Tag: NFL

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: A’s hoping Blevins can join big club this season; A’s stadium and flagship radio still in limbo

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sfgate.com photo: Jerry Blevins of the Oakland Athletics reacts after giving up a RBI double hit by Nelson Cruz of the Texas Rangers in the bottom of the seventh inning on June 17, 2013

On That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Oakland signed left-handed pitcher Jerry Blevins to a minor league deal. The deal would be worth $1.5 million if Blevins can pitch his way back to the majors.

#2 Blevins was a reliever for Oakland in 2007-2013 with an ERA of 3.30.

#3 Blevins, since leaving the A’s in 2013, has pitched for Washington and the New York Mets.

#4 The A’s said their need for left-handed pitching is that Blevins can stop hitters coming out of the pen.

#5 Lastly Super Bowl ratings at it’s worst ever, did having the Patriots back in it again have viewers tuning out?

Amaury does News and Commentary each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Will 49ers waive territorial rights to allow Raiders to play in the City?

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San Francisco Demons XFL file photo: AT&T Park football configuration during the 2001 season of the XFL San Francisco Demons. The Oakland Raiders and San Francisco will share the park during the 2019 season.

By Joe Hawkes Beamon

SAN FRANCISCO — Plans by the Oakland Raiders are on the drawing board and sources say it’s very close that an agreement between the Raiders and San Francisco Giants will be hammered out. Matter fact it’s understood there is an agreement on the table as of Monday morning.

If an agreement is made it’s almost assured because of the smaller size of Oracle Park compared to the Oakland Coliseum the Raiders would most likely sell out every home game plus the idea that it’s the Raiders last season in the Bay Area and many Raider and NFL fans will want to take a last look at the team before they leave.

At issue is the San Francisco 49ers who have territorial rights in San Francisco and will they allow the Raiders playing in San Francisco. The 49ers are said to be studying any possible financial loses if the Raiders play in the city. The 49ers who play in Santa Clara a good hour drive from the City may ok the deal as the Raiders will play their last season in the Bay Area at Oracle Park.

The 49ers are looking to see what they would benefit from the deal from having the Raiders playing in San Francisco and that the 49ers may ask for a cut on tickets and TV shares from the Raiders if they waive their territorial rights. The 49ers have not commented on the Raiders playing in San Francisco and negotiations are still on the way.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said last week that he wanted the Raiders to make a decision as to where they will play as soon as possible. The NFL wants to begin making the schedule for the 2019 season without further delay.

The Raiders who chose not to play at the Oakland Coliseum anymore after the city of Oakland filed a lawsuit against the team in December. The Raiders had a tentative deal with the Oakland Coliseum and withdrew after Oakland filed the suit stating that the suit was over the relocation to Las Vegas calling the deal “illegal” the city of Oakland is seeking million of dollars from the Raiders and the NFL.

For football Oracle Park would seat up to 40,000 fans. Oracle Park hosted football when the XFL’s San Francisco Demons who played there in 2001, The California Mountain Lions in 2009 of the United Football League, Cal in 2011, NCAA bowl games the Shriners, Diamond, Kraft and Foster Bowls in 2002 to 2013.

Patriots win sixth Super Bowl, hold off Rams in defensive battle

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Photo credit: @Patriots

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Sunday, February 3, 2019

Down at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots combined their offensive efforts to become the first teams to go three quarters in a Super Bowl game without a touchdown.

That changed in the fourth quarter, when New England running back Sony Michel scored the first touchdown of Super Bowl LIII, a 2-yard jaunt that put the Patriots up 10-3.

One field goal later, the New England Patriots made a 13-3 lead hold up despite a late Rams charge and defeated Los Angeles to win their sixth Super Bowl. It was the Patriots’ second NFL championship in three years and their sixth since 2001.

Veteran quarterback Tom Brady did not receive the game’s most valuable player award — that went to Patriots’ wide receiver Julian Edelman, who racked up 141 receiving yards.

Seventeen years ago, the Patriots shut down a high-powered Rams offense in a Super Bowl. New England did the same thing in SB LIII, holding the Rams to an average of 3.4 rushing yards per carry and quarterback Jared Goff to 229 passing yards and no touchdowns. Goff was sacked four times.

In the first half, all six of the Rams’ drives ended with a punt.

Los Angeles tried to answer, but with 4:17 left in the fourth quarter, Goff was picked off by the Patriots’ Stephen Gilmore deep in New England territory. That play led to Stephen Gotkowski’s second field goal of the game, a 41-yard effort that gave the Patriots a 10-point advantage with 1:12 left.

The Rams’ offense, which was essentially shut down for most of the night by the Patriots’ defense, briefly came to life. With 5 seconds left, the Rams’ Greg Zuerlein missed a 48-yard field goal attempt, as Los Angeles hoped to make it a one-possession game.

New England opened the scoring on Stephen Gotkowski’s 42-yard field goal with 10:29 left in the second quarter. That accounted for the lowest halftime score in Super Bowl history since SB IX in 1975, when Pittsburgh led Minnesota 2-0 at the break.

The Rams tied the game at 3-3 in the third quarter on Zueriein’s 53-yard field goal.

In the record books, Rams punter Johnny Hekker launched the longest-ever punt in a Super Bowl – 65 yards, even if it took a 27-yard roll to do it. Elias Sports Bureau reports that Los Angeles also set a Super Bowl mark for consecutive punts to begin a game — eight. Zuerlein’s 53-yard field goal was the first from beyond 50 yards in 15 years.

Patriots Coach Bill Belichick became the oldest coach to win a Super Bowl at age 66. Brady, at age 41, is the oldest starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl, passing Peyton Manning, who won the title with Denver at age 39.

Brady is also the all-time leader in individual Super Bowl wins with six, passing Charles Haley.

At halftime, Maroon 5 paid tribute to SpongeBob SquarePants. Adam Levine removed his shirt to display his tattoos, providing more excitement than the first half offered. Rapper Big Boi made an appearance, and rapper Scott concluded the halftime show by performing “Sicko Mode” before falling backwards into the crowd of unpaid volunteers.

On social media, fans expressed their displeasure with the halftime show, many calling it “the all-time worst ever halftime show.” No memory, apparently, of the days of marching bands.

Super Bowl LIII podcast with Tony Renteria: Gurley taught everything he knows about rushing to Michel

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Photo credit: @blakejmorgan

On the Super Bowl LIII podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 Todd Gurley of the Los Angeles Rams and Sony Michel of the New England Patriots. Both rushers. Tony talks about how they’ll do in the Super Bowl.

#2 Gurley and Michel both played for Georgia before being drafted in the NFL and now face each other in the Super Bowl.

#3 Gurley said he taught everything he knows to Michel and hopes he’ll forget everything come Super Bowl Sunday.

#4 Cold ice and rain is expected for Atlanta and a drop of 20 degrees is expected at game time and the league is hoping to open the roof as weather will play a factor in that decision.

#5 Atlanta International Airport has been congested with Super Bowl travel, but with this week’s harsh weather conditions, there has been cancellations. On Monday, there were 179 flights cancelled.

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

Super Bowl LIII podcast with London Marq: Leaving the press, Marooned Maroon 5 decides to forgo Super Bowl presser

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Photo credit: @11AliveNews

On the Super Bowl LIII podcast with London:

#1 Maroon 5 has decided to forgo the traditional pregame Super Bowl LIII presser because of the number of other groups who have chosen not to participate in the halftime entertainment show due to the NFL’s policy about taking a knee.

#2 Rihanna led the way by telling the NFL that she would not do the Super Bowl halftime show because of the anti-taking a knee policy and said that former San Francisco 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick had a right to protest against police brutality and discrimination that still continues to this day.

#3 Comedian Amy Schumer has asked that Maroon 5 step down from entertaining at halftime for this Sunday’s Super Bowl because of what Kaepernick is doing is making a statement about racial discrimination and unequal justice to minorities and people of color.

#4 The NFL has promised Maroon 5 that they will donate $500,000 to the Big Brothers and Big Sister charity group if the band would entertain at this Sunday’s halftime performance. Adam Levine of Maroon 5 said of the NFL’s donation that he’s thankful for the donation and it would benefit children across the country.

#5 Maroon 5 didn’t want to take any questions about the other artists asking them not to perform and questions about Colin Kaepernick’s stance on racial discrimination in America.

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

That’s Amaury’s Super Bowl LIII podcast: The comparisons of Brady and Goff going into Sunday

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Photo credit: @ladailynews

On That’s Amaury’s Super Bowl LIII podcast:

#1 Both Super Bowl quarterbacks have local ties to the San Francisco Bay Area. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady formerly lived in San Mateo and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff played for the Cal Bears in Berkeley.

#2 Brady has won five Super Bowls. He’s a slam dunk for the Football Hall of Fame. Talk about his odds on getting that sixth ring.

#3 Brady is 42 years old playing in his 10th Super Bowl this coming Sunday. That’s a lot of Super Bowls and experience can prove to be helpful in winning another one.

#4 For Goff, it’s a real “pinch me am I here?”moment, Goff was in a media day situation when both Brady and Goff sat next to each other answering questions and Goff had some questions for Brady and Brady simply said he’s not answering. No tips before game day.

#5 What does Amaury expect out of Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta this Sunday?

Amaury Pi Gonzalez formerly covered the NFL Super Bowl for Radio and TV and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

2019 Pro Bowl: AFC earns soggy 26-7 blowout over NFC

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Photo credit: Shawn McCullough, Sports Radio Service

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Sunday, January 27, 2019

The 2019 Pro Bowl kicked off in Orlando, Fla., in the midst of a rain shower, 94 percent humidity and a game time temperature of 54 degrees.

Meanwhile, in Honolulu, Hawaii, it was 73 degrees, partial clouds, and 57 percent humidity. The NFL used to play the Pro Bowl in Honolulu, but Commissioner Roger Goddell had the game moved to Orlando for better stadium perks and amenities for himself, his friends, and the league’s owners.

That, and ongoing issues regarding the condition of Aloha Stadium, which needed major renovations and upkeep. Hawaii last hosted the Pro Bowl in 2016, with no guarantee of the game returning, which is unfortunate — it was a major reason for the best players to show up after years of prominent no-shows.

Today’s scene is reminiscent of when the league played the Pro Bowl in Kansas City in 1974. Nonetheless, Suzy Kolber and Lisa Salters had no trouble rocking their rain gear, working the sidelines for ESPN on ABC.

These days, the Pro Bowl has an odd way of starting — there are no kickoffs. Possessions begin at the team’s own 25-yard line. Special teams players are still selected, more as an honor.

As for the game, proudly presented by Verizon, the AFC jumped to a 17-0 halftime lead and eventually prevailed 26-7.

At 11:26 of the first quarter, Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Colts tight end Eric Ebron to open the scoring. The AFC extended its lead in the second quarter on a 1-yard plunge by Chiefs fullback Anthony Sherman and Jets’ kicker Jason Myers’ 31-yard field goal.

Myers’ 47-yard field goal at 4:06 of the third quarter put the AFC up 20-0. The NFC found the end zone at 9:05 of the fourth quarter when Dak Prescott of Dallas connected with Atlanta tight end Austin Hooper for a 20-yard scoring play.

The AFC closed out the scoring with 19 seconds remaining, when Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson tossed a 6-yard TD pass to Jacksonville cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Trailing by 19, the AFC went for two and the pass was incomplete.

Mahomes, the offensive most valuable player, completed 7 of 14 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown. Tyreek Hill of Kansas City was the AFC’s top rusher with 24 yards on two carries, and the Los Angeles Chargers’ Keenan Allen caught four passes for 95 yards.

NFC leaders: Seattle’s Russell Wilson completed 5 of 8 passes for 68 yards, Ezekiel Elliott of Dallas gained 33 yards on three attempts, and Davante Adams of Green Bay caught two passes for 41 yards.

The New York Jets’ Jamal Adams was the defensive MVP.

This is the final year of a three-year contract to play the Pro Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. As of Jan. 27, the attendance has yet to be announced.