Tag: Sports Radio Service

Cal Bears podcast Michael Villanueva: Cal’s 97-50 win gives them their best start since 1959

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Cal Bears forward Chris Bell (22) takes a shot against the Morgan State Bears Manok Lual (22) at Haas Pavilion on Fri Dec 19, 2025 (Cal Bears X photo)

Cal Bears podcast Michael Villanueva:

#1 Michael talk about the job the Cal Bears did tonight absolutely dominated on offense with a win over the Morgan State Bears (2-9) of Baltimore in a contest that wasn’t even close.

#2 Cal’s leading scorer Chris Bell led with 28 points. Bell was just simply difficult to defend and had his way with Morgan State’s defense.

#3 Cal’s John Camden followed up with 20 points, Camden was getting his shot working and mismatched Morgan State in the Cal 97-50.

#4 Cal with the win is now 11-1 and this is their best start since 1959. Cal is undfeated at home.

#5 Cal hosts the Columbia Lions who after winning seven straight snapped their win streak against the Stony Brook Seawolves 77-73. This game will be played at Cal on Sunday at 2:00 pm PT Michael what are your thoughts going into this one?

Michael Nueueva covers the Cal Bears for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Jose Sharks podcast Len Shapiro: Dallas makes Sharks see Stars in game’s end 5-3 at SAP Center

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Dallas Stars center Justin Hryckowian (middle) is congratulated by teammates defenseman Nils Lundkvist and center Oskar Bick (10) after scoring against the San Jose Sharks in the second period (AP News photo)

San Jose Sharks podcast Len Shapiro:

#1 How did Macklin Celebrini’s leadership show up in Thursday night, especially during key moments against a structured Dallas Stars team?

#2 What stood out about Celebrini’s impact in this game—did his pace and decision-making translate into meaningful offensive chances?

#3 How effective was William Eklund had six shots and he was a minus three, Alex Wennberg, Tim Tofoli also minus three.

#4 Did Mario Ferraro set the tone defensively against Dallas’ top forwards, and how did his physical play influence the Sharks’ overall compete level?

#5 What can the Sharks take away from Colin Graf’s performance scoring two goals , particularly in terms of finishing chances and consistency in a tight game?

#6 Len talk about the standings and talk about the where the Sharks are in the wild card it’s early but it’s a great representation of where the Sharks are?

Len Shapiro does the San Jose Sharks podcast each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Wyatt Johnston illuminates the Stars with two goals in 5-3 victory over San Jose

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San Jose Sharks forward Colin Graf (51) scores one of his two goals against the Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) at SAP Center in San Jose on Thu Dec 18, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Lincoln Juarez

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Wyatt Johnston potted two against the Sharks in a 5-3 victory for the Dallas Stars at SAP Center Thursday night. Colin Graf scored two of his own while Macklin Celebrini assisted on both adding to his third-best point total in the NHL.

The Sharks rode a three-game win streak into Thursday night’s matchup against the Dallas Stars, the NHL’s second best team. After a 4-1 loss in Dallas two weeks ago, team teal went into Thursday’s game playing with some new swagger.

San Jose started the tilt with a lot of offensive zone pressure met by the sizable Jake Oettinger in the Dallas crease. Oettinger turned away 12 shots in the first, keeping the Sharks scoreless through the first period.

On the other end of the ice, Alex Nedeljkovic was tested 10 times and beat twice. Roope Hintz got the game’s first at 12:25 of the first period on a nice feed from Mikko Rantanen. It was his 10th of the season to put the Stars ahead. Almost exactly five minutes later at 17:38 of the first, Wyatt Johnston scored his first of two on the night and his 18th of the season to make it 2-0 Dallas.

The Sharks had some high percentage scoring chances but couldn’t get the puck past Oettinger, other than a Zack Ostapchuk deflection that was ruled a high stick upon review.

It wasn’t until 1:43 of the second period that San Jose had an answer on Shakir Mukhamadullin’s second goal of the year. Ty Dellandrea set him up to get the Sharks within one and start the back and forth second period.

Both teams went blow for blow in the middle period as Wyatt Johnston answered right back with his second goal of the game to give the Stars their two-goal lead back.

Later on, Colin Graf scored his first goal of the night and seventh of the season off a sweet pass from Macklin Celebrini off an offensive zone face-off win.

Soon after, Justin Hryckowian made it a 4-2 Stars lead on a disgraceful giveaway by goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic who threw the puck loosely into the slot where Hryckowian took possession and buried it. “I just didn’t execute the play” said Nedeljkovic describing a play he felt confident to make considering he made a similar pass earlier in the game.

Hryckowian’s goal ended up being the game winner as the Sharks couldn’t claw back. Colin Graf added one more to the Sharks effort on the back end of a tik-tac-toe setup by Celebrini and Igor Chernyshov.

Jamie Benn capped off the Stars win with an empty-netter to deflate the Sharks hope of a comeback.

San Jose went 0-for-3 on the power play and couldn’t break the wall that was Jake Oettinger as he turned away 34 of 37 shots he faced.

The Sharks will wrap up the homestand with their last home game before the Christmas break against the Seattle Kraken at SAP Center at 7pm Saturday night.

Kings Lose To Trail Blazers In A Wild Overtime 134-133

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Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) questions a foul call against him in the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers Thu Dec 18, 2025 in Portland (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (6-21) lost to the Portland Trail Blazers (11-16) in overtime 134-133 forging a late fourth quarter rally to force the overtime They had trailed by as much as 18 points before making an amazing run.

DeMar DeRozan finished the game with 33 points and it appeared he had hit the winning shot but a foul sent Portland to the line with 1.5 seconds left on the clock. The Trail Blazers Deni Avdija hit both free throws winning the game for Portland by a single point.

Game recap: The first quarter was a high scoring opening 12 minutes with the Kings leading 40-36. As it turned out Dennis Schroeder was able to play off the bench in this game. The Trail Blazers came back strong in the second quarter outscoring Sacramento 27-20 taking a 63-60 lead into the locker room at the half. The Kings were very much in this game going into the third quarter.

A wild third quarter got underway with the two teams trading the lead throughout. With under four minutes left in the quarter the Kings had a slim 77-76 lead. Maxime Raynaud had the high score in the game so far for Sacramento with under three minutes left in the third.

The Kings had four starters in double figures and the Trail Blazers Shaedon Sharpe with 22 points was doing a lot of the heavy lifting for Portland as well as Deni Avdija. Going into the fourth quarter, this game could not have been any closer with Sacramento continuing to hold onto a one-point lead 83-82.

Not being able to close out games in the fourth quarter has been problematic for the Kings this season. Sacramento had yet another chance to try and close out this game for the win.

The Trail Blazers took back the lead early in the fourth quarter 89-85 and the race was on. With 8:36 left on the clock the Kings were already showing signs of shutting down as Portland continued to extend their lead 91-85.

At 5:16 the Trail Blazers had their largest lead of the game 107-89. With under four minutes left in the game it was all downhill for the Kings via fouls and turnovers and it began to look like another meltdown was in the works. Sacramento began to pick away at the Trail Blazers lead and with 8 seconds left on the clock DeMar DeRozan hit a three to tie up the game 115-115 and this contest went into overtime.

The Kings struggled to start the overtime giving up a 122-117 lead to Portland. Sacramento fought hard throughout the extra minutes coming as close as three-points 129-126 with a minute left on the clock.

With 4.4 seconds left in the overtime it was again DeRozan giving the Kings a one-point lead 133-132. When a win seemed imminent Russell Westbrook fouled Deni Avdija. Avdija made both free throws and that was the game with the Trail Blazers winning a wild one 134-133 handing the Kings a heart-breaking loss.

Sacramento fought hard in this game especially in overtime. They came so very close losing by a single point. DeRozan had the team high with 33 points and Maxime Raynaud had a double double finishing with 29 points and 11 rebounds. Westbrook turned in 20 points and Keegan Murray had 17 points.

Portland’s Avdija had the game high with 35 points hitting the two free throws at the end that won the game for the Trail Blazers.

Game notes: The Kings have struggled all season and the last thing, they need as they go into another road game this one against the Trail Blazers, with more injuries. The Kings continue without their big man Domantas Sabonis who will be re-evaluated any day now after suffering a partially torn meniscus.

It appears he is close to returning to the court. Along with Sabonis, Zach LaVine is also down with a left ankle sprain that may keep him out for at least a week. It gets worse for Sacramento with Dennis Schroeder questionable with a right ankle sprain.

With all of this upheaval Malik Monk, Nique Cliffored and Keon Ellis played larger roles in this game. As far as the starting lineup for the Kings used Maxime Raynaud who continues to battle in his new role. Drew Eubanks was ruled out with a thumb injury.

With this plethora of injuries the Sacramento bench played a huge role and the starting line up along with Raynaud, DeRozan, Murray, Westbrook and Precious Achiuwa taking the court. The Kings came into this game after losing to the Timberwolves Sunday 117-103 while the Trail Blazers beat the Golden State Warriors 136-131 on Sunday.

The two teams will meet for a second time in as many days this time at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday December 20th with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 PM .

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: From My Baseball Notebook– The Era of Big Contracts could be History

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A’s Spanish broadcaster Amaury Pi Gonzalez (left) meets with New York Yankees pitcher Jim Catfish Hunter (right) before a 1975 game with the then Oakland A’s (photo from the author Amaury Pi Gonzalez)

MLB: The Era of Big Contracts could be History.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Starting pitcher Jim “Catfish” Hunter was the first modern baseball player to sign a multi-million dollar contract. The former Oakland A’s pitcher signed a landmark five-year, $3.05 million contract with the New York Yankees on December 31, 1974.

Hunter was the first actual free agent due to a contract dispute, making way for today’s huge salaries. A’s owner, Charlie O. Finley, breached the contract by failing to pay the required deferred compensation into an annuity, according to an arbitrator, which opened the door for George Steinbrenner of the Yankees to roll out which at the time was an incredible amount of money  $3 million plus.. In 1974, the median price of a home in the US was around $30,000.

Jim “Catfish” Hunter just came off the 1974 season with the Oakland A’s as the American League Cy Young Award winner. I remember when ex-catcher and later radio and television commentator Ray Fosse told me, “Catfish control was for the ages.” 

The Hall of Famer who pitched for 15 years was a dominant pitcher on the best team in baseball at the time, the three time World Champion Oakland A’s,1972-73-74. From 1971 to 1974, the right-hander won 20 or more games each season.

During Caffish Hunter’s first visit to Oakland in 1975 with his Yankee uniform, he seemed relaxed and told me, “I never thought I would be pitching for any other team but the A’s. These are great fans here in Oakland, but what happened was beyond my control. Now I’m a Yankee.”

In a previous article, I wrote that the 2026 season could be historic. The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expires in December 2026, and all roads lead to an owner-imposed lockout thereafter. I believe the baseball owners have the upper hand this time, as they are seeking a hard salary cap like the other sports (every other major professional sports league), thus, the years of hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts for the best players will be officially over.

Why Catfish?  Jim “Catfish” Hunter got his famous nickname from Kansas City Athletics owner Charles O. Finley, who gave it to him in 1965 to create a flashier persona, inventing a story about young Hunter catching catfish to make it stick, though Hunter never really liked it.

Finley owned the Kansas City club and then the Oakland A’s for 20 years, from 1960 to 1980, when he sold the team to Walter A.Haas (Levi Strauss) for $12.7 million, I met Charlie O. Finley, yes, he was controversial, but he had a lot of good ideas, and in Oakland, he was a winner, and also,he was a shrewd businessman.

Thank you for reading My Baseball Notebook. I wish you a Very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Felíz Año Nuevo. See you in 2026!

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 ending in 2024 (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.

LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874

From the second you step in the front door, the sounds of Latin America will gently seduce your ears and continue as you relax outdoors with your favorite cocktail enjoying the view. The wonderful flavors and aromas of our cuisine will not disappoint.

We use only the finest, freshest, local ingredients in every dish and every dish is prepared to order. Enjoy live mariachi music weekly and on special occasions, catch balet folklorico dance performances among other live entertainment. Come visit us and have a great time! Enjoy fast, friendly service, fantastic food & cocktails, music and allow us to share our beautiful Mexican heritage with you.

LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant at 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874.

San Jose Sharks podcast Lincoln Juarez: Celebrini will test out the Dallas defense at SAP Center Thursday night

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San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) scores an empty net goal in the third period against the Calgary Flames at SAP Center in San Jose on Tue Dec 16, 2025 (AP News photo)

San Jose Sharks podcast Lincoln Juarez:

#1 Macklin Celebrini has been a driving force for the Sharks, leading the team with 18 goals and 33 assists this season. How will he match up against a strong Stars defense?

#2 With Celebrini as the primary threat, how effectively can William Eklund and Tim Toffoli contribute to keep the pressure on Dallas?

#3 The Sharks have both Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic available in goal. Which one gives San Jose the best chance against Dallas’s scoring depth?

#4 Players like John Klingberg, Dmitry Orlov, Timothy Liljegren, and Shakir Mukhamadullin will be key in shutting down Dallas’s top scorers — how well can they limit chances?

#5 Will special teams play a decisive role for the Sharks against the Stars?

Join Lincoln Juarez Fridays for the Sharks podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings look to end 3 game skid against Portland tonight

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Minnesota Timberwolves guard Rod Dillingham (4) goes airborne attempting to drive to the basket against the Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (left) and center Malik Monk (0) at the Target Center in Minneapolis Thu Dec 18, 2025 (AP News photo)

Sacramento Kings podcast Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 With Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine both out of the lineup, how will the Kings adjust their game plan — and which role will DeMar DeRozan take in carrying the offensive load?

#2 Russell Westbrook has been a key playmaker for Sacramento — can he continue his recent assist production and be the catalyst that keeps the Kings competitive in Portland?

#3 How big of an impact can Malik Monk have as one of Sacramento’s leading scorers, especially with the Kings’ offense needing consistent perimeter shots?

#4 Keegan Murray offers size and defensive versatility — what matchup advantages might he have against Portland’s forwards, and can he help secure more rebounds for the Kings?

#5 With other young contributors like Maxime Raynaud seeing increased minutes due to injuries, will Sacramento’s bench production be enough to keep pace with Portland?

Join Jeremiah Salmonson for the Kings podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

Cardinal manhandled the Mavericks 76-60 on Wednesday Night on the Farm

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The Stanford Cardinal forward Chisom Okpara (10) drives to the basket against the UT Arlington Mavericks guard Cash Chavis (1) at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Wed Dec 17, 2025 (KGO San Francisco ABC 7 still photo)

By Michael Roberson

STANFORD, Calif. — The Stanford Cardinal (9-2) were un-hospitable hosts for the University of Texas – Arlington Mavericks (7-4), as they defeated them 76-60 inside the environs of Maples Pavilion on Wednesday night.

Although the Mavericks scored first points and led early by two, the Cardinal muscled their way into the lead and extended the margin to a high of 16 points, with the assistance of a 12-0 run.

During the first 20 minutes of play Stanford shot 50% from the field, and 43% from beyond the arc. They held the Mavericks to 41% and 20% respectively. By the end of the half, the Cardinal had garnered a 15-point lead, 40-25.

There was one player in double figures in the initial segment of the game. Stanford senior guard Benny Gealer tallied 11 points to forge the home team into a power position on the court.

In the second half, Stanford kept the pedal to the metal and sustained a significant lead throughout the second 20-minute block. They even increased their largest advantage to 19 points in the second half. Despite the large margin, Stanford’s last home game had to be in the back of their collective mind.

UTA did not just lay down on account of the huge deficit; they competed, pressed and fought with Texas Pride. However, the Cardinal was able to pull away and win by 16 points, 76-60.. Despite shooting worse in the second half, Stanford accomplished a comfortable home win.

The Cardinal produced four players with ten points or more. Both Chisom Okpara and Gealer scored 17 points, while AJ Rhosy offered 13 points and seven rebounds and Jeremy Dent-Smith chipped in ten points and five assists. UTA provided two players reaching that criteria, Sophomore guard Casmir Chavis put up 14 points and senior guard Marcell McCreary gave his team 12 points and five assists.

The Cardinal will next be in action Saturday, December 20 in Arizona at 5 PM PT as part of the Hall of Fame Series Phoenix against Colorado on ESPNU. The Mavericks will head to Tulsa, OK to face Oral Roberts, Monday, December 22 at 7 PM CT.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: NBA Expansion to Las Vegas

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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is considering expansion teams to Las Vegas and Seattle that will be up for discussion sometime in 2026 (CNN photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: NBA Expansion to Las Vegas:

NBA Expansion to Las Vegas

That’s Amaury News Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

A decision on expansion (potentially to 32 teams) is anticipated sometime in 2026. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver praised Las Vegas support for basketball. The Commissioner notes support in Las Vegas for the WNBA Aces, the Summer League, and the NBA Cup.  Seattle is also another city that the NBA is showing interest.

The Seattle SuperSonics played in Seattle for 41 seasons, from their inaugural 1967-1968 season until relocating to become the Oklahoma City Thunder after the 2007-2008 season. They were Seattle’s first major sports franchise and won one NBA championship in 1979 under legendary coach Lenny Wilkens.

I remember as I covered the Warriors visiting Seattle with the team and witnessed the support of the Supersonics fans, the arena where they played was right, where the World’s Fair was held in 1962, today known as Seattle Center,  next to the Space Needle and the Monorail. It was made even more famous in 1963 with Elvis as the star in the movie “It Happened At The World’s Fair”.

Expasion history: Last time the NBA expanded was in 2004 when the Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets) joined as the league’s 30th team. While there’s been talk of expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle, no new teams have joined since the Bobcats’ debut.

More Hoops: Below made the rounds here in the Bay Area and in the national news of one Golden State Warriors Fan complaining to owner Joe Lacob about the struggles of the team recenlty even as Stephen Curry scoring in big numbers but still no victories.

(via Justdutari/Reddit, Alex Simon/SFGate)

A Warrior fan wrote Lacob: “Dear Joe, Please do something about this team. What Steph need to do every night to win? Drop 50 points? Team is need a real second option. Jimmy tool are being underutilized because he is playing as a power forward due to the small position players. We have no true center.”

Lacob replied: “You can’t be as frustrated as me. I’am working on it. It’s complicated. Style of play. Coaches desires regarding players. League trends. Jimmy is not the problem.”

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 ending in 2024 (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.

LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874

From the second you step in the front door, the sounds of Latin America will gently seduce your ears and continue as you relax outdoors with your favorite cocktail enjoying the view. The wonderful flavors and aromas of our cuisine will not disappoint.

We use only the finest, freshest, local ingredients in every dish and every dish is prepared to order. Enjoy live mariachi music weekly and on special occasions, catch balet folklorico dance performances among other live entertainment. Come visit us and have a great time! Enjoy fast, friendly service, fantastic food & cocktails, music and allow us to share our beautiful Mexican heritage with you.

LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant at 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874.

San Francisco 49ers podcast David Zizmor: Ayiuk’s demise didn’t distract the team at all

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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) in the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara on Oct 5, 2025 (AP News photo)

San Francisco 49ers podcast David Zizmor:

#1 How much is the Brandon Aiyuk situation going to impact the San Francisco 49ers as Aiyuk and the 49ers are headed for a split. Aiyuk had been work for a resolution as Aiyuk has one more year left on his contract and is out on the reserve/left team list and cannot return for the rest of the season.

#2 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Rickey Pearsall with a right knee cruciate ligament injury.Peasall caught an eight yard pass during the first play and caught six passes for 96 yards in the 49ers win over the Tennessee Titans 37-24 last Sunday.

#3 Next up for the 49ers (10-4) the Indianapolis Colts (8-6) at Lucas Oil Field for Monday Night Football on Dec 22. The Colts have lost five of their last six games and have lost four in a row the 49ers are catching the Colts in the middle of a slump.

Join David Zizmor for the 49ers podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com