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June 30 -- July 6, 2025
Issue No. 596
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STATUS REPORT:
Golden State's
NBA Draft
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Fact:
The Warriors find top players in the latter parts of the NBA draft. As to their first pick, while I do not follow basketball teams from Australia, Alex Toohey fits a new prototype: agile, good "D", versatile and, since he's from Australia, "hops." Their second selection, Will Richard, is rock solid and was vital in the Final Four for the Florida Gators as they won the Championship. A proven Winner! In late news, Houston Cougar and All-American guard L.J. Cryer will join the
Warriors in an Exhibit 10 deal. Cryer led Houston in their Final Four comeback win over Duke with 26 points. (He's your patented Warriors steal!)
An enormous amount of research undoubtedly went into these selections. These YouTube clips showcase the new merchandise.
Alex Toohey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtYW5Q2fqSY
Will Richard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVvtbgmKctI
L.J. Cryer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eavPX_r_k5U
Robert A. Moselle, Esq.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertamoselle/
Marketing Director, Sports Today
NBA Finals graphic by Carl Macki
* * *
Finals Fever: Watching the Battle from Warriors Country
Moselle recaps the NBA Finals series (Sports Today, #595) as expertly as I’ve seen it—from deep in Warriors territory, where the ghosts of recent glory still rattle the rafters. He charts the emotional currents with a steady hand: the drama and disappointment, the agony and lulls, the jolt of pure exhilaration, and the seasoned confidence that comes with closing the deal. It’s more than a recap—it’s a reminder of what it takes to reach the mountaintop, and how steep the climb remains for those chasing the standard we helped set.
From the Bay, it’s clear—we’ve seen greatness up close, and while this Finals brought heat, we know the fire still burns in Dub Nation.
Carl Macki
Fairfax, CA
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* * *
"I'll be home soon, Ma.
The pitchers are starting to curve me."
~Anonymous
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Contents
Games
Oakland Roots SC 2, Monterey Bay FC 1
San Jose Earthquakes 1, LA Galaxy 1
Features & Commentary
Hideki Matsui, from the autograph collection of Rich Yee
Newsletter, Image, Likeness, by Darren Heitner, Esq.
Sacramento, Las Vegas Not 'The Truth', by Dave Newhouse
Organizations
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A's
Bay Area Falcons
Bay Area Panthers
Bay FC
Cal Bears
Cal State University East Bay
Golden State Valkyries
Golden State Warriors
Oakland Ballers
Oakland Roots SC
Oakland Soul SC
Oakland Spiders
Saint Mary's College Gaels
San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco Giants
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San Francisco Nighthawks
San Francisco Unicorns
San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose State Spartans
Santa Clara Broncos
SF City
Sonoma Raceway
St. Francis Yacht Club
Stanford Cardinal
UC Davis Aggies
University of Pacific Tigers
USF Dons
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna
Seca
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San Jose Earthquakes 1
LA Galaxy 1
Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA
Saturday, June 28, 2025
| San Francisco 49ers legend Jerry Rice sounds the siren before the match. Photo and caption by Alex Ho. | | |
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MATCH RECAP: Earthquakes 1, LA Galaxy 1
Beau Leroux long-range effort gives San Jose early lead but visitors equalize in second half; Quakes continue homestand next Saturday vs. New York Red Bulls in first-ever Fireworks Night
at PayPal Park
STANFORD, Calif. — The San Jose Earthquakes drew with the LA Galaxy 1-1 on Saturday night in the 104th California Clasico at Stanford Stadium presented by El Camino Health in front of a crowd of 42,881 fans, the fifth-highest attended game in Major League Soccer this season.
The Earthquakes opened the scoring with a nine-pass display in the 16th minute that resulted in Mark-Anthony Kaye finding Beau Leroux, who turned and fired from the top of the box and into the back of the net past Galaxy goalkeeper Novak Micovic.
After halftime, the pace picked up and the visitors equalized in the 70th minute, when Marco Reus collected his own rebound and swept in the ball past Quakes goalkeeper Daniel to make it 1-1. In search of a game-winner, San Jose pushed forward in the waning minutes. In the 94th minute, Leroux’s cross from the right wing was headed just wide of the net and the rivals split the points at Stanford.
The Black and Blue will return to action on Saturday, July 5, when they take on the New York Red Bulls in the first-ever postgame Fireworks Night at PayPal Park. Kickoff will take place at 7:30 p.m. PT and will be broadcast globally via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (English/Spanish), as well as via local radio KSFO 810 AM (English) and 1370 AM La Kaliente (Spanish).
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Co-emcee Bip Roberts speaks during the Rickey Henderson Celebration of Life at the Oakland Arena on February 1, 2025. Photo by Darren Yamashita
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Sacramento,
Las Vegas
Not 'The Truth'
by Dave Newhouse
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Bip Roberts is an Oakland native who experienced the ultimate: He got to play baseball for the hometown team, the A’s. How many major-leaguers can say that about their roots? Few.
“I’m an Oakland boy, through and through,” he said in an interview for this column. “Oakland was the greatest sports town in America. Now all three teams are gone. It makes me feel bad about my city.”
Roberts spent 12 seasons with six big-league teams as an outfielder, finishing with an impressive .294 lifetime batting average. Oakland was his last stop in 1998, batting .288 for the A’s.
Now the A’s are in Sacramento on their way to Las Vegas, where stadium construction is underway for their planned arrival in 2028. Roberts doesn’t believe either city can hold a candle to Oakland in fan worship.
“Oakland fans were attuned to their teams,” he noted. “Those fans were so intense, so emotional, they drove other teams batty.
"Oakland fans are about the truth.”
Roberts doesn't see a similar truth in Sacramento, where the A’s average attendance of 9,722 (in a 14,014-seat stadium capacity) is the lowest in the majors. And he envisions the same consequences ahead in Las Vegas.
“It’s going to be difficult,” he said of the Nevada relocation.
“You’re going to have to sell out every game to make a profit. It’s not as easy as build it and they will come. In Vegas, there’s a million things to do.”
| | Bip Roberts, an Oakland native, spent 12 major-league seasons with six teams before finishing his career with the A’s in 1988. | | |
Roberts understands Las Vegas because he played there in 1987-88, winning a Pacific Coast League championship in ’88. Already, you see more visiting team colors in Sacramento than the A’s green-and-gold. So what’s ahead in Vegas.
“I see the same thing happening,” Roberts replied. “If you’re not going to give the fans something that’s genuine, they’re not going to accept the replica. It won’t be the same (as Oakland) wherever they wind up.”
That’s a veiled dig at A’s owner John Fisher, though Roberts’ deep religious convictions won’t allow him to turn Oakland’s three-team abandonment into something personal. He just feels sorry for Oakland.
“Other cities retrofitted stadiums,” he noted. “That could have been done in Oakland. We were around to have those three winning teams, and it allowed us kids to dream that, maybe, we could be playing for them one day.
“So, yes, it hurts me that the A’s are gone. It’s a year of mourning, because I don’t plan to watch them this year. The door is closed.”
That means he won’t be traveling to Sacramento this weekend to watch the San Francisco Giants take on the A’s in a three-game series. Will there be more orange-and-black than A’s colors in the stands? Most likely.
| | Bip Roberts against the Texas Rangers on July 9, 1998 | | |
Leon Joseph Roberts III, 61, became Bip as a young boy by asking for a “bip” more food at the dinner table. His favorite part of being on the A’s was being the teammate of Rickey Henderson.
“He became my big brother and my friend,” said Roberts. “Do you know that over 23 years in our friendship, I never heard him say once how great he was. But, he could light up a clubhouse, laughing and joking.”
Now Rickey’s gone from Earth, and so are the A’s from Oakland, joined by the Warriors in San Francisco and the Raiders in Las Vegas.
“I’m definitely not happy about what’s happened to Oakland,” Roberts said. “It’s strike one, strike two, strike three, it’s over. In my spiritual heart, I have the blessing to move forward. I choose to help the community.”
Through church work, for starters. He no longer is doing baseball analysis on MSNBC, where he offered wise commentaries on the A’s before being cut off with other station contributors.
“They left me behind,” he said. ”This horse has run his race.”
No horsin’ around, let’s hope not.
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Dave Newhouse's journalism career spans more than half a century, including 45 years at the Oakland Tribune before his retirement in November 2011. Newhouse is the author of 19 books. His most recent book, Goodbye, Oakland, is available in bookstores and from Triumph Books. Dave grew up in Menlo Park, graduated from San Jose State, and has radio and television experience, in addition to his work as an award-winning sportswriter and columnist. For earlier articles by Dave published in Sports Today, click HERE.
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Goodbye, Oakland: Winning, Wanderlust and a Sports Town’s Fight for Survival, written by Andy Dolich and Dave Newhouse (Triumph Books), transitioned from hard cover to paperback in April.
The book, dealing with Oakland’s disappearance as a major sports town, has sold in excess of 3,000 copies, thereby prompting the move to paperback.
All aspects of Oakland’s sports dissolution is covered by the authors, including interviews with civic leaders, economists, politicians and sports figures, plus in-depth studies of team owners who lifted Oakland to the top of the national sports scene, then left for San Francisco and Las Vegas (twice), stamping Oakland as America’s most abandoned sports city.
Sports commentator Chris Berman wrote on the book cover: “Goodbye Oakland takes us through all of it, from when the sky was the limit to when the bottom fell out.”
Oaktown is trying to recover with minor-league baseball and men’s and women’s soccer, but it’s a significant uphill climb.
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Our Mission:
Weavery's mission is to provide data and ai strategy advice, training, and innovative solutions to high impact humanitarian organizations. Weavery leverages artificial intelligence to enhance operations and amplify impact to serve a world in need.
| | San Francisco Giants pitcher Carson Seymour | |
Seymour's scoreless MLB debut a bright spot in his return to
South Side
by Maria Guardado
CHICAGO -- As a kid, Carson Seymour used to travel across the country with his dad, Brian, to try to visit a new ballpark every year. Their most memorable trip was to Rate Field (née U.S. Cellular Field), where a 10-year-old Seymour happened to be in the stands for Mark Buehrle’s perfect game against the Rays on July 23, 2009.
Sixteen years later, Seymour returned to the South Side for yet another unforgettable moment.
continued...
| | Athletics pitcher Luis Severino. Photo by Darren Yamashita |
Sevy treated rudely in return to Bronx as A's fall to Yankees
Bill Ladson
NEW YORK – Right-hander Luis Severino was on the road again Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. For the Athletics, that was great news, because he has been at his best when pitching away from Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento. He went in with a 2.27 road ERA to back it up.
However, Severino had possibly his worst outing of the season in a 12-5 loss to the Bronx Bombers. He allowed seven runs (six earned) and was out of the game with two outs in the fourth inning. It marked the fourth time this season opponents have scored seven runs against him.
continued...
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"Join us for Great Food, Great Beer and a Great Time."
We are located one block from the Moscone Convention Center, only a short walk from many of downtown San Francisco's familiar hotels, attractions, and diverse businesses. Open Monday through Thursday 4pm. Friday, Saturday, Sunday 12pm. Come by and raise a glass with us. Sláinte!
www.thechieftain.com
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Ballers,
It's Summer.
It's time for weekday daytime baseball.
We're doing our first weekday day game ever on Wednesday July 9th at 1:05 pm right here at Raimondi Park.
Got a job? Bring your co-workers. Everyone knows that team-building is best done during the day.
No-go on a team-building trip? We got you covered. See below for a note from Dr. Scrappy that will work like a charm to get you out of work.
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Winning Wednesday
What's more: July 9th is also Winning Wednesday and we're giving away two kids bicycles from Priority Bicycles courtesy of Xtracycle. And the Xtracycle Flagship Store in Mill Valley has special offers just for Oakland Ballers fans, check it out at xtracycle.com/ballers.
No purchase necessary to enter, just swing by the raffle booth to enter. It will be stationed outside an hour before the game and then move inside at game time. Or enter online that day.
Poster Giveaway
The first 500 fans will also receive a complimentary limited edition Ballers poster. A new poster drops every Wednesday. Collect all 8 throughout the season.
We'll be racing to win the first-half standings, which would earn us homefield advantage for the playoffs, so come cheer us on. We'll see you at our first-ever weekday day game on Wednesday, July 9th.
And if you actually use that Doctor's note, please let us know.
Yours,
Ballers
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Oakland Roots SC 2
Monterey Bay 1
Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, CA
Saturday, June 28, 2025
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Roots Earn First USL Jägermeister Cup Win, Defeat Monterey Bay FC
2-1 at Home
Morey Doner shined against his long-time former team, getting involved with both Roots goals as Oakland defeated visiting Monterey Bay FC 2-1 on Saturday night at the Coliseum in the club’s first win of the 2025 USL Jägermeister Cup.
Oakland looked like a team hungry to find the back of the net from the very start, playing a high press and maintaining possession while completing smart and decisive passes to move the ball into the attacking third early and often.
Roots nearly found the back of the net in a bizarre 16th minute play which saw a turnover by the Monterey Bay keeper on a clearance attempt that bounced hard off of a charging José Luis Sinisterra and just outside the right post.
But Oakland would be rewarded for their early work regardless. Just a minute later in the 17th Doner found a soft spot in the right side of the penalty area and took a shot that was headed wide left, but took a friendly bounce off of Monterey Bay’s Jacob Muir and into the top left corner to give Roots a 1-0 lead.
The pitch continued to tilt in Oakland’s favor as Monterey Bay struggled to find any meaningful possession outside of a 26th minute chance that saw Roots keeper Raphael Spiegel sprint off of his line to beat a charging Monterey attacker and clear away the danger.
In the 30th minute of the match it was nearly déjà vu, as once again Doner fired a shot from the very same spot that took a deflection off a Monterey Bay defender — but instead pinging it off the left post.
Roots began to slow down late in the first half, but certainly didn’t stop. Their high pressure in the early portion of the match surely led to some tired legs, but Oakland remained able to limit opposition scoring chances, and continued to put together a few dangerous chances of their own.
It was as dominant of a first half as Oakland has seen in 2025, and perhaps the best 45 minutes of play under new coach Benny Feilhaber.
The second half began much as the second half ended — with Roots playing a bit more conservatively, but still earning the lion’s share of scoring opportunities.
In an unbelievable twist of fate, Roots would score their second goal in what was once again a carbon copy of Doner’s two earlier chances. In the 58th minute Panos Armenakas played a through ball into the box to Doner who found the same spot once again, this time earning his goal by sending a strike that glanced off the keepers fingertips and inside the left post to make it 2-0 Oakland.
The game never looked like it was heading for trouble, as Oakland continued to look like the better side until late in the contest.
But they weren’t perfect. In the 86th minute Monterey pulled one back when a failed clearance off the back line landed at the feet of Xavi Gnaulati just outside the box who played it quickly to Luke Ivanovic just to his right. Ivanovic sent a rocket towards the right side which beat Spiegel clean to make it 2-1 late.
Despite some nervous moments in added time, Oakland held until the final whistle to earn all three points in the Group 1 table and keep their razor thin chances of escaping into the next round alive.
Roots will continue an extended homestand next weekend as the club returns to USL Championship action to host Detroit City FC at the Coliseum on Saturday, July 5th at 7 PM PT
continued...
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Oakland Roots and Soul Sports Club Score Big Win! Oakland’s Soccer Clubs Find Permanent Home at Former Raiders Facility
In a game-changing move for Oakland’s sports community, Oakland Roots and Soul Sports Club (SC) have secured a long term home at 1150 and 1220 Harbor Bay Parkway through a 15 year lease deal with Redco Development. In a transaction facilitated by Oakland Roots and Soul SC, the City of Oakland and Alameda County finalized an agreement to sell the former Oakland Raiders headquarters, now known as the UCSF Health Oakland Roots and Soul Performance Center, to the Club’s partner Redco for the teams to continue to use the facility. The site features a two-building complex with multiple soccer fields and is located in the Harbor Bay Business Park in Alameda. For the past four years, the club has used the property as its training facility, under a license agreement with the City and County.
This milestone ensures the club’s continued presence in the community and solidifies its foundation for future growth.
continued...
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San Francisco Unicorns Defeat MI New York to Continue Winning Run
- San Francisco Unicorns go five-from-five in 2025 Cognizant Major League Cricket, beating fourth-placed MI New York for the second time this season.
- Matt Short top scored with 91, with Jake Fraser-McGurk also making a half century as the Unicorns posted 246/4 having lost the toss and being put into bat.
SAN FRANCISCO, Ca. (June 24, 2025) — The San Francisco Unicorns confirmed their position at the top of the 2025 Cognizant Major League Cricket (MLC) table at the half way point, comfortably beating MI New York for the second time this season, who came up short in a challenging chase at the Grand Prairie Stadium.
Tasked with batting first by MI New York captain Nicholas Pooran, Unicorns’ captain Matt Short and Tim Seifert laid a strong foundation in the powerplay, running smartly and dispatching the bowling attack for regular boundaries to leave the league leaders on 63 without loss.
The seventh over saw Short notch up his half century off 22 balls with New York then making the first breakthrough two overs later, with Noshtush Kenjige snaring Seifert, caught on the boundary for 26 by Pooran. Jake Fraser-McGurk came to the crease and immediately made his mark, hitting Michael Bracewell for 26 runs to leave the Unicorns on 117/1 at the half way stage.
Kieron Pollard joined the pace attack in the fourteenth over, mixing in a number of challenging slower balls which soon paid off as he had Short caught at long on, just short of his century on 91 from 43 balls; his second consecutive 50+ haul. Sanjay Krishnamurthi watched on as Fraser-McGurk kept up the rate, bringing his 50 up off Sunny Patel in the fifteenth, before he miscued another pace-off delivery by Pollard in the next, ending on 64 from 26 balls.
continued...
| | Haiku: A traditional Japanese haiku is a three-line poem with seventeen syllables, written in a 5/7/5 syllable count. Sports Today! has expanded Haikus to embrace our readership and invites you to submit your own. Top entries will be published! | | |
TWO-PRONGED UNICORNS
The Return to Northern California
(where else would they be?)
The Unicorn continues to hold a place in popular culture and Bay Area sports, first with the San Francisco Giants and now our own Major League Cricket team, the San Francisco Unicorns!
The Unicorn is a symbol of fantasy, and as an extremely wild, woodland creature, a symbol of purity and grace whose horn has the power to render poisoned water potable and to heal sickness.
Now, from a place unknown, a family of two-pronged unicorns has returned to grace the greenery of Oracle Park, and reportedly now the Oakland Coliseum, occasionally observed on days off or in the early a.m. hours. A true only-in-California phenomenon, they infuse our teams with the power and ferocity of the wild.
When readers and others have questioned the existence of
two-pronged Unicorns, my standard reply is,
"So you do believe in Unicorns: thank you, and drive safely."
The Giants are ready to march to the World Series and the
San Francisco Unicorns have already begun their path to greatness. The magic of our two-pronged friends has been
awakened to penetrate the inner powers of our Teams.
Undoubtedly, the San Francisco Unicorns will appreciate the vibrations of the Bay Area's two-pronged Unicorns.
* * *
Two-pronged unicorns
are also fans of Cricket
and crave Baseball greens
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Pensive: The G-MEN's two-pronged Unicorn
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Contributed by Robert Moselle
https://www.cce-mcle.com/
As noted in the USG's own Haiku below, we invite entries for
Best Sports Haiku. The winner will be published!
Ultimate Sports Guide
Wants to Publish Your Haiku
You must send it in
To: theultimatesportsguide@gmail.com
Sports Haikus©️ USG/Sports Today's Haiku Invitation
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Hideki Matsui --from the
Autograph Collection of Rich Yee
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Former Japanese baseball player Hideki Matsui, nicknamed Godzilla, recently did a private autograph signing. I placed my order in prior to the signing event and received my autographed ball shortly after, which he also signed in Japanese.
During his baseball career, Hideki played for the Yomiuri Giants, New York Yankees, Anaheim Angels, Oakland A’s and Tampa Bay Rays. In 2009 he was named World Series MVP.
Rich Yee, Sports Today photographer
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Newsletter, Image, Likeness Vol. 138: NIL GO Allows For More Overreach Than Meaningful Oversight
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by Darren Heitner, Esq.
Founder of Heitnerlegal -- Sports, Entertainment, Trademarks, Copyrights, Business, Litigation, Arbitration
The Weekly Longer NIL Thought
The new NIL Go framework (see Section E of the NCAA's House Settlement Q&A), designed to regulate third-party NIL deals, is a seismic shift, but it’s raising more questions than answers. Agents are buzzing with concerns, and after digging into the document, I see why. From data privacy to overreach on true brand deals, here’s my take on what’s at stake and why the NCAA’s approach.
First, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: the NIL Go database. Section E outlines that all Division I college athletes must report noninstitutional NIL contracts worth $600 or more to NIL Go, a platform managed by Deloitte under the College Sports Commission’s oversight. The goal is to ensure deals with “associated entities or individuals” (think boosters or collectives tied to a school) meet a “valid business purpose” and fall within a “range of compensation.” Agents are sweating over who gets access to this database. Will it be limited to Deloitte and the Commission, or could schools, conferences, or even individuals who may have the intention to become these agents' rivals peek at these contracts? The Q&A is silent on controls to prevent downloading or misusing sensitive deal terms outside the scope of compliance review. In my world, where trust is currency, this lack of clarity is a red flag. A college athlete’s deal with a local car dealership or a national brand shouldn’t be floating around for anyone to exploit, and the NCAA/Commission needs to lock this down with ironclad protections.
Then there’s the issue of overreach. The settlement requires all third-party NIL deals over $600 to be reported, regardless of whether they involve an associated entity. I get the intent: the NCAA wants to avoid college athletes self-policing what constitutes an “associated” deal. But this blanket mandate feels like a sledgehammer when a scalpel would do. Picture a college athlete signing a straightforward endorsement with a global brand like Nike or a local restaurant with zero ties to his/her school. Why should that deal be subject to the same scrutiny as a contract with a booster-funded collective? Agents I’ve spoken with argue it’s an invasion of privacy and a bureaucratic burden. The Q&A doesn’t carve out exemptions for clearly independent brand deals, and that’s a miss. There’s a difference between a true commercial partnership and what could be subjectively called a shady collective deal, and forcing every contract into NIL Go risks alienating brands who don’t want their terms in a compliance database.
continued...
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WeatherTech Raceway
Laguna Seca
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QUESTION:
What NTT INDYCAR driver has won every road
course race this season?
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ANSWER: Alex Palou
Photo: Penske Entertainment: Travis Hinkle
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Alex Palou has been absolutely dominating this season with six wins in nine races. Currently, he leads the 2025 INDYCAR Championship standings by almost 100 points. Kyle Kirkwood, the only other driver to claim victories this season, currently sits in second place. Yes, Kirkwood has a chance of catching Palou in the points. However, he would have to dethrone Palou from his regular visits to the top spot on the podium
Photo: Penske Entertainment: Joe Skibinski
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Part of that winning streak has come from Palou’s absolute mastery of road courses. In the 2025 season, Palou has won every road course race so far with victories at The Thermal Club, Barber Motorsports Park, the IMS Road Course and last weekend’s Road America race. His winning ways on anything with a multitude of corners also extend to street circuits, taking first place in St. Petersburg and narrowly missing out on a win at Long Beach.
Photo: Penske Entertainment: Chris Owens
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Another epic road course that Palou has seemingly mastered is WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. At last year’s Grand Prix of Monterey, the Spanish driver notched up a win at the twisty circuit on his way to the season championship (his third in four years). In 2023, he drove to a solid third place after yet another win in 2022. The only time he wouldn’t appear on the podium in the last four years was a fourth-place finish in 2021.
The season points leader returns to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on July 27 for the Grand Prix of Monterey with hopes of another win and extending his points lead even further.
Photo: Penske Entertainment: Joe Skibinski
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Pit Boss and FoodMaxx Named Co-Entitlement Sponsors for NASCAR Xfinity Series Race
SONOMA, Calif. (June 26, 2025) – Sonoma Raceway officials today announced Pit Boss® Grills and FoodMaxx as co-entitlement sponsors for the upcoming NASCAR Xfinity Series race on July 12. Pit Boss® Grills, a partner of Speedway Motorsports since 2021, joins FoodMaxx, the low-price leader of the grocery industry, in a prominent sponsorship role during the July 11-13 NASCAR weekend at Sonoma Raceway. This partnership marks an expansion of the raceway’s longstanding relationship with The Save Mart Companies, the parent company of FoodMaxx.
The new Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 will take place Saturday, July 12, beginning at 1:30 p.m. PT. The 79-lap race on the 10-turn, 1.99-mile permanent road course will be telecast live by The CW and broadcast nationally by radio partners PRN and SiriusXM.
“FoodMaxx is built on speed, value, and no frills-performance, so it’s a natural fit to put our name on the track at Sonoma Raceway,” noted Jim Perkins, President of The Save Mart Companies. “We’re proud to deepen our partnership with this iconic venue and bring race fans along for the ride in the Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250!”
The Save Mart Companies has been one of Sonoma Raceway’s longest partners, spanning 33 years in motorsports and highlighted by its annual “Chase The Savings Sweepstakes” in advance of the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series race. As one of the longest race entitlement sponsors in NASCAR, Save Mart, and now FoodMaxx, can fully activate alongside Pit Boss for the entire race weekend both at the track and in the marketplace.
continued...
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RELIVE THE ACTION OF THE 2024 ROLEX
BIG BOAT SERIES
And mark your calendars for September 10-14, 2025!
Sixty years, one excellent regatta! Take a moment to watch a recap video from the 2024 Rolex Big Boat Series, and mark your calendars for next year. We look forward to seeing you on the water September 10-14, 2025, at St. Francis Yacht Club!
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Alekna Named The Bowerman Semifinalist For Third Time
Cal Graduate Was Also Honored In 2022, 2023
California track & field alumnus Mykolas Alekna, who was honored with his second U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) West Region Men's Field Athlete of the Year last week, was named a semifinalist for The Bowerman on Thursday. The award recognizes the top men's and women's collegiate track & field athlete each year. Ten men's and 10 women's semifinalists were determined by consensus from The Bowerman Advisory Board, which will select three from each list to advance to finalist status.
Alekna, who was also a semifinalist in 2022 and 2023, is the third man to be named a three-time semifinalist, joining Oregon's Edward Cheserek (four times, 2014-17) and Florida's Grant Holloway (three times, 2017-19); he is also the only multiple-time semifinalist on the men's side this season. He is just the fourth man to appear on The Bowerman Watch List in four different calendar years (Cheserek; Chris Nilsen – South Dakota; Ryan Crouser - Texas). Alekna's 23 total appearances on the watch list stand at third most in men's history, behind only Cheserek (29) and Arizona's Lawi Lalang (24).
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Top-3 Directors' Cup Finish
Stanford placed third in the 2024-25
Learfield Directors’ Cup standings
STANFORD, Calif. – In addition to extending its NCAA team title streak to 49 straight years, Stanford maintained its stretch of top-3 finishes in the Learfield Directors’ Cup, presented annually to the nation’s most successful intercollegiate athletic department.
The Cardinal totaled 1,251 points and placed third overall in 2024-25, only 4.5 points behind winner Texas (1,255.25) and 2.75 points behind runner-up USC (1,253.75) in the closest margin of the award’s history.
The only school to finish in the top-3 every season since the inception of the award, Stanford has claimed the Directors’ Cup in 26 of the possible 31 seasons, including a 25-year stranglehold from 1995-2019. The Cardinal, which also led the way among ACC schools, most recently took home the trophy in 2022-23.
Stanford extended its NCAA team championship streak to 49 consecutive years with victories in women’s water polo and women’s rowing. Cardinal teams have captured at least one NCAA team crown every year since 1976.
The next closest competitor: North Carolina, which owns an active NCAA title streak of seven.
Stanford’s third-place Directors’ Cup finish was highlighted by 14 top-10 finishes among the 16 total sports in which the Cardinal scored. Also included in the mix were NCAA runner-up performances in women’s swimming and diving, men’s gymnastics and women’s golf.
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SJSU's Ladkani Named to U20 Lebanon Women's National Team
BEIRUT - San José State women's soccer freshman Maryam Ladkani has been selected to the U20 Lebanon Women’s National Team, as officially announced by the Lebanese Football Association.
Ladkani, a native of Santa Clara, Calif., continues to showcase her international potential on the global stage. This selection marks another milestone in her burgeoning career, having previously represented Lebanon in earlier competitions. She has joined her national teammates as they prepare for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers, scheduled to take place this July in China.
Ladkani’s call-up highlights San José State’s growing reputation for recruiting athletes capable of competing on elite platforms.
Maryam Ladkani, F, Fr., Santa Clara, Calif./Granada Islamic High School
- Played three seasons of soccer at Granada Islamic High School
- Has played for the senior and U20 Lebanon Women's National Team
- Had two game-winning goals in the Surf Cup (2024)
- Honor roll student
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| | Saint Mary's College Gaels | |
MBB | Marciulionis Signs with Lakers Following NBA Draft
LOS ANGELES — Shortly after the culmination of the NBA Draft, recent Saint Mary's Graduate and four year point guard Augustas Marciulionis was able to take the first steps towards what could be a long and fruitful professional career, signing an Exhibit 10 deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. The conductor of a well orchestrated Gaels squad over the past two seasons, Marciulionis will hope to join the likes of recent Gaels such as Alex Ducas, Jordan Ford, Jock Landale, Malik Fitts and Matthew Dellavedova as Saint Mary's alumni who went undrafted and made the NBA.
An Exhibit 10 contract in the NBA is a one-year, non-guaranteed deal for the league minimum salary, often including a bonus if the player is later waived and joins the team's G League affiliate. These contracts are used to bring in players for training camp and Summer League, with the potential to be converted into a two-way contract before the regular season begins.
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Photo: SMC Athletics: Piper Westrom
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San Francisco, Mississippi State to Meet in Tupelo
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Head coach Chris Gerlufsen and the University of San Francisco men's basketball program announced today that the Dons will take on Mississippi State in a neutral site matchup at Cadence Bank Arena in Tupelo, Miss. on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025.
This contest will mark the first-ever meeting between San Francisco and Mississippi State. The Dons last faced a Southeastern Conference (SEC) opponent on Dec. 6, 2023, when USF won 73-60 on the road at Vanderbilt.
Mississippi State is led by head coach Chris Jans, who is entering his fourth season with the program in 2025-26. In his three years at the helm, he has guided the Bulldogs to at least 21 wins and an NCAA Tournament appearance each season, one of just four coaches in SEC history to achieve this feat.
Back in familiar territory, Mississippi State is returning to Tupelo for the third-straight season and will look to remain undefeated in games at Cadence Bank Arena. The Bulldogs are 6-0 in games all-time at the Tupelo arena, including a 66-63 defeat of McNeese last season on Dec. 14, 2024.
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Audrey Brust Wins 2025 Nevada State Women's Amateur
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Santa Clara women's golfer Audrey Brust captured the 2025 Nevada State Women's Amateur Championship title on Wednesday after three outstanding days of play at the Spanish Trail Country Club in Las Vegas. The junior won the championship in thrilling fashion, defeating McKenzi Hall in a two-player playoff by sinking a birdie on the first playoff hole.
A native of Reno, Brust is now a two-time Nevada State Women's Amateur Champion having also won the title in 2023.
Brust opened play with consecutive 72s in the first two rounds of action before turning in an outstanding 4-under 68 in Wednesday's final round. She finished the round tied with Hall at 4-under 212 to force a playoff.
Brust just wrapped up her third season with Santa Clara. In 2024-25, she turned in the top scoring average of her career with 74.52 strokes per round - good for 10th-best in program history. Playing in all 11 matches, she turned in five rounds under par and helped lead the Broncos to the 2025 National Golf Invitational Championship title after tying for fifth individually at 3-over 219. With 96 career rounds in the books, she currently has the program's fifth-best career scoring average at 75.27 strokes.
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| | University of Pacific Tigers | |
In-State Freshmen Avery LaPlaca and Gracie Armato Sign with Volleyball Program
STOCKTON, Calif. – The Pacific volleyball program stayed in the Northern California area to find its two newest recruits in freshmen Avery LaPlaca from Sacramento and Gracie Armato from Brentwood, bringing Head Coach Greg Gibbons' roster up to 15 student-athletes.
LaPlaca, out of Sacramento Country Day High School, lettered three times in her high school career as a defensive specialist compiling over 100 aces and three league titles, highlighted by a trip to the state semi-finals in 2023. A standout student as well, LaPlaca made her high school's honor roll all four years and will be majoring in Health, Exercise and Sport Science.
She enters the Tiger family already with deep immediate family roots at Pacific as her grandfather, Nick LaPlaca (1968), was a member of both the football and baseball programs while her brother, Michael Santos LaPlaca (2024), was also a member of the baseball program.
Armato, a recent graduate of Heritage High School, ended her high school career as the record holder for single season kills, the league MVP and the BVAL MVP. Also, a prolific student, Armato was a member of her high school honor roll, a scholar athlete, received Heritage High School's Athletic Director's Academic Award and a California State Seal of Civic Engagement. While at Pacific, she will be pursuing a degree in business marketing/advertising.
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Chelsea Johnson Selected to Compete for Australia at the 2025 World Aquatics U20 Water Polo Championships
DAVIS, Calif. - On Thursday, June 26, Water Polo Australia released their roster for the 2025 World Aquatics U20 Water Polo Championships. UC Davis water polo athlete Chelsea Johnson was selected as one of 14 athletes set to represent her home country in Salvador, Brazil, from Aug. 10-16.
Joining UC Davis from Brisbane, Australia, in 2023, Johnson has been a significant contributor to the team in just her first two years, leading the Aggies in minutes played (582) while scoring 26 goals, clocking 32 assists, swiping 42 steals, and drawing 35 ejections during the 2025 season. These numbers also led to Johnson being named a Big West Honorable Mention at season's end.
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| | Cal State University East Bay Pioneers | |
Gio Martini Named to ABCA West Region All-Defensive Team
GREENSBORO, N.C. - This week, the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) announced its NCAA Division II Region All-Defensive Teams for the 2025 baseball season. From Cal State East Bay, Gio Martini was named to the ABCA NCAA Division II West Region All-Defensive Team following his freshman season.
On 289 chances, Martini had only one error for a .997 fielding percentage. Martini had 264 putouts (8th in the CCAA) and 25 assists. There were 25 double plays turned during the season that included Martini in the sequence with either an assist or putout. He started 40 games, with 39 starts as a fielder, mostly at first base.
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San Francisco 49ers
Las Vegas Raiders
2025/26 Schedules
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Weekly Bay Area
Sports Calendar
Monday, June 30, through
Sunday, July 6, 2025
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Monday, June 30
San Francisco Giants @ Arizona Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m.
Athletics @ Tampa Bay Rays, 4:35 p.m.
Tuesday, July 1
San Francisco Giants @ Arizona Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m.
Athletics @ Tampa Bay Rays, 4:05 p.m.
Wednesday, July 2
San Francisco Giants @ Arizona Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m.
Athletics @ Tampa Bay Rays, 9:10 a.m.
Thursday, July 3
San Francisco Giants @ Arizona Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m.
Friday, July 4
Athletics vs. San Francisco Giants, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, July 5
Athletics vs. San Francisco Giants, 7:05 p.m.
Oakland Roots SC vs. Detroit City FC, 7 p.m.
San Jose Earthquakes vs. New York City FC, 7:30 p.m.
Golden State Valkyries @ Minnesota Lynx, 5 p.m.
Sunday, July 6
Athletics vs. San Francisco Giants, 7:05 p.m.
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Publisher: Christopher Weills
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Website: www.UltimateSportsGuide.net
Contact us at: theultimatesportsguide@gmail.com
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FIELD OF PLAY
For the past 60 years, Michael Zagaris has taken his camera behind the scenes of the NFL, capturing the moments that define America’s game.
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| | LOL, Loss of Logo: What’s Your Next Move? was written for sports professionals by Andy Dolich and Jack Hirschman and offers valuable takeaways for everyone chasing the fancy logo and corner office. | | The Emerald Mile: The epic and award-winning story of the fastest ride in history through the heart of the Grand Canyon, by Kevin Fedarko. A thrilling true tale during the legendary flood of 1983. | | More than a cookbook, this culinary delight was written to preserve a great chef's traditional family recipes and stories of her childhood for her far-flung grandchildren. Author Leonie Samuel-Hool recounts stories of a vanished society and legends of the gods and goddesses that protect and sometimes make mischief in Indonesian homes, fields and foods. The recipes are explicitly presented. | | The absolute greatest Yankees were the 1949-1953 pinstripers, winners of an unprecedented five consecutive World Series. "The Yankee Way," Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa writes in the book's foreword, is "full of Yankee winning keys, star-studded competition, and insights about one of baseball's historically fascinating periods." By Charlie Silvera with Dave Newhouse (Author). | | To Order: $10 hardcover, $7 paperback, plus $4.95 shipping. Send check/M.O. to Christopher Weills, P.O. Box 4515, Berkeley, CA 94704 | | | |
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Mr. Moselle, Esq., is now lending his extensive editorial experience and marketing savvy to the publication.
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