January, 2009: Week 1 (with Ryane Clowe, San Jose Sharks)
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It's a fresh new year — and time for a fresh new NOR CAL Report! In this edition, San Jose Sharks winger Ryane Clowe joins the lads for a look at the Fish's surging hopes. Meanwhile, the football teams have a lot to sing about, and even baseball is fun this time of year. Plus, more for 2009:
The Raiders finish strong, with a happy (interim) coach and an offense with some talent in surprising places;
The 49ers march into the offseason with a last-second win, plus promotions — and firings — in some of the biggest places;
The Sharks stay afloat, all but locking up the Pac division by New Year's. Ryane Clowe intimates what's to love and love more about life in the NHL;
The Kings have kicked Coach Theus to the curb, but not much else has changed. If K-Mart goes off for 45 but the team's still losing, is there anything to crow about?
The Warriors, too, limp into the new year. But even with Cap'n Jack hurt again, they have a flashy young buck and a returning young vet to weave into Nellie's uptempo style.
Finally, the Giants have the Unit, the A's have Holliday, and both are amassing an impressive collection of juicy rumors. Can the Bay boys become favorites once again?
The new year brims with promise — on a special NOR CAL Report!
UP NEXT: The lads turn the page on a long but uplifting football season — and lay a unique A's-vs-Giants bet. Plus, basketball rolls on, and so do the confident Sharks.
The NOR CAL Blog:
All the latest info, anecdotes and opinions from the Report's own Jess Zitrin.
Word here is the A's have re-signed the loveable Jason Giambi. Yes, a two year deal with a buyout is far better than the three years that was first reported. But of the rumored troika of Giambi, Garrett Anderson, and Bobby Abreu, only one is consistently above average at his position: Abreu. If truly stuck for barroom convo, you could argue that Abreu for Kevin Stocker swung the 2008 World Series...
Best line of the article: "Neither Cust nor Giambi is a premier defensive player." And neither Lex or Jess is a world-famous cellist...
ESPN's Sean McAdam says Billy Beane saw the Whole Economy Thing coming years ago, and maneuvered to take advantage...
The line from ESPN on the Giants and Manny: "As hard as Scott Boras may be trying to portray the San Francisco Giants as serious bidders for Manny Ramirez, it's even harder to find executives in baseball who believe that." The Giants aren't immune to the 2009 belt-tightening, and are already some $10 million in salary over last year's figure. It's not impossible, but...
Did you know a former 49er wrote the hit movie Any Given Sunday? Meanwhile, Niner lawyers will rep the team to the Supreme Court...
For the Raiders, it's never too early to start talking draft. Meanwhile, Coach Cable's trying to stick, but Rob Ryan appears to be out — again — and Tom Rathman is back in San Francisco. Now, the 49ers need an O-man to slot between Rath and Singletary...
The Warriors have waived DaMarcus Nelson for Jermareo Davidson. As hardball guru John Shea points out, Davidson is a good story. So what, you ask? Good point. But Brandon Wright's injury means Nellie has to give sparkplug Anthony Randolph some time — and I've come around on Jamal Crawford's midrange-and-dish game...
Sad to say it, but indiscriminate, violent protests over the youth shot dead at Fruitvale BART show how fractured Oakland's citizenry really is. Said one rioter, of a local black woman whose shop was vandalized: "She should be glad she just lost her business and not her life." In the words of John Lennon: Come together, right now.
Thanks as always for checking in with The NOR CAL Report! We'll see you again, and again, in 2009.
** Thanks for making The NOR CAL Report a success. Don't forget to tell your friends! **
It's a fresh new year — and time for a fresh new NOR CAL Report! In this edition, San Jose Sharks winger Ryane Clowe joins the lads for a look at the Fish's surging hopes. Meanwhile, the football teams have a lot to sing about, and even baseball is fun this time of year. Plus, more for 2009:
The Raiders finish strong, with a happy (interim) coach and an offense with some talent in surprising places;
The 49ers march into the offseason with a last-second win, plus promotions — and firings — in some of the biggest places;
The Sharks stay afloat, all but locking up the Pac division by New Year's. Ryane Clowe intimates what's to love and love more about life in the NHL;
The Kings have kicked Coach Theus to the curb, but not much else has changed. If K-Mart goes off for 45 but the team's still losing, is there anything to crow about?
The Warriors, too, limp into the new year. But even with Cap'n Jack hurt again, they have a flashy young buck and a returning young vet to weave into Nellie's uptempo style.
Finally, the Giants have the Unit, the A's have Holliday, and both are amassing an impressive collection of juicy rumors. Can the Bay boys become favorites once again?
The new year brims with promise — on a special NOR CAL Report!
UP NEXT: The lads turn the page on a long but uplifting football season — and lay a unique A's-vs-Giants bet. Plus, basketball rolls on, and so do the confident Sharks.
Played: 285 | Download | Duration: 00:34:11
The NOR CAL Blog:
All the latest info, anecdotes and opinions from the Report's own Jess Zitrin.
Word here is the A's have re-signed the loveable Jason Giambi. Yes, a two year deal with a buyout is far better than the three years that was first reported. But of the rumored troika of Giambi, Garrett Anderson, and Bobby Abreu, only one is consistently above average at his position: Abreu. If truly stuck for barroom convo, you could argue that Abreu for Kevin Stocker swung the 2008 World Series...
Best line of the article: "Neither Cust nor Giambi is a premier defensive player." And neither Lex or Jess is a world-famous cellist...
ESPN's Sean McAdam says Billy Beane saw the Whole Economy Thing coming years ago, and maneuvered to take advantage...
The line from ESPN on the Giants and Manny: "As hard as Scott Boras may be trying to portray the San Francisco Giants as serious bidders for Manny Ramirez, it's even harder to find executives in baseball who believe that." The Giants aren't immune to the 2009 belt-tightening, and are already some $10 million in salary over last year's figure. It's not impossible, but...
Did you know a former 49er wrote the hit movie Any Given Sunday? Meanwhile, Niner lawyers will rep the team to the Supreme Court...
For the Raiders, it's never too early to start talking draft. Meanwhile, Coach Cable's trying to stick, but Rob Ryan appears to be out — again — and Tom Rathman is back in San Francisco. Now, the 49ers need an O-man to slot between Rath and Singletary...
The Warriors have waived DaMarcus Nelson for Jermareo Davidson. As hardball guru John Shea points out, Davidson is a good story. So what, you ask? Good point. But Brandon Wright's injury means Nellie has to give sparkplug Anthony Randolph some time — and I've come around on Jamal Crawford's midrange-and-dish game...
Sad to say it, but indiscriminate, violent protests over the youth shot dead at Fruitvale BART show how fractured Oakland's citizenry really is. Said one rioter, of a local black woman whose shop was vandalized: "She should be glad she just lost her business and not her life." In the words of John Lennon: Come together, right now.
Thanks as always for checking in with The NOR CAL Report! We'll see you again, and again, in 2009.
Posted by Jess Zitrin and Lex Gopnik at January 6, 2009 
Categories: A's, 49ers, Giants, Raiders, Sharks, Warriors, Kings
Categories: A's, 49ers, Giants, Raiders, Sharks, Warriors, Kings
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