Cannon Fodder: Save Us From the BCS

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Published on January 10, 2012 at CSNBayArea.com

With any luck, Monday night was the last time we’ll have to suffer through a “National Championship Game” under the current setup.

Over the next six months, the power players in college football will decide whether to keep the BCS in its current form or change it any of several ways. For the past 20 years, the BCS (or its predecessors, the Bowl Coalition and the Bowl Alliance) have tried to give the public what it wants (an on-field champion) without using the only means that make sense, which is a playoff system.

The method that seems to have the most traction at this time is the “plus-one,” in which the No. 1 and No. 4 seeds would play a bowl game, and the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds would play one, and then the following week the victors would meet for the big trophy.

After a lifetime of defending the bowl games, I’m finally ready to throw in the towel. This conversion hasn’t happened overnight; the bowls have been getting progressively harder to defend ever since current version of the BCS came into being. The gulf between the stated goals of the BCS (to determine the best two teams for a championship game and pit the next eight best teams against each other in high profile games) and the actual outcomes (create the matchups that produce the most money for the games, the conferences and the TV networks) has widened to the point that there’s no reasonable argument against a playoff anymore.

Surprisingly, though, it’s not the ridiculous state of the BCS that has finally forced me to see the light on this subject, it’s the evolution of our society. America has changed over the past 20 years, and even over the past 10 and last five years. Cable TV, the Internet and now social media has completely changed our culture, sports and otherwise.

When life was slower, families would sit down around the TV to watch a game between two schools from faraway lands. It was often the best way to avoid talking to relatives who were visiting your house. There wasn’t much else to watch, for one thing.  Just having college football games on TV was a big deal until the ’90s.  Unless you’re at least 35 years old, you have no idea how few college football games used to be on television. There would be a big national game on Saturday on ABC, and if you were lucky and lived in a major market, your local teams might get on once in a while.

Now, let’s fast forward to today. Every conference has a TV package.  There are games on Thursday and  Friday nights, and on Saturday from dawn to dusk. In order to get people’s attention, those games had better mean something, and with the exception of the “big one,” the bowl games don’t. So ratings are down, and that’s the one thing that signals that a change is in the wind.  As long as the ratings were strong, there was no motivation among the power players in college football to change anything.

You would figure that the bad economy would help bowl game ratings, right? Fewer fans able to travel with their teams mean more eyeballs on the sets, right? It hasn’t worked out that way.

The BCS title game rematch between LSU and Alabama drew only a 13.8 rating. That’s down 14 percent from last year’s game between Auburn and Oregon, and 24 percent lower than the Alabama-Texas game in 2010. It was the lowest rating for a championship game in the “BCS Era.”

This continued a trend during this bowl season. The other four BCS games drew a combined 33.8 rating this year, down from 36.8 last year. That was despite a big increase in ratings for the Fiesta Bowl, which scored a 9.7 thanks to Andrew Luck, compared to a 7.1 last year with Oklahoma and Connecticut.

So out of five BCS games, four had significantly lower ratings this year than last. The ratings for the lower-tier games showed similar results.

These just look like numbers on a page to you and me, but to the TV networks, the conferences and the bowls themselves, each rating point has a certain number of dollars tied to it, and if they can’t get the ratings with the current system, they’ll have to change it.
The “plus-one” doesn’t fix everything; it only gives relevance to two bowl games plus the championship game.  The networks (mostly ESPN, which has cornered the market on most of the bowl games) will have to figure out a way to make America care about the other games, something they haven’t done so far.

The bad news is that there are cities whose games are not big enough to survive, but they’ve been propped up long enough by the schools (who have to buy the bulk of the tickets) and the TV networks. It’s way past time for a 8-or 16-team system that leads to a true national championship in college football.

Upon thinking more about this, I realized that I won’t miss the bowl games, but I’ll miss the America in which they mattered. It’s an example that progress isn’t always forward.

But please, somebody save us from the BCS!

Cannon Fodder: Raiders’ luck hasn’t been all bad

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Published Dec. 30th at CSNBayArea.com

You can’t turn on a radio this week or pick up a paper without hearing about the poor Oakland Raiders and all of the bad luck they’ve suffered this year.

I’ll start by acknowledging that having the owner/general manager/face of the franchise/final decision-maker on everything pass away suddenly during the season does add an element of chaos to a situation. It’s only fair to point out, however, that every Raider season seems to be chaotic, and that Al Davis was not only comfortable in that element, but often was the cause of the turmoil.

Still, a structural change like that is difficult for an organization to handle mid-year, and that is probably the most inarguable example of bad fortune that has befallen the Silver and Black this season.

As I look back on the Raiders’ season, however, I find that there are actually more examples of the football gods smiling on them than times when they did not. First, let’s look at the misfortune, although these facts are on the tip of the tongue of most Raider fans, so we don’t need a lot of detail.

– Darren McFadden’s injury was not only bad because he couldn’t play, but it was worse because it seemed like he was going to recover and he just never did. When a guy just lingers on the sideline in a boot week after week, it’s difficult to deal with because you’re holding his space, both physically and emotionally.

– Because of the McFadden injury, the Jason Campbell injury was made worse, because a healthy McFadden could have really helped the passing game in Campbell’s absence.

– At the risk of sounding like a Christmas song, All of The Other Injuries made the Raiders’ season an uphill climb. You all know the list of guys who’ve missed games. Obviously, injuries are part of the NFL landscape, but very few teams this season have had the number of injuries the Raiders have suffered and lost the same kind of key performers for long stretches.

What I think is overlooked when this season is evaluated, however, is the fact that the Raiders have had some things go in their favor this year, and you could make the argument that they really should have already clinched a playoff spot, rather than need a win and some help to get to the postseason. The biggest lucky break they had was  a 3-week run of good fortune in the middle of the season:

– The Raiders went into San Diego for a Thursday night game with a 4-4 record, coming off two horrible games against Kansas City and Denver. Luckily for them, the Chargers were coming apart, having lost three in a row. The Chargers were without Pro Bowl LG Kris Dielman, and in the first quarter they lost Pro Bowl LT Marcus McNeill. Fortunately for the Raiders, the rest of the game was QB Phillip Rivers under assault from the Raiders’ right side of the defense, and the Chargers still had the ball with a minute left and a chance to win. Final: Raiders 24-17

– Oakland went to Minnesota to take on the 2-7 Vikings. Minnesota scored first on a 12-yard run by Adrian Peterson. Fortunately for the Raiders, Peterson left the game with an ankle injury at the end of the first quarter. The Raiders led 27-7 in the 4th quarter when the Vikings scored on a drive that featured three defensive penalties. Later, the Raiders fumbled deep in their own territory, and the Vikings pulled to within six. They had the ball near midfield with 2 minutes to go when rookie QB Christian Ponder turned it over on downs. Final: Raiders 27-21.

– The Raiders’ next game was at home against the 7-3 Bears. Fortunately for the Raiders, Bears’ QB Jay Cutler broke his hand the previous week, so backup Caleb Hanie was making his first NFL start. He played like it, too, throwing three interceptions, including one near the goal line at the end of the first half. The Bears still had the ball near midfield with a chance to win when time ran out. Final: Raiders 25-20.

Three straight wins, right? That’s pretty cool in today’s NFL. But a closer look reveals three close victories against teams that had similar injury problems as the Raiders. Perhaps we shouldn’t have been so surprised when the team went down to Miami and laid the biggest egg of the season.

Another thing they had going for them was a soft schedule. This needs a qualifier, because any schedule that has the Patriots and Packers on it can’t be too soft. The 2011 NFL, however, is filled with teams just like the Raiders: good one week, bad the next. Even the two best “quality wins” are suspect:  The Jets turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL, and the Texans are stumbling to the finish after clinching the worst division in the league.

None of this matters if they make the playoffs, of course. You can ask the Seattle Seahawks what the regular season means once January comes. But if they don’t, please don’t try to make the case that Oakland missed the postseason because they were unlucky. That dog won’t hunt.

Thoughts on the 49ers-Steelers Game Monday Night

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Published December 21st, 2011 at CSNBayArea.com

Before I get into my thoughts about Monday Night’s 49er victory, there’s something I need to get off my chest. I don’t want to hear anyone blaming fans for selling their tickets to “the enemy.” This is America.  When you own something, you have the right to do whatever you want with it.  A fan buying a season ticket has one obligation: make sure the check clears. After that, he can go to the games, sell the tickets, set them on fire, etc.

It’s the team’s job, in my opinion, to create a product and an atmosphere so compelling that anyone holding a ticket would feel like they were missing something if they didn’t go. I don’t remember a lot of talk about 49er fans selling their tickets in the 1980s and ’90s, do you?

On to the game. It’s easy to get swept up in the excitement surrounding the 49ers’ thrashing of the Pittsburgh Steelers Monday night, but there is one big reason to resist. I’ll get to that, but first allow me to highlight the things that went exactly as fans hoped:

The offense scored two red-zone TDs
This has been the single biggest concern this season, and during the first half it was still looming. First-and-goal at the 2-yard line? Sorry, guys, that has to be a TD.  When the 49ers challenged a call that ruled Vernon Davis out at the 1-yard-line in the second half, announcers on both TV and radio simultaneously claimed that the challenge was due to the team’s struggles scoring from in close (How do I know? I watch the game with the sound up and listen to the radio in one ear. Pretty normal, huh?). The fact that they got two red-zone TDs, with relative ease, was a great relief to everyone in the stadium not dressed in black and yellow (More on that later).

Special Teams continue to be, well, special
Andy Lee had one of his best games ever, and for a guy who’s been as good for as long as he has, that’s significant. The highlight was when he (with the aid of a Pittsburgh penalty) completely “flipped the field.” The 49ers were on their own 12-yard line when Lee, punting from near the goal line, sent a soaring punt all the way to the Steelers’ 26. The ball was returned, as long kicks like that often are, but there was a holding penalty on the kick that was marked off 10 yards from the spot of the catch. By the time the Steelers lined up on their 16-yard-line, the net on the play was 72 yards!

Overall, the kick coverage units continued to excel for San Francisco.
The Steelers didn’t start one drive outside their own 30-yard line. This has been a constant for the 49ers this season, and is an overlooked part of how successful their defense has been.

Aldon Smith looks like the steal of the draft
This guy is incredible. Justin Smith told postgame interviewers “He just has the ability to get skinny and slip through there.” The rookie will continue to draw more and more resources from opposing offenses, and open up more opportunities for the rest of the line to pressure the QB. He broke the team’s rookie record for sacks, and he had another one nullified because of an illegal contact in the secondary. His rush was so impressive that, rather than show the penalty, the TV producers showed two replays of him sacking Ben Roethlisberger even though it didn’t count.

This 49er coaching staff will not be outcoached by anyone
People are heaping credit upon Jim Harbaugh for the team’s turnaround, and he deserves every bit of it. He’s going to be a runaway winner of the NLF Coach of the Year award, even if the San Francisco loses its last two games. What has gone unnoticed, especially on the national level, is that the most important thing he did was assemble an incredible coaching staff. In Vic Fangio, Greg Roman and Brad Seely, he has three coordinators who are all at the top of their game. The position coaches are all great teachers, and player after player has said that the biggest difference between this year and last has been the clarity of the lessons to be learned. The prior staff would talk about what they wanted done, this staff tells the players how to do it.

Now, here’s the stuff 49er fans don’t want to hear:

The 49ers did not beat an elite QB Monday night
First, spare me all the stuff about how everyone has injuries, they don’t matter, the result is everything. That’s all true except when you’re trying to get a handle on how good a team really is. The sad truth is that Roethlisberger, for all of his courage and toughness, was a shell of his usual self on Monday, and still he threw for over 300 yards. More importantly, he converted eight out of 14 first downs. His inability to move around and keep the play alive, probably his biggest asset, was what led to his interceptions and his sacks.  I’m giving the 49ers credit for playing well.  I’m not prepared to say that if these teams met with a healthy No. 7, the result would not have been dramatically different.

OK, I hear you, you’re talking about the 49ers being without Patrick Willis. Well, the Steelers didn’t have James Harrison, and if you don’t think that was a factor in Alex Smith keeping his uniform clean, you’re not paying attention.

I’m not saying that it doesn’t matter that the 49ers won the game. If they had lost to a Steelers team with a banged up Big Ben and no Harrison, it would have been a really bad sign. I’m just saying we need to keep the win in perspective. They should win their next two games, and their biggest test will be New Orleans in Round 2. If they win that one, I’m convinced.

Giants Fans, Isn’t It More Fun This Way?

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Published December 14th, 2011 at CSNBayArea.com

Giants fans entered November with visions of household names like Beltran, Reyes, or at least Rollins, but once again found themselves hitting the Internet to learn about their new guys. Melky Cabrera? Angel Pagan? Really? This is the best they could do?

You know it’s been a slow offseason when there’s a spirited Twitter debate about which backup middle infielder to keep.

My belief is that the Giants have chosen the right path here. They’re committed to pitching, which we saw carry them to the championship in 2010. That means they need to have the money to keep Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain happy long term, and it means they can’t commit to big contracts for hitters.

It also means more tight games, more strategy, and more interesting baseball than most teams will play, but I’m in favor of that style. I’m very pleased that they’ve going to start with Brandon Crawford at shortstop. It seems like he turns a hit into an out every other game, which more than makes up for his weaknesses at the plate. When Orlando Cabrera was playing short down the stretch last year, you could see how much Giants pitchers had come to count on Crawford to make the tough play, or the tough double play.

I’d like to propose another way to look at this for Giants fans who cry themselves to sleep thinking about the ones who got away. Obviously, winning the World Series in 2010 was pretty cool. I think the fact the Giants came out of nowhere made it even sweeter!  Do we really want to become like Yankees or Red Sox fans, where every season has a “World Champs or Bust” sign on it?

Here’s an interesting fact about salaries in baseball. Everyone knows that the Yankees have the biggest payroll. Since free agency started, they’ve always been one of the top one or two teams.

Did you know that starting in 2002, the margin between the Yanks and whoever was No. 2 started to grow?  In 2001, they were basically tied with Boston. In 2002, they were $17M higher than the Red Sox. In 2003, they were $35M higher than the Mets. In 2004, they were $57M higher than Boston, and ever since then they’ve been between $30M and $80M higher than whoever was in second place.

OK, that’s not that interesting; it’s just a bunch of numbers, so let’s look on the field. In the six years between 1996 and 2001, when the Yankees were bunched with the highest-paying teams at the top of the payroll chart, they were in the World Series five times, winning four titles. Since 2002, when they began to pull away from the pack and entered their own stratosphere, they have been in “just” two World Series, winning one.

I’m not trying to make a point that you don’t need to spend money to get to the World Series. I am saying that (and Cubs and Mets fans would back me up on this) spending the money is no guarantee that you’ll even make the playoffs, much less the big show.

Here’s a breakdown of the past 10 World Series participants and their Opening Day payroll rank:
2011: Cardinals (11), Rangers (13)
2010: Giants (10), Rangers (27)
2009: Yankees (1), Phillies (7)
2008: Phillies (12), Rays (29)
2007: Red Sox (2), Rockies (25)
2006: Cardinals (11), Tigers (14)
2005: White Sox (13), Astros (12)
2004: Red Sox (2), Cardinals (12)
2003: Marlins (23), Yankees (1)
2002: Angels (15), Giants (10)

How does that break down?
Positions 1-5: 4 appearances, 3 wins
Positions 6-10: 3 appearances, 1 wins
Positions 11-15:  9 appearances, 5 wins
Positions 16-20:  0 appearances
Positions 21-25:  2 appearances, 1 win
Positions 26-30:  2 appearances, 0 wins

Over the past decade, the Giants have consistently been in the second or third group, which gives them a great chance to play in October every year. They need to be creative, clever, and a little lucky to win.

That worked in 2010, and I’m a little surprised that so many fans seem to have forgotten all about that. I think two months before pitchers and catchers report is a little early to hit the panic button.

49ers Still an Unknown Quantity

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Published December 2nd 2011 at CSNBayArea.com

Why is it that we always have to know how things are going to end up? Ever since the 49ersstarted to string a few games together, there’s been a rush among media and fans to figure out exactly how good they are and exactly how far they’ll go in the playoffs.

I blame the microwave oven. In the days before you could cook a turkey in 12 minutes, I think we all had a little more patience.

The interesting thing about how this season has unfolded is that instead of each game providing more clarity on the question, the opposite has been true.

Let’s review:

Week 1: Beat the Seahawks. A minor upset, but with the lockout nobody knew what to expect, and Ted Ginn Jr. had those two return TDs, which was a fluke. No answers.

Week 2: Lost to the Cowboys in OT. This was actually a major accomplishment for the 49ers, but everyone was so focused on Harbaugh’s decision to leave 3 points on the board that the fact they’d nearly beat a pretty good team was lost. Good sign, but still a loss, and no answers.

Week 3: Beat the Bengals. Significant because the team had struggled so mightily in games in the Eastern time zone, but Cincinnati had a rookie QB and the game was Capital U-Ugly, so no answers.

Week 4: Big comeback to beat the Eagles. Ironically, this looked like a bigger win at the time than it does now.  Since this game, the 49ers are 6-1, and the Eagles are 3-4, so in the rearview mirror it looks like it was a game S.F. should have won. Sure didn’t feel like it at the time, but now we have to say: No answers.

Week 5:  Crushed Tampa Bay. Alas, because Tampa Bay is not going to be anywhere near the playoffs, this is another feels-good-but-no-answer game.

Week 6: Beat the previously undefeated Lions. Huge win at the time. Big fourth-down play from Alex Smith to win the game. Even though the Lions have faded somewhat since then (and played a very soft early schedule), this game does stand out as one that gave a hint that this 49er team could be pretty special. Call it Answer
No. 1. Can they win a game on the road against a good team? Yes.

Week 7: Bye week. Still could have provided some answers, but didn’t. Of the 49ers’ previous opponents, the Seahawks, Lions and Bucs all lost, and the Cowboys stomped a very feeble Rams team. No answers.

Week 8: Beat the Browns. Lackluster effort, trouble converting red zone opportunities, could have won by 30, but, on the other hand, there was never a minute in the game when it looked like they could lose. No answers.

Week 9: Beat the Redskins. Carbon copy of the Browns game, except it was on the road, and the fact they put together two games like that in a row made it start to look like Answer No. 2: Can they beat poor teams fairly easily, which is the first thing that separates playoff teams from non-playoff teams? Yes.

Week 10: Beat the Giants. This win, like the one against the Eagles, is not standing the test of time. The Giants were 6-2 coming in to Candlestick, but they’re 6-5 now. While they’re only one game back in the NFC East, they looked so pathetic against New Orleans Monday night that it’s hard to imagine them doing any damage even if they make the playoffs. No answer.

Week 11: Beat Arizona. Like the games against Cleveland and Washington, this game held positive and negative messages for 49er fans. On the plus side, they were never in danger of losing the game. On the negative side, they probably should have scored 50 points, and it was a dizzying array of mistakes that kept them from doing so. For the first time all season, special teams didn’t look special. No answer.

Week 12: Lost to Baltimore: For a lot of fans, it seems that this loss was a sign that the 49ers are not as good as they looked in the first 10 games. I completely disagree. I think, while they obviously would have preferred a win, there was a very positive outcome in this game. People like to talk about how there are no excuses in football, but this was the first time a team flew across three time zones to play on three days rest. I don’t see how, when evaluating what a game result means in the context of the season, you can fail to factor in a team having basically one practice day to prepare for an opponent as good as the Ravens. They had a TD called back on a penalty and the Ravens got a pass interference call that led to their TD. So Answer No. 3: Can they compete with a perennial playoff team on the road, even on a short week? Yes.

Twelve weeks, and only three answers. There are five games to go, and four of the games are ones that they should win. The only remaining opportunity to really make a statement is against Pittsburgh, and even if they lose that game they should finish second in the NFC and have a first-round bye in the playoffs.

So, like that slow-roasting turkey of yesteryear, we have to wait until the remaining five games of the season are played to really have an idea of what this team has accomplished. After waiting almost 10 years for the 49ers to get back to the playoffs, it doesn’t seem like that much to ask.

The Case For Penn State Canceling Their Football Season

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Written November 11, 2011

By now it seems clear that Saturday’s game between Penn State and Nebraska will go on as scheduled, barring a monumental and sudden shift in public mood. I’m writing this for two reasons: 1) because I perceive it as so true that if I don’t get it out it will burn a hole in my brain and 2) so that in the aftermath of this game, when it becomes clear that it should have been cancelled, I will have a basis for my “I told you so” comments

I’m not the only person who holds this opinion; that the best way for Penn State to start the process of clearing out the current culture and replacing it with a better one is to not play this game. I’m just one of the people who looks beyond the obvious, which is that the logistical challenge of calling it off, combined with the emotional effect it would have on the Penn State players themselves, make it much easier in the short term to go forward with it.

It’s true that the players would be paying a high price for sins they didn’t commit if their last home game was canceled. That’s not fair, is it? Let’s pose that a different way, though. Is it as unfair as having an adult you admire take advantage of you sexually? Repeatedly? Okay, losing “Senior Day” is starting to look not quite so unfair.

These children didn’t do anything wrong. They didn’t deserve what happened to them. What they deserve right now, at this moment, is for the world to take what happened to them seriously, and if you play that game tomorrow, it’s a giant flashing neon sign that says “you know what, kids? We really don’t care. We’ll wear blue shirts, we’ll throw money in a pot for you, we’ll have a moment of silence; but we’re not willing to give up our entertainment, our recreation, our drinking; in short, our fun, because of what happened to you.”

Let the NCAA step up for these student-athletes. Grant them an extra year of eligibility to compensate them for losing the rest of this season. Allow them to transfer without sitting out a year if they want to. Don’t let the couple of dozen seniors on the football team be the reason that this momentum for change is stopped in its tracks.

The other reason I hear that the game needs to be played is that there are contracts for TV, and “think of all the money.” I actually laughed the first time I heard this, because I thought the person was joking. Then I realized that they were dead serious. Folks, that’s exactly the kind of thinking that got us here in the first place. Penn State can write some checks and get out of whatever TV contracts and game contracts they have. No other school is going to protest; they’re too busy looking in their own closets to make sure this doesn’t happen to them.

Already the talk is about Paterno’s successor. People are already tired of talking about child abuse, and it’s much more fun to talk about football coaches.  Firefighters sometimes have to destroy houses or trees to stop the flames from spreading, and that’s the situation facing Penn State’s Board of Trustees right now. Tomorrow’s game is fuel for the fire that threatens to consume all of the good intentions and pious speeches that you’re hearing right now.  Cancel it, and the rest of the season, and you have a chance to save the other half of the forest.

Not enough for you yet? Here’s another reason to cancel the game, and the season. Do you know how long Tom Bradley has been on the PSU Staff? 33 years. He worked under Jerry Sandusky, and eventually replaced him as Defensive Coordinator.  He was at the practices, the bowl games, the events that Sandusky is alleged to have attended with underage boys.  They just fired Joe Paterno because they know he knew about Sandusky. What are the chances that Bradley didn’t know? What are the chances that the rest of the staff didn’t know? I mean, really? These men work together for decades, and a couple of them know that this man is sick, and the rest of them don’t? Really?

I understand that there’s no proof that Bradley or any other PSU coach knew anything about the allegations about Sandusky, but the general consensus about this story is that we’re at the beginning, not the end, and it would be terrible if we find out in a year that it was an open secret in the football offices, and all of the people they let coach the remainder of this year were in on it.

If Penn State is serious about getting its University back from the football program, it has to make a clean break from the Paterno regime, and that means cancel the rest of this season and maybe even next season. A self-imposed Death Penalty, ESPN Legal Analyst Lester Munson called it. Bring in a new coaching staff, give them the tools they need to be competitive, but make it clear that the football team is the tail, not the dog.

Penn State alumni have been among the most proud and vocal of any school in the country. As soon as this happened, I thought of several of my friends here on the West Coast who went there, because if you know someone who went to Penn State, you know they went to Penn State. That’s how it can be again, but only if they resist the urge to play that game tomorrow, and call off the rest of the season.

Show the victims that you’re willing to put more than words on the line, Penn State. They’re watching.

Remember Matty Alou and Great Baseball Trivia

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Published November 4th, 2011 at CSNBayArea.com

The death of Matty Alou this week is a sad event for Giantsfans, even those of us who were too young to see him play with his brothers in the Giants’ outfield.

Their slice of history is as important to the team’s early days in San Francisco as Willie Mays’ basket catch and Juan Marichal’s leg kick. It may come as a surprise, therefore, that the fact  the three brothers played together in the outfield one day is only one of two incredible pieces of trivia about the Alous.

The other fact is the single most interesting and amazing sports trivia item I’ve ever come across, and that’s saying a lot. I hosted a sports trivia radio show for three years. My nickname in high school was “Fun Facts” Cannon. I know my trivia, and what I’m about to drop on you will astound you.

The three Alou brothers each had their own special moment in the sun, and the fact that they all did the exact same historic single thing is mind-boggling.

Felipe, Matty and Jesus Alou were each the first batter to ever come to the plate in a brand new stadium. Two of these events happened just one month apart!

On April 12, 1966, the Atlanta Braves opened Fulton County Stadium with a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The leadoff hitter for the Pirates that day was Matty Alou.

One month later, the St. Louis Cardinals unveiled Busch Stadium, and the visitors were the Braves. Batting first, Felipe Alou.

In 1969, the expansion San Diego Padres had their first game in San Diego Stadium. The Houston Astros were their first opponent, and Jesus Alou led off the game. He also had the first hit, the first stolen base, and scored the first run ever in that ballpark.

Let’s stop and think about that for a second. What has to happen for someone to have the distinction of being the first batter in a new stadium? Your team has to be the visiting team in that first game, and you have to be in the starting lineup, and you have to lead off. To make the feat even more unusual, when Felipe did it against the Cards, it wasn’t even Opening Day, and it wasn’t the Cardinals’ home opener! It was just the date they had the stadium ready to go.

How many baseball stadiums were built during the career of the three Alous? Felipe was the oldest, and he played from 1958 to 1974. Matty played from 1960 to 1974, and Jesus played from 1963 to 1979.

So there was a 21-year span in which there was an Alou playing Major League baseball, and during that timeframe there were 17 new ballparks opened.  Seven of those were in the American League, however, and the Alous were almost exclusively NL players.  One of the National League ballparks opened during that span was Candlestick Park, and since Felipe was the only one of the brothers in the big leagues at that time and he was playing for the home team, we have to eliminate that one as well.

That leaves us with nine ballparks opened in the National League while there was an Alou around, and they were the very first batter in a third of them. How weird is that?

The problem with this kind of trivia is that you can’t form it into a question. Believe me, I’ve tried over the years, so I could get the word out about it, but there’s no way to do it. You just have to find someone who loves baseball enough to realize how amazing it is, and I hope I’ve found that audience here.

One more interesting note about the Alou brothers: While I mentioned that they played almost exclusively for National League teams (8 of the 12 existing teams, in fact) they did spend a little time in the senior circuit as well.

They didn’t play together, but they all played for the Oakland Athletics late in their careers, Felipe in 1970, Matty in 1972 and Jesus in 1973 and 1974. Matty and Jesus won their only World Series rings with the A’s; Felipe came close with the Giants in 1962 but never won a World Series.

Three brothers, all played for the Giants, all played for the A’s, in the area where the only other trio of major league brothers, the Dimaggios, were born and raised. That’s some good baseball stuff right there!

Adiós, Mateo. You will not be forgotten by Giants fans.

49ers Face Toughest Test

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Published November 11, 2011 at CSNBayArea.com

First of all, I want to acknowledge what many 49er fans are feeling this week, which is that old feeling of anticipation about a game on Sunday. This season has been a wonderful ride, but because of the nature of today’s NFL, there haven’t been many Sundays when you had that feeling in your stomach and couldn’t wait for the game.

There are milestones that teams must pass on their way from where the 49ers have been to where they seem headed, and one of them presents itself this week.
The New York Giants represent a rarity in today’s NFL: An historically good team that’s playing well this season. There are six teams with two or fewer losses, but only three — the Giants, the Packers and the Ravens — have been consistent playoff teams over the past several years. The rest are upstarts — the 49ers, Bengals and Lions.

You can make a case that the 49ers are the best team in that latter group. They beat both of the other teams on the road, and while the margins were slim, both wins were, you guessed it, milestones for an improving team. The Cincinnati win was their first in the Eastern Time Zone in recent memory, and the Lions were 5-0 when the 49ers showed up.

The Giants haven’t been dominating this year; they lost to the Redskins in their opener, and somehow lost to Seattle at home. They barely beat Arizona and Miami after trailing for much of those games. But they have three quality wins, Philadelphia, Buffalo and, last week, New England in Foxboro and a lineup that features a QB and several other key players who won a Super Bowl.

You could probably make a good argument that the 49ers should win this game two weeks ago, but the Giants’ win over the Pats last week makes a huge difference. More important was the way they won, coming back after Tom Brady threw for what seemed to be the winning TD, with Eli Manning moving them right back down the field for the win. They’re a team coming into Candlestick Park with an impressive combination of confidence and talent.

I’m not saying that the 49ers are outclassed in this matchup. I think they can win, and Las Vegas agrees with me. It just seems as if 49er fans have a newfound confidence in their team that has gotten a little out of hand, in my opinion, and I don’t hear the Giants getting the respect they deserve.

The 49ers have made big steps — first, beat somebody, anybody! Then come back from a devastating loss. Next, win a road game in the Eastern Time Zone. Now do that again, but against a better team, and let’s spot them, say, a 20-point lead. The win in Detroit was crucial, too. Alex Smith delivering the pass on fourth down was a personal milestone for him, and provided the team one as well. They had beaten an undefeated team in Week 6, and even if Detroit’s schedule was a little soft to that point (and it was), very few teams make it to 5-0 no matter whom they play.

After a bye week, there was another milestone.  To be considered a very good team, you need to beat lousy teams without drama. The 49ers did that not once, but twice in the past two weeks. Cleveland is terrible in every way, and the Redskins aren’t much better.  The only complaint 49er fans could have in either of those games was that the score didn’t reflect the extent to which they were the better team. They moved up and down the field at will, but stalled in the red zone, and that is evidently going to have to be a future milestone because they’re not ready for it yet.

Red zone frustrations aside, neither Cleveland nor Washington were ever a threat to beat the 49ers, and that is a remarkable thing to say about the season this football team is having. San Francisco has practically locked up a playoff berth, so what remains in the regular season is to beat one of the following teams: Giants, Steelers, Ravens. If the 49ers can do that, and win even four of their remaining five division games, they’ll have carved out a 12-win season for themselves, possibly a first-round bye, and the confidence of knowing that they can play with the best teams in the NFL.

And that, 49er fans, is why you’ve had that feeling in your stomach all week. Might as well get used to it, your team is going to play some very big games this year.

Al Davis’ Training Wheels Have Come Off for Hue Jackson

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Written October 24, 2011

The guy facing the most heat today in the Bay Area is Hue Jackson, rookie head coach of the Oakland Raiders. Just last week Jackson seemed in total command of the situation, having dealt firmly and swiftly with a crisis, and he was enjoying playing games with the media regarding his starting QB for Sunday’s game.

That game, of course, was a complete disaster, made worse, in my opinion by Jackson’s decision to throw Carson Palmer to the wolves in the second half with the game already on its way to defcon 5. Worse yet, the post-game press conference revealed that Jackson and Palmer might have been on the same bus, but each was open to the idea of throwing the other under it.

Friday, we learned (courtesy of The Game 95.7 FM) that Jason Campbell learned of Palmer’s acquisition via texts from his friends. Two days after his injury, and one after his surgery, and no contact from the team regarding its decision to essentially end his days as the starting quarterback.

After the events of the last week or so, I started thinking about Al Davis. When Al hired a coach, he almost always hired one without experience. Sometimes they were young men (Madden, Gruden, Kiffen), and sometimes they were not (Shell, Callahan, Shanahan), but they didn’t have head coaching on their resumes. Obviously, Davis was a control freak, and there was a trade-off going on. Davis was going to put training wheels on the bike, and the coaches were willing to put up with that in exchange for the opportunity to be a head coach.

The problem, of course, would come when Davis and his coach would disagree about when it was time to take off the training wheels, which happened every single time.  Sometimes those disagreements ended with a bang (Cable, Kiffin, Shanahan, Gruden) sometimes with a whimper (Callahan, Shell, Shell).

In Jackson’s case, however, the damn things just fell off, leaving him to fend for himself. Like most first time riders, when you first let go they do okay, but the further they go, the wobblier they get, and that’s exactly what we got from Jackson. The day after Davis’ passing the Raiders were still the “Pride and Poise Boys.” The week after his passing, they said and did everything right. It was interesting, though, that Campbell’s injury came just a few minutes before the halftime ceremony honoring Davis, and suddenly that bike was careening down the sidewalk.

The Raiders almost lost that game to Cleveland, due in part to an inexplicable decision by Jackson to pass up a field goal that would have iced the game.  Immediately after the game, the Raiders started examining their options at QB, decided on Palmer, and started negotiating with the Bengals. By Tuesday, the deal was all but done, and the price was steep. Most observers doubted whether Davis would have signed off on that deal, and many of us (myself included) thought that was a good sign for the team.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday came and went, and all we saw was Jackson holding court with the media, playing coy about whom he would start. We found out Sunday after the game that Boller was the starter all the way, and that Palmer, according to comments he made, didn’t make a pass in practice with pads on all week.

Okay, hold on here for a minute. I enjoy the cloak-and-dagger part of football as much as the next guy, and lord knows Al Davis would have loved it, but when you have a QB that doesn’t make a pass with pads on, that guy doesn’t play on Sunday! You can actually make an argument that if he’s that far away from being ready to play, you shouldn’t have given up a 1st and 2nd round pick for him in the first place, but all that aside, there’s no way he plays that week in the game.

The Raider fans were rightfully shocked and dismayed with the outcome of the game, although I feel that the post-game revelations were far more concerning than what happened on the field. Palmer was saying that he didn’t expect to play. Jackson was saying that getting Palmer in the game was part of the plan all along. Let’s examine that for a second. What were we told was the reason why this move was destined for success for the Raiders? Why, it was the close relationship between Jackson and Palmer, wasn’t it? Jackson recruited Palmer to USC, and the two were both survivors of that toxic Bengals situation. That can form a real bond between people!

So tell me again how just a few minutes after the first game of this grand new venture these two men can be telling the media completely opposite accounts of their expectations regarding the plan? To me, that communication breakdown, combined with the failure of the team to be forthright with Campbell, are red flags for me concerning Hue Jackson.

Jackson was exposed last week as a rookie coach who thought he was bigger than the moment, and it turned out he was wrong. He careened down the sidewalk, and the bike overturned in the street. Luckily, no cars were coming, while he got pretty banged up, he gets to ride again.  I think it’s also pretty clear that Amy Trask and Mark Davis need to get a football guy in there as soon as possible to help Jackson. He’s learning how to be a head coach, and to have him also managing these kind of situations is like asking your kid to learn bike-riding and juggling at the same time…without training wheels.

America’s Tebow Obsession

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Published November 18, 2011 at CSNBayArea.com

This is not about football. I thought I’d better start with that, this being a sports website and all. I would have hated for someone to read the whole thing and then feel ripped off because there was nothing about “release points” or “technique.”

This is an attempt to explain why Tim Tebow is the most polarizing figure in sports today, and maybe outside of sports as well.

First of all, I’m going to give Raiders fans a pass on the whole Tebow thing. While most of America is grappling over the issue, for Raiders fans it’s pretty simple. The guy wears a Broncos jersey to work. That’s pretty much game over for them.

The fact that he’s apparently revived a division rival that seemed to be dead on the side of the road, they don’t like that very much either. Throw in the way he ran through, around and over the Raiders a few weeks ago, and you can bet that the mere sight of No. 15 is enough to get their blood boiling.

OK, the Raiders fans are sedated and in the other room watching the Super Bowl XI highlight video. Now we can get down to the topic at hand:

What is it about this guy that makes him so easy for critics to dismiss and deride, yet there are also people who would “Forrest Gump” him at the drop of a hat (meaning run behind him from one end of the country to the other for no reason).

Most people aren’t trying to answer this question, by the way. They’ve picked their side, and now they’re rooting like crazy for him to succeed or fail depending on their choice.

There’s another question, however, that is beginning to work its way through the minds of America’s sports fans, and it’s being discussed around thousands of water coolers today: How in the world does he do it?

How does he win these games? How can he play like Clark Kent for 55 minutes, and then turn into Superman for the last 5 (plus overtime, if necessary)? And especially, why do defensive players and special teams guys seem to play so much better when he’s the quarterback, even though they don’t occupy the field at the same time?

Here’s my theory, and it’s pretty simple, really. He’s a really, really good guy. OK, that’s not a news flash, even his detractors always mention it. Here’s why it’s significant, though, in my view: Goodness is very easy to deride and demean, but only from a distance. When you actually come face-to-face with goodness, it’s much harder to have such a negative viewpoint about it.

That’s why the people who believe in Tim Tebow the most are the ones who actually know him. The ones who have looked in his eyes, either in the locker room, on the practice field, or, the past few weeks, in the huddle and on the sidelines. They see the goodness up close.

There was nothing not to like last night about Tebow. He stood up on the podium after the game, complimented his teammates and coaches, explained in considerable detail what went into the winning play, smiled a lot, and seemed very happy to be Tim Tebow.

In another time, Tebow would be a national hero, not a controversial figure. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we live in a world in which cynicism is often rewarded. Our entertainment is largely watching “real people” on TV doing things that allow us to laugh at them, not with them. Here’s a clean-cut, religious, polite, humble guy who, by the way, wins football games in bunches and always has.  What’s not to like? What part of that package would you not show your child and say, “That’s how it’s done?”

But we’re cynical, remember? So we don’t trust Tebow. There must be something wrong with him, right? Nobody’s that good, not even Joe Paterno, for goodness sakes! We are not going to fall for whatever he’s selling, so we can feel good about ourselves when he has his inevitable fall from grace. That’s part of being human, and it’s why we protect ourselves with all manner of defense mechanisms to keep from getting hurt or disappointed.

Here’s the crux of the matter: Goodness is attractive, but it’s also threatening.  Everywhere this guy goes he draws people to him, and he makes them feel better about themselves. Any success expert will tell you that’s at least half the battle, whether you’re trying to sell copiers or win football games.

If you don’t know him personally, though, it’s very easy to see the goodness as arrogance. We assume he thinks he’s better than us because maybe deep down we think he might actually be better than us. That gives us two choices, rise to his level or bring him down to ours, and it doesn’t take long to figure out the path most of us will take given those options. So we pick away at him, even while he goes about the business of winning football games.

I think what it boils down to is that what we think about Tim Tebow says more about us than it does about him. He gives us the opportunity to feel good about someone who is genuinely good, and as time goes on I believe more and more people will take that opportunity.

There will always be people, though, that can’t give in to that, who won’t allow themselves to let their guard down even for a minute lest they be taken for naïve, gullible, or foolish.

Then there are the people who can’t get past the Broncos jersey. That’s OK, Raiders fans. I don’t think even Tebow would want it any other way.