moore often breaks out the Draymond Green signature flexing gesture after laying waste to a defender. His quiet rage sometimes bubbling over a calm, floor-general-type presence.

But off the court, there are no signs of the brutal toughness needed to succeed in the windy city Moore is from. Instead, he comes across as patient, calm and cordial. The type of person who would rather gloss over his laundry list of basketball accomplishments in favor of talking about his older brother’s master's degree classes or all the time his father put into helping Charlie improve as a youngster. A person who enjoys going to class everyday and has no qualms about staying home on a Friday night to watch his favorite show, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” It’s a simple life, and Charlie seems to like it that way.

Charlie running the point for the Mac Irvin Fire, one of the top AAU programs in the country. (photo courtesy of MacIrvin.com)

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Born and raised in basketball-crazed Chicago, Charlie quite literally had a basketball placed in his crib by his father Curtis. From day one, Charlie hardly held interest in other sports, instead following his dad’s lead and dedicating himself to hoops. A friend of the late Benji Wilson growing up, Curtis taught Charlie everything he knew about the game of basketball, never hesitating to drive him to another tournament or pick him up from a late-night practice across the city. If there was trouble in the neighborhood surrounding Charlie, he hardly was affected by it. “My father never let me get involved in negative things. He would drive me if I needed to get to a practice or game. He always kept me in the gym which helped a lot,” explains Charlie.

By middle school, Moore was a star on Chicago native Michael Finley’s “Bumble Bees” AAU team. By the end of his eighth grade year, Moore took a step up and was selected onto arguably the best AAU team in the country, the Mac Irvin Fire. From there, rumors of an undersized guard from Chicago with slick handles and unlimited range began to build. Moore began traveling the country with the Fire, proving himself against the best players he could find, never coming close to backing down.

For high school, Moore chose Morgan Park, a team coached by Mac Irvin’s son, Nick. It certainly didn’t take long for little Charlie to shine at the high school level, as the 5 foot 5 freshman helped contribute to a state championship for the school. As a sophomore and bigger contributor, Moore would win the state title yet again. But despite his success, major Division I colleges weren’t exactly beating down Moore’s door with offers. “Some of my offers in high school came relatively late,” explains Moore. “But Cal was definitely one of the early ones.” 

When it came time for Moore’s senior season and time for him to pick a college, he was faced with his life’s biggest challenge as his father suffered through a sudden stroke and became extremely ill. While Charlie helped nurse his father back to health, he chose to follow in Derrick Rose’s footsteps and play his college ball at Memphis for young coach Josh Pastner and his assistant Damon Stoudamire. But things changed in the eleventh hour when Pastner left to coach Georgia Tech and Stoudamire was named the head coach at the University of the Pacific, leaving Moore time to reconsider his future and eventually choosing to come to Berkeley and play for Coach Martin. The tumultuous year ended with Moore averaging 28 points in his senior season, despite not meeting the team’s expectations of another state title run. But more importantly, Charlie’s dad health slowly began to improve.

When Moore takes the floor at Haas Pavilion this November he will be following in a long line of Chicago stars who have found success in Berkeley including Dennis Gates, Sean Lampley and Jerome Randle. Randle, who’s game mirrors Moore’s in both style and stature, was named the PAC-10 Player of the Year as the Bears' point guard in 2010. Naturally, Moore has looked up to Randle over the years. “Jerome and I have a great relationship. He’s a great guy and had a great career out here in California, and I have always respected the way he played coming out of Chicago,” said Moore.

Coach Martin was also thrilled to land a player like Moore when one considers that Martin fashioned himself as a resilient player from an inner-city in the Midwest (East St. Louis). In many ways, Moore sets up as perfect fit to run Martin’s offense and overall style of hard-nosed basketball he brought to Berkeley two years ago. “When people think about Chicago basketball, they think, ‘where can I get tough players that will run through a wall for me?’” explains Kurtis Ellison, Charlie’s assistant coach at Morgan Park. “That’s what Coach Martin is going to get in Charlie.”  

Since Moore has moved across the country to start a new chapter of his life in Berkeley, he’s had time to reflect on the career he left behind in Chicago. One filled with record breaking performances, multiple state championships, and one “Mr. Basketball” crown. Mention him in the same breath as Chicago high school legends such as Isiah Thomas, Tim Hardaway and Dwayne Wade and you will likely get more nods than arguments in gyms across Illiniois. Up to this point, his body of work speaks for itself.

But now in the Bay Area, far from familiar friends and family, Moore will be forced to start over and build a new basketball legacy from scratch for west coast fans to appreciate. Fortunately for Moore, he’s more than happy to do so. Just don’t ask him to tell you about it, he’d rather prove it to you out on the court.

Charlie receives a hug from his high school coach, Nick Irvin. (photo by Eddie Quinones, chicagotribune.com) 

San Francisco pushes in their chips at the trade deadline amidst losing skid

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The first place Giants are 5 and 13 since the All-Star break. (photo by Elsa)

By Ryan Ward | @RyanJWard

For the San Francisco Giants, the second half of the season has been nothing short of a nightmare. Somehow, the Dodgers haven’t been able to leapfrog the Giants during this multi-week tailspin in which they have been blown out, have blown saves, and have just generally blown.  Fortunately, their lead in the NL West, however dwindled, still exists for now. Thus, it was curious to watch the trade deadline approach and wonder what, if anything, the front office could do to inject some life into this club. After all, It’s an even year, right? Let’s make a deal (or three)!

All superstition and even-year magic aside, there was a clear message sent down from the Giants front office at the non-waiver trade deadline this week as they pulled off three separate deals, each addressing San Francisco’s immediate needs. The clear message from Bobby Evans (GM), Brian Sabean (VP of Baseball Operations), and Larry Baer (CEO) was that the time to win is now...again.

As a Giants fan, my immediate reaction to these deals was that of mixed emotion, however. In the span of a week, we saw the Giants trade away a top pitching prospect in Aldaberto Mejia, 2015 first round pick Phil Bickford, former top prospect and World Series champion Andrew Susac, and of course, our beloved Matt Duffy, runner-up in the NL ROY race last season. The last of which stung the most, because no one could have seen it coming.

Most trades these days occur because one team is willing to mortgage its future for a chance to win now, trading minor league prospects for big league stars. Of course, it always comes back to dollars and cents. Prospects are valuable not only because they may become future studs, but because they are cheap as dirt for the first 4-6 years of their careers, and are under complete team control.

Which is why the Duffy trade hurts. We (at least on the west side of The Bay) are not accustomed to saying goodbye to our favorite big league players, at least not via trade. Rather, we're used to shipping away prospects that we never really got to know that well anyway, in exchange for useful players we covet from other teams. Take Phil Bickford, for example: he could pan out and become a star. But hell, we’ve got a first place team right here and now, so let’s make a move and make this team better, and worry about 2018 and beyond later.

It’s a risk/reward game, of course. As with all trades pulled off at the big league level, and especially by the mastermind that is the Brian Sabean/Bobby Evans tandem, the return in these trades was substantial and fair. The Giants acquired three players who have all seen success at the big league level, and none of them are three month rentals (a la Carlos Beltran of 2013) and come with multiple years of club control.

The biggest impact player is Matt Moore from Tampa Bay, a former All-Star lefty who throws hard and has impressive stuff. He’s still on his way back to form after Tommy John surgery two years ago, so he doesn't come without risk, but the general sentiment is that he’s coming into his own again. At age 27, he’s young and under contract for a few more years, and now rounds out a “core four” of Giants starting pitchers who will be here a while. My guess is that he’s a guy the Giants will look to keep around for a long time and build many, many marketing campaigns around, as they seem to do so well.

In addition to Moore, the Giants also acquired the lefty reliever they so desired in Will Smith from the Brewers, as well as 2016 American League All-Star Eduardo Nunez, who provides an impact bat. Nunez will get an opportunity to be the regular third baseman, replacing Duffy, and Smith will be relied upon to get the NL’s best lefties out late - guys like Harper, Murphy, CarGo, Rizzo, and Seager.

Interestingly enough, the Giants didn’t just signal a “win now” mentality with their deadline deals. Another subtle message that was sent was that the Giants truly believe in top prospect Christian Arroyo, and fashion him to be their future third baseman. Prior to Duffy’s departure, Arroyo was blocked at every infield position on the big league team for the foreseeable future. Now, third base opens up as a possibility as soon as 2017, if not later this September. Stay tuned, because the kid can hit.

The NL West title was once a sure thing for the Giants this season, but their recent slide has changed the landscape of the division. The Clayton Kershaw-less Dodgers are hanging around and are sure to battle it out until the end. The Colorado Rockies are an upstart bunch, despite just losing NL ROY candidate Trevor Story for the season, and could pose a threat in September. And outside of the division, the national media is quick to tell us, definitively, that this is the Cubs and/or Nationals year - so the Giants have a tough task at hand to get back to the World Series. Those clubs might be overhyped, but they are still damn good.

After a few trades, the Giants are hoping that they are just as damn good, if not better, and ready to make good on that even year magic San Francisco faithfully believes in.

Matt Duffy will be sorely missed by Giants players and fans. (photo by Scott Cunningham)

The Golden Bears hire gunslinger Davis Webb for a one-year ride in Berkeley

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Webb and the Bears open the season on Friday, Aug 26th vs. Hawaii in Australia. Kickoff is 7pm PST on ESPN. (photo by Ronald Martinez)

By Connor Buestad | Connor@Section925.com

When CAL Head Coach Sonny Dykes arrived back in Berkeley and plopped down into his Memorial Stadium office chair following the 2015 season, he no doubt had a lot of reflecting to do. With arguably the best quarterback in the nation (Jared Goff) leading his “Bear Raid” offense for the third year in-a-row, CAL turned in an exciting, but less-than-fulfilling year that included a three week stint in the Top 25, a losing record in the PAC-12 and a blowout win at the Armed Forces Bowl.

Early 2016 brought about the departure of offensive coordinator Tony Franklin to Middle Tennessee State, while Dykes’ decorated pupil Jared Goff jetted off to Chicago to shake hands with Roger Goodell as the very first pick in the NFL Draft. Dykes reliable group of veteran receivers were also long gone, leaving the fourth year head man left to wonder where to steer his ship next.

With Goff’s wake of passing records still rippling through Strawberry Canyon, Dykes knew he needed a new QB, and a good one at that. His stable of young quarterbacks coming up the pipeline in Berkeley weren’t going to cut it, he thought, at least not this year. So Dykes headed home to Texas to hunt for football talent. There he found Davis Webb, sitting on the bench at Dykes’ alma mater Texas Tech, hungry to lead an offense.

At 6’3”, 220 pounds, Webb fits the mold of your prototypical pro-style quarterback. Kyle Boller comes to mind if you were to compare him to a CAL QB of the past, and indeed, Webb will wear Boller’s #7 this fall for the Blue & Gold. The 21-year-old will only suit up for one year in Berkeley, as a Public Health graduate student. But for a variety of reasons, Dykes is banking on Webb making an immediate splash in the Bay Area.

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As you could have almost predicted, Webb grew up in a household led by a Texas high school football coach in the Dallas-Fort Worth region, an area where amateur football is treated as religion. Webb originally was the QB at Keller High, but when his father was let go, he followed him up to Prosper High to play his senior year and win a district championship. Webb’s successful move between high schools and a stellar senior season landed him a gig at pass-happy Texas Tech. A perfect fit for a Texas born high school QB looking to put up big numbers with dreams of the NFL.

When Webb arrived on campus in Lubbock, he found himself thrown into a quarterback battle with Baker Mayfield, now a Heisman favorite at Oklahoma. Webb earned six starts as a freshman at Tech, while Mayfield got seven. Webb didn’t disappoint when he got his chances under center, throwing for 20 touchdowns, including a 45 for 71 performance vs. Oklahoma State. By season’s end, Webb set records for true-freshman QB’s in the BIG-12 and in the Holiday Bowl vs. Arizona State that year Webb got the start and won MVP of the game.

Webb had the Tech job all to himself as a sophomore, but his productive season came crumbling down due to various injuries including a broken ankle and a torn labrum. His job would be lost to the upstart Patrick Mahomes, and Webb was never able to get it back. Last year, as junior, Webb served as the backup. The restless competitor found time to not only get himself healthy and push Mahomes in practice, but also graduate from Tech with an undergraduate degree in only three years. Thus, making him a college football free agent of sorts. So long as he could get into grad school somewhere, he could play right away.

Webb originally committed to Colorado to play out his senior year in the PAC-12 and get back on track toward his NFL dreams (Mel Kuiper Jr. has Webb slated as the no. 1 senior QB draft prospect). But things changed when a perfect quarterback situation opened up in Berkeley and Dykes invited #7 onboard in Berkeley. It wasn’t long before Webb packed his car up with his mom and drove the 20 hour trip from the Texas plains to the Bay Area. If Webb could be the starter, you didn’t need to tell him twice.

CAL’s new offensive coordinator is 31-year-old Jake Spavital, who comes to Berkeley from Texas A&M where he cut his teeth coordinating SEC-level offenses. Part of Webb’s draw to CAL stems from Coach Spav’s “Air-Raid Offense” background which includes time at the innovative U of Houston. While at Texas A&M, Spavital coached with Kliff Kingsbury (Webb’s coach at Texas Tech). On top of that, Dykes coached offense at Texas Tech from 2000-2006, further solidifying the bridge between Lubbock, Texas and Berkeley, California (at least as far as football ideology goes).

With a familiar playbook under his arm and a healthy/mature body, Webb will try to lead the Bears to a breakthrough season they couldn’t quite pull-off with Goff the last three years. Webb will need to mesh with an inexperienced receiving corps extremely quickly, as the Bears will be playing for real on August 26th vs. Hawaii (in Australia). September 17th brings the improved Texas Longhorns to Berkeley in what will be a tall-task, not to mention Christian McCaffery’s Stanford Cardinal, Oregon, USC, and the rest of the usual suspects up and down the coast.

Whether CAL’s defense can summon the strength to slow down PAC-12 offenses enough to push Dykes and the Bears into a major bowl game is a tough question to answer, even for the most optimistic Old Blue. Fortunately, Bear fans can take solace in the fact that 2016 will have a battle-tested, shoot-first-ask-questions-later Texan to lead them into battle. 

Section925 Podcast Ep. 126 - Baseball Insider Jon Zuber talks with Trip

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Baseball Insider Jon Zuber steps back inside the Outdoor Podcenter to discuss the impending A's sell-off, division races, the professional launch of former Campolindo and CAL star Robbie Tenerowicz in the Appalachian League, and who the Insider says is the greatest hitter of his lifetime.

Baseball Insider Jon Zuber steps back inside the outdoor podcenter to discuss the impending A's sell-off, division races, the professional launch of former Campolindo and Cal star Robbie Tenerowicz in the NY-Penn league, and who the Insider says is the greatest hitter of his lifetime.

Giants’ gamble on “Johnny Béisbol” paying off in SF

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Johnny Cueto has been pumping the pearl at Pac Bell Park in impressive fashion so far this season. (photo by Tony Avelar) 

By Ryan Ward | @RyanJWard

Last December, at the press conference announcing the official signing of Johnny Cueto, Giants’ President/CEO Larry Baer was quoted as saying that adding Cueto to the rotation would be the single most transformative move the team made all offseason. The type of move that would go the furthest in upholding the "Even Year" rallying cry heading into San Francisco's latest World Series push. 

Just three months into his 6-year, $130 million contract, “Johnny Béisbol” is making Mr. Baer’s statement look less like hopeful hype, and more like a statement of fact.

What Cueto has done for the Giants is more than anyone could have expected. Despite his past success with the Cincinnati Reds and as a rental player for the Kansas City Royals championship club last year, he has never quite lived up to the expectations placed on him after his MLB debut in 2008, when he struck out 10 and walked none -- the first player in MLB history to do that in his first career start. The Reds surely thought they had found a perennial All-Star, Cy Young candidate, and top-of-the-rotation ace. But fortunately for the Giants, that's not how Johnny's story unfolded. 

Sure, his resume now includes an All-Star appearance, a 20-win season, and runner-up for the 2014 NL Cy Young award, but the Reds had hoped they would get that sort of performance year-in and year-out, and Cueto only flashed such brilliance; he never quite sustained it.

So when he hit free-agency last November on the heels of a rocky three months with the Royals (but one hell of a World Series performance), GM’s around baseball weren’t quite sure what to make of him, and subsequently what kind of offers he would receive. Was he an elite starter in the middle of his prime, a la Zack Greinke? Were his regular season struggles with the Royals last season cause for concern? Was his outstanding World Series performance a sign of things to come?

What the Giants saw -- and what other teams didn’t -- was a dynamic, charismatic starter that would eat up innings and fit perfectly behind their own certified ace, Madison Bumgarner. That isn’t to say that other teams weren’t interested, but it’s clear that the Giants had no reservations about Cueto’s abilities, and made their best offer to him before he could consider signing elsewhere.

And boy, does that look like a stroke of genius. Zack Greinke signed the most lucrative SP deal in baseball history at 6 years, $206 million to join the Diamondbacks, and the Dodgers were apparently never interested in Cueto (despite losing out on Greinke), instead going with two lower-cost replacements in Scott Kazmir and Kenta Maeda. Both of those teams find themselves chasing San Francisco’s huge lead in the NL West, and Cueto has become a beloved fan favorite and consistent performer for the Giants.

Three months into the season, Cueto is among the league leaders in wins (11), innings pitched (115), ERA (2.42), and is a shoe-in to make the NL All-Star team headed to San Diego next month. Yes, he’s been partially overshadowed by Bumgarner’s dominance at times, but that’s exactly what the Giants envisioned, isn’t it? They own the best 1-2 punch in the National League, complete with the bull-headed, old school lefty Bumgarner, and the quick-pitching, fun-loving righty Cueto. If the Giants’ success continues and they reach the postseason, they will feel confident going against any of the other elite rotations in the National League.

We all know what the Giants can do when they reach the postseason; they haven’t lost a playoff series since 2003. The issue for them has been consistently getting there. The thing that kept the Giants from reaching the postseason in 2015 was their lack of quality starting pitching, and the front office made it clear that signing Cueto was key...the key...to 2016 and beyond.

They took a chance on Johnny Cueto and his inconsistent past, and he’s rewarding them in style with his best season to-date. If he and his Giants teammates keep it going, they might find themselves in a position to leverage that even-year magic come October.