The San Francisco Giants are in the midst of their season-opening series against the San Diego Padres. And so far, it looks as if they're executing the old tried and true formula of "Get'em On, Get'em Over and Get'em In" perfectly. In other words, the hitting is there, and runners are being driven in at a high rate. Higher than what we saw much of last season anyway.
I know it's just opening-weekend baseball, but seeing the Giants put runs on the board right out the gate gives promise to a magical season ahead. Even in their 4-6 opening day loss, the Giants matched the Padres in hits. Games 1, 2, and 3 saw the Giants with 9, 13, and 9 hits.
Granted, the Padres have swung the bat decently against our pitchers, but with their big money line-up its expected. Speaking of pitching, the Giants seem to have a lot to work with. Giants' pitchers have the stuff to compete. The 2024 NL West, with last year's NL champion D'Backs and Ohtani's Dodgers, is gonna be a blast.
Today is game 4 of the Giants-Padres series. And win, lose, or tie, I'm very satisfied with the upgrades and additions I see so far on the Giants, including new manager Bob Melvin. You gotta have a manager who knows when to hold'em and when to fold'em. So far, Bob's 'Kenny Rogers act' is looking good. Because it's all really just a gamble, "when the dealing done!"
Thank You Renel for being the wonderful voice of our San Francisco Giants at the Ballpark these past 24 seasons. You helped educate me on what it means to adjust and welcome change in sports. I love baseball, I love the SF Giants, and I love the fact that women like yourself have pioneered in a new, inclusive era of sports.
I once wrote about memories of watching NFL Football sportscasters Phylis George and Jayne Kennedy paving the way in a field exclusively occupied by men up to that time. Both proved beautiful and bright, delivering Sunday football sportscast with style and substance. What you brought to Giants baseball Renell was a fresh, upbeat sound to go along with a fresh, spanking new, state-of-the-art ballpark.
You showed up with the Giants only a few years removed from old, decrepit Candlestick Park. We fans remembering the old "Stick" were still pinching ourselves to see if it was all just a dream. Then came three golden years of winning baseball, along with your winning, upbeat voice introducing our beloved players. You celebrated then suffered along with us fans through that horrible 2002 World Series heartbreak. But it would be a heartbreak which made what was to come in 2010, 2012, and 2014 that much more Jubilant.
I could now say without hesitation Renel, your voice welcoming my return back to the ballpark each season was like family welcoming home a prodigal son. Football and Basketball seasons gave much sinful excitement during the fall/winter off-season. But there's nothing like returning to a venue as accommodating and familiar as your home baseball park come opening day. With the Public Announcer giving warm greetings, excited about having you and baseball back for another season.
And so, I thank you Renel Brooks-Moon for making our Giants Baseball Park (Pac Bell, SBC, AT&T, Oracle) a place of community, camaraderie, and good sportsmanship. A place where upon returning you realize how much you've missed it all. And how much of your heart stays behind each time you leave it behind. Home truly is where the heart is, when you care about home and home cares about you. Thanks for caring so much for so long!
Best to you Renel
Always a Giant
[Verse 1]
The loveliness of Paris seems somehow sadly gay
The glory that was Rome is of another day
I've been terribly alone and forgotten in Manhattan
I'm going home to my city by the Bay
[Verse 2]
I left my heart in San Francisco
High on a hill, it calls to me
To be where little cable cars, climb halfway to the stars
Why watch 76ers vs Mavericks this Sunday morning when Iowa Hawkeyes and Caitlin Clark are running the court. After hearing of all the "hoopla" surrounding Caitlin, I had to finally get a look-see for myself. Just so happens the game this morning, still in progress, features Caitlin surpassing "Pistol" Pete Maravich for most points scored by a Division I basketball player, men's or women's.
Both teams shoot the long ball very well, but when you add in the style and grace of Caitlin's shooting, along with Iowa's team chemistry on offense and defense, it's no wonder they've led majority of the game. Once I saw Caitlin's step back three-point shot, I was convinced she is deserving of all the "Hoopla." She is a stone cold, sharpshooting basketball assassin. Sound familiar?
So now I know who "Ponytail Pete" refers to, and I'm sure the late, great Pete Maravich would be proud to have such a talented and inspiring basketball player break his collegiate record. She's broken not just Pete's record, but all sorts of collegiate basketball records throughout her young career.
Ohio State 69 Iowa 82: 6:26 4th QTR.
Looks like Caitlin will continue to be the talk of basketball throughout the rest of the 2024 collegiate and professional seasons. What a leadup to the NCAA postseason that is March Madness. These two teams will likely meet again in their upcoming Big Ten Conference Tournament which runs March 6-10, 2024.
The thought of a leader of any nuclear armed country suffering from dementia is alarming. Forget the calls of “lock him up” for crimes against his country. There should be rallying cries of “get him treatment” for a debilitating cognitive disorder we have watched get progressively worse over the years. A serious professional mental health assessment (MHA) is in order.
In the midst of writing this post my alarm went off signaling to move the car for morning street cleaning. I immediately saved my posting, bounced up out of my seat with the vigor of a twenty-year old, ran to the hallway and commenced putting on my beanie hat to brave the cool winter winds of February in San Francisco. Mind you I turned sixty-one my last birthday.
Upon seeing my coat hanging, yet before reaching for it, something felt out-of-kilter to me. Where the brain fails, intuition of habitreminds. As I hurriedly looked down to pick up my shoes the sad realization of a cognitive failure hit me. I was standing at my coat & shoe rack with my beanie on, in a tee-shirt, in my underwear. The thought of, "I never put my hat on first when dressing," hit me like a ton of bricks. Another look, down at my bare feet and briefs, brought first terror then complete laughter to my morning.
So perhaps the moral to this blogpost is from an old quote, "people living in glasshouses shouldn't throw stones." But then again dear reader, I am not running for a government office that puts my finger on the launch button for nuclear weapons of mass destruction. I'm just a sometimes forgetful 61-year-old senior blogging in his underwear, and not potentially standing on the White House lawn looking down at bare feet and briefs.
The good doctor John Gartner in the video above thankfully distinguishes between normal aging forgetfulness and a cognitive disorder from brain injury/aging called Phonemic Paraphasia. Based on the doctor's explanation my mental lapse is normal for my age. I've been given a reprieve, for now.
Oops! there's goes my afternoon alarm reminder of a luncheon appointment today. Slowly I Turn!
San Francisco Giants Fans should be proud of restaurant owner in Brooklyn hanging this "Choking Victim" warning sign in his establishment. He's a native San Franciscan who's in step with all SF Giants fans; he just can't stand the frick'in dodgers.
An article today on SFGATE.com gives the full story about the restaurant owner, the sign, the dodgers fan horror on social media, the rivalry. My take on it is if you can't handle the truth stay out of the restaurant.
And just in case some Dodgers fans think the Kershaw criticism of choking in the playoffs is "fake news," here's a bit of footage for your lying eyes:
I share this with my Christian Right fellows and others who choose to follow and support an unchristian-like political cult in these United States of America of 2024. Just a reminder of what may have once been a "firm anchor" in your lives. A reminder that it can be reattached to a drifting boat through faith.
In
Conversation with God
Francis Fernandez
Pg.335
55.2 Christ
is the firm anchor on whom we should rely.
When the
Apostles heard Jesus, they were filled with peace. Then Peter shouted out a
daring andcourageous request:
Lord, if it
is You, then command that I go out to You on the water.
The Master,
who was still a few yards from the boat, answered:
Come.
Peter had
much faith, and gave up the security of the boat out of confidence in Jesus’
words. Leaving the boat, he began to walk on the water towards Jesus. They were
impressive moments. Moments of firmness and love.
Then Peter
stopped looking at Jesus and began to notice the difficulties around him.
Seeing that the wind was so strong, he became fearful. He forgot for a moment
that the strength holding him up on the water did not depend on the
circumstances, but on the Will of the Lord, who rules over heaven and earth,
life and death, all nature, the winds and the sea . . . Peter began to sink,
not because of the waves but because his confidence in him who can do all
things wavered. He cried out to Jesus:
Lord save me!
Jesus
immediately extended his hand, held him up and said:
Man of
little faith, why have you doubted?
In moments
of weakness or tiredness, when we see ourselves sinking, we should look to
Jesus’ firm hand to steady ourselves. In our prayer we can cry out to him:
Lord save
me!
Sometimes
the Christians may stop looking at Christ and pay more attention to things that
separate him from God. These things may endanger his faith and lead him to sink down if he does not react promptly.
From the moment one begins to lose the
clarity of his faith or the vocation received from God, he should make a
sincere examination of conscience. He will not fail to see that – perhaps for
some time- his life of piety has been a
bit lax, his prayer less frequent or more distracted, he has been less
demanding on himself. Is not a sin all the more detrimental when its seriousness
is deliberately hidden from the sinner?
Surely, he
does not struggle against his passions as before, and may even complacently
consent to some. A feeling of resentment towards another that is allowed to
fester, a lack of honesty in certain questions that interest us, a friendship
that is too absorbing or simply the awakening of baser instincts that are not
rejected with vigor: little else is needed to raise up clouds between ourselves
and God. Thus, the light of faith becomes darkened.
Kendric Davis could and should be called up to give the Golden State Warriors a fresh look. He's been amazing in the G-League and just seems to have a feel for the game. Named G-League player of the week January 30th, the crafty shooting guard has inside and outside game. My only concern is his size. He's listed at 5'11, 180 lbs., but the eye-test makes that measurement suspect. Though, these days who can trust their own eyes when we are told by puppet politicians an insurrection was no more than a peaceful Capitol Building sightseeing tour. But I digress.
Bottom Line, I know the Warriors need size to defend opponents, but why not take a shot at unleashing what I see as an upcoming Mighty Mouse the likes of past little men phenoms (Monta Ellis 6'3 he's not.) You can't teach size, but you also can't teach speed and quickness. I believe Davis has the quickness, accuracy, and smarts to help the Warriors contend down the stretch. If you can't slow down a bigger opponent, why not just run them off the court with overwhelming ball movement and scoring quickness of past Championship Warriors fame.
Youth brings athleticism, quickness, and hustle. Davis brings all that and much more. Let Mighty Mouse step in for Chris Paul and see if his G-league success carries over to the big league. Come'on Steve Kerr, make that call and see if you possibly have a missing puzzle piece lying under the table. If it fits and the Warriors make the playoffs, who knows!
Former President Donald Trump and the Trump Organizationmust pay $354 million in fines — a total that jumps to $453.5 million when pre-judgment interest is factored in — a judge ruled Friday in their New York civil fraud case. The long-awaited ruling also bars them from seeking loans from financial institutions in New York for a period of three years, and includes a three-year ban on Trump serving as an officer or director of any New York corporation.
Judge Arthur Engoron handed down his judgment in a 92-page decision on Friday. The ruling is one of the largest corporate sanctions in New York history. Trump has vowed to appeal. Cont'd. . .
Meanwhile, Donald Trump is launching a new sneaker, adding to his other branded products. The $399 golden colored high-tops are targeted at Americans sold on his grifter's sales pitch of "making America great again." The old saying "a fool and his money are soon parted" is befitting those plucking down monies for what one Instagram user described as "the ugliest shoes I've ever seen."
Expect to see the grifter's congressional sycophants sporting these ugly golden colored high-tops soon. Anything to please their wannabe dictator whose getting knocked down and kicked around in his U.S. Court Cases.
It has been two weeks leading up to the 2024 NFL Super Bowl Game. Two weeks full of back and forth, up and down, common and uncommon takes on how the game will transpire and who will come out victorious. It has been a most grueling and anxiety-filled two weeks for fans of the teams who will face each other, the San Francisco 49ers and defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. These fortunate fans get the ecstasy of getting to the mountaintop, as well as the envy of those whose teams were close but came up short. Their team has a chance to Win it All!
But where ecstasy sprouts, agony also looms. What if their team falters. What if questions and doubts replace all the anticipation of championship parades and new championship sporting gear. What if all the hype and adulation fans have heard ascribed to their team leading up to the "Big Show" was for naught. What If Your Team Loses!
Major Championship Sporting Events are what classical music compositions are written to be, combative yet harmonious. Fans are witness to a battle of human strengths and emotions as competitor's struggle to tame and overcome challenging circumstances. And all the while trying to keep their gameplan composure and poise. It is a battle of the "Will to Win." And may this Sunday's championship football competition bring out the best in all participants, "Win, Lose, or . . .
May there be a glorious victory, and a glorious death.
And may those who witness it recognize and appreciate the skill and dedication of players and coaches putting their heart and soul into competing to be the best at what they do.
The Raiders Family is mourning the loss of Carl Weathers,
who passed away Thursday. Weathers played two seasons with the Silver and Black
before embarking on a successful acting career that spanned five decades,
famously depicting boxer Apollo Creed in the Rocky franchise among many other
unforgettable roles. Always a proud Raider, Weathers will be missed dearly by
his Raiders Family and his many fans worldwide. Our deepest condolences are
with the Weathers family at this time.
Before Carl became Apollo Creed in Rocky, George Dillon in
Predator, Action Jackson, Chubbs Peterson in Happy Gilmore, Combat Carl in The
Toy Story series or Greef Karga in The Mandalorian, Carl was a defensive end
for San Diego State from 1968-69 where he lettered and helped the Aztecs go
11-0 enroute to winning the Pasadena Bowl in 1969. He went undrafted in 1970
but was picked up via free agency by the Oakland Raiders.
Carl played in 8 games for the Raiders before he was
released in 1971. He then made it to the CFL’ BC Lions in 1971 where he played
in 18 games before he left the sport after the 1973 season to pursue a career
in acting. The rest is history as he starred in movies and television ever
since.
For those of us who still find fun and entertainment through radio hosted media, KGO's Mark Thompson Show features a segment that highlights some of the funniest, freaky news coming out of that fabulous state known as Florida. The state that looks like an inflamedhemorrhoid hanging out the butt of our country. Yes, that Florida!
Here in California, we have the city of Los Angeles, where the extraordinary is seen as just an ordinary daily occurrence. Things like: celebrities behaving badly,7-Eleven store crime sprees, high speed police chases (chopper footage). What Los Angeles does not have are news stories involving alligators, police pursuit of suspects riding getaway lawnmowers, drunk cops in uniform behaving badly, iguanas in toilets,swamp rescues, and of course the classic body found in a freezer investigation.
Florida has it all, and more. Los Angeles might have legendary amusement parks, but Florida has legendary amusement parks where nearby homicide investigations, 'right down from the Whole Foods,' might involve amusement park employees smoking crack, in a cheap motel room, while still dressed in costume. 'Ho White and the Seven Dwarfs' never looked so sleazy.
Welcome to 'Friday Fabulous Florida,' where news and happenings are of the bizarre and insane, compared to most states. And you wonder, is it the weather? the politics? perhaps something in the water (besides alligators) has citizens of this so-called 'peninsula paradise' performing reality tv scenes. They make Hollywood crime productions look like fake news. And the catch to it all is many of the perpetrators and victims could qualify as 'Darwin Awards' candidates.
But we must give the 'Gunshine State' praise for its diversity. The folks featured in 'Friday Fabulous Florida' segments come in all shapes, sizes, colors, ages, genders, and backgrounds. No one group or type of individuals are targeted. Yet, all have that one noticeable distinction linking their bizarre actions ---- it happened in Fabulous Florida!
In the weeks to come there will be firings and hirings throughout the National Football League. Tis the season. The Raiders organization is not immune to these player and coach transactions. But before any change is gonna come to our beloved Silver & Black, I personally would like to thank Head Coach Antonio Pierce. He was the most valuable person in the Raiders locker room this season.
MVP
Coach Pierce not only lit a fire under the players, but he also stoked fans, front office, and even owner Mark Davis himself. Raiders football since coach Pierce took over the helm has been electrifying on the field, in the stands, in living rooms and bars, anywhere Raider Nation had a presence. Pride was restored to an organization that hasn't been relevant in the NFL on a consistent basis since losing the Superbowl in 2003.
Coach Pierce has definitely recharged my Silver & Black fandom. Our team is playing with Pride, Poise, Commitment to Excellence, and all those mottos that came to define their glory years. Antonio Pierce simply reminded the entire Silver & Black universe of who we are and what we need to be to return to championship glory.
If you love football and the Raiders, you gotta love coach Pierce, win, lose or tie. Because regardless of our win/loss record, we know coach is gonna instill that "will-to-win" attitude in players come game day. And unlike many of the teams we've seen don silver and black colors since 2003, this one actually showed Poise.
The Raiders had back-to-back games with no penalties this season under Antonio Pierce. That's "Zero" penalties over eight straight NFL quarters. I heard "Your Boy Q" on his Podcast: Locked on Raiders, mention this, and I thought that can't be. But yes Raider Nation, back-to-back games with no penalties for an organization known for being on the bad end of thrown yellow flags. They're only the seventh team since 1960, third since 2000, to achieve this amazing feat.
I hope and pray for the return of Antonio Pierce to the Raiders as head coach. What my eyes saw, and my heart felt watching the Raiders during his watch was Raiders Football. It's why I pledged loyalty way back in 1995 upon their return to Oakland. It's why I've stuck with them over the course of mostly losing seasons, hoping and praying that this would be the season they turn it all around. It's why I still wear silver and black in Da' Bay, although the team left after 2019. I want to see the Raiders back on top the pro football world of sports and I believe coach Pierce has that "something, something," to get us there.
Well, here we are in January 2024, home for the playoffs once again. But the difference this offseason is the Will-to-Win Fire Burning Brighter than ever throughout the organization. We owe this to a head coach who took over an abysmal looking Raiders team and squeezed out all doubt and suffering, before injecting them with a winning vision.
Coach Pierce has revitalized the organization. I believe his return next season is crucial to keeping what we saw blossom in the team this season. It's not often you catch lightening in a bottle. The Raiders have caught it with coach Pierce, let's see if they can pop the cork and unleash it on the league in 2024 in their quest for a championship. We've waited long enough!
The former president couldn't help himself and proceeded to criticize the judicial system. When he was done, his attacks resembled more a clumsily fashioned noose dangling from his guilty neck, than any evidence of innocence.
Former President Trump was allowed to address the court during closing arguments in the New York civil fraud trial against him and his organization. NBC News' Vaughn Hillyard reports on what Trump said to the court and the judge's decision to allow him to speak after previously ruling against it.
I am at a loss to understand why the judge allowed Trump to speak in closing arguments, when no other citizen would be allowed to do so when represented by counsel. I am sick and tired of the system of so-called "justice" that benefits only the
The Judge actually had to ask a 78 year old former president 'if he was going to behave himself' ️ .... And Trump acted like a 3yr old having a tantrum. What a effin embarrassment that this individual was once President, astounding he's able to run to be President again.
The judge is playing 3d chess while Donnie is playing Jacks. He is giving Donnie no room to contest or whine that the judge didn't give him opportunity to defend himself in court.
As a former submarine sailor, forget about “lock him up”. He literally betrayed our classified fleet capabilities just so he could impress a business man he barely knew. Hand him a blindfold and cigarette.
“What we have not heard from defendants are any new facts,” state lawyer Kevin Wallace said in his summation, arguing that Trump’s financial statements were false and “each defendant was acting knowingly and intentionally” to inflate the numbers.
