Steve and Cheryl Caplan commit $1 million to San Jose State football

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By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — San Jose State University announced Thursday that they received a $1 million gift commitment from Steve and Cheryl Caplan. The gift is the latest commitment in a growing list of seven-figure gifts that will support a new football operations center on the east side of CEFCU Stadium, Home of the Spartans. An additional $1 million from their estate will establish the Caplan Family Faculty Fellowship in the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business, the Caplan Family Teacher Innovation Fund in the Connie L. Lurie College of Education, and a Spartan Athletics Fund Scholarship endowment.

“My favorite donor stories are those that begin with ‘They met while they were students at SJSU.’ Throughout a lifetime of giving back, Steve and Cheryl’s passion, commitment and love for San Jose State has never wavered,” said Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Marie Tuite. “This gracious gift reflects their strong belief in and support of SJSU Athletics. However, more importantly, this gift also confirms their pledge to the educational mission of the university. Countless students will benefit from their impactful and inspirational gift. A sincere ‘thank you’ to two great Spartans.”

The Caplans first met at SJSU and recognize the role that the university plays in the economic well-being of Silicon Valley. They hope this gift will enable SJSU to continue its good work for future generations, help build a stronger foundation for Spartan football and the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, and inspire friends and fellow alumni to invest in the university.

Spartans for Life
A 1965 graduate of SJSU’s College of Business, Steve is the retired owner and president of KBM Workspace, an office furniture and design company. He joined the firm when he was a senior at SJSU and purchased the company in 1984, helping it grow from a local dealership to a large company with business throughout the U.S. and Canada. He is a founding board member of the Tower Foundation of SJSU, an auxiliary organization whose sole mission is to serve the philanthropic purposes of SJSU. Currently serving his third term as a board member, Steve is also an active volunteer, helping alumni discover ways to support Spartan Athletics, including the development of a new football operations center.

Cheryl taught public school after graduating from SJSU’s College of Education in 1967. The mother of two boys, she served as a volunteer in the Loma Prieta School District and worked with the principal and superintendent, researching and implementing curriculum, and creating a preschool testing program that helped parents, teachers and children prepare for kindergarten. She became well-versed in the issues challenging education, including communication between families and schools, adequate funding and teacher preparation.

Steve’s goal with Spartan Athletics is to raise awareness and support the funding effort for the renovation of the east side of CEFCU Stadium. The Caplans believe that the future of SJSU Athletics is very bright, as there is a very cohesive team in place that understands the critical nature of the need for competitive facilities that will put the university on equal footing with others in the conference.

The Caplans have been on the boards of service organizations such as the San Jose Hospital, Samaritan Health Systems, The Health Trust, YMCA of Silicon Valley, KTEH/KQED Public Television, Santa Clara County Boy Scouts of America, the San Jose Rotary Club and Tahoe Maritime Museum and Gardens.

“Through this magnificent gift and with hearts full of appreciation, Cheryl and I acknowledge the gift of education we received as young adults,” said Steve. “We hope these gifts will enable San Jose State to continue its good work for future generations of students and student-athletes alike. We also wish to model philanthropic behavior for our family members, friends and future generations of Spartans.”

“The Caplans are longtime, incredibly dedicated supporters of San Jose State. This generous commitment is a testament to their deep and abiding passion for this institution,” said Vice President for University Advancement and Tower Foundation CEO Paul Lanning. “They believe in the importance of both academics and athletics as vital elements of a comprehensive university. We’re so thankful for their leadership as dedicated alumni, volunteers and donors to their alma mater.”

“Steve and Cheryl Caplan have been incredible partners with San Jose State football over the years,” said SJSU Football Head Coach Brent Brennan. “They are helping us connect with and inspire Spartans to invest in our program, and they’re leading by example through this most generous gift. I am grateful to the Caplans, as this gift represents another step forward in providing our program the facilities it needs to compete at the highest level in the Mountain West.”

To track fundraising progress and learn how you can support Spartan football, please visit sjsufootball.com or contact Deputy Athletics Director for Athletics Advancement Josh Thiel at (408) 924-1697 or joshua.thiel@sjsu.edu.

About San Jose State University
The founding campus of the 23-campus CSU system, SJSU provides a comprehensive university education, granting bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in 250 areas of study — offered through its eight colleges.

With more than 35,000 students and nearly 4,370 employees, SJSU continues to be an essential partner in the economic, cultural and social development of Silicon Valley and the state, annually contributing 10,000 graduates to the workforce.

The university is proud of the accomplishments of its more than 280,000 alumni, 60 percent of whom live and work in the Bay Area.

About San Jose State Athletics
SJSU sponsors 22 (nine men’s and 13 women’s) NCAA Division I intercollegiate sports programs for approximately 470 student-athletes annually. In football, the Spartans are a member of Division I’s FBS, the NCAA’s highest level of competition.

The Spartans’ primary conference affiliation is with the Mountain West. Selected teams belong to the MPSF, the WAC, and the GCC.

SJSU has 10 NCAA team championships and 52 NCAA individual titles. 62 Spartans competed in one or more Olympic Games. SJSU athletes have won seven gold, six silver, and seven bronze medals at the Olympics.

Annually, about one third of the student-athlete population earns either an institutional, conference or national recognition based on outstanding academic performance.

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria: Baer will lose control of team when he comes back from suspension; New CEO Dean to take Baer’s spot

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On Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 Tony, the San Francisco Giants have decided to have acting CEO Rob Dean as their frontman. In a statement from the team on Tuesday, the Giants have said that upon returning from suspension on July 2nd, Baer will no longer have control of the team, although he will retain his title as CEO and president.

#2 The players have stated that regardless of the off-the-field issues regarding Baer, they are determined to stay focused, and outfielder Steven Duggar says playing between the lines has been a safe haven for the players.

#3 The Giants have been struggling in spring training are are now open their regular season today in San Diego. They do have one of the best defensive infield in the National League coming into the season.

#4 The Oakland A’s, who were left for dead after their starting rotation either went on the DL or underwent surgery, came back later in the season and made it to the Wild Card. You just can’t count a Billy Beane team out.

Tony does Headline Sports each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Jose Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa Walsh: Can Sharks start a miracle tonight and end six-game skid?

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On the Sharks podcast with Mary Lisa:

#1 The Sharks missed a great opportunity last Monday night when they could have gained some ground on the Calgary Flames after the Flames were shutout by the Los Angeles Kings. The Sharks then went out and lost to the Detroit Red Wings on home ice for their sixth straight loss.

#2 The Sharks, without Joe Pavelski and Erik Karlsson, saw the Red Wings wasted no time at 4:23 in the first period with a goal from Andreas Athanasiou for his 29th goal of the season.

#3 The Sharks goalie Martin Jones had to stop three breakaways in the game, and with breakaways, you never know how their going to turn out.

#4 The Sharks got goal help from Evander Kane his 28th of the season, but the Sharks would have to wait until the third period with five seconds left in the game when Tomas Hertl scored a goal, but the Sharks came up a goal short in the 3-2 loss.

#5 The Chicago Blackhawks will visit SAP Center tonight. The Sharks badly need to snap this streak as their home ice advantage hopes for the playoffs are starting put them in a lower ranking priority.

Mary Lisa does the Sharks podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Warriors take down the Grizzlies 118-103

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By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors traveled to Memphis to face the Memphis Grizzlies Wednesday night. The Grizzlies, coached by J.B. Bickerstaff, had a record of 30-44 before the start of the game and were not going to make the playoffs this year. The Grizzlies traded their star center Marc Gasol to the Toronto Raptors for Jonas Valanciunas. Valanciunas, who did not playing much in Toronto, found a new home in Memphis. The Grizzlies have played well and beaten several postseason-bound teams. The Warriors, who were embarrassed at home by the lowly Phoenix Suns, did not want to suffer the same fate at the hands of the Grizzlies. The Warriors entered the game with a record of 50-23 and are in a race to win home court advantage in the Western Conference.

The two teams played a very entertaining first quarter. The Warriors led 30-27 late in the period when Memphis went on a 10-1 run the finish the period 37-31. Former Warrior Justin Holiday connected on a three-pointer as the buzzer sounded.

Memphis increased the lead to 41-31 before the Warriors started clawing their way back. Golden State’s second unit of Quinn Cook, Shaun Livingston, Andre Iguodala, DeMarcus Cousins, and Klay Thompson knocked down threes and the Warriors tied the game at 50. The Warriors continued to play well and finished the first half 66-60.

The Warriors were hot from the floor. They were 26-for-41 from the floor and made 11 three-point shots. Curry and Kevin Durant led the team with 14 each, Quinn Cook made three threes for nine points total. The Grizzlies’ Jonas Valanciunas had 16 and Michael Conley added 11. Conley passed M. Gasol to become the Grizzlies’ leading scorer in franchise history.

The Grizzlies used a 8-2 run in the third quarter to tie the game. Klay Thompson made a three and Steph knocked down two more threes to put the Warriors ahead 77-68. The Grizzlies refused to quit and went on an 11-2 run to trail 85-84. Curry made two free throws and Alfonzo McKinney hit a deuce to finish the quarter leading 89-84.

The Grizzlies continued to fight back and briefly held a 92-91 lead. The Warriors took control of the game behind the play of Durant, Livingston, Cousins, and Draymond Green. The Warriors won 118-103.

Game Notes and Stats: Kevin Durant had the best shooting night of his career. He missed just one shot from the floor. He made 12 buckets in 13 tries. He was 3-for-3 in three-point shots. In addition, he had nine boards and six assists.

Curry had a double-double with 28 points and led the team with 10 rebounds,

Cousins scored 16, while Klay Thompson had 13.

Memphis’ leading scorers were Jonas Valanciunas with 27 points, Michael Conley with 22 points, Bruno Caboclo with points 17, and Chandler Parsons with 13 points.

Up Next: The Warriors meet the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis Friday at 5:00 pm.

Busted Brackets Podcast Episode 2 March 27, 2017: The Sweet 16!

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Your hosts: Vasu Vaddiparty & Charlie O

  • What does your bracket look like?

  • Who is the surprise team in the Sweet 16?

  • Is this truly a “chalk” tournament?

  • Can we expect any upsets in the Sweet 16?

  • If you are investing, who should you put your money on?

  • Who will make the Final Four?

  • Take 30 minutes and let’s talk hoops!

Lots of drama as Giants face losing in 2019

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By Jeremy Harness

The Giants are used to going into seasons with great expectations. Winning rings will do that for you.

However, this ain’t one of those years.

With new general manager Farhan Zaidi trying to figure out how to get rid of the bad contracts handed out by his immediate predecessor while also pondering how to get this floundering team back on track, the Giants are clearly in a rebuilding mode this season.

To add to the drama was the extremely-unfortunate incident that involved team CEO-president Larry Baer, who earlier this month was caught on video angrily grabbing a cell phone from his wife’s hands and subsequently knocking her to the ground.

The Giants have since suspended Baer without pay until July 1.

What makes this really sad, particularly for Giants fans, is the fact that 2019 will mark manager Bruce Bochy’s last season as a major-league skipper.

Meanwhile, the other teams in the National League West have improved, particularly the San Diego Padres, especially with their offseason acquisition of highly-coveted free-agent infielder Manny Machado, who helped the Dodgers make a run to the World Series a season ago.

San Diego also has a highly-touted rookie in Fernando Tatis, Jr., who officially made the team out of spring training.

The Colorado Rockies made sure to lock up their star player in Nolan Arenado, who just so happens to be a notorious Giant-killer, and he will team up with budding stars Trevor Story and Charlie Blackmon and the rest of a Colorado team that made a serious run at the playoffs in 2018.

Here’s what all of this means: Expect the Giants to take a beating at the hands of their own division – a division that they themselves overcame to win three World Series rings in five seasons not too long ago – in a way that is similar to the beatdown that Muhammad Ali took at the hands of Larry Holmes toward the end of his great boxing career.

Special teams key in Barracuda’s 3-2 win over Gulls

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By Marko Ukalovic

San Diego may be America’s Finest City but it has been a House of Gorrors for the San Jose Barracuda for more than a year. Thanks to a late power play goal in the third period by Alex True, San Jose reversed their fortunes with a 3-2 regulation victory over the San Diego Gulls on Wednesday evening at Pechanga Arena.

It was the first victory in San Diego this season (1-3) and the first win since January 20, 2018. With the much-needed win, the Cuda have tied the Gulls for second place in the Pacific Division with 73 points.

True’s heroics came when Cavan Fitzgerald sent in a low shot from the point that gave captain John McCarthy a chance, but was initially stopped by the Gulls’ goalie Kevin Boyle. True pounced on the rebound and punched it in for his team-leading 23rd goal on the power play at 15:16 mark of the third period.

San Jose (33-20-3-4) drew first blood early in the first period. Jeffery Viel executed a big body check during a battle for a puck inside the Gulls’ zone that resulted in a loose puck gathered up by TJ Hensick. Hensick quickly fed it over to Dylan Gambrell, who snapped a wrist shot far side past Boyle (22-10-1) for his 18th goal of the season at the 6:30 mark.

The Cuda doubled their lead when Francis Perron fed a pass over to Nick DeSimone in the high slot. DeSimone wasted no time and fired a shot just underneath the glove of Boyle for his 12th goal of the season at the 13:44 mark.

San Diego (33-21-4-3) cut the lead in half with just three seconds left in the opening frame. Sam Carrick won a faceoff over to Chase De Leo, who fed it over to Ben Street, who wired a shot past Cuda goalie Antoine Bibeau (13-12-5) for his fifth goal of the season at the 19:57 mark.

The Gulls drew even late in the second period. Adam Cracknell was able to poke home a shot from close range for his 16th goal of the season at the 14:15 mark. The goal snapped six-game goal-less drought for Cracknell. Street and Brent Gates Jr. were credited with assists.

Despite outshooting the Gulls 13-5 in the middle frame, San Jose went into the second intermission tied up at 2-2.

In the third period, San Jose were in penalty trouble to start the third period. Their penalty kill unit responded by killing 1:18 of a 5-on-3 opportunity as Bibeau made some big saves to be the best penalty killer for the Cuda.

Bibeau, who played one of his best games of the season, was finally rewarded with a victory, making 23 saves on 25 shots to push his record to a game over the .500 mark. Boyle stopped 23 of the 26 pucks he faced in suffering the defeat.

GAME NOTES: San Jose was 1/3 on the power play. San Diego was 0/3.

The announced attendance was 6,934.

UP NEXT: The Barracuda return back home to host the Ontario Reign on Friday, March 29 at 7:00 pm at SAP Center.

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Avenatti says that Nike paid college athletes; Kings may not make playoffs, but still not giving up games; plus more

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Photo credit: @nypost

On Headline Sports with London:

#1 Michael Avenantti, former attorney for Stormy Daniels, has said this week that Nike had paid student-athletes at various colleges. Avenatti has been charged for extortion as he is accused of trying to extort up to $25 million from Nike.

#2 After the feds have made charges against Avenatti for the extortion charge, Avenatti–some 24 hours later–made the claim that Nike was paying its Nike Elite Basketball Youth Program bribes in college basketball.

#3 This is a Sacramento Kings basketball team that never gives up. They lost a close five-point game on Sunday to the Los Angeles Lakers, but turned around on Tuesday night and beat the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas 125-121. They’ve got a little something in the tank.

#4. The Los Angeles Kings’ Drew Doughty has questioned whether the San Jose Sharks Brent Burns should have won the Norris Trophy, saying Burns gets beat three times a game and that the Calgary Flames’ Mark Giordano should get the award. Burns leads the NHL defensemen with 77 points to Giordano, who’s in second with 72.

#5 Baseball season opens on Thursday. The Oakland A’s already opened their season in Tokyo last week and are playing their first regular game stateside against the Los Angeles Angels. How much does this take out of a team with the jet lag playing two exhibitions and two regular games then playing in Oakland just one week later?

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

A’s start 2019 season on Thursday against the Angels

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s, who surprised all of baseball in 2018 by winning 97 games and making the playoffs, have their home opener at the Oakland Coliseum against the Angels on Thursday.

The A’s, skippered by Bob Melvin, return most of the players that helped the club last season. They lost two key players, the second baseman Jed Lowrie, and catcher Jonathan Lucroy. Lowrie went to the Mets, and Lucroy will be in Oakland Thursday as an Angel.

The A’s starting rotation was hard hit by injuries. Several pitchers had Tommy John surgery, and Sean Manaea was lost for the season with a shoulder issue. The A’s obtained Marco Estrada from Toronto to fill one of the holes in the rotation. The A’s did not sign Edwin Jackson, who performed very well in Oakland last year. He is still available and may sign with the A’s later in the year. The A’s starting rotation this year will feature Mike Fiers, Estrada, Brett Anderson, Frankie Montas, and Aaron Brooks. Brooks performed well in spring training and in his last outing, Tuesday night against the San Francisco Giants threw 5 1/3 innings allowing five hits and one run.

The A’s first baseman, Matt Olson, suffered a hand injury in spring training and is out for six to eight weeks. Jurickson Profar will move over to first in his absence. Mark Canha can also place first. The rest of the infield is set with Matt Chapman at third base, Marcus Semien at shortstop, and either Franklin Barreto or Chad Pinder will play second. Canha and Pinder can also play in the outfield. The A’s plan to use Robbie Grossman in left field and as the leadoff hitter. Grossman, formerly with the Minnesota Twins, is a switch hitter. Ramon Laureano will be in center field, and Stephen Piscotty will be in right field.

The catching chores will be handled by Josh Phegley and former Giant Nick Hundley. The A’s have their eyes on catcher Sean Murphy, who will start the season with Triple-A Las Vegas.

The A’s bullpen will be strong again this season. Ryan Buchter is the sole left-handed pitcher in the pen. The A’s will have Yusmeiro Petit, Fernando Rodney, Joakim Soria, Lou Trivino, J.B. Wendelken, and closer Blake Treinen ready to shut down the opposition. The bullpen was a big reason for the A’s success in 2018.

The Angels’ longtime manager Mike Scioscia left the club after the 2018 season His replacement is Brad Ausmusm who had managed the Tigers for several seasons.

The Angels’ pitching staff also saw several pitchers have Tommy John surgery. They have revamped their starting rotation. Former A’s starter, Trevor Cahill, signed with the Angels in the off-season and will start Thursday against Oakland, Cahill pitched very well at the Coliseum but did not do well on the road. The Angels acquired Matt Harvey from the Reds. Harvey, who starred with the Mets before going to the Reds, had a record of 7-9 and a 4.94 ERA. He will be pitching on Friday and making his AL debut. Tyler Skaggs and Felix Pena will see action against the A’s this weekend. The Angels acquired Chris Stratton from the Giants, and he will make his Angel debut next week

The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, was the AL Rookie of the Year, is on the injured list. Ohtani also had Tommy John surgery and will not pitch again until 2020. However, he will be able to hit and will rejoin the club in a couple of months. When he arrives, he will be the DH and Albert Pujols will play first base.

The Angels will use Justin Bour at first base when Pujols is the DH. Tommy LaStella will be at second base. La Stella played with the Cubs last year. Andrelton Simmons will be the shortstop. Zack Cozart, Caleb Cowart, and Taylor Ward will play third base or fill in at the other infield positions if needed.

The Angels with have Kole Calhoun play right field. Mike Trout will be in center field once again. Justin Upton will start the season on the injured list. His spot in left field will be taken by Peter Bourjos.

The A’s hope to bounce back from the two losses they suffered at the hands of the Mariners. They have 160 games left and the A’s know they can no longer be taken lightly. They expect to go to the playoffs again this season. The road to the playoffs begins now.

San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Race in playoff standings tightening as Cuda battle San Diego tonight

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sjbarracuda.com photo: The score explains the results of the last game between the San Jose Barracuda and the Tucson Roadrunners. The Barracuda will be in San Diego tonight trying to get back into the win column.

On the Barracuda podcast with Marko:

#1 Marko in recent weeks the Barracuda have fallen from grace looking like a sure lock team for post season but fell on hard times will this be a scratch and claw how shaky is it now for them to make the AHL playoffs?

#2 Has promoting some of the key players they had from earlier this season to their parent club the Sharks taken away from their talent pool and as a result this is what you see now?

#3 Tough road trip so far they lost by a goal on Sunday 2-1 to the Tucson Roadrunners this is a game they really wanted to get but the Roadrunners are always a very vibrant and resisting club on their home ice and this was a late goal on a tip shot from the Roadrunners Michael Bunting that sank the Barracuda’s game.

#4 The Roadrunners have closed the gap now and are just four points behind the Barracuda and the Barracuda move onto San Diego tonight how crucial of a game is this with wiggle room getting less and less in the playoff race for San Jose?

#5 With some of the players getting promoted this season and you see the depth on defense changing how much pressure has this been put upon on goaltender Antoine Bibeau?

Marko does the SJ Barracuda podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com