Thursday, September 29, 2011

San Francisco 49ers Vs. Philadelphia Eagles Preview & Predictions

A week or so ago, no one really cared about this game. The Eagles were going to roll over the 49ers without a problem.

Now with Michael Vick's hand, and the 49ers playing moderately well, this just became a game.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

San Jose Sharks: Third & Fourth Lines Coming Into Focus

Just piggy-backing on what David Pollak released in his Working the Corners blog the other day. It looks like we may have our first glimpse into what coach Todd McLellan may be thinking as his third and fourth lines.

Parts were expected, but there may be one or two players on the final two lines that may have surprised some.

The surprise: Tommy Wingels.

5 Most Important Players For the San Jose Sharks This Upcoming Season

The 2011-12 season is an extremely important one for not only the players on the roster but the entire franchise as a whole. Time is ticking on this team, the talent on it and the front office that have made all the right moves but have nothing to show for it.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Jim Harbaugh Learning As the San Francisco 49ers Get Ugly Win Over Cincinnati Bengals

It wasn't pretty, and it may have been one of the worst games on the Week 3 schedule, but the San Francisco 49ers managed to ugly the Bengals to death on Sunday in Cincinnati.

The 49ers are now 2-1 and atop the NFC West by themselves.

No sharing.

Friday, September 23, 2011

San Francisco 49ers Vs. Cincinnati Bengals Preview & Predictions

The San Francisco 49ers will be playing their first away game of the season on Sunday, after being blessed with two home games to start.

The Bengals, on the other hand, will be playing their first home game of the season, after a win at Cleveland and a loss last week to the Broncos.

Fans in Cincinnati will be excited for this one, as they will be getting their first home glimpse of rookies

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

3 Reasons the San Jose Sharks Can Win It All This Season

Every year you hear it. This is the year the San Jose Sharks will win the Stanley Cup.

Do not feel bad, though. Die-hard fans not only say it, but so do actual NHL experts, and they're paid to make those knowledgeable predictions.

Alas, the Sharks have zero Stanley Cup victories and zero Stanley Cup appearances.

But THIS is the year, right?

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Despite Tough Loss, the San Francisco 49ers Are Playing With A New Winning Mentality

No more Mike Nolan, no more Dennis Erickson, no more Mike Singletary. Despite the tough loss in Week 2, Jim Harbaugh's San Francisco 49ers are legitimate contenders no matter how you slice it up.

For the second straight week, the 49ers played simple and basic football to the absolute tee, and it almost worked in Week 2 against a Dallas Cowboys team stocked with weapons both offensively and defensively.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

No Dilemma On San Jose Sharks' Defense

If you told San Jose Sharks' coach Todd McLellan after last season that not only would he have one of the best defenses in the NHL going into next season, but that he would have too many good blueliners, he probably would not have believed you.

CSN's Brodie Brazil wrote an article the other day on how the Sharks now have somewhat of a problem on their hands with owning too many equally-talented players on defense.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

San Francisco Giants: What If There Was a Second Wild Card Spot?

The President of the San Francisco Giants, Larry Baer, came on KNBR 680 AM the other day and joked about how he hopes MLB Commissioner Bud Selig would create a second wild card spot before the current season ends.

First of all, it was weird to hear the president of a ball club pretty much publicly state that his team has close to zero chance of making the playoffs with a few weeks left. However, that is what kind of honest upper management the Giants have, and i would not have it any other way. Tell it to me straight.

Monday, September 12, 2011

San Francisco 49ers: Alex Smith Looking Composed in Jim Harbaugh's Offense

The San Francisco 49ers' win at home against the Seattle Seahawks did not blow anyone's mind on Sunday. However, it did give fans a reason for some hope this season.

A first-year head coach, desperate quarterback and one-time disgruntled running back and wide receiver turned into a 33-17 win in Week 1 of the NFL season.

Who knew?

The biggest jolt of Week 1 was the composure of Alex Smith, who went 15 of 20 for 124 yards. The biggest stat, though, was the fact Smith had zero turnovers -- a rarity in 49er Land.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

San Francisco 49ers: Ted Ginn and the Defense Come Out To Play In Week 1 Win

It was a tale of four different quarters for the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. But in whatever unorthodox way the 49ers did it, it do not matter, as they defeated the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1.

Like I said, it was tale of four different quarters for this team. The first quarter started with a rough first defensive drive and ended with a 49er fumble and recovery in Seattle territory.

The second quarter was centered around the third down play, which the 49ers could by no means execute. That lack of execution led to four trips

Thursday, September 8, 2011

San Jose Sharks: Training Camp Starts September 17; Kyle Wellwood Still On the Market

San Jose Sharks training camp starts at Sharks Ice in nine days, and yet the current roster seems incomplete. Maybe it is wishful thinking, but it still feels that the Sharks are one player away from being complete as a team.

The position that needs to be filled is a third or fourth line player, preferably a winger. Currently, San Jose will start the season with Torrey Mitchell, Michal Handzus and Jamie McGinn on the third line, and any combination of Andrew Murray, James Sheppard, Andrew Desjardins and Benn Ferriero on the fourth line.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Former Top Prospect Angel Villalona Rejoins San Francisco Giants' Organization

The San Francisco Giants' organization, as a whole, caught a break on Friday when they received word that talented prospect Angel Villalona would rejoin the ballclub.

Villalona had been charged with murder in his native Dominican Republic in 2009. The charges were dismissed earlier this summer.

Friday, September 2, 2011

When It Comes to Playoff-Like Baseball, the San Francisco Giants Are the Elite

Orange rags were swinging and playoff baseball was in the air at AT&T Park on Friday night.

Maybe it was the orange jerseys, orange rags waving or the sell-out crowd living and dying with every pitch thrown, but the crowd knew and both teams knew it -- this was a game with meaning.

Suddenly, the Giants of 2011 were the Giants of 2010. Cody Ross hit a home run and made a diving catch, Aubrey Huff was playing first base, Mark DeRosa was the first one on the dugout step, a misfit like Jeff Keppinger had an RBI double and manager Bruce Bochy was making moves -- and they were working.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

San Jose Sharks: Should Todd McLellan's Coaching Seat Be Getting Warm?

Many teams around the NHL are looking at this headline with pure amusement right now, but we'll address it nonetheless. The San Jose Sharks have been at such a high level for so long that they deserve to be called one of the elite franchises in this and any other sport, yet the ultimate prize that is the Stanley Cup has forever escaped them.

Zero Stanley Cups and zero Stanley Cup Finals appearances will lead to the coaching situation discussion getting a little hotter if San Jose does not sniff the Cup this season. As for Todd McLellan, any