October 2009: Week 4 (NBA Season Preview)
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It's that favorite time of year, on The NOR CAL Report! Autumn has sprung, and with far away teams battling for the hardball crown, there's still gridiron, footie, and of course, hoops action to drool over!
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The Warriors start the season on a sour note, as their ex-captain wants out, their guards bristle, and their coach concedes a playoff-less picture. But talent abides. Will the high-octane youngsters prove worth watching?
The Kings may have filled long-time holes at point guard and head coach, even as other problems loom. Tough as it seems, could this season be life-or-death for pro hoops in once proud Sactown?
The Sharks once again float atop the Pacific. So why is 2009 the year everything changes — and what aspect promises to be the Fish's Achilles' heel?
The 49ers ride Alex Smith to a near-victory against a near-good team. Now that the Niners have the fresh-faced QB and a host of receiving options, why have they gone a month without winning a game?
The Raiders look far removed from the team that won one game, ever. Hear what the latest drubbing, at the hands of the Jets, means for the beleaguered franchise.
Life is like a box of chocolates — you never know what you're gonna get. But you always know where you can get it — on The NOR CAL Report!
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The lads catch up with revered Sharkie scorer Joe Pavelski. Stay tuned for results from the NBA openers, more surprises from the NFL squads, and a healthy dose of the San Jose icers.
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All the latest info, anecdotes and opinions from the Report's own Jess Zitrin.
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— go now! Join in our heated discussions, and don't forget to share with your friends...The 49ers are debating moral victories again after the Colts game. One thing's for sure: losing Joe Staley and Nate Clements for most of the year won't help...
We know our fans love baseball. So, since you asked, World Series watchers: Yankees in six. No, I can't stand the Evil Empire either — and the Phillies clearly have what it takes. But this is the Yankees' year, and they're just too good. The key to a possible Phillies win? Somehow winning the battle of the bullpens. No, not Brad Lidge vs. Mariano Rivera — the guys who pave the way for them. If C.C., A.J., and all-time winningest postseason pitcher Andy Pettitte finish what they start, six games may be an insult to the pinstripers...
I've made a lot of the Giants' colorful nicknames this year. Now even their hitting coach has one: they've elevated Hensley "Bam Bam" Meulens..."
In his esteemed baseball archive, John Shea notes the Dodgers' marital stresses, along with some financial ones. He also links the Giants to two splashy free agent pitchers, of the international persuasion. For my money: no chance they lunge for Cuban 100 mph lefty Aroldis Chapman, whom I saw pitch live ("raw" is more like it) at the World Baseball Classic this spring. But the G-Men have made needed inroads into the Asian market, and it's true they might take the plunge for the impressive Japanese high school southpaw, Yusei Kikuchi. Kikuchi, favorite to go #1 overall in the ever-hypothetical international draft, has plenty of M.L. prospects and is actually more refined than the highly touted Chapman. What kind of Cuban name is Chapman, anyway?
The Giants' Jeremy Affeldt, a friend of The NOR CAL Report, is up for an award for his crucial work with the Not For Sale Campagin...
The Raiders coach and primary signal-caller (an outdated phrase if I've heard one) now say they've got an accord. Says I: not unless it's a Honda...
I know, 49ers fans — couldn't they tighten up on defense and win a jaw-crusher in Indy? Sure, they could. But weren't you listening? We've seen the defense play well before. What worries us is the offensive line struggles, now complicated by injury. I repeat what I said on (digital) air: Coach Singletary knows no one does running around like a chicken with his head cut off like Alex Smith. This Ray Ratto piece says Smith starting is Singletary's concession that his team can't run...
The surprise isn't that FX is trotting out a sitcom about fantasy sports, it's that some people like it...
Kings fans, take heart: in his column on '09-'10 potential breakouts, John Hollinger mentions not only Jason Thompson, but also Sean May as consistently productive players looking to nail down their roles. Of course, NOR CAL fans will also recognize Ike Diogu's name, and while it's true he's never had a full crack, it's also an exaggeration to call him consistently productive...
A correction: I stupidly called Giants scouting guru "Bob Barr" on last week's show — a bizarre throwback to my Georgia days. Bob, of course, helped impeach Pres. Clinton, ran against McCain and Obama, and held a mean poker face while donning a pimptastic mustache [below.] The Giants' lead scout, meanwhile, is Ron, of course...
Speaking of name games: Until MattytheK pointed it out, I hadn't realized that Dodgers exbroiled exec Frank McCourt shares the same name as the late author. No, the writer who spent most of his life as a New York schoolteacher did not somehow buy the Dodgers — but while we're on the subject, McCourt's fictionalized memoir Angela's Ashes is one of the great tours de force of 20th century.
Thanks for an awesome first two years! We hope to offer many more — so keep that feedback coming — video? college sports? ladies beach volleyball?? — and we'll see you again soon, on The NOR CAL Report!
Posted by Jess Zitrin and Lex Gopnik at October 28, 2009 
Categories: Raiders 49ers Sharks Warriors Kings Earthquakes
Categories: Raiders 49ers Sharks Warriors Kings Earthquakes
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