Author: Sports Radio Service

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: NCAA to follow President’s order ban on Transgender women

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Former San Jose State University Spartans Volleyball player Blaire Fleming (3) a trans player from the 2024 team. According to the California International Scholastic Federation trans students are allowed to participate in school programs in California. The NCAA says trans players going forward in other states will be banned (facebook photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

Last year, San José State University was at the center of the transgender athlete controversy after a team member sued the school and the conference over the inclusion of a transgender teammate. Other schools also were involved in similar situations.

Today, the NCAA announced it would follow President Trump’s signing of an executive order to bar Transgender women from competing in women’s college sports. The sports organization announced on Thursday that transgender women will be barred from competing in N.C.A.A. women’s college sports, a day after President Trump effectively forced the decision by reversing federal policy. “We strongly believe that clear, consistent, and uniform eligibility standards would best serve today’s student-athletes instead of a patchwork of conflicting state laws and court decisions,” Charlie Baker, the president of the N.C.A.A., said in a statement. “To that end, President Trump’s order provides a clear, national standard.” The rules varied by sport, especially as to how much testosterone could remain in a transgender woman’s blood following hormone therapy.

USA Volleyball, for instance, allowed an athlete to compete as a woman, even with testosterone levels typical of many men. U.S. Rowing’s limit for college athletes was just one-fourth of volleyball’s. This is common sense, so this controversy is history for collegiate sports.

Polls around the country on this issue showed that 69% of the American people agree that biologically born men who are later trans to female should not be allowed to play in women’s sports. I am not an attorney, and I know you can sue a ham sandwich, so there could be lawsuits all over the place, but in my opinion, since the majority of popular opinion in this country agrees, more than likely, this will stay, especially when the NCAA agrees with this decision.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977, a role he continues to this day (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame

NHL podcast with Len Shapiro: Knights stay perfect in New Jersey with 3-1 win; Lightning open up some offense on Ottawa in 5-1 win; plus more NHL news

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Vegas Golden Knights Tomas Hertl (right) brings the puck up ice against the New Jersey Devils Jack Hughes (left) in the first period at the Prudential Center in Newark on Thu Feb 6, 2025 (AP News photo)

On the NHL podcast with Len Shapiro:

#1 The Vegas Golden Knights had goals scored from three different players in their 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on Thursday night. Jack Eichel, Nicolas Roy, and Shea Theordore scored a goal each. Adin Hill will be representing Canada in goal during the 4 Nations Face off on Feb 12-20. Hill stopped 14 shots for the Knights. The Knights have not lost a game in New Jersey in their seven games there since coming into the NHL.

#2 Brayden Point scored a goal and had two assists as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Ottawa Senators 5-1 at Amalie Arena on Thursday night. The Bolts Jake Guentzel and Brandon Hagel scored a goal apiece. Nikita Kucherov had two assists and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 27 shots. It was Tampa Bay’s second win over three days against Ottawa.

#3 Alexander Ovechkin scored his 879th goal on a on timer just inside of the right face off circle at 19:07 in the first period and is now 16 goals shy of passing Wayne Gretzky for the NHL record of 894 goals. Ovechkin has a hot hand right now he has scored in four straight games with 26 goals on the season. The Washington Capitals get a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.

#4 Dylan Guenther scored an overtime goal for the second straight game and the Utah Hockey Club edged the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. Guenther scored at 4:27 getting a pass from goaltender Connor Ingram and got a breakaway scoring on his own rebound for the win.

#5 Filip Gustavsson saved 38 shots for the Minnesota Wild as they win in a one goal difference over the Carolina Hurricanes at the Xcel Energy Center in St.Paul on Thursday night 2-1. Gustavsson made quite a recovery in net after allowing six Ottawa Senators goals in his last start.

Len Shapiro does the NHL podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings host Pelicans Saturday look to get back in win column

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Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (00) and the Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis (23) battle for the basketball in the first half at the Moda Center in Portland on Thu Feb 6, 2025 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 The Portland Trail Blazers Anfernee Simons scored 30 points and shot for eight 3 pointers as the Portland Trailblazers picked up their sixth win in a row at the Moda Center in Portland over the Sacramento Kings in a 108-102 win on Thursday night.

#2 Matching up scorers for the Trail Blazers Shaedon Sharpe hit 24 points and helped the Blazers win their tenth game out of their last 11 games. The Kings DeMar DeRozan scored 22 points and the Kings continue to suffer losing five of their last six games.

#3 In spite of the loss the Kings had a one point lead on the Blazers after DeRozan hit a jumper an added a free throw with 6:36 remaining in the game. Sharpe scored a three pointer after that and the Blazers never looked back.

#4 The Kings Zach Levine who made his debut on Wednesday finishing third in scoring and finished with DeRozan for first in scoring with 22 points. How is Levine looking so far?

#5 The Kings return back to Sacramento to host the New Orleans Pelicans for a 7:00pm tip on Saturday. The Pelicans are in dead last in the Western Conference at 12-39 and have lost seven straight games. Jeremiah this might be the Kings best chance to get back in the win column after losing their last two games.

Jeremiah Salmonson does the Kings podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

https://soundcloud.com/sports-radio-service/sacramento-kings-podcast-with-jeremiah-salmonson-fri-feb-7-2025

 

 

Sharks Fell Short Again in OT Loss Against the Canucks

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Drew O’Connor shot on goal on Vitek Vanecek during overtime at SAP Center in San Jose on Feb 6 (Vancouver Canucks Archive.)

After a painful loss against the Habs, the Sharks have to find a way to get back on track… It did not come Thursday night against the Vancouver Canucks.

By: Fernando Abarca

SAN JOSE –– Thursday night action at the tank and once again the Sharks hosted a Canadian neighbor, the Vancouver Canucks the Sharks wound up losing by another one goal game this time 2-1. Last time at the Tank, the Sharks lost against the Montreal Canadiens with a 4-3 score, with the Habs scoring the goal that gave them the victory in the final minutes of the third, leaving no time for the Sharks to recover last Tuesday night.

The Canucks won their last game against the Avalanche going through a long stretch of winless games since Jan 18, when the Canucks played the Edmonton Oilers. The Sharks added another loss and have gone winless since Jan 14, when the Teal played Detroit.

During the first two periods of the game, the game remained scoreless. Worth mentioning that the first 40 minutes of the game were full of penalties

Both teams were very balanced and even throughout the match. It is worth noting that San Jose was more aggressive during the second period, showing heart and attitude.
Vancouver was under pressure, but Vitek Vanecek had a great performance after being absent from the team since Dec 14.

The action began to be seen in the third period with a goal at 14:40 with a goal by the visitors at 14:40 when Dakota Joshua, with a tip-in shot on a PowerPlay, took the lead 1-0 assisted by Pius Suter and Tyler Myers.

The game looked like it wasn’t going to end 1-0, and just as it looked, it ended up being that way, with Tyler Toffoli scoring with 1.28 left in regulation to give San Jose some life and a chance.

The chance for the long-awaited victory fell short, and this time, the star, Macklin Celebrini, was marked with a penalty for hooking against Drew O’Connor. O’Connor scored an unassisted scored his second goal for Vancouver, and the game winner to call it a night.

With this loss, San Jose is on the verge of going a full month with no victories. The Sharks will host a final game at home against Dallas, with the possible homecoming of former Sharks of Cody Ceci and Mikael Grandlund before the 4 Nations break.

Kings Inability to Contain Trail Blazers Long Ball Spells Another Loss For Sacramento 108-102

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Sacramento Kings forward Domanta Sabonis (11) and Portland Trailblazers center Deandre Ayton (2) battle for a rebound at the Moda Center in Portland Thu Feb 6, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

In a hotly contested game the Sacramento Kings (25-26) fell to the red-hot Trail Blazers (23-29) 108-102. This was Portland’s sixth win in a row and their 10th win of the last 11 games. The Kings had this game pretty within their reach but the final three minutes of the game proved to be their undoing.

Domantas Sabonis fouled out in the final minutes and the Kings just fell short. Despite not having any practice time with his new team, Zach LaVine finished with 19 points and we are sure to see a lot more with each game. The Blazers killed Sacramento with 16 shots from behind the arc while the Kings could not keep pace shooting for 10 three’s.

Game recap: The opening quarter was a most competitive one and after the first 12 minutes of play the game was tied at 27. The second quarter continued to be a back and forth fight with the Trail Blazers outscoring the Kings 27-23 and leading at the half 54-50. The Trail Blazers had taken as much as a five point lead in the second quarter.

DeMar DeRozan had a slow start in the first half. Domantas Sabonis also had a quiet first quarter but began to heat up in the second. The good news for Sacramento was that they were hanging in this game in the first half. The shot that was taking its toll was the three and it was Portland that was hitting them. They just could not miss and the Kings would need to shut that down in the third quarter.

After a back and forth first half, the Kings began to take a bit of a lead towards the end of the third quarter. With 1:57 left in the third the Kings had taken a 77-71 lead but Portland came roaring back to pull to within one point 77-76 in the final seconds.

As the third quarter came to an end, the Trail Blazers had taken back the lead 79-77. After turning the ball over 11 times in the first half, the Trail Blazers only had two in the quarter. The Kings had eight turnovers through three quarters. This game had been closely contested and it all came down to the fourth quarter. Sacramento was aiming to break Portland’s five game win streak and they would need to dig deep to do it.

The Trail Blazers continued to taunt the Kings with three more shots from beyond the arc to start the final quarter. With 9:24 left in the game Portland had hit 14 three’s. At the ten minute mark, the Trail Blazers had taken an 85-79 lead.

The Kings answered taking back the lead only to relinquish it back to Portland 96-93 at 3:55 in this fast paced game. In a game this tight, Sacramento had plenty of opportunity to come out of this one with a win.

The largest lead for both of these teams had been six points apiece. In a horrible turn with under three minutes left on the clock, Domantas Sabonis fouled out of the game and the Kings would really have their work cut out for them. The Kings inability to shut down the Trail Blazers three-point shot was their undoing. The final was 108-102 in favor of Portland.

The Kings entire starting lineup finished the game in double figures. Domantas Sabonis had his customary double double with 14 rebounds and 10 points. The high for the Kings was DeMar DeRozan with 22 followed by Malik Monk with 21 and Zach LaVine with 20.

The high score for the Trail Blazers was Anfernee Simons with 30 points. They got some great work off the bench from Shaedon Sharpe with 24 points. They finished with 35 points off the bench to the Kings 15 points.

Game notes: After a tough loss to the Miami Heat at Golden 1 Wednesday night the Kings were back on the road in Portland to take on the Trail Blazers. Portland is on a roll winning ten of their last 11 games and five in a row.

The Heat ruined the debut of new King Zach LaVine who finished the game with 13 points as he continues to work into the Sacramento lineup. Having played Wednesday night, the Kings has had practically no practice time with LaVine.

Thursday night, the Kings couldn’t contain Deandre Ayton as well as points from beyond the arc in which the Blazers excel Ayton had 18 points, in fact, Portland shot 14 three’s in Wednesday night game against the Pacers. With the course that Portland is on right now, the Blazers proved a tough matchup especially since this game was at Moda Center.

The Kings have now suffered two losses in a row and will be looking to put an end to this unsavory streak when they take on the New Orleans Pelicans at Golden 1 on Saturday night. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Cardinal Attacked by Demon Deacons 79-73; drop first ACC home game, on a Late Wednesday Night on the Farm

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Stanford Cardinal forward Donavin Young (2) keeps the ball away from Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard Cameron Hildreth (6) at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto Wed Feb 5, 2025 (Stanford Cardinal X photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — The Stanford Cardinal (15-8, 7-5 ACC) were unable to exorcise the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (17-6, 9-3 ACC) and subdue their East Coast visitors at venerable Maples Pavilion, 79-73, and their home conference unbeaten streak (5-1) comes to an end on Hump Day.

The Cardinal started the conference contest with a Ryan Agarwal 3-pointer and momentum very early in the half. The Demon Deacon immediately responded with a 6-0 run and put themselves into the lead moments later. Both teams exchanged leads and ties frequently in the first 20 minutes of gameplay. As a matter of fact, there were 7 lead changes and 6 ties before recess.

Wake Forest also had an 8-0 run and led by as many as 9 points in the first stanza. Stanford was in front by a maximum of 5 points during that same block of time.

By halftime, the Demon Deacons were able to hold on to a three point advantage, 40-37. This was with major help from their senior guard Cameron Hildretth. He was the only player on both teams in double-digit scoring territory, with 15 points. Senior forward Maxime Raynaud led the Cardinal with 9 points and 6 rebounds.

The second half was similar to Groundhogs Day, because Agarwal opened the final 20-minute segment with another trey. Wake Forest also liked the special day, because they responded again with a hefty run, trumping the momentous jumper from beyond the arc.

They both had a similar back and forth battle in the second half. There were 10 more lead changes, and an additional 6 ties. A barnburner was happening, most appropriately, on the proverbial Farm.

Six other players, on both sides, eclipsed the 10+ points plateau, in the second half. That prompted a nip and tuck fight to the 40 minute buzzer. As that time frame elapsed, the Demon Deacons’ evilness prevailed, to the tune of a six point victory, 79-76. Maples Pavilion suffered its first loss of the inaugural ACC venture.

Raynaud led the Cardinal with yet another double-double (16 points and 10 rebounds) and was within range of a triple-double, with 6 assists. Junior forward Chisom Okpara (14), Agarwal (12) and Oziyaha Sellers (10), were the other players with at least 10 points to their tallies.

As for the Demon Deacons, Holdreth led all players with 22 points. He had three other teammates in double-digit scoring: Hunter Sallis (19) added 7 rebounds and 5 assists to his total, Ty-Laur Jackson (14) also grabbed 6 rebounds, and Tre’Von Spillers (12) contributed 5 rebounds to his team.

Stanford will next be in action Saturday, February 8, as they host North Carolina State Wolfpack at 4:00 PM PT, on the ACC Network. Wake Forest travels across the Bay, on the same date, to take on Cal at 2:00 PM, also on the ACC Network.

Kings Struggle in First Game After Fox Trade, Fall to Magic 130-111

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Zach LaVine drives towards the basket against the Orlando Magic (Photo Sacramento Kings on X)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO – The Sacramento Kings returned to action on Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, welcoming the Orlando Magic for a 7 PM PST matchup. The Kings ultimately fell to the Magic, 130-111.

The Kings came home bruised and battered after a grueling 2-4 road trip that took them across the country. During the stretch, Sacramento secured wins against the Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves but suffered defeats against the New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Denver Nuggets. However, the biggest story of the trip was the seismic shift in the franchise’s roster. The week marked the departure of longtime franchise cornerstone De’Aaron Fox, along with Kevin Huerter. Rumors had circulated for weeks that Fox was likely to be moved before the trade deadline, and the speculation became reality when the Kings sent Fox and Huerter to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Zach LaVine, along with three first-round picks and three second-round picks. It was the end of an era for Sacramento, as Fox had been with the team for the past eight seasons.

The trade sparked mixed emotions throughout Sacramento, but the city was ready to turn the page and embrace the new-look Kings.

The game began with the Kings struggling to find their rhythm. In the first quarter, Sacramento was outscored 37-31, as the offense visibly adjusted to its new personnel. Domantas Sabonis and Franz Wagner led all scorers with nine points each. The second quarter saw a more composed effort from the Kings, who outscored the Magic 29-25 to narrow the gap heading into halftime. Sacramento settled in defensively and dictated the pace more effectively, but offensive cohesion remained a work in progress. Zach LaVine, playing his first game with the team, looked somewhat out of sync within the offensive flow—an understandable adjustment period. By halftime, Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 16 points apiece, while Orlando’s Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero combined for 30 first-half points. The Kings entered halftime trailing 62-60.

The second half unraveled quickly for Sacramento. In what was an uncharacteristic collapse, the Kings suffered a disastrous third quarter, being outscored 42-23. The game, competitive in the first half, spiraled into a blowout quickly. Orlando opened the third quarter with a 10-0 run, and Sacramento never regained its footing. Heading into the fourth, the Kings trailed 104-83. The final period offered little improvement, as Sacramento failed to regain control, ultimately falling 130-111.

Turnovers played a significant role in the Kings’ defeat. Sacramento committed 19 turnovers, leading to 28 points for Orlando. While the Kings’ shooting wasn’t abysmal, gifting the opponent additional possessions proved costly. Sabonis led Sacramento with 21 points, while Wagner spearheaded the Magic’s victory with 31 points.

After the game, Doug Christie and Domantas Sabonis addressed the media. Sabonis maintained an optimistic tone, downplaying the loss as part of the growing pains that come with roster changes. “We just need to keep trusting,” he said. “We’re going to watch film and teach Zach some of the new things we’re doing because we all need to mesh together… The first half wasn’t that bad, but the second half got out of hand.”

Doug Christie, on the other hand, was far more blunt in his assessment. “Unacceptable in a lot of different ways, especially on the defensive end,” he stated. “Must, must be better. Must play with a level of energy, intensity, physicality, and aggressiveness that I want to see—and that I believe they have begun to expect from themselves. But that wasn’t it.”

Up Next: The Kings will travel to Portland to take on the Trail Blazers in the second night of a back-to-back. Tip-off is set for 7 PM PST.

Golden Bears cruise to 74-62 win over Wolfpack

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Cal Bears guard Jovan Blackshear Jr (10) raises a hand to teammates against the NC State Wolfpack at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Wed Feb 5, 2025 (Cal Bears X)

By Daniel Dullum
Wednesday, February 5, 2025

California continued to enjoy success in Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball Wednesday, as the Golden Bears defeated North Carolina State 74-62 at Haas Pavilion.

Jovan Blacksher led Cal (12-11 overall, 5-7 ACC) with 18 points, followed by Jeremiah Wilkinson with 14 points. Joshua Ola-Joseph added 13 points and Mady Sissoko pulled down 13 rebounds.

Andre Stojakovic returned to the Golden Bears lineup from illness and contributed six points. He hadn’t played since Jan. 18, also against NC State.

Cal led 34-30 at halftime. A key factor in the Golden Bears’ win was their defense, which held NC State to 2 of 12 shooting over the final 6 1/2 minutes. The Wolfpack (9-13 overall, 2-9 ACC) missed nine shots during that stretch.

A Rytis Petraitis 3-pointer put the Golden Bears up 47-46 with 13 minutes remaining in the second half. Petraitis later gave Cal 62-54 lead with under seven minutes to go. Cal put the finishing touches on the victory with a 10-0 run, giving them a 72-57 advantage with 90 seconds to play.

Marcus Hill led the Wolfpack with 20 points. NC State has lost seven consecutive games.

This Saturday, the Golden Bears host Wake Forest at 4 p.m., while NC State visits Stanford.

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal takes on Louisville Thursday in bid for 21st win

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Martz Suarez forward (7) of the Cal Bears takes a jump shot against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley on Sun Feb 2, 2025. (Cal Bears X photo)

#1 In the Cal Bears (20-4) last game Marta Suarez and Ioanna Krimili scored 16 points a piece and Lulu Twidale had 15 points as Cal picked up fourth win in their last six games against the Pittsburgh Panthers (9-15) 84-53 last Sunday.

#2 For Cal they reached a season high for scoring with 84 points and won by a season high 31 point gap with their win over Pittsburgh.

#3 The Bears had control over the Panthers early outscoring them 28-9 in the second quarter and taking an 18-11 lead after the first quarter. Cal had runs of 13-0 and 10-0 leads during the second quarter to hold a 46-20 lead at the half.

#4 Cal had all 12 of their players score against Pit and for head coach Charmin Smith she now chalks up her 19th win and seventh conference win tying the most she had last season.

#5 Cal heads to Louisville to take on the Cardinals. The Cardinals are sixth in the ACC at 15-7 over all and 6-3 at home. Tip off Thursday night 5:00pm PST.

Morris Phillips does the Cal Bears podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Butler dealt to Golden State from Miami; Durant doesn’t want to come back to Warriors

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Newest Golden State Warriors and former Miami Heat Jimmy Butler comes over to San Francisco in exchange for Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Anderson who joins the Miami Heat a deal made on Wed Feb 5, 2025 (ESPN still photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Miami Heat traded Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors. Butler was not happy in Miami and did not get along with Pat Riley team president. Former Golden State Warrior Kevin Durant said he did not want to be traded to Golden State as his current team the Phoenix Suns are searching for a landing place for Durant.

One of the deals was to have Durant come to the Warriors and Butler would go to the Phoenix Suns. The deal now has Butler signing a $111 million two year deal that runs through 2026-27. Butler has declined the player option of $52 million.

The Warriors have sent Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Anderson to Miami that includes a top 10 protected 2025 first round draft pick. Dennis Schroder was traded to the Utah Jazz. The Jazz will now send former Miami forward PJ Tucker back to Miami. Tucker played for the Heat in 2021-22.

Guard Lindy Waters III will go to the Detroit Pistons leaving Golden State and Josh Richardson will go from Miami to the Pistons. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr informed the team of the trades before their game in Utah on Wednesday night.

Wiggins who got dealt to Miami was the team leading scorer with an average of 17.6 points. Wiggins was noted for being one of the best guards on the Warriors who defended both guards and forward and had the ability to play top level offense.

Wiggins was informed of the trade after taking warm ups before the game in Utah and shook hands with security guard, an assistant coach and two Warrior players before packing up his items at his locker in preparation for the trip to join the Heat.

Jerry Feitelberg is an NBA analyst for http://www.sportsradioservice.com