Category: Uncategorized

Larry Levitt on Pro Hockey

Published on by lleonardbwLeave a comment
by Larry Levitt
DALY CITY–The off ice officials in the ECHL have a very difficult job and when your working behind the net as a goal judge it is tough because you get so immersed in the game you got to remember what your job is and that’s to watch that goal line and watch that puck. It is very exciting down there your right on top of the action I’ve done it a few times.
Any seat around the rink watching a San Francisco Bulls game your right on top of the action and at the Cow Palace your not too far away from the rink so come on down and enjoy the Bulls. Opening night on Friday night is always a good special time and Bulls owner, president, general manager, head coach Pat Curcio wears a lot of hats and I hope he’s ready for the home games after opening night.
Curcio has a lot of dignitaries here at the Cow Palace he’s got San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee here to drop the ceremonial puck and I’m sure some of the investors were at the game Friday as opening night was a big night. So Curcio has to be the general manager and head coach it’s tough just to coach a team but also to be involved in the planning with the parties and all of the events and all the dignitaries it’s going to be tough but Curcio can handle it.
The Bulls play the Stockton Thunder on Monday night and their an interesting team their coach got hired away from the team, the general manager got hired away from the team and half the front office staff got hired away from the Thunder. They did make it away from the ECHL finals against the west coast versus the east unfortunately they didn’t win the finals but they showed a lot of people how good they were.That showed caused a lot of people to turn their heads and look their way and to hire them away.
Tough run for San Jose: Starting with last Tuesday’s loss to the Buffalo Sabers, unfortunately with Buffalo they didn’t even start playing until the third period by then it was too late they did tie it up to get into overtime in the shootout but lost in the shootout and they had a weird goal taken away and not even credited to them.
The league made a huge mistake by not owning up to the mistake and saying “we missed that one lets move on” instead they used the intent of the whistle blow which is a way to cover your rear. Unfortunately it’s over, it’s done. They should have come out against Vancouver and played harder. They really had a flat game the puck was bouncing like crazy in that game.
It just wouldn’t settle down for the Sharks but if a Vancouver stick would touch it it could be as flat as could be and it could go right down the ice. Sometimes a puck would go misdirected but there were a lot of poor decisions. A lot of mistakes and bad passes in your defensive zone which turned it over right to the Vancouver Canucks.
He put it right in the net and Antti Niemi the Sharks goaltender and usually you can count on him to take over when you make those stupid mistakes he wasn’t there and he just didn’t show up. The two brightest things we could take out of that Vancouver game was the fourth line played exceptionally well. They controlled the pace of the play, they controlled the puck every time they were out there.
Larry Levitt does commentary each week on Pro Hockey

Bulls get shutout by Reign

Published on by philliptorres2013Leave a comment

By: Phillip Torres

November 6, 2013

Sports Radio Service

ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA-The San Francisco Bulls (2-5-1-0) were shutout 2-0 to the Ontario Reign (4-0-1-2) on Wednesday night at Citizens Business Bank Arena. The Reign played stellar defense and received outstanding play from goaltender Michael Hutchinson, who blocked every shot that went his way.

The Reign put their first goal on the board with just 3:36 remaining in the opening period. The game was a defensive show as the second period went scoreless and headed into the third and final period at 1-0 Ontario.

At the end of the second period, the Bulls were outshot 16-13 by the Reign.

Dan DaSilva scored the final; goal of the game with just 19 seconds remaining on an empty netter. The Bulls had the opportunity to score with a couple of power plays, but failed to find the net.

Phillip Torres covers the Bulls for Sportsradioservice.com

Cal young and deep, seeking another NCAA tournament berth

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

Under Mike Montgomery, the Cal Bears have performed better than expected more often than not.  And this season–which starts Friday at Haas Pavilion against Coppin State–the Bears could make a fifth NCAA appearance in six seasons with the iconic, 66-year old coach working his closely calculated magic.

But before Cal surprises the experts and makes a run at UCLA, Arizona, Washington and even Stanford—all teams picked to finish above the Bears in the Pac-12—a bunch of new faces have to be transformed into Montgomery-endorsed, floor-ready players.

Five of those faces are members of a heralded freshman class led by Jabari Bird of Richmond, who figure to give the Bears a much-needed infusion of talent and depth.  Three others—Christian Behrens, Garrett Galvin and Kahlil Johnson—have all been in the program for at least a year but haven’t seen any significant time.   And while Montgomery doesn’t necessarily need any of the eight to start, he does need most of them to play roles off the bench.

But if you know Montgomery, none of that will take hold until the chosen players have gained the coach’s implicit trust.

Don’t adhere to defensive principles?  Take a seat.  Don’t know a credible shot from a bad one?  Sit right here.  Making too many mental errors?  Yup, Montgomery’s yelling is directed at you.

“You’re after trying to play the game right, and get out where guys are playing at game speed, tiring faster, adjusting to the tempo, adjusting to the other team, adjusting to the way the game’s called, all the things that have to happen,” Montgomery said after Thursday’s exhibition against Humboldt State.   “And as I say, we have eight guys that haven’t played basketball.  So all of those people have a different learning curve and we have to get them up to snuff as quick as we can.  The freshman group is going to be a pretty good group but there’s going to be growing pains.”

At 6’6” Bird brings eye-popping athleticism and size to the wing spot, but oft-injured Ricky Kreklow appears to be ahead of the freshman at least until Bird can establish efficiency with his offense.  6’3” Jordan Mathews can shoot it, so he appears to be in the rotation, but he better impress Montgomery with an ability to guard Pac-12 quality guards.

Kameron Rooks—at 7’0”—is the Bears’ biggest player, but it appears the Bears will go small for now when one of the starting posts—Richard Solomon and David Kravish—takes a breather.  Sam Singer’s a shooting guard-sized playmaker, but just like Rooks he needs a lot of growth on the defensive end first.

“They really haven’t played in any college games yet,” Solomon said.  “So it’s still that learning curve that we have to get around.  But they’re ready to work, ready to learn, do things and they’re picking up… not as fast but… they’re still picking things up.”

Montgomery’s success lies in his ability to get his teams to pay attention to details and not have mental or physical lapses.  Those that continue to make mistakes sit and heady players get big minutes.  And no nationally-ranked recruit like Bird gets a pass.  Until Montgomery feels a player is a mentally in tune, that player sits.

“I’m trying to say to them that we’ve got to have a standard for how we play the game,” Montgomery said.  “There will be times that we play as hard as we can that we don’t win.   We can’t pick and choose when we want to play hard.”

Justin Cobbs knows what Montgomery demands and he will have the ball in his hands in most critical situations.  The senior guard paced last year’s team in scoring along with NBA draft pick Allen Crabbe.  Cobbs has recovered from a foot injury and is poised to start the season after performing well in the exhibitions and early practices. 

The Bears appear well-stocked at the wings with Kreklow, Mathews, Bird and last year’s starter, Tyrone Wallace.  Where they could be thin is up front with Kravish and Solomon as they only experience players.  Physical interior players might even have an advantage against the two holdovers, neither of whom are wide bodies.

Christian Behrens and Rooks will get time behind the two posts.  Behrens has seen injuries rob him of playing time in his first two years, but this season the junior is healthy and should assume the role of first interior player off the bench.   Singer will back Cobbs, and Kreklow could start now and then become an indispensible reserve once Mathews or Bird get acclimated.

 

A’s Melvin finalist for AL Manager of the Year

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Oakland Athletics skipper Bob Melvin was named as a finalist Tuesday for American League Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

If Melvin wins, he would be the first repeat winner of the top AL managerial award. He previously won last year in Oakland and took the National League Manager of the Year award in 2007 with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The other finalists for AL Manager of the Year are Terry Francona of Cleveland and John Farrell of the World Series champion Boston Red Sox. NL finalists are Fredi Gonzalez of Atlanta, Clint Hurdle of Pittsburgh and Don Mattingly of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Managers of the Year will be announced next Tuesday by the BBWAA.

Hawks Come to Captial,beat Kings

Published on by tonyrenteriaLeave a comment

By Tony Renteria

 The Struggling Atlanta Hawks (1-2) came into Sleep Train Arena looking to continue the Sacramento King’s (1-2) bad luck, and came away with a 105-100 victory.

The Kings led by seven after a strong first quarter but fell apart in the second being outscored 29-13.  The Hawks took that lead and expanded on it in the third, adding six more points to their lead.  The Kings made a strong run in fourth but came up four points short.

The Kings came off a recent loss to the Golden State Warriors 98-87.  The Hawks had just lost to the Los Angeles Lakers by two points, 105-103.

The Kings were led by reserve point guard Isiah Thomas’s 26 points on 8 for 17 shooting.

Atlanta got their points from Al Horford, the starting center had 27 points and ten rebounds.

Sacramento Heads to Portland to take on the Trailblazers Friday night, while the Hawks continue the western tour and head to Denver and face the Nuggets.

Michelle Richardson on the NCAA

Published on by lleonardbwLeave a comment

CFBMapIII

by Michelle Richardson

USC considers Lovie Smith: It’s good move that the USC Trojans would consider hiring ex Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith. I was really surprised before the Chiefs hired Andy Reid that he was able to get another professional job. Smith did a good job with the Bears he took them to a Super Bowl. He lost in the playoffs and ran into a string of bad luck with player injuries.

I never thought he did a bad job at Chicago and I was surprised when they let him go and a few times prior I thought they might let him go. It’s a good move if he gets on with USC. He can be as good as former SC coach Pete Carroll and Lovie was successful as a pro coach with the Bears coming out of that Tony Dungy camp.

So this is a good move the only thing is he’s really going to have to surround himself with good consistent coaches that go out and help him recruit because he doesn’t know anything about recruiting players so he’s going to have to find some coaches around him that can help him produce this school. Smith is from Southern California he’s at the University of Southern California he going to be able to go after some of the best and brightest players if hired.

Crimson Tide going into week 10 perfect: Alabama and Oregon are one and two in the BCS poll ratings the red headed step child of the SCC was brutalized by Missouri and came off a heartbreaking loss to South Carolina where South Carolina was able to get the win as much as Missouri lost the game. The holder didn’t turn the laces on the ball therefore Florida State people always think wide right and he meant wide left.

It was not a good day for the University of Tennessee but hopefully the new coach will turn things around in the next year or two because it’s a shame that Tennessee is really not in the hunt this year for anything when it come to college football after they play their last game at the end of November that it’s literally over for them that’s really a shame.

NCAA Basketball season opened this week: This going to be an interesting year even though Kentucky is predicted to be number one I don’t see any clear cut number one. Kentucky lost a whole squad and they got up there with a entirely new squad but their still freshman. I’m going to go for the team that’s been together for more than a year will be the winner.

Kentucky probably won’t do it like they did two years ago that was an anomaly of course everybody is looking for one man out of Kansas Andrew Williams if this year goes like it’s expected to do this young man is going to be one and done. I hear so much about him and how great he is can’t wait to really see him play on the big stage.

Don’t forget about the young man out of Duke forward Jabari Parker he’s been touted as the next Benji Watson and for any old schoolers who remember Watson out of Chicago the young man was tragically killed in his senior year and really never got to play on the whole next level but if your from Chicago or if your from the midwest and your of a certain age you’ll know about Benji Watson and know what he could have been.

Michelle Richardson does commentary on the NCAA each week

Dan Rusanowsky inducted to the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame

Published on by lleonardbwLeave a comment
rusanowsky_09-10
That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary
Dan Rusanowsky, popular play by play announcer for San José Sharks since their first season in 1991, was inducted to the Class of 2013 of the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame(BARHOF)at ceremony in Spenger’s Fish Grotto in Berkeley.
Rusanowsky who also serves as producer of all Sharks broadcasts, is a 33 year old veteran of hockey broadcasting. Native of Milford, Connecticut, has has served as a guest host on KNBR, as well as the nationally syndicated “Sports Byline USA”and “Sports Overnight America”programs.
 During his acceptance speech, Dan talked about,  “first letter I ever received as a Sharks announcer, was from an inmate at San Quentin, -who by the way also asked me for a Sharks media guide-” he was a listener, and he’s still there… The Sharks games are heard on KUFX(“K-Fox”) and the Sharks Radio Network.
Other inductees were Jane Morrisson, a ground-breaker as a teenage journalist in Oklahoma, later working for the Associated Press in Kansas City. Honored for her 30-year tenure as community affairs director at KNBR beginning in the early 1960’s. Roy Trumbull, in the category of engineering.
 Roy, a Marine County Native, worked at KDFC,KMPX,KBRG,KAFE,KPAT and KRE.later also worked at KNEW and KCBS, he began his career in 1962. In the category of specialty, Mike Pechner also known as “the weatherman’s weatherman”. He started at KCBS in 1968. Inducted as educator, the legendary Henry Leff.
 The Brooklyn-born Leff, developed the broadcasting department as San Francisco State College in 1948, nurturing numerous established radio journalist in the Bay Area and elsewhere.
For news, Barbara Taylor, KCBS longtime City Hall Bureau chief who joined the station in 1975, as well as Mike Sugarman well known for his weekly “About The Bay. In the category of owner/manager, the late Bill Weaver of KLOK-AM(San José and FM(San Francisco). And in the announcer/personality Dennis Erectus Netto a groundbreaking DJ on South Bay rock radio, most notable on KOME-FM, as well as Bobby Ocean a DJ on Top 40 powerhouse KFRC in the ’70’s.
Legendary Station: Went to KSFO, born as KTAB in Oakland in 1925  reached it’s apex in the 1950’s and 1960s as “the world’s greatest radio station with numerous Hall of Fame talent, among those Russ Hodges and Lon Simmons Jim Lange, Don Sherwood, Gene Nelson, Al “Jazzveaux”Collins, Terry McGovern, Carter B.Smith and Aaron Edwards, under the ownsership of the great “singing cowboy”and businessman Gene Autry’s Golden West Broadcasting.
For more info on the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame visit:  www.barhof.com
Amaury Pi Gonzalez is a member of the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame and does News and Commentary each week on Sports Radio Service

Dodgers already favorites to win 2014 World Series

Published on by lleonardbwLeave a comment

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

 The World Series still fresh in our minds, yet the betting books in Las Vegas have made the Los Angeles Dodgers, the favorites to win the 2014 World Series. They are counting on a much “settled” young Yasiel Puig, and a healthy Matt Kemp, with still the best one-two pitching punch in the majors, with Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke.

 The Dodgers are tops at 5 to 1 to win the 110th World Series. But the Dodgers might need to acquire some help for that mediocre bullpen, during this off season. We all know, nobody can win a World Series without a bullpen, or with a great closer. Mariano Rivera has retired, he is not available,so the cash happy Dodgers will have to make some moves.

The  Oakland Athletics are 8 to 1 favorites to win next year’s classic, and their across the bay rivals, San Francisco Giants are 22 to 1.

 I do not expect the A’s to go out and sign anymore high profile players, although they still have very good young pitching, which Billy Beane could chose to trade for some established talent. And what about Bartolo Colón he had one of his best seasons with 18 wins, they have to make a decision with him very soon.

As far as the San Francisco Giants are concerned, one of the reasons they are a long, 2201 shot to win it all is very simple, there are doubts about what once was a dominant starting rotation. Specially with Ryan Vogelsong. I am also not totally certain than Sergio Romo is a front row closer, he is now. He is the Giants closer by process of elimination.

Hey, Brian Wilson is a free agent, Could he comeback to Giantsland? Doubt it. Giants took it too seriously when he left and signed a brief deal with the Dodgers. But other great Giants have done that, anybody remembers Hall of Famer Juan Marichal?

The Giants need a left fielder with some power, in the 20-25 home run category and maybe 80 to 90 runs batted in. Only God knows how much weight Sandoval would be able to shed in the summer and how he will report to Spring Training.

 The only dependable bat in the Giants lineup, as far as power and runs batted in is concerned is catcher Buster Posey. Other odds to win the 2014 World Series. Detroit 9-1, Washignton 9-1, St Louis, 10-12, Boston 12-1.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio voice for the Oakland A’s and does News and Commentary each week for Sportstalk Radio

THAT’s AMAURY: Coyotes still working toward stability at gate

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

By DANIEL DULLUM
Pinch-hitting for Amaury Pi-Gonzalez
Sports Radio Service
Saturday, November 2, 2013

RANDOM THOUGHTS FOR THIS WEEK:
Stable ownership of the NHL Phoenix Coyotes was supposed to translate into success on the ice, and at the gate. So far, it’s been one out of two. The Coyotes, who beat the San Jose Sharks in an overtime shootout Saturday at the Shark Tank, are off to a great start with 24 points so far this season. However, attendance has slipped a little. The Coyotes are dead last in NHL attendance with an average of 11,717 for their first seven home games (68 percent capacity at a jewel of an arena).
Good news for desert hockey fans, though, is the shift of the radio package to the KTAR family of stations, and there’s even a 10-game over-the-air TV slate on KTVK, Channel 3 that’s been absent for four years. Those were promotional steps taken by the new owners in the right direction. We’ll see if it pays off.

FINAL TAKE ON OBSTRUCTION
Fox analyst Tim McCarver said during the World Series that he thought the Rules Committee might take a look at the obstruction rule that raised such a ruckus in Game 3 of the World Series, and added that maybe the aspect of intent needs to be addressed. I agree with McCarver that the rule will be looked at, but I also respectfully disagree that it’s necessary. The rule goes back to the earliest days of the game and is written the way it is for good reason – to eliminate any debate as to whether or not “intent” was deliberate. To remove the “no intent necessary” clause from the rule invites another can of worms that I don’t think the umpires want any part of. Hopefully, the committee will leave the rule as is.

FAREWELL TO BELLS
Our condolences to the family and friends of Walt Bellamy, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame center who died Saturday at 74. Bellamy was an All-American at Indiana, the center of the fames 1960 Gold Medal-winning USA Olympic basketball squad, and a four-time NBA All-Star. He was Rookie of the Year in 1961 with the expansion Chicago Packers (later Zephyrs, eventually, Baltimore Bullets and now Washington Wizards) and was involved in one of the most famous trades in NBA history. Around Christmas of 1968, Bellamy was swapped by New York to the Detroit Pistons as part of a blockbuster deal that sent Dave DeBusschere to the Knickerbockers. The deal allowed New York to move forward Willis Reed back to his natural center position, and was a key factor in the Knicks winning NBA titles in 1970 and 1973. Bellamy averaged 31.6 points and 19.0 rebounds as a rookie and, over his 14 years in the NBA, averaged 20.1 points and 13.7 boards.

By the way, because of the timing of that Knicks-Pistons deal and a quirk in the schedule, Bellamy, who didn’t miss a game that season, set an NBA record for most games played in an 82-game schedule – 88.

You can look it up.

Daniel Dullum covers MLB, the NHL, Stanford, and more for Sports Radio Service.com.

Bulls lose game and series to Eagles 4-1

Published on by kahlilnajar7Leave a comment

1452406_583561421711430_996839838_n

By Kahlil Najar

LOVELAND, Colo. – The San Francisco Bulls (2-4-1-0) couldn’t a break on this road trip and lost to the Colorado Eagles (5-2-0-0) 4-1.

Teegan Moore got the Eagles on the board first at 3:34 of the first period to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead. The Bulls Brett Findlay scored his first pro goal of his career at 6:45 to tie the game up at one. Unfortunately the Eagles were able to take the lead again before the end of the period when Daniel Johnston scored on a power play to make it a 2-1 lead.

In the second period, Colorado forward Ray Sawada continued his great series against the Bulls and on a power play opportunity scored for the Eagles and made it a 3-1 lead.  lead to 3-1.Kevin Ulanski scored on an empty net to bring the score to a final of 4-1.

Even though both teams were horrendous on the power play as they went a combined 3 for 13 you could tell that both teams were trying to establish dominance in the third as they both played hard and rough against the boards. San Francisco outshot Colorado 22-21 but that still couldn’t secure a victory.