tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49787400813524622662012-03-03T02:08:48.609-08:00The View From the Cheap SeatsStan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.comBlogger2591100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-77290315920381658292012-02-13T07:21:00.000-08:002012-02-13T08:31:15.259-08:00

With the warp-speed reality of life in the Media Age, it's a bit unsettling to realize that the Jeremy Lin Phenomenon is barely a week old. But in the space of five games over eight days, Lin blew up.At the beginning, a nice little story. "Hey, isn't that cool? A guy from Harvard in the NBA!" "Yeah, and he's Asian-American, too! Wow!" Lin warmed the bench for the Warriors last year and the whole

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-33679573604704485352012-01-30T08:45:00.000-08:002012-01-30T09:45:37.353-08:00

Brandon Marshall set a Pro Bowl record with four touchdown catches in Honolulu. It's not something about which he should be proud.The latest Pro Bowl, a 59-41 win by one side over the other (don't ask me which conference won, I'm still numb) should once and for all prove the need to kill off the Pro Bowl. And while you're at it, put a fork in the NHL All-Star Game too (the 12-9 final score in

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-47465272635105529682012-01-09T07:13:00.001-08:002012-01-09T07:43:17.258-08:00

He's more than a quarterback, although some argue he's not really a quarterback.Tim Tebow is actually a living, breathing, funky-throwing Rorschach test. What you see in him probably tells us more about you than it does about him.The latest improbability, Denver's overtime defeat of the Steelers, doesn't merely add a layer to the Tebow legend. It means at least another week of national attention

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-65582166043142492172011-12-29T06:38:00.000-08:002011-12-29T07:49:05.056-08:00

Let me say it right off the top: it's not Billy Beane's fault. It's not Lew Wolff's, either. But I don't blame Oakland A's fans for wanting to blame somebody for the latest dismantling of the ballclub.And make no mistake about it, the A's are being broken up. It's not like they were a juggernaut; the A's finished 14 games under .500 in 2011 and have about as good a chance of catching up to the

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-81776172080321767812011-12-07T07:23:00.000-08:002011-12-07T17:10:22.355-08:00

This is how bad things have gotten: Major League Baseball has just issued a dress code.Not for players, or managers, or even front-office folks.For reporters. MLB thus becomes the first of the major North American sports leagues to tell the people who cover the games that they, in some cases, need to cover up. The policy forbids flip-flops, short-shorts, tank tops, and visible underwear.San

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-20673392578726796222011-11-23T06:17:00.000-08:002011-11-23T07:23:27.109-08:00

Baseball's new collective bargaining agreement guarantees five more years of labor peace. There's been plenty of talk about the new wild-card playoff plan, the league re-alignment (moving Houston to the American League), and the new drug-testing policy which includes blood tests for human growth hormone (HGH).But largely below the radar screen, two little words have been inserted that speak

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-82678965599058211132011-11-10T09:06:00.000-08:002011-11-10T09:43:05.795-08:00

In 1887, Britain's Lord Acton wrote a letter containing the following passage:"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."The first part of that passage has been used myriad times since it was written to caution against the excesses of power. The second half is seldom quoted, but I include it here to inform the discussion about Joe

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-44443924415798068982011-10-31T07:20:00.000-07:002011-10-31T09:42:15.509-07:00

The whole notion of "going out on top" sounds good, but it doesn't happen often enough. Too many athletes, coaches, and managers stick around hoping for one more trip to the top of the hill--one that seldom comes.That's why it's nice to see Tony LaRussa say goodbye to the dugout, just days after claiming his third World Series title. LaRussa has been there, done that. And could any season ever

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-65844565636260809962011-10-17T06:15:00.000-07:002011-10-17T07:26:34.086-07:00

It would be nice if Jim Harbaugh was getting nationwide attention this morning for turning the sad-sack 49ers into perhaps the NFL's most interesting comeback story of the season.Instead, most of the talk is about Harbaugh's breach of postgame etiquette (relax, I'll address opposing coach Jim Schwartz in a moment) after the Niners' thrilling 25-19 win over the Lions in Detroit.In case you haven't

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-16341542513654377382011-10-07T07:38:00.000-07:002011-10-07T08:36:28.428-07:00

There's a big difference between hoping your team will win and expecting them to win.I'm not plowing new ground when I point out a slight, shall we say, arrogance that comes with rooting for the New York Yankees. After all, the pinstripers have won 27 World Series and no other team has even played in more than 18. Plus, as we all know, New York is the center of the Western World (see familiar

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-55743042867454814842011-09-29T06:17:00.000-07:002011-09-29T08:29:56.051-07:00

Gratuitous use of a Brad Pitt image? Guilty as charged.While the screen version of the "Moneyball" story is doing solid box office, the reality of how money affects Major League Baseball has become a rather complicated story.As the dust settles on the improbable finish to the regular season, a look at this year's playoff teams makes it hard to argue that payroll perfectly correlates with

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-79910471863013778712011-09-27T06:27:00.000-07:002011-09-27T07:44:11.463-07:00

Advocates of video replay in sports consistently argue that the cumbersome, often-ponderous process is worth it because, above all, replays help officials "get things right".Except when they don't.Case in point: the Syracuse-Toledo college football game last weekend. Syracuse emerged with an overtime victory, but it turns out a missed call on an extra point late in the game probably gave The

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-42862354364863121882011-09-19T08:11:00.000-07:002011-09-19T09:08:25.946-07:00

Fans don't make on-field decisions. Neither do pundits. And that's probably a good thing.I say this because 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh is enduring a fair amount of second-guessing for his 4th quarter "keep the field goal" decision in the Niners loss to Dallas. It's coming from people who think Harbaugh erred by keeping David Akers' 55-yard field goal (and a 10-point lead) rather than accepting a

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-14632567697097999952011-09-12T05:46:00.000-07:002011-09-12T06:31:31.320-07:00

The Harbaugh Era is here, and the 49ers are undefeated in the regular season.OK, they beat Seattle in their first game under Harbaugh and it's not clear if the Seahawks are any good but, still, it's a start.Except: there remains a sort of unease about a team that wins with only 124 yards passing, and was nursing a less-than-a-field-goal lead before Ted Ginn's kick-return madness in the 4th

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-24110160093990372432011-09-07T06:35:00.001-07:002011-09-07T07:24:02.234-07:00

One of the things I love about sports is the historical record. Baseball, in particular, has been blessed with (or, depending on your point of view, cursed by) diligent record-keepers right from the start. John Thorn's book "Baseball in the Garden of Eden: The Secret History of the Early Game" makes it clear that people were keeping score and maintaining statistics long before the game went

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-35296134170561428042011-08-31T06:10:00.000-07:002011-08-31T06:55:40.431-07:00

Longtime San Francisco Giants fans may recall the phrase "June Swoon". Tradition had it that the Giants would get off to a decent start in April and May, and then cash it all in with a miserable month of June. Like many legends, the June Swoon was embellished a bit, but there were enough awful Junes to give the theory some credence. But the 2011 Giants are creating something new: August Agony.

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-83024171112347756882011-08-23T05:47:00.000-07:002011-08-23T07:39:40.263-07:00

The mayhem at Candlestick Park before, during and after the annual 49ers/Raiders exhibition game may finally force The Powers That Be to confront some uncomfortable truths. Kudos to 49ers boss Jed York for taking a few first steps (at least verbally). But there's more to be done. Let's look at a few issues: The parking lot If there's a real-world equivalent to the dystopian world depicted in

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-12724781970972646172011-08-08T05:52:00.000-07:002011-08-08T07:00:52.593-07:00

Radio talk host Tony Bruno has managed to do what so many people in his occupation love to do: put themselves in the middle of the conversation. One would hope that this time, Bruno wishes it were not so. Bruno's disturbingly insensitive Tweet following the Friday night Giants/Phillies brawl is what started this. Bruno may have thought he could make it all go away by deleting the Tweet, or by

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-90921085520092190502011-08-04T07:50:00.000-07:002011-08-04T08:57:15.537-07:00

When I snapped this picture of Ryan Vogelsong during spring training, who could have guessed how his 2011 season would play out?In fact, I cropped the photo to remove the other guy with whom Vogelsong was competing for a chance to go to Fresno and hope for something to go wrong with one of the Giants' starting pitchers. That would have been Jeff Suppan, and Vogelsong outpitched Suppan in the

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-84588093986482205262011-07-29T08:02:00.000-07:002011-07-29T08:43:09.934-07:00

My radio chat-partner John Madden has often decried the fact that the NFL lacks the sort of year-round buzz that attends to baseball. He's pointed to baseball's post-season awards, followed by off-season free agent signings and trades, followed by spring training as a process that ensures baseball stays in the sports headlines year-round.He's right, but the NFL may have stumbled into a

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-49117148421267261542011-07-25T08:27:00.000-07:002011-07-25T08:47:53.309-07:00

As I write, the i's are being dotted and the t's crossed on the new NFL labor deal. Much is being made of how the players managed to stave off a management demand for a longer season while also getting limits slapped on the number of practices a team can hold.All in all, these are reasonable steps toward a safer future in a violent business. Less wear and tear on the players' bodies has to be a

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-70151746861130889062011-07-18T07:46:00.000-07:002011-07-18T08:10:57.802-07:00

The beauty of sports is sometimes a little hard to see when your team comes up short.But Sunday brought two "oh-so-close" moments that serve as a reminder of how fine the line is between victory and defeat.First, the U.S. women's soccer team learned exactly how it felt to lose one after its stirring quarterfinal win over Brazil. The World Cup final saw Japan beat the U.S. for the first time ever.

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-79854624625883831362011-07-11T06:56:00.000-07:002011-07-11T07:51:37.765-07:00

I'm not sure I can put it any better than Twitter user @dean13 who, back in June, managed to squeeze this thought into 140 characters: Shut up, Bobby Valentine. Shut up, Bobby Valentine. Shut up, Bobby Valentine. Shut up, Bobby Valentine. Shut up, Bobby Valentine. Shut up.Exactly.The downside to the Giants winning the World Series is the fact that they've become hot stuff for the network

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-59750059637444716492011-07-05T07:45:00.000-07:002011-07-05T08:37:46.821-07:00

Florida Marlins manager Jack McKeon is griping about Tim Lincecum's All Star status. It's silly, of course; McKeon's in his 80's and has been around the game long enough to know better.Lincecum's stats are not great this year, but they're not awful, either. After his mediocre July 4th start against the Padres, Timmy is 6-7 with a 3.14 ERA. On a team that scores more runs, he could easily

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-38378709759285547242011-06-22T06:16:00.001-07:002011-06-22T06:40:24.086-07:00

There's an old line about baseball: "You go out to the ballpark every day and you'll see something you've never seen before."It's probably a wee bit of an overstatement, but last night's game at AT&T Park was truly historic. Before some fans had even found their seats, the Minnesota Twins had scored 8 first-inning runs against the Giants. The 8 straight hits to start the game marked a first in

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-57119082093738552942011-06-07T06:46:00.000-07:002011-06-07T07:59:29.098-07:00

There are those rolling their eyes in the perennial "There go the Warriors again" reaction.But I think the decision to hire unproven Mark Jackson to coach the Golden State Warriors is exactly the sort of bold stroke the franchise needs to become relevant again. Jackson's resume includes exactly zero coaching experience and to some, that makes him unfit for the job. Of course, the usual pro

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-78683540597947261632011-05-26T08:38:00.000-07:002011-05-26T09:04:20.169-07:00

Nobody can really enjoy watching Giants catcher Buster Posey have his season ended in a horrible home plate collision. It's ugly, and the sight of Posey writhing in pain afterward is even uglier.Yet plenty of baseball fans seem willing to say, "Well, too bad. That's baseball." For a hundred years, collisions at the plate have been part of the game, they say. That's true, but I'm here to argue

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-86807601777520036472011-05-25T10:39:00.000-07:002011-05-25T11:06:18.938-07:00

For San Jose Sharks fans, it's a familiar feeling. A very good team that didn't quite measure up when it counted.For the second straight year, the Sharks saw their season end in the conference finals. The team that beat them last year went on to win the Stanley Cup. I'd say there's a pretty good chance the team that beat them this year will do so too.When you lose a series 4-1, as the Sharks did

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-3714652069513040582011-05-23T05:46:00.000-07:002011-05-23T07:49:55.897-07:00

It's somehow weirdly fitting that members of the U.S. Postal Service cycling team used to refer to the banned blood-enhancing drug EPO as "Edgar Allan Poe". The words "mystery" and "macabre" come to mind when discussing Poe's body of literary work, and cycling's inner workings are nothing if not mysterious and macabre.Tyler Hamilton's lengthy interview with "60 Minutes" may have blown all of

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-78174872747885233832011-05-11T05:50:00.000-07:002011-05-11T07:49:28.851-07:00

It's only mid-May, but this Bay Area baseball season is shaping up to be something special for folks who enjoy good pitching.As I write, the A's staff ERA is 2.75, best in the American League. 23-year-old righthander Trevor Cahill is already 6-0 with a gaudy 1.72 ERA. Somebody with a lot of time on his hands at the Elias Sports Bureau figured Cahill's start is the best by an A's pitcher since

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-16339210916586468512011-05-04T07:27:00.000-07:002011-05-04T08:56:18.622-07:00

Old Sol wouldn't be smiling if he was a major-league hitter.New research indicates that when the sun comes out, batting averages go down.The study also found that day games played in bright sunshine produce more strikeouts, lower ERA's, and an increased win percentage for the home team.Researchers from Kent State University combed through stats for more than 10,750 Major League day games

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-25145350984665181742011-04-27T05:47:00.000-07:002011-04-27T07:47:04.795-07:00

There's fast, and then there's fast.Plenty of big-league baseball players can run, but only a few possess the sort of speed that can change a ballgame.Put Darren Ford in that category. The young Giants outfielder became part of the team's 2010 "Torture" lore last September when he scored a game-winning run on a daring dash after a pitch hit the dirt.And he's done it again, using his legs to swipe

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-39973166918223441902011-04-20T06:13:00.001-07:002011-04-20T08:12:58.546-07:00

There's been a heated debate raging here at KCBS Sports Fans World Headquarters about Giants rookie Brandon Belt. Of course, the point may be moot by the time you read this, but the underlying issue is worth examining.Simply put, my esteemed colleague Steve Bitker and I disagree about whether the Giants should send the young first baseman back to the minor leagues.Steve has been banging the drum

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-45634636285266096772011-04-14T05:55:00.000-07:002011-04-14T07:40:46.922-07:00

The jury has spoken, sort of.Barry Bonds is guilty of delivering evasive answers to a federal grand jury. The jury deadlocked on the more substantive charges that he actually lied to the grand jury about whether he ever knowingly took performance-enhancing drugs.For Bonds, despite his smile-and-wave on the courthouse steps, this is serious stuff. "Convicted felon" is a pretty heavy phrase to

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-87248640021916477752011-04-11T06:11:00.000-07:002011-04-11T06:54:59.424-07:00

The Giants' "Opening Weekend" festivities are now a memory. Oh sure, it would have been nice to finish the three days of festivities with a sweep of the Cardinals, but two out of three ain't bad--and the vibe was pretty darned close to perfect all the way.The Friday pennant ceremony (in photo), the Saturday ring-bestowing, the Sunday awarding of Buster Posey's Rookie of the Year honors, the "

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-15887286731269211382011-03-31T05:54:00.000-07:002011-03-31T06:57:40.703-07:00

The San Francisco Giants have done it again. Another year, another baby-faced phenom.This time, it's 22-year-old first baseman Brandon Belt. Giants management waited until after the final exhibition game to make the announcement: Belt is the team's starting first baseman, shoving incumbent Aubrey Huff to right field.It's a bittersweet moment: the annointing of Belt ends the Giants career of

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-79581863879021221962011-03-28T08:25:00.000-07:002011-03-28T08:42:21.303-07:00

Now THIS is March Madness.All of the number 1 seeds sent packing. A championship game that will include either longshot Butler or longer-longshot VCU. A bracket contest that produced only two correct "Final Four" selections out of 5.9 million entries.Oh sure, if you're a Kansas or Duke or Ohio State fan, you're having a hard time seeing the beauty.But this is what college sports should be all

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-10023673120681046662011-03-14T06:23:00.000-07:002011-03-14T07:09:37.220-07:00

The fact that Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara continues to suit up and play is an ongoing indictment of the National Hockey League's commitment to making a dangerous game safer. It's also a reminder that thuggery is alive and well in a sport that celebrates ritualized fisticuffs.Chara ended the season (and perhaps the career) of Montreal's Max Pacioretty with a vicious late hit. Pacioretty

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-88864901308595764022011-03-02T08:28:00.000-08:002011-03-02T09:29:35.567-08:00

CBS News and Sports Illustrated magazine are making a big splash out of what they're calling "an unprecedented six-month investigation" into the criminal records of football players on Top-25 college teams. Their big finding: 7% of the athletes had been charged with or cited for a crime.Well, pardon me for not getting all hand-wringy about this. Let me explain why this is a classic case of

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-68435822939405214402011-02-28T16:12:00.000-08:002011-02-28T16:29:39.389-08:00

They call it "spring training", but it starts in the dead of winter. Heck, spring doesn't technically arrive until a few days before Major League teams break camp and "head north" (an evocative phrase from the past) to start the regular season.For the last two weeks, ballplayers have been working out. For the last few days, they've been playing a few innings at a time, easing their way back

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-65632868444490897852011-02-16T05:50:00.000-08:002011-02-16T07:04:15.595-08:00

To be honest, I thought it was somebody's idea of a joke when I heard that Cal would be playing Presbyterian College in football this coming September. But sadly, it's true.Perhaps the Golden Bears are a little embarrassed about this: as I write, the Cal athletic department has not officially announced this matchup. But the good folks at Presbyterian have no such reservations; they've already

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-30127046686442670492011-02-09T06:53:00.000-08:002011-02-09T07:47:11.132-08:00

What it says about me, I'm not sure: I've always loved finding sports references and cues in movies.For years, I've treasured the bit of business in "Rain Man" where Raymond is listening to a ballgame. It's a Giants game, and we hear the announcer mention Bob Brenly and Candy Maldonado. A real broadcast? If so, what game? I've never really taken the time to check.So I tip my cap to

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-84009763094367181382011-02-04T06:31:00.000-08:002011-02-04T07:09:37.777-08:00

Anyone who's nodded off while waiting for the results of a video review in American football, basketball, hockey, or baseball (each of which now uses replay in some circumstances) should be thrilled by what's happening in the world of soccer.FIFA, the sport's international governing body, has announced it will test 10 goal-line technology systems that could instantly determine whether a ball

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-40853956160736857302011-01-25T06:23:00.000-08:002011-01-25T07:17:56.652-08:00

Phoenix is not just a city in Arizona. It's also the mythological bird that arises from its own ashes. There's a phoenix on San Francisco's city flag (to pay homage to the city's rebirth after the 1906 disaster), and there could be one in the Giants bullpen this year.That's him on the right. His name is Marc Kroon, and even if you're a pretty serious baseball fan, you've probably never heard of

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-39802488006746037782011-01-19T06:14:00.000-08:002011-01-19T06:58:51.911-08:00

I can only imagine how it felt to be Hue Jackson. The onetime University of the Pacific quarterback has toiled his way up the coaching ladder and finally landed a coveted spot as an NFL head coach. That's a big day for anyone in the high-stakes, high-pressure business of pro football.But the feel-good atmosphere of the news conference at which Jackson was introduced as the Raiders' new head

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-14249086010490462022011-01-14T08:47:00.001-08:002011-01-14T09:37:26.639-08:00

It should have been a dark time at Stanford University. Football coach Jim Harbaugh had just fled campus for the NFL. Everyone's darling, Chris Petersen from Boise State, had said "thanks, but no thanks" to the Stanford folks.But Stanford AD Bob Bowlsby has made a terrific choice, hiring offensive coordinator David Shaw to replace Harbaugh. In one fell swoop, Stanford gets:Continuity Shaw is

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-68200990290296608332011-01-07T15:25:00.001-08:002011-01-07T15:42:02.041-08:00

"What's your deal?" Thus did Pete Carroll greet Jim Harbaugh after Stanford's 2009 butt-whipping of USC. In case Harbaugh's hearing was faulty, Carroll repeated his question.And in case Carroll didn't get the point, Harbaugh responded, "What's your deal?"Carroll was ticked because Harbaugh ordered Stanford to go for a two-point conversion after its 7th touchdown of the day. The USC coach

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-73560047606507029262011-01-03T08:36:00.000-08:002011-01-03T09:50:15.433-08:00

The vast majority of Bay Area residents greeted the news that the next America's Cup yacht races will be held on San Francisco Bay with a variation on the theme of, "Oh, that's nice." That's if they bothered to react at all.Well, I'm here to tell you: this is a big damned deal.A standard knock on yacht racing is that it's a sport for rich men--as if our beloved American pro sports are played by

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-53068892312646444472010-12-28T07:23:00.000-08:002010-12-28T09:32:37.302-08:00

Speculation about the future of the San Francisco 49ers misses an important point. The team's hopes of hiring a new GM and head coach may well be hamstrung by an impending NFL lockout of players.While no one can say definitely that the league will lock its players out when the current collective bargaining agreement expires in March, it's looking awfully likely. If the lockout happens, the

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-41195954878044337782010-12-16T08:39:00.000-08:002011-01-29T13:17:30.645-08:00

In the midst of the debate over Fox Sports' pathetic addition of a musical score to a live NFL broadcast, we all got a chance to take a 50-year trip back up the TV sports time tunnel. And guess what? It was pretty cool.I'm talking about the MLB Network broadcast of the 7th game of the 1960 World Series (if you missed it, you'll be able to buy a DVD). This was the game won by the Pirates on

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-31988546737672663692010-12-15T10:24:00.000-08:002010-12-15T10:44:17.546-08:00

While the Oakland A's flounder around in their search for a new ballpark, the front office is putting together what might be a very interesting 2011 edition of the ballclub.Of course, the signing of Japanese superstar Hideki Matsui tops the headlines. In exchanging erstwhile DH Jack Cust for Matsui, the A's have probably added some zip to their offense--but certainly added some leadership and

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-10117515334340703482010-12-09T05:54:00.000-08:002010-12-09T06:39:56.310-08:00

In case you were still wondering, dear sports fans: the people who run pro sports really don't give a damn about you. They say they do, and sometimes, they act like they do, but then the Lords of Sport do something like this: they fiddle with the 2011 baseball schedule so they can make TV happy.The San Francisco Chronicle's fine baseball writer John Shea reports ESPN and its puppets at Major

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-64759176612859775032010-12-08T07:20:00.000-08:002010-12-08T08:58:48.373-08:00

The Keith Fitzhugh story got me thinking. In case you haven't heard, Fitzhugh is the 24-year-old who told the New York Jets "thanks, but no thanks" when they offered him a practice squad slot after two defensive backs were injured this week.What kind of fool says "no" to the NFL? Well, Fitzhugh has a real job and real-life responsibilities. His father's disabled and the family needs a steady

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-419596368089261492010-12-03T06:27:00.000-08:002010-12-03T07:26:10.491-08:00

Ottawa is Canada's capital city. It's a pretty place with an interesting history. But the way the locals reacted to the arrival of the San Jose Sharks' Dany Heatley, you'd think Ottawa had changed its name to Podunkville.Heatley was traded from Ottawa to San Jose before the 2009-10 NHL season. Far be it from me to explain the whole situation, but suffice it to say Heatley wanted out of Ottawa (

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-24212621233979455602010-11-30T07:51:00.000-08:002010-11-30T08:40:01.795-08:00

OK, it hurts. Juan Uribe has left the building, and to jam the salt even deeper into the wound, he's signed with the Dodgers. Eew.Of course, he'll be missed. Uribe's larger-than-life clubhouse presence is a very real thing, even though it can't be measured with the statistical precision baseball so dearly loves.Uribe had a flair for the dramatic. The photo shows a typical Uribe pose--unloading

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-91536834560233917602010-11-29T06:48:00.000-08:002010-11-29T07:46:51.545-08:00

A wild weekend for college football: Auburn's crazy comeback, Nevada's bursting of Boise State's bubble, Stanford's continued march toward immortality.So leave it to me to focus on a game that got almost zero nationwide attention. I'd like to salute Washington Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian for his all-in decision on the final play of U-W's 16-13 win at Cal.The game matched a couple of

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-81983522334814676012010-11-17T10:57:00.001-08:002010-11-17T11:18:59.681-08:00

Like most Giants fans, I continue to wander in the wilderness, unsure of how to handle the sudden reversal of a lifetime of misfortune. Part of our collective reality has always been this: we love a team that never wins it all. But now they have won it all, so how do we recalibrate?My cousin Bob and I have concluded that the right answer is to sweep away the best in a tangible, real way. We

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-25804706612832141982010-11-12T06:45:00.000-08:002010-11-12T07:41:08.560-08:00

I've always been ambivalent when the arguments start about the need for a college football national championship playoff. It never really mattered that much to me; I was OK with the traditional bowls/polls approach.But something was starting to smell bad in recent years as the BCS system oozed under the door and solidified. The big boys were getting bigger and the little guys were scrambling

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-21318849690028173412010-11-09T08:02:00.000-08:002010-11-09T09:58:04.910-08:00

A special veterans committee is considering a dozen names from baseball's Expansion Era for Hall of Fame consideration. After some research, I've concluded that most don't belong in the Hall, but a few do. And at the top of the list is a guy I never figured I'd champion: Steve Garvey.The longtime Dodger and Padre first baseman was certainly never a Bay Area fan favorite. Choose your reason: 1)

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-7918353575182776862010-11-02T06:59:00.000-07:002010-11-04T08:40:30.795-07:00

It really happened. A bunch of guys virtually nobody outside the Bay Area thought could win it did win it.In tribute, an alphabetical salute to the 2010 World Series champs. Sure, it's a bit slapdash. But let's not forget--this is a team of "castoffs and misfits", so perhaps my list is fitting.Andres Torres (leading off, of course)Bruce BochyCody RossDarren Ford (remember his mad dash to score

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-86639951300587210952010-10-28T06:07:00.001-07:002010-10-28T07:09:05.832-07:00

I don't know these people. Oh, I spent 4 hours with them last night at AT&T Park and we really hit it off, in the way that thousands upon thousands of people are hitting it off in the Bay Area right now.Tell me you don't feel it. Even if you're one of those cranky "I hate the bandwagon-jumper" types, you have to admit there's something going on.I have to admit: it's caught me a bit by surprise. I

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-16007564059326261902010-10-25T05:45:00.000-07:002010-10-25T07:46:35.054-07:00

The sheer giddiness surrounding the Giants these days has so much to do with the absolute craziness of the whole thing. The World Series? Are you kidding?Let's review. Just for fun, please have a look at the Opening Day lineup:Aaron Rowand, CFEdgar Renteria, SSPablo Sandoval, 3BAubrey Huff, 1BMark DeRosa, LFBengie Molina, CJohn Bowker, RFJuan Uribe, 2BTim Lincecum, PThe lineup that closed out

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-77035817728354881302010-10-21T06:43:00.000-07:002010-10-21T07:22:53.588-07:00

If you look carefully, you'll see a rainbow in that spray of water from San Francisco's fireboat outside AT&T Park. The pot of gold is inside the park.There is a creeping sense of inevitability about the way the NLCS between the Giants and Phillies will end. You won't catch me making any bold predictions here, but is there anyone who's been watching this series who doesn't know the ending

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-51908110614296176682010-10-19T08:07:00.000-07:002010-10-19T09:04:24.136-07:00

That is not a pretty picture. But it's prettier than what happened moments earlier, when Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson was knocked unconscious by Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson.Jackson won't be playing anytime soon. Neither will several other players who suffered concussions in recent NFL games. Now, the league has announced a new approach that could suspend players who "lead with their

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-86360242021858921672010-10-18T05:50:00.000-07:002010-10-18T06:32:03.674-07:00

My dad called the other night. He's 82 and a former high school baseball coach. He and my mom are pretty serious Giants fans. And he's ticked off.He had just endured another painful Fox Sports production--Game 1 of the NLCS between the Giant and the Phillies. He wanted to know how he could delay the Giants' hometown radio broadcast so it would "sync" up with the Fox TV broadcast, which is

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-26231809113001290632010-10-12T07:46:00.000-07:002010-10-12T08:57:16.572-07:00

In a world of free agency and ever-changing rosters, there aren't a lot of guys who become career employees of a pro sports organization.That's why so much is being made of Bobby Cox' retirement. The Giants send him off as a loser, beating the Braves in Atlanta to close out their National League Division Series in a fourth consecutive one-run game.Cox played the series a few cards short of a

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-83129537727210965682010-10-04T14:51:00.000-07:002010-10-04T15:00:04.281-07:00

Want to know how to make sure your team makes the baseball playoffs? Don't get too caught up in how many runs they score or how strong the bullpen is or how many double plays they turn.Just make sure they win 92 games. Especially in the National League.Over the last 10 years, just about every team that's won 92 games has made the playoffs. We're talking about a total of 80 playoff teams over

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-91157671655063414362010-09-29T07:46:00.000-07:002010-09-29T09:25:00.270-07:00

The eminent philosopher Yogi Berra once said, "If the fans don't come out to the ball park, you can't stop them."Indeed. And it appears nobody's stopping them in places like Cincinnati and San Diego, where teams in the playoff hunt are playing to a lot of empty seats--or, in the case of the Padres, a lot of seats filled by fans of the opposing team.The last couple of nights have seen an awful lot

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-19228456347139112382010-09-28T05:55:00.000-07:002010-09-28T06:37:55.280-07:00

My wife stood in the entrance to the family room for a while before asking, "What are you watching?""The Braves and the Marlins," I replied, realizing as I said it how desperately stupid it sounded. Yes, I was hanging on every pitch, listening to the painfully-biased Braves TV announcers as though they held the keys to some inner truth.I admit it. I've been sucked into the vortex of a pennant

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-62985359443877869502010-09-20T06:09:00.000-07:002010-09-20T06:35:09.850-07:00

Hey, Major League Baseball. What are you waiting for? Does someone have to die before you ban those infernal maple bats? The Cub's Tyler Colvin came pretty damned close:Colvin was immediately hospitalized with a hole in his chest and a potential collapsed lung. He's going to be OK, but if that bat shard had caught him in the carotid artery...well, you do the math.Enough's enough. Maple bats

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-38220876552096558252010-09-15T10:24:00.000-07:002010-09-19T19:58:44.324-07:00

Barry Zito.Go figure. The guy throws 1-hit ball for 5.2 innings against the Dodgers, gives up zero earned runs, and gets tagged with the loss. If you're keeping track, it's his 9th consecutive loss. He last won on July 16th. Since then, he's 0-9. There have been some very bad outings, but overall, Zito's ERA during that streak is 4.48--not great, but not 0-9 bad.I've written before about the

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-73988501090246043332010-09-13T06:47:00.001-07:002010-09-13T07:37:04.027-07:00

Wiping off the crystal ball, with a major caveat: there are no guarantees. Heck, in the middle of a pennant race, your leadoff hitter and star centerfielder can wake up with appendicitis.But after carefully watching the National League for the last couple of weeks, I'm going to go out on a limb here: Giants fans, start making your postseason plans.The Giants' just-completed 10-game road trip (

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-62804195846425596492010-09-07T05:52:00.000-07:002010-09-07T06:45:10.801-07:00

For years, the most-talked-about aspect of Boise State's football program was the blue artificial turf at Bronco Stadium (as Boise State proudly noted on its athletics website, "Bronco Stadium is the only football field in the world with a blue field." Gee, wonder why?).But in recent seasons, the Broncos have been edging ever-closer to forcing their way into the BCS Championship game. Their 2010

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-10993867531973579952010-08-31T06:17:00.000-07:002010-08-31T07:06:57.510-07:00

Pennant races in baseball bring a delicious level of tension. Every pitch has meaning, and the true fan juggles the home team's action with what's going in on in several other cities.That's what made last night's 2-1 Colorado win over the Giants so painful to San Francisco fans. The Giants eked out a run off Colorado's funky left-hander Jorge De La Rosa in the 4th inning, and Giants starter

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-31722003170723897592010-08-26T06:48:00.000-07:002010-08-26T08:40:18.409-07:00

We've all had a pretty good laugh at Jim Furyk's expense. He's the pro golfer who missed his tee time at the Barclays pro-am after the battery on his cell phone died (he'd used the phone as an alarm clock).But the episode exposes a serious flaw in the way the PGA Tour does business. When Furyk failed to show for the 7:30AM shotgun start, he was DQ'd from the Barclays tournament itself. That's a

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-1652694037114342112010-08-23T06:31:00.000-07:002010-08-23T07:23:24.666-07:00

So after two weeks of the NFL's exhibition (sorry, preseason) schedule, the Bay Area teams are a combined 4-0. The 49ers have beaten the Colts and the Vikings; the Raiders have dispatched Dallas and Chicago. So what?It's hard to know. These games don't count, and it's dangerous to draw any conclusions from what you see. But: it's better to be undefeated than the other way around.The 49ers'

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-59222948890941303142010-08-13T07:16:00.000-07:002010-08-13T07:51:26.077-07:00

If the Giants reach the promised land known as the playoffs this year, some of the credit will go to a big guy with a nickname that sounds like it might have come from a children's book: Pat the Bat.That would be outfielder Pat Burrell, who's been reborn in his native Bay Area after his career cratered in the dismal confines of Tampa's Tropicana Field. Burrell signed with the Rays after

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-70450056076079104902010-08-11T07:49:00.000-07:002010-08-11T08:25:57.204-07:00

Tim Lincecum is in trouble.Sure, most big-league pitchers would be thrilled to be 11-6 with a 3.41 ERA and 163 strikeouts in 155 innings pitched. But none of them are The Freak, the frighteningly-gifted two-time Cy Young Award winner.When I say Lincecum is in trouble, I don't mean to say he's finished. He may well be able to figure this out. But for now, his aura of invincibility has gone "poof"

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-38816437085218366062010-08-06T06:17:00.000-07:002010-08-06T09:56:38.618-07:00

Florida Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez called it "the worst call I've ever seen in my 30 years of professional baseball." If that's true, Rodriguez may have led a pretty sheltered existence.I'm talking about the call third-base umpire Bob Davidson made in the 9th inning of a Phillies-Marlins game. The ground ball off Gaby Sanchez's bat appeared to be fair, and the base hit would have given the

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-23987185970859081392010-08-02T08:34:00.001-07:002010-08-02T08:55:36.562-07:00

It's one of baseball's most memorable lines, uttered in 1951 by Dodgers manager Charlie Dressen: "The Giants is dead." Dressen's ungrammatical epitaph was delivered in early August, after his Brooklyn Dodgers had swept the New York Giants to widen their National League lead to 12 1/2 games.Of course, by October, it was Dressen and the Dodgers who were dying a thousand deaths, as Bobby Thomson's "

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-60797020024182741592010-07-16T09:15:00.000-07:002010-07-16T09:46:42.936-07:00

Joe Lacob understands how to succeed against long odds. That's what venture capitalists do: they put money on the table (and sometimes double down), hoping for a big payoff. They're also known to fold 'em when they have a weak hand.But the gambling analogy isn't perfect, because VC's don't just sit back and let their wagers ride. They get very involved in the companies they fund (Lacob sits on

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-49806252112298619972010-07-14T06:45:00.000-07:002010-07-14T07:08:05.714-07:00

Tim Lincecum goes to the All-Star Game and doesn't play.Are you kidding me?There's no good explanation for Charlie Manuel's decision not to use Lincecum in the Midsummer Classic. The Freak is the two-time defending NL Cy Young Award winner and the kind of player fans love to watch. Younger fans, in particular, gravitate toward the guy with the flowing locks and the skate-punk mystique. Plus,

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-3489557941540297792010-07-09T06:46:00.000-07:002010-07-09T07:19:43.667-07:00

Once upon a time in a land far, far away, your sports heroes stayed put. Kids could roam the neighborhood wearing the hometown star's jersey for years with no fear of obsolescence.Poof! Your dream is over. That little slice of Never-Never Land is long gone.We sports fans invest our emotions (and money) in multimillion dollar franchises, which in turn hire multimillionaire athletes. The athletes

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-19220659010986704462010-07-07T06:47:00.000-07:002010-07-07T07:49:30.281-07:00

Madison Bumgarner got a beer shower in the Giants clubhouse last night, and if he licked his lips to taste the suds, he broke the law.Bumgarner can't legally order a brew for a few more weeks, but his teammates doused him in celebration of his first major-league win. He threw 8 shutout innings in Milwaukee to precipitate the locker-room precipitation.Three years ago, Bumgarner was mowing 'em down

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-19256761256091985202010-06-30T07:01:00.001-07:002010-06-30T21:13:11.653-07:00

Baseball is a harsh teacher. The game has a way of picking at a player's flaws and weaknesses until they're rubbed raw. Those who can adjust prosper. Those who can't often end up talking about the career that never quite took off.Those who never played the game probably don't know how difficult this process really is. They see a guy like Pablo Sandoval or Tim Lincecum achieve early success and

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-79387397161003145782010-06-24T08:57:00.000-07:002010-06-24T09:08:23.115-07:00

Nicolas Mahut was the loser, but no one who has a casual interest in sports will ever forget him.The unseeded Frenchman said it in the aftermath of the longest tennis match in history: "We played the greatest match ever."More than 11 hours, stretched over 3 days, before John Isner finally hit the winner that broke Mahut's serve and gave Isner a 70-68 win in the 5th set of their match at

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-81598477704661159282010-06-14T08:33:00.001-07:002010-06-14T09:28:54.310-07:00

Everybody's in a lather about those vuvuzelas. Maybe you'd never heard the word before, but if you've watched any World Cup soccer the last few days, you've certainly heard that darned things.A vuvuzela is a plastic horn. You can buy one for less than 8 bucks. By itself, it makes a sort of sad, bleating sound. But put a whole stadium full of vuvuzelas together and you have quite the cacophony.

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-77234860970425458832010-06-11T08:38:00.000-07:002010-06-11T09:06:54.294-07:00

I helped make history a few minutes ago.The first World Cup goal ever scored on the African continent came as we were doing our daily segment with John Madden. The man who is American football helped us call the historic goal in the game the world calls football.Now, we didn't push our luck and ask Big John to actually say the name of the guy who scored the marker. Siphiwe Tshabalala is not as

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-66309271847057005562010-06-10T09:50:00.000-07:002010-06-10T09:56:39.282-07:00

Breaking news: Colorado just said "yes" to the Pac-10. But don't get any Pac-11 stationery printed yet.There's an epic game of musical chairs underway in college sports right now. Hell, by the time you read this, the Pac-10 might be as big as 16 teams. The common thinking had been that Colorado, Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State would split from a crumbling Big 12 and

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-11074209906481518672010-06-08T07:02:00.000-07:002010-06-08T08:38:10.064-07:00

Change is afoot in college sports. It probably won't surprise you to know that it's all about the big getting bigger and the rich getting richer.There's plenty of chatter up and down the West Coast about the decision by the Pac-1o to explore expansion possibilities. Theories abound, ranging from the addition of a couple of schools to a mega-conference with 16 schools. In the latter scenario,

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-49678674868740756002010-06-03T05:46:00.001-07:002010-06-03T06:24:51.112-07:00

Three words for the Lords of Baseball: don't do it.I know the drumbeat is building for an expanded use of replay to review umpires' decisions. The emotional response to the bad call that cost Armando Galarraga a perfect game in Detroit is to demand redress. Even the umpire, Jim Joyce, admitted it was a bad call and apologized to Galarraga.To which I say, "so what?" Bad calls are as much a part

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-65454954327366961762010-06-01T06:25:00.000-07:002010-06-01T07:49:24.846-07:00

In the midst of the Giants' stirring comeback win over Arizona on Sunday (the game won on Andres Torres' extra-inning single), I found myself in a heated debate with another fan.It all started when I jeered the Diamondbacks' Mark Reynolds after his third strikeout of the afternoon. Reynolds, AKA "The Big Fan", is on a pace to break his major league single-season strikeout record. He's already

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-77394074418095379212010-05-28T06:23:00.000-07:002010-05-28T07:03:13.760-07:00

I was leaving AT&T Park yesterday, a day after Tim Lincecum's career-worst start (and a day after some fans booed the two-time Cy Young Award winner off the mound), when I heard a couple of guys discussing Lincecum's recent struggles.Since their grammar was a tad on the rough side (there may have been alcohol involved), I'll present a sanitized version here:Guy 1: "Dude, Lincecum sucked last

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-817485796879314292010-05-19T10:09:00.000-07:002010-05-21T10:36:58.833-07:00

In truth, it's only one of the four NBA teams in the Golden State that's for sale, but it's the only one that calls itself "Golden State".I speak, of course, of the Warriors, a franchise that has withered under semi-absentee ownership for lo, these many years.Or has it? Published reports indicate there's plenty of interest among would-be buyers. Big names like software tycoon Larry Ellison and

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-53964223109724514212010-05-13T09:36:00.001-07:002010-05-13T09:43:09.238-07:00

Postseason playoff series require rapid recalculations (at least they do if your team keeps winning).Last week, Sharks fans despised Detroit. Now that the Dead Things are roadkill, the new enemy is the Chicago Blackhawks. Enjoy the artwork. Unless you're a Chicago fan, in which case you're the designated Bad Guys for the next couple of weeks.

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-50641508553877598532010-05-06T08:52:00.000-07:002010-05-06T09:38:35.616-07:00

I can't help but wonder if the Phoenix Suns and team owner Robert Sarver really want to go where they've just gone.The decision to wear those "Los Suns" jerseys in their playoff game against San Antonio moves the controversy about Arizona's new immigration law from the sidelines onto the playing field. And while you may well agree with the outrage over the Arizona law, are you ready for every

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-91345669080075071812010-05-04T08:02:00.000-07:002010-05-04T08:54:38.689-07:00

Want to start an argument? Tell any sports fan whose team just lost a playoff game that the officiating was just fine.Right now, Detroit Red Wings fans are frothing at the mouth, convinced that the guys in striped shirts were more important than the guys in teal shirts (the Sharks) in San Jose's 4-3 Game 2 victory over Detroit. The lunatic fringe among them see a vast conspiracy by the NHL;

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-20751834805240517862010-04-30T08:51:00.000-07:002010-04-30T09:10:37.525-07:00

Sharks-Red Wings. It might get loud.You just know this series has to ratchet up. The Sharks need 3 more wins, after grabbing Game 1 on the strength of an awesome first-period offensive flurry. They scored 3 goals in 79 seconds and never let the Wings catch up.But more importantly: the Sharks matched Detroit in the crankiness department. Joe Thornton's refreshing snow shower gave Wings goalie

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-20765184550766198772010-04-28T08:24:00.000-07:002010-04-28T08:39:33.593-07:00

It seems like the Giants have been waiting forever for Nate Schierholtz to live up to his enormous promise. In truth, the guy's only 26, and over parts of 4 big league seasons, he's a .285 hitter. But somehow, it seems like it hasn't all really clicked yet.If there ever was a single game that embodied Schierholtz's promise, it was last night at AT&T Park. He made two incredible throws to nail

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978740081352462266.post-62010794433628424032010-04-22T10:47:00.000-07:002010-04-22T11:01:21.091-07:00

Well, thank goodness the Republic has been preserved. The new NCAA/CBS/Turner "March Madness" deal doesn't expand the men's NCAA baketball tournament field to 96 teams.I write with tongue firmly in cheek, since I happen to favor a bigger field. As I've written previously, my real problem with springtime college hoops is the conference tournaments, which negate the regular-season conference

Stan Bungerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08566227969971405730noreply@blogger.com0