Thanks Niners for making my dad and brother have a good rest of the week.

49ers 1 - 1

OK, so it's not exactly brag-worthy but I for one am ecstatic to see the San Francisco 49ers beat the Seattle Seahawks. One, because my dad and brother feel for the Niners the way I feel for the Warriors therefore were jumping up and down with pure euphoria at the end of overtime, and two, because it was a division win. The likelihood of the 49ers making it to the playoffs are slim (from the limited knowledge that I have) but hell...it's not looking too shabby for SF. Next week they're playing the Detroit Lions who got murdered by Green Bay and there's a huge chance that the Niners can actually be 2 - 1. I've seen my brother's head almost explode one too many times in the past couple of years to know that this is significant. My dad actually bought tickets to next week's game (because he had to go to a game that we had a chance at winning) so I shall be there in my 49ers attire, drinking beer and screaming my happy ass off with my dad and my brother...while my mother sits and claps politely, simply happy to see her family together and enjoying each other's company.

Today's game was fun to watch though. Alex Smith, good riddance. JT O'Sulivan...you are what this franchise needs. Just quit getting sacked! 8 times ain't cool. But once the ball got rolling, it was our defense that saved the day. Two freakin' useful interceptions in a row?! Loved it.

Two more random, note-worthy tidbits of two games that I caught (and one that is pretty much on repeat on SportsCenter right now):

• Caught a good minute of the Raiders - Chiefs game. Don't know anything about the Chiefs but the Raiders played sick. I caught Darren McFadden's catch and touchdown and it had me on my feet.
• The San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos game gave me a flashback of the last Lakers-Warriors game where Monta Ellis and Derek Fisher fell and that bullshit call happened against the Warriors. However, I will admit that this bullshit whistle is a thousand times worse. Any loss is bad but to know that it could have been avoided by something that was beyond their control...le sigh.

My football posts are so lame. It's quite obvious that I don't know about football. But I sure as hell love to watch it.

Gotdammit Monta.

Monta Ellis Out 3 Months

I'm the biggest slacker that ever tried to be a blogger so sue me for being a couple of weeks late with this issue.

My devastation was indescribable after hearing about Monta Ellis' left ankle injury that will result to him being out of the game for 3-4 months. Three weeks after the news came out and it still knocks the wind out of me just a little bit. With Baron Davis leaving, Monta was the face of our franchise, the last hope the Warriors had to make it to the playoffs. While it sounds morbid and faithless, I can't help but believe it to be true. He's going to miss at least a third of the entire season and for someone who was appointed starting PG, training camp alone was going to be crucial to his success in that spot.

That's not even the worst of it though. On September 6, the Contra Costa Times was the first to announce that Monta Ellis actually lied about the reason behind his injury. Instead of hurting himself by working out or even playing a pick-up game of basketball, he finally admitted after weeks of rumors that it was definitely not a basketball-related injury. Exactly what it was is still unknown and being kept secret for as long as the Warriors front office and his agent can allow it. People at GSOM have their own opinions though, from a motorcycle accident to something ridiculous like chasing after a girl (whaaatevs, Monta would never have to try hard to get a girl, even if he can be goofy-looking at times).

Now the question is...what to do about it? Tim Kawakami, columist and blogger for the San Jose Mercury Times, has a couple of educated guesses and has enlightened me with a number of possibilities. Considering the fact that he just recieved an extension and one of the biggest pay raises in NBA history, the front office has to discipline him in some way to let him know that this is not okay. When Vladimir Radmanovic had a snowboarding injury last year, the Lakers fined him $500,000, which is chump change to Monta's $66million. Granted, I have no expertise in giving fining suggestions so I'll end it with the fact that I definitely support any disciplinary actions taken towards teaching Monta Ellis a lesson (except voiding his contract altogether). Just like there are rules and guidelines to follow in any profession, he needs to understand that there are just certain things he's restricted from since he's a multi-million dollar professional NBA player. If he wants to go risking his body then he needs to do that with someone else's money on the line. Think about it: he's making $11mil just this season, which is about $1.83mil each month of the regular season. If it takes him the full 4 months to recover, that's a little over two months of being out, while still getting paid $3.66mil. That's a lot of money to sit and watch your teammates get owned by the Hornets, Pistons, Blazers, Celtics, Cavs, Rockets, Spurs, Magic, and Lakers.

(Not that I don't have faith in the rest of the Warriors. For all I know, there might actually be the best case of chemistry with all the new people coming in and they can DOMINATE as the Underdogs. I still have faith. But this is me being realistic.)

Le sigh. I'm still excited about the season though and I've got tickets lined up to 3 games, and working on getting tickets for Opening Night against New Orleans. WARRIOR FAN TIL THE DEATH, BABY.

Bay Area Baseball Comparisons

Last week I went to the SF Giants VS Colorado Rockies game at AT&T Park. Not the most exciting game (I left at the 8th inning, with the Rockies up 7-2), but I had a good time drinking beer with 40+ year old engineers who had more fun yelling each other's names than actually watching the game.

Have you ever been to AT&T Park? I've only gone there to actually watch a game twice, but I've worked at the stands at least 4 times each season for the past 4 years. I don't know how other stadiums in big cities are, but this one is nice. They've got slides and games for kids and the club level is sweeeet. Even the bathroom in the highest level are clean 24/7.

I've also been to McAfee Colliseum for an Oakland As VS Seatle Mariners game. The stadium looks like shit, especially compared to where the Giants play just over the bay. The green looks like seaweed and nothing looks like it's been renovated in over a decade. However, the one time I went there had to be the best time I ever went to a baseball game. The game was actually exciting (a close call that had the fans booing, a double play to get the fans on their feet, and a home run by the Mariners to keep the score tied at the 7th) and the fans are something else. You definitely don't see girls in tight jeans, mid-drifts and heels at an A's game.

There's just something about the Giants that makes me shake my head. I'm sure this franchise hasn't always been this way but from simple observation, the only reason why half the people go to their games is to get trashed anyways. Whatever happened to the love of "America's favorite past-time?"

McAfee Colliseum



AT&T Park

Oct. 29 needs to come sooner.

Two reasons to be excited for October 29, 2008:
1. My baby brother turns 21
2. The Golden State Warriors start the 08-09 season with the New Orleans Hornets at Oracle Arena. My attendance is still tentative; depends on how my school schedule ends up. I'm hoping that it'll allow me the opportunity to be a screaming fan.

08 - 09 Season WishList

• Oct 29 VS Hornets (duh)
• Nov 13 VS Pistons (my personal Big 3 = Rasheed Wallace, Rip Hamilton, and Chauncy Billups)
• Dec 12 VS Rockets (the new Big 3 = Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady, and Ron Artest, OH SHIT)
• Dec 26 VS Celtics (this game is probably going to be insanely expensive but I don't care, I want to go! This would be the best Christmas present EVER)
• Jan 7 VS Lakers (gotta go to a Laker game!)
• Jan 25 VS Clippers (B Diddy's return to the Bay! This is a can't miss)
• Feb 4 VS Suns (because it was the one team I really wanted to see last year that I didn't get to watch)
• Feb 18 VS Lakers (because the second time around is just as good as the first)
• Mar 17 VS Clippers (same)

Upcoming posts about my prediction for the Warriors this season and my opinion on the 08-09 team.

Random fact: Andris Biedrins is now the longest tenured Warrior right now. Yes, my 22-year-old sexy Latvian Center is the Last "OG" Warrior Standing. Leave me alone, just let me think this way!

Non-Follower of the Olympics

I'm embarressed to say that I haven't been following the Olympics very well this year, which is a damn shame considering I proclaim to love sports oh-so-much. But I can't help it; games are at such odd hours! I've only seen four events: USA VS China Men's basketball, Women's Diving, USA VS China Gymnastics, and a bunch of swimming that all led to Michael Phelps showing the world how freakin amazing he is.


I got so excited watching Men's Basketball. I'm glad it was close even if it was just for the first quarter. I am in love with this year's Dream Team.


I have to say that watching the Gymanstics competition was hard and a tad disheartening. Seeing little girls fall and mess up in front of the whole world makes me hope that my own daughter never wants to be an Olympic gymnast. Well, I guess they're not actually LITTLE but they sure as hell look younger than I even I look (and that's pretty damn young!).

And...that really is all I have to say on the Olympics. Haha. I know, my credibility is going down the drain.

On another note...I need to change the title to this blog. Oh how I miss ESPN :(

As a brand new sports fan, I couldn't have asked for a better first ESPYS Awards Show

The ESPYS Awards Show epitomized everything that I love about sports. It's a damn shame that I only caught the last half. Time is limited so I only got to YouTube Part 1 of the ESPYS. But I will catch the big chunk in the middle that I missed eventually.

Justin Timberlake as the host
I actually had yet to completely fall into the JT-craze, more as a defense to my Backstreet Boys fanhood than anything else. But him hosting the 2008 ESPYS made me go into a state of no return. My respect for him has elevated. And he was funny! The opening of the show had me rolling nonstop. My top two favorite jokes:

JT hella hating on the Jayhawks

AND

"It was a big year for Eli Manning. He won a Superbowl...and he finally saw a girl naked!"

I never thought I could ever actually feel connected to Justin Timberlake but watching him host the ESPYS made me feel like I could actually hang out with him while watching a game on my small ass TV in my living room with some cheap beer. Yes...he was that good.

And the winner for best female athlete: Candace Parker
I love this girl. But I'll admit, I had no idea she was that tall. I mean, yeah, she's a profesional basketball player so she's supposed to be that tall but she is just perfectly proportional that her height doesn't stand out. I'm focusing on her height only because I'd probably go up to her pelvic if I stood next to her. Whatever, she's beautiful and a damn good ball player. Good shit on not tripping; heels can be tricky.

And the winner for best moment: Great Sportsmanship, Central Washington VS Western Oregan Softball
You have got to be kidding me...this moment beat Jon Lester's no-hitter? The guy overcame lymphoma! This girl was still able to walk just fine (in heels, mind you) at the awards! This was wrong, just plain wrong. I used this time to go to the bathroom.

And the winner for best game: Super Bowl, Giants over the Patriots
I'll be the first one to admit that I loved this year's Super Bowl. I watch the Super Bowl every year with my family (the only major sporting event for a long time that I followed) and we always go for the under dogs. During that final quarter, the family was straight up going insane and we never celebrated so hard (except in '94 when the 49ers beat the Charger, of course). However, overall the game was slow and definitely not as exciting as Game 3 of the Celtics-Lakers series (screaming in my boyfriend's face during Boston's comeback made my day) and especially not as exciting as the NCAA Championship game. The Jayhawks deserved this award more than anyone else. First of all, I truly believe that college athletes, while they have money in their futures, are honestly playing for the moment and genuinely playing with their hearts. At the moment of the Championships, it has nothing to do with getting drafted in the next couple of months--it was about bringing glory to their school, their team, and themselves.

Oh well.  Can't win them all.


And the winner for best male athlete: Tiger Woods
I was on the phone with my boyfriend as I was watching this and he said it had to be Kobe Bryant and I went for Tiger Woods. My argument was that Kobe couldn't win a championship while Tiger Woods won the US Open...with a torn ligament! That's a G. But that's not actually what I wanted to talk about.

When Will Ferrell came on, I just couldn't believe it. I'm not a regular viewer of the ESPYS so I don't know...does this happen every year? Does some actor come up and act a fool at the biggest professional sports social event of the year? If so...I am never missing the ESPYS.

Baron Davis to the LA Clippers

The news is almost a week old but the sting is still fresh in my Warriors-bleeding heart.

I know that the possibility of B Diddy leaving Golden State has always been there but I'm sure every Warrior fan wouldn't, no, couldn't believe it to be true.  Baron Davis was the heart and soul of this team.  He picked this franchise up from nothing.  When people think of Warrior Nation, it brings visions of Baron Davis dunking on AK47 or of Baron Davis kissing 3s to the crowd.  What hurts the most is that he knows this and he still left.

Career-wise, you can't blame Baron Davis for doing this.  He knew how much he was worth and the Warriors' front office wouldn't give him what he felt he rightfully deserved.  Would they have extended his contract next year, giving him that job security that every NBA player needs?  Doubtful. 

But damn...LA?  The only thing worse than going to the Clippers is going to the Lakers (the thought alone makes me want to rip my heart right out of me).  That southern region is the biggest rival of every Bay Area native.  It's a straight up slap to the face.

(I'm no Bay Area native, but I can only imagine that that's what it feels.)

Honestly, I think Baron should just admit that he wanted to be closer to Hollywood so he could pursue his hobby.  That it really was that selfish of a move.  If he had waited, I'm sure another team would have offered him just as much, if not more.  Then it would just be considered another strategic career move and not a selfish, back-stabbing, heartbreaking decision.

Baron Davis is a drama king, plain and simple.  A damn good baller, but a drama king nonetheless.  Good luck to Davis but I hope he doesn't go around claiming to want to win a ring now because then he'd just be full of bullshit.

Please Chris Mullin...do something.  Make a good offer and give us Warriors fans something to believe in.  I am tired of passing by every opportunity to make our team better.  Money shouldn't be an option when they're charging $80 for an upper level seat at Oracle Arena.

I'm just glad that I chose green and black Air Force Ones as opposed to the Baron Davis hardwood classic jersey for Christmas.