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August 11 -- August 17, 2025
Issue No. 602
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49ers vs. Denver Broncos:
Preseason Opener
| | | Undrafted free agent Corey Kiner | | |
On Saturday, the San Francisco 49ers began their quest back to the top with the debut of new talent. Backup QB Mac Jones' performance was a highlight. Jones completed 4 of 7 passes for 74 yards with a beautiful, 50-yard pass to standout rookie Jordan Watkins. After a keeper by Jones and a couple of runs by Patrick Taylor, Jr. (and the first "Virtual Measurement" in NFL History) Taylor ran for a TD. San Francisco also scored on a safety vs. Denver QB Bo Nix for a 9-0 lead and the enormous Levi's Stadium videos beamed the news. Kudos to rookie Marques Sigel and veteran Dee Winters on the play. Other commendable debut performances were those of CB Chase Lucas, electric punt returner Junior Bergen and Corey Kiner, an Ashton Jeanty-style fast and elusive RB who deserves a shot!
The balance of the first half, indeed the game, was all Denver. A FG made it 9-3 when Jarrett Stidham, in for Nix, ran close enough to enable a FG to make it 9-6. After San Francsco QB Carter Bradley was intercepted, a wide-open TD pass from Stidham and a 36-yard pass to former 49er Trent Sherfield, Sr. gave Denver a 20-9 lead at halftime. Denver capitalized on a 49er fumble to kick a FG, and a final TD pass to Caden Prieskorn ran the final score to 30-9. Consider this an off-Broadway 49er performance as fans wait for the curtain to go up on Broadway.
YouTube: Denver Broncos vs. San Francisco 49ers Game Highlights | 2025 Preseason Week 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6zG9q3laO4
Robert A. Moselle, Esq.
https://www.cce-mcle.com/
Marketing Director, Sports Today
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Contents
Games
Bay FC 1, Chicago Stars FC 1
Golden State Valkyries 72, Los Angeles Sparks 59
Oakland Ballers 11, Yuba-Sutter High Wheelers 4
Oakland Roots SC 1, Colorado Springs Switchbacks SC 2
Features & Commentary
It's August: Time to Temper Sports Mania, by Dave Newhouse
Newsletter, Image, Likeness, by Darren Heitner, Esq.
San Francisco 49ers Critique: Leopards in a Cage, by Robert Moselle
So, OK What IF the NFL and NBA Actually Treated Players with Some Respect? by Howard Pearlstein
Through the Eyes of an Umpire, by Bruce Macgowan
Tim Lincucem, from the Autograph Collection of Rich Yee
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 Francisco 49ers Critique: Leopards in a Cage
By Robert Moselle, Esq.
Preseason Sports Talk has focused on the usual subjects: QBs
Dak & Shedeur, AARP Rodgers, Bengals (lack of Defense), "Super Bowl Rams," Eagles and Steelers, plus Micah and other contract-celebs.
All this hoopla is ideal for a team on the prowl for a Super Bowl championship, a team unknown to the media. Sports Today readers know which that team is.
| | On May 20, 2025, Mr. Irrelevant signed a five-year $265 million contract extension with the San Francisco 49ers | |
Leopards may stalk their prey for long distances before initiating short chases; often taking down large animals with a bite to the neck. In football terms, that's Purdy's accurate passes and high QBR, CMC runs, Pearsall & Co. in the wild, trick plays, and an unimaginably savage Defense, loaded with veterans and fresh newcomers hungry to impress. Below the radar, the 49ers have honed a new team, with a revitalized McCaffery and stalwart Fred Warner, eager to leave the cage and take charge in the NFL jungle.
Preseason starts the long distance to the Super Bowl and the leopards' quiet but unstoppable path to the Super Bowl.
Like Leopards in a Cage, it is time to Unleash the Niners!
Addum: The San Francisco 49ers: Like Bad Company: Recharged and Runnin' with the Pack:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwk_5xXmKXA&list=RDMM&index=5
Robert A. Moselle, Esq.
https://www.cce-mcle.com/
Marketing Director, Ultimate Sports Guide
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Golden State Valkyries 72
Los Angeles Sparks 59
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Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton had 16 points, five rebounds, and five assists and the Valkyries climbed back to the .500 mark with a 72-59 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday, August 9th at Chase Center. Photo and caption
by Darren Yamashita.
| | Burton's defense helped force Sparks superstar Kelsey Plum into a 1-for-9 shooting night. Plum is averaging 20 points a game in her first year with the Sparks. Photo and caption by Darren Yamashita. | | Former Stanford Cardinal All-American Cameron Brink returned to the Bay Area, finishing with five points and a blocked shot after recently returning from an ACL injury sustained last season. Photo and caption by Darren Yamashita. | | |
Sparks guard Julie Vanloo returned to Ballhalla for the first time after being released by the Valkyries, blowing a kiss to the cheering crowd after the game. Photo and caption
by Darren Yamashita.
| | Grab the fishing pole: It’s an opportunity to reel in trout, not Lions, Tigers or Bears | | | | |
It's August:
Time to Temper
Sports Mania
by Dave Newhouse
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It is summer, a perfect time to step away, to cast aside commitments that control your life, and breathe easier without the daily stress involved in making important decisions.
Yes, take a break from sports.
Stop worrying about your favorite team, or fantasy drafts, or tailgates, or betting on games. That’s just wearing you down. You need some time to relax.
It’s August, a vacation month, so plan a vacation, however brief, that will take your mind off sports. By September, you’ll feel re-energized and raring to go.
Don’t delay, because the timing is perfect. There’s nothing major going on where you’d have to make an excuse for escaping from your sports addiction.
| | Looking at beautiful coasts is a perfect way to recharge our mental batteries for fall football or baseball playoffs | | |
Football, pro or college, hasn’t started yet, unless you consider the NFL preseason crucial. If you do, then you really DO need a vacation.
Basketball is a long way off, there are no major golf tournaments in August, and the baseball post-season is in October. August is the perfect pause.
Sports fanatics, like the athletes themselves, deserve an off-season. I’m not suggesting three or four months, just this month before football controls your life.
The perfect antidote is a one-month hiatus, because the true sports fan can’t chance a longer separation, fearing a mental setback. Just one month, then, to re-charge your emotional battery.
You won’t be missing anything in the big picture, and you won’t be missed regardless, because the sports world continues whether you’re inside it or not. That’s the reality of fandom; you depend on sport, it doesn’t depend on you.
| | Getting lost among California’s lakes readies the mind for fumbles lost and interceptions thrown | | |
So let’s start with NFL exhibition games. That’s all they are, exhibitions, an opportunity to take away your money without any consequence. Because the games aren’t real — they’re tryouts — and instantly forgotten by September.
NBA summer basketball? Yawn. Oh, once in a while, someone emerges onto an NBA roster, but these exhibitions, just like the NFL, are hardly worth fans losing sleep over the outcomes.
OK, fantasy drafts are important, but they’re usually held in late-August, still leaving you with a summertime snooze from sports involvement. More like a nap, but effective regardless.
Nonetheless, you’ve got to slip away from this hypnotic state of mind for your own sanity. And no showing up in the interim at a sports bar, declaring you just like its draft beer. You’ll be betting on darts in a heartbeat, and who knows where it goes from there.
Do yourself a favor and take a few weeks off from sports. It will do you a world of good, breathing normally, clearing the mind of clutter.
August apathy: It doesn’t sound so bad.
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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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Through the Eyes of an Umpire
by Bruce Macgowan
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"I think Dave Bristol was the worst. He just wasn't fair. I might have thrown Bobby Cox out of more games, but Bobby was a great guy who would probably help you change your tire if you had a blowout." -- former longtime MLB umpire Eddie Montague, during a recent chat in the press box at Oracle Park.
Eddie grew up in Westlake, just south of San Francisco's Sunset District in the 1950s and 60s. His father was a longtime scout for the New York and later San Francisco Giants and discovered and signed the incomparable Willie Mays in 1950.
Keeping alive the family baseball tradition, Eddie became an umpire. Interestingly enough, he made his big-league debut in 1974 at Candlestick Park where he used to work selling hot dogs and peanuts in the stands as a teenager during the memorable Mays-McCovey-Marichal era of the 1960s.
"The Giants were playing a game late in the 1974 season and I think there might have been 1,100 fans in the stands that day" Eddie explained to me.
Of those 1,100-some-odd fans, Montague told me about 500 of them were probably family, friends and neighbors!
Montague was regarded as one of the better umpires in the 1980s and '90s, and his career lasted for over 30 years. But he admitted he had to call it quits perhaps a few years earlier than he would have liked.
Why was that? He explained that umpires don't have it easy behind the plate and that injuries caught up with him.
" I probably had 8 to 10 concussions. from foul balls hitting my mask."
But before he called it a career, Montague worked on some memorable World Series and All-Star classics.
| | Montague making the call... | | |
The one that really stands out was the 1986 World Series between the Mets and the star-crossed Boston Red Sox.
If you recall your baseball history, Boston was just one inning away from ending a nearly seven decades stretch of futility as they led the Mets, 3 games to 2. The Red Sox were just three outs away from winning it all at New York's Shea Stadium. But the Mets rallied with two-out base hits by Gary Carter, Kevin Mitchell and Ray Knight. Then Mets' outfielder Mookie Wilson hit a soft grounder to first baseman Bill Buckner, but unbelievably, the ball went through Buckner’s legs, allowing Knight to score the game winning run. Two days later the Mets finished off the Red Sox by coming from behind again as Knight smashed a crushing three run homer.
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Did Bill Buckner cost the Red Sox the 1986 World Series --
and prolong the Curse of the Bambino...
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The ball Buckner couldn't handle ended up in short rightfield down the line where Eddie was umpiring. Montague actually reached down and fielded the ball, which was still rolling while Shea Stadium turned into a madhouse with the Mets wildly celebrating their incredible fortune at home plate.
"I put a red mark on that ball so that people would know it was the right one, and then I gave it to Art Richman, who was a long time Mets and Yankees PR guy and I told him. 'Artie, this is a great moment for your organization, and you should have this ball.' "
"About three years later I was in Hawaii with my wife and we were watching the early edition of SportsCenter on ESPN. The Mets had auctioned the ball off to charity for something like $90,000. Then a few years ago I heard someone sold it to a collector for over a million dollars!"
Whenever I'm at a Giants game at Oracle Park I usually see Eddie in the press box where he still does some work for big league umpires.
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Long-time Bay Area sportscaster Bruce Macgowan has been recording his 45 years of broadcast experience for a forthcoming book to be published shortly. For earlier articles by Magowan published in
Sports Today, click HERE.
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San Francisco Giants pitcher Justin Verlander versus the Athletics on July 4, 2025. Photo by Darren Yamashita
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Verlander joins exclusive
3,500 strikeout club
by Maria Guardado
SAN FRANCISCO -- Justin Verlander entered Sunday three strikeouts shy of becoming only the 10th pitcher in Major League history to reach 3,500 career K’s.
The 42-year-old right-hander didn’t wait around to achieve the milestone, as he joined the exclusive club after striking out the side in the first inning of the Giants’ series finale against the Nationals at Oracle Park.
Verlander struck out James Wood swinging on a 95.3 mph fastball to lead off the inning and then got CJ Abrams to go down swinging on a down-and-in slider. He gave up back-to-back, two-out hits to Josh Bell and Paul DeJong, but he managed to leave both runners stranded by striking out Nathaniel Lowe swinging on another 95.2 mph heater to end the inning.
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Athletics Nick Kurtz versus the Toronto Blue Jays on
July 13, 2025. Photo by Darren Yamashita
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Here's how Kurtz is developing into a superstar one year after
pro debut
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Martín Gallegos
BALTIMORE -- Nick Kurtz still vividly remembers the anxiety he felt ahead of his first professional game.
About two months after getting drafted fourth overall by the Athletics in the 2024 MLB Draft, Kurtz was joined by several of his fellow new draftees on Aug. 10 for his Minor League debut at Single-A Stockton.
“It was the first step of a new chapter,” Kurtz recalled. “So, it was definitely a little nerve-wracking.”
It didn’t take long for Kurtz to brush off those nerves and settle in that night. In his second at-bat, Kurtz scorched a ball 113 mph off the bat and into the right-field seats at Banner Island Ballpark, which probably should have been taken as a sign of what was soon to come.
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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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Delvecchio Shines, Santos Smashes in Eighth Straight Win
By Tyler Petersen
Oakland, Calif. -- A career best three-homer night for Esai Santos led the way for Oakland in yet another victory for the Ballers, tonight by the score of 11-4.
Santos, who already had a multi-homer game in Marysville last week, drove in five RBI and scored four runs in his team's eighth consecutive win over the Yuba-Sutter High Wheelers.
Both sides of the ball were strong for Oakland, with Dylan Delvecchio securing his first professional win. A mid-July addition to the Ballers, Delvecchio allowed only two hits, both were singles, and one unearned run through six innings of work. His eight strikeouts is a new career high.
The game also saw a record-breaking home run by Christian Almanza, who went back-to-back with Santos in the second inning. His 22nd big fly of the season breaks the record set by Noah Martinez last season.
Runs came in bunches early against Yuba starter Christian Womble. The first homer for Santos came in the first and was coupled with three more runs brought in by Jake Allgeyer, Dillon Tatum, and a wild pitch.
The consecutive home runs came the next inning, then Oakland got two runs for free in the fourth with a bases loaded walk and hit batter.
The third of Santos' home runs was his largest, a three-run shot in the seventh.
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Oakland Roots FC 1
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 2
Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, CA
Saturday, August 9, 2025
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Roots Fall 1-2 at Home to Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
Oakland’s comeback fell short at the Coliseum on Saturday night as visiting Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC held on to a one goal lead at the end of 90 minutes, defeating Roots for the fifth straight contest in a 1-2 finish.
The match started a bit sloppy for both sides as Roots shook off the rust from their bye week rest. While there were no dangerous chances from either club in the first phase of the match, Oakland did manage to earn four corner kicks within the first 14 minutes of the game, showing that while the finishing wasn’t quite there, they were moving the ball well into dangerous spaces.
Both clubs were still searching for their first shot on target when Colorado opened the scoring with their first in the 43rd minute. In the waning moments of the first half, a clever run through traffic in Colorado’s attacking third ended with a well placed through ball in behind the back line from Marco Micaletto, finding Jonas Fjeldberg who was there to clean up the wide open look and make it 0-1 Switchbacks.
Colorado got right back to work after the halftime break, doubling their lead early when a 49th minute cross inside the Oakland box from Fjeldberg found Quentin Huerman across the face of goal. Huerman buried a tough angle shot into the top twine to make it 0-2.
Roots pulled one back for their first goal versus the Switchbacks since August 2023 making it 1-2 when in the 59th minute Bobosi Byaruhanga played a picture perfect throughball that skidded along the turf through plenty of traffic and eventually found the left foot of Peter Wilson who powered the one-touch shot into the back of the net to bring the contest back within reach.
The goal powered a surge of energy from Roots who began to tilt the field in their favor, hustling for loose balls and making good runs that nearly led to an equalizer on a number of occasions.
But just as swiftly as the momentum shifted in Oakland’s favor, the Switchbacks were able to halt it, slowing the game down and frustrating Roots’ attack.
A few late scoring chances nearly saw Oakland salvage a point from the contest, but the final whistle blew before they could accomplish that goal.
Roots will now head on the road for a crucial two game stretch, first up I-80 versus NorCal rivals Sacramento Republic FC on August 16th and then on to Kentucky for a battle with Lexington SC on August 23rd.
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Bay FC 1
Chicago Stars FC 1
SeatGeek Stadium, Bridgeview, IL
Sunday, August 10, 2025
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Match Recap: Bay FC Share Points with Chicago Stars FC in 1-1 Draw
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. (August 10, 2025) — Bay FC and Chicago Stars FC played to a 1-1 draw Sunday at SeatGeek Stadium, claiming Bay FC its second straight unbeaten result. A week after netting her first career goal, Taylor Huff put her club ahead with her second goal in as many matches in the 29th minute. Chicago equalized before the break off the foot of Shea Groom, and the scoreline would hold through the final whistle.
“Credit to the players for playing under very difficult conditions, they fought through it. Our game plan was there, but I think we didn’t execute as well as we liked,” said Head Coach Albertin Montoya. “At the end of the day we get a point on the road. We’ve got to take some of the positives out of it, and now we head home and play in front of our fans in front of a very good team.”
Each side had chances in the early goings. Strong defensive work by Bay FC kept away pressure from Chicago after early nerves settled. Jordan Silkowitz came up with a big stop in the 8th minute, keeping out a close-range attempt by Ally Schlegel with an all-out diving effort. Moments later, Schlegel looked to challenge again on the counter, but a stellar effort by Alyssa Malonson one-on-one kept her from putting a shot on frame.
Bay FC answered with a pair of big chances ahead of the 20-minute mark. After getting out on the run, Racheal Kundananji served across goal to Rachel Hill in stride, but her effort was denied by a lunging save from Alyssa Naeher. Kundananji nearly netted one of her own in the 19th minute but missed the target by inches to the left.
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So Ok, What IF the NFL and NBA Actually Treated Players With
Some Respect?
by Howard Pearlstein
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The way the NWSL (National Women's Soccer League) does, as per their 2023 Revised Collective Bargaining Agreement which started with eliminating The Draft. Athletes could choose which team they want to play.
If that happened long ago, Jim Plunkett might have gone directly to the Raiders instead of having his knees destroyed in the annual “Worst-Team-Gets-the-Best-Player-Lottery, needing to depend on hard-won experience to win two Super Bowls. (I remember watching him play at Stanford where he danced in the pocket like his contemporary, Soviet ballet escapee Rudolf Nureyev.) Tom Brady could have played for the 49ers after the Montana-Young years, as Bill Walsh had wanted.
My guess is the roster would more closely reflect the people in the region, increasing the local fan base. That, combined with a new sense of loyalty among the players, could boost ticket sales and replace that pie in the sky ideal of “equity.”
Players’ get a new sense of loyalty. The NWSL CBA requires players’ approval for being traded, as well as to which team. Also, at the conclusion of a contract, the player gets actual free agency. No more “almost” free agency. No more the way both the Dubs and Kuminga have been hamstrung preventing changes.
The words “Free” and “Restricted” are opposites. They leave both team and player in an uncomfortable limbo – like the 50’s song of romantic twisting in the wind: “You don’t really love me, you just keep me hanging on.”
In other words, it’s time to make grownup deals with athletes you want to be your players.
Of course there’ll be a lot of fiddling with college players, bribing them, their families and their coaches with money and gifts, but -- is it ok to be honest here? – that’s already going on under the shade of the NIH “we give up, pay ‘em” tree.
The NFL and NBA teams could do what colleges already do -- solicit, encourage, advertise, make offers and promises and promote their teams as the ideal place for prospects. Prohibiting them from reaching out would only result in them going sub rosa without any restraints.
And here, once again, the NWSL has dealt with yet another method of cheating, one so common it’s almost legal. All contracts will be guaranteed and will be binding both ways. No more “Hey kid, you’ve got a contract! Except…except when we decide you don’t.”
The owners already know this, perhaps not nepo-babies who inherited their teams, but the owners who have gotten fantastically rich in one business or another: you break a contract without paying it off, you get sued. I mean actual business, not just the sports worlds of the cut/ traded players who, finding out their contracts were made of toilet paper, learn to say: “I know it’s a business.” Contracts are binding documents, so handing them out like candy to schoolkids would no longer be cost-effective.
Both the NFL and the NBA could still run combines for walk-ins and invitees, appraise them, invite them, even continue having the creepy slave-auction, just opened up for everyone. You know: “Here’s a lad with a 4.25 40 – what am I offered? Bid ‘em in.”
Is it a fantasy? Probably, but, having spent some years writing copy in ad agencies, I’ve got a lot of experience with fantastic fiction. I never got so egregiously soulless as to do Dancing Diabetics. Just enough to quit when I realized I no longer knew the difference between manipulation and communication. And the way of getting that back meant it was time to walk away.
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Someone once told me that my peripatetic life-path reads like the dust jacket of an experimental novel. He didn't realize that it is that novel, still being written.
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Tim Lincecum -- from the Autograph Collection of Rich Yee | | |
San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum has always been a very elusive signer. One day I was attending a Giants game as a fan I stood at the end of the hallway where the players walk past to get to the locker room. When Tim walked by I kindly asked him to sign my ball. I only took a moment and then I got a great souvenir.
Rich Yee, Sports Today photographer
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Newsletter, Image, Likeness Vol. 144: Collective Bargaining Gains Consensus Among GMs, But There's Division Everywhere Else
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by Darren Heitner, Esq.
Founder of Heitnerlegal -- Sports, Entertainment, Trademarks, Copyrights, Business, Litigation, Arbitration
The Weekly Longer NIL Thought
This week, Athletes.org met with 24 power conference school general managers to discuss the concept of supporting a collective bargaining agreement. The meeting reportedly lasted roughly 5 hours.
AO said that 100% of those polled who attended the meeting agreed that college football will inevitably include collective bargaining. How long that takes and whether these GMs are in a position to come to such a conclusion is tough to determine.
All of the respondents also desired more transparency surrounding payment amounts to players, removing a transfer portal window during the football season and shifting the transfer window to accommodate coaches and athletes, adding the ability to include performance-based incentives in contracts, a 5-year window of eligibility, the inclusion of an agent certification process and registry of agents, and a fee cap on agent compensation. AO indicated that it is in the process of creating an agent certification program, which will seemingly be voluntary, given the lack of a formalized bargaining unit under the current ecosystem.
What does any of this mean? It's hard to say. Jim Cavale is a brilliant entrepreneur who built INFLCR from scratch and sold it to Teamworks before moving on to this AO project. He's committed to growing this entity, cares about athlete welfare, and has succeeded in pushing a narrative that collective bargaining is not only desirable but needed.
Yet, it seems like collective bargaining for college athletes is still so far away from being a possibility, despite what 24 GMs may believe. The effort feels somewhat similar to that of certain politicians on Capitol Hill who appear steadfast on passing NIL legislation, yet nothing has advanced to be taken seriously, despite media members sometimes stating otherwise.
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WeatherTech Raceway
Laguna Seca
| | You Can’t Miss This Year’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion | | |
Photo by: Marc Miramontez
The automotive world is buzzing with excitement about Monterey Car Week, and the only place you can see iconic motorsport machinery put through its paces is the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Aug. 13-16.
With a paddock packed with more than 400 period-correct and historically significant racing machines spread across 14 race groups, this is the place to get your fill of high-octane fun.
Haven’t gotten your tickets yet? Here are the top five reasons why this year’s event is one you can’t miss!
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NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson Honored on Sonoma Raceway Wall of Fame
SONOMA, Calif. – Sonoma Raceway proud announces the induction of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson into its Wall of Fame today, recognizing his remarkable contributions to the sport and his achievements at the historic 1.99-mile road course.
Johnson, a NASCAR Hall of Famer, recorded one victory (2010) and nine top-10 finishes in 18 career starts at Sonoma Raceway. His 2010 victory in wine country was the one and only road course victory of his illustrious career.
“We are honored to celebrate Jimmie Johnson’s incredible legacy by inducting him into the Sonoma Raceway Wall of Fame,” said Brian Flynn, Executive Vice President and General Manager at Sonoma Raceway. “Jimmie’s accomplishments, both at our track and across his storied career, embody the spirit of excellence that defines this sport. As a California native, his impact resonates deeply with our fans and community.”
The El Cajon native was honored with a permanent placement on the Wall of Fame at Sonoma Raceway.
“What an honor,” said Jimmie Johnson, Legacy Motor Club Team Co-owner. “I have this forever up in Sonoma Raceway history. Thank you so much for this amazing surprise.”
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REGISTER NOW FOR THE 2025 ROLEX
BIG BOAT SERIES
Event to Host 2025 ORC Pacific Coast Championship &
2026 ORC North American Championship
SAN FRANCISCO, CA—Registration fees for the 61st Rolex Big Boat Series hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club from September 10–14, 2025, will increase by $275 after July 31, 2025. The can’t-miss regatta on the West Coast sailing calendar, Rolex Big Boat Series draws skippers and sailors from across the country eager to compete on the legendary waters of San Francisco Bay.
Registration for the 2025 RBBS is open now and dozens of boats have already committed. The following are invited to compete in this year’s Rolex Big Boat Series:
- One-design boats of the J/88, J/105, Cape 31 and Express 37 classes. Other classes with a minimum of six boats can be considered with application to the Organizing Authority.
- ORC Monohulls with a LOA ≥ 30 feet. Boats with an APH of 500 or lower are required to have an ORC International certificate. Boats with an APH higher than 500 may compete using either an ORC International Certificate or ORC Club Certificate.
- Classic boats built prior to 1955 with a LOA ≥ 48 feet and a current ORRez rating certificate.
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Bears Earn PLATFORM Golf Team Academic Award
Cal Secures Recognition For Team GPA Of At Least 3.0
The California men's golf team has been named a recipient of the 2024-25 PLATFORM Golf Team Academic Award, the Golf Coaches Association of America announced Tuesday.
The Golden Bears were recognized for having a cumulative team GPA of at least 3.0 for the 2024-25 season.
Last month, Charlie Berridge was named a Cobalt Golf All-American Scholar. Berridge, Kuangyu (Tony) Chen and Sihao Cong were also each named to the All-ACC Academic Team.
Cal had a successful 2024-25 season on the links as well, advancing to the NCAA Championships for the second straight season and finishing 17th nationally.
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Photo: Kelly Cox / KLC fotos
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Hong Wins Second All-Around National Title
Hong won by a record-setting margin as Stanford claimed five total event titles.
NEW ORLEANS - Asher Hong turned in a historic performance at the 2025 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships, collecting his second career national all-around title by a record margin with a two-day score of 170.020.
Hong's 7.465-point advantage is the largest margin of victory at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships for either men's or women's competition. With Hong's victory, a Stanford gymnast has won each of the last U.S. all-around titles (Hong: 2023, 2025; Malone: 2021-22, 2024).
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San José State to Join Golden Coast Conference in Women’s Water Polo
LOS ANGELES - San José State is proud to announce its acceptance into the Golden Coast Conference (GCC) as a full member in women’s water polo, beginning with the 2026–27 academic year.
The Golden Coast Conference, founded in 2014, has quickly established itself as one of the premier women’s water polo leagues in the NCAA. With the addition of San José State and UC Davis, the conference continues to grow in strength, regional presence, and national prestige.
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| | Saint Mary's College Gaels | |
VB | Excitement Aplenty as Gaels Return to Campus and Open Up Practice Ahead of 2025 Campaign
MORAGA, Calif. — There is quite the buzz around the Saint Mary's Volleyball program heading into the 2025 season, and with good reason. The aggregate of new Head Coach Tyler Hildebrand coming over from USC, 12 returning players from last year's roster, including All-WCC honorees Genevieve Bane and Clarissa Klein, and an incoming class of 10, headlined by Power-Four transfers Vivian Parker, Anaya Thrower and Alayna Pearson, have made the Summer months feel a bit longer in anticipation for volleyball to return to UCU Pavilion. Well, the wait is almost over, as student-athletes reported back to campus on Monday and began their practice slate leading up to their exhibition on August 16 and their season opener on August 29.
In their first few practices of the Fall, the messaging from Coach Hildebrand was clear. "Some teams struggle in one facet of a match, and drill that facet over and over again in order to improve," he noted, "then, in their next match, the initial facet has improved, but another one falls off. That will not be our style, we will work on all facets of the game in every week of practice."
SMC Athletics /Emily Smith
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Triathlon Releases 2025 Schedule
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Head coach Gina Kehr and the University of San Francisco triathlon program announced its scheduled for the upcoming 2025 season on Thursday afternoon.
"t's hard to believe we are starting our seventh year on the Hilltop!", said Kehr.
"With five incoming athletes, including four freshmen, we will have our biggest roster to date of 13 student-athletes. I am proud of how we have grown and how we continue to be a top program where athletes come for not only the university and our program, but for the city of San Francisco. I love coming back each year, ready to build on the year before. We have great talent returning and young talent coming - all with excellent work ethic. We will focus on training, recovery and connecting as a team as we pursue common goals of team and individual podium spots."
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No. 16 Women's Soccer Faces Sacramento State in
Exhibition Match
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – No. 16 Santa Clara women's soccer is set to host Sacramento State Saturday at 1 p.m. in the team's lone exhibition match.
The Broncos went 13-4-4 last season and 6-1-3 in WCC action, winning the conference for the 14th time overall and the fourth time in the last five years. It was also the 37th time in the last 38 seasons the team has won at least 10 matches and they are one of six teams to be ranked in each of the last 30 United Soccer Coaches' Polls.
They opened the NCAA Tournament with a 1-0 win at BYU to become one of just three teams (Florida State, Penn State) to win an NCAA Tournament match in each of the last 11 seasons. The season came to an end in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in a 1-0 loss to eventual National Champion North Carolina 1-0 on goal in the final minute.
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| | University of Pacific Tigers | |
Men’s Water Polo Reloads with
10 Newcomers
STOCKTON, Calif. – Coming off a championship season, the Pacific men's water polo program revealed its 2025 roster which included 10 newcomers.
The Tigers are coming off a 2024 campaign which saw them finish 18-2 overall and 6-0 in the West Coast Conference en route to winning the league's regular season championship.
Pacific revamped its roster for 2025 with student-athletes from five different countries, including four from USA, three from Hungary, and one from Greece, Montenegro and New Zealand. The class includes nine freshmen.
"This 2025 recruit class marks a bold new era for Pacific men's water polo. With 10 dynamic newcomers and elite talent at every position, we've built a foundation that will shape our program for years to come," said head coach James Graham. "Each of these student-athletes brings the ability to make a lasting impact, and some are already poised to be among the top players in the NCAA from day one. Fans can expect a fast, physical and fearless team. This is the start of something special."
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Women’s Basketball Unveils Full
2025-26 Conference Schedule
IRVINE, Calif. -- The Big West announced Friday, Aug. 8, the remaining 19 2025-26 Big West conference games for UC Davis women's basketball. The conference slate features an even 10 games at home and 10 games on the road.
Following a home game against Hawai'i on Dec. 4, the team will wrap up the non-conference schedule before hitting the road for its first Big West away games against CSUN on Jan. 1 and Cal State Bakersfield on Jan. 3. The team then returns home for its first two of 2026 in the University Credit Union Center against UC Santa Barbara (Jan. 8) and Cal Poly (Jan. 10).
The Aggies will then spend the next two weeks on the road, going to Fullerton and Irvine on Jan. 15 and 17, respectively. They'll stay in southern California the next weekend as they face off against reigning Big West champion UC San Diego on Jan. 22 and UC Riverside on Jan. 24.
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| | Cal State University East Bay Pioneers | |
Pioneer Alumni Spotlight:
Kitona Offord Jackson
When Kitona Offord Jackson reflects on her time as a student-athlete at Cal State East Bay, it's not just the wins, records, or accolades that come to mind. It's the people. It's the shared huddles, the grueling practices, the long road trips filled with laughter, and the lifelong friendships built on a foundation of trust, sweat, and sacrifice. That spirit of connection and community still guides her today.
A proud member of the Pioneer Class of 2014, Offord Jackson played a key role in Cal State East Bay's transition from Division III to Division II, anchoring the team as they entered the fiercely competitive CCAA. Her presence at the net was commanding as she is fifth in the program's all-time list for career blocks with 247.
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San Francisco 49ers
Las Vegas Raiders
2025/26 Schedules
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Weekly Bay Area
Sports Calendar
Monday, August 11, through
Sunday, August 17, 2025
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Monday, August 11
San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres, 6:45 p.m.
Athletics vs. Tampa Bay Rays, 7:05 p.m.
Golden State Valkyries vs. Connecticut Sun, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, August 12
San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres, 6:45 p.m.
Athletics vs. Tampa Bay Rays, 7:05 p.m.
Wednesday, August 13
San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres, 12:45 p.m.
Athletics vs. Tampa Bay Rays, 7:05 p.m.
Golden State Valkyries @ Washington Mystics, 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 14
Friday, August 15
San Francisco Giants vs. Tampa Bay Rays, 7:15 p.m.
Athletics vs. Los Angeles Angels, 7:05 p.m.
Golden State Valkyries @ Chicago Sky, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 16
San Francisco 49ers @ Las Vegas Raiders, 1:10 p.m
San Francisco Giants vs. Tampa Bay Rays, 6:05 p.m.
Athletics vs. Los Angeles Angels, 7:05 p.m.
Oakland Roots SC @ Sacramento Republic FC, 8 p.m.
Bay FC vs. San Diego Wave FC, 7 p.m.
Sunday, August 17
San Francisco Giants vs. Tampa Bay Rays, 1:05 p.m.
Athletics vs. Los Angeles Angels, 1:05 p.m.
San Jose Earthquakes vs. San Diego FC, 4 p.m.
Golden State Valkyries vs. Atlanta Dream, 5:30 p.m.
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Website: www.UltimateSportsGuide.net
Contact us at: theultimatesportsguide@gmail.com
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