One Week Later

Last week at this time, people were talking about Stanford possibly going to the Rose Bowl and the 49ers challenging for the top of the NFC.  One week later, there are concerns about whether Stanford can go to any bowl at all and whether the 49ers can reach .500.  It was a humbling weekend of football for both teams.  They were riding high on waves of praise and rising expectations and then knocked back down to reality.  Stanford has a really tough stretch of teams to face at the end of their schedule (Oregon, USC, Cal, Notre Dame), so they

Hopeless Warriors

Preseason is a time for hope and optimism.  Every team is undefeated.  The possibilities are endless.  Look at the Sharks.  The last time we saw this team, they were in shambles after yet another playoff disappointment.  But now, dreams of a Stanley Cup are alive again.  For most teams, preseason is a time to dream.  Unless the team is the Golden State Warriors.  If the team is the Warriors, the nightmare begins immediately.  Already, there has been grumbling from Stephen Jackson and Monta Ellis.  This was before a single practice was held.  Could a

Pennant Race

It’s September 1 and the San Francisco Giants are tied for the wild-card lead.  Could you ask for anything more?  Especially since a week ago, the team looked like they were on their way out?  Don’t get me wrong, I’m still an A’s fan first and foremost, but since they are completely out of the playoff picture (and have been for a long time), it’s nice to have another Bay Area team still playing meaningful games.  And they couldn’t have been more meaningful than last weekend’s series against the Rockies.  It’s awesome how Lincecum delivers under heavy expectations so often.  Barry Zito is the best Giants pitcher since the All Star break?  Who would have guessed, especially since

Annual Conflict

This is happening for the second straight year?  Last year, I chose school over football.  Should I do so again this year?  This coming Monday, Colin’s back-to-school night and my fantasy football draft are both happening in the same evening again.  Last year, I skipped the draft completely, forcing me to drop a bunch of players from my roster pretty much the next day.  I have no idea what algorithm Yahoo was using to draft me a bunch of defensive players last year that were completely useless.  That poor draft doomed my team from the start, making me miss the playoffs.  I fear the same might happen again this year if I let the team be drafted automatically again.  Last year, the choice between

No Crabtree, No Problem

I was elated when the 49ers picked Crabtree with their first pick in the draft.  To me, it was good fortune that helped the team land Crabtree, a sign that things really were turning around.  And yet, the fact that Crabtree is unsigned and not in camp is not bothering me one bit.  Of course, I’d rather he be practicing with the team and getting ready to make a positive impact, but it seems like no big deal that he hasn’t signed.  Maybe I’m just biased against rookie wide receivers and am skeptical of how big an impact they can really make.  I’m not really take any sides in the negotiations.  Football careers are short, so I have no problem with Crabtree trying to get as large a contract as he can get.  And I have no problem with