He Was Number Four

February 27

I once asked a friend who grew up in Brooklyn in the 1950′s what was so special about baseball during that time. “You wouldn’t understand,” he said. “It was the best.”

Three teams, all good, all filled with future Hall of Famers. All won World Series championships during that decade. All within a short train ride of each other. I think I understand.

Edwin ( Duke ) Snider, #4, was a big part of that golden era as an All-Star center fielder with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Fans would argue who was a better center fielder — Duke, Mickey Mantle, or Willie Mays. The trio was immortalized in the song “Talkin’ Baseball” by Terry Cashman.

Duke was just honored to be included in the conversation. He deserved to be. As Cliff Corcoran correctly points out at SI.com, during his peak years Duke was just about the equal of Willie and Mickey.

In another era he might have been considered the gold standard in center field. You look at his numbers, and you wonder why it took eleven tries for him to get into the Hall of Fame. He was one of the National League’s most feared sluggers for a decade, a big left-handed bat who also had a great arm, and he had an MVP-type year in the storybook 1955 Dodgers championship season.

Duke Snider passed away Sunday at the age of 84, leaving Willie as the only surviving member of that triumvirate. And Willie will celebrate his 80th birthday on May 6th. Fans should treasure him while he’s still around — and I know many do.

I had a chance to meet Duke in the summer of 2000, when he watched my son Nick and his Santa Clara Pony All-Stars play in a sectional tournament in Morgan Hill. Duke knew the family of one of Nick’s teammates, and I think he owned some property in the area.

Duke not only watched the game, but was introduced to the team after they won and told them they played with a lot of spirit. Then he signed autographs, although many of these kids didn’t know who he was. I made sure Nick knew. Duke couldn’t have been more gracious.

It was sad that later in life, Duke suffered numerous health problems as well as tax problems. He failed to report 97 thousand dollars in earnings from autographs he signed at card shows, and was sentenced to two years probation. Giants’ Hall of Famer Willie McCovey was given the same sentence on similar charges.

Duke was sentenced in Brooklyn, where 40 years earlier he had been the toast of the town. The judge had the nerve to tell him he had been “publicly disgraced and humiliated.” Snider had been trying to make money after some bad business decisions, but he apologized and he paid back taxes.

That’s not what people will remember. They’ll remember the elegant center fielder, the Duke of Flatbush, the good guy who helped define an era in baseball that may never be equalled.

Something else people won’t remember: Duke finished his career as a San Francisco Giant in 1964. McCovey, who should know a classy guy when he sees one, called Duke “first-class.”

I was lucky enough to see Mantle and Mays play at the tail end of their prime, but I never got to see Duke play. However, Duke saw my son play. That was worth just as much if not more.

Cropdusting

February 26

Leave it to a sports talk host to revert to a junior high school analogy, but it fits. Much like a 7th grader who revels in hit-and-run flatulence, or “cropdusting,” the Warriors left a stink bomb in Oracle Arena before vacating the premises on a seven-game road trip. The remaining crowd reacted with a shower of boos as they held their noses.

I don’t think anyone seriously believed the Warriors were a playoff contender to begin with, but this week confirmed it. They lost to playoff teams ( in one case a title contender ), collapsing in the 4th quarter against the Celtics and never showing up against the Hawks. Both teams possess something the Warriors lack: presence down low and a consistent defensive mindset.

On the day the Giants played their first spring training game, it felt like baseball was starting and basketball was ending. Sure, there’s March Madness, but in the Bay Area there’s little else to root for, except for the St. Mary’s Gaels.

The Warriors can have a great road trip, and they still won’t be in playoff contention. They have some tough games down the stretch, there are too many teams in front of them, and those teams made significant deals before the trade deadline. The Warriors didn’t have the juice to pull off a deal.

Warriors fans who thought the team would make a big deal to vault them into the playoff mix were deluding themselves. They simply don’t have enough tradeable pieces to make a major difference right now. They are still flawed, and any improvements will come in the offseason.

Co-owner Joe Lacob was an eyewitness to the disaster. It’s a game that didn’t reflect well on anyone involved. I still think Keith Smart deserves a chance to coach the team next year, although the Friday night stinkbomb didn’t help his cause.

Robert Rowell and Larry Riley ? Yeahhhh … I’ve mentioned on the air several times that Riley has made good and bad moves, and while the team is improving it’s uncertain whether he’ll have enough influence to move the team forward. He’s a charming guy who hasn’t been as bad as some people thought he would be, and that doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement — but I think he’ll get one more offseason to prove his mettle.

The word is Rowell is not involved in basketball decisions anymore, and that’s a good thing. Riley is also trying to make over a team that was gutted by decisions made by Rowell, former coach Don Nelson and former GM Chris Mullin. In that effort, Riley has had a checkered resume:

David Lee ? I’m glad the Warriors have him, but not at $80 million, and Lacob signed off on the deal. It shows how the Warriors have to overpay to get even mid-level talent. Lee would be a sixth man on a good team. Friday night: 20 points, 10 rebounds … and a minus-30. Ouch.

Drafting Stephen Curry seventh overall ? A good move, although Curry is going through serious growing pains in his second year. The Hawks overplayed him and Ellis Friday night, he lacked the athleticism to get free, and he doesn’t take care of the ball enough. Still, a talent worth keeping.

Drafting Ekpe Udoh sixth overall last year ? The jury’s still out. Good energy, some defensive presence, can run the floor and make an occasional jump shot — but I don’t see a starting NBA player here. Friday night, no defensive rebounds in 23 minutes. Ouch.

Signing Dorell Wright ? A good move. A pleasant surprise. Same for the signing of Reggie Williams from the D-League.

Trading away two expiring contracts for a second-round draft pick and the ghost of Troy Murphy ? Weak. I know expiring contracts don’t carry great value this year, and I know there is some financial advantage in buying out Troy Murphy’s deal, but Riley should have gotten a little bit more than a second-round pick.

Letting Raja Bell and C.J. Watson go and signing Acie Law ? Bad moves. Watson in particular could have helped the backcourt depth, even if he would have pushed the Warriors snug against the salary cap.

Failure to do anything of significance by the trade deadline ? Curious. The Warriors shouldn’t have made a trade just for the sake of making a trade. As John Wooden once said, “don’t mistake activity for achievement,” but the Warriors could have at least gotten a little bench help.

I’m not against trading either Steph Curry or Monta Ellis if the deal is right, but it takes two to tango. Apparently, other NBA teams don’t think as highly of Ellis and Curry’s value as some Warriors fans do.

For contractual reasons and because of his youth and potential Curry is the more attractive player, and out of the two I’d rather keep him and give him the keys to the car. He’s not yet in the elite class of point guards, and trading him would leave a gap at that position. If you could have packaged him in a Deron Williams deal I would’ve jumped all over that but in reality the Warriors probably couldn’t get a better point guard in return.

I wouldn’t mind trading Ellis for a two-guard and a center who can defend, but his contract is such that the Warriors just won’t get value in return. Warriors loyalists rail against the idea of trading the leading scorer, saying he shouldn’t be given away for nothing, but that’s a false argument. Nobody’s talking about giving Ellis away.

Translation: the Warriors are probably stuck with this backcourt. They need to build up the bench to improve the defensive presence at guard and under the basket, to make up for obvious deficiencies.

A possible NBA lockout is the “X” factor that will make Lacob and Peter Guber’s job more difficult in the offseason. But the incredibly patient Warriors fans are getting restless, and they won’t suffer mediocrity or worse for much longer. That was clear from the phone calls I received Friday night on Sportsphone 680.

Repeat: the Warriors are not a playoff team. Does that mean blow it up and start over again ? Not to me. That’ll be another two steps back.

The Warriors will need to build around this group and fill the flaws, but the quiestion is whether the current front office has the will and skill to do so. My message to long-suffering Warriors fans: you wanted a change of ownership, you got it. Let’s see what they do in the offseason.

My message to ownership: your fans deserve better. I think you know that. It will be a test of your role as salesmen if you can convince any star free-agent to come to the Bay Area.

If we’re having the same conversation a year to 18 months from now, I wouldn’t blame Warriors fans if they did something worse than booing. I wouldn’t blame them if they ignored the Warriors.

The Countdown Begins, And Other Notes

February 24

I don’t know whether you’ve heard, but baseball is back on Friday.

Nothing in the exhibition opener between the Giants and Diamondbacks will matter, unless somebody gets hurt. What matters is that baseball is back. We get to hear the voices of Miller, Kuiper, Krukow and Fleming again. Very comforting.

The honeymoon for the World Series champions will probably last all season long, maybe longer for some fans. The Giants will make a boatload of cash this year, and with the combination of a core of young talent and jewel of a ballpark, the future looks so bright you gotta wear shades.
( Thank you, Timbuk 3. )

The biggest issues for the Giants this season: can the pitching staff repeat last year’s stellar performance, and will the offense be better now that Juan Uribe is a Dodger ? Other issues: can they find a decent backup for Miguel Tejada at shortstop, will Pablo return to form, will DeRosa have a healthy season, can Andres Torres remain a viable leadoff man, and will Brandon Belt emerge ?

The Giants cannot re-create the special atmosphere from last season. The thong has been retired. The beards are no longer a novelty.

That doesn’t mean they don’t have a chance to make a deep run into the playoffs. The Phillies, Red Sox and Braves made big moves, but the Giants have shown they have the arms to compete with anyone in the postseason.

Gimme some more Torture.

***

I have thoroughly enjoyed hosting Sportsphone 680 on the interim. We’ve had a chance to try a few ideas and some of them have worked, some have not. It’s live radio, so you take your chances.

Reciting the Presidents on President’s Day subbing for Gary ? I’d probably take that one back. But hey, it was just one minute out of the day.

Our show about most hated figures in sports ? I would not take back. Nor the Giants Hot Stove shows ( another one coming tonight ), or the show all about love and the Giants honeymoon.

I’m not a former jock. I don’t yell or beat my little bird-chest like some other hosts in the sports talk universe. I don’t talk down to listeners. I try to engage in debate and conversation. As long as I’m doing a show, I’m gonna be who I am and hope people like it.

Because I don’t yell, and don’t confuse arrogance with competence, some people tend to think I’m “soft.” First of all, to think that anyone in our business is “tough” is a joke. Second, if I see something wrong with a team I’ll say so without using over-the-top language. If you wanna call that “soft,” go ahead.

Just trying to be the Voice of Reason. I know — bad career move. It is what it is.

***

What were you doing when you were 20 ? I was trying to figure out if I could charge at 7-11 for Doritos and Slim Jims after an all-nighter. ( Studying, of course. )

Trevor Bayne ? He won the dad-gum Daytona 500. He sounded as surprised as anyone. I don’t think anyone had him in their Daytona Pool.

Bayne was on KNBR Tuesday as he visited San Francisco, two days after winning the biggest NASCAR race, and three days after he turned 20. It was funny when he said he and his friends have been dreaming about winning that race since he was 5 — way back, 15 years ago.

More accomplished racers have never won the Daytona. What if this is his career highlight, and nothing bigger comes down the line ? You know what ? I’d make that trade.

***

We had a Bitch Session on Sportsphone 680 last night. Most of the bitching was about the Warriors. Understood — it’s been 36 years.

I do think fans have to give new ownership a pass for a year or so. The Warriors have made some strides, but long-term mediocrity won’t cut it. Let’s see what they do in the offseason, with the complication of an expiring Collective Bargaining Agreement.

My take is: if we’re having the same conversation about this team in a year, then we have a serious problem. Joe Lacob and Peter Guber seem to have the will to win, but that’s not going to be enough. Lacob learned a lot as a minority stakeholder with the Celtics but will he have the right people in place to execute a plan ?

To me, Keith Smart has earned a chance to coach the team. Larry Riley ? A very charming guy, but the jury’s still out on his ability as a General Manager. He’s had his ups and downs, but I sense he’ll get one more offseason to justify his job.

It’s hard to say to a long-suffering and loyal fan base, but don’t expect instant gratification. Give this a year or two to see how it pans out. You wanted a change in ownership, you got it.

By the way, a big guffaw from me today when Baron Davis was traded. Goodbye Hollywood ! Let’s see how many games he plays in a Cavaliers uniform. And he wanted WHAT from the Warriors ?

***

Troy Murphy is coming, but he isn’t. The Warriors dealt for him and his contract, which they will probably buy out unless they can turn around and deal him. He won’t play a minute for the Warriors this time around.

The Warriors also got a second-round draft pick from the Nets for the expiring contracts of Brandan Wright and Dan Gadzuric. Wright may still end up being a factor in the NBA but he needs to rebound better and play defense more consistently, as well as stay healthy.

Given the uncertainty with the CBA, expiring contracts just aren’t worth as much this year, so the Warriors figured it was better to get a little something back. Fans are moaning because the deal hardly knocks your socks off, but hopefully the Warriors are clearing the deck for a bigger off-season move. There are other possibilities, though:

According to NBA Trade Rumors, they could send Murphy’s contract to the Cavaliers for another ex-Warrior, Antawn Jamison. Jamison is due 15 million next season and the Warriors would be over the Salary Cap, so Murphy would have to be the trade piece, although the Celtics are also reportedly interested in him.

I would be fine with Jamison returning to provide some scoring punch, even though he doesn’t help much defensively.

As far as the offseason ? I’ve got a bad case of Nene on the brain.

***

After talking to Jason Cole of Yahoo Sports about the possible NFL lockout and the Draft Combine, I took the Wonderlic Test last night. But I won’t publicize the score. I will tell you my answer to one question, as I played the part of a high draft pick:

“Arnold is about to go on a 500-mile car trip. His mechanic recommends he buy a special highway engine oil that’ll save him 50 cents in gas for every 25 miles of the trip. This new oil, however, will cost 20 dollars. Is it worthwhile for Arnold to buy the oil if he has a coupon for four-dollars off the price ? “

No, but who gives a damn ? I’m about to sign a 30-million-dollar contract. You think I’m gonna be seen in this cheap-ass ride much longer ?

Smart Choice ?

February 17

The Giants practically patented the word “Torture” for their 2010 campaign. What about the Warriors ? What’s their slogan for this season ? “Not As Sucky?”

The Warriors hit the All-Star break on a high note by beating the Jazz, the latest in a series of quality wins that makes you wonder if they’ve got something good going. Or is it, as Brian Sabean once famously said, “fool’s gold?”

It’s an important question for Coach Keith Smart. It’s a question we debated at length on the postgame edition of Sportsphone 680 Tuesday night.

The Warriors arrive at the break with a record of 26-29, and seven wins in their last nine games. They’ve matched last year’s win total and they’re ten games ahead of last year at the two-thirds mark of the season. If they were in the Eastern Conference, they’d be a playoff team right now.

They simply don’t suck as much as they used to.

How much credit does Smart deserve ? That’s also an important question, because his job relies on the answer. New ownership only gave Smart a one-year deal.

Let’s look at some of the variables:

Smart has been an assistant to Don Nelson for several years, and is certainly familiar with the franchise, but he was hired rather late and had little time to assemble a staff. Smart also had to deal with a gruesome elbow injury to one of his key players, David Lee. Smart changed the locker room culture, and he didn’t lose the team when things were tough early in the season.

Smart was hired because Nelson was fired right before training camp and it was the easiest transition while the team’s ownership was changing hands. He is on a one-year plan like just about everyone else. That means he wants to pile up the wins while he can to justify his continued existence.

Smart had a confusing substitution pattern early in the season, partly due to lack of production from his bench. He is still experimenting late in the season, and has been slow to bring along young players such as Ekpe Udoh and Brandan Wright. Again, that’s what happens when you don’t have job security yet.

Smart has given Andris Biedrins every opportunity to work through his problems. That’s partly because Biedrins has a big contract, and partly because he was pretty effective a couple of years ago. He got hurt, lost his confidence last year, and the old Biedrins hasn’t yet returned.

Smart is doing everything he can to boost Biedrins, who has yet to turn 25. Despite that it’s becoming apparent that Biedrins is going to be a very limited NBA player — he would be a bench player on a good team. He’s untradeable right now, so Smart wants to pump him up.

Monta Ellis has fluorished under Smart, taking a leadership role and becoming the team’s closer and go-to guy in the halfcourt set. Much has been made about the defensive limitations when Ellis and Stephen Curry are together, but they’re also one of the most dynamic tandems in the NBA on offense. Life would be easier for them if the Warriors had some bench help from the backcourt and more defense up front.

Ellis is also leading the NBA in minutes per game, which is a red flag. Smart is running him into the ground, but with Stephen Curry occasionally getting into foul trouble and the bench questionable, he has few options.

The team is still flawed but that is not really Smart’s fault. The Warriors let C.J. Watson go, sapping the depth in the backcourt. They signed Jeremy Lin to a guaranteed contract as a PR move, but basketball-wise it didn’t make sense. He could have been another of their D-League “finds” down the road.

It wasn’t Smart who gave a huge contract to David Lee. That $80 million deal hamstrings the team in efforts to add another star player. Lee has been fairly consistent since recovering from the elbow divot but he doesn’t help much on defense.

With Lee the front office has only partly addressed the problem of depth on the front line. Dan Gadzuric ? His main value is an expiring contract, worth less in this uncertain season. Ekpe Udoh ? He does some nice things defensively and brings good energy but I wonder if he’ll be more than a slightly younger version of Biedrins.

Brandan Wright ? Inconsistent. I think Smart would play him more if he thought it would get him more wins, but Wright may need a change of scenery. He could be dangled in a trade.

Smart has finally begun to emphasize more defense and rebounding, trying to mask the flaws by slowing down the pace a bit. The result is a slight improvement on defense: opponents are shooting 47.1 percent against the Warriors this year, 26th in the league. That compares to a ghastly 48.5 percent for opponents last year, next to last.

Smart’s fate won’t be decided until after the season, and the final third of the campaign is heavy with road games. The Warriors got a rare road win against the Jazz Wednesday night … following wins over quality teams such as the Hornets, Bulls and Thunder in the last couple of weeks. If they can improve on the road, that would greatly help Smart’s cause.

The Warriors aren’t going to the playoffs but I think Smart deserves to stay. There are only a handful of coaches in the league who could come in and make this more than a .500 team, and they all have job security elsewhere in the NBA. Or they’re named Jerry Sloan, and he isn’t coming here.

General Manager Larry Riley’s job security is another story. The Lee contract, losing Watson, and failing to assemble a good bench are strikes against him. Drafting Stephen Curry and signing Dorell Wright work to his favor.

Lots of fans want to see the Warriors make trades to bring in a big man and a solid third guard, but their suggestions often include Biedrins in the equation. That isn’t going to happen unless the Warriors sweeten the pot to diabetic levels. I wouldn’t oppose trading Monta Ellis if it brings a quality big guy and solid two-guard who can D-up, but that’s not likely either.

So free agency and the draft will be the way to go, as the Warriors try to patch the remaining holes. I wonder if Joe Lacob would trust Riley with the job one more time. Or will he view Riley and Smart, and President Robert Rowell, as holdovers from a failed regime ?

They should be considered on a case-by-case basis, and in the coach’s case, keeping him around would be a Smart choice.

Oops

February 15

Americans like to say we’re a forgiving society. Sometimes I’m not sure. At best, we’re selective with our forgiveness.

I can speak to this personally. I posted my previous blog about Pat Tillman on the Gary Radnich and Tony Bruno Facebook page, and inadvertently wrote “Stillman.” It’s simple: I goofed, mistakenly adding an “S.”

Wow, did that start an “S” storm.

Some ribbed me, knowing it was just a typo, but I’m pretty sure several of the respondents thought I actually didn’t know the name was “Tillman.” Even though I wrote an entire article about him and saw the documentary. Even though I covered the story of his amazing choice, his death, and the subsequent cover-up. Even though I entered the first “Pat’s Run” to be held at Leland High School.

Anyway, I took my lumps.

How many people had a field day with Christina Aguilera forgetting the words to the national anthem at the Super Bowl ? She was not the first to mess it up, far from the first celebrity to do so, and it’s not the first time she has messed it up — but everybody piles on. We learn the song in Kindergarten but in that pressure situation, it’s easy to get flustered.

Then we have the case of Serene Branson, the Los Angeles television reporter whose momentary lapse into gibberish has been a YouTube sensation this week. She was reporting outside of the Grammy Awards, but only Mushmouth from the Cosby Kids could have understood what she said.

Did she have a stroke ? Aphasia ? TIA ( transient ischemic attack ) ? Or did she just choke and then compounded her misery with a failed recovery ? The sad part: this is the only impression people have of Branson, whom I understand is a top reporter in L.A.

Comparisons were made to South Carolina’s entry in the Miss Teen USA pageant in 2007. Her rambling answer to a question about map knowledge is a classic.

It makes us feel good to rip people in the public arena. It’s partly jealousy, and it’s partly an ego boost: as if to say “I could do that.” It’s epidemic in our society. In sports these days, it’s often not about who did something right, but who failed.

The moral of the story: we’re all painfully human. We all have our weaknesses.

I don’t have trouble with anyone who owns up to their mistakes and tries to do better next time. I do have trouble with people who lie to help themselves and hurt others, or who don’t give their best effort. That’s exactly what our leaders were guilty of in the Tillman story.

Me, I goofed. Not a colossal boo-boo, but I expect better of myself and I think you do, too. The mistake was a disservice to Pat Tillman’s family as well, and for that I am sorry.

John Wooden said “Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.” Just gotta learn and move on.

The Myth And The Truth

February 13

It is Sunday morning, and I am very angry. That’s not a great way to be, but you’ll understand when I explain. It has to do with something my wife and I decided to watch On Demand.

We could have gone with “The Social Network,” or “Resident Evil” but decided to watch “The Pat Tillman Story.” It’s not a glorified war epic starring the latest Hollywood hunk as Tillman. It’s real and it’s gripping and it will piss you off.

It’s a documentary on a native of Almaden Valley who is lionized in our culture, and whose image was used by different people for their own purposes. Tillman was, without a doubt, a hero –but I’m pretty sure he would have called “bull—-” on his image. He never sought glory.

Tillman would have also called “bull—-” on what happened after his death. I know this, because his family did just that.

Tillman’s choice to give up a lucrative NFL career and join the Army Rangers along with his brother Kevin after 9-11 was applauded, as it should have been. It also made him a poster boy for the military and the Bush Administration.

With his square jaw and intense eyes he looked like the perfect American War Hero. The inconvient truth was that he was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in April 2004 — the circumstances around which are still murky — and we were fed a lie.

Tillman’s grieving family was fed a lie. At his memorial service in San Jose. I don’t think there are words to describe the kinds of bad karma that should befall the people responsible for that — except for his fellow soldiers, who were threatened to keep silent.

The government picked the wrong family to mess with. They didn’t give up in the search for the truth. Without the efforts of Tillman’s mother, who did far more than the media, we wouldn’t know what we know. Without her, there would not have been a Congressional hearing into the deception.

Although the hearing chaired by Rep. Henry Waxman was a sham, any intelligent person came away with the realization that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the three generals who testified simply lied through their teeth. There was a cover-up, and a cover-up of the cover-up, but on the day of the hearings the big-wigs smashed the peons.

It’s easy to be philosophical about this. We know lies have been told before at a time of war in the interests of public relations. Just watch the movie “Flags Of Our Fathers” about the flag-raising at Iwo Jima.

That doesn’t mean we don’t have a right to expect the truth, to expect more out of politicians and military leaders who ask everything out of servicemen, and wrap themselves around the flag while insulated from the bloodshed. If we don’t demand that higher standard, the experience of 9-11 is rendered worthless.

None of these so-called “leaders” in the Tillman saga possessed a scintilla of the American virtues which they espouse and use to send people like Tillman off to war. They might as well urinate on the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. They certainly did so to Tillman and his family.

When you have people of such low character in positions of power, it weakens our country. Tillman didn’t fit into the John Wayne caricature that was forced onto his legacy, but he was more of an American than those leaders will ever be. They weren’t worth his pinky toenail.

Tillman and his brother enlisted with the purest of intentions, and acted on their beliefs. But Pat was more complex, flawed and unique than The Myth would have you believe. The documentary notes that he even became somewhat disillusioned about his mission after a Tour of Duty in Iraq. Yet, when given the opportunity to opt out and return to the NFL, he refused.

What’s the moral of the story ? The government lies, and people in high places do horrible things to advance causes and preserve their jobs ? We knew that already. Even so, the story is a useful reminder that while our American ideals are high, we often fall very short.

From my perespective in the world of sports, Tillman’s story should be remembered when an athlete whines like a toddler. It should be remembered when someone calls a million-dollar contract an “insult,” when a coach is placed on a pedestal for taking millions of dollars to yell at young men, or when someone hosting a sports talk program beats their little bird-chest and tells everyone how tough and fearless they are.

Yeah, it’s Sunday morning and I’m angry. No, it’s not a great way to be, but it’s the right way to be at the moment. I hope I’m still angry tomorrow.

End Of An Era

February 10

More than 2,500 NBA coaching wins have left the stage in the last year. Don Nelson and Jerry Sloan have likely coached their final games. Which coach do you think will be remembered as the best ?

To me, the answer is easy. Jerry Sloan was not only a better coach than Nelson, but one of the greatest NBA coaches ever.

I was covering the Jazz in Salt Lake City when Sloan arrived as a scout, then rose to assistant coach and head coach. He had no soft edges, but I remember doing a very poignant interview with Sloan when he discussed the 1977 plane crash that killed members of the Evansville University basketball team.

Sloan almost broke down on the air in talking about the kids from his alma mater. He remembered his roots at Evansville, and clearly, he never forgot them. He was “old school” before people used the term.

The Sloan I knew briefly in the 80′s was the same Sloan who shockingly called it quits on Thursday: no nonsense, all about team, and a basketball lifer. He was the longest-tenured coach in North American pro sports history, winning more than 1,200 games with the same team.

Sloan always got the most out of his roster. The Jazz never beat themselves. They were the most efficient offensive team around, and it was the same system from the days of Stockton and Malone to the days of Williams and Boozer. They were clearly a reflection of their coach.

What happened here ? They stopped being a reflection of their coach.

Theories will abound the next couple of days, the most popular concerning a rift with star guard Deron Williams. There is no question they had their disagreements over the years, but it probably went deeper than that.

It had to. A coach of Sloan’s makeup and caliber doesn’t up and quit in the middle of the season without good reason. Especially right after signing a contract extension.

Both Sloan and Williams deny a spat between the two was to blame. That’s what they’re saying publicly. They might be right. It might not have just been one player.

It might have been a culture clash that Sloan couldn’t abide any longer. Sloan is the type of guy who doesn’t put up with any mess if he thinks it detracts from the team concept. Maybe he figured he couldn’t get through to his star player, or any other player. ‘

The Jazz lost some key players in the offseason but the new group apparently didn’t jell with Sloan’s system. Sloan might have also grown weary, knowing his team was farther away from a championship than it had been in years. A limp effort against the Warriors last week was yet another clue.

More than all of that, Sloan couldn’t work without the backing of management. Jazz brass might have decided it was better for the coach to leave than the star player.

It’s happened before in the NBA — in fact it has happened in Salt Lake City. That’s where Magic Johnson had his blowup with Paul Westhead that hastened Westhead’s departure in favor of Pat Riley.

How will this latest episode be received in Salt Lake ? When you hang around somewhere 23 years you’re going to wear out your welcome with some people, and clearly some fans wanted him out. However, if I had to guess, most fans will miss Sloan dearly.

While Williams’ role in Sloan’s departure is up for debate, some Jazz fans will see him as a coach-killer. He might enjoy playing under Ty Corbin, but he might not enjoy the reception he gets from fans, at least at the outset. If the Jazz get hot, some of the anger will go away.

Williams might be done with Salt Lake City, anyway, even before his contract expires at the end of next season. It might time for the star player to move on, too. Especially with the echoes of “boos” in his head.

This was not a proper ending for one of the most intense players, and best coaches the league will ever see. But this isn’t Hollywood. It’s Salt Lake City, and it’s the NBA: where weird happens.

FanFest, And So Much More

February 8

The Giants FanFest Saturday was a huge success — almost too huge. A big crowd was anticipated, but it was unprecedented, somewhere around 40,000. That’s what happens when you win a World Series.

All week long, we warned people there would be long lines and to arrive early. The crowds were so large the Giants had to shut the gates for a while and tell people not to come. It was unfortunate for many fans who traveled a long way to get there, and nobody wanted that to happen.

This was one time it really paid to be a season ticket holder. They were let in at 9:30, and at 10 a.m. we started out with a nice intimate gathering at the first Q & A session. By 11 a.m. it was packed, and I had no idea what was going on outside.

Will there be a two-day FanFest down the road ? Could be. I think it would be a good idea. On top of that, they might need a wristband system in the future to organize crowds.

If the World Series parade didn’t already confirm it, the Giants own this town.

***

My favorite moments from FanFest:

— When asked about the toughest pitchers he had to face, Pat Burrell said “The Texas Rangers.” That drew a big laugh. Burrell was 0 for 13 with 11 K’s in the World Series, but the Giants don’t get to the postseason without him.

— At the afternoon Q & A, a young fan told Will Clark that his mom met Will at a hotel 20 years ago. Everybody cracked up. I wasn’t sure where this was going for a second. It turns out Mom had merely met Will in the lobby for a picture and the young fan wanted Will to sign it.

— Barry Zito tackling my question about being left off the postseason roster, and whether there were any positives out of that experience. Zito has been a disappointment on the field but he handled that setback with class. Let’s see if he returns with new dedication.

— Sergio Romo, on stage with Gary Radnich and me, showing true gratitude for winning a World Series. His beard, now of biblical proportions, arrived five minutes before he did. As the interview went on I realized I was speaking to his beard, not him.

— Romo talked about the parade in his hometown of Brawley and how he was just enjoying the ride of the last few months, and then Gary asked him “anything make you mad ?” Right now, the answer is no. Romo kept on saying, “we won the World Series,” like he still couldn’t believe it.

— Mike Fontenot discussing how he might wave his ring at his ex-Chicago Cubs teammates when they come to town. That’s the closest many will ever get to one. The Cubs’ drought is now more than a century, but Fontenot was able to escape the curse just a couple of months after being traded.

***

After FanFest I scooped up my wife and whisked her off to a romantic weekend in Bakersfield. Fair to say that I won’t even need to take her out for Valentine’s Day now.

Actually, we visited my Best Man, Orr, for the Super Bowl. We’ve forgotten his first name, we just call him “Orr.” Even his wife does.

Orr, who is one of the few people walking the planet who is more geeked up about baseball than I am, made a $50 bet with me. He does not believe Cody Ross will hit 20 home runs with the Giants this year.

We both agree that one of the biggest concerns for the Giants in 2011 is whether Andres Torres will repeat his surprise 2010 campaign. Players don’t normally start playing well at 32, and they often revert to form. I blogged last year about the small sampling of players who emerge at his age and go on to have good careers, although Torres may be one of those special cases.

***

Orr is not into Super Bowl Sunday. He had the MLB Network on before the game — possibly the best Super Bowl pre-game I’ve ever seen. There was a fascinating feature on Juan Marichal’s baseball bat assault on Johnny Roseboro ina 1965 Giants-Dodgers game — and how the two reconciled and became friends later.

***

America is not burning today because Christina Aguilera forgot the words to the National Anthem — she is only the latest celebrity to butcher the song. Personally, I’ve never proudly watched the last “reaming” of the twilight, but it must be cool.

Hey, give Aguilera a break: we only learn the song in school from the time we’re 5 years old. Frankly, many of these stars are more interested in creating their own Whitney Houston or Marvin Gaye moment than actually thinking about the words or their meaning, so guess what happens.

Aguilera is one of the few current pop stars who actually have some talent and can perform without a soundtrack, but she had an off day. Lea Michele upstaged her with “America the Beautiful.”

I didn’t even watch the halftime show. I sat out on the deck and took in some sun while the womenfolk were inside, bopping their heads to the Black Eyed Peas. I can’t comment on whether the show was good or not — I’ve heard widely varying accounts.

Best Commercial: the VW Passat with the boy dressed as Darth Vader.

Rod Brooks had the best line on KNBR today, discussing the Owner’s Box at the Super Bowl, which included George W. and Laura Bush, Jerry Jones, John Madden, Alex Rodriguez and Cameron Diaz. Rod said “it looked like the Cantina Scene in Star Wars.”

***

I thought the Steelers were dead at 21-3. They looked like rat crap until the final drive of the first half but made it a game in the second half. The story of the game: three Steeler turnovers, 21 Packers points, and the fumble by Rashard Mendenhall was a killer because the Steelers were driving for a possible go-ahead score.

The Packers also overcame more injuries and more dropped passes. Most amazing is the fact that Chico’s Aaron Rodgers posted a 111 passer rating while his receivers imitated Edward Scissorhands. He was a deserving MVP.

I predicted the Steelers would edge out the Packers and win Number Seven, largely because I thought they could disrupt Rodgers and could run the ball. That didn’t really happen, but I think these are two evenly-matched teams, and the Steelers would have won if they could have taken back one of their turnovers.

Give the Packers credit: much like the San Francisco Giants, they barely slipped into the postseason and had to survive some tough challenges to get to the championship, but by the end of the year they were playing better than anyone.

***

Our Sunday evening was topped off with reruns of “Pawn Stars.” No better place than Vegas to have a pawn shop. Lots of desperate people.

Like the guy who came in trying to sell a glass sword. He claimed it was a “very unique” item. You think there might be a reason for that, Sparky ? Same reason there isn’t a car made out of Jell-O.

Then there was the dude trying to sell a specialized motorcycle that can go 250 miles an hour. The pawn guys correctly surmised there might not be much of a market for that, either. The seller had to settle for an $8,000 offer, saying he had to move and “had no choice.”

You’ve never heard of Craigslist?

Monta Shut Out

February 4

So the coaches still don’t think enough of Monta Ellis to put him in the All-Star game. So life goes on.

Monta dusted off the so-called “snub” Thursday night, saying his primary goal was to make the playoffs. He doesn’t appear to be too broken up, so neither should you.

Look on the bright side: he’ll get three extra ( badly-needed ) days of rest. That’s important for the NBA’s leader in minutes. He’s a physical freak, but even freaks have their limits.

There are too many good players, especially guards, in the West. The Warriors haven’t won enough yet to gain recognition for individual players, and Monta doesn’t play the media game that might put him on the radar for the East Coast.

The fact that he is sixth in the NBA in scoring and among the league leaders in steals isn’t enough. When he’s measured against comparable guards on winning teams, coaches go with the winning player.

Take Russell Westbrook. Monta has a higher scoring average and higher shooting percentages, but Westbrook has three more assists per game and is a better defender. They’re probably on a par right now ( and Westbrook could eventually be better ) but the Thunder will be a playoff team and Westbrook is a big reason.

So it’s been 14 years since the Warriors had an All-Star. I hear people say Monta will eventually be an All-Star, but I don’t know if that’s true. He’s having a career year and it’s still not good enough in the West, and Stephen Curry might be more popular in the future.

It boils down to this: are we inviting the very best players, the most sabermetrically-sound players, or the most exciting players to this exhibition ? What about entertainment value ?

That had to be a factor in choosing Clippers rookie Blake Griffin, who is fortunate enough to be a forward and not a guard in the West. He plays on a sub-.500 team but he has the most spectacular dunks in the league, and he gained favor over the more earth-bound Kevin Love.

The Clippers are improved, and Griffin probably gets a lot of credit, plus he’s more exciting than Love, even though Love leads the NBA in rebounding. It also works against Love that the Timberwolves are worse than the Clippers.

I think it’s great that Griffin is in the game. He’s new blood and could provide several “oh-wow” moments. Monta would have done the same, and he’s a more established player, but the roster is too crowded at guard.

And therein lies the problem: All-Star rosters should be expanded. There is simply too much talent out there. Baseball did it, so why not basketball ? Yes, there would still be snubs, but not nearly as egregious.

There’s a chance Monta could be named an injury replacement if Deron Williams can’t go due to a bad wrist, but only a slim chance. I don’t sense that Commissioner David Stern even cares about the Warriors, except that they fetched a good sale price.

Bottom line: Monta isn’t going to lose sleep over it, neither will I.

Paper Tiger ?

January 31

Let the piling on begin. Tiger failed to contend in his first tournament of the year. Guess he’s washed up.

Tiger Woods used to not only move the needle in golf … he was the needle. He is still a tremendous draw, as the weekend ratings for the Farmers Insurance Open attest, although he finished well back in the pack at one-under par.

Tiger still moves that needle. But on a golf course he has owned, Torrey Pines, he shot 74-75 over the weekend. In the understatement of the year, Tiger said he had “work to do.”

Tiger is not the Tiger of three or four years ago, and that persona may never return. For the first time in years, he’s no longer #1 in the world, dropping down to #3. Based on what I’ve seen and what I’ve heard many experts in the game say, his era of dominance is over.

Does that mean golf’s most fascinating story will never win again ? No, of course he’ll win. He might win another major or two and smell the record set by Jack Nicklaus. But at age 35, the tank is less than half-full, and the reasons are four-fold.

1) There is no more Fear Factor with Tiger. The young guns who grew up idolizing Tiger have serious game, and they’ve come from all over the world to run him down.

2) Tiger’s trademark mental toughness has waned. He used to make more par-saving putts from 10-feet than anyone, which emboldened him in other parts of his game. That isn’t happening anymore. As happens with many great ones, Tiger’s flatstick is starting to betray him.

3) Physical problems: how about four knee operations, not to mention problems with his neck and Achilles tendon ?

4) Swing change: Tiger is still tweaking his swing with the help of Sean Foley. Who knows how long before it clicks in, and if it does, will the body and mind join in concert?

Oh yes, and he’s winless since splitting up with Elin, essentially letting one of the hottest women on earth slip away. That’s another withdrawal from the Bank of Mojo.

I’ve always loved the way Tiger played, even though I wasn’t crazy about his sterilized personality, which we have now come to find out was a ruse. I didn’t care for what he did off the golf course, but as long as it didn’t put his wife and family in physical or legal danger, it shouldn’t be anyone’s concern.

He has certainly paid for his philadnering, and it really had nothing to do with how I appreciate him as a competitor. You think he’s the only guy on the Tour who hasn’t cheated ? He just did it on a grander scale.

I’m also not crazy with the fawning media coverage of Phil Mickelson, whom I guess is a pretty good guy, and his family has been through some trauma of its own. But Phil is cast as the White Knight, and I think we’ve gone overboard with the Lovefest for Lefty.

Don’t get out the shovels yet for Tiger yet, but many of the greats of the game went south after their mid-30′s. Some, however, did not and Tiger is still in excellent shape despite all of his surgeries.

Oh, and guess what ? Golf can humble even the best. And the worst. I almost went birdie-birdie on the front nine at Deer Ridge Saturday, then proceeded to chunk one into the stupid barranca at the par 3 7th, one of the easiest holes on the course.

Tiger has had a violent swing on the golf course and violent swings in his personal life. If he recovers and regains his previous greatness, what a story that will be. I’m not counting on it, though.