Season Opener: Warriors vs Jazz

Redux, please:



GO WARRIORS!

Breaking: Joe Torre to Manage Dodgers

From the LoHud Yankees Blog:

The Los Angeles Dodgers have decided to fire manager Grady Little and replace him with former Yankees manager Joe Torre, The Journal News has learned.

Torre, 67, could be named manager as soon as tomorrow, according to two sources close to the situation. Don Mattingly is expected to accompany Torre to Los Angeles as his bench coach. Torre is also interested in hiring Kevin Long, his hitting coach with the Yankees.

Torre is a good man, but I am now compelled to boo him.

Rumors of A-Rod to LA to follow shortly.

10/29: Warriors 4 Bagger

We're talking about practice man. We're talking about practice. We're talking about practice. We're not talking about the game. We're talking about practice. When you come to the arena, and you see me play, you've seen me play right, you've seen me give everything I've got, but we're talking about practice right now.

- Allen Iverson on the importance of practice

Like AI’s speech, the repetitious and meaningless NBA preseason is finally over. Here we are on the eve of the Warriors’ season opener against the Utah Jazz.

• Notes, highlights, and video of yesterday’s open practice from the fans’ point of view. Includes detailed report of offensive and defensive sets in a comment by OptionZero. [GSoM]
• Open practice recap on the official Warriors.com blog. [Warriors.com]
• In-depth analysis of individual performances by Adam Lauridsen. [Fast Break]
• Jason Gurney of Ballhype fame put together a best-case, worst-case, and most-likely-case comparisons for each of the Warriors for this season. Kelenna Azubuike as Mitch Richmond? Heck yes! [GSoM]
• Extended media attention of the Warriors begins right here in the Bay. [Warriors.com]
• Your obligatory "what this season holds" piece. [SFGate]
  
• The front office decided not to extend TFRJ favorite Andris Biedrins beyond this year. I’m disappointed, but this isn’t detrimental either way. [Merc]
• Nothing provides better comic relief than the annual public rookie hazing. The four rooks and Azubuike (who's still counted as a rook) had to learn Soulja Boy, courtesy of Al Harrington and three kids from the audience. Marco needs work.

A-Rod to Opt Out

If the Giants were to sign Alex Rodriguez, who is opting out of his $252 million contract, this would happen:



+



=

49.33% of the Giants payroll next season.

-head explode-

Headdesk: Why Won't the Sharks Push the "ON" Button?

VS
SHARKS ------------------ .500 RECORD TEAM

Sharks are relentless, determined, swift, agile, bright and fearless. We plan to build an organization that has all those qualities.

- Matt Levine on the team's new name in 1990

What do the adjectives relentless, determined, swift, agile, bright, and fearless have in common with a .500 record?

They don't.

Numerous fans this season have cried out, wondering how a team with the likes of Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, and Jonathan Cheechoo on the ice can play like a team of mediocrities. On paper, this team is the embodiment of the Six Commandments of a Shark. On the ice, they lack the sporting world’s Great Commandment: determination. If thou art better than thy opponent, then thou shalt play like thou art.

The Sharks have some of the best, if not the best, talent assembled on the roster. The problem is, they just don’t seem to want it as much as the other team does. Take the Sharks’ 2-1 loss to the Bruins (the Bruins!) in the fifth game of the season. The Sharks could not take control of the game, despite limiting the Bruins to one goal for most of the game and no shots in the second period. Then, they finally notched a goal to tie 1-1, only to kick back, not execute a simple play to clear the puck, and watch the Bruins score a game-winning goal in the dying seconds of regulation.

Perhaps the Sharks read about the simulation where the sim-Sharks won the whole thing. Sorry guys, but waving a copy of NHL 08 at the other team isn’t quuuiiite the same as winning for real.

Perhaps the better question would be: when will the Sharks pull their heads out of their collective ass?

Earthquakes Have a New Home

...in Santa Clara.

The team will play at Santa Clara University's Buck Shaw Stadium during the 08 and 09 seasons. Buck Shaw currently houses 6,000 seats, but will be renovated to include 5,000 temporary seats and a digital video board a la the Phone Booth, among other upgrades.

The Quakes will hold games against larger opponents at larger stadiums. McAfee Coliseum, owned under Quakes' co-owner Lew Wolff, is a possibility with its 50,000 capacity. Another possibility is the newly renovated Stanford Stadium.

After finally finding a home stadium, the Quakes' next two items on the agenda is finding a coach and stocking players. Names for head coach include former Quakes coaches Frank Yallop (Galaxy), Dom Kinnear (Dynamos), Paul Bravo (former Quake now at Galaxy as assistant coach), and Troy Dayak (former Quake defender). The team will hold its expansion draft in November.


[SFGate.com]
[FanNation]

Quickly...

I realize it’s halftime of the Warriors’ final preseason game versus the Clippers, but Hoopsworld write Pree is running a live blog from the game. Drop him a question in the comments section to find out how the young’uns are faring.

Athletes Read Books?!?!

In addition to taking charge of the 2007-08 Warriors, Baron Davis has also started a team book club.

Our team, we are improving and bonding. We even started a book club and yes Steve Jack is a member. Take that haters. Ballers do read, write and count.

Baron is known for being one of the dominant point guards in the Western Conference when he's on, but few realize that he is also an active voice in current events and politics. He's releasing a documentary about the effect of gangs on impoverished neighborhoods, supporting the 50 Million Pound Challenge, and making known what is affecting the USA.

I was watching 360 last night in the Seattle hotel and besides the fires there's a drought in ATL, flooding in the N.O., its still summer weather on the east coast (people wearing shorts in beantown in October) I am starting to get worried, these are some strange days...

Nellie Announces Opening Night Lineup

When thou is smaller than thy opponent, thou doth not goeth bigger, thou shalt goeth even smaller.

-Book of Nellie

PG: Baron Davis
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Kelenna Azubuike
PF: Mickael Pietrus
C: Andris Biedrins

• Nellie also mentions that Patrick O'Bryant and Al Harrington will come off the bench together.
• Why is Pietrus, the very last man to make it to Hawaii, starting? Matt Barnes gives roughly equal production as Pietrus, with fewer mental errors and more ballhandling skills. Pietrus did not live up to his status as lockdown defender last season, rather fouling at a rate of 4.5/40 minutes.
• I'm not too sure why Monta is back at SG. During training camp, Nellie said that he would have to play as a PG. He'll probably slide over to PG with Kaz/Marco Belinelli moving to SG once Baron gets his rest.
• My guess: Everyone except Dre camps out around the 3-point line, with Dre manning the high post. This should space the floor and clear the lane enough for Baron, Monta, Kaz, and Pietrus to take it to the hole.
• Nellie must be trying to counteract any stagnant bench performances with Al coming in as 6th man.
• We'll be out-rebounded badly... again.
• Knowing Nellie, he could change the starting lineup 5 times in the next 9 days, so I'll take this with a big grain of salt.

[Warriors.com]

Other: Pat Burke and Tierre Brown were cut from the squad today. [Janny Hu]

Vote for Grant of McCovey Chronicles!

As you might know, McCovey Chronicles, one of the great SB Nation sports blog, focuses on the San Francisco Giants. Its founder, Grant Brisbee, is one of the finalists for a $10,000 blogging scholarship.

Grant doesn't just post his feelings about the Giants, he creates engaging discussion among the McCoven faithful. He's made McCovey Chronicles the mecca for informed (and informal!) conversations about the Giants, witty banter, and attempts at humor (cue the motivational posters!). Here is a list of 2007's most memorable posts during the 3rd Annual Grant Appreciation Day. I especially recommend the Lincecum Eve poem, the letter to Jay Mariotti, and 756.

The winner of the scholarship is determined by an online vote. Since this will be counted and monitored (unlike Ecko's 756 poll), the poll limits 1 vote per IP address. Grant is part of the proud circle of Bay Area bloggers, so I'm asking for help on his behalf. Tell your friends, family, and co-workers who are Giants fans to check out mccoveychronicles.com and to go vote for Grant.

Take a quick moment to go to http://www.collegescholarships.org/blog/2007/10/08/vote-for-the-winner-of-the-2007-blogging-scholarship/
and vote for Grant Brisbee.

Good luck to Grant from the Front-Row!

Baron Davis vs Marco Belinelli

During the Las Vegas Summer League, Warriors fans became enamored with Marco Belinelli’s deadeye and lightning quick catch-and-shoot. Nellie echoed those feelings with public praises like “I’ve never seen anyone like him in the NBA” and “he’s gonna be special.” Even as a rookie, Il Tiratore has already caught on with Baron Davis during the team’s Hawaii training camp. Baron and Marco stage daily long bomb contests, shooting jumpers from 40 feet out and nailing them.


Too easy

Looking In from the Outside

Padres vs Rockies playoff game to determine the last playoff spot in the NL. Game tied 6-6.

[Update] Just wow. Rockies win a thriller, 9-8, scoring 3 runs off Trevor Hoffman in the bottom of the 13th. Wow. See you in Philadelphia.