Monday, June 1 through Sunday, June 7, 2020
Issue No. 331
Gems
Over the years we have reviewed thousands of photos to bring you the finest work from some of the Bay Area's top sports photographers. Each week during the Coronavirus-induced sports lull we will bring you one of our favorites.
The play of the day was a 37-yard interception return for a touchdown by Cal's Evan Weaver (89) who led the Bears with 11 tackles. Said the talented linebacker, “I dropped back and he ( Jake Haener, Washington's quarterback) threw me the ball. I caught it and I just didn't want to fall down. Maybe two or three more yards and I would've run out of steam. They didn't get me this time!” Cal would upset the visiting Huskies, 12-10, on Oct. 27, 2018. (Weaver was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL draft with the 202 nd overall pick.)  To view a game photo album, visit our 
The BEST Bay Area sports photos from
Michael Zagaris, Ed Jay, Rich Yee, Darren Yamashita,
Ron Sellers, Alex Ho, Rob Edwards, Kenneth Wong,
Timothy Reynolds and Larry Rosa  

Where The Bay Comes To Play!
Dan - final
"It's an ocean planet. As the oceans go, so goes the planet."
-- Bill Carvalho, Wild Planet founder and president

Wild Planet Foods has been honored with TWO awards by Whole Foods Market -- Global Supplier of the Year AND Environmental Stewardship! The annual awards recognize suppliers who embody Whole Foods Market's mission and values through a proven commitment to quality, environmental stewardship, organic integrity, innovation,
and partnership.

More Awards and Counting!
Prevention   -- 100 Cleanest Packaged Food Awards
Men's Health  -- 125 Best Foods for Men
Prevention  -- Eat Clean Best Packaged Foods
Every Day with Rachael Ray  -- Brand New Buy
Better Homes and Gardens  -- Catch of the Day
Clean Eating  -- Clean Choice Awards
Natural Health  -- 3rd Annual Good Food Awards
Runner's World  -- Good Catch

For more information, visit   www.wildplanetfoods.com
Who Am I?
In 2019 I led the Oakland Raiders in tackles with 79 after recording a team-leading 89 in 2018. Instead of Las Vegas, I'm heading to the Carolina Panthers for the 2020 season. Concept and photo by Darren Yamashita.
The Wise Men Are Back!
Ted Robinson (top right) interviews Bay Area sports executives Pat Gallagher (top left) and Andy Dolich on how sports reacts to significant threats to the communities in which they do business. The When and How of spectator sports return is examined in this wide ranging discussion.
Click here for video.
Golden Gate Fields
Dynasty Of Her Own wins the California Oaks on Sunday, May 31. The 1 1/16 mile race ran in 1:44.55, with a guaranteed purse of $75,000, ridden by Ricardo Gonzalez, trained by Jonathan Wong and owned by Tommy Town Thoroughbreds LLC. Photo: William Vassar, Vassar Photography.
Tomlin wins the Camilla Urso on Saturday, May 30. The 5 furlong race went in 0:56.10, ridden by David C. Lopez, trained by Steven Specht and owned by Fairview, LLC. The purse was a guaranteed $75,000. Photo: William Vassar, Vassar Photography.
Restrainedvengence (left) with jockey Kent Desormeaux win the All American $100,000 Guaranteed with a time of 1:36.43 on Memorial Day, Monday,
May 25. Trained by Val Brinkerhoff.  Photo: Shane Micheli, Vassar Photography.
Deadpool Raider, A True Fan
Deadpool Raider, center, with El Cucuy (left) and Grimraider (right). For several years and under the direction of Ultimate Sports Guide photographer Ed Jay , fervent Raiders fans contributed personal accounts as to what led them to become such passionate fans. The collection, written in their own words, number several dozen. Deadpool Raider will be added and El Cucuy and Grimraider are already part of the collection. To find your favorite Raiders fan, visit Raider Fan Profiles . Photo: Ed Jay
My love for the Raiders started as a child with a quarter which my mom gave me to put into a vending machine. That day I saw the Raiders colors and logo for the first time on a small plastic helmet. From that moment forward the Raiders were my team.

I’ve never lived in California and Texas is the seventh state I’ve called home and repped the Raiders. So I’ve explained why I am a Raider fan more times than most. My answer now is simply, “Because I have loved them since I was a kid.”

I had always dreamed of going to Oakland to watch a game from the front row of the Black Hole and in 2017 I realized the time to fulfill my dream was getting short. With the Raiders move to Las Vegas looming, I decided to make my dream a reality and bought two Section 105, Row 1 tickets for my brother and me.

The Raiders were playing the San Diego Chargers so I knew it would be a good game! On game day we had no idea what to expect. We knew no one and showed up around 9 a.m. to walk the parking lots. Everyone in Raider Nation was so nice. My dream had become a reality. I really couldn’t believe it. I remember the moment the game started I had tears flowing down my face. I had never been surrounded by so many people who loved the same team. I was in the house that the Raider Nation built. I was home.

The Raiders lost and it was still one of the best days of my life! I had never felt anything like that. Flying back to Texas that Sunday night on the red eye, all I could think about was doing it again. I mean if it was that much fun and we lost, I couldn’t imagine what it would be like if we won?!!!

That Tuesday I saw there was one Section 105, Row 1 ticket for sale for the Thursday night game against the Kansas City Chiefs! I decided I’d fly out Thursday morning, go to the game and fly back on the red eye. And that’s exactly what I did and we WON and it was an amazing game. That was it, I was hooked!

Everyone I met that season told me to come to the season opener so in 2018 that’s exactly what I did. I flew in early and went to all the parties that weekend. I met so many people from all over the United States and all over the world. I went to two more games that season. For the last game on Christmas Eve I watched from home, heartbroken that I couldn’t be there. When they announced that the 2019 season would be played in Oakland I decided I would make it a mission to go to every home game that season! That’s exactly what I did.

Quite possibly one of the best decisions I have ever made. I’ll never forget the 2019 season in Oakland. So many emotions. It’s been quite a ride and I have met so many amazing people from all walks of life. The only thing I regret is not embracing my dream sooner.  
Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Covid-19 Panel
Who Am I?
Carolina Panthers linebacker Tahir Whitehead!
In 2018 the Raiders signed Tahir Whitehead to a three-year, $19 million contract, which included $6.27 million guaranteed. Last season Whitehead combined for 108 tackles, the fourth straight year he had more than 100 tackles. In March of this year Whitehead was released and signed by the Carolina Panthers. To view an annotated game photo album, visit our
Sports Prep Star -- Luca Urlando
McClatchy-Sacramento -- Swimming -- Senior

SwimSwam.com ranks Luca Urlando as the No. 2 overall senior recruit in the nation. Which means NorCal was robbed to see what he might have done in his final postseason with McClatchy. Instead he heads to the University of Georgia as the current national public school record holder in the 100 butterfly (45.88 seconds), which he set last year at the Sac-Joaquin Section Championships. He won five SJS titles across three events and owns the record for each. In addition to the 100 fly, he also holds the 200 IM and 100 backstroke marks. In June of 2019, Urlando broke Michael Phelps’ 17-18 National Age Group Record in the 200-meter butterfly. The swim made Urlando the third-fastest American all-time in the event. SportStars Magazine recently named Urlando one of NorCal's best 10 boys swimmers of the past decade. Photo: Aquadarts.org . Reprinted courtesy Sportstars Magazine .
Penngrove's Buddy Kofoid wins feature race
Penngrove's Buddy Kofoid (center, Mobil 1) and his Keith Kunz Motorsports team celebrates his first National Midget feature win. Photo by Katlynn Leer.
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (May 30, 2020) – Buddy Kofoid, of Penngrove, Calif., passed teammate Cannon McIntosh on lap 21 and went on to win the POWRI Lucas Oil National Midget League’s Turnpike Challenge 30-lap feature at I-44 Riverside Speedway, Saturday night. McIntosh would finish third. Kofoid’s victory is his first national midget triumph, coming just seven races into his rookie campaign in national midget car competition. The 18-year-old sensation is in his first season with the primary Toyota development team, Keith Kunz Motorsports, which is the same squad which developed NASCAR stars Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson. He had previously shined running sprint cars at such tracks as Placerville, Thunderbowl Raceway and Ocean Speedway. He was the youngest driver in history to win feature events at both Placerville and Ocean Speedways. Provided courtesy John Procida Public Relations.  

In the House!
The 2019 Fall/Winter edition of the Ultimate Sports Guide , a San Francisco Bay Area sports reference publication published twice a year for avid Bay Area and Northern California sports fans, is in the house. The Ultimate Sports Guide is distributed free of charge or may be ordered via subscription. Each seasonal edition provides professional and collegiate team coverage through commentary, photo essays and player profiles. To order, visit www.ultimatesportsguide.net or send $5 to: Ultimate Sports Guide ,
P.O. Box 4515, Berkeley, CA 94704. Write theultimatesportsguide@gmail.com
or call (510) 845-2035. Cover photo: Rich Yee .  

WEEKLY SPORTS CALENDAR
Monday, June 1 through Sunday, June 7, 2020
All games for major and minor league sports, including collegiate and high school teams,
have been cancelled .
Enjoy the
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Under the ultra-skilled leadership of Cal graduate Ricky Liu, a team of talented Cal students assembled the elegant  Ultimate Sports Guide  website for your readers. Ricky's team included Natalie Leung, Yafei Liang and Kasey Woo. Visit  www.ultimatesportsguide.net
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The vast majority of student-athletes dreaming of athletic stardom won't make it to the pros. Yet, the discipline and skills they've developed while balancing a sport and academics make them ideally s uited for satisfying careers elsewhere. In  20 Secrets to Success for NCAA Student-Athletes Who Won't Go Pro , the authors draw on personal experience, interviews, expert opinion, and industry data to provide a game plan for student-athletes through key transitions at each stage of their careers, from high school through college and beyond. Modeled on Stephen Covey's   The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People , this book provides a much-needed strategy for achieving career success. Readable and concise, it will be a valuable tool for students, parents, and sports administrators. To order,  click here.
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