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Liotta: Goodbye, 2007 — it’s been forgettable
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Members of the Stanford football team had plenty of reason to be happy after knocking off second-ranked Southern Cal.
SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - I can’t wait for ’08.
That’s because I’m afraid if ’07 goes on any longer, the Bay Area sports scene is going to implode.
The mess started with baseball, which was awful. The Giants and A’s managed to lose 177 games between them, finishing a combined 37 games out.
Things picked up speed with football, which has been terrible times two. Going into the season’s final weekend, the 49ers and Raiders have managed to lose 21 games, not to mention realistically being eliminated from playoff contention by Halloween.
Throw onto the fire the fact that the college football teams flopped, as Cal and Stanford posted a collective 10-14 mark, winning just six of 18 Pac-10 games, and we’re talking about getting some serious psychological help.
I would have said Bay Area fans have had more than enough to complain about, but now disappointment has been overtaken by dementia.
The 49ers may be down to their fourth quarterback. Is Mike Nolan far from taking volunteers with Punt, Pass and Kick backgrounds? And now this mess at USF surrounding who is coaching the men’s basketball team, why and for how long?
Throw that on top of the Barry Bonds saga, the Giants looking bad in the Mitchell Report and, all of a sudden, in a town reeling from an oil spill and a tiger attack, Bay Area sports look like a collection of carnival acts.
Other random thoughts:
» The 49ers’ season, based on expectations and the won-loss record, can fairly be labeled a disaster. Point your fingers where you may, but don’t overlook how turnovers killed this team.
With one game to play, the 49ers won the turnover battle three times this season and were 3-0 in those games. They lost the turnover battle seven times and were 0-7. In six of those games, the 49ers committed at least two more turnovers than their opponent.
And in the five games they finished with the same number of turnovers as their opponent, they were 2-3.
» I believe the Niners are a better team, in terms of talent assembled, than any they’ve fielded in years. So, to me, their present dilemma does not warrant a change in direction. If I had the ear of the Yorks, I’d give Mike Nolan one more year to do it his way.
» Hands down, the Bay Area’s sports story of the year is the Stanford football team beating Southern Cal in Los Angeles. An allegiance to that other school does nothing to diminish the sheer audacity of the achievement. It was the best four hours of Bay Area sports this year.
» The Warriors beating the Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs rates a close second.
» Thank you, Bryant Young.
» Bye-bye, Barry Bonds.
» I declare Joe Thornton the most talented Bay Area sports figure — he makes hockey fans do a double-take just about every night — but my favorite, for sheer intensity — and unpredictability — is Stephen Jackson.
Tim Liotta is a freelance journalist and regular contributor to The Examiner.
Comments from Examiner Readers
9:26 PM MST on Sun., May. 11, 2008 re: "Giants’ Zito is trying, but that’s not enough"
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3:37 PM MST on Sat., Dec. 22, 2007
re: "Liotta: It was little, but it could be big"
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11:18 AM MST on Sun., Dec. 9, 2007
re: "Liotta: Is Rios really that exciting?"
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1:29 PM MST on Sat., Dec. 8, 2007
re: "Liotta: Is Rios really that exciting?"
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7:24 AM MST on Sat., Dec. 8, 2007
re: "Liotta: Is Rios really that exciting?"
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Examiner Reader said:
Make up an injury? I'd make him clean the toilets at the ballpark 40 hours a week. At least the Giants would get something back for that ridiculous salary of his!
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Examiner Reader said:
how much more do we need to hear Liotta's wrong comments? he was wrong about Baron Davis, and has been wrong too many times about the 49ers and Mike Nolan...it's getting lame....
113 agree | 125 disagree
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Stoeten in TO said:
Considering the debate I've heard, this is probably a fair trade. A lot of Toronto fans think it's crazy to give up Rios. The Jays don't run so his SB numbers don't reflect his true speed. In the NL he'll be a perennial 30-30 guy at least, and he hits for average, and has great range and a great arm. Maybe I'm too biased being in Toronto, but Rios to me looks like a perfect cornerstone hitter for an NL West franchise. Plus, he's one of the few Jays who was consistently getting clutch hits last year. Anyway, I'm just saying, don't base your interest in him on the fact that he got looked over in the US media being in Toronto. Trust me, people here weren't rushing out to read Lincecum box scores either.
122 agree | 84 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Well stated - but Lincecum is money in the bank #1 potential SP under control for 5 years are VERY rare. 25 HR-15 SB corner OF under control for 2-3 years are not as rare.
105 agree | 98 disagree
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SteveToronto said:
You guys and Sabean are out of your minds if you dont make this trade! Rios is a proven commodity at the age of 27. 2 time allstars whose numbers have improved everyyear over the last 4 years and are on the verge of super stardom dont grow on trees! 23 year old pitchers who are "supposed" to be stars one day come along to every organization at least once a year
104 agree | 112 disagree
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