LBSU @ Kentucky tomorrow

Fresh off a tough OT loss at LMU last night the 'Niners square off with the undefeated Wildcats of Kentucky tomorrow at Noon in Lexington.

Much was written about the tough schedule before the season but four top-7 teams? LBSU goes to Cameron next week for their last "tune-up" before Big West play.

Not that stopping John Wall or Eric Bledsoe will be an easy task for Ware and Gilling but the real mismatch is in the paint with 6-foot, 9-inch Patrick Patterson and 6-foot, 11-inch DeMarcus Cousins.

T.J. Robinson has picked up right where he left off the second half of last season. He is a double-double machine but he and Eugene Phelps will have their hands full down low with these two all afternoon.

Much more to come from the road and the arena...

The Cleveland Conundrum

The Browns got their man.

Mike Holmgren is coming to the mistake by the lake hoping to turn the downtrodden franchise around.

It won't be easy. Like all struggling teams it comes down to QB play.

Derek Anderson's Pro Bowl year earned him a large contract and Notre Dame product Brady Quinn was supposed to be the savior.

Neither has done much of anything the past few years except throw interceptions and lose games.

The details of Holmgren's deal are not yet official but early reports had it for as long as ten years and as inflated as $50 million.

The most interesting part of the equation is the future of first-year head coach Eric Mangini.

Browns owner Randy Lerner was moved by the young "Mangenius" in the offseason after he was fired by the Jets this past offseason.

After starting 1-11 Cleveland shocked Pittsburgh on a bitterly cold Thursday night a week and a half ago then ran past Kansas City and into the record books yesterday.

A two-game winning streak amidst a three win campaign is hardly something to highlight in your resume but the sentiment is that the Browns play had at least propped the door open for Mangini to have a case for another year.

But enter Holmgren, the long time Packers and Seahawks head-man who won a Super Bowl with this guy named Brett Favre running the show.

When he took the job today he brought up head coach Cam Cameron's firing in Miami when Bill Parcells assumed the same role he is taking up in Cleveland, as a football "czar" of sorts.

While not fully endorsing the move, just the mere mention of it can't bode well for Mangini.

Parcells cleaned house in South Beach upon arriving and in his first year took a one-win team the season before and made it into a playoff squad.

There is no doubt Holmgren will want his guy in there sooner rather than later and would certainly love nothing more than making that "worst to relevant" splash just like Parcells.

Lerner intimated early in the process that the coaching decision would be about winning and not about money.

But his current coach signed a four year, $15.6 million deal 11 months ago.

He would be owed almost 12 million dollars still if he gets fired.

If the Browns lose out Mangini would pocket $5.2 million per win in Cleveland.

Maybe the New York tabloids were on to something with that "Mangenius" moniker.

One more time for emphasis

The BCS system makes me sick.

College football pundits say we have the best two teams playing for it all in Alabama and Texas.

We'll never know.

The NCAA corporation loves the underdogs and Cinderella's when it comes to March Madness or the College World Series. George Mason and Fresno State anyone?

But TCU, Cincinnati and Boise State get to sit this one out. Sure they get to play for third, or fourth but wasn't this the doomsday scenario?

Five undefeated teams, all worthy of a title shot, that only goes to two? Has everyone gone soft.

It's totally unacceptable. No other sport demands perfection, and then when you get it from five teams, three are told "sorry, but you didn't play in a power conference." Not sure if anyone noticed but neither the Big 12 or SEC weren't exactly chalked full of great teams this year.

Worse the BCS bowl arrangement is in place for another FOUR years.

The NCAA should be embarrassed and ashamed. They continue to screw this up and line their pockets in the process.

Decide it on the field, not in an office somewhere, that's the purpose of athletics.

*****

UPDATE (Dec 9 - 11:22 PM) -- I like how this sounds...

God save your team

The stage is set for the ultimate opening match for the red, white and blue: a June 12th game with England.

60 years to the month of one of soccer's greatest upsets, the sides will meet again.

The USA's 1-0 upset against 500-1 odds in the 1950 World Cup ranks as one of the most surprising results the football world has ever seen.

The Yanks carried just one professional and barely belonged on the same pitch.

But they came out ahead.

In 189 days, facing far less of an uphill climb but still pitted against one of the Top-10 teams in the World, the Americans can taste victory again.

So ready the chants of "Nine-teen fif-ty" and when those get old, tales of 1776 will certainly do. Let's win another for the red, white and blue!

Just stay away Nelly

Don Nelson is sick with pneumonia.

And while no one doubts the seriousness of his condition, the same cannot be said for his Warriors on the whole.

They got trounced 135-107 Tuesday night by an angry Nuggets team coming off a loss to a team that hadn't won since opening night.

They won at home the night before. They had eight guys. They still don't have their coach.

Say what you want about Golden State, you can have all your excuses.

This franchise has been propped up by them for more than 15 years.

One playoff appearance in 15 seasons, one championship since moving to the Bay Area in 1962.

And when you stink, year-after-year like the Warriors do, the culture of losing is all-encompassing.

Last week the Warriors beat the Mavericks with six players. Three played all 48 minutes. It had been more than 50 years since either of those things happened and they managed both on the same night.

They had nine guys the next night for a loss to the Spurs, just eight suited up at the Pepsi Center last night.

When there is nothing to play for guys take a little more liberty in returning. The bench doesn't seem all that bad, the training table that uncomfortable, that couch too cozy.

When you don't play defense, you'll never win consistently but if you stick around long enough you will win sometimes.

So that brings us back to Nelson.

Back with the Warriors after a successful stint from 1988-1995 that included four playoff appearances and a pair of 50-win seasons, Nelly peaked with the Warriors "We Believe" first-round shocker over Dallas in 2007.

Instead of riding off into the sunset with about the closest thing his "smallball" philosophy will ever bring him to a championship, soon-to-be-undermined Chris Mullin and the ownership team led by Chris Cohan brought him back and it's been downhill ever since.

The team won 48 games the next season and should have been a shoo-in to make the playoffs but were two games short in a stacked western conference.

Things have only unraveled since. Asked why he was still coaching 69-year old Don Nelson said last year, "cold hard cash, baby."

But there's one very other significant reason to stay court side for Nelly. In his infinite hubris he is chasing Lenny Wilkens all-time coaching wins total of 1332.

After Monday night's win Nelson is just 17 short at 1315.

That's right, despite being sidelined for the last five games, Nelly still gets credit for wins while acting coach Keith Smart roams the sidelines.

So it seems Nelly has found the perfect solution. He can get paid and win games while sitting out. Sounds like the rest of his players.

So get better coach and cheers to catching Lenny since everyone knows how much you love a cold one.

But don't hurry back, no one else is. You are still owed almost 12 million through next spring and if you can collect those dollars and those wins while home in bed I'm sure you will.

Just be sure to tell your young team when you come back to "just win, baby" and try and leave out the part about the cold hard cash.

Heisman watch

One week of college football left so let's look at my Heisman ballot.

1 - Colt McCoy - QB Texas

2 - Toby Gerhart - RB Stanford

3 - Mark Ingram - RB Alabama

4 - Kellen Moore QB Boise State

5 - Tim Tebow QB Florida

It's McCoy's to lose in the Big 12 Championship. Gerhart is off after nearly 800 yards and 14 total TD's in his last four games. Ingram could slip back into the top spot if the Longhorns lose and past the idle Gerhart with a 200-yard, 3 TD performance. Tebow could enter the top-3 with a stellar outing opposite Ingram in a SEC Championship triumph. Don't see how he picks up his second trophy.

More analysis when all the numbers are in next week.

Cardinal deliver beatdown at the Coliseum

I have had a permanent grin tattooed on my face since Saturday afternoon.

Fresh off a big home upset over #8 Oregon, Stanford rolled into Southern California looking for more.

It's tough living in SoCal with the one-sided dominance of the South over the North this decade. In a July post titled "The Freeway Series from Hell" about the possibility of an Angels-Dodgers World Series I highlighted this problem with one caveat: "At least Stanford 24, USC 23 happened."

On Saturday, Stanford 55, USC 21 happened.

Both were startling. Back in October of 2007 Stanford was 41-point underdogs and that win was dubbed the "Biggest. Upset. Ever."

It was a remarkable victory for a team that won just one game the year before and had been mired in one of its worst periods of ineptitude in school history.

But without Saturday's dominance that game would simply be a historical footnote - a magical fall day where the unthinkable happened - not the full-fledged revival Palo Alto is undertaking.

Stanford won three more games that year - Coach Jim Harbaugh's first on the farm.

They won five in 2008, again falling short of that elusive bowl bid (they haven't played in one since 2001.) They lost three straight after starting 5-4 including a 45-23 home loss to the Trojans.

It was an up-and-down start to 2009 that included blowing big leads on the road to Wake Forest and Arizona and three weeks ago they looked once again headed for mediocrity and facing a really difficult final stretch to try and get the six wins necessary to keep playing into December.

Now they could play in January.

****

I was reading a Scouts, Inc. ESPN Insider position-by-position breakdown before the game and there was a startling revelation. Stanford was better at each of the offensive skill positions.

Stanford had better athletes than USC?

This sure seemed at odds with the "it's hard to recruit guys that have a 4.4 (GPA) and run a 4.4 (40-second dash)" comment I always make.

But the Cardinal do, and with USC WR Damian Williams sidelined, the edge was even greater and it was evident from the opening kick-off.

After the game Carroll was asked about this exact point and he didn't shy away from drinking the Cardinal Kool-Aid.

"Doesn't USC have the better athletes? 'That's obviously not the case,' Carroll says. Are you saying Stanford has better athletes than USC? 'It sure looked like it today.'" (T.J. Simers - LA Times)

****

I've been saying for weeks that Toby Gerhart belongs in the Heisman conversation and with 401 yards and SIX touchdowns in back-to-back 50-point outbursts by the Cardinal offense he is finally getting the national recognition he deserves.

It's hard to imagine him unseating the Tebow/Ingram/McCoy trio that all plays for currently undefeated teams but he should at least garner enough support to be in New York.

Tucker Talks for the Daily 49er

While I try to keep fresh material flowing here I also want to point out my weekly column with the school newspaper at Long Beach State.

It's my last semester at the Beach and it is quite a busy one but I'm trying this out with them and I think it's going pretty well so far.

I started with them in the Spring of 2008 covering Dirtbag baseball and in addition to doing that, was the beat writer for the men's basketball team last season and have written features, columns, taken photos, blogged and penned countless game stories.

We have been able to try new things and really have a strong group that's working hard and making things happen. So check out the link on the left, for new stuff through them as well.

Here's the link to today's column about the possibility of Chase Utley winning World Series MVP even if the Phillies lose.

(Props to Adam Fuller for the premise of this piece.)

Ducks trounce Trojans and what it means for Boise State

On September 3rd, the Boise State Broncos held the Oregon Ducks in check en route to a 19-8 victory in the season opener.

All the headlines from that game centered around Oregon RB LeGarrette Blount's postgame punch and the rest of his antics.

But Kellen Moore and the Broncos took care of business on the blue turf and that win looked even more impressive late Saturday night.

That's because those same Ducks - playing without Blount who was suspended for the year for his actions - manhandled 5th-ranked USC 47-20 in Eugene and have the inside track to the Pac-10 championship and a Rose Bowl berth.

It would take a lot to vault the one-loss Ducks into the national title game but what about undefeated BSU?

The Broncos have already proven they can win against the BCS conferences on the big stage and now they have a real quality win in 2009 to add to their resume.

They held the Ducks to a meager eight points. Saturday night against the vaunted USC defense Oregon racked up more than 600 yards. If that doesn't speak well for Boise State, then nothing will undo the rest of their schedule featuring teams like San Jose State.

How big was Oregon's win? Huge. USC hadn't lost by more than seven points since Pete Carrol's first year in 2001.

It was their worst loss in 12 years. Say what you want about the Trojans but that is pretty impressive.

Then again, we have seen them struggle against small, shifty running backs and versatile quarterback's before. It has been the recipe to overcome their stifling defense and they did nothing to debunk that notion Saturday night.

LBSU Basketball: Schedule looks even tougher

The ESPN/USA Today preseason Top 25 men's college basketball poll was released today.

Kansas received 27 of the 31 first place votes and sits atop it.

Next is Michigan State. The Spartans knocked out the Jayhawks in the Sweet Sixteen before falling to UNC in the championship game.

Then it starts to read like the Long Beach State schedule.

(3) Texas, (5) Kentucky, (8) Duke, (9) West Virginia. All four are in the Top-9, and the 49ers play all of them before the ball drops for 2010. None of them come to the Pyramid only West Virginia will be on a familiar court, at the 76 Classic in the Anaheim Convention Center.

That tournament also features 10th-ranked Butler, 18th-ranked Minnesota, 24th-ranked Clemson and UCLA and Texas A&M who received votes in the Coaches Poll.

In fact, the only team other than LBSU not to receive votes from that eight team field was Portland.

Two other teams receiving votes on The Beach's schedule are Notre Dame and Utah State. The 'Niners play in South Bend the third game of the season and in the only home game out of the bunch Utah state comes to the 'Myd on December 18.

Phillies-Yanks set to go for Wednesday night

How's this for a Game 1 match-up?

The last two AL Cy Young award winners in Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia.

Two teams with good starting pitching and potent line-ups.

Edge to the Yankees. They have the better bullpen and the home field advantage.

The Yanks are 36-8 at home since the All-Star break including 5-0 in the playoffs.

That kind of mark is unheard of in pro sports and especially in baseball.

The old Yankee Stadium sure had a lot of mystique but the pinstripers are getting mighty comfortable in their new digs.

Quick Pick: Yanks in 6

****

Tough loss for the Niners but there were some serious glimpses in the second half.

Alex Smith found Vernon Davis three times for touchdowns and Michael Crabtree looked ready to step right into the NFL game.

That sentence looks weird in print since Crabtree has been a Niner less than 20 days and the San Fran brass has been waiting for the Smith-Davis connection to materialize for years since both were first round selections, but as they say, better late than never right?

But more on Crabtree.

He finished with 5 catches for 56 yards and had another 25-yarder wiped away on a penalty.

He ran crisp routes, was strong on the ball and opened up some lanes for Josh Morgan.

Which brings me to this.

How many games did it take Crabtree to out-produce the Raiders Darius Heyward-Bey who went three picks higher in the draft?

Just one.

Crabtree has five catches, Heyward-Bey has four in seven games.

Dodger demons extend further in Philly

With the Phillies ousting the Dodgers from the NLCS for the second consecutive year, it seems obvious LA has some glaring holes in their starting rotation.

Just last week I called their rotation laughable when I correctly picked Philadelphia to make quick-work of the blue crew in 5 games.

The cautionary tale for LA extends past Citizens Bank Park and the Phillies though.

Look no further than the city limits to the city of brotherly love's beloved Eagles.

****

The Dodgers have a great young nucleus of talent, mostly on offense, but need a frontline starting pitcher if they don't want to be their league's runner-up year after year like the Eagles of the 2000's.

It takes a ton of talent to get that far so often but no one wants to be a footmark to history time and time again.

The Eagles four championship game and one super bowl appearance this past decade:

2009-8 (NFC Champ Game) L ARI 32-25

2005-4 (Super Bowl XXXIX) L NWE 24-21

2004-3 (NFC Champ Game) L CAR 13-3

2003-2 (NFC Champ Game) L TAM 27-10

2002-1 (NFC Champ Game) L STL 29-24

The Joe Torre led Dodgers are only 0-2 in the precursor to the Fall Classic but if they want to make the jump to the World Series and win one - lest they be the Eagles of MLB for the next ten years - they still have a ways to go.

A few things...

Nailed the Phillies in 5 pick.

Angels in 6 won't be happening but they could still take it in 7. One out of two exact games and the winner aint bad.

MNF prediction: Eagles 31, Redskins 13. Tuesday morning: The bye week pink slip for Mr. Zorn.

Working on a column about the rash of bad officiating from the baseball playoffs to college football. Instant replay, full time football officials, and where we go from here. Should be done in the next day or two, basically when I can find time to actually write it. That will be up on daily49er.com. Check the "Daily 49er - Tucker Talks link on the left for that.

More on the Eagles with a comparison to a baseball team in a new blog post that should be up in the next few days.

That is all for now.

To be or not to be an NFL head coach

There are a lot of bad NFL teams and there are a lot of bad NFL head coaches.

The biggest problem for the guy running the show is whether or not he should be doing so.

There is a wide gap between successful coach or coordinator and first-rate head coach.

The coordinator can focus on one side of the ball, work with a smaller group of players and duck accountability if other facets of the game struggle.

The head coach? He has a lot more on his plate and is ultimately responsible for everything.

****

The Mike Nolan era in San Francisco was atrocious. The 49ers went 18-37 in his 3+ seasons at the helm and lacked consistency and a winning attitude.

Nolan took a job this offseason as the defensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos and they are 5-0 with the top defense in the league after being the third worst unit in the NFL a year ago.

Rod Marinelli became the first head coach to suffer an 0-16 season as the man in charge for the Detroit Lions last year.

Now he is the defensive line coach in Chicago and the Bears are a top-10 team against the run. He is also assistant head coach and his team is 3-1.

Mike Martz was a tremendous offensive coordinator in St. Louis. Behind his offensive schemes the Rams won the Super Bowl in 1999. He took over as head coach following that season and got the Rams back to the big game two years later where they were upset by the Patriots.

The problem with Martz was that he still wanted to devote all his attention to the offense and the defense and special teams paid the price.

These are a few examples but there are many more. Cam Cameron, Norv Turner and Wade Phillips come to mind as other recent examples.

The difference between being a specialized coach that can focus on one aspect and thrive there and being the guy who has to pull all the strings for the whole organization is a big gap.

****

All of this comes to mind when the subject of Jim Zorn comes up. The much-maligned Washington Redskins shot-caller made a huge leap to get where he is now.

And while his team, especially on offense, has really struggled, it is the huge divide in his coaching pedigree and track record that is responsible for a large part of the criticism.

Zorn was an offensive coordinator at the college level and a QB coach with the Seahawks. He has has never been a head coach at any level.

There is so much more to manage especially at the NFL level so as Zorn struggles and a city loses his patience, former players stop hunting to shoot YouTube videos and player's call for a decision one way or the other Zorn's lack of experience is a glaring issue.

If the Redskins fall to the Chiefs today the Z man may be out of a job, but for everyone including Zorn himself, it may be a blessing.

Like so many men before him, some head coaches are better off with lesser jobs in new cities where they can focus on a more specific task and thrive in that department.

LCS Predictions

Philly in 5

Angels in 6

Too much Philly offense against a laughable LA rotation. Split at Dodger Stadium then three wins at the Bank. Back to the World Series looking to repeat.

Three man rotation will wear down for the Yanks and the Halos have their number. No holes for LAA and they can play anywhere. Solid pitching and situational hitting will send the Angels through.

Hey Rush, get a clue

"Limbaugh says he believes he has been made an example by a players' union seeking leverage in talks over a new collective bargaining agreement. And he says he believes what happened to him was an illustration of 'Obama's America on full display.'"

Full Limbaugh story here.

Let me address this issue swiftly and without equivocation.

Obama's America is no different from anyone else's America in this regard. You have free speech and you are entitled to use it to pop off on your radio show.

But what have you done with that forum is prove you are a racist.

A majority of the NFL players are African-American and are rightfully disgusted by your views. If they don't want to play for you and the NFL owners who get to vote on such matters respect their opinions and are educated enough to form their own, despite their race, then it makes perfect sense no one would want Limbaugh associated with the league.

It has nothing to do with politics, Obama, favoritism or conservatism. It's not simply because Rush is divisive. It has everything to do with character and it's painfully obvious to everyone but Limbaugh himself that he falls way short in this category.

Better luck next time.

Sizing up the NFC after 4 weeks

At first glance the NFC playoff picture looks pretty clear. Then again there are three months left until the postseason begins so let's take a look at where this thing is headed.

NFC East

This division almost always gets two teams in and 2009-2010 seems no different.

The Giants are cruising right along at 4-0 although Eli Manning's injury is a huge concern. We knew they could run the ball and play defense but Smith and Manningham have emerged as tremendous threats in the passing game to fill the void left by Plaxico Burress.

The Eagles are 2-1 and despite early season injury issues of their own look like the second best team in this foursome. The defense is still strong and the offense is loaded with weapons.

The drama in Dallas seems to be a round-the-clock thing and at 2-2 the Cowboys seem destined for mediocrity again in the form of 8-9 wins. This team is just way too inconsistent.

The Redskins are also 2-2 but that includes close wins over the lowly Rams and Bucs and a loss to the Lions. Washington gets Carolina and Kansas City the next two weeks, completing what may be the easiest five-game stretch in league history (opponents are 1-18 on the year, with that one win being that loss to the Lions). It's all downhill after that.

NFC North

The Brett Favre led Minnesota Vikings are 4-0. The cagey veteran has burned opposing defenses intent on shutting down Adrian Peterson and the combination of that defense and the deafening noise of the Metrodome makes them a scary team in the playoffs if they get a low seed.

The Chicago Bears are 3-1 despite the loss of LB Brian Urlacher. Jay Cutler has settled down after a rough debut and there are some speedsters on offense and special teams that are game-changers. Looks like a 10-win team.

The Green Bay Packers have a lot of holes on that offensive line and it's hard to imagine them winning consistently if Aaron Rodgers has to run for his life on every snap. They are far from out of it at 2-2 but nine wins really seems like the ceiling for this squad.

The Detroit Lions finally found their way into the win column in week three. They can move the ball on offense and are definitely playing better but they are at least another year away from being relevant again.

NFC South

The New Orleans Saints sit atop the division at 4-0. Drew Brees and the offense can score 30 on anybody and the defense has been a very pleasant surprise. This team looks really dangerous and complete.

The Atlanta Falcons are just 2-1 after a bye week. They have a lot of weapons on offense and found their way into the postseason last year. The jury is still out on this year's team after a suspect performance last time out in New England.

The Carolina Panthers simply haven't recovered after their shocking loss to Arizona in last year's playoffs. They are 0-3 and despite plenty of talented players it's hard to imagine Jake Delhomme righting the ship or the Panthers eclipsing seven wins.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 0-4 and there's not a lot to like about them this year. Cadillac Williams is not a one-man wrecking crew and the QB situation is always a mess. Tough second-half schedule for the Bucs who won't win more than three-four games.

NFC West

The San Francisco 49ers are 3-1 and could easily be 4-0. The schedule gets tougher after the bye and they need a more consistent running attack to offset their paltry offense but the defense has quickly established themselves as one of the best in the league and this team should win 10 games.

The Arizona Cardinals are 1-2 after winning the NFC last season. The offense still has plenty of big-play potential but so far the redbirds just seem out of sync. Arizona could still get to 10 wins based on an advantageous schedule.

Expectations for a bounce-back season were high in Seattle but an injury to Matt Hasselback has put the Seahawks at 1-3. This team still has an excellent home-field advantage but it may be too little too late if they don't get it going soon. Marking them down for six victories.

The St. Louis Rams haven't won in their last 15 games and have been shut out twice already. At 0-4 the question of their first win might be more of an "if" then a "when." Injuries haven't helped, but Steven Jackson can't do it on his own.

****

Where they stand

1a. New York Giants (4-0)

1b. Minnesota Vikings (4-0)

1c. New Orleans Saints (4-0)

4. San Francisco 49ers (3-1)

5. Chicago Bears (3-1)

6a. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)

6b. Atlanta Falcons (2-1)

On the outside looking in

Green Bay Packers (2-2)

Dallas Cowboys (2-2)

Washington Redskins (2-2)

Arizona Cardinals (1-2)

Not gonna happen

Seattle Seahawks (1-3)

Detroit Lions (1-3)

Carolina Panthers (0-3)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-4)

St. Louis Rams (0-4)

****

How they'll finish

1. New Orleans (13-3)

2. New York (12-4)

3. Minnesota (12-4)

4. San Francisco (10-6)

5. Philadelphia (10-6)

6. Chicago (10-6)

The Double A Jays

Quick, name the only duo in major league baseball with 35 homers and 100 RBI's.

Waiting, stalling, anyone?

I'm gonna guess these two didn't even cross your mind.

For the answer we have to go north of the border to Toronto for second baseman Aaron Hill and designated hitter/left fielder Adam Lind.

Has even the biggest baseball fan noticed what these two have done?

Hill has mashed 36 HR's and driven in 105 runs, while Lind has homered 35 times to go along with 115 RBI's.

Holliday and Pujols, Braun and Fielder, Werth and Howard, Berkman and Lee, Teixeria and A-Rod, Bay and Ortiz, Pena and Longoria. None of these duos have yet accomplished what Hill and Lind have so far in 2009.

The Blue Jays are overshadowed by the Yankees, Red Sox and even the Rays after their magical run to the 2008 AL Pennant.

The story of their season was GM J.P. Riccardi's unwillingness to pull the trigger on a deal to ship his ace Roy Halladay out of town for a bevy of prospects.

They haven't been to the playoffs since divisional realignment in the wake of the 1994 strike.

They haven't seen the postseason since back-to-back world series titles or played meaningful baseball since Joe Carter bounded around the bases after a game 6 World Series walk-off in 1993.

It's been 15 long winters in Canada and after three straight winning seasons the Jays wont get over 80 wins in 2009. They play in the toughest division in baseball. The one that almost always gets two teams into the playoffs but that features the game's biggest spenders.

The future may not exactly be rosy for the Blue Jays but it is bright in at least two regards with these young stars slugging their way to the top of the statistical leaderboard.

Reynolds' first to epic 40-200 plateau

Sorry for the long absence - all of my blogging attention has been thrust at "going deep with the giants" as the g-men fade in and out of the nl wild card chase - but I ended my last post here on the topic of home-run-hitting-strikeout-masters with this thought: "Can you imagine? Three 40 HR-200 K guys? Oh what a world it would be."

Well, Carlos Pena hit 39 homers struck out 163 times and then broke two fingers last week in the Bronx. He is out for the year.

Ryan Howard is sitting on 38 bombs has fanned 168 times. With just 18 games to go, Howard still has plenty of work to do.

But Mark Reynolds, the master of miss, the king of swing, reached the previously unfathomable height this afternoon at Petco Park in San Diego.

After clubbing the game winning two-run homer in the top of the ninth last night, the Diamondbacks third baseman followed with the kind of matinee performance today we have come to expect from the guy who literally defines the "feast or famine" cliche.

With an 0-for-5, four strikeout day Reynolds whiffed for the 200th time in the ninth to become the first player in major league history in the 40-200 club.

After all, there have only been two, 200 strikeout seasons ever and both belong to him and in as many seasons.

With only five more K's, he can pass his 2008 record of 204 by Friday and for such a young player the sky really is the limit. 225 is possible this year and even 250 before his career his over.

Honorable mention goes to Adam Dunn whose 37 homers and 162 K's means there are four sluggers in 2009 that qualify for the 35-160 club.

Keep swinging for the fences fellas!

Y2K's

With the millennium approaching late in the 20th century the fear was that computers would not be able to register the change into the 2000's and they would crash, causing mass chaos.

People stocked up on canned food and water. They braced for disaster.

While the ball dropped and the date ticked over in the upper corner like any other, that quirky numbers issue has affected one critical part of American life - baseball.

Check the box scores and scroll over to the "K" column. Where there used to be more zero's and one's there are now a lot more two's and three's.

While this nearly expired decade brought us everything from 9/11 to the Octomom what it really brought on the hardball front was a whole lot more swings and misses.

Of the 24 highest single-season strikeout totals in Major League history an astounding 17 have happened in the 2000's. The top-6 have happened since I finished high school in 2004 and three of the top four strikeout totals of all-time were so majestically produced just last year.

The highest pre-1960 total came in at 294th on the list thanks to Jim Lemon's 138 in 1956.

To make matters worse only four of the top 80 single season strikeout totals were recorded by pitchers since the departure of the 90's and all of those campaigns were turned in by Randy Johnson with the last coming in 2004.

So it's not like the Y2K bug mutated and turned the league's starting pitchers into a cache of Nolan Ryan clones - the hitters are simply missing the mark at an alarming and historically atrocious rate.

Doesn't anyone choke up anymore? (Chicks dig the longball and the walk back to the dugout)

Even more puzzling than the high strikeout totals is that the players making these gaudy numbers are also at the top of the home run leader board.

As I told my dad, talk about feast or famine.

Ryan Howard who has 820 K's in 674 games, fanned 181 times in 2006 on his way to the MVP award.

When you hit 58 homers and drive in 149 runs the ring-ups are second fiddle to the writers.

In 2007 and 2008 he got rung up a record (he set it and then tied it) 199 times. But he also hit 47 dingers in '07 and 48 the following season when he finished 2nd in MVP voting.

Howard's record didn't stand for long. Like the steroid-induced home run chases of the late 90's and early 2000's guys were out to prove they could be top dog.

So Arizona's Mark Reynolds boldly went where no man had gone before - into the 200's. Blowing right past Ryan Howard's cowardly 199, Reynolds finished the season with a flourish of see ya-ness and into previously uncharted territory.

While the young third baseman slugged 28 homers in his record breaKing campaign, 2009 has brought even bigger things.

Through tonight's game - a two-homer, two-strikeout effort on his birthday - Reynolds has been on an even better pace. He's like a marathoner at the 15-mile mark in under an hour, the potential is staggering just like the implosion could be.

His two Citi Field bombs put him second in the league in home runs with 32 but his two strikeouts give him 145 in 103 games or well above his pace from last year (and 193rd all time four days into August.)

If he stays on track he could reach rare Joe Dimaggio type air. Records are made to be broken, but Disco Demolition Night was a bad idea.

At this rate he would hit 214 strikeouts and that could be as untouchable as the triples record. Highest single season mark? 36. Highest in the last 80 years? 23.

They have fences on stadiums nowadays and they are rather close. You can't just run anymore.

But you sure can strike out. So while Reynolds broke the 200-K barrier with the determination of Roger Bannister others won't want to be left in the dust.

The Challengers (It don't mean a thing, if you don't take that swing)

While the battle between Reynolds and Howard is beginning to play out like Chestnut and Kobayashi, let's not forget other prolific power hitters and swings and missers.

Jack Cust's 197 strikeouts in 2008 were an American League record and he complimented all those long walks with 33 slow trots. He has led the AL each of the last two seasons in the vaunted three strikes and your out list and has amassed another 118 so far in 09.

When it comes to all or nothing hackers no one quite fits the bill like Washington's Adam Dunn. In each of his last seven full seasons he has whiffed at least 164 times. Equally impressive is a six year 40+ homer streak.

He looks strong on both fronts again (119 and 27) but may be pressing a bit down the stretch if the pressure mounts and he is right on the cusp.

But two guys really stand out in 2009.

Carlos Pena (136 K's, 26 HR's) and the recently-eclipsed challenger Howard (128 K's, 26 HR's) are desperately swinging to stay in the race. Reynolds has set a blistering pace but if they can at least stay within striking distance history would look back on 2009 with a big smile.

Can you imagine? Three 40 HR-200 K guys?

Oh what a world it would be.

The Freeway Series from Hell

I am a Bay Area sports fan living in Southern California.

This spring the 8th-seeded Ducks bounced my beloved President's Trophy winning-Sharks from the Stanley Cup playoffs in the first round.

The Lakers are NBA champions. The Warriors only make headlines in the Las Vegas summer league.

The ghosts of Russ Ortiz and Dusty Baker remind me - just as Angels fan do - that the 2002 World Series really did get away from the Giants, meaning they have still never won a championship by the Bay after so much success in New York more than a half a century ago.

Now the Dodgers are the best team in baseball and the Angels are once again in first place.

Which brings to mind the doomsday scenario - an all-Los Angeles Fall Classic come late October and early November (thanks Bud for pushing the season back another week, I'm sure you would love to see this thing on the West Coast after the fiasco in Philly last year).

There is plenty of baseball left to be played and tons of good teams out there to spoil it. The Yankees and Phillies come to mind with their hot play of late - but oh what a nightmare it could be.

Six weeks ago I thought the Dodgers would be a divisional series flameout. After Chad Billingsley it looked like there was no clear number two guy on the hill and starting pitching plays an integral part in playoff success.

Since then young Clayton Kershaw has been untouchable and the ever-itchy Dodgers may add another starter before the trade deadline or in August via waivers.

Their offense remained strong with Manny out and his presence in that line-up makes every other player more dangerous.

The Angels faced a rash of injuries early, and just when it seemed like they were getting healthy, managed to lose their two biggest bats. Neither situation has held them down long and they are threatening to once again run away with the AL west.

Torii Hunter has had an MVP-caliber season, Bobby Abreu's power numbers are gone but his average and speed is not. The starting pitching has been spotty but the track records of John Lackey and Ervin Santana are strong and when the team falls behind they always mount a comeback.

An Angels-Dodgers series would make Orange County practically unlivable for me and that's saying something after the Ducks debacle, Lakers parade and Giants dry spell.

Somebody better stop this or my black explorer will be like OJ's white bronco come Halloween. There will be a police chase down the 405 as I try and get away from World Series territory with a flaming bag of rally monkey's and Tommy Lasorda tied up in the back seat.

At least "Stanford 24, USC 23" happened.

Calvin Borel couldn't do it but what about Albert Pujols?

In the midst of another loss at Busch Stadium Tuesday night, Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols drilled two more home runs into the seats off 303-game winner Randy Johnson. 

It was all the offense the Redbirds could muster, and all they have managed in two games against the visiting Giants, but Pujols doesn't miss too many pitches.

In a line-up that is painfully lacking any punch number 5 is threatening to do something the senior circuit hasn't seen since Amelia Earhart disappeared over the Pacific.

Since 1900 the NL has had just four triple crown seasons (by three different players). 

Rogers Hornsby (STL) 1922 .401-42 HR-152 RBI and 1925 .403-39 HR-143 RBI

Chuck Klein (PHI) 1933 .368-28 HR-120 RBI

Joe Medwick (STL) 1937 .374-31 HR-154 RBI

(Baseball-Reference.com)

Through 79 games Pujols leads the NL with 30 homers (six more than Adrian Gonzalez) and 77 RBI's (three more than Prince Fielder and 17 more than the third place man Ryan Howard).

He trails the NL batting leader David Wright by 13 points (.345 to .332) and is currently tied for fifth in that category. 

Pujols, a career .334 hitter, finished second in the NL in hitting in 2008 after slugging his way to a .357 clip. 

He has one batting title to his name already when his .359 was tops in 2003 and since he has hit under .330 just once in a season. 

He has failed to win the NL home run crown but the steroid era is largely to blame for that. Pujols has never smacked 50 homers in a season but with 30 already before July 1st that barrier should be reachable.

With his homers tonight he became the first player in baseball history to start his career with 9-straight 30-homer seasons, so there is no doubt A-Pu can stroke the long ball. 

From 2003-2006 he was in the top-5 in dingers in the NL each year including his high water mark of 49 in 2006. Most importantly he seems to have found his longball groove and has a sizable lead in that area.

He has never led the NL in RBI's but has finished in the top-5 in every season but one (2007). He was second in 2002 and 2006, third in 2004 and 2005 and fourth in 2003 and 2008.

So the potential to win that category is there but that may also be his biggest downfall. 

Pujols doesn't need his teammates to help him hit or smack home runs but he does need them to be on base if he wants to have the most RBI's. 

The Cardinals just dealt for utility infielder Mark DeRosa. It will be up to him and a cast of other guys like Ryan Ludwick, Rick Ankiel and Chris Duncan to start producing then the rest will be up to Albert.

Tomorrow is just July 1, so there is a lot of baseball left to play but with another torrid start and a definite power surge Pujols has set the stage for what could be a historic summer in America's heartland.

U.S. win over Spain a fabulous result, not "Miracle 2"

The hockey team from the Soviet Union was big, bad and seemed impossible to beat.

So too did the Spanish side seem insurmountable in the days leading up to Wednesday's semifinal match in the 2009 Confederations Cup.

Both had illustrious track records and long streaks of supremacy, but the similarities fail to extend much further. 

For the U.S. men's soccer team to steal a 2-0 win from the best team in the world after looking overmatched and lost just a week before it was a stunning victory and one of the top five biggest moments in the history of the sport in our country.

It was not, however close to the magnitude of the 4-3 win from the U.S. Olympic hockey team in Lake Placid almost three decades before.

First, that was the Olympics while this tournament is second fiddle to next summer's World Cup. 

Second, those were amateurs toppling the mighty Soviet machine while the soccer team we are throwing out there is nearly complete with all of our best professional talent minus a few missing in action due to injury.

And most importantly the social, cultural, political and historical impact of that game was enormous considering the backdrop of the Cold War.

Most Americans only knew the U.S. beat Spain when they saw it on Sportscenter that evening. 

The ramifications were far less, the patriotism attached to it of a far less shriller tone.

The win was significant and another Sunday morning would really put the soccer world on notice.

But it will be on the grandest stage in South Africa a year from now when the U.S. returns for the World Cup that their biggest opportunity to seize glory will emerge.

For now their shocking turnaround has at the very least thrust them into the spotlight for a short while.

Brazil represents a stern test for the U.S. squad but win or lose they have made important steps in the right direction.

A strong performance against the Samba can catapult the red, white and blue into important tune-up games in the Gold Cup and in Concacaf qualifying that will set them up for World Cup play.

The "miracle on grass" as it has been dubbed was a remarkable effort and one that shouldn't be soon forgotten but in an age of "what has google showed me lately?" let's not forget what that win in 1980 meant for this country and hope that someday, as this soccer team vows to reach the world's elite, they can in someway rival it.

For now we'll take Wednesday's win as a day when a team that really wanted it showed they could take it and hope the valiant Americans have more of that in store for the next 12 months. 

Big win for USA soccer, the goal differential system is fine

First off, great win today for the U.S. men's soccer team. 

I know Egypt was missing key players, and emotionally spent after upsetting the reigning world champion Azzuri. 

But the U.S. got the performance it needed and most importantly help from Brazil (3-0 win over Italy) that makes the win truly mean something.

By advancing in the group, the struggling national team gets two more games on foreign soil against quality opponents. That's the real victory.

Assuming a loss to the best team in the world, Spain on Wednesday, the red, white and blue should get South Africa (the host country) in a third-place game.

For a squad desperately trying to find an identity with less than a year to go before returning to the motherland for the World Cup these games are invaluable to their improvement. 

They may get blown out by Spain but these games give coach Bob Bradley more opportunities to scout his players and figure out his eventual Cup roster.

****

Many of the talking heads blasted the system that allows the U.S. to go through over Italy despite losing to them.

But in a three-way tie where each team is 1-2 there has to be another tiebreaker. 

Don't these same critical pundits remember the Big 12 tiebreaker this past college football season?

Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Texas all finished with 7-1 in the Big 12 South. Each was 1-1 against the other two. 

Since there was no clear way to determine who should be awarded divisional champion and a chance to play in the Big 12 championship game the conference had made the next tiebreaker the teams BCS rank.

The Big 12 was killed for pandering to the BCS by making their voting system the next determining factor - and having a game that featured Missouri and Oklahoma - two teams that Texas had both beat.

So in an equal situation - a three-way tie - where each team has lost once and won once against the said opposition - FIFA goes to goal differential.

What else would you do? At least they let it be decided on the field and not by some herky-jerky combination of computer calculations and biased voters.

Let's think these things through before we blast the people who have done just that.

Coming to you live in HD, it's hockey!

The NHL season is done, and congrats to the Penguins on winning the Cup, they sure looked dead in February.

But the NHL has one big thing going for it as we move forward and I think the ratings from the Stanley Cup finals reflect that.

Game 7, the best drama in all of sports, was the highest rated hockey game in thirty-six years. 

There's a few reasons for that other than the point I'm about to make.

You had people tuning in to see Sidney Crosby. Sid the Kid is not even the best player on his own team but the young superstar has been hyped up so much that he is as must-see as anyone not named Ovechkin can be in this league. 

Tack on the rematch factor, the history of these two teams and of course the intrigue of a Game 7 and you have a ratings bonanza.

But there's one other big thing at work here and that's the HD effect.

There is no better live sport than hockey. Being in a cold, raucous arena where the hits are hard, the skaters are fast and the intensity is just awesome.

Never before could that be captured on TV and as my buddy Chad pointed out the puck is black, and much smaller than the focus of attention in other sports like basketball and football.

After the lock-out, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman took more money but far less exposure when he signed with Versus to broadcast his suddenly-floundering league.

It was an awful decision and the NHL has paid dearly for it. But HD can change all of that.

Finally, the TV can capture a lot of what going to the arena is all about and the action unfolding on the ice becomes that much clearer. 

No more squinting for the puck, waiting for the red light to tell you if a goal was scored or comet-style graphic that FOX employed some years back that gave the puck an illuminated tail to try and help the viewer to know where it was.

With more cameras in the arena and an ever crisper picture, hockey should re-slot itself as the fourth biggest sport in the American landscape and could once again push the NBA for third. 

While everything looks better in HD, the difference it makes when it comes to hockey, is much more significant and could make up the gap between fringe spectacle and mainstream mainstay.

Arena attendance is good. Fans love to pack the rink to see the games. With hockey in HD they can pack the living rooms too and be treated to a show almost as good.

Where has all the power gone?

The has-beens a.k.a. the former users

Here is David Ortiz's stat line from yesterday: 0-7, 3 K's, 12 LOB

For the season? A .208 average and ZERO homers.

I sat six rows behind home plate at Angel stadium Wednesday night for the Angels/Red Sox game and despite having no rooting interest I screamed things like "JUICE" and "when are you getting your 50 games?" and "infield power" at Ortiz all night.  

Here is a guy that averaged 47 homers over a three year stretch and now he can't even hit one and its mid-May. He may never test positive, lord knows he is off the stuff now but for every mysterious injury there is a syringe and for every magical big papi moment there is to me at least a little extra something that fueled it.

Maybe I'm just cynical at this point but I don't trust anyone and when I see how far this guy has fallen the reasons just seem obvious.

But he's not the only one, let's look at few others...

How about Andruw Jones or Brian Giles or Derrek Lee? Guys that were roided out of their minds and now just hit doubles. Guys with precipitous spikes in their average numbers who get injured and can no longer hit for power.  

As a fan of the game they make me sick. I'd like to just see them thrown out. It's not like we don't know what you did. Every time you come to the box as a shadow of your former self you remind us of how you cheated the game.

Injuries, age, and decline in skills - these things happen but not to this extreme.

But let's look at the numbers for the proof since the tests haven't showed it:

D. Lee - 2005 - .335, 120 Runs, 199 hits, 50 doubles, 46 HR's, 107 RBI's

Career year? Sure, but look closer. He plays only 50 games the next year. Steroids dramatically increase the chance for injury. His career average is .281 and he has had one other season over .300 and never hit higher than 32 home runs in a season.

B. Giles - 1999-2002 - 149 HR's, 436 RBI's .605 SLG %

Giles has been in the league since 1995 and has just 286 career homers. The year after that 4-year binge ended he had just 20 bombs. In the last 4+ years he has 55 homers TOTAL. Say all you want about Petco Park, I have looked at the home/away splits, Giles has just lost all his power and he's not banging them out of opposing teams parks either.

This year he may be even worse than Papi (although older at 38). He his hitting .169 with six extra base hits in 130 at-bats (1 HR) and he's slugging .231.

Andruw Jones - 2005-2006 - 92 HR's, 257 RBI's.

Just 26 homers the next year. Puts on a ton of weight, his average plummets and he signs a big contract in L.A. Hits 3 homers in 209 AB's and slugs .249 before injury forces him to miss the rest of the season.

Couple of others to consider with awful starts to 2009....

Bobby Abreu - 2009 - Six extra base hits in 121 AB's (No Home Runs).

Remarkably durable but just 51 homers in the last 3+ seasons. Never hit less than 20 in seven seasons from 1999-2005. Only 43 in more than 1400 AB's as a lefty hitting in old Yankee Stadium.

Magglio Ordonez - 2009 - Four extra base hits in 121 AB's (2 HR), slugging .306.

Great start to his career misses 210 games in 2004-2005. Has a monster 2007 (.363, 28 HR's, 138 RBI's).

While the ex-steroid users try to hang on to their tattered careers this is not a new phenomenon. Many ex-players have huge spikes as well. Let's look at a couple of years past for some examples.

In 2001 two guys stand out. First is Bret Boone (.331, 37 HR, 141 RBI) His 162 game average (.266, 23 HR, 93 RBI) and those averages include that year and another big one in 2003. Or Luis Gonzales who hit 57 home runs that year and drove in 142. His 162 game averages were 22 HR and 90 RBI. The only other time he even got to the 30-HR plateau was the year before when he hit 31.

How about 1996 when Brady Anderson hit 50 homers and drove in 110. His 162 game averages? 19 and 67. That was also the year Ken Caminiti won the NL MVP. He later admitted taking steroids.

The list could go on and on, but for baseball's sake I hope the list of current players with stat lines that resemble Richter Scale-esque spikes continues to get smaller until the playing field is much more balanced and the sanctity of the game can be restored.

Giants pitching coming around

The strength of the Giants team before the season was no doubt their starting rotation.

But Tim Lincecum, Randy Johnson, and Barry Zito were hit hard in their first two outings.

Matt Cain has always been immensely talented but always lacked the run support he so desperately needed to get some wins and some breathing room on the mound.

Cain is quickly 2-0 and the whole rotation has been lights out since they returned home from an awful Southern California trip.

Starters Jonathan Sanchez, Lincecum and Johnson surrendered no runs in 21 2/3 innings and two Giants wins against Arizona this weekend (The Giants managed just four runs, and all three games were 2-0). Add in Cain's two runs last night against San Diego and seven scoreless frames from Zito this afternoon and that's two earned runs in 34 2/3 innings (0.58 ERA) on the homestand.

Zito-Sandoval Battery

Bruce Bochy gave catcher Bengie Molina the day off today, even though the Giants are off tomorrow something we grew accustomed to seeing with Bonds to be able to give the guy two full days off.

But I don't think it was a coincidence that Pablo Sandoval, a very skilled young backstop, was behind the dish with Zito on the hill.

Consider these numbers: 3-0, 3.21 ERA in five starts.

Those were Zito's 2008 numbers with Pablo calling pitches for him and after a 0-2 start with a 10.00 ERA, all the lefty did today was throw seven scoreless innings, giving up six hits, striking out five and most importantly walking none.

That's six starts - three wins and no losses and 2.70 ERA. In a Giants uniform with someone else behind the plate he is 18-32 with an ERA just under 5.

So why not run this pair out every fifth day? Molina is not exactly young and sprightly and playing 135-140 games is plenty. 

Sandoval is adjusting to life at third base but is so valuable because he can catch and with phenom Buster Posey waiting in the wings, Sandoval will be the perfect guy to spell the young catcher at the big league level.

Posey can run and his athleticism will be an asset that needs to be protected to the tune of 120-130 games max with the mask so cultivating Sandoval for this role now seems like a smart idea.

Then there's Zito to consider. The 30-year old has been by all accounts a $126-million bust. But if he can hammer the strike zone and effectively mix his fastball, curve and change like he did today with Sandoval back there what's not to like about that?

0-0 in the eighth, how bout those bats boys?

UNC - Making Barack Obama and I look good

Well UNC was the best team in the nation since April of 2008 and they sure proved it the last few weeks.

In an era where parity is lauded and guys leave early all the time winning every tournament game by 12 points or more and really never being tested is quite a feat.

Pretty good tournament overall. I'd love to see a few more smaller schools in the fray and we really haven't had the deep run from a cinderella the past two March's but in the big schools we get the best basketball and I'm o.k. with that.

It really is the best time of the year for sports. Baseball is under way - just this week for MLB, late February for the college guys, and the NBA and NHL playoffs are just around the corner.

While I miss football there is a much broader array of good stuff going on now than at any time during the fall.

Look for some NHL playoff material very soon - President's Trophy coming to San Jose in a matter of hours.

Final Four

Three out of four ain't bad right?

I took UConn and UNC despite injury concerns - Dyson being out and Lawson being hobbled - but both advanced. 

I nailed my upset pick in Villanova and totally missed on Wake Forest. 

In retrospect I had Michigan State and Louisville in the Sweet 16 but had them both getting bounced before the match-up that actually happened today.

My bracket seemed busted at the beginning but I took my lumps early and held on for a pretty solid outcome.

Still sticking with UNC and UConn in the finals, though Nova has looked great to this point.

March Madness is here

On the eve of the NCAA Tourney I thought I would throw some picks your way. I just rushed through a Yahoo! bracket and while I hastily threw the thing together I'm willing to put my final four picks out there although they are subject to change.

Semifinal 1

Wake Forest v Connecticut

Semfinal 2

Villanova v North Carolina

Final

UConn v UNC

Both have injuries to guards... Dyson is out for the Huskies and Lawson's status is uncertain for UNC. Might cause me to change my mind but it's Tuesday right?

Pacific ends the 'Niners NCAA hopes

Long Beach State fell to Pacific late Friday night in Anaheim 65-60, ending their bid to win the Big West and earn a spot in next week's NCAA Tournament.

It was a bitter departure for a team that exceeded all the expectations of outsiders but within its own confines struggled with consistency and ultimately fell short.

It's easy to say and hard to swallow but the best really is yet to come for LBSU under Dan Monson and with the three T-L-C starters returning there won't be a lot of holes to fill.

They desperately need a big man. A guy that can rebound and block shots. That can clog up the middle and keep other teams from penetrating and finishing. He doesn't need to be a scoring machine, just a threat.

Time will tell if 7'2" Mike Vantrimpont can be that guy but that is the kind of player they need to put them over the top.

All in all it was a big leap in year two.

The jump from six wins to fifteen, from doormat to formidable happened quickly and the next step should be just as swift and just as sweet.

Good luck in the future boys and go Beach!

LBSU to take on Pacific Friday night

Despite two opening round upsets the top seeds held on Thursday and Long Beach will play Pacific while UCSB will battle Northridge. Both games will be live on ESPNU.

Results - Big West Quarterfinals

(3) Pacific 67, (8) UC Davis 60

(4) UCSB 73, (7) CSUF 64

Friday's Schedule

(4) UCSB vs. (1) Cal State Northridge - 5:30 p.m.

(3) Pacific vs. (2) Long Beach State - 8 p.m. (approximately)

It's game time

See you in Anaheim!

Big West Tourney Preview/Update

First Round, Last night's scores

(Anaheim Convention Center)

(8) UC Davis 59, (5) UC Irvine 58

(7) CSUF 59, (6) UC Riverside 46

Tonight's games

(8) UC Davis vs. (3) Pacific - 6 p.m.

(7) CSUF vs. (4) UCSB - 8:30 p.m.

Tomorrow's games

Davis/CSUF/UCSB vs. CSUN - 5:30 p.m.

CSUF/UCSB/UOP vs. LBSU - 8 p.m.

Full Rundown of Remaining Teams

Anderson highlights All-Big West Selections

In the shocker of the day Larry Anderson was named first team all Big West and Freshman of the Year.

Donovan Morris, Steph Gilling and T.J. Robinson got honorable mention.

Anderson, Robinson and Ware were all named to the All-Freshman team.

TLC gets it done

and....

Full list of selections here

The Beach took yesterday and today off from practice. They will meet in the morning and try to regroup after the stunning loss at UCSB.

Three days of practice - especially with Morris around - are critical to getting back on track.

UCSB wins at the buzzer

Oh so close to number one
LBSU beats Cal Poly, loses at buzzer to UCSB

With Cal State Northridge's loss at Pacific Saturday Long Beach was 6.8 seconds from a share of the conference title and the number one seed in the Big West tournament.

But UCSB's James Nunnally hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Gauchos the 76-75 win and leave LBSU (15-14, 10-6 Big West) as the number two seed.

Despite the tie a LBSU win would have created atop the Big West standings, because of their two wins against the number three seed Pacific, they would have won the second tiebreaker and been awarded the number one seed over Northridge.

Stephan Gilling led all scorers with 23 points (going 6-of-11 from 3-point range) while Donovan Morris had 17 and T.J. Robinson scored 16, making all seven of his field goal attempts.

Nine of LBSU's last ten conference games were decided by six points or less.

They have alternated wins and losses for their last 11 games - a trend they would like to break this weekend - as they need two wins to clinch the Big West and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Long Beach plays in the semi-finals of the Big West tournament Friday night at the Anaheim Convention Center. The game will tip-off thirty minutes after the end of the first game which starts at 5:30 p.m.

LBSU holds off Cal Poly

The Beach held off a spirited attempt by the Mustangs and won 63-60 Thursday night to claim at least a top two finish in the Big West after winning just three games in the conference last season.

For a team that won six games in 2007-2008 and went just 1-15 on the road, the 'Niners ran their record to 15-13 and captured their sixth road win of the season.

The win guarantees them a spot in the semifinals of next week's Big West tourney leaving them just two wins away from the big dance.

Donovan Morris had 17 off the bench, making clutch plays down the stretch, while T.J. Robinson added 13 and Larry Anderson and Stephan Gilling had 10.

The re-emergence of Morris gives the team a veteran presence and leadership that has been lacking despite the tremendous play of the freshman.

LBSU overcame a rough night shooting the ball in beating a team that had nothing to play for.

At 3-11 in the Big West coming in Poly was already eliminated from postseason contention.

What's particularly interesting is the way the match-ups could fall in Anaheim. If seeds hold LBSU would get Pacific in the semi-finals (a team they beat twice) and avoid Riverside (a team they lost to twice) until the finals if the Highlanders upset Northridge.

Box Score

Big West Standings

CSUN (11-4)

LBSU (10-5)

Pac  (9-6)

UCR  (7-8)

UCSB (7-8)

CSUF (7-8)

UCI  (7-8)

UCD (7-9)

Poly (3-12)

Beach heads North to finish Big West schedule

@ Cal Poly tonight, UCSB Saturday....

Long Beach (14-13, 9-5) started Big West play the same way they will finish it - by taking on Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara.

When LBSU last took on Cal Poly (7-19, 3-11) it was their most lopsided Big West win as they knocked off the Mustangs 70-57 to run their conference record to 2-0.

The 'Niners overcame a sluggish start with some hot outside shooting from Greg Plater and Stephan Gilling. The two combined for 29 points making 9-of-16 from 3-point range.

Senior guard Chaz Thomas had 17 points in the loss for Cal Poly.

The Mustangs have lost six of their last seven in conference play and are yet to win a Big West game at home this season going 0-6 so far.

Back on January 2nd, The Beach kicked off conference play with a 76-64 win over UCSB (13-14, 6-8) at the Pyramid.

Casper Ware had 21 points - 15 of which came in the second half - while Donovan Morris scored 16 and Brian Freeman had a double-double adding 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Chris Devine was one of just two Gauchos in double figures scoring 20 points and grabbing eight rebounds while James Powell had 10.

UCSB has been hot of late winning five of their last six games.

The freshman big-men are carrying the load for The Beach in a big way of late. Over the last six games Larry Anderson is averaging 18.8 points and 6.5 rebounds while T.J. Robinson is getting 17.3 points and pulling down 8.5 rebounds.

LBSU currently sits one game behind Cal State Northridge (10-4 Big West) and one half-game ahead of Pacific (9-6) in the standings.

With a win this weekend they can clinch at least a number two seed in next week's conference tournament at the convention center in Anaheim.

Magic number down to one

Last weekend of regular season play for LBSU as they take on Cal Poly and UCSB.

That brought to mind the scenarios for securing a top-2 seed in the Big West

Here's the breakdown

Big West Tournament starts a week from tomorrow at the Convention Center in Anaheim. The Beach won't play until at least Thursday.

Northridge dominates the Beach

LBSU (14-13, 9-5) went to the Matadome looking to take control of the Big West. 

Instead that distinction belongs to Cal State Northridge (14-12, 10-4).

The Matadors controlled the game right from the start as The Beach's lack of defense haunted them for the second time in three games resulting in a 95-74 CSUN victory.

Northridge made more than 62 percent of their shots and just like at the Pyramid controlled the paint outscoring LBSU inside 44-26 and outrebounding the 'Niners 36-28.

Six Matadors scored in double figures.

T.J. Robinson had 19 points and eight rebounds while Larry Anderson chipped in 16.

Stephan Gilling scored 12 and Donovan Morris had his best game in February by putting in 11.

The Beach finishes the Big West regular season next weekend on the road at Cal Poly Thursday night and at Santa Barbara on Saturday night.

LBSU holds off late UCI rally for win

Long Beach got a big win in their home finale by knocking off Irvine 75-74 and running their conference mark to 9-4 tying them atop the Big West standings with their next opponent Cal State Northridge.

Steph Gilling was hot from beyond the arc making seven three's and leading the 'Niners charge from a six point second half deficit.

When I began to ask Coach Monson a question about Gilling's night saying "Steph's such a rhythm shooter" he interrupted and said "nice he was in a good rhythm today" with a big laugh.

Point is, like other Beach marksmen such as Plater, sometimes they have it and sometimes they don't.

Gilling is a great pure shooter and his efforts tonight were tremendous and carried LBSU to the win.

Solid contributions out of the LBC's T-L-C (TJ, Larry and Casper) as they combined for 38 points in the victory.

The Northridge game is on Prime Ticket Saturday afternoon at 3:05 p.m.

The winner all but ensures themself a Top-2 seed.

Beach hosts UCI tonight, at Northridge Saturday afternoon

In the midst of a tight race for the Big West regular season crown LBSU plays their final home game of the season tonight against the Anteaters of UC Irvine.

After Northridge's win over UCSB last night they hold a one half game lead at 9-4. It's too bad I missed that one. 49 turnovers and 47 fouls, yikes. LBSU is 8-4.

In other Big West action last night Long Beach got a big boost when Pacific beat UC Davis. Although Pacific is now 8-6 in conference - or just a game behind The Beach - LBSU holds the tiebreakers over the Tigers since they beat them twice.

Davis on the other hand, who beat Long Beach at the Pyramid last month, falls to 7-7 or two games out with just four to go.

Fullerton also sits at 7-7. The most dangerous team lurking behind The Beach is UC Riverside. At 6-6 the Highlanders are two games back but beat the 'Niners twice so they would hold any tiebreaker if it came to that.

With a win tonight, Saturday's game against Northridge would once again be for first place. A 10-4 record would guarantee LBSU a top-3 finish in the regular season - but a top-2 finish is necessary for a bye into the semifinals for next month's conference tournament.

Bombs away! Green Bay lights up the Pyramid

Green Bay brought the cheese to Long Beach.

Unhappy about being sent halfway across the country in the middle of Horizon league play the Phoenix warmed up like the February SoCal temperatures and couldn't miss en route to 52 first half points effectively burying the 'Niners and their RPI-hopes.

The loss does nothing to hinder The Beach's goals of winning the Big West and getting a berth in March Madness come three Sundays from tomorrow but it does mean they may be staring down a 16 seed and at last check no 16 has ever won a game in the tournament.

Hate to be a downer, but I'm just saying.

Phoenix take BracketBusters game 86-75

LBSU hosts UCI Thursday night. They have a game-and-a-half lead over third place Pacific and UC Davis in the battle for two byes in the Big West tourney. So, three wins in their last four conference games would ensure a first or second place finish.

Update (1:35 A.M.) : In case you didn't believe me the latest version of ESPN's Bracketology is out and LBSU is a 16 seed facing Oklahoma and Player of the Year candidate Blake Griffin (Yikes).

Beach returns the favor, back atop Big West standings

On a wild night over at Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State and the Monson Maniacs got sweet revenge for January 29th's bittersweet ending.

After falling by 1 point to the Titans at the Pyramid LBSU stole a 75-74 win back from CSUF and coupled with Irvine's thumping of a wounded Cal State Northridge team LBSU at 8-4 in the muddled mediocrity that is the Big West is in the driver's seat.

With four games to go The Beach controls their own destiny. 

Win out and they are the number 1 seed in Anaheim. More importantly if they can win even three of four they would secure the number 2 seed which also guarantess a free pass to Friday's semi-finals.

Full game story from exciting win over Fullerton right here

A-Rod, Elgin, and the Stat of the Week!

I dont want to comment on steroids in baseball except to say this, Bud Selig is a moron.

Selig came out and said A-Rod "shamed the game."

Really? And whose fault is that Bud?

You sat idly by for the Sosa/McGwire home run chase, the Bonds' years and for Roger Clemens and now you want to call out someone else.

This is about money and Bud has got plenty of it.

Federal tax records said Selig made $18 million in 2007.

He got fat and happy off of the Steroids Era and let it all unfold in the name of resurrecting the game following the strike-shortened '94 season.

Labor disputes are bad for any business, but cheating the game is worse.

Selig is the worst cheater of all. 

Of all the guys that took something he never made a push to stop any of them until the clamoring to clean up the game was so bad he had no other choice but to protect his personal cash cow.

It sucks that guys like Bonds and A-Rod, first ballot HOF's already, took these things and made more money but so did Bud.

*****

Torii Hunter was on Mason and Ireland the other day talking about the whole situation and I was shocked at a) his complete lack of perspective on the subject and b) Mason and Ireland's ability to let him skate and then even defend his comments when he got off the air.

First he said it was good that A-Rod wasn't "lying about what he did" and was speaking out about it and "nipping it in the bud."

Really? Ask Katie Couric about his lies. 

Nipping it in the bud? Four Sports Illustrated sources called him out on it. He "came clean" six years later. That sounds real honest and straightforward to me.

Then he said that "we all had skeletons in our closets" and something to the affect that he should be left alone.

We all may have skeletons, but all of us except for A-Roid, aren't making $30 mil a year to play baseball for the Yankees.

To say we are all the same is absurd.

*****

While I'm on the subject of people not thinking too clearly enter stage right Mr. Elgin Baylor! 22 seasons of awful Clipper basketball and now he is going to sue Clippers owner Donald Sterling. 

I have never met either character in question but how bad was Sterling that Baylor stayed on two-plus decades. It wasn't like Baylor was tied up in the basement unless of course we are talking about the cellar of the Pacific Division. 

Baylor wants to sue Sterling alleging racial and age discrimination. Sterling should turn around and sue Baylor for all of the losses and incompetence. Might as well throw Mike Dunleavy in there too.

*****

Time for a new segment I'm aptly calling the stat of the week. I know, I really went out on a limb here but I think you'll like it.

Stat of the Week

Entering Saturday's slate of games: (Riverside at Northridge, Cal Poly at UCSB, Fullerton and Davis and Irvine at Pacific) Big West teams are 29-19-1 on the road ATS (26-23 SU).

(Update - 10:31 P.M. Poly, Fullerton and Irvine cover with Fullerton winning and Riverside losing on both accounts. This brings the totals to a whopping 32-20-1 ATS and 27-26 straight up).

Loss to Riverside, Bracketology

Long Beach lost to UCR last night in double OT despite what the AP says.

Still playing without Morris, the 'Niners came up short in the 909 and lost first place in the Big West in the process.

The freshman continue to carry the heavy load and this bodes will for next year since only one senior is starting (Freeman) and none are really seeing significant time. 

Ware, Robinson and Anderson are sure fire starters next year. Gilling will be a Senior and he will start at the two although he really needs to be more consistent. Phelps seems like a great 6th man off the bench. What the team really needs is size. Fleming and Vantrimpont are possibilites but this team really needs a big man to establish themselves as a legitimate threat.

In ESPN's Bracketology this week Joe Lunardi has Long Beach a 14 seed and matched-up against the defending national champion Kansas Jayhawks. Granted, this is a leap of faith since The Beach was in first place at the time it came out (Monday). Next week's will undoubtedly have Northridge slotted in instead but that kind of marquee first-round match-up, however daunting, would certainly be fun.

A win, a loss, another Big West POTW, and BracketBusters

Busy week for Beach B-Ball

The 'Niners dropped another home game Thursday night before rebounding for a 2 OT win against Pacific to secure first-place for the time being at 7-3.

Freshman T.J. Robinson was rewarded for his huge week (48 points and 22 rebounds) with a Big West player of the week nod.

Finally, Long Beach will host Green Bay at 2:30 p.m. Pacific Feb. 21st on ESPNU crushing my day-night double-header hopes of Dirtbag/Trojan baseball in the afternoon and 49ers/Phoenix hoops in the evening but you can't win 'em all.

LBSU plays at Riverside Wednesday night.

Links!

I promised links and here they are!

LB State and Wisc-Green Bay BracketBusters

UC Davis/Pacific Weekend Preview

Huge two game set for The Beach. At stake is a possible 8-2 Big West mark before a brutal stretch to end the season. The top two teams in the regular season standings get a pair of bye's and thus are off until Friday come tourney week. A spot in the semis also means only having to win two games to go dancing.

LBSU splits weekend, BracketBusters announced

Long Beach dropped a heartbreaker Thursday night at the Pyramid before rebounding (literally) Saturday night for a big road win.

The loss to Fullerton hurt but the win in Irvine was critical for The Beach and keeps them in first. 

Morris missed the Irvine game with a nagging foot injury and stomach flu but said today he was definitely going to be in the line-up Thursday.

This week may determine that final spot in the standings.

With home games against Pacific and Davis, two teams the 'Niners already dropped in their own gyms, a pair of wins would put them at 8-2 before they finish up with five of six away from Big Blue.

Fullerton steals a win at the Pyramid

Beach men get back on track

Full BracketBuster's story will be online soon but LBSU will play Wisc-Green Bay Saturday February 21st. Time and ESPN platform announcement come Monday.

(Green Bay beat 11th-ranked Butler last night)

Weekend preview coming tomorrow!