Author: Sports Radio Service

Eagles rock Barracuda 5-1 sending them to sixth straight loss

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by Marko Ukalovic

LOVELAND, Colo- In a heated battle where both team combined for 40 penalty minutes, the Colorado Eagles proved their dominanace over the San Jose Barracuda in a 5-1 victory on Friday evening at Budwiser Events Center.

San Jose has lost a season-high six games in a row while Colorado have won three games in a row and sit in third place in the Pacific Division with 54 points.

Colorado (25-14-3-1) drew first blood in the first period. Kevin Connauton fed a home run pass from his own zone all the way into the ‘Cuda zone where AJ Greer pounced on the puck and chipped it over ‘Cuda goalie Zachary Sawchenko into the upper right corner for the first of his two goals on the night at the 12:09 mark.

San Jose (14-25-1-2) evened the score over four minutes later. Manny Weiderer fed a pass from center ice that sprung Noah Gregor on a breakaway. Gregor skated in and beat Eagles goalie Hunter Miska with a shot top-shelf for his seventh goal of the season at the 16:20 mark.

Things got chippy in the second half of the opening 20 minutes between the two Pacific Division rivals when two separate fights broke out. Lean Bergmann and Logan O’Connor tangoed with each other at the 12:19 mark. Then Jeffery Viel and Dan Renouf exchanged fisticuffs with 56 seconds left.

Colorado took control of the game in the second period en route to four unanswered goals. Shane Bowers fed a pass up the ice to Greer, who had just came out of the penalty box after his penalty had expired, that led to a breakaway. Greer skated in before depositing a backhander past Sawchenko for his second goal of the night and his 11th of the season at the 6:36 mark.

The ‘Cuda had a chance on the power play on to try to score the equalizer late in the middle frame. Instead Jayson Megna blocked a shot attempt by Nick DeSimone at the point and he in turn created his own breakaway opportunity. Megna buried a backhander past Sawchenko for a short-handed goal, his 16th goal of the season and co-team leader, at the 16:21 mark.

Colorado put the game away with two goals in the third. Eric Condra intercepted a cross ice pass inside the ‘Cuda zone. He skated in on net before he finding a wide open Bowers who tapped in the puck into an empty net for his ninth goal of the season at the 1:12 mark.

The Eagles completed the scoring when Greer sent a shot in from the left point that Condra redirected the puck past Sawchenko for his 12th goal of the season at the 12:46 mark.

Miska finished the night with 31 saves on 32 shots to earn his 10th win of the season. Sawchenko made 29 shots on 34 saves in suffering the loss.

GAME NOTES: San Jose went 0-for-4 on the power play. Colorado was 0-for-2.

Gregor snapped a six-game goalless drought.

The three stars of the night were 1) Greer 2) Miska 3) Bowers.

The announced attendance was 5,289.

UP NEXT: The same two teams battle it again on Saturday 2/8 at 6:00pm at the Budwiser Events Center.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Ozzie Guillen wants to manage again

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file photo from WBEZ 91.5 FM: Miami Marlins former manager Ozzie Gullien trying to explain himself to the media why he said he loved Fidel Castro back in 2012 which forced him out of baseball

Ozzie Guillén Wants to Manage again

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

Ozzie Guillén, born in Venezuela,was the first Latino-born manager to win a World Series as skipper of the Chicago White Sox when his team swept the Houston Astros in the 2005 World Series. Since then, Alex Cora,born in Puerto Rico managed the Boston Red Sox to a World Series title in 2018 over the Los Angeles Dodgers,becoming the second Latino manager to win the Fall Classic. Guillén is said to be looking for a job and return to the major leagues as a manager.

Guillén was also a very colorful player,a shortstop for 16 years with the White Sox,Orioles,Braves and Rays. Later he was a coach for the Expos and Marlins prior to managing the Chicago White Sox from 2004 to 2011. As a manager he posted a .513 winning percentage. Not short of controversy during his career. Always opinionated,he loves to talk,when he played and managed as he always had time for me and for an interview, I could roll tape forever,and many a times,I had to edit his interviews to make sure they fit the time I have on the broadcast.

In 2012 he told Time Magazine, “I love Fidel Castro” and that started a storm in Miami,a heavily Cuban populated city, Cubans who left their country because of Castro’s communist dictatorship. Later the Marlins issue a statement denouncing the Cuban dictator. Guillén was suspended five games and the fallout resulted with his ouster after the season. Marlins management at that time reported that attendance fell after those remarks and never recovered.

Jorge Ortíz, who was a writer for the US Today in 2012 called me and asked me about my opinion about what Guillén said,since I am Cuban-born and a broadcaster in the major leagues,below is part of his article:

“It’s like going to New York’s Jewish district and saying, ‘Hitler wasn’t so bad. He managed to stay in power for a few years,’ ” said veteran Spanish-language baseball announcer Amaury Pi-Gonzalez, who fled Cuba at age 17 and lived in Miami for five years. “Even a 9-year-old knows better than to say that in Miami. But I don’t think he’s really a fan of Castro or meant any harm. It’s just that he talks so much that sometimes he says things without thinking about them.”

I still feel the same way for Ozzie, a good man and a very good manager,I defended him then because here in the US we have the right to free speech, something that -by the way-still absent in Cuba for over six decades.

Ozzie GuilIén has not managed in the major leagues since 2012,he has been doing some television work and has kept-up with the game On February 2019 Guillén said “I want to manage again.“I know the game,I’m still close to it, so I see the game unfold. I watch the games now doing television and I’m still involved managing through the Venezuela Winter League.”

If not this season,I think we can expect the possibility of Guillén managing again,he would not mind going into the minor leagues to get the shot at managing again in the show. Talking with a lot of baseball fans,and recently during the Oakland Athletics Fanfest a couple of Venezuelan fans that know Guillén told me that he – Guillén (for sure) is still interested in the opportunity.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Museum, is the Spanish play by play voice of the Oakland A’s and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Dominicans win their 20th Caribbean Series defeating Venezuela 9-3

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February 8, 2020

By Lewis Rubman

Venezuela (6-2) 3 9 0

Dominican Republic (7-1) 9 12 0

HATO REY PUERTO RICO–In the early hours of this morning, the Toros del Este won the Dominican Republic’s twentieth Caribbean Series title by running rings around Venezuela’s Lara Cardinals in the final game of this year’s winter classic.

It was an exciting game, but no one was surprised by the outcome. Four members of the Toros had just been named to the Series’ all-star team, left fielder and lead off batter, Rubén Sosa, right handed reliever Ramón Ramírez, designated hitter Jordany Valdespín, and their Puerto Rican manager, Lino Rivera. Mexico was the only other team to have as large a representation.

The only member of the Venezuelan team named as an all star was shortstop, Alí Castillo. It was a tribute to Lara’s determination that it took as long as it did for the Dominicans to run away with the game.

And did they ever run! Their box score statistics for base running, two stolen bases, one runner picked off, and three advances on wild pitches, don’t begin to tell the story of this team that seemed to be in perpetual motion.

Box scores don’t tell you about leg hits, singles turned into doubles, frustrated double plays, runners taking off for the next base only to return after the batter follows off the pitch,.and the like. Sabremetrics might, but that’s a different story.

The Toros were leading 3-0 through four innings of play. Then, with two down and nobody on base, Adonis García singled to left, and Gorkys Hernández drove him in with a line drive double to center.

This Dominicans got their lead back and then some, scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth and another in the sixth. But Venezuela never let the game get out of hand. They added two tallies in the top of the seventh, bringing the score to 6-3.

The Redbirds brought the potential tying run to the plate with one out in their half of the eighth, when Oakland’s Jorge Mateo failed to come up with Carlos Rivero’s grounder to the Cardenales’ shortstop’s right. It wasn’t an easy play, and the scorer correctly ruled it a hit, but a better fielding shortstop might have made it.

The Toros ran away with the game, starting with one out in the bottom of the eighth. Mateo redeemed whatever fault he might have committed in the top of the inning by slamming a hard grounder down the left field line for a Mark Ellis double. Sosa walked.

Venezuela made its sixth pitching change of the game, and Pedro Rodríguez got Junior Lake to ground into a 6-4-3 double play. At least, that’s how first base umpire Kelvin Bultrón saw it. All-star manager Lino Rivera didn’t. He challenged the call vehemently enough to get kicked out of the game, although it wasn’t clear if his ejection came before, during, or after he engaged in a few acts of umpire pushing and dirt kicking (or maybe it was turf kicking (Santurce’s HIram Bithorn Stadium has an artificial playing surface).

Nonetheless, Rivera’s challenge was upheld, and the twin killing was turned into a force out at second. An infield single, a hit batter, and Abraham Almonte’s two bagger to right brought the score to 9-3, which is where it stayed until the final out was recorded.

Hernández’s RBI double was the only extra base hit for Venezuela. Almonte and Mateo doubled for the Dominican.

The DR’s starting pitcher, Paolo Espino, who pitched a total of twenty-four big league innings for two teams in 2017, got the win. Tim Peterson, Anthony Carter, Jumbo Díaz, Wirfin Obispo, and Ramón Ramírez gave him the bullpen support he needed. Espino yielded one run in five innings. Carter allowed the remaining two, while working just a third of an inning.

Venezuela’s starter, Wilfredo Ledesma, who gave up three runs, all earned, in as many innings, was saddled with the loss. He was followed by Francisley Bueno, Jesús Sánchez, Juan Sandoval, José Ascanio, Hassan Pena, Pedro Rodríguez, and Ricardo Gómez.

If enough goes according to plan, the sixty-third Caribbean Series will take place in Mazatlán next February.

NHL Podcast with Joe Lami: Will Sharks 3 goal win turn the corner?; Knights clobber Panthers 7-2; plus more

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photo from sfgate.com: San Jose Sharks’ Marc-Edouard Vlasic (44) and Edmonton Oilers’ Josh Archibald (15) race for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020, in Edmonton, Alberta.

NHL podcast with Joe Lami:

#1 The San Jose Sharks looks like they’ve turn a corner with a win over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night 6-3 and two goals scored by Timo Meier

#2 The Vegas Golden Knights Mark Stone found the back of the net twice, Stone also helped out on the big offensive night for the Knights with three assists in Vegas’ win over the Florida Panthers 7-2

#3 The Carolina Hurricane’s Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho both scored a goal each in the Canes win over the Arizona Coyotes in a two goal victory 5-3

#4 The New York Islanders Kieffer Bellows scored two goals in a night to remember for Bellows his first two goals of his NHL career that lent a 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings

#5 The Nashville Predators got a one goal win over the Calgary Flames 3-2 on Thursday night as the Preds Mikael Granlund scored a goal and picked up an assist

Joe Lami does the NHL podcast each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports with London Marq: AT&T underway with Mickelson back; Warriors dealing at the deadline; plus more

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photo from sfgate.com: Comedian Bill Murray takes a cut on the green at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am on Thu Feb 6, 2020

On Headline Sports podcast with London:

#1 The AT&T at Pebble Beach Pro Am is under way and fan favorite Phil Mickelson is there. Mickelson won last year’s tournament by three shots.

#2 The Golden State Warriors were sellers dealing Glen Robinson III and Alec Burks to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night and dealing D’Angelo Russell to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night

#3 Talk about some of the San Francisco Giants pitchers vying for a spot in the rotation to name a few, Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, Shaun Anderson, Tyler Beade, Derek Rodriguez, and Aaron Saurez.

#4 Former Cincinnati Red Pete Rose is asking MLB for reinstatement citing sign stealing and steroids issues that might support his defense to have a shot into the Hall of Fame

#5 The Sacramento Kings host a very talented Miami Heat team on Friday night at Golden One Center in Sacramento. The Kings are coming off a big win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

London does Headline Sports each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Caribbean Series Semi Finals Game 2: Dominicans get past Puerto Rico in a real nail biter 4-3

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February 7

By Lewis Rubman

Puerto Rico (2-4) 3 5 9

Dominican Republic (5-1) 4 7 1

HATO REY, PUERTO RICO–Right after Puerto Rico’s gut wrenching 5-4 loss to the Dominican Republic in the last game of this year’s Caribbean Series, some one asked José Valentín, the manager of Puerto Rico’s team, the Santurce Cangrejeros (Crabbers), how he felt about fellow Puerto Rican Lino Rivera managing the Dominican entry. Knowing that the two teams would face each other again, in the following day’s one and done semi-final, Valentín answered, “All I can see is that for one of us, it’ll be his last game.”

That following day was last night, and it was Valentín would managed his last game of the Series.

For a long time, it looked as if it would be the other way round. The Santurce Cangrejeros (Crabbers), representing the Island of Enchantment, got off to any early lead, but in a way that boded ill for the team’s hopes for the championship.

The Puerto Rican squad loaded the bases, with one out in the top of the second and Cuban right hander Yunesky Maya on the mound for the Dominicans. Roberto Peña then reached first on a bunt single-quite a move for a catcher-as Raymond Fuentes crossed the plate and the two other runners moved up a base. Henry Ramos smacked a hard single to right, driving in Ozzie Martínez, Jan Hernández following closely on his heels.

But Junior Lake made a magnificent throw from right field, but home plate umpire Emil Jiménez called the runner safe, to the mostly Puerto Rican crowd’s delight. That was the start of the foreboding, because review umpire Iván Mercado reversed the decision, killing the rally.

The Dominicans chipped a run of Puerto Rico’s lead, but they got that back in the fifth. Puerto Rico quickly added a run in their half of the sixth. The Dominican cut Puerto Rico’s 3-2 lead to 3-2 in their half of that inning and almost eliminated it entirely.

A walk,a single, and a stolen base, followed by Wilken Castillo’s infield single scored a run and put men on first and second with no one out. They moved up a base on an infield out. Gustavo Núñez hit what looked like a sacrifice fly, but Jan Hernández did his best Ramón Laureano imitation, and threw Abraham Almonte out at the plate. It was Junior Lake’s second inning throw to the plate all over again, down to the long wait before the the result of the replay was announced.

It was now the bottom of the eighth, and the bottom fell out of Puerto Rico’s chances. Facing number 13 Nicholas Padilla, Jordany Espín singled to right. Peter O’Brien sent him to third with a double to center. Francisco Cruz came into the game to relieve Padilla and uncorked a wild pitch, which allowed Espín to score and Alen Hanson, pinch running for O’Brien to advance to third. Almonte lofted a sacrifice fly to center, and the Domincan led, 4-3.

Fernando Abad, who had entered the game to get the final out in the top of the eighth, got the side out in the ninth and the win. It was a good game for players with Oakland connections. Jorge Mateo went one for three, raising his average for the Series to .250.

Padilla took the loss.

The Dominican Toros del Este take on the Venezuelan Lara Cardenales for the Series crown tomorrow night at 8:00.

Utes outlast Cardinal in overtime 64-56

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gostanford.com photo

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Thursday, February 6, 2020

Utah used a 14-6 overtime run to knock off Stanford 64-56 Thursday in Pac-12 men’s basketball at Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.

Freshman guard Jaxon Brenchley hit a 3-pointer from the left baseline that gave the Utes a 57-53 lead with 2:08 to play in overtime. After a defensive stop, Brenchley penetrated the lane and dished off to Branden Carlson for a dunk, increasing Utah’s lead to six at the 1:10 mark of OT.

Stanford was 2 of 10 shooting in the extra period.

The Cardinal had the last possession of regulation. After a clock malfunction forced a five-minute monitor review, Stanford inbounded from mid-court. Tyrell Terry’s 25-foot jumper missed at the horn.

Stanford (16-6 overall, 5-4 Pac-12) had its last lead at 50-49 on a Terry jumper with 49 seconds remaining in the second half. Utah’s Timmy Allen hit one of two free throws with 3.9 seconds left to tie the game at 50-50.

Allen and Carlson led the Utes (13-9 overall, 3-6 Pac-12) with 15 points apiece, with Riley Battin adding 11, and Rylan Jones finished with six assists.

Battin led Utah rebounders with 11 boards, with Carlson next with 10 rebounds and eight blocks, as the Utes outrebounded Stanford 39-37.

Terry was the Cardinal’s top scorer with 14 points, followed by Daejon Davis with 12. Oscar da Silva added eight points and a team-high 11 rebounds. Bryce Willis finished with nine points.

The Cardinal shot 35.4 percent from the field (23 of 65, 6 of 22 3-point), while Utah shot 36.8 percent (21 of 57, 6 of 19 3-point).

Utah led 28-22 at halftime.

The Cardinal’s road trip continues Saturday afternoon in Boulder, Colo., when they visit No. 24 Colorado.

Caribbean Series: Venezuelans get shutout eliminate Mexico 1-0

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February 6

By Lewis Rubman

Mexico (4-2) 0 9 0

Venezuela (5-1) 1 2 0

HATO REY, PUERTO RICO–Three Mexican pitchers held Venezuela to hits this afternoon, but that was all the Venezuelans needed to eliminate their rival and advance to the final confrontation of the second second Caribbean Series, which will take place tomorrow evening, starting at 8:00 Atlantic time.

Venezuela’s Lara Cardenales looked set to establish a significant lead in the bottom of the third. Gorkys Hernández, who came to the plate with a raquitic batting average of .200 for the Series, opened the frame with a walk off of Zack Dodson, who was starting for the Tomateros de Culiacán, champions of the Mexican Pacific League. Dodson got the next batter, Juan Apodaca, to ground out to third, moving Hernández up a base in the process.

Wellington Dotel’s rule book double brought in Hernández in with what proved to be the game’s only tally. It didn’t look like that would be the case when the next batter for the Cardinals launched a hard line drive towards left center field. Hernández, playing center, dashed to his right, speared the ball, and fired it in to shortstop Alí Castillo at second to double up Dotel, who was unable to return in time. ´ Mexico had several chances to undo the damage.

They left runners on second and third in the fourth. Alí Solis was thrown out at home with one out in the fifth, trying to score on Rico’s grounder to short. José Guadalupe Chávez led off the ninth with single to left off Pedro Rodríguez. Solís tried to get him into scoring position with a sacrifice.

Rodríguez foiled him with a high, hard heater that caught Mexico´s catch leaning back and unable to drop down a decent bunt. Instead,the ball bounced sharply to first baseman Osmán Marval, who fired it to shortstop Castillo at second. In a marvel of clockwork infielding, Castillo relayed Marval’s throw to second baseman Alex Amarista, covering first. The resultant double play left Juan Carlos Gamboa as Mexico’s last, best hope.

He grounded out to short.

Losing pitcher Dotson went six innings, giving up Venezuela’s single tally and both of its hits. He deserved better. Derrick Loop and Sasagi Sánchez closed Venezuela down for the rest of the game.

The win went to starter Logan Darnell, who gave up six hits over his seven innings of works. He was relieved by José Ascanio (no hits in one inning), Francisely Buenos (no hits in a third of an inning), Richardo Gómez (none in two-thirds of an inning), and Rodríguez (one hit/one inning), who got the save.

Venezuela will play the winner of tonight’s game between Puerto Rico’s Santurce Crabbers and the Dominican’s Eastern Tigers tomorrow night for the championship.

Caribbean Series: Dominicans scratch a run to get by Puerto Rico 5-4 on Thursday

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February 6, 2020

By Lewis Rubman

Dominican Republic (4-1) 5 7 0

Puerto Rico (2-3) 4 10 1

Winning pitcher: Jhan Marinez, in relief (1-0, 0.00)

Losing pitcher: Jason García (0-1, 9.00)

Save: Ramón Ramírez(3)

HATO REY, PUERTO RICO–After Mexico’s tidy victory over Colombia, highlighted by Edgar Torres’s seven and two-third innings of one hit ball, played before a sparse audience, last night’s rowdy battle before a near sell out crowd (also rowdy) was a quite a contrast. Not a surprising contrast, but nonetheless a strong one.

The game itself provided internal contrasts. There was some excellent fielding. In the top of the second, Emmanuel Rivera alertly made a strong and accurate throw after his spectacular stop of a shot off the bat of Gustavo Núñez to retire Abraham Almonte at home and keep the game a scoreless tie. There also was some sloppy fielding. In the top of the third, Jack López mishandled a throw, which broke up a double play. Later on in that inning, the Dominicans jumped ahead on Jhordanny Valdespín’s three run homer.

Puerto Rico began a comeback by scoring once in the bottom of the third, on a double by Emmanuel Rivera that drove in López. In the fourth, the hosts played little ball, turning singles, a sacrifice, a walk, and a wild pitch into a 4-3 lead. They would have scored more if home plate umpire David Arrieta’s safe call on Raymond Fuentes hadn’t been reversed on appeal. Valdespín drove in Junior Lake and Rubén Sosa on a double in the fifth, bringing the score to 5-4, and they never relinquished that lead.

The results are in. Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela are in a three-way day for first place at 4-1, while Puerto Rico has earned the last remaining replace in the play-off schedule, bringing up the rear of the qualifiers at 2-3. Colombia and Panama have been eliminated.

Because there is a three-way tie, the complicated tie-breaking rules have come into play. I’ve translated the relevant portions from the Caribbean Professional Baseball Federation’s web site.

“Among three teams who share the same place in the standings with the same won-lost percentage, the the winner of the group will be the one that obtains the best result in the TQB (Team Quality Balance), which is reached by the number of runs scored, divided by the number of innings played at bat, less the number of runs allowed,, divided by the number of innings played in the field (RS/IPO)-(RA/IPD)=TQB.

To calculate the TQB the outcomes of games between the involved teams will be taken into account. If the equality between two or more teams exists, the group’s winner will be the one that gets the best result from the ER-TQB formula (Earned Runs Team’s Quality Balance), which is obtained from the sum of the number of earned runs scored, divided by the number of innings at bat, less the number of earned runs allowed, divided by the number of innings played in the field (ERS/IPO)-(ERA/IPD)=ER-TQB. If the equality between two or more teams continues, the positions will be decided by batting average; and if none of the previous criteria is effective, the standings and classifications will be decided by lot.”

Based on the above, the Series organizers announced at last night’s game the following schedule for tomorrow, now today:

2:30: Mexico vs. Venezuela, with Venezuela as the home team; 8:00: Puerto Rico vs. the Dominican Republic, with the Dominican as home team.

Cal Bears podcast with Michael Duca: Improved Golden Bears get another test in Colorado on Thursday night

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calbears.com photo: Cal prepares for their game against the Buffaloes in Colorado on Thursday night

Cal Bears podcast with Michael Duca:

#1 Cal (10-9) played a close game against the Oregon Ducks (18-4) on Thursday losing by five points 77-72 Cal gave it their all and could have very well won this game

#2 Cal was coming off a huge win against the Stanford Cardinal (16-4) and then played a very close game against a nationally ranked team like Oregon speaks to the improvement of the team in just a short time after taking a ten point loss in UCLA

#3 Cal also hosted a much improved Oregon State Beavers (13-9) team and beat the Beavers by two points 69-67 in a game where it’s a two point difference it reflects that it’s a all team effort as oppose to relying on one guy

#4 The Cal numbers are improved on offense the Bears had four players finish in double figures against OSU including leading scorer Matt Bradley with 25 points.

#5 The Bears head to Colorado (17-5) to face the Buffaloes on Thursday night the Buffaloes are a tough customer can Cal head coach Mark Fox and the Bears keep it going in this style of basketball

Michael Duca does the Cal Bears basketball podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com