UCLA LB Reggie Carter Ranks Pac-10 RBs

UCLA Linebacker Reggie Carter talked with ESPN's Ted Miller yesterday, and he ranked the top 5 tailbacks in the Pac-10. He ranked USC's Stafon Johnson 1st, above Cal RB and Heisman candidate Jahvid Best who he ranked second.

If this is truly what Reggie Carter thinks, I would question his football IQ. This is equivalent to not voting Tim Tebow as pre-season All-SEC. Not only is Best clearly better than Johnson, but if you look at the numbers that Best and Johnson each put up against ULCA's defense, you have to wonder if Carter was even paying attention during those games. Against UCLA, Best put up 115 yards on 17 carries, with one TD. Whereas Johnson managed just 47 yards on 16 attempts, and added a TD.

This is not a knock on Johnson, who averaged 5.1 yards per carry, but it is a knock on Carter.

This will do nothing but put a chip on Best's shoulder, and maybe get him chomping at the bit to put up huge numbers at UCLA this year.

Carter also ranked Stanford RB Toby Gerhart 4th on his list.

Giants Move to Keep Pace in NL Wild Card

The San Francisco Giants acquired Pittsburgh Pirates 2nd Baseman and All Star, Freddy Sanchez today in exchange for pitching prospect Tim Alderson. The move not only helped bolster a Giants team that has been carried mostly by their pitching and in sore need of some offense, but it also created one of the more awkward situations in the major leagues, as the trade was announced immediately following the game played between the two teams earlier today.

The move should help the Giants win the NL Wildcard and go to the playoffs.

Crabtree Holding Out

49ers 1st round draft pick (10th overall) Michael Crabtree is the only Niners rookie yet to sign a contract. Crabtree's agent wants top 5 pick money, while the Niners point out that he was not a top five pick, and no team traded up to get him, and the team does not want to shell out that kind of cash to a rookie wideout.

With training camp right around the corner, some people are worried that Crabtree won't be there for the start of it, however Head Coach Mike Singletary says that he is "not worried" about the ongoing negotiations.

Crabtree and his agent need to stop demading too much. The fact of the matter is, he was not a top five pick, and he did not participate in drills at the NFL Combine. While I believe that Crabtree can become one of the elite recievers in the league within the next four years, the rookie wideout has yet to prove himself, and his current holdout is not endearing himelf to fans such as myself.

Rose Bowl to take At-Large Teams

The BCS has announced that the Rose Bowl will now give teams from non-BCS conferences bids, if either the Pac-10 or Big Ten Champ goes to the national championship game. The Rose Bowl is required to take a "BCS Buster" if it loses one of it's traditional contenders to the BCS Championship Game.

First off: What does this mean for Bay Area teams?

It means that if USC wins the Pac-10 and goes on to the national championship game, Cal may once again not go to the Rose Bowl. The same would go if Stanford finishes second in the Conference of Champions (but, let's face it, the Cardinal are at least 2 years away from contending for a Pac-10 crown).

This is a terrible move by the BCS, and it damages not only Big Ten and the Pac-10, but it tarnishes the tradition of the Rose Bowl. Since it's inception, the Rose Bowl has pitted teams from (what are now) the BCS automatic qualifying conferences against eacother--usually a Big Ten-Pac-1o matchup. Allowing teams from even the SEC, ACC or Big East to play in the game would, to me, be a no-no. The Rose Bowl is the Grandaddy of them All.

I'm all for more acess to BCS games for non-BCS conference teams, but the Rose Bowl is off limits; it has too much tradition behind it, and I for one would not want that tradition to be changed. Once a BCS-buster team plays in the Rose Bowl, the Grandaddy will cease to be, replaced by another sell-out sponsored BCS bowl game like the "Fed-Ex Orange Bowl" or the "Allstate Sugar Bowl."

Until 1999 the Rose Bowl went without a sponsor, and even now it's The Rose Bowl presented by AT&T, and not the "AT&T Rose Bowl."

The BCS has made yet another bonehead move by forcing the Tournament of Roses to allow teams from the "lesser conferences" to play. Not only because it hurts the Pac-10's chances of getting a second BCS team, but because it destroys the tradition of the most traditional bowl game in existence.

Fan-Athlete Interaction: There Has to be a Better Way

Pac-10 Media Day is coming up on Thursday, and this year's media day will debut a new feature: twitter.

There's no question that social networking has changed how people across the nation (and spreading to the word) communicate with one another. This relatively recent phenomenon is now expanding to dip its fingers in not only person-to-person communication, but also as a vehicle for the media. Whether it's Dwight Howard starting a Facebook page, Shaq twittering during games, Ochocinco butting heads with the league over twittering, or worries about NCAA recruiting, social networking has caused quite a stir in the world of sports.

And where a stir occurs, the sportswriters will follow. In the past several months, a discussion has been quietly simmering about the state of social networking in sports. The verdict has been decidedly "wait and see." College athletic programs have done little but warn their athletes to use caution when putting information on the web. However, few warnings have been given out to coaches, who seem to be embracing the fad. USC's Pete Carrol is known for being an avid "tweeter', and Cal Head Coach Jeff Tedford also has a twitter page.

While twitter hosts real coaches, it has also spawned fans creating pages with names of coaches fakecoachwulff and fakecoachsark are two pages run by fans of the Pac-10 teams. Luckily these pages have the word "fake" in them. But how long until someone makes a page called "coachwulff," or "coachtedford" and claims to be the head coach's official page? How can twitter regulate what is posted?

In my opinion, this new openness that has come with social networking is bad. No athlete should be telling me what he had for breakfast on twitter, no college athletes should be making fools of themselves on facebook, coaches should not be advertising their programs online, and fans should definitely not be allowed to ask questions at media days.

Don't get me wrong, I think the idea of fan interaction is great. I myself have participated in moderated chats with athletes and coaches, and they do have value. But media days are off limits. Although the questions sent on twitter will be moderated as well, I feel that the individuals who are allowed to ask questions at media days have earned the right to do so through hard work as journalists. It is the job of those sportswriters to generate questions for coaches, players and conference administrators.

I understand that the twitter submission idea is a ploy to generate interest in the Pac-10 media day, but, honestly, they could come up with something better. For example, they could institute a Preseason All Pac-10 list the results of which would be released at the media day to stir up interest and get people talking about the conference and so on.

While social networking has been helpful to millions of people across the globe, it should steer clear of sports. No more high profile athletes announcing contract negotiations on twitter, no more college kids getting busted on facebook. The world of sports would benefit greatly if social networking sites would take two giant steps back from the world of sports. Give the old-fashioned press conferences and interviews some room to work. I'm all for fan interaction in sport, but there must be a better way.

Tedford Chat

Chat with Jeff Tedford on Tuesday, July 28 at 10:30am. If you miss it, the transcript will be posted as well.

Can Salaries be Compared?

An interesting perspective on what's below or above your pay grade at UC Berkeley.

Holliday in St. Louis

A's left fielder, Matt Holliday has been traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for 3rd baseman Brett Wallace (former #1 pick), outfielder Shane Peterson, and right handed pitcher Clayton Mortensen. The Athletics will also throw in approximately $1.5 million.

Rickey Henderson to be Honored

Rickey Henderson will have his incredible career honored today at 1:30 pm ET in Cooperstown where he will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The former Oakland Athletic played for several teams throughout his record setting career, and is probably the best lead-off man to ever play the game.

The A's will honor Henderson's time spent with the ball club as they retire his jersey on August 1st.

By all accounts, Henderson was not only a great ball player, but a great human being.

Holliday Shopping in July?

It's no secret that A's slugger and left fielder Matt Holliday will probably be spending his holidays somewhere other than Oakland.

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the St. Louis Cardinals are Holliday's most likely destination, in exchange for some infield prospects with huge upside. The Athletics would probably have to toss in some cash considerations to make the deal happen.

Holliday has been hitting .286 with a slugging percentage of .452 and an OBP of .378. The A's outfielder has driven in 54 runs, and hit 11 balls out of the park.

In any case, if the trade were to go down, it would happen within the next 72 hours.

Sanchez Shown Up

Today, White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle pitched a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays, upstaging Jonathan Sanchez's no-no performance against the San Diego Padres.

Obama is happy.

A Quck Look Back

ESPN NFC West Blogger Mike Sando looks back on 2008 draft picks in the division. 49ers players listed:

Best Value: WR Josh Morgan
Most to Prove: DE Kentwan Balmer

The blog entry also lists the projected starters from the draft class, as well as which player is on the "hot seat" and which player to "keep an eye on".

Check it out here.

Young Warriors Shine in the Summer

Warriors Head Coach, Don Nelson has historically cringed at the idea of playing young players, especially rookies. There were always the exceptions--Chris Webber being one (but how did that work out again...?). In recent years with the Warriors, Nelly has had some success with what is perennially the league's youngest team, and this year figures to be no different. By all accounts, first round draft pick (7th overall) Stephen Curry flourished during at the Summer League, and "sophomore" Anthony Randolph tied a Summer League record with 42 points. Randolph has also been added to the Team USA minicamp roster.

Here's to hoping that the rising summer stars won't dim during the fall and winter.

Old Rivalry Makes Must Watch List

While both Stanford and Notre Dame have struggled in recent years, ESPNU's Lowell Galindo has this years duel ranked number 5 on his list.

My first reaction was puzzlement, but after thinking about it, I began to come around to the idea. Charlie Weiss is coaching for his job. It's pretty much BCS or bust for him, and this year Jim Harbaugh is looking to lead the Cardinal to a bowl game. The fact that this game comes late in the season is what really pushes the intrigue over the top. The Fighting Irish may be fighting for a BCS bowl berth while the Cardinal may be one game away from bowl elegibility.

I was dissapointed that the Cal-USC matchup was not on his list. The game will decide who controls their own destiny in the Pac-10.

Picks, Picks, Picks: Pac-10 Football

We will be starting a segment known as "Picks, Picks, Picks" where we each pick something on one topic.

Today we will make our picks for the Pac-10 standings.

1. University of Southern California. This is most vulnerable the Trojans have been in years, with major turnover at key positions, both on the field and in the coaching staff. The perennial powers are reloading on defense, and have little experience at the quarterback position. However, their offensive line returns intact, and so does their stable of running backs. It is also hard to imagine Pete Carrol losing the Pac-10 crown, but the Trojans do play most of their big conference games on the road (at both Cal and Oregon).

2. California. The Bears return the nation's best running back, Heisman candidate, Jahvid Best, who will be spelled by the equally capable Shane Vereen. The loss of All-Everything Center Alex Mack, and three stellar linebackers will hurt the Bears, but Defensive coordinator has a front 3 that returns intact in addition to a full returning secondary. The big issue for Cal is at quarterback. Last season Nate Longshore and Kevin Riley split time, and the QB play was inconsistent at best. With Longshore out of the way, can Riley and Head Coach Jeff Tedford upset the Trojans and go to their first Rose Bowl in 50 years?

3. Oregon. The Ducks do have a new Head Coach in Chip Kelly, who was the Offensive coordinator behind Mike Belloti who has moved on to become Oregon's Athletic Director. The Ducks return running back LaGarret Blount and quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, and figure to have the same firepower on offense as last year despite the loss of 2nd round draft pick, Max Unger. The biggest question marks are on the defensive side of the ball, where the secondary looks thin, among other things. Oregon does have a favorable conference schedule, hosting both Cal and USC.

4. Stanford. I'm picking Stanford here because the Cardinal have an absolutely stellar coach in Jim Harbaugh, and a great young quarterback (by all accounts) in Andrew Luck. With a little luck, the Cardinal can take some of the pressure off Luck with their running game, which returns Toby Gerhart. However, Cardinal have yet to prove themselves on defense. This is a bit of a stretch pick, but the Cardinal can finish in the top 4 if their denfense steps up and they win a couple of games on the road.

5. Arizona. This year the 'Cats return most of their starters from a team that went to a bowl game last year. Mike Stoops will have to find a replacement for Willie Tuitama, who ran the Wildcats' Air Raid passing attack so well. Whoever steps in at quarterback will have Rob Gronkowski (probably the best tight end in the nation) to help him out, in addition to a backfield that returns intact. Arizona is plenty experienced on defense, however a tough road schedule cold be the 'Cats achllies heel this year.

6. Oregon State. The Beavers return both Jaquizz and James Rodgers, two of the Pac-10's best playmakers. Lyle Moevao, who is the Pac-10's leading returning passer will have to compete against Sean Canfield for the starting job, and the Beavers have some questions to answer on defense. Mike Riley's teams are notorious for starting late, and this year they may not be able to make up that ground.

7. UCLA. This is a bit of pessimistic pick at 7 for UCLA. 2nd year Head Coach Rick Neuheisel will have a strong defense, but the Bruins are still looking for answers on offense, particularly at quarterback.

8. Arizona State. Again, this is probably lower than the Sun Devils deserve, but Dennis Erickson will have a difficult time getting his program back on track. Arizona State has major questions at quarterback, but could easily finish much higher.

9. Washington. New Head Coach Steve Sarkisian and his touted coaching staff should have the Huskies back on their feet within the next few years, and has been recruiting excellently. However this year they will be as bad as ever, with no more than 2 conference wins.

10. Washington State. The Cougs are still a long way off from having any success. Head Coach Paul Wuff is trying to rebuild a program that has recently fallen in the BCS trashcan. After a 2-11 season with their only win coming against Washington in the Apple Cup (affectionately known now as the crapple cup), Washington State can expect no more than 2 conference wins this year, if they are lucky.

College Football Tickets Are On Sale

College Football Tickets have been on sale for a while, but I'm going to review each Bay Area team's commercial.

Starting with Stanford's. To be frank. It sucks. Stanford fans should hope that their team is better than their commercial. And what's with the ending. "We Work"? Come on. That is terrible, especially in this economy. Stanford does have some good recruits, and their team will continue to get better. Let's hope their commercials do too.

Cal's is much better. Their marketing team has really gotten a grasp of what's "in" nowadays. Cal fans can hope that their Bears will live up to the preseason hype. Jahvid Best returns and is one of this year's Heisman hopefuls. Oh, and as a side note: there are only 4000 tickets left for Cal's showdown with USC in October. That should give you a feeling of the buzz going on around Berkeley this season.

A's bats are finally hitting. Here to stay?

For most of the 2009 MLB season, the A's offense has been struggling. Fans attending games, or watching them on TV have yet to see their team's off season moves (most notably aquiring Matt Holiday and Jason Giambi) bear fruit. Sure Giambi hit his 400th home run, but aside from that, A's baseball has featured few fireworks and it doesn't help McAfee Coliseum is one of the worst hitter's parks in the bigs.

The Athletics were counting on an improved offense to bolster a young pitching staff, and for the first half of the season the offense fell well short as the A's posted a 37-50 record prior to the All-Star break, and are currently 14.5 games back of first place in the AL West.

However, in the past several games against the Minnesota Twins, the A's have finally seemed to dial in on pitchers, beating the Twins in comeback fashion 14-13 on Monday, and following that performace with a 16-1 shellacking of those same Minnesota Twins today.

Question is: Can the A's bats stay hot?

Where does the Cardinal Stand?

ESPN's Pac-10 Football Blogger, Ted Miller explores how the middle of the conference will shake out. In my opinion, the Big Game should be much better this year, and in years to come.