Finally, A Beginning

March 31

Remember in elementary school when you took a test and the teacher said, “Ready? Begin.” I always felt “Ready?” was a rhetorical question. Teacher didn’t care if you were ready, you were gonna begin.

When it comes to Opening Day, there is absolutely no question whatsoever that we’re ready. Been ready for some time. Is it my imagination, or was this Spring Training the longest in recorded history ?

It started on February 25, and even with an early beginning to the regular season, it has been a long wait for March 31st. The season is moved up to avoid another November World Series, but what does MLB do ? Hold openers in New York, Philadelphia, and Cleveland with a snowstorm moving in.

The Giants and Dodgers won’t have that problem. Temperatures in the 80′s are forecast for Los Angeles. Good flying weather for the biplanes that will taunt Dodger fans during the game.

The Giants’ trip to LA got off to a rocky start, at least for Barry Zito, who owns a home in the Hollywood Hills. His car was broadsided in a crash last night, as someone ran a red light.

Of course, it’s a crash that can happen anywhere, but especially in L.A. I’m from there, I know. You know the movie “Idiocracy?” Parts of the Southland come close.

On a more serious note, the Zito accident reminded me of the terrible crash that took the life of Angels’ rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart a couple of years ago. In both cases, someone ran a red light, although there’s no indication alcohol was a factor for the motorist who hit Zito.

Fortunately, Zito escaped without major injury, except for maybe a sore neck. He says he’s okay but we’ll see how he feels when he makes his start in a few days. If nothing else, he has to be a bit rattled right now.

Zito has had many ups and downs in the last six months. Flaming out with a chance to clinch the division on the final Saturday of the season, and being left off the postseason roster as the Giants won it all. Dealing with his dad’s illness, then getting a cattle prod in the back via a newspaper article indicating the Giants might unload him. Now this.

Zito is unflappable, almost languid at times, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he lets this roll off his back. However, I believe he is a huge key for 2011.

If Zito can equal last year’s stellar beginning, it takes a lot of pressure off the rest of the starting rotation, and to some extent the bullpen. Even a .500 season would be a tremendous upgrade. That’s what it has come to for the Giants.

I look for the Giants to win the National League West with a challenge from the Rockies. The Dodgers and Padres won’t be as bad as everyone thinks, and the Diamondbacks should be better if only because of subtraction. They got rid of a 200-strikeout, .190 hitting third baseman, and revamped a historically-bad bullpen.

Beyond that, who knows ? Injuries could happen to anyone, but assuming everyone’s healthy, I think the Giants will meet either the Braves or Phillies in the NLCS, and Red Sox in the World Series.

That would be a hell of a cherry atop this sundae.

Ready, Set … Oh, Not Yet

March 30

Giants-A’s on a beautiful day. Who’s playing hooky ? Seriously, who wants to work in the SOMA today ? Even for a meaningless game.

Double-seriously, can we get this season started already ?

***

The Giants will start the season with Brian Wilson on the 15-day disabled list, and it makes sense. Why take chances with one of your most valuable commodities ? Although he is throwing again, an oblique injury must be handled with care.

It’s a long season. Losing Wilson for a few games hopefully won’t hurt that much, and the Giants have the arms to make up for his absence, at least for a week or so.

***

Remember all that caterwauling about Barry Zito at the start of spring training ? Either it was all overblown, or the well-placed article detailing the Giants disgust ( after one poor outing in early March ) with Zito was enough to motivate him.

I’ll anticipate your question: a guy getting paid $126 million needs motivation ? Maybe so, especially if you’re the almost-languid Zito. Pretty sad, but whatever it takes.

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. There is no freakin’ way the Giants cut Zito loose anytime soon. Aaron Rowand ? That’s another story.

***

More and more, it looks like Brandon Belt will make the squad. He delivered a crisp opposite-field single off lefty Craig Breslow of the A’s last night, a preview of the next decade or so.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens with Rowand. With Cody Ross also on the DL, the Giants won’t unload Rowand yet, but it’s possible the Giants could eat his remaining salary at some point in the season.

That’s got to hurt going down. It will be somewhere between $12 million and $24 million.

Rowand wants to win but he also wants to play somewhere, and at this point in his career ( with two rings ) I don’t blame him. What’s the point of being a veteran big-leaguer if you’re going to ride the bench? If someone is willing to pay you 60-million, you rightfully figure you’re good enough to play for somebody.

He kept his mouth shut last year and made some contributions in the postseason. He deserves some credit for that.

It was a bad contract but if Rowand was a bad guy, it could have been much worse. Don’t boo him — he signed a contract every one of you would have signed. And don’t say you’re booing management by doing so — it doesn’t sound that way to Rowand.

***

Sorry, Sacramento. A quarter-century of Kings basketball is about to end, with Anaheim ready to cover relocation fees and upgrades on the Honda Center.

The last-second politicking did no good. Nor did the “Here We Stay” campaign. It was all too late.

Sac couldn’t get an arena deal together in time. It’s not all the city’s fault, but there just wasn’t enough financial werewithal or political will. Power Balance Paviliaon ( formerly Arco Arena ) is one of the worst arenas in the NBA, and the Maloofs are within their rights to seek options.

And let’s face it: while the notion of keeping a basketball team in town is nice, unemployment in the Sacramento area is hovering around 12 percent. There are bigger fish to fry.

There’s no way the city could finance what the Maloofs wanted or needed. There simply wasn’t the private financial support to make it happen, either.

The city is saddled with a deficit, so the most important thing now is to assure the Kings pay off their 77-million-dollar loan. Unfortunately, this may end up in court, or end up with the city taking ownership of a facility whose value is the subject of debate. This probably won’t end well.

The Kings ( Royals ) will soon be Anaheim’s problem. Amid the growing debate over the value of a pro sports franchise to an area’s economy, OC will be an interesting study.

***

During the course of any NBA game you will see these things:

A referee calling a foul before anything happens, or at best, a whistle that blows a millisecond after any contact.

A player will jump into a defender and draw a foul, even 30 feet away from the basket.

A star player will almost ALWAYS get a call, especially at home.

If you’re an NBA bottom-feeder, good luck getting a call anywhere. The league doesn’t give a s*** about you.

It’s been that way for a long time, but that doesn’t make it right. Well beyond the Donaghy gambling debacle, there is a natural injustice into the way games are officiating.

I keep hearing how great NBA referees are, and in comparison to some college officials I see, I suppose the overall quality is better. There are a handful of truly great NBA officials.

By and large, however, games are legislated with mind-numbing predictability. You can say these guys ( and girls ) are human — subconsciously intimidated by a home crowd and a little star-struck, too — but the litany of missed calls or incorrect calls is egregious.

There. Got it off my chest. David Stern will react with his customary smug indifference.

***

Welcome to Tool-vania. Lebron James, king.

Knowing he would get booed upon his second visit to Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Lebron was a no-show for the player introductions. He said he was “in the bathroom.”

No doubt admiring himself, in front of a mirror.

***

I’m on my way to Houston, where I’m sure the officiating will be stellar (cough ) for the Final Four. I’m on a Shaka-mecca. Meeting Shaka Smart is Job One.

Job Two will be to avail myself of the many Houston strip-clubs, because “big, strong athletes” are known to frequent them, possibly collegiate athletes. I need to make sure they’re on the up-and-up. If it’s good enough for ousted Fiesta Bowl CEO John Junker, it’s good enough for me.

You know what else Junker did ? According to a scathing investigative report, he held a lavish 50th birthday party at Pebble Beach and charged it to the Fiesta Bowl. The bill: 33-thousand dollars.

He also had paid membership to four elite private golf clubs — ON TOP of his 600-thousand dollar annual salary.

It’s another brick removed from the Berlin Wall of big-time college football. The Cotton Bowl wants to move in and take the Fiesta Bowl’s place in the BCS rotation, but the bigger question is why we continue to accept business as usual.

Why do we need to pay somebody to administer a bowl game, invariably a bad financial deal for schools but a feather in the cap for coaches and athletic directors ?

Playoffs, playoffs, playoffs. Good for fans, good for players, good for their schools. Bad for guys in blue blazers who want to charge somebody else for having Brandi gyrate on their laps.

***

Nothing reeks of big-time college sports like the Final Four, but there is at the very least an egalitarian aspect to the tournament. Teams have to get here via an actual playoff system, and the in the case of schools like Butler and VCU, there are many true student-athletes who stay all four years — and this really is their “Shining Moment.”

We’ll be tweeting on the trip, and doing some live shots ( no drinks or needles ) on KNBR.

***

I just saw another public service announcement warning against texting and driving. A teenage boy almost hits a little girl while texting behind the wheel … then texts to someone that he almost hit a little girl. Then he’s hit by another car.

I continue to be amazed that we even need such warnings. When I was a teen I was given to outbursts of stupidity, but can this generation really be that dumb ?

Then again, their parents are bad role models: I continue to see people driving around, defying the law against driving while holding a cell phone. Everyone for themselves.

Rock Shaka Jayhawk

March 27

When Virginia Commonwealth received an NCAA men’s basketball tournament bid, howls could be heard from Moraga to Colorado. The ESPN talking heads termed it “indefensible.” Most of us had never heard of Shaka and the Rams.

Now we know. Coach Shaka Smart is becoming a household name, and VCU is on the sporting map.

I tried not to get too wrapped up in the arguments over invitations to the “First Four.” After all, I reasoned, none of these teams had a chance to win the NCAA Tournament anyway.

Um, well, one of them does. Shaka and the Rams.

Like George Mason, VCU is an 11th seed that shocked the world by reaching the promised land of college basketball. Unlike George Mason, the Rams had to win five games to make it, including the “shaka” over Kansas on Sunday.

A team that lost its’ final four conference games, uncertain it would even get a tournament bid, is in the Final Four.

The Rams are capturing America’s hearts, as did George Mason in 2006 and Butler last year, because they’re not one of the blue-blood college hoop powers. They’re also fun to watch.

They like to turn up the volume and energy when they can. They’re athletic and relentless, led by their whirling-dervish point guard Joey Rodriguez, Jamie Skeen and Big Shot Brad Barrows.

Before Sunday’s game, one of the Morris twins of Kansas told Rodriguez, “the run ends here.” Rodriguez said “we’ll see.”

Kansas paid for its’ blue-blooded arrogance. After falling behind 6-0 the Rams bolted out to a 39-21 lead in the first half, getting plenty of baskets in transition. They stayed confident although Kansas pulled within two points in the second half and held on for a 71-61 win, ending the Jayhawks’ run.

Kansas contributed greatly, missing 13 free throws and going 2 for 21 from three-point range, telltale signs of gagging. Rock, Choke, Jayhawk.

Make no mistake, however — VCU took the fight to Kansas. They didn’t fold after falling behind 6-0 early, which as it turned out was the worst thing possible for the Jayhawks.

Subconsciously, maybe the favorites thought this game was going to be too easy … until the Rams punched back with a 20-4 run and a lead they would never relinquish. Rock, Shaka, Jayhawk.

Smart and Butler’s Brad Stevens are part of a new wave of canny young coaches in the NCAA. Smart owns a Masters in Social Science from California University of Pennsylvania, and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Kenyon College. Stevens is a basketball lifer from Indiana who has incorporated statistical analysis into a calm, focused style.

Congratulations if you had VCU, Butler, UConn and Kentucky in your Final Four. Actually, if you did, you’re a lucky bastard. Nobody saw this coming.

Butler is not a shock anymore. They were in the Final Four and ranked as high as #3 in some preseason polls, before Gordon Hayward went pro. I actually had UConn going to the Final Four. Kentucky was only a fourth seed but ran down North Carolina in their regional final, and is no stranger to the Final Four.

VCU ? They don’t even have Butler’s pedigree. But they’re Belle of the Ball in Houston.

Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse is famously the scene for the Indiana State High School championship game in the movie “Hoosiers.” 25 years later, “Shaka and The Rams” might become a real-life Cinderella story.

Let The Games Begin

March 20

Japan is still digging out of rubble and trying to stave off a nuclear disaster. War has broken out in Libya, the latest mideast nation to experience turmoil. Gasoline prices are going through the roof.

And, oh yes, the Barry Bonds perjury trial begins Monday.

It didn’t have to come to this, but thanks to egotism, it has. No one is a hero in this piece.

Bonds could have avoided trial by taking his own advice. Remember the two guys who battled over his record-setting 73rd home run ball ? Bonds told them to just go 50-50 and avoid paying the lawyers.

Instead, Alex Popov and Patrick Hayashi engaged in an 18-month court battle. The ball ended up selling for 450-thousand dollars, much less than originally estimated. Much of that money went to legal fees.

Bonds could have avoided paying all those lawyers if he had taken care of business early and ‘fessed up. Just like Jason Giambi, who confessed in court before making a public apology and emerged shining like a new penny.

Bonds would hardly have smelled like a rose if he confessed early, but he could have avoided a costly trial and the continued unflattering media spotlight. And now, Giambi will be one of the witnesses to testify against Bonds.

Bonds is going all-in. His ego won’t let him do otherwise. He doesn’t want anyone to believe his greatness was in any way artificial, thereby killing his Hall of Fame chances.

The U.S. government is also going all-in. You just don’t lie to them — too much time and money has been committed to the case, and careers are at stake on their side.

Prosecutors say they want to show that even the rich and famous, even athletes who are showered with public adulation, cannot escape the law. Meanwhile, Wall Street crooks walk, or aren’t even investigated.

Barry Bonds was low-hanging fruit, and the big prize. Government investigators just don’t want to give in, either, because it will make them and their agencies look weak.

This is a colossal waste of time and money, but the machinery was already in motion years ago, and it is unstoppable now. A plea deal ? As Brian Sabean once said on an unrelated matter, “that ship has sailed.”

It won’t be tough to prove Bonds used steroids. The government case is weakened without the tesitmony of Bonds’ trainer Greg Anderson and some BALCO logs, but it’s not damaged beyond repair. The key question is whether it can be proven Bonds KNEW what he was doing.

An intelligent person can figure that out; it’s pretty obvious Bonds juiced, and knew he juiced. Based on the book “Game of Shadows,” it was clear he was miffed at all the intention given Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa during their home run chase, when he thought he was a better ballplayer ( which he was ).

That’s not the same as proving perjury — and proving Bonds’ state of mind — before a jury. Especially if Bonds doesn’t testify, and especially if Anderson continues to clam up and returns to jail.

Even if Bonds is proven guilty, that doesn’t guarantee jail time, given Judge Susan Ilston’s track record. In 2008 she sentenced two defendants convicted of lying to BALCO investigators to home confinement, not prison.

I’ve seen reports that Bonds is going “all-in” because the trial is a chance to repair his reputation. But that ship has sailed, too.

No matter the verdict, he has a scarlet asterisk on his forehead. Former Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent thinks Bonds will stand a much better chance of being elected to the Hall if found not guilty. However, the Hall of Fame is not a jury; it doesn’t require the same burden of proof as a court. Even if Bonds gets off, he could wait a long time to get in.

Jury selection in this case won’t be easy, either, especially after the Giants won the World Series — in the post-Bonds Era. The Giants’ afterglow will be a definite factor for some potential jurors.

I’m no Roger Cossack, but here’s my educated guess on how this turns out: he skates on the perjury charge but not on obstruction of justice, and he gets probation or house arrest. The Hall of Fame ? Barry shouldn’t book a ticket to Cooperstown for the next decade.

Should Bonds be in the Hall ? Yes. Regardless of steroids, he is one of the all-time greats.

But if he is denied, he’ll get no sympathy from me. He, like Giambi and many others, cheated. He played during a time when the pressure to cheat was tremendous. That’s not an excuse, but a reason.

Baseball likes to say the Steroid Era is “over,” but that’s far from being the case. At the very least, the era of cheating isn’t over — not until baseball randomly tests year-round, and tests for HGH. People like Bonds and Giambi are vestiges of an era when baseball looked the other way, and made a ton of money off their exploits.

Roger Clemens, you’re next.

The Madness, And Reality

March 13

The Bay Area will not be a factor in the NCAA tournament. St. Mary’s was the last chance for the Dance.

The Gaels were not invited. I guess that last-second scheduling of Weber State really worked. The Tournament Selection Committee wasn’t havin’ it.

St. Mary’s has no one but itself to blame for being excluded. The loss to San Diego, and the WCC championship loss to Gonzaga, left them on the bubble — and vulnerable to Cinderella teams from other conferences, as well as the whims of the Committee.

The Gaels couldn’t even get in with an expanded tournament — now 68 teams and the “First Four” play-in games. They’re better than several teams in the tournament but needed to win the title in a smaller conference.

The WCC will get a higher profile next year when BYU joins. Assuming the Cougars remain strong that will improve strength-of-schedule for the entire conference, but even then it will probably be no more than a two-bid league.

That means it will probably come down to St. Mary’s and Gonzaga again, even if it’s not for the conference championship. Unless both those teams have very strong years. 25-8 was not strong enough this time.

You can argue that the Gaels, Colorado, and other schools were snubbed, but when you’re scuffling to get into an expanded 68-team tournament you don’t have a shot at a national title. It’s like arguing over the last bread crumbs.

***

For what it’s worth I like Kansas to beat North Carolina in the semifinals, the Roy Williams Bowl, then Duke in the finals. I’ll be there in Houston, April 2-4, for the Final Four. Brackets, engaged.

***

Sometimes, you just have to appreciate a game for the pure competition, regardless of its’ meaning in the grand scheme of things. I can think of three such examples from over the weekend.

– Friday night the Warriors had an awful start against the Magic, but rallied from a 21 point deficit. Down the stretch, both teams threw haymaker after haymaker, and the Warriors sank a franchise-record 21 three-pointers. The two teams combined for an NBA-record 36.

The Warriors tried to give the game away several times but managed to get to overtime and won, 123-120. They aren’t going to the playoffs but it was a good confidence-building win, and probably the best game at Oracle Arena this year. The Warriors have demonstrated they can take down better teams at home, but have yet to learn how to do so consistently on the road.

– Saturday, the Giants and Dodgers went back-and-forth in what Jon Miller likes to call, “a Cactus League friendly.” The Giants won, 8-7, scoring twice in the bottom of the ninth, getting key contributions from up-and-coming talent. They got singles from Thomas Neal, Francisco Peguero and Gary Brown, with Brown’s RBI single sending everyone home.

Teammates even mobbed Brown on the infield. I know it meant nothing but it was an entertaining game on a bright spring day in Scottsdale, and a good sign that the Giants have young players other than Brandon Belt ready to make a mark fairly soon.

– Also on Saturday afternoon, Washington took the fight to Arizona in the Pac 10 championship basketball game. Both teams were likely to make the NCAA tournament, but the Huskies didn’t want to take any chances, and just as in the Warriors’ game, both teams landed haymaker after haymaker down the stretch.

No one was bigger than Isaiah Thomas, the Huskies’ guard whose stepback jumper won it at the buzzer in overtime. A fitting ending, and guess who the announcer was ? Of course it was Screamin’ Gus Johnson.

I’m not a fan of conference championships. They’re just a big money-grab, and they give more mediocre teams a chance to get into the NCAA tournament if they get hot for two or three games. Nonetheless, it was a simply great basketball game Saturday at the Staples Center.

***
Sacramento’s Nick Watney beat Dustin Johnson in the WGC-Cadillac Championship at the Blue Monster, his third career win and seventh consecutive Top Ten finish. Tiger Woods shot a final-round 66 to gain his first Top Ten of the year. That’s a far cry to what we’re usually writing about Tiger, but it’s a step forward. You know he’s ramping up for the Masters.

I’m sticking to my prediction that Tiger will not match Jack Nicklaus’ record for majors at 18. Even Nicklaus has said he’s surprised Tiger hasn’t done it by now.

The landscape on the PGA Tour has changed, and Tiger will probably win another Masters or British Open, but I don’t see him winning more than a couple. The competition is stupidly good now.

***

Sports is and always will be a diversion, but we’re not stupid. We know what’s going on in the world.

The devastation in Japan is truly stunning and scary. Mother Nature has brought an economic superpower to its knees, and we’re just now getting an idea of the toll — economic, ecological, and human.

Watching the incredible video of the tsunami brought to mind computer-generated graphics from a disaster movie — only it was real. I can’t imagine how long it will take to recover from this mess, and with the threat of nuclear power plant meltdowns and continued aftershocks, the damage is still being done.

Hurricane Katrina’s wrath wiped out a portion of New Orleans, and that city is still recovering more than five years later. Last week’s quake may dwarf the awful damage in the Cresecent City.

We have a link at KNBR.com if you would like to help the people of Japan — some of whom are still looking for loved ones, and are still looking for a place to sleep. It could be us someday.

***

I missed a chance at the end of Friday’s show to say a few words about a family member we recently lost.

Leon Collins was just a good dude. He was a whiz at fixing things and never hesistated to help people, especially those in his family.

They buried Leon Saturday in New Hampshire, with military honors for an ex-Marine. He was only 55. He died accidentally while fixing a work truck last week.

Leon was married to Mercy for some three decades. Mercy is hurting right now, but she has family to help her absorb some of the sorrow.

Good people should not pass from this Earth without being noticed and remembered. Leon was good people.

In Case Of Emergency, Use Sweater Vest

March 8

The Sweater Vest survives again. The Sweater Vest is flame-retardant and like teflon. The Sweater Vest covers a multitude of sins because it wins.

By now you’ve all heard the story about Jim Tressel, the Ohio State football coach who tried to tuck an inconvenient little problem under the vest. When it was revealed he sat on some crucial information regarding five important players ( including Terrelle Pryor, “Boom” Herron and Devier Posey ), he went before the cameras, dressed in black.

The players who received improper benefits were suspended five games by the NCAA to start the 2011 season, but of course, not the Sugar Bowl. The coach who sat on the story was suspended by the school for two games — against Akron and Toledo to start the 2011. How will the Buckeyes beat the Zips without him ?

Tressel, who makes 3.5 million a year, was fined $250,000. A couple of commercials for Ed’s Brakes in Columbus and an envelope from a booster will probably take care of most of that. Of course, the NCAA could and should come down with harsher penalties, but don’t think he’ll miss a bowl game.

Here’s the crazy part: players can’t accept a toothpick from a coach, but they take possession of Big 10 rings and 24 karat “gold pants” key rings when they beat Michigan ( which they’ve done repeatedly ). They’re not supposed to sell or barter them, but they did — and in fact the ones who exchanged those items for tattoos got ripped off.

In any event, it’s a rules violation. The players knew it, the coach knew it. Tressel didn’t report it right away, although his contract expressly tells him to do just that.

In the press conference Tuesday, Tressel alternately said he was concerned about the “welfare” of his athletes ( because he’d had some go to jail and turn to drugs, or both ), and said he “didn’t know who to talk to” about the issue. Which was it ?

Not sure who to notify ? Ummm, how about talking to the Athletic Director ? That’s a start. Or even Brutus Buckeye.

I’m sure Tressel would have been just as concerned about the “welfare” of the third-string tackle. By the way, is Tressel saying that if he reported these guys, they’re going to go to the Dark Side right away ? Either he doesn’t trust them, or he’s not recruiting the right characters.

Tressel said he would “learn” and “grow” from this little problem. Just as he “learned” and “grew” from the Ray Isaac problem at Youngstown State, or the Maurice Clarett and Troy Smith problems at THE Ohio State. Or more than 300 other “problems,” both big and small, that have occurred during his tenure.

Stories circulated Tuesday that Tressel would be fired, but Athletic Director Gene Smith said the case didn’t “warrant” that kind of action, and that you had to consider Tressel’s “body of work.” Translation: if he was a .500 coach or worse, he’d be gone.

Tressel wins, and he’s apparently fooled some people over the years into thinking he’s somehow above the fray and is more principled than your average big-time college coach. Fact is, it’s very hard to be a big-time college coach and be clean; the system just doesn’t allow it.

As violations go, these were about a 3.7 on the Richter Scale, noticeable but not on the scale of USC or other notorious programs. However, it shows us that Ohio State, just like other schools, plays the risk-and-reward game that is college football.

It’s a game where schools get away with what they can, and try to get ahead of the story when they’re busted. Then, at worst, if violations are serious, go through the boom-and-bust cycle — climb atop the heap and make millions, get caught and suffer the penalty of probation, then rebuild again.

Ohio State is not the only, or the worst offender in a dirty sport. Their coach simply insulted our intelligence by portraying himself as a white knight ( even writing books about winning in the game of life ), and then failing to own up to his transgressions at a news conference.

As we learned at the SFGate web site today, even Stanford apparently favored student-athletes with favorable courses unbeknowst to the general population ( that list of courses has been dropped now that it has become public knowledge ). Easy classes are made available to student-athletes across the country, but again, it went against the Stanford image.

What’s the answer to all this ? Pay the athletes to play for your school, and just admit it’s a minor-league system for the NFL ? Will that stop the cheating ? No. If there’s a pay scale in place, what’s to stop a booster from going over the top of that scale and offering some “lagniappe” to a sought-after recruit ?

In addition, as an advocate of a college football playoff system, I’m aware that it could bring even more money into college sports. That would benefit all programs, but bigger bucks means bigger temptations.

Unless we all decide to stop watching the games on television, we’ll continue to feed the Beast. We love the atmosphere and excitement of college football, and it fills our Saturdays in the fall. Star athletes bring publicity and dollars to our alma mater, so they will get favorable treatment. ‘Twas ever thus.

I would at least feel better if schools and coaches would stop the clap-trap about the “college experience” and the “student-athlete.”

Granted, some athletes do take school seriously and some schools have standards. We just had a discussion last week about Brandon Davies and the BYU “honor code,” and Washington basketball coach Lorenzo Romar suspended guard Venoy Overton from the Pac-10 tournament for some off-court shenanigans, a move that could hurt the Huskies’ NCAA chances. Those, sadly, are exceptions to the rule.

The NCAA needs to stop its’ selective prosecution ( the rationale behind avoiding a Sugar Bowl suspension for the Ohio State Five was laughable ), but that won’t happen because they’re beholden to the big schools. Schools will police themselves only when it’s unavoidable, kids will be kids, and fans will be fans.

Anyone who thinks big-time college sports has been dirty just recently is delusional. As early as the 1920′s, there were articles raising concern about under-the-table dealings in college sports. My mom said that at UCLA in the 1940′s, they would mock USC’s fight song with the words, “our quarterback won’t play, he didn’t get his weekly pay.”

Nowadays, it’s cheating on steroids. It won’t stop, but that doesn’t mean you stop looking for answers and punishing schools where you can. It would take a strong college president who can withstand the pressure from alumni and boosters to demand a clean program, even if it costs a school some wins. Good luck with that.

At the very least, this is what I want: just stop the hypocrisy. Stop insulting our intelligence and selling us an image that doesn’t come out in the wash.

Did You Know ( 2.0 ) ?

March 6

It’s just been too heavy the last few days. Time for something completely different.

Did you know … ?

That beer-league refugee Matt Stairs, trying to make the Nationals at age 43, was originally drafted as a shortstop/pitcher ? And that if he makes the Nats he’ll set the major league record for most teams for which an individual has played (13) ?

That if football doesn’t work out for quarterback Jake Locker, or there’s an NFL lockout, he can always try baseball ? The Angels drafted him in 2009 and still own his rights.

That the New Jersey Nets fielded the first all-lefthanded lineup in NBA history in the 1976-77 season ? Tim Basset, Al Skinner, Dave Wohl, Kim Hughes, and the unforgettable “Bubbles” Hawkins. ( They had sold Dr. J to the 76ers )

That Craig Breedlove ( who once set the land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats ), left skid marks that measured more than five miles long when his jet-powered car went out of control ? The CAR left the skid marks.

That John McGraw, as an Orioles player, got into a fight with Tommy Tucker of the Boston Beaneaters in 1894 in Boston … that a fire broke out in the right field bleachers … and that the fire destroyed the stadium and more than 100 neighboring buildings ?

That quarterback Karl Sweetan was arrested in 1972 after allegedly trying to sell the 1971 Los Angeles Rams’ playbook to the New Orleans Saints for $2,500 ? The feds didn’t prosecute because the book’s value wasn’t enough to constitute a federal crime.

Warning: you’re about to cringe. Cubs outfielder Felix Pie suffered a twisted testicle in 2008 training camp. According to the Chicago Tribune, “Pie had the problem reduced manually, sources said … ” So many questions here.

That on August 17, 2010 Jim Thome hit his 12th career walkoff home run … joining Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Jimmie Foxx, Frank Robinson, and Stan Musial for most career walkoffs ? Pretty good company.

That on December 13, 1983 the Detroit Pistons beat the Denver Nuggets, 186-184 in triple overtime, the highest scoring game in NBA history … and that each team had just ONE three-pointer?

That Norman Manley ( not the Jamaican statesman ) never made the PGA Tour, but according to the United States Golf Register, he holds the record for holes-in-one with 59 ? That is not a typo. His first ace was in 1964 and he made four in one year, 1979.

That John Whittemore was probably the oldest person to ever compete in an athletic event ? The Stanford alum threw the javelin and discus in a 2004 Masters Track event — at the age of 104. He died about six months later at 105.

That the very first player chosen in the very first baseball draft in 1965 was … Rick Monday ?

That in one day, Snak-Pak makes 960,000 pudding cups ? ( Sorry, watching “Unwrapped” on the Food Network. )

Third Rail

March 4

Any time you have a sports story that bubbles over into a religious issue, you’re approaching the third rail. That was painfully obvious Friday on KNBR’s Gary Radnich show when we renewed the debate about BYU’s handling of the Brandon Davies case.

As often happens during such debates, someone will go to the next level, and use the issue to take shots at a church or religion. That’s when everyone just goes crazy. It’s not enough to simply discuss the merits of an individual case such as Davies, and limit the talk to sports.

As I’ve said before, I had no trouble with Davies’ dismissal from the basketball team because he admitted to a violation of the honor code. He grew up near BYU, he knew the rules, he signed the code. The school stuck by the rules even though the action dealt a major blow to a highly-ranked team with big hopes for the postseason.

A couple of callers took the opportunity to steer the car down the religious road, with inflammatory talk about Mormons and the church’s past discrimation against blacks. That history is well known, and a couple of people accused the church of hypocrisy.

My comment — which is absolutely true — was that many churches are guilty of hypocrisy, and so it means nothing when you single out one religion. One listener took that to mean that I thought the acts of bigotry “meant nothing,” and that kind of attitude is what led to the Holocaust.

See what I mean ? People go crazy.

My comment was in no way … let me repeat, IN NO WAY … meant to minimize any act of discrimination that might have been carried out by the LDS Church or any other church. And someone who tries to make a link with the Holocaust is stretching more than Inspector Gadget — and they’re doing so in order to stir the pot. That doesn’t deserve a further response.

Three final points about this issue:

First of all, as someone who worked in Salt Lake for several years — and someone who became very familiar with the church’s history — I don’t need a listener to lecture me on its’ past. They’re telling me nothing new.

Secondly, while that is an ugly chapter in the church’s history, it is in the past. During my time in Salt Lake, African-Americans were being allowed into the church for the first time. That ended an ugly chapter, and while that past bothered me, I tried to deal with members of the church on an individual basis.

Third, I don’t think that history has much to do with the Brandon Davies case. Some will try to use the race card because Davies is African-American but based on the comments of Athletic Director Tom Holmoe, the school wants him back on the team. I don’t really see race as the issue here; at least I hope not.

It’s funny, some people want it both ways: they will say Davies was penalized because he is a person of color at a mostly-white school. If he isn’t penalized, many of those people will say the school didn’t want to lose an important player, and wanted to continue exploiting an African-American athlete.

If you don’t like a particular church or its’ history, don’t join. I’m not a Mormon and don’t plan to be. I will always politely say “no thanks” to any young missionaries who come to our door. Then I’ll offer them a caffeine-free 7Up. We can all disagree and still operate in an atmosphere of mutual respect.

Honor And Dishonor

March 4

I’ve got no problem with the fact that BYU dismissed center Brandon Davies from the basketball team for violating its’ honor code. I applaud the school for sticking by its rules — at least in this case — even though the dismissal greatly damages the Cougars’ chances in the NCAA tournament. I am glad a school has such a code, and sets the bar high.

BYU is not for everyone. Schools with honor codes are not for everyone. Students who don’t want to abide by such rules have a wide variety of schools from which to choose. I don’t have to tell you that my alma mater, UCSB, was in a totally different orbit.

It’s just nice to know that in an era when young people are bombarded with so many wrong messages — often through the media — there is a place they can go to avoid those influences.

It IS unfair that Davies now has a scarlet letter on his forehead. He has the bad luck of being on a team that’s already getting lots of attention because it has player of the year candidate Jimmer Fredette, and because it’s being touted as a possible Final Four team. That has trained a much harsher spotlight on Davies than anyone else who has ever been subject to the code.

Few outside of Utah heard about Harvey Unga, the football team’s all-time leading rusher, who left the school along with his girlfriend for an honor code violation last year. Or Unga’s cousin Reno Mahe, who was dismissed from the football team a decade ago but later returned and went on to play in the NFL.

We’re learning a whole lot about Brandon Davies’ private life, more than we probably should know. Reports have surfaced that he had pre-marital sex with his girlfriend, something which is commonplace for almost any other student or athlete on any other campus. At BYU, it gets you kicked off the team and bumps Charlie Sheen off the front pages, because in this day and age it sounds so old-fashioned.

I don’t fault BYU for carrying out its code. Davies, who grew up near the campus, knew about it when he enrolled. There are some who believe the school dealt with him more harshly because he was a well-known athlete, making an example of him to publicize the standards of the school and church. However, Davies admitted his “transgression,” apologized and expressed true remorse.

It’s sad: he didn’t steal computers or get paid under the table; he didn’t knock over a liquor store or sell a championship ring — but he’s the most notorious athlete in America today. His plight lit up the phone lines on KNBR the last couple of days, including Sportsphone 680 Thursday night. That part doesn’t seem fair.

I also have a problem if someone ratted on him, whether it be a fellow student, a friend of Davies’ girlfriend, or a jealous ex-boyfriend. I have a problem if that person is at another school and saw a chance to gain a competitive advantage — or is a teammate who sought to move up the depth chart. In certain instances, that “rat” should face repurcussions, too.

If Davies committed a code violation, that should be between him and God, between him and whatever counsel he seeks — not between a busybody and an Honor Code Office. There are rumors that Davies impregnated his girlfriend, although a member of her family told Radar Online that’s not true. Even if she was pregnant, does the school test to see who’s the father? Wow, I hope not.

I understand there are workplaces and institutions in which someone can lose their job or rank if they don’t blow the whistle. I don’t believe that a BYU student who fails to “rat” is going to face repurcussions. Threat of penalty certainly doesn’t apply to an outside “rat.” I just hope there are no rodents here.

I covered BYU sports as a reporter and sports talk host in Salt Lake City in the mid-80′s, including the Cougars’ run to the national championship in 1984. I understood that some athletes AND students were dismissed due to code violations back then, but there was some feeling on campus that punishment was handed out unevenly.

BYU put Davies on Blast, and he’s paying a huge price, but they believe they’re serving a higher purpose — no matter how much it hurts. As someone with a measure of fame and a representative of the school, Davies now understands the benefits and the pitfalls of such status. Hopefully he can return to the team next year, but by that time, the train will have left the station.

Less Than Zito

March 2

The story spread like wildfire last night. The Giants buying out Barry Zito ? Saying goodbye to their 126 million dollar albatross ?

The Chronicle’s Bruce Jenkins, one of my favorite writers, disclosed that there was “exasperation” with Zito, that his spot in the rotation is in danger, the Giants weren’t happy with his offseason conditioning, and the team might consider buying out the remaining 64-million of his contract.

My first reaction: if it sounds too good to be true, it is.

I don’t see any way on Earth, Mars, Uranus or any other celestial orb that the Giants swallow that much money. Even Barry Zito isn’t that bad.

My second reaction: it’s early March.

This is the kind of story that stirs the pot when real games are a month away. Like John Shea’s article in the Chronicle last week, raising the possibility of Albert Pujols as a Giant. Nice to think about, but …

The Giants could probably handle Pujols if they weren’t paying Zito. And Aaron Rowand. But they’re on the hook.

My third reaction: maybe it’s the Giants’ way of kicking Zito in the pants, via a “source.”

Of course there is “exasperation.” That was evident when they left him off the postseason roster last fall, after his sterling performance on the final Saturday of the season. They probably weren’t happy when he face-planted out of the gate this week.

Zito wasn’t throwing a lot of curves in his first outing, and the change-ups he threw were missing. He walked Prince Fielder twice and the first time, Fielder barked at him when he asked the umpire if the last pitch was a ball. Bad scene.

Was all this the result of poor conditioning ? It’s only the first week of March, who knows ?

I would be stunned, and overjoyed beyond belief, if the Giants bought him out. Fans would be, too, until they realized that beer cost $21. Gotta cover the cost of Zeet’s deal somehow.

Zito was downright awful in the second half of last year, but his numbers in the past two full seasons weren’t bad for a 4th or 5th starter. That’s the faintest praise possible, but that’s what we’re reduced to with Zito now.

If he pukes all over himself to start the season, then maybe Jeff Suppan gets a shot. That’s one reason they brought him in, as well as a possible injury replacement.

Trade him ? That’s only slightly more believable, but who wants him ? In that scenario, the Giants still would need to swallow most of his deal. I’d be almost as stunned if they found a willing taker.

Three years. Three more years. That’s what’s left of his contract. In the middle of next year, the buyout talk becomes plausible. Right now, I won’t believe it unless Santa Claus tells me it’s true.