San Francisco G-I-A-N-T-S shutdown Phillies

OK, here's some red meat for the masses. Barry Bonds, the all-time home run champ, was among several former San Francisco Giants participating in the first-pitch ceremony before Game 3 of the NLCS.

NLCS Game 3

Giants 3 Phillies 0

The San Francisco Giants now lead the series 2-1 with two more games to be played at AT&T Park. This playoff ride is more fun than I can remember the 2002 Giants playoff ever being.

In 2002 we expected to win with Barry blasting balls out of the ballpark. Here in 2010 we're praying to win and our prayers are being answered in miraculous ways over and over. What better way to heal from seven seasons of playoff drought and a slugging hero who's still facing grand jury charges?

The San Francisco Giants have restored the spiritual faith of Bay Area baseball fans!

Giants Magic Number is 6

Happy Birthday "MOM"

October 18th, 1934

I burst into this world through a feminine canal gushing with a liquidious love so nourishing, that almost half a century later I still get goosebumps thinking of Mom's painful ordeal in birthing me.

Sacrifice is a mother's middle name. She does it over and over for her child throughout its life, without ever asking anything in return. Sacrifice is not a duty to a mother, its a way of mothering. She continues her sacrifice to the grave, where she prays to find reward and rest from her journey as well as ongoing angelic responsibilities toward her offspring.

I spend today in honor and acknowledgement of my mother's many sacrifices for me and the rest of our family. My hope is that her peaceful rest is God's reward to her for a motherhood well done.

Happy Birthday Mom

I promise to live my life in a way that your sacrifice in birthing and raising me will better humankind in unselfish ways as long as I live.

Raiders 6 49ers 0 Halftime

The Oakland Raiders should be killing the 49ers right now. Instead they've scored six points and lead by one field goal because:

A: Quarterback Jason Campbell is playing like Alex Smith
B: Red zone offense and play-calling is not getting it done
note: B is likely a direct result of A

If coach Cable hasn't given a half-time speech that includes detailing the opportunity winning gives them with losses by division rivals San Diego and Kansas City, then I expect the Raiders to come out flat in the second half and eventually let 49ers running back Frank Gore break one for the lead.

Its a travesty that we sf bay area fans have to watch two unproductive quarterbacks as the meat of our Giants sandwich weekend. Can't wait for NLCS game 2 after this cheesy meal.

Here we go, second half begins.

SF Giants Humongous Win. Ssory Doc!

Cody Ross has his eyes on his solo homer in the third inning. Ross went deep again in the fifth. Photo: Michael Macor / The Chronicle

The San Franciso Giants lasooed Philadelphia Phillies ace pitcher Roy 'Doc' Halladay with two Cody Ross homers. HUMONGOUS!

Someone with either the genius of an Einstein or the dyslexia of an ESL student pointed out that Cody Ross spelled backwards is Ssory Doc (Sorry Doc), as in sorry Doc Halladay for hitting two homers off you and beating your Phillies 4-3 in game 1 of the NLCS.


Cody Ross, the former Florida Marlins castaway who's referred to as the 'accidental Giant', is being hailed as the Giants playoff mvp player to date thanks in part to his 5-RBI and .353 batting average this post season. Cody and Giants pitching have played a Huge role in the teams' post-season success, none bigger than last night's success in the city of Brotherly Love.

Remember folks, Philadelphia fans once booed Santa Claus at an Eagles game. They tried getting to the Giants starting pitcher last night with whistles and catcalls, but the Freak weathered the storm and delivered the goods.


Giants ace pitcher Tim 'The Freak' Lincecum went seven strong innings and appeared to be getting stronger after throwing 100 pitches. The Freak matched the Doc in number of home runs (2) given up, but the Phillies ace seemed just a bit more shaken by his and the Giants hitters smelled it.


Cody FREAKIN Ross has got us Giants fans seriously believing that this just might be the year. Their magic number is now 7.

Go Giants!

Giants 2010 Highlights

N.L. West Division Champion San Francisco Giants

19th Century Baseball Pioneer Bud Fowler

Article in the Cleveland Gazette, August 2, 1890

The original owner of the Giants baseball organization, John T. Brush, offered a tryout with his ballclub to this Black man in the 1880's before pressure forced him to give up on the idea due to racial segregation of the time. Bud Fowler was the first Black pro baseball player. You can read his-story here:

John 'Bud Fowler' Jackson


1860s During the Civil War, soldiers, black freemen and emancipated slaves play the game across the widening map of America.


1867 Colored World Championship.

1878 John "Bud Fowler" Jackson becomes the first black pro baseball player, for a team in Chelsea, Mass.

1880s Black teams such as the St. Louis Black Stockings and New York Cuban Giants are formed.

1883 Chicago White Stockings star Cap Anson, pictured right, refuses to play against the Toledo Blue Stockings unless black catcher Moses "Fleetwood" Walker is removed from the field.

1887 The International League bans future contracts with black players, starting an era of segregation that will last until 1945.

1890s "Colored" teams, in an effort to survive, take to the road, and barnstorming - a term originally used to describe a flying circus - is born.

1901 Baltimore Orioles manager John McGraw attempts to play black second baseman Charlie Grant by disguising him as a Cherokee named Tokohama.

1920 Owner-pitcher Andrew "Rube" Foster of the Chicago American Giants joins with fellow "colored" team owners to form the seven-team Negro National League.

1920 The six-team Negro Southern League debuts.

1923 Independent team owners Ed Bolden and Nat Strong organize the six-team Eastern Colored League.

1924 The first Negro World Series is played between the Negro National League's Kansas City Monarchs and the Eastern Colored League's Hilldale club of Darby-Yeadon.

1931 The death of Rube Foster, the Great Depression, and the flight of the popular Kansas City Monarchs doom the Negro National League, leaving the Negro Southern League as the only "major" league for black players.

1933 A new Negro National League forms.

1937 The seven-team Negro American League is born and includes the Kansas City Monarchs as well as the Homestead Grays, who feature Josh Gibson, also known as the "black Babe Ruth."

1945 Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey signs Kansas City Monarchs infielder Jackie Robinson and assigns him to Montreal of the International League.

April 15, 1947 Robinson debuts with Brooklyn, becoming the first black major-league baseball player of the modern era.

July 1947 Cleveland owner Bill Veeck signs Larry Doby, pictured right, making the former Newark Eagles slugger the first black American League player.

1948 Leroy "Satchel" Paige, the Kansas City Monarchs pitching legend, becomes the oldest rookie ever when he signs with the Cleveland Indians. He later becomes the first black player to pitch in a World Series.

1952 With more than 150 former Negro-leagues players now integrated into pro ball, the Negro American League folds.

1955 Brooklyn Dodgers all-star catcher Roy Campanella wins the National League's most-valuable-player award, the third such award won by the Philadelphia-born future Hall of Famer (the others were in 1951 and 1953).

Read more:

Blacks_in_Baseball__A_Historical_Time_Line

Raiders Replay

64 yard fumble return by Oakland Raiders defensive back Tyvon Branch. Classic Raiders style of play without tuck rule controversy. More Blitzing should be in the Raiders defensive package moving forward. More Blitz, more pressure, more turnovers to turn into points.

Raiders Defense Baby!@

SF Giants Advance To NLCS - (More Torture)

.

Dave Martin / AP

Giants closer Brian Wilson (second from right) celebrates with teammates, including Travis Ishikawa (from right), Pat Burrell and Buster Posey.

The San Francisco Giants finished their five game series against the Atlanta Braves in typical torturous fashion; they came back twice, once to tie it and then to take the lead for good in the top of the 7th inning.

Closer Brian Wilson finished the game in a way that only Brian Wilson can. He allowed two runners on with one out before retiring the next two batters on a strikeout and a groundout. The Giants gave retiring manager Bobby Cox his due at games end, then rushed to the clubhouse for champagne and tears of ecstasy.

Our San Francisco Giants are heading to the Nationl League Championship series against defending NL champion Philadelphia Phillies. Game 1 is this Saturday and the starting pitchers are Tim Lincecum and Roy Halladay, two of the elite pitchers in the National League. Its Showtime Folks.

So get ready boys and girls, the torture continues when the Giants begin yet another series battle on their way to.................dare I say it? On their way to Glory!


Go Giants!

SF BAY AREA SPORTS WEEKEND

The Oakland Raiders pulled out a come from behind gutsy win this Sunday against division rival San Diego. The Chargers didn't make it easy as the Raiders played through mistakes, injuries and penalties that could have sidetracked their comeback.

San Diego came into the Oakland Coliseum with a 13 game winning streak against the Raiders that dates back to 2003. Raiders special teams started the game out with a blocked punt for a safety followed by a blocked punt for a touchdown. I'd never seen my team do that before.

The Raiders defense was sliced up by Philip Rivers passes while stuffing the Chargers running game. All hope seemed lost for the Raiders when QB Bruce Gradkowski left the game in the 2nd quarter with a shoulder sprain. In comes backup Jason Campbell who took a few series to get on target but once he felt his rhythm was more than adequate in filling in for Bruuuuce.

My boy Nick Miller had a nice punt return that he almost took to the house. TE Zack Miller was a receiving juggernaut making plays at critical times. RB Michael Bush ran like a beast as he grinded out short yardage. FB Rock Cartwright saw action and did well on special teams (1 blocked punt) and as a blocker for Bush.

The big play came with the Chargers driving for the go ahead/winning score in Raiders territory. Raiders defensive coordinator Marshall finally decided it was time to blitz Rivers and the decision paid off in points. On the play, Rivers goes back to pass and Raiders defender Michael Huff gets a hand on the ball just before Rivers can begin his forward motion. Upon review it was decided that the ball was a fumble and the long return by Raiders Tyvon Branch would stand as a touchdown. The Raiders defense, after being shredded throughout the game by Rivers passing, had sealed the deal for the team and given them a 34-27 lead that would hold up for the win.

Final Score
Chargers 27
Raiders 35
_______________________________________________________

Meanwhile, about the same time the Raiders were wrapping up their win the San Franciso Giants were closing out a 9th inning come from behind victory over the Atlanta Braves in their NLDS game 3 matchup. Atlanta was leading the game 2-1 in the inning when the Giants began sprinkling their bats and balls with magic dust. A few errors later the Giants were pinching themselves to make sure the 3-2 lead they'd taken wasn't just a dream. It wasn't. Giants lead series 2-1.

Final Score
Giants 3
Braves 2
_______________________________________________________

The Stanford Cardinal football team took out one upstart southern California team in the last seconds of a seesaw battle while the Cal Bears trampled over the other sister from the south. Both games were played here on Northern California home turf.

Final Scores
USC 35
Stanford 37

UCLA 7
Cal 35
________________________________________________________________

Why even the heartbreaking Golden State Warriors got into the winning act as they won two games over the weekend with ease. It might be too early to crown the Warriors NBA playoff contenders, but if the magic dust floating in the Bay Area air this weekend continues to pay visits throughout the winter, we just might be pulling out our "We Believe" t-shirts come spring time.

Final Scores
Clippers 87
Warriors 127

Kings 86
Warriors 95
________________________________________________________________

And then there's the winless San Francisco 49ers who capped off the weekend with an NFL Sunday Night game appearance. Oh, well, all good things must come to an end and this is where Bay Area magic lost its luster. The 49ers, next week's Raiders opponent, showed the football world just why they haven't won a game up to now. They competed against the Philadelphia Eagles minus Mike Vick, as if they were being watched by the football critics. They looked decent one moment and sloppy the next. They are the 2009 Raiders with Jamarcus Russell, beating themselves and no answer in sight for recovery. They may want to take a page from the Raiders notebook and bench starting quarterback Alex Smith. You can't win games when your QB is fumbling and throwing interceptions at critical times. See Jamarcus in Wikipedia for details.

Final Score
Eagles 27
Forty-Niners 24
________________________________________________________________

Go Giants!

SF Giants Fan Plea

STOP

TORTURING
ME!

_____________

Game 2 NLDS (11 innings)

Atlanta 5

Giants 4

SF Giants Ride Lincecum To 1-0 Win

Giants Pitcher Tim Lincecum Shuts-Out Atlanta Braves in 1-0 Win.

Entering AT&T Park for the NLDS game 1 matchup between the San Francisco Giants and Atlanta Braves, I overheard one Giants fan yelling,

"Sh!t, I want a Freaking No-Hitter. If the Phillies can get one, why not us?"

The fan was referring to Wednesdays "No-No" thrown by phillies pitcher Roy Halladay. The odd thing about the fan's wishful statement was the many agreeing replies it drew from fans who overheard it, myself included.

So when Tim Lincecum threw his final strikeout in the ninth inning, number fourteen, I remembered the earlier "No-No" wish and began laughing and celebrating like the ugly green Philly Phanatic , as the Giants took game 1 of the series 1-0.

Being at the game and seeing Lincecum's accomplishment made me feel as if Roy Halladay himself had time-warped into AT&T Park and pitched a spectacular game wearing a Lincecum jersey. The fan atmosphere, the evening stillness and the pitching duel between Lincecum and Derek Lowe made for a classic autumn baseball feast. We Giants fans ate it up!

What Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum did to the Atlanta Braves lineup was simply Historic! Who knew that in his first MLB playoff appearance, Lincecum would deliver in such commanding Cy-Young fashion? I'm still celebrating, hoarse vocal cords and all, as I prepare for Game 2 at AT&T Park. For the Giants their Iron Horse, Matt Cain, will be pitching. Oh Yeah, I'll be there, watching wishes and dreams come true.

Article: Was Lincecum's outing more impressive than Halladay's?

Roy Halladay's Historic Playoff Debut

Philadelphia IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA

Halladay

(W, 1-0) 9.0 0 0 0 1 8 0 0.00 Totals 9.0 0 0 0 1 8 0 0.00

___1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E

CIN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

PHI 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 4 5 0

THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT!

The five classic words I hope to scream at the end of every major league baseball season:

The Giants Win The Pennant!

On the last day of the final regular season the San Francisco Giants scored 3 runs to 0 against the San Diego Padres to earn their first National League West Division Championship in seven years. This Season has been Torturous and Magical for the Giants and their fans.

We fans who've ridden the Giants bandwagon all season long are now running on pure adrenalin fumes. Our tanks are empty but will be full once more when the Giants meet the Atlanta Braves beginning this Thursday for a best of five game series. I've already got my tickets and will be wearing orange to the Ball.

Funny how thoughts of last season's final home game come to mind. I'd taken my glove and ball to the game and afterwards, with the Giants out of the post-season once again, I moped around the park and downtown SF tossing that ball into the air, catching it in that old leather glove and saying to myself, "just wait'll next year."

Well, next year has come, the glove and ball will accompany me to a playoff game and I'm as happy as a mouse in a cheese factory. In the traditional style of comedian David Chappele:

We're In The Playoffs Bi@tch!

Congratulations 2010 San Francisco Giants

National League West Division Champions!

Raiders Go Down Slinging Passes

Let's face it; the Houston Texans have one helluva team. They came to Oaktown this weekend and showed the silver and black how a "PLAYOFF CALIBER TEAM" looks running, passing and pressuring on defense. Still I gotta give it to my Boys in Black, they battled back after every Texans score.

The Raiders kept from beating themselves this weekend and were rarely penalized. If only the Raiders offensive line could protect the quarterback. If only the Oakland defense could avoid giving up that one big play to a top league rusher that saps the energy out of the boys. A "How-To-Tackle-Fantasy-Rushers" class would defnitely be in order.

Again, gotta give our Defensive boys credit though, they battled to the end and gave the offense a final chance with three minutes remaining. But when your quarterback is dodging missiles that pierce through an offensive line like hot knives through butter, chances are that winning drive evaporates before it reaches the 50-yard line.

Wide receiver Zach Miller played like a pro bowler and the Raiders as a unit gave us fans plenty to cheer for, but again the other team on the field seemed just a step ahead in execution and consistency.

Yep, the hometown Raiders gave it the good ole college try, but the Texans ain't no team of academia classman playing for an edu-ma-cation. The Houston Texans are a professional football team who've taken their game to the next level.

Final Score
Texans 31
Raiders 24

You Can Get Use To Being Tortured

GIANTS BASEBALL 2010

3 GAMES REMAIN IN REGULAR SEASON

ALL GAMES AGAINST 2ND PLACE SAN DIEGO PADRES

1 WIN SEALS DIVISION TITLE

NO WIN FORCES 1 GAME PLAYOFF WITH PADRES

GIANTS 91-68

PADRES 88-71

Ageless Raider Legend George Blanda Passes

BLANDA!

There hasn't been one like him before nor since. George Blanda was a Raider. He played Pro football from 1949-1975, his last nine years with the Oakland Raiders. He was a placekicker as well as a quarterback. He had a memorable season in 1970 when he quarterbacked the Raiders to five straight comeback victories. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame in 1981, his first year of elgibility.

Blanda - rough rugged and rare.

BLANDA!

The Kick That Couldn't Veer Straight

Win Lose Or Tie, You know the Raider Nation motto. Well, today I died with a Sebastian Janowski game ending field goal that just couldn't stay inside the goal posts long enough to secure a Raiders victory. Instead, the 32-yard kick sailed wide left as time expired in Arizona and the Cardinals celebrated as if they'd won the lottery.

First I questioned Raiders coach Tom Cable for not trying to either get closer to the goal line or take a shot at the endzone before settling for a field goal. Jano had already missed two field goals earlier, granted one was a 58 yard attempt.

I pleaded for cable not to go conservative and secure when the game dictated aggression and dominance. Cable did what coaches are supposed to do, not let their team beat themselves in the final minute. He settled for burning time off the clock and a final kick. It didn't turn out the Raiders way.

After cursing Jano I had to be honest about my team and not blame the game on our rock of ages kicker. The Raiders had as many chances to win this game as they did to lose it. It really should never have come down to a Jano kick anyway. But since it did and Jano didn't deliver, he's the goat. But as a whole the team was resilient and productive after every Cardinals score. The team rallied again behind quarterback Bruce Gradkowski. Bruuuuce is no superstar with a golden arm, but he's a leader who gets the job done.

These are not your 2009 Oakland Raiders. They are a group of men fighting for their coach and each other to the final gun. The Raiders lost a game today in heartbreaking fashion. But they earned as much losing this one as they did in winning last week's game against the Rams.

The 2010 Oakland Raiders are a team that is beginning to find its swagger. On any given Sunday, they can dominate just about anyone. I believe this to be true. And I believe the Raiders are earning the respect of other NFL teams.

Final Score
Raiders 23
Cardinals 24

Sacramento Bee Commentor:

beagamer wrote on 09/28/2010 10:06:52 AM:

Yes CBass missed a game winner, so what. Why in the hell aren't we getting more yards with 55 seconds left in the game instead of running the clock down?

"Hypocrite lecteur, -- mon semblable, -- mon frère!"

To the Reader

Folly, depravity, greed, mortal sin
Invade our souls and rack our flesh; we feed
Our gentle guilt, gracious regrets, that breed
Like vermin glutting on foul beggars' skin.

Our sins are stubborn; our repentance, faint.
We take a handsome price for our confession,
Happy once more to wallow in transgression,
Thinking vile tears will cleanse us of all taint.

On evil's cushion poised, His Majesty,
Satan Thrice-Great, lulls our charmed soul, until
He turns to vapor what was once our will:
Rich ore, transmuted by his alchemy.

He holds the strings that move us, limb by limb!
We yield, enthralled, to things repugnant, base;
Each day, towards Hell, with slow, unhurried pace,
We sink, uncowed, through shadows, stinking, grim.

Like some lewd rake with his old worn-out whore,
Nibbling her suffering teats, we seize our sly
delight, that, like an orange—withered, dry—
We squeeze and press for juice that is no more.

Our brains teem with a race of Fiends, who frolic
thick as a million gut-worms; with each breath,
Our lungs drink deep, suck down a stream of Death—
Dim-lit—to low-moaned whimpers melancholic.

If poison, fire, blade, rape do not succeed
In sewing on that dull embroidery
Of our pathetic lives their artistry,
It's that our soul, alas, shrinks from the deed.

And yet, among the beasts and creatures all—
Panther, snake, scorpion, jackal, ape, hound, hawk—
Monsters that crawl, and shriek, and grunt, and squawk,
In our vice-filled menagerie's caterwaul,

One worse is there, fit to heap scorn upon—
More ugly, rank! Though noiseless, calm and still,
yet would he turn the earth to scraps and swill,
swallow it whole in one great, gaping yawn:

Ennui! That monster frail!—With eye wherein
A chance tear gleams, he dreams of gibbets, while
Smoking his hookah, with a dainty smile. . .
—You know him, reader,—hypocrite,—my twin!

-hypocrite, - my twin! (mon semblable,—mon frère!)

http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/039250.html

uuuuuuUUUUUUURIIIIIBEEEEEEE!

San Francisco Giants slugger Juan Uribe did s0mething no Giant has done in 40 years. He drove in 6 runs...........in one inning of baseball.

In the second inning against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, the Giants scored 9 runs. Here's how they did it:

Juan Uribe homer scores 2
Freddie Sanchez single scores 1
Buster Posey single scores 1
Ryan Dempster wild pitch scores 1
Juan Uribe grand slam scores 4


The 2nd inning saw 14 Giants come up to bat. Two batters were hit by pitch to reach first base. Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner had two singles. But the inning without question belonged to Juan Uribe who blasted two homers for a total of six runs. He was the main reason for Chicago pulling Dempster, their starting pitcher.


The Giants went on to win the game 13-0 and leave Chicago winning 2 of 3 in the series. For the time they're tied for first place in the division as well as in the wild card race.

The Giants have 9 games left in the regular season, all are against NL west division opponents. All 9 games will play a role in deciding if the Giants advance to the playoffs or be remembered as just a nice 2010 cindefella story that ended when the four-horse carriage reverted back to mutts pulling a wheelbarrow. Time will tell. And the clock is 9 ticks away from 12 o'clock midnight.

Time and Pressure
Thrill and Agony
Victory and Defeat

Torture!

Bob Hope One-Liner

Why the heck not nominate Bob Hope as next President of the United States? He's got impeccable timing and has been stimulating the country since "Talkies" replaced silent screenings; that's talking movies to you under 60 web browsers.

NikeTown New York Bed Bug Battle

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the Pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll.

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

Invictus by William Ernest Henley

The Bed Bug epidemic that's crept across the United States has infested a big name retail store in midtown Manhatten.


NikeTown's flagship store has closed its doors to customers to "proactively" deal with the bed bug infestation that has swarmed around New York City.

For those with firsthand bed bug experience you know the seemingly unwinnable battle with these Spartans of the insect world. For others who've never encountered the survivalist-natured pests, "PRAY" the critters never hitch a ride home with you or visitors to your home. The unforgivable results can be..............Biteful!

Bruce 'Almighty' To The Rescue

The Oakland Raiders made a much needed quarterback adjustment at half-time. Trailing the St. Louis Rams 7-3 the Raiders came out to start the third quarter with Bruce 'Almighty' Gradkowski at the helm. The offense responded as Gradkowski led them down the field with his passing. The Raiders would settle for a Janikowski field goal, but Bruuuce had clearly changed the flavor of the game for Oaktown.

Chants of Bruuuce were heard throughout the Oakland Coliseum as the Raiders seemed to get a jolt of life in all three phases of the game. The Special Teams kicked off to the Rams and the poor kick returner was leveled by a Raiders missile that drew oohs from the fans. It was the best hit on a kick returner I've seen from a Raider in quite some time. Highlight reel smackdown is what it was. I hope to find it and post it here. The hit was so jarring that the big screen replayed it about half a dozen times. It literally jarred the fans awake and got them more into the game. Here's a description from Silver & Black Report:

On the ensuing kick off, Oakland’s special teams would introduce themselves to the Ram’s returner Mardy Gilyard when Raider LB Quentin Groves absolutely BLASTED Gilyard after an 18 yard gain. To Gilyard’s credit, he held onto the ball, but stayed on the ground for a couple of minutes to recover from the “snot bubbler” just freshly dished out by Groves. The Raider home crowd got extremely loud after the hit heard around the world.

Chants of Bruuuce must've inspired the Defense as well, as they began playing with a killer passion and controlling the elusive Rams running back Stephen Jackson. When Bruccce did finally throw a four-yard touchdown to wide-receiver Louis Murphy, capping an 83-yard drive, the Coliseum went buZZerk. Here in only the first home game and second overall game of the season Bruuuce was being crowned a Raider Legend by both fans and players alike.

Questions of quarterback controversy sprung up immediately. Do you start Bruuuce next game or do you bring back Jason Campbell? Most are sold on Bruuuce being the Raiders starting quarterback. I myself have always felt that Bruuuce earned starting status with his incredible play and leadership last season.

Coach Cable has a few days to think about how he'll handle the question of starting quarterback. Meanwhile, Raider Nation is rollicking in the first Raiders win of the 2010 season and feel with Bruuuce at the helm, this season will be much different than seasons past.

Game Ball goes to RB Darren McFadden who showed speed, power and most of all durability running around and through Rams defenders.

-

D-Mac ties for top rusher in NFL week 2:

McFadden, Oak. ------30 carries for 145 yards


Peterson, Minn. ------28 carries for 145 yards


Snelling, Atl. ---------24 carries for 129 yards


McCoy, Phi. -----------16 carries for 120 yards


Hightower, Ari. ------11 carries for 115 yards



Final Score
Rams 14
Raiders 16

1st Place San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants buried their division rival Los Angeles Dodgers 10-2 tonight to take sole possession of first place in the N.L. West. Rest in Pain our enemy from the south. Your annihilation was more than a means to an end. It was Personal!

final viewing of corpse between 9/17-10/03/10

Its the first time since May 6th that the Giants have the honor of leading their division this season. With 15 games left in the regular season, the Giants have positioned themselves beautifully for a final gallop into the playoffs. But that final lap on the track leading to the MLB playoffs will be full of challenging hurdles.

With a half game division lead over the San Diego Padres and a two and a half game lead over the Colorado Rockies, the Giants cannot afford to let up and look back to see how far ahead they are or how close beind someone might be.

There's a different attitude one should take on when taking over first place. Like that of a conquering King residing on the throne of his newly acquired land. Call it Arrogant Confidence.

Call it Manifest Destiny. The attitude is that of a reigning conqueror; Big, Bold & Boastful.

The Giants no longer need watch the wild card race, they're currently in the Division Pennant drivers seat. Take us home Giants, end the torture, claim our pennant and just take us home.

Raiders Lose Opener To Titans

Raiders say it was loud from the moment the national anthem ended in the Tennessee Titans LP Field on Sunday. The Raiders looked as if they'd been robbed of their preseason promises as the Titans rolled to an effortless 38-13 win.

Offensive line is definitely a concern for the Raiders. I would continue to harp on wide receivers play but quarterback Jason Campbell never got comfortable enough in the pocket to be consistent with getting them the ball.

I'm with the players, chalk it up as that one flat game of the season. Safety Michael Huff said it best, "We can't let one game beat us twice."

Up next are the (0-1) St. Louis Rams who come into a mad-as-hell Oakland Coliseum. I pity the Rams, for they will truly be a sacraficial lamb come Sunday.

In other news, the San Francisco Forty-Niner couldn't score a touchedown in their 31-6 TapOut against the Seattle Seahawks. Are the Seahawks that good or the whiners that bad?

Wait a minute, I think I can hear coach Singletary now: "I Want Whiners!"

Breaking Out My Cliff Branch Jersey

I once met former Raiders wide receiver Cliff Branch and was very impressed with the man. He was funny, friendly and talkative. Cliff was signing autographs that day and penned my #21 Branch jersey with things that a signature collector would die for.

While choosing which Raiders jersey to wear for the 2010 NFL season opener, I came across my Cliff Branch jersey and was just overwhelmed with pride. Pride because not only am I a proud Silver & Black fan, but because I share that pride with players like #21 Cliff Branch.

As Raiders fans with a common love, our team, there's nothing like seeing up close and personal that same love shinging through a Raiders players eyes and hearing it in his speech. Cliff Branch played championship football with the Oakland Raiders. Years after retiring from football he still speaks of the Raiders with family love. Cliff wears the badge of "Once A Raider, Always A Raider" with pride. And if you ask me, he could still suit up and burn the average defensive back one on one.

Cliff, you will always be a part of the Oakland Raiders Hall of Fame!

Information about Cliff Branch from The Black Hole Symposium:
Cliff Branch was one of the greatest players in Raider history. Cliff struck fear into secondarys throughout the league during an outstanding 14-year career. The Raiders speedster finished his career as the NFL's postseason leader in receptions and yardage. This included 3 touchdowns in Oakland’s three Super Bowl victories. Cliff was a solid player who worked to become a complete receiver and wasn't the stereotypical speedster who cannot make a key grab. Branch had a big heart, a big mouth and a non-stop motor.

Branch graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1972 and spent his entire 14-year professional career with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, winning 3 Super Bowl rings in Super Bowl XI, Super Bowl XV and Super Bowl XVIII. Branch caught 3 passes for 20 yards in Super Bowl XI, 5 passes for 62 yards and 2 touchdown in Super Bowl XV, and 6 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown in Super Bowl XVIII. Cliff was voted All-Pro 3 consecutive seasons (1974-1976) and had perhaps his finest season in 1976 catching 46 passes for 1,111 yards and 12 TDs, averaging an amazing 24.2 yards per catch. Branch was named to 4 consecutive Pro Bowls (1974-1977). In 1974, Branch led the National Football League in both receiving yards (1,092) and receiving touchdowns (13). Branch finished his 14 NFL seasons with 501 receptions for 8,685 yards and 67 touchdowns. He also rushed for 70 yards and returned 9 kickoffs for 191 yards.

Raiders Popping Off The 2010 Season Sunday

Now I'm not a gun person. I've been to the gun range once in my life and had the Dirty Harry pleasure of pumping a few rounds out of a magnum .44. Let me tell you, you don't want to find yourself at the wrong end of a magnum .44. The compression from the blast wriggles your face like that of skydivers plunging to earth. It requires a tight two-fisted grip which you watch flung above your forehead after discharging that sucker. Every Time!

I share this because as a Raiders fan I want to see my team put out that much firepower and force on the field this season. I know we're a much improved team. I know we'll compete more this season than we have in seven seasons. I'm tired of being proud to be a fan of a losing team in disarray. There is no more talking. There is no more tomorrow. There is no more JaMarcus..................The Shit Starts Sunday!

I wanna see the Oakland Raiders get Dirty Harry Nasty. I want a F@Cking Championship!

I know what you're thinking. "Did he fire six shots or only five?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?

The Hated One

I share below the account of an alcoholic lawyer from a book written in 1963 by one Don Tracy. Though this description of an alcoholic's dilemma is fictional, it rings true for many battling the disease of alcohol addiction. It also reminds us that this disease does not discriminate; it afflicts lawyers, teachers, politicians, scientists, doctors and all those professions we would think immune to its lure.

For those still struggling in their battle with alcohol, there is help and hope if you'll reach out or allow others to reach out to you. Life can be wonderful again, if you'll take that first step toward recovery. Contact: Alcoholic's Anonymous


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Excerpt from Don Tracy's "The Hated One"

Waking up without a drink was the worst part of the nightmare. My watch showed me it was only a few minutes past midnight but in Lindsley there was no place to buy even a glass of beer after eleven. I got up off the damp bed and groped my way through the darkness to the window.

I sat in the old upholstered chair in my shorts, lit one of the cigarettes I'd gotten out of the machine downstairs and got ready to sweat it out. It was a good night for it; the temperature must have been at least eighty-five and the humidity was even worse.

I was in the Princess Hotel, down by the Seaboard station.

I'd come to the Princess after the air-conditioned Lindsley and the Floridian had regretted that all their rooms were occupied, booked solid for as far ahead as the eye could see.

I'd intended to nap for an hour or so to get my strength back, bathe, shave and drive to get some liquor.

I'd inteded to do all these things, but when a diesel freight's droning horn woke me it was pitch dark and I stripped off my sodden, smelly clothes and went back to sleep.

"Now I faced those terrible hours when every place a man can get a transfusion of life-giving alcohol is closed; when clocks tick thunderously as their hands stand still; when all the devils in Hell romp through a man's guts and along every nerve of his body there crawls a nonexistent bug.

These are the hours when some drunks scream and sob and sometimes throw themselves out of windows. Others sit for a few seconds on one chair before moving to another while we shiver and take a few puffs off a cigarette before grinding it out and lighting another, searching for the one that will bring the miracle of peace. We shudder and our hearts pound and we know we're going to die and we don't care - anything, anything, to escape. And then eventually dawn comes to most of us and ages after dawn some bar or liquor store opens and we can begin a new day.

I don't know what purpose would be served by describing those hours from a couple of minutes past midnight until the eight o'clock sun began blazing hot and vicious off the tin roof of the Seaboard freight depot below my window. Suffice it to say that it was rough, and what made it worse was the gradually shattering realization that when morning finally did arrive no bar or liquor store would open in Lindsley; I wouldn't be able to get the drink or the botttle that would take me off the rack until I somehow got over the county line.

Then as the hours passed came a new, frightening thought. Even if I did drive miles and find a saloon or a package store, I still couldn't drink. Not without surrendering my last hope of someday being able to look back and say: This one thing was good.

I'd gotten myself involved in the messy case of Coralee Preston by a trusting old woman who had aroused a wild hallucination in my boozy mind. I'd staggered into a situation that any sane man would have fled from. Now I was committed to go through with it against hopeless odds or run to some safe hole from which I could never emerge. Worst of all, if I ran I'd leave nothing for anybody to remember about Francis MacWhalen Coombs except this one last laughable failure, this final drunken posturing.

At some time during those early morning hours I irrevocably saddled myself with the responsibility of staying alive and sober enough to do my poor best to help my client, Hattie May's daughter, the scowling, impenitent Coralee, who'd told me to be sure to bring her filter cigarettes.

When it was light enough for me to dare to move about my room without blundering into deep shadows full of frightful menace, I went into the bathroom and showered.

Saturday's Giants Comeback Over Dodgers

When San Francisco Giants Juan Uribe hit that two run homer in the top of the ninth in Los Angeles, I jumped a good four feet into the air with both fists clutched in triumph. The Dodgers were going down.


It didn't matter that I was watching the Giants come-from-behind win over the Dodgers on the Crowne Plaza big screens with dance music blaring all around. Nor did I care that I startled some of the non-sports patrons from their appetizer meals. The homer which led to the 5-4 win was the culmination of a late rally by the Giants that consisted of four home runs. It was definitely one of the best wins of the season for the Giants and couldn't have come at a better time against a more hated foe.

Just another historic game in this Giants season. Meanwhile, the San Diego Padres halted their ten game losing streak with a 4-2 win over the Dodgers today, but the damage is done. Our San Francisco Giants are now only one game back of the Padres for the NL West division lead.

Everybody said it, fans, broadcasters and even players. The "can't lose" hot streaking San Diego Padres would hit a slump sooner or later. The slump has hit and September in the NL West will be a month of scoreboard watching and critical division matchups. The Colorado Rockies are still in the division picture at 4.5 games back. And we won't even begin to talk about the wild card.

The San Francisco Giants have proven that you can't count them out of any game. This magical season could carryover to the playoffs.

Go Giants!

T.J. Houshmandzadeh Is Available

HOUSTON - Wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh #84 of the Seattle Seahawks is upended by strong safety Dominique Barber #34 of the Houston Texans as he attempts to make a catch at Reliant Stadium on December 13, 2009 in Houston, Texas.

The Seattle Seahawks, who the Raiders defeated 27-24 in their final preseason game on Thursday, are looking to trade or release wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

Houshmandzadeh, who spent eight of his nine years in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals, caught 79 passes for 911 yards and 3 touchdowns last season for the Seahawks. That's more than any receiver on the Raiders has had probably since Jerry Rice.

I don't think Houshmandzadeh will bring back the days of Rice and Brown to the Raiders receiving corps, but I think he'd be a productive addition to this season's young group of Raiders receivers. And personally, I'd enjoy barking out the name HOOSH-MAN-ZADDAH at home games.

HOOSH is 32 years old and can still produce. You can't argue with experience, durability and production:

T.J. Houshmandzadeh Career Stats

Hoosh could and should be A RAIDDDAH!

-Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer on Hoosh: T. J.'s a physical guy; a physical blocker, physical when he gets the ball. He's like (the Pittsburgh Steelers') Hines Ward."[4]

Floyd Mayweather

Boxing champion Floyd Mayweather, who says he's on vacation from boxing for a year, has gone rogue. Dammit, and just when I was beginning to admire his boxing skills and lean towards him being possibly the best pound-for-pound boxer.

Floyd posted a ustream clip on-line which basically shows him talking smack about when he meets Manny Pacquiao and what he's going to do to him. The smack was full of what folks are calling racist tones and vulgar language.

Not sure what prompted Floyd to go on his rant but something has lit a fire under him that has him steaming to fight Pacquiao. The odd thing is he had his chance a few months back and walked away from signing the contract. Pacquiao is scheduled to fight Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13th in Dallas, Texas. So why is Floyd now trying to stir up things when he was willing to let things be back then?

Some people might call it the green-eyed monster; Jealousy! Most see it as Floyd just letting the money and fame go to his head and acting as if he's above the game.

Give me a champion with just a smidgen of class and decency and I'll sing his praises all through the sports world. Unfortunately, just when I was warming up my voice to sing-a-long to a "Pretty Boy Floyd" tune, the lyrics turned raunchy and rhythm lost its tempo.

Aint' nothing too pretty these days in following the career and antics of Floyd Mayweather.

"The Blogger"

"Meet The Blogger 1-3am"

Anyone bitten by the "blogger bug" will see this cartoon and smile. Bloggers seem to be depicted as anti-social nocturnal hermits who crave writing like a vampire craves blood.

As a matter of fact, its been suggested that bloggers and vampires share many character traits; late night/early morning hours of activity, dark living quarters, pale complexions, intense erotic fantasies, adversity to sunlight, societal predators, daytime slumber, bad breath, unemployed!

To order your Transylvania blogging kit with optional coffin, cape and fangs, go to BizBloggingBasics.com.

Hue Jackson Speaks!

Oakland Raiders offensive coordinator Hue Jackson spoke his mind to the media recently. He'd been quiet throughout training camp and the first two exhibition games. If you're a Raiders fan you'll like what he has to say about the Raiders. If you're a hater, you'll have more to hate about the Silver & Black this season. Hue is helping to create a Monster Bully in Oaktown:

I’ve watched this team get better. Everything I’ve asked these young men to do, they’ve done. I try not to go back to what has happened here. What I’ve seen is that this is a fine, fine organization, led by a fine man in Al Davis. We’ve got a good head coach in Tom Cable.

“I see an opportunity here for us to get the Raiders back on the winning side. There’s a confidence about this football team. It permeates everywhere. It’s not just our team — it’s in the equipment room, it’s in the weight room, it’s with our media people. It’s everywhere.”

This is a different time in Raider football, said Jackson. He said the players have embraced his attitude and what he is looking for out of the offense.

“The bottom line is that we want to win and we expect to win here. There’s an expectation here. The Raiders are supposed to win, and that is our expectation and that’s what we’re going to do.

“This is a dream come true for me.”

Economic Rebirth 1933 Style

If there's one thing President Barack Obama has in common with the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt, its the depressed economic times of their presidencies.

As we citizens of the United States continue to struggle with and adjust from the damages of corporate greed, housing market and financial institution instability, record unemployment, unaffordable healthcare and environmental concerns, let us not forget that there was a leader of our nation who once warned during such dark times.

"We Have Nothing To Fear But Fear Itself"

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Elected President of the United States

“The money changers have fled from their high seats in the temple of our civilization. We may now restore that temple to the ancient truths. The measure of the restoration lies in the extent to which we apply social values more noble than mere monetary profit.

“Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. The joy and moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits. These dark days will be worth all they cost us if they teach us that our true destiny is not to be ministered unto but to minister to ourselves and to our fellow men.”

Inaugural Address, March 1933

SF Giants Let History & Game Slip Away

Giants infielder Juan Uribe smacks a three run homer

It was a classic day at AT&T park Wednesday afternoon both weather-wise and baseball-wise. On a balmy day following a northern california heat wave, the San Francisco Giants would score in double digits for the third straight time. Would it be enough?

It would be a see-saw of emotions draining the tank of the average fan on this day. I'd suffered through losing a starting pitcher in just three innings as well as seeing the visiting Cincinnati Reds score ten runs, many escorted toward homeplate by Giants errors.

Then something amazing started to occur at the plate. The Giants began hitting and scoring a few runs giving us fans a pinch of comeback hope. As the later innings started rolling around Giants hitting got down right contagious. Juan Uribe capped a six run eigth inning with a three run homer and the scoreboard glowed 10-8.

Then through the ninth and into the twelth the Giants and Reds battled like two hungry lions over a gazelle. The Giants feeling the bulge of a historic comeback in their back pocket were looking for a three game series sweep while the Reds were just trying to avoid league embarassment. There'd been another horrendous comeback earlier in the day and the Reds wanted no part of that headline.

The SF Chronicle captures the peak of Giants excitement best:


Cincinnati took advantage of balls carrying on an abnormally warm day and Bumgarner's poor pitch location to take a 10-1 lead through 4 1/2 innings. Bumgarner yielded eight runs, including three first-inning homers, in 2 2/3 innings.
The Giants, however, scored two runs in the fifth and had a minor celebration after cutting the deficit to 10-5 in the sixth. The minor celebration turned into a near-euphoric party in the eighth, when they took an 11-10 lead.


In the end though, history would take a back seat to torturous heartbreak as the Giants surrendered the Reds winning run in the twelth and lost the game 12-11. I left the ballpark feeling as if I'd seen a double-header where the Giants won the first game and lost the second.

So what positives can a Giants fan take from this gut-wrenching day? We Got Hitting!