It's Not Over Yet, But the San Francisco Giants are in a Race Against Time

I had written an article a week or so ago saying that the Giants' playoff push starts on September 1. I said that because of the fact that San Francisco's injury woes would, in a way, be replaced by a new set of players from the 40-man roster.

Darren Ford would be called up, as would Brandon Crawford and many others who could fill the void for the list of DL casualties this season.

Problem solved?

San Jose Sharks: 5 Players That Could Surprise in 2011-12

It is almost that time of the year again. With training camp set to drop the puck on Saturday, September 17, many are excited to see what this new-look San Jose team has to offer.

Maybe "new-look" is a bad term. The team still has the same core of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Dan Boyle. They even have the same young stars like Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture.

However, the average Sharks fan may not know who the rest of the supporting players on the roster are, with all the moves that have happened this offseason.

A Disgruntled Frank Gore Is A Weary San Francisco 49ers' Offense

San Francisco 49ers' running back Frank Gore did not play Saturday night against the Houston Texans at Candlestick Park.

Instead, he stood dressed on the sidelines with a bit of a disgruntled look on his face.

It needs to be understood that Gore's mean-looking mug is just the way he was made, so maybe there was nothing wrong. However, the 49ers' offense did look flightless on Saturday night, which is why the talks of Gore's contract must be a top priority in Niner Land.

San Jose Sharks' Focus Should Be On Antti Niemi and the Third, Fourth Lines

There is no hiding the fact that the San Jose Sharks were busy this offseason. The dealings between San Jose and the newly befriended Minnesota Wild have been well-documented, as have both teams' chances at their respective runs in the playoffs next season.

For the Sharks, they needed to address two problems they encountered last season: Speed and defense.

San Francisco Giants' Baseball Is Torture, But Not the Good Kind

Losing is contagious.

You know how I know?

The defending World Series champions, and a team in the middle of a competitive playoff race, are in danger of being swept by the worst team in baseball.

Do you cringe when you watch Giants baseball these days? How about turn away from the television once the opposing team scores over three runs?

You're not alone.

September 1 Marks the Start of the San Francisco Giants' Playoff Push

Forget about the injuries, forget about the Arizona Diamondbacks, forget even about the fact that the Giants are 2.5 games back in the NL West. The playoff push is not even close to starting yet.

The Giants are a mess. It think we will all agree to that. A few late-inning throw-aways, slew of injuries and the surging Diamondbacks prove that.

Still, San Francisco remains just 2.5 games back after all that with a whole lot of baseball yet to be played.

San Jose Sharks: Moves They Still Need To Make Before the Season Starts

The San Jose Sharks have made a flurry of moves this past offseason. They have really changed the dynamic of this team and kept them in contention for the next several years.

To recap: The Sharks traded Devin Setoguchi and Dany Heatley to the Minnesota Wild for Brent Burns and Martin Havlat in two separate deals. Also, San Jose acquired Jim Vandermeer and Colin White to help bolster the defense, and they acquired Andrew Murray, James Sheppard and Michal Handzus to fill the open spaces in the third and fourth lines.

However, what the Sharks currently lack is depth.