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March 2 -- March 8, 2026
Issue No. 631
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Giants 2026 Preview
by Bruce Macgowan
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Pitching and defense. You don’t make the playoffs if you don't have enough of it.
The San Francisco Giants have solid defense with at least two Gold Glovers among their starting eight, but pitching? Big question mark.
Logan Webb is one of the most durable, outstanding starters in baseball. The undisputed ace of the staff is coming off his best season. He reminds fans of former right-handed ace Matt Cain. Not spectacular but more than reliable.
Lefthander Robbie Ray, an All-Star in the first half of last season had some mechanical problems and ran out of gas in the second half after a year’s inactivity because of Tommy John surgery. But he appears ready to resume the number two spot in the rotation.
But the rest of the rotation is full of question marks. Will righthander Landon Roupp pick up where he left off in the first half of last season before injuries sidelined him? Will journeymen Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser fill out the four and five spots? Will youngsters such as Hayden Birdsong, Trevor McDonald, Carson Whisenhunt and Carson Seymour break into the rotation?
Each had their moments last year.
The bullpen appears loaded with arms; hulking lefty Eric Miller is back, Jose Butto looks could be a reliable middleman along with Spencer Bivens. Tristan Beck and Keaton Winn could claim spots and Ryan Walker is slated to be the closer, although that could change.
New Manager Tony Vitello has a lot to consider. But Vitello, who takes over after six mostly mediocre years under previous managers Gabe Kapler and Bob Melvin, faces bigger challenges.
Can a guy who has never managed, coached or played on the big-league level make the move seamlessly from college coaching to the big leagues? Will he earn the players’ respect? Will he know how to use his bench? Buster Posey believes he will do all of these things well.
Meanwhile, the everyday lineup should be one of the better ones in baseball. First baseman Rafael Devers, shortstop Willy Adames and third baseman Matt Chapman are all power hitters and have better than average gloves, especially Chapman who is perhaps the best fielding third baseman in the big leagues.
But Chapman and Adames need to improve on subpar batting averages and cut down on strikeouts. That will not be a problem with newcomer second baseman Luis Arraez, a slap hitter who usually bats around 300.
Tall young phenom Bryce Eldridge could be the DH/backup first baseman but the Giants might want to give the 21-year-old a month or two of more seasoning at Triple A Sacramento.
Eldridge only made a cameo appearance late last season but looks like a can’t miss future star, much like the great Will Clark who broke in back in 1986 as a 22-year old.
The outfield is pretty well set with former Gold Glover Harrison Bader taking over in centerfield while Jung Hoo Lee moves over to rightfield. Lee was a disappointment last year, although he has a big fan club. Meanwhile Heliot Ramos needs to improve defensively. He had a lot of problems taking poor routes on balls hit behind him. That also seemed to have a negative carryover effect on his hitting as he struggled at times.
Catcher Patrick Bailey is one of the best in baseball as far as handling pitchers and keeping baserunners in check. But he needs to bring his batting average up, well beyond the .200 level.
The Giants have good depth with Casey Schmitt, Christian Koss, Drew Gilbert, and perhaps Luis Matos and Tyler Fitzgerald.
With the rival Dodgers featuring the best team in baseball, the Giants have no chance of winning the NL West. But San Francisco fans have to be cautiously optimistic about a possible Wild Card berth. It could be a very fun summer!
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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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Bracket Bonanza!
The Carousel is in Motion
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#7 Florida: With two victories last week, the current Champions were impressive with wins over Texas (84-71) and #20 Arkansas (111-77).
#1 Duke: Duke walloped Notre Dame (100-56) and handled rival Virginia (77-51) for a two-game combined margin of victory of 70 points!
Iowa State/BYU: NEW -- #17 Alabama: This previously shared spot was not friendly to either team. Iowa State will drop down after their (82-73) loss to Texas Tech as will BYU, which had a tough week with losses to West Virginia (79-71) and UCF (97-84). The new kid on the block is #17 Alabama, which has an uncanny ability to win down the stretch, as in (90-83) over LSU and (117-115) over #20 Arkansas.
#21 Miami of Ohio: The Redhawks are UNDEFEATED and will continue to ride after victories over BOTH Western Michigan (a 69-67 nailbiter) and Eastern Michigan (74-64). Rinse and Repeat!
As noted in other tournaments, like jury selection this can be more about DESELECTION than actual selection. Which teams are overrated or just on your "I can't stand them" list? While many teams are worthy, others just "need to go."
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Note to Readers:
Most photos in each issue are linked to Facebook albums produced
by our talented photographers. To enjoy additional photos, simply click on a photograph or on the link provided at the end of each report. New albums, contributor essays and Sports Today issues are continually posted to: www.ultimatesportsguide.net
We have updated our Facebook Albums link. Check here to see if your favorite team was covered and enjoy the exceptional photo coverage from our exceptional photographers:
https://conta.cc/49DptcC
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Contents
Games
Cal Bears (MBkB) 56, Pittsburgh Panthers 72
Cal Bears (WBkB) 63, Clemson Tigers 70
Cal Bears (WBkB) 78, SMU Mustangs 34
Golden State Warriors 101, Los Angeles Lakers 129
Saint Mary's Gaels (MBkB) 86, Santa Clara Broncos 67
Features & Commentary
Boxing Has Become So Irrelevant, by Dave Newhouse
Dancing With The Stars, by Andy Dolich
Giants 2026 Preview, by Bruce Macgowan
Nancy Kerrigan, from the Autograph Collection of Rich Yee
Newsletter, Image, Likeness, by Darren Heitner, Esq.
Organizations
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A's
Bay Area Falcons
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
| | Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets, May 4, 2025 | | | |
Dancing With
The Stars
by Andy Dolich
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As we know sports and entertainment are morphing into more
of a single entity every day in every way. Can you decide if Super Bowl 60 was a bigger deal with more social media than Bad Bunny at Halftime?
Riders of Hoop Pine (bench players) from youth leagues to the NBA are becoming more and more sophisticated celebratory choreographers. They dance on the sidelines to generate energy, build team spirit and garner TV time by jumping onto the court which is starting to become a technical foul.
Howling on dunks they’ve seen 100’s of times, hugging their fellow Pine Riders and showing off their dance moves as if they have just returned from a session with Top Hip Hop dancers like MT Pop, The Red Bull Dancers, Rubix, The D Soraki, Poppin C and Kida Burns.
These celebrations have become a staple of modern hoops culture.
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USF vs. CSU Monterey Bay, November 30, 2025.
Photo by Darren Yamashita
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Having been heavily involved in the marketing, promotion and entertainment programs of sports, I understand that the Wave is part of history and dance teams are part of time outs in basketball games.
My only suggestion is for these Budding Ballet Dancers of Ball to take a bit more time working on their D, 3 pointers, rebounding and free throw shooting than Dancing with the Stars on the court.
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| | | | Andy Dolich operates Dolich & Associates, a sports consultancy, in Los Altos. A local resident, Dolich has more than 50 years of experience as an executive in professional sports, working with the Oakland A's, San Francisco 49ers, Golden State Warriors, and hockey and soccer teams. Dolich is also the co-author of Goodbye, Oakland, is available in bookstores and from Triumph Books. For earlier articles by Andy Dolich published in Sports Today! click HERE. | | |
Golden State Warriors 101
Los Angeles Lakers 129
Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
Saturday, February 28, 2026
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LeBron James, the leading scorer in NBA history, visited the Chase Center and the Los Angeles Lakers defeated Golden State, 129-101. The loss dropped the Warriors to 31-29 where they are now
the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.
Photo and caption by Ed Jay
| Before the game the Warriors announced that Gui Santos had signed a three-year, $15 million contract. Santos was drafted 55th by the Warriors in the 2022 draft. Photo and caption by Ed Jay | |
Guard Pat Spencer contributed a solid 27 minutes off the bench, including four points and three rebounds.
Photo and caption by Ed Jay
| Veteran Al Horford came off the bench for 22 minutes and hauled in five rebounds. Photo and caption by Ed Jay | |
Moses Moody employs a novel way to stop LeBron James.
Photo and caption by Ed Jay
| The injured Steph Curry, missing his tenth game, talks with Luka Dončić on the court after the game. Dončić led the Los Angeles Lakers with 26 points. Photo and caption by Ed Jay | Mayweather vs. Pacquiao II | | In their first fight 11 years ago, Floyd Mayweather left no doubt about who’s better by dominating Manny Pacquiao. | | | | |
Boxing Has
Become So
Irrelevant
by Dave Newhouse
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Boxing, regarding its current impact, has fallen from reeling on the ropes to landing face down on the canvas, with the count approaching ten.
That’s how bad things have gotten, and now they’ve grown even worse with the news that two long-retired champions will meet again in a vane attempt to inject life into their comatose sport.
Floyd Mayweather, 49, is ending his nine-year retirement to confront Manny Pacquiao, 47, who retired four years ago, in a Sept. 19 fight in Las Vegas.
The rematch comes 11 years after Mayweather outclassed Pacquiao to gain an easy decision. No weight class or length of fight has yet been announced, but it’s a farce regardless.
“Mayweather-Pacquiao is a disgrace to boxing. These two are washed up,” said Lowell Cohn, a former newspaper columnist and boxing devotee. “They’re doing it for money and ego. They see themselves as they used to be, and it’s sad.”
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Boxing has lost its marquee identity, so bring back Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao to pump some
life into a gasping sport.
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Barry Tompkins, a television boxing commentator now retired, said, “It was 10 years too late for their first fight, which was an awful fight. I don’t know who will watch the rematch, but somebody will.”
Tompkins then pointed out that Showtime, ESPN and HBO, all televised carriers of championship fights, "are out of the boxing business. The cow has left the barn.”
Without even a moo, which is disheartening to Cohn, who feels abandoned by the “Sweet Science.”
“Boxing is the sport I care most about,” he said, “and now I don’t know who the heavyweight champion is, or any champion, which is ridiculous.”
Tompkins feels the same, remembering when there were eight world champions in boxing’s heyday, but now there are 54 because of all the manufactured weight classes.
“Boxing is struggling from too many governing bodies and lack of marquee fighters,” he said, "and so they’re bringing back Mayweather and Pacquiao. But I don’t know if there is anybody in boxing now that people will watch.”
| | A beaten, but smiling Pacquiao congratulates Mayweather after their 2015 disappointing bout. So let’s try it again? | | |
Therefore, wheel out the golden oldies and hope for the best. Mayweather-Pacquiao II will take place at the Sphere, and streamed on Netflix.
“Boxing is more akin to wrestling; that’s the way it’s sold,” said Tompkins. “It’s all about bells and whistles then it is about boxing.”
Cohn can’t get over how the “Sweet Science” has soured so badly.
“Any true boxing fan should avoid that travesty,” he said of Sept. 19. “I’m still interested in boxing, but only if I’m truly interested. And I don’t know anybody now.”
Boxing is leaning more toward side shows than authenticity. For WBC heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk just agreed to defend his title May 23 against Rico Verhoeven, a kickboxer who has not competed as a boxer since 2014. Usyk hasn’t fought since July — no legitimate contenders? — and he’ll be getting his (watch out) kicks in the first title fight ever held in Egypt.
Tompkins and Cohn are esteemed journalists, print or electronic, multi-honored men. Tompkins also announced at “ringside” in the “Rocky 5” Soviet-based movie.
“I don’t watch any current fights, but i watch old fights all the time — ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s,” said Cohn. “Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard. I watched Floyd Patterson beat Archie Moore this morning.
“My whole growing up, I’d watch boxing Monday, Wednesday and Friday until I went off to college. I liked the whole idea of boxing — it’s fair, they face each other, no teammates, and it’s courage and honor.”
And Sept. 19 — clowning and pathos?
“I already fought and beat Manny once,” said Mayweather. “This time will be the same result.”
Anybody listening? Anybody care?
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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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Cal Bears 56
Pittsburgh Panthers 72
Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, CA
Saturday, February 28, 2026
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Senior Day -- pregame activities included each of the Seniors receiving a framed jersey. (L-R) Milos Ilic (#8), Lee Dort (#34), Rytis Petraitis (#31), Head Coach Mark Madsen, DeJuan Campbell (#1), John Camden (#2), and Chris Bell (#22). The University of California Golden Bears played host to the Pittsburgh University Panthers for an ACC conference game at Haas Pavilion on Saturday, February 28 in Berkeley, CA. Photo and
caption by Ron Sellers.
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Cal's Justin Pippen (#10) takes to the air to offer a reverse layup..
Photo and caption by Ron Sellers.
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Coming through the lane like a freight train, Lee Dort (#34) slams home the basket for two of his 10 points.
Photo and caption by Ron Sellers.
| On a breakaway, John Camden (#2) throws down a dunk in the second half. Photo and caption by Ron Sellers. | |
Cal's Dai Dai Ames (#7) drives past the defender to get the layup in the closing minutes of the game. To view a photo album, visit our Facebook Page or visit www.ultimatesportsguide.net.
Photo and caption by Ron Sellers.
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Cal Bears 78
SMU Mustangs 34
Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, CA
Sunday, March 1, 2026
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Saint Mary's Gaels 86
Santa Clara Broncos 67
UCU Pavilion, Moraga, CA
Wednesday, February 26, 2025
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Cal Bears 63
Clemson Tigers 70
Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, CA
Thursday, February 26, 2026
| | Cal Bears guard Gisella Maul scored 18 points and added eight rebounds as the Bears dropped to 17-13 (7-9 in the ACC) after a 70-63 loss to the Clemson Tigers on Thursday, February 26th at Haas Pavilion. Caption and photo by Darren Yamashita. | | |
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WARRIORS ANNOUNCE 2026 WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT MONTH CELEBRATIONS, PRESENTED BY RAKUTEN
NBC Sports Bay Area To Feature All-Female Broadcast For Warriors Women’s Empowerment Month Game On March 2
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SAN FRANCISCO – The Golden State Warriors have announced celebrations for Women’s Empowerment Month, presented by Rakuten, which include a variety of activations aimed to inspire youth and women by breaking down barriers, advocating for gender equality, and committing to long-term support.
To tip-off the celebrations, the Warriors Women’s Empowerment Month game against the LA Clippers on Monday, March 2, will be broadcast by all-female talent on NBC Sports Bay Area, including Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller, Golden State Valkyries Head Coach Natalie Nakase, and NBC Sports college basketball and Athletics play-by-play announcer Jenny Cavnar. Additionally, Denise Long Rife, who became the first woman ever selected in the NBA Draft in 1969 (13th round by the Warriors), will serve as the ceremonial bell ringer prior to the game.
Additional Warriors Women’s Empowerment Month activations include:
- March 9: Invest In Her, presented by Carta – The Warriors and Carta will host a half-day, investor-focused program at Chase Center for Bay Area women, including established principals and emerging general partners from Stanford and UC Berkeley. In partnership with All Raise, the event aims to connect women in venture through conversations focused on career growth, leadership, and expanding access within the investment space.
- March 12 & 13: Rakuten Future Leaders Experience – The Warriors and Rakuten will host the eighth annual Future Leaders Experience, a year-long mentorship program that pairs youth from Girls Inc. of Alameda County with mentors from the Warriors and Rakuten. The program will tip off with a two-day event featuring a professional shopping experience and a panel discussion designed to inspire and empower young girls preparing for college and professional careers on March 12, followed by an opportunity to shadow Warriors employees during the team’s March 13 matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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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.
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Jimmy Butler on the Giants? This reliever looks a lot like the
NBA All-Star
Maria Guardado
@mi_guardado
:232:08
This story was excerpted from Maria Guardado’s Giants Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe
to get it regularly in your inbox.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Around the Giants’ clubhouse, left-hander Reiver Sanmartin isn’t primarily known by his given name.
Most of his teammates tend to refer to him by his nickname: Jimmy.
As in, NBA star Jimmy Butler, who happens to bear a striking resemblance to Sanmartin.
“That’s what I call him,” fellow reliever Erik Miller said. “It’s a little easier off the tongue than Reiver.
“I’m sure many people now kind of jokingly say, ‘What’s up, Jimmy?’ when they see him. And he just laughs. I don’t think he takes anything super serious.”
A native of Cartagena, Colombia, Sanmartin doesn’t consider himself much of a basketball fan, but he’s been aware of his celebrity doppelganger for years.
“Everyone calls me that,” Sanmartin said, laughing. “Even on my old team [the Reds], everyone called me that. They didn’t say my first name, or my last name, only Jimmy.”
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Athletics coaching staff enthusiastic about Bolte's pathway to Majors
This story was excerpted from Martín Gallegos’ Athletics Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe
to get it regularly in your inbox.
MESA, Ariz. – Athletics manager Mark Kotsay is generally careful not to overly praise or hyperbolize young prospects in Spring Training, especially ones who are still developing and have yet to reach the big leagues.
Asked about Henry Bolte before Sunday’s 12-4 win over the Reds at Hohokam Stadium, however, Kotsay had an atypical glow on his face while speaking about the 22-year-old outfielder.
“There’s a lot of us in that coaches’ room that think this kid has the ability to be a real star,” Kotsay said. “He continues to make progress each year, both on the physicality side and the baseball side of just being a better hitter.
“The tools, the talent and the ability all align with this kid having an impact in our organization, hopefully, sooner than later.”
There is usually a longer development timeline for players drafted out of high school. In the case of Bolte, a second-round pick by the A’s out of Palo Alto High School in 2023, his development has been about as timely as they could have hoped by steadily climbing the organizational ladder.
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Ballers Fam,
It’s that time of year where belief starts stretching again. When a Hayward kid can show up to Open Tryouts and wind up with a championship ring and a contract with the Washington Nationals.
Around here, “Wanna Be a Baller?” is not a rap lyric. It is an invitation. Whether you’re looking to chase a roster spot, re-live the glory days, or take the field with your Little League team. Let’s commit to lacing up for something bigger than baseball together. Read on for ways to celebrate, congregate, give back, and be part of the community.
And while May 19th is circled on all our calendars and tickets will be going on sale very soon, we are not the types to just sit around and wait for Opening Day. We like being with our Ballers fam too much. So if there’s a chance to gather, to compete, to serve, to celebrate, we’re taking it. The season does not start when the first pitch is thrown. It starts now.
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MATCH RECAP: Earthquakes 2, Atlanta United FC 0
San Jose starts season with second consecutive win and clean sheet with goals from Preston Judd, Ousseni Bouda; New Design Timo Werner dishes assist in MLS debut; Quakes take on defending Supporters’ Shield holders Philadelphia Union next Saturday
in first road trip of season
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Earthquakes defeated Atlanta United FC 2-0 on Saturday afternoon at PayPal Park in front of 16,159 fans to start the 2026 Major League Soccer season with their second straight shutout victory for the first time in club history.
The Earthquakes opened the scoring in minute 24 when Jamar Ricketts intercepted a wayward pass by Atlanta’s Lucas Hoyos, charged forward and served a cross from the left wing for Preston Judd, who headed the ball past the goalkeeper for his second goal of the season and a 1-0 lead.
After intermission, the Quakes continued to attack and doubled their lead off the counter set up by two second-half subs. In the 79th minute, Jack Skahan found new Designated Player Timo Werner on the right wing, who promptly fed Ousseni Bouda for the 2-0 lead and final margin.
The Black and Blue now travel to Chester, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, March 7, to face the Philadelphia Union. Kickoff from Subaru Park will take place at 4:30 p.m. PT and will be broadcast globally via Apple TV (English/Spanish), as well as local radio on KSFO 810 AM (English) and La Kaliente 1370 AM (Spanish).
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Oakland Roots SC
Media Day
Roots Headquarters, Alameda, CA
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
| New Roots head coach Ryan Martin | |
The Oakland Roots soccer team held a press onference on Tuesday, February 24 to introduce new head coach Ryan Martin as well as key staff and players. (Coach Martin previously served as the head coach for Loudoun United FC since 2019.) The presser provided media personnel the opportunity to learn details of the upcoming 2026 season. There is tremenduous enthusiasm for a successful year with the first game scheduled for Saturday, March 14 versus New Mexico United at the Oakland Coliseum. Tickets and information can be found at Oaklandrootssc.com.
Photo by Ann Cooke.
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Countdown to the Home Opener
Starts Now
The countdown to the Home Opener is officially on, and the season will be here before you know it. Now’s the moment to explore your options, lock in the matches that matter most to you, and get ready to kick off the season with a bang!
Buy a season ticket before kickoff and enjoy:
On-field viewing for fireworks
Access to the Treehouse
Theme nights. Big moments. Your club.
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Get ready for our Spring Series matchup—a friendly against Ottawa Rapid FC on Friday, April 17th. It’s the perfect way to kick off spring with a can’t-miss matchday!
Be there as Ottawa Rapid FC travels to the Bay Area for a friendly during their sophomore season in the Northern Super League season, marking the club’s first-ever visit to PayPal Park. Enjoy the excitement with family and friends as Bay FC goes
head-to-head in an action-packed match.
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Ballhalla awaits! The Valkyries return to the violet hardwood for Year Two with a preseason match-up against the Seattle Storm on Saturday, April 25 at 5:30PM at Chase Center.
After an unforgettable inaugural season, we can’t wait to welcome fans back for another year of elite basketball, unforgettable moments, and the electric energy that makes Ballhalla one of the loudest homes in the league. Preseason is your first chance to see the team back on the floor, build momentum for the season ahead, and be part of what’s next.
Single-game preseason tickets will be going on sale soon! Stay tuned for on-sale details and be ready to lock in your seats as we kick off Year Two together.
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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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Nancy Kerrigan -- from the
Autograph Collection of Rich Yee
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Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan was visiting the Visa headquarters in Foster City when I used to work there. She did a meet-and-greet with the employees and I was able to get this photo and an info sheet signed by her. She earned a bronze medal at the 1992 Olympics and a silver medal in the 1994 Olympics.
Rich Yee, Sports Today photographer
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Newsletter, Image, Likeness Vol. 173: The Selective Outrage Of College Sports' Most Powerful
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by Darren Heitner, Esq.
Founder of Heitnerlegal -- Sports, Entertainment, Trademarks, Copyrights, Business, Litigation, Arbitration
The Weekly Longer NIL Thought
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Let me make sure I have this right.
The Big Ten and SEC, which are the two most powerful, most profitable conferences in the history of college athletics, have distributed a white paper to Congressional lawmakers this week arguing, with apparent sincerity, that "college athletics doesn't need government control and mandates" and that "market forces, intense competition and continued innovation are the natural drivers of the value of media rights."
I had to read that a few times yesterday to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
These are the same two conferences that have spent millions of dollars over the past several years lobbying the federal government to cap what athletes can earn, ensure that college athletes do not gain employee status, override state NIL laws, and restore enforcement power to the very organizations that spent decades colluding to suppress athlete compensation in the first place. As ESPN's Dan Murphy put it pointedly this week: "'College athletics doesn't need government control' is a hell of a line coming from two leagues that have spent millions of dollars in the last few years lobbying for government to control the athlete payment market."
That is a stunning degree of hypocrisy.
The white paper, titled "Preserving Autonomy and Stability in College Sports: Why Media Rights Pooling and SBA Reform Are Misguided," takes direct aim at the Saving College Sports initiative and its proposal to centralize college football media rights under a single seller. I'm sure there are legitimate arguments to be made against that proposal. I admittedly don't know enough about the situation as I write this weekly column. But the Big Ten and SEC undermined every intellectually honest point they might have made the moment they invoked "market forces" as a governing principle of college sports.
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WeatherTech Raceway
Laguna Seca
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We’ve Got Everything
YOU Need to Stay On Track with the
2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES
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Who Will Win the
2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Title?
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Cal Downs Sac State 3-2,
Sweeps Series
Bears Extend Win Streak To 6 Games
BERKELEY— The Golden Bears brought out the brooms Sunday defeating Sacramento State 3-2 in game three at Stu Gordon Stadium in Berkeley. It was the first series sweep of the season for the California baseball team.
Cal is off to its best start since 2024 winning six straight games to improve to 8-3 while the Hornets dropped their fourth straight to fall to 3-8.
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Photo: Darrell Lavin
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Senior Day Dominance
Miko Begossi, Yujin Chang, Ivy Davis, Emily Ding, Yara Elian,
Atira O’Neil honored on Senior Day
STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford swept all five event titles at the Western Regionals meet on Feb. 28 at Avery Aquatic Center, representing its final tune-up before Nationals later this month.
Saturday’s competition carried added meaning as Miko Begossi, Yujin Chang, Ivy Davis, Emily Ding, Yara Elian and Atira O’Neil were honored in a Senior Day ceremony following the meet.
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Spartans Host Battle of the Bay
on Monday
The San José State women’s golf team hosts the Battle of the Bay with No. 1 Stanford on Monday, March 2, at the Los Altos Golf and Country Club.
Match play begins at 11 a.m. Below are the matches and tee times.
11:00 a.m. - Kleopatra Kozakiewicz vs Andrea Revuelta
11:08 a.m. - Regina Roldan vs Meja Örtengren
11:16 a.m. - Moa Andersson vs Kelly Xu
11:24 a.m. - Ting-Yu Chang vs Anna Song
11:32 a.m. - Lotte Schuhr vs Megha Ganne
11:40 a.m. - Isabella Cioe vs Paula Martin Sampedro
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| | Saint Mary's College Gaels | |
SB | Gaels Complete Trip to Texas by Finishing Off Two Game Sweep
of Kennesaw State
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Saint Mary's softball team capped off another strong showing in a pre-conference season tournament, defeating Kennesaw State 5-4 to close out its time at the TAMU Invitational. It was the Gaels' second win over the Owls in the event, as they finished the tournament out with a 3-2 record, matching their record last week at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
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Photo: Ryan Barnett / SMC Athletics
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Fuchs Shines as Dons Sweep
Tigers in Stockton
STOCKTON, Calif. - The University of San Francisco (USF) men's basketball team (16-15, 8-10 WCC) got back to its winning ways on Saturday afternoon as the Dons used an all-around effort to take down Pacific (17-14, 8-10 WCC), 72-61, at Alex G. Spanos Center in its regular season finale.
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Photo: Christina Leung
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Women's Basketball Earns Third Seed in Credit Union 1 West Coast Conference Basketball Championship
SAN BRUNO, Calif. - Santa Clara women's basketball will be the third seed in the upcoming Credit Union 1 West Coast Conference Basketball Championship at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The Broncos finished tied with Oregon State in the standings but won the tiebreaker based on the head-to-head win.
Santa Clara finished league play at 13-5. The 13 conference victories are tied for the most in program history with the 1990-91 and 2015-16 teams. Head coach Loree Payne also set the program mark for conference wins by a first year head coach.
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| | University of Pacific Tigers | |
Nahreen Cheam and Cindy Ung Power Women’s Tennis Past CSUN
STOCKTON, Calif. – Down one point with two courts remaining, graduate Cindy Ung and junior Nahreen Cheam each pulled out three set wins within minutes of each other to give Pacific the victory over CSUN 4-3 on Sunday afternoon at the Eve Zimmerman Tennis Center.
Before her singles heroics, Ung was part of a doubles duo that got Pacific (3-8) off to a strong start, teaming up with junior Leyanne Hirota on court three to tally the first of the two wins needed to secure the doubles point. On court one, juniors Milena Maiorova and Indiya McLeod clinched the point with a win on court one to put the team out front early.
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Beach Volleyball Downs Sac State In First Day Of Battle For The Bay
BERKELEY, Calif. — UC Davis beach volleyball picked up its first Big West conference win of the season against Sacramento State in the opening day of the Battle for the Bay hosted by Cal on Friday, Feb. 27.
Score (Game One): UC Davis 3, Sacramento State 2
Records: UC Davis 2-3, Sacramento State 3-3
Score (Game Two): UC Davis 0, California 5
Records: UC Davis 2-4, California 3-4
Location: Berkeley, Calif. (Clark Kerr Sand Courts)
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| | Cal State University East Bay Pioneers | |
Pioneer With Purpose - Support East Bay Athletics This Giving Day,
March 4th
On March 4, 2026 the Cal State East Bay community comes together from our hillside campus in Hayward to neighborhoods across the East Bay - and from alumni and supporters whose lives have taken them elsewhere, but who still carry their Pioneer spirit with them.
Your support fuels real opportunity for students shaped by this place. Your generosity makes an immediate difference: in Hayward, across the East Bay, and wherever the Pioneer story continues.
It's your turn to Pioneer With Purpose on Giving Day!
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Watch any program on CCE's YouTube channel, or, for attorneys, earn MCLE credits online, economically, with "The Best in Topics and Talent."
Center for Continuing Education, Monterey, CA is a State Bar of California MCLE approved Provider, #8450
https://www.cce-mcle.com/
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Weekly Bay Area
Sports Calendar
Monday, March 2, through
Sunday, March 8, 2026
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Monday, March 2
Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers, 7 p.m.
San Francisco Giants @ Chicago White Sox, 12:05 p.m.
Athletics @ San Diego Padres, 12:10 p.m.
Tuesday, March 3
Sacramento Kings vs. Phoenix Suns, 8 p.m.
San Francisco Giants vs. United States, 12:05 p.m.
Athletics vs. Brazil, 12:05 p.m.
San Jose Sharks vs. Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, March 4
San Francisco Giants vs. Seattle Mariners, 6:05 p.m.
Athletics vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, 12:05 p.m.
Thursday, March 5
Golden State Warriors @ Houston Rockets, 4:30 p.m.
Sacramento Kings vs. New Orleans Pelicans, 7 p.m.
Athletics @ Los Angeles Angels, 12:10 p.m.
Friday, March 6
San Francisco Giants @ Cincinnati Reds, 12:05 p.m.
Athletics vs. Colorado Rockies, 12:05 p.m.
San Jose Sharks vs. St. Louis Blues, 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 7
Golden State Warriors @ Oklahoma City Thunder, 5:30 p.m.
San Jose Sharks vs. New York Islanders, 7 p.m.
San Jose Earthquakes @ Philadelphia Union, 4:30 p.m.
San Francisco Giants (SS) vs. Texas Rangers, 12:05 p.m.; San Francisco Giants (SS) @ Arizona Diamondbacks, 12:10 p.m.
Athletics (SS) @ Chicago Cubs, 12:05 p.m.; Athletics (SS) vs. Los Angeles Angels, 1:05 p.m.
Sunday, March 8
Sacramento Kings vs. Chicago Bulls, 6 p.m.
San Francisco Giants @ Chicago Cubs, 1:05 p.m.
Athletics (SS) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, 1:05 p.m.; Athletics (SS) vs. Los Angeles Angels, 12:05 p.m.
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Publisher: Christopher Weills
Associate Publisher: Ann Cooke
Marketing Director: Robert Moselle
Sales: Ayiko Konopaski
Contributors: Lydia Chain, Steve Chain, Harvey Cohen, Andy Dolich, Pete Elman, Rob Flammia, Bruce Macgowan, Robert Moselle, Dave Newhouse, Howard Pearlstein, Amaury Pi-Gonzalez, T. Buff, Shelia Young
Software Engineer / Sports Today Editor: Medhavee Upadhyaya
Staff Photographers: Jeff Bayer, Alex Ho, Ed Jay, Ron Sellers, Darren Yamashita, Rich Yee, Kenny Karst (retired)
Advisor: Arif Khatib
Artist: Carl Macki
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.
To order: https://www.zagarisbook.com/
| | 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 | | | |
The Ultimate Sports Guide is very appreciative to the ongoing contributions made by former staff photographer Kenny Karst and Robert Moselle. Mr. Karst, now retired, continues to contribute helpful ideas and his archives.
Mr. Moselle, Esq., is now lending his extensive editorial experience and marketing savvy to the publication.
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