Month: December 2024

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: The Ultimate Game Changer

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Oakland A’s Rickey Henderson gestures toward the stands after hitting a first inning home run off San Francisco Giants’ starting pitcher Don Robinson during the fourth game of the World Series at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, Oct. 28, 1989. (AP Photo/Leonard Ignelzi)

The Ultimate Game Changer

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

There are so many stats in today’s game that when I read them before broadcasting a game, they might make you dizzy. There are stats for everything baseball; some are silly, like when a guy hits a home run inside a dome stadium compared to when he hits a home run in an open-air stadium. Yes, they keep track of that, of course. But who cares? For me, the only difference in a Homerun is an ‘inside the park”; everything else is bla bla bla, but it gives the PR departments something to write about, and that is fine. By-the-way, TV loves that.

Rickey Henderson is number one in the game’s history in stolen bases with 1,406; he is also number one in scoring runs with a total of 2,295; Ty Cobb ranked second. If you take a minute to digest those numbers, you realize those are two of the most important stats in baseball. Rickey Henderson was a threat from the undeck circle. Everybody knew what he was going to do, and he did it. Pitchers were always concerned when Rickey Henderson reached first base. In Major League Baseball today (MLB), pitchers are limited to two pick-off attempts or step-offs per plate appearance. Before this new rule, a pitcher could throw 10 or more times to first base to keep a runner close to the base, and when Rickey Henderson got on first base via hit or walk, pitchers were on notice. Pitchers “could not stop Rickey” once he reached base, and they knew it.

Rickey Henderson was not just a singles hitter or stolen bases specialist. In his 25 years (consecutive years) playing in the MLB, he also hit 297 home runs. Rickey would let a pitch come right through the heart of the plate for a strike; he would not complain. He was the most selective hitter, working pitchers to thousands of 3 and 2 counts until he succeeded. Once he got on base, the “cat-and-mouse “game began. Everybody knew he was going; he did and stole the base. He mixed all that talent with excellent style, the joy of playing the game, and a million-dollar smile.

The Rickey Run. This was when the A’s were on a collective offensive slump. Rickey would walk, steal second, and then score with a base hit, or he would get on, then steal second, and then steal third, and then a sacrifice fly, and A’s had a Rickey Run! Dave Stewart would go 7 or 8 innings, and the bullpen with closer Dennis Eckersley and the A’s would win by one run. Why one run? Credit Rickey Henderson, the Man of Steal.

I believe that Willie Mays was the greatest player of all time, but Rickey Henderson is on that Mount Rushmore of players, a man who could do it all, with class, with that fabulous physique and the joy that you could see on that big smile.

I feel proud and privileged to have seen and covered Rickey Henderson when he first came to the A’s as a rookie in 1979 to play left field. I remember that excellent outfield of Rickey Henderson in left, Dwayne Murphy in center, and Tony Armas in right field. I will never forget Rickey Henderson as one of the greatest baseball players I have ever seen. All of Rickey’s accomplishments you can find were contained in the sports section. The only time he made the front page of a paper was his passing on Friday. Never a scandal, lived through the steroids era, never betting issues, nothing negative (even playing for the Yankees’ #1 market and most controversial media in the world). Rickey Henderson was a family man who loved what he did in his profession.

What is a game changer? “Game changer” is frequently used because it’s a concise and impactful phrase that effectively conveys the idea of something significant altering the status quo or introducing a major new development. That was Rickey Henderson.

For most baseball fans, people who covered and knew Rickey Henderson, the media, and the players, it was like everybody expected him to live forever, and we were all right because he will live forever in our minds. Oakland has been mostly in the negative column during the past few years, the team’s relocation to Las Vegas with a stop in Sacramento, the strife in City Hall, and many social issues. God gave us Rickey, and he left us way too early. One of the best things the team ever did was name the Coliseum playing field Rickey Henderson Field. My wife suggested that ‘the powers to be’ now name Hegenberger Road, Ricky Henderson Boulevard. This would make Oakland proud; this city needs a makeover, and they need to change their image.

Quote: “If you walked him, it’s like giving up a triple” -Pitcher Charlie Hough.

Ducks Overcome 4-1 Deficit To Defeat Utah HC In Shootout 

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Anaheim Ducks Troy Terry (19) shoots as defenseman Jackson LaCombe (2) assists while Utah’s goaltender Jaxson Stauber (33) defends with defenseman Ian Cole (28) and center Logan Cooley (92) at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Sun Dec 22, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Tom Walker

Utah starts fast but fails to hold on in 5-4 shoutout loss to the Anaheim Ducks.

SALT LAKE CITY–Utah Hockey Club returned home on Sunday for the first of three games at Delta Center, a welcome respite from the previous four consecutive one-game visits to home ice. The road has been good to Utah where they have won their last seven including Friday’s 2-1 victory in Minnesota in which Dylan Guenther scored his 15th and 16th goals of the season. On Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks, Utah hoped to build upon last week’s overtime win versus Vancouver which snapped a five-game home losing streak.

Captain Clayton Keller struck quickly for Utah just 86 seconds into the game with his 12th goal of the season, assisted by Juuso Välimäki and Barrett Hayton. Anaheim wasted no time evening things up a few minutes later as Robby Fabbri netted his third goal of the season for the Ducks, assisted by Mason McTavish. Late in the first, Utah center Barrett Hayton put his squad up 2-1 with his sixth goal of the season, assisted by Olli Määttä and Keller.

In the second period, Utah padded its lead early with a power play goal by Logan Cooley, his eighth of the season, assisted by Keller and Mikhail Sergachev, followed a few minutes later as Keller recorded his second goal and fourth point of the game, assisted by Sergachev and Nick Schmaltz, giving the home team a 4-1 lead.

Unfortunately for Utah, that’s where the wheels fell off and Anaheim began to mount its comeback. The Ducks were able to trim their deficit to 4-2 midway through the second period as center Isac Lundestrom found the back of the net for his 4th of the season, assisted by Olen Zellweger and Jansen Harkins.

With less than eight minutes remaining in the third period there was a scrum at the Utah net where Robby Fabbri somehow managed to knock a puck through the pads of netminder Jaxson Stauber which appeared to travel in super slow motion behind Stauber and trickle just across the line to draw Anaheim back to within one. Fabbri’s second goal of the game was assisted by Cutter Gauthier and Pavel Mintyukov.

At 13:31 of the third period, Utah forward Logan Cooley was sent to the penalty box for slashing against Mason McTavish. With just 16 seconds remaining in the penalty kill, Ducks winger Brett Leason completed Anaheim’s comeback with his 4th goal of the season, assisted by Gauthier and Zellweger, making it 4-4.

Following a scoreless overtime period, the two squads sent their champions to center ice for the shootout. Utah elected to go first, and Anaheim goalie Lukas Dostal turned away Nick Schmaltz, Clayton Keller, and Nick Bjugstad. Keller’s shot went off the crossbar and fans initially cheered as if it had crossed the goal line, but the official and video replay both indicated no-goal. For his part, Jaxson Stauber turned away Ducks penalty shot specialist Troy Terry and Brock McGinn, but ultimately could not stop Mason McTavish who won the game for Anaheim on a snap shot.

In Utah’s locker room forward Barrett Hayton, who scored the second goal of the night, commented, “Right now, it doesn’t feel like we walked away with a point with the way we handled that second half and obviously handled the lead. (That) can’t happen. It’s disappointing.” Addressing how things unraveled, he said, “I think it happened a little bit at the start of the game and then creeped back in. I think (we were) just getting too loose, giving up too much. You give a team that many power plays, it’s tough. I think there were a lot of things throughout the entire game. Obviously, fell apart in the third. It wasn’t good enough.”

Captain Clayton Keller weighed in, “It was kind of a back-and-forth game. We just weren’t good on our details. Just kind of played a little too loose. That’s what happens; they get some life, they get some bounces and we unfortunately lose the game. But the good thing about this is (that) we play tomorrow. We don’t have to think about it too much. We’ll address it and be better from it.” With regard to his four point game, Keller said, “Just playing simple, doing everything I can to help this team win. My linemates have done a great job as well. We’re on to tomorrow. … We’ll address it in the morning tomorrow, the things we need to do better. I still feel like we have a lot of confidence in this room. We still got a point tonight. We still have confidence and a quick reset (for) tomorrow.”

Utah Hockey Club head coach André Tourigny also talked about turning the page to tomorrow’s contest against the Dallas Stars. “We have to. Today is a good testimony of our maturity. That’s unfortunate. It is what it is. Anaheim is a tough team to play. They apply pressure, they have talent. You have to know that. And you need to show up with your ‘A’ game every night…Last week, I was here sitting in front of you and I was talking about urgency. That’s the most important thing. We need to have energy, yeah. But, urgency is a super important currency. If you have it, we can play against anybody and we can sustain success. If we don’t, you have your answer. That’s the problem tonight. The guys wanted to play well; they worked hard. I didn’t feel anyone was not working that hard. But I think we were not as urgent. We didn’t stop on pucks. We were not reloading with the same urgency. We didn’t take the simple decisions. We tried to make plays where there were no plays. That turnover goes on the other side. You take bad penalties. That kind of stuff. That’s just urgency. If you play for your life, you don’t do those things. It’s just what happened today. Those guys, they mean good. They want to do the right thing. They’re as mad as me right now. Nobody’s happy. They care; they care a ton. I have no doubt about it. We need to learn from it. That’s, unfortunately, the maturity part. Same thing when I was a young guy. You need to go through some adversity, some battle scars. So you learn from it and you get better…It’s frustrating, but it is what it is. I’m not mad at them. I’m mad at the situation. It’s (about) how we react to it. Adversity is what builds you. It shapes you. Either you become better or you become worse. If you become worse, that’s who you choose to be. That’s not what we will choose to be.”

The mood was much lighter in Anaheim’s locker room after the game which was filled with upbeat music including the resurgent Village People anthem “YMCA.” Ducks forward Robby Fabbri, who scored twice in the game, spoke about his team’s comeback. “I don’t think it was anything specific that we did. I think we just didn’t stray away from our team. When you’re down like that on the road, it’s easy just to pack it in. We don’t have that in our room here, and we showed that tonight.”

Anaheim’s head coach Greg Cronin addressed the media about keeping the faith when coming from behind. “I mean, it’s kind of a weird game, but there’s a lot of penalties. You know, they got up three to one, and I thought when it got four to one, there was that point in the game where we were trying to generate some energy internally to get the faith and the belief back. And then we got that second goal, which really changed the dynamic of the game. I didn’t attribute a lot to the physicality, I just thought we started skating more in the third period.” With regard to that third period, “Ironically, we had the five on three, and then we ended up making it a four on three. Then we ended up, you know, killing a penalty for 30 seconds… but I thought after that was over, we had that goal at the goal mouth [the third goal], when we made it four to three, that goal changed it. We could just tell there was more belief in our play, and then I think there was a little bit more confidence that if we got pucks down deep, we got them back, and would get an opportunity to get some scoring chances off of direct shots or rebounds.”

Cronin talked about the extra incentive to get a win for the dads who are tagging along on this road trip. “I don’t know what they were thinking about. I know after the second period, I had told them that the dads are here, and they have come a long way to watch you guys play. Let’s finish this off and get a win. Killorn’s dad, Matt, read the pregame lineup… he did a great job, so I’m gonna carry him with us on all the trips.”

Utah will immediately lace up their skates on Monday at 7:00pm MST for their final game before Christmas against the Dallas Stars. Dallas won their previous matchup 2-1 at Delta Center three weeks ago. The two teams are tied for points in the Central Division with 38 each, but Dallas has a game in hand.

Trouble in Sacramento Kings fall to Pacers 122-95

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox led with 23 points but the Kings would fall 27 points short of the Indiana Pacers at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sun Dec 22, 2024 (Sacramento Kings X photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–This isn’t going to be like my usual recaps. Normally, I would go through the game quarter by quarter and evaluate its progression. However, I can’t bring myself to write that kind of analysis Sunday night. The Sacramento Kings are broken, and I’m tired of repeating the same narrative every night. This is the lowest point of the season for the Kings, as they fell to the Indiana Pacers 122-95 on Sunday night.

On Sunday, the Kings gave up. It’s as simple as that. In the first half, they played decently enough to stay in the game, albeit against a not-so-good Indiana Pacers team. Both teams scored 52 points in the first half, as the Kings weren’t playing well but hadn’t yet resigned themselves to defeat. De’Aaron Fox scored 15 points in the first half, while no Indiana player had reached double digits.

In the second half, everything unraveled. How did it unravel, you might ask? Well, it was a typical Kings loss. Their defense was poor, their shooting was lackluster, and their effort appeared minimal to nonexistent throughout the entire second half. The team looked as if they had simply given up.

As the game ended and the final buzzer sounded, the Kings suffered a 122-95 loss. De’Aaron Fox led the team with 23 points but was far from efficient, shooting just 7-19 from the field. The Pacers, despite not having any player score more than 20 points, still won by over 25 points.

It was arguably the worst loss of the season, a sentiment echoed by Mike Brown in his postgame comments. When asked by reporter Sean Cunningham if this was the lowest point of the season, Brown replied, “Uh, this is pretty low. We’ve had some other tough moments…” Well, this truly was the lowest moment for the Kings. Sunday’s loss to the Pacers dropped their record to 13-17, four games under .500, marking their worst record of the season so far.

I’m not frustrated with Brown’s comments—after all, what is he supposed to say? He can’t publicly criticize the front office during a postgame press conference, even if it would be entirely justified. This team has dealt with the same issues for years, and the front office has either failed to make a deal to improve the roster or hasn’t even tried.

Frankly, it makes little difference which of these scenarios is true. The simple reality is that they have failed to address well-documented issues, and that responsibility falls on Monte and his team. Brown went on to say in his media availability that he is doing everything he can to find someone on the roster who will step up, stating, “I’m going to keep searching.”

The fans were visibly and audibly frustrated with the team. The Kings were booed off the court, and chants of “Keon Ellis” echoed through the Golden 1 Center rafters late Sunday night.

This is not how the season was supposed to unfold. The offseason addition of DeMar DeRozan and the re-signing of Malik Monk were, on paper, among the better moves the Kings have made in recent memory. While DeRozan’s fit with the team was never perfect, it seemed like a step forward for the franchise. The pitch to DeRozan and his team was simple: “Come to Sacramento for a chance to win.” So far, winning has been left in the rearview mirror for this group.

This was the final game for the Kings before Christmas. Their next matchup will be on Thursday at 7 PM at Golden 1 Center against the Detroit Pistons. Kings GM Monte McNair and owner Vivek Ranadivé must decide on the direction they want to take this franchise in the coming years.

Will they rebuild from scratch and trade the core, or will they retool around one of their current stars? One thing is certain: this roster needs to change, and the Kings likely won’t have to wait long to see that change.

49ers Finished For 2024 Post Season Birth Losing To Dolphins 29-17

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver (1) breaks through a tackle attempted by the Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Zach Sieler (92) at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Sun Dec 22, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

With not much left to play for other than pride, the San Francisco 49ers (6-9) took on the Miami Dolphins (7-8) on the road. The game was riddled with mistakes between two teams that had next to no chance for a wild card.

The Dolphins came out on top winning this game 29-17. Miami is still alive but barely breathing and the 49ers are finished for the season. San Francisco struggled throughout the game and capped it off with a Jake Moody, chip shot that missed, field goal in the third quarter. This was just how it went for the Niners in the 2024 season.

Game recap: The first quarter was a defensive battle throughout. The Dolphins finally got up on the scoreboard in the latter minutes of the opening quarter taking a 3-0 lead. Miami’s Jason Sanders kicked a 44 yard field goal to give the Dolphins the lead going into the second quarter. Neither team was able to generate much offense in the first quarter.

Both teams got some much improved offensive effort in the second quarter. Both teams scored a touchdown coupled with a field goal. San Francisco had the first touchdown of the game at 14:14. Quarterback Brock Purdy found Deebo Samuel for 16 yards, not only scoring the touchdown but taking the lead away from Miami 7-3.

The Dolphins Jason Sanders kicked a 38 yard field goal getting within one point 6-7. As the clock began to wind down on the half, Miami scored a Tua Tagovailoa to Tyreek Hill touchdown and the Dolphins were back in front 13-7. San Francisco’s Jake Moody kicked a 21 yard field goal with 1:36 left on the clock trailing at the half 13-10.

The third quarter show-cased two teams that had next to nothing to play for but pride. San Francisco did not score in the entire third quarter. The Dolphins were able to muster a couple of field goals taking a 19-10 lead. Miami’s Sanders kicked a 54 yard field goal at 10:57 and a second one at 1:08 for 33 yards to close out the quarter.

San Francisco put together a nice drive to open the fourth quarter. Brock Purdy found De’Von Achane for a couple of yards pulling to within two points 17-19. Miami took over for the reminder of the quarter scoring a 48 yard field goal followed by a spectacular De’Von Achane 50 yard rush for the game’s final touchdown at 1:36. The final was 29-17 in favor of the Dolphins. Miami’s kicker was perfect all day with five successful field goals.

Brock Purdy finished the game with two touchdowns and 313 passing yards. The Dolphins stuffed their rushing game only allowing 81 total yards. George Kittle had the high in receptions with 106 yards and eight catches.

Game notes: Going into week 16 of the 2024 NFL season the 49ers’ (6-9) chances for a wild card had sunk to a 1% chance and that is with a lot of help. Sunday they played another team with close to their record the Miami Dolphins (7-8) also struggling this season.

Both teams have struggled with injury throughout the season which can certainly make or break a successful run. Playing in Miami, the Dolphins were favored and won this game. The Dolphins still have an outside chance at a playoff berth but their chances are pretty slim albeit not as dismal as San Francisco’s next to none chances.

It has just been a horrible season for the San Francisco 49ers, a team that is crowded with undeniable talent but what could go wrong for a team did indeed go wrong for San Francisco this year. It has been disappointment after disappointment; they just couldn’t catch a break. With just two games left in the season they will took the field and played ball trying to continue to proudly uphold the franchise they represent with dignity and pride but it was just too much Miami Sunday for the loss.

Neither team has had a great season this year and this game was pretty even. Miami amassed 381 yards to 374 for San Francisco. The Dolphins came away without a single turnover and San Francisco gave up an interception.

Miami had 22 first downs and San Francisco had 20. This game was played on pretty even terms and San Francisco came up short. What the future holds for San Francisco from the players all the way up to the coaching staff remains to be seen as they go into the off season. There will no doubt be a lot of changes down the pike for the San Francisco 49ers.

49ers host the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football Dec 30th at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara for a 5:15PM PST.

Las Vegas Raiders podcast with Rich Perez: Raiders snap 10 game skid with close win over Jaguars 19-14 at Allegiant

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell (12) runs the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars in first half action at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sun Dec 22, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the Las Vegas Raiders podcast with Rich Perez:

#1 Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis was besides himself after the Raiders snapped their ten game losing streak to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium for a 19-14 victory.

#2 It took a long three months for the Raiders to pick up a win after losing ten straight games.

#3 Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell threw for 257 yards after coming back from an injury went 24-38 and threw no touchdowns but did enough to squeak by the Jaguars.

#4 Brock Browers the Raiders tight end said that the vibes in the dressing room were much better and it was a matter of just coming in and winning the game.

#5 The Raiders try to put together two wins in a row as they battle the New Orleans Saints next Sun Dec 29 at the Super Dome. Saints have a short week playing on Monday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers and then host the Raiders at the Super Dome Sunday.

Rich Perez does the Raiders podcasts after every home and away game at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Athletics Relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: A’s should have stayed in a big league park

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Sutter Health Ballpark future home of the Athletics for the 2025-27 seasons before they move onto Las Vegas in 2028 (AP file photo)

Athletics Relocaton podcast with Daniel Dullum:

#1 Big splashy talk about the A’s move . The Athletics who were on a tight budget and couldn’t afford to bridge the $36 million gap in 2023 with then Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao to make a deal to build Howard Terminal park couldn’t get that money together and now is finding money hidden in the many Oakland A’s couches to cover the construction cost the new Las Vegas stadium and sign some expensive players.

#2 Fans were duped into thinking the A’s didn’t have the budget to surpass the $62.1 million they had on their rosters for the last two years in player salary that was ranked a fifth of what the New York Yankees and Mets payroll was.

#3 The A’s who moved from the fifth largest TV market Oakland move to Sacramento the 20th mid size TV market for the interim 2025-2027 seasons and leaves for the 40th sized TV market Las Vegas in spring of 2028. On paper at least it looks as if the A’s will lose money but that might happen after a honeymoon with Sacramento and Las Vegas fans.

#4 The A’s during their last three years in Oakland had lost 307 games and one of the worst records in the game. Now the A’s had signed Luis Severino and are banking on Severino and newest signed pitcher Jeffrey Springs to hold the line for the upcoming 2025 season.

#5 The move to Sacramento helps keep the A’s within the same TV price range they were getting when they played in Oakland at $45 million.

Join Daniel Dullum for the A’s relocation podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Cal’s Chilly Evening In The South Bay: Bears’ Offense Disappears in 71-50 Loss To No. 23 SDSU

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

SAN JOSE, CA–Fifteen ACC basketball teams hit the hardwood on Saturday, and one–Cal–had a particularly difficult time gaining a feel for holiday hoops.

The Bears made 14 baskets in 40 minutes of play and were drubbed by No. 23 San Diego State, 71-50 at the San Jose Tip-Off in the SAP Center.

During a lengthy run by the Aztecs late in the first half, and immediately after another missed shot by Cal, coach Mark Madsen lost it for nearly 45 seconds, yelling at the officials, drawing a technical, and needing three, different staff members to provide physical restraint.

“Mad Dog at Midnight* (in the East)” probably drew big numbers for ESPN. But this game in a quiet, cavernous Shark Tank did not.

“San Diego State took us completely out of our offense,” Madsen said. “Our defense in the first half was OK. Our defense in the second half was poor.”

Only one made 3-pointer highlighted the first half, and when the Aztecs’ Nick Boyd hit two threes in the first minute of the second half, the game was essentially over with Cal trailing 31-16. The Bears slumped even further, trailing by as many as 27 before falling by 19.

“We stuck in the game with our defense,” SDSU coach Brian Dutcher said. “We started making some threes, and that opened up the game for us.”

“We couldn’t find a rhythm,” Madsen said. “They played with so much physicality, got us off our spots.”

Boyd led SDSU with 17 points, Miles Byrd and BJ Davis each scored 12.

Cal shot 25 percent for the game, and leading scorer Andrej Stojakovic missed his first nine shots from the floor, and was limited to 10 points. Jeremiah Wilkinson led Cal with 13 points.

The SAP Center provided Cal the floor earlier in the day, but that session was canceled when the rims appeared six inches too low, and the 3-point line was set at an improper distance.

The Aztecs couldn’t get to San Jose after a couple of canceled flights on Friday, and they ended up driving to Ontario to fly from there. That change completely severed the traveling party, all of whom outside the players and coaches ended up on busses that arrived less than an hour before game time.

All the upheaval was brushed off by both coaches, but Cal’s play obviously suffered. Dutcher, who has more than two decades coaching at San Diego State alone, was more effusive about what his Aztecs have accomplished despite challenging logistics.

“We had as good a non-conference we could have with the schedule we played. A loss to Gonzaga and a loss to Oregon is nothing to hang your head over. Wins obviously over Creighton, Houston and Cal, UC San Diego was 9-2. We put together a good non-conference resume,” Dutcher said.

Cal’s 50 points on Saturday were easily the fewest scored by a team on the ACC scoreboard. Stanford, with 61 points, and Georgia Tech with 65 were also challenged to score, and both lost as well. The Bears resume ACC play in Pittsburgh on New Years Day.

Oh, not to muddle Cal’s holiday cheer, but the Pitt Panthers scored 110 points on Saturday in dusting Sam Houston State to improve to 10-2.

Merry Christmas.

Cardinal Swarmed by the Ducks 76-61, inside the Shark Tank (San Jose Tip Off)

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Stanford Cardinal forward Maxime Raynaud (42) drives on the Oregon Ducks forward Supreme Cook (left) in first half action at SAP Center in San Jose on Sat Dec 21, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Stanford Cardinal (9-3, 1-0 ACC) were bombarded by the Flying Oregon Ducks (11-1, 1-1 Big 10) 76-61, in the Capital City of the Silicon Valley.

Stanford went scoreless for nearly four minutes to start the game. During that time frame, Oregon had a 4-0 run for their points production.

When the drought finally ended (16:10), it was on a Maxime Raynaud Trey, he added a dunk later, to go on his own personal 5-0 run and give his team their first lead, 5-4. There were six lead changes in the first 20-minute stanza.

The Ducks performed an 8-0 run, as well as a 9-0 one. They led by as many as 17 points before intermission, At the midway point of the game, Oregon led by that same margin, 36-19. Stanford shot a putrid 24% from the field, and worse (18%) from beyond the arc.

Neither team had a player with double-digit scoring; however, Raynaud led the Card with nine points and seven rebounds, while senior center Nate Bittle topped the Ducks with seven points and five rebounds.

Stanford shot considerably better from both perspectives in the second half. However, their deficit was as large as 26 points, despite outscoring the Ducks 42-40. That was assisted by a 10-0 run late in the game, but not close enough to tie, and there were no lead changes during minutes 20:01 – 40:00.

At the final whistle of game one of the San Jose Tip-Off, Oregon defeated the Santa Clara County based Stanford Cardinal by 15 points in the county’s capital city. Final score inside SAP Center, Oregon 76, Stanford 61.

The Cardinal presented two players who reached the 10+ points plateau. Raynaud led all players with 20 points and he also grabbed 13 rebounds, garnering another double-double for the senior forward. Junior guard Benny Gealer added 10 points to the Cardinal total.

The Ducks also produced two players with the aforementioned tally. Sophomore forward Kwame Evans Jr, (13) and sophomore guard Jackson Shelstad (10), while their leader at the half, Bittle, was close, with 9 points and 9 rebounds. Ex-Cardinal Brandon Angel offered a modest 7 points against his former university.

Stanford will next be in action on New Year’s Day in South Carolina, to take on new ACC foe Clemson Tigers at 4:00 PM EST on the ACC Network. The Ducks fly North back to Eugene Sunday, December 29 to host Weber State at 2:00 PM PT on B!G+.

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O: Rickey’s passing comes as a shock to sports world

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Rickey Henderson of the Oakland A’s waves to the crowd at the Oakland Coliseum after he stole third base to break Ty Cobb’s stolen base record in the seventh inning at the Oakland Coliseum May 30, 1990 (AP file photo)

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O:

#1 The passing of Rickey Henderson at age 65 comes as a shock. Rickey looked like a picture of health the last time he made two public appearances. The first one was at the A’s last home game ever in Oakland on Sep 26, 2024 and at the Reggie Jackson Classic one month later on Oct 27, 2024 all at the Coliseum.

#2 Rickey’s family made the sad announcement confirming Rickey’s former teammate Dave Winfield’s X tweet that announced Rickey’s passing on Friday night.

#3 Charlie, Rickey’s playing days he had that swagger once he came on the scene. Rickey even waved his glove at the fans in leftfield during his playing days.

#4 Rickey’s most famous moment came when he stole his 939th stolen base that broke Lou Brock’s stolen base record in 1991. Rickey holds the record for stolen bases in season at 130 and holds the record for the most bases stolen of all time at 1406.

#5 Charlie, I have to ask you in closing you and coachie had the opportunity to interview Rickey numerous times during his tenure with the A’s in Oakland. How special was that and what was that relationship like?

Charlie O does Headline Sports Sundays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Barracuda swept by Condors getting outscored 6-2

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 21: The San Jose Barracuda host the Bakersfield Condors at Tech CU Arena on December 21, 2024 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Andreea Cardani/San Jose Barracuda)

By Madison Montez

SAN JOSE-After being shutout last night, the Barracuda fall to the Condors 4-2 and get swept for the first time this season by Bakersfield.

Bakersfield got started scoring early after being scoreless through 2 periods in last nights game. Cam Dineen netted his 2nd goal of the season assisted by Connor Carrick and Drake Caggiula. With 8 seconds left on a Donovan Houle hooking penalty, Matthew Savoie scored his 7th goal of the season assisted by Lane Pederson.

The Condors kept the pressure on in the 2nd scoring 41 seconds apart at 10:00 and 10:41. Matvey Petrov scored his 8th of the season assisted by Connor Carrick and Jacob Perreault. Matvey Petrov has now scored in back to back games. Ronnie Attard scored the second goal which was his first of the season, unassisted. Filip Bystedt cut into Bakerfield’s 4-0 lead at 12:18 assisted by Ethan Cardwell to bring the score to 4-1 and avoid another shutout.

At 16:04 of the third, Filip Bystedt struck again scoring his 2nd of the night assisted by Collin Graf and Danil Guschin to cut Bakerfield’s lead down by 2.

THREE STARS OF THE GAME:

  • 1. Matvey Petrov
  • 2. Filip Bystedt
  • 3. Connor Carrick

The Barracuda will be back in action on Saturday December 28th for a 2 game series against the Henderson Silver Knights. The last time these two teams faced off was on Friday October 25th when the Barracuda won 5-3. Jimmy Schuldt, Andrew Poturalski, Anthony Vincent, Ethan Cardwell, and Filip Bystedt all registering goals.