Last time I did a DBD it was simply EPIC!  The title was perfect. The story was perfect! And the links were perfect!  But Twist doesn't like EPIC . . . not when it comes to other people's DBDs. In his jealousy, he changed the name of my DBD.  Yup.  Just up and changed it to "Oaktown is Trying to Get Us In Trouble With The SBN Higher Ups DBD."  Now what kind of name is that for a DBD???? So instead of 1,000 plus comments that my original DBD would have yielded, it only got a measly 231!  Thanks a lot Twist!

TNH even sent me a threatening email, belittling my contributions to this site:

"Oaktown, I know I asked for help with the DBDs cuz I'm too busy evicting grandmothers and inviting them to live with me, but seriously, you can't be posting EPIC DBDs like that.  The higher ups at SBN contacted me about your DBD and said it was too risque.  They said they're trying to create an environment open to all people and that your words can be interpreted as offensive to some.  Look, we appreciate all your work on the treesitter legal analysis and you telling CBKWit that The Big Lebowski sucks.  And don't think I'm not grateful for you fucking up Hydro's wedding cake project.  But I made you your damn statue, now can you stop getting us in trouble?  We're trying to be mainstream now and you are so "blogsome." We are so SBN now.  If you can't conform, why don't you just post at our old site?  In fact if you don't conform, you will be evicted and banished there.  Thanks and keep up the good work."

Some harsh words indeed!

So just to be safe, this DBD is family friendly.  Only kitty cats and puppies here:

via blissfullydomestic.com

via images.paraorkut.com

So no George Carlin words allowed here fellas (I'm looking at you thenick).  No NSFW images carp.  No pics of hot Indian chicks, rishi.

And just to be sure I wasn't getting us in trouble with the SBN higher ups, I contacted Blez and he approved this DBD.

Blez approving this DBD. via www.b2bcoaching.co.uk

Note:  This DBD was supposed to be here yesterday, but Avinash posted his "Cynically Late" DBD 37 seconds after mine and then threatened to ban me if I didn't delete mine and post it up today.  So with that in mind, sorry for the dated links:

Cal Pitcher named Pac 10 pitcher of the week

The Blackhawks eliminated the Vanucks 4 games to 2 in a great offensive hockey game. Take that Rol Lon U Be Ars! Patrick Kane had a hat trick as the Hawks make their 1st conference finals appearance since '95.  They await the winner of the Wings/Ducks series.

Meanwhile the Caps forced a game 7 against the Pens.

In NBA news, the Cavs sweep the Hawks (booooorring) and the Mavs stay alive against the Nuggets (booooorrring).

And an NBA fan wants an apology from "Big Baby" Davis for being so ugly and taking minutes away from Powe, even if Powe is injured.

More recent stuff:

Cal Baseball shuts out Sacramento State and I'm impressed!

This came in late in yesterday's DBD from the "we already knew" files: Tim Floyd is a cheat . . . allegedly.  He is said to have given money to a third party for the purpose of influencing OJ Mayo to attend USCheat.

Lakers win game 5, lead 3 - 2.  Celtics do the same.

Woman indicted in Rick Pitino extortion case.

Disney forces Game 7 against Red Wings. I think when it's all said and done, it's gonna be a Blackhawks v Red Wings Conference Finals.  But who knows, anything is possible!

Dump away!

OK, I got your attention.

Bet you though this was a carp NSFW DBD . . .

WRONG!  It's about the Pussies in Palo Alto.

In honor of Cal Rugby's National Semifinal appearance vs. Army today at 7 p.m. at the Furd, I decided to look back at Stanfurd Rugby's shameful forfeit of 2001.  I'm sure most of you diehard Cal fans are aware of this, but here's the rundown of the March 2001 events from the Daily Cal:

In a bizarre turn of events for one of Cal's oldest and most legendary sports events, the Stanford rugby team has forfeited its April 7 game against the Bears, citing injury and the team's inability to challenge Cal's squad.

"Cal and others have pointed out that the fear of losing should not be an excuse for a forfeit," Stanford coach Franck Boivert wrote in an e-mail to both rugby programs obtained by The Daily Californian. "Stanford has no fear of losing versus Cal, as they have done so every year but one for the last 20 years. They are, however, very afraid to get injured and indeed fear for their safety."

An interesting series of emails betwen the coaches is available here.  Some interesting tidbits follow.

From the Furd head coach:

Taking the field against Cal this year would make a mockery out of the so-called "Big Game". The Stanford Rugby players have too much respect for the tradition and their predecessors from Stanford and Cal to ridicule this tradition. When there is a rivalry both rivals are on a similar level of competitiveness. When a feather weight is to fight a heavy weight, there is no rivalry, it is a farce, just like if a VW Bug was to race against a "Formula 1" car. Stanford playing Cal in rugby has reached this farcical stage, and Stanford Rugby wants to be no part of a farce.

Cal has offered to "dilute" their team in order to make the game competitive. This proposal has provoked much controversy and several sources very close to the Cal team pointed out that it would make no difference as the Cal second team may be the second best team in the Nation. Cal has also offered to look at this game as a learning experience. The Stanford players see no learning in being physically overrun and outmatched by a huge team, and views it more as a miserable afternoon.

Cal and others have pointed out that the fear of losing should not be an excuse for a forfeit. Stanford has no fear of losing versus Cal as they have done so every year but one for the last 20 years. They are, however, very afraid to get injured and indeed fear for their safety. The Stanford Rugby players are all recreational athletes and the injury toll they had to pay this season is just too much.

So what about the future of the rivalry between Stanford and Cal? I am afraid the two programs are going in two different directions. Cal has professionalised their organization to a point of excellence similar to other varsity sports college programs. Stanford is still a Rugby club for students.

The answer is that in fact Cal is not in the same league. There is no parity between the programs, and not between Stanford and Cal. Who would imagine a college sport like football where one team has varsity status and basically recruits the best players and other teams in their league would be just club sports who recruits through flyers on their own campus? Every body would laugh at that, and would not take it seriously. Well this is exactly the situation in College Rugby. In Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, college championship is divided in club sports championship and varsity championship out of fairness; it will have to be the same in Rugby.

The question of the future of the Cal- Stanford game still remains. Maybe some year Stanford will have a team physically strong enough to challenge Cal, or may be one-day Rugby will be again a sport for the students.

To say the least, Cal legendary Coach Jack Clark was pissed:

As I have shared previously, my personal disappointment is immense. To cancel a match that has been played through the Great Depression and World Wars is a consequential decision. This unease must also be felt in the Stanford student body, alumni and athletic administration. We were hopeful that respect for this tradition would prevail in your Rugby Foundation meeting of the 10th of March, but are understanding of their position. How can you demand that a team contest a match, if the team doesn't want to? I'm sure it is a position that these proud individuals could never have contemplated.

We are similarly non-judgmental towards your players who were asked to vote on honoring this fixture. I can only imagine the confusion of those team members who desired to play. As custodians of this tradition, our approaches differ. I would have regarded the players' uncertainties in honoring this match as a significant coaching opportunity. But again, as stated in my earlier correspondence, I believe that coaching is a medium for life's lessons, not merely an exercise in winning and losing.

We do however take great umbrage at the content of your letter of forfeit. To suggest that your forfeiture of this match is in any manner helpful to the tradition, safety related, prudent or respectful is disingenuous. I found this to be a pathetic 'spin job'. I am in awe of your ability to continually lower the setting of the bar for Stanford rugby, without being challenged. To repeatedly insist that there are insurmountable structural advantages between our programs is a ridiculous overstatement. You have made an unpleasant habit of falsely detailing Cal's rugby advantages over Stanford. Naturally, we are proud that our players receive a varsity letter as the symbol of the 'Big C' is prestigious, but it is only symbolic. The similarities between our programs that you refuse to witness are far more essential. Neither program offers rugby scholarships or rugby specific financial aid of any type. Both institutions have lofty admissions requirements. We both likewise enjoy long successful histories, loyal generous alumni support, meaningful on campus support, good facilities and a paid coaching position.

Lastly, I found your closing comment concerning rugby one day being "again a sport for the students" insulting to the very ethos of sport. How dare you not compete and belittle the accomplishments of those who do.

Is there any other name for Stanford's cowardly actions othern than the P word?  I don't think so.  But what do you expect from the school that forfeited the first ever Rose Bowl Game in the third quarter against Michigan, because it was getting its ass kicked?  This forfeit was such an embarrassment that the Rose Bowl committee (then it was called the Tournament of Roses game) decided to cancel all football games until 1916, and to instead entertain the crowds with CHARIOT RACING!  Can you imagine, Stanfurd almost ruined the Rose Bowl for everyone (and when I say everyone I mean everyone in the Pac 10/Big 10 except for Cal).

But at least this forfeit gives us something other than The Play to use when we easily want to shut up an annoying Furd fan.  So, with that in mind, HOORAY FOR PUSSIES!

So a few weeks back before the NCAA tourney started, there was a big question mark over whether Ty Lawson's toe would be healthy enough for him to play.  I'm not going to bother with lots of links, but basically his toe was possibly going to be healed in time for the ACC tourney.  But it wasn't.  Then everyone speculated that it had to be healthy enough for the first game of the NCAA tourney.  But come one day before th tourney started, things were looking bleak and NC Coach Roy Williams said Lawson was still not able to practice and still having swelling issues . . . So I did the "smart thing" and counted on Lawson being sidelined for the rest of his career and unable to compete even in a pickup game ten years from now.  Last minute, I changed my tourney winner from NC to Louisville thinking I would "outsmart" everyone. Well, we all know how that pick worked out and now  Lawson is making all the difference for the NC team. 

In three subsequent games, Lawson has proven just how necessary he is to North Carolina's national championship hopes.  <!-- END google ads --> <!-- END rail --> He dissected LSU in the second round and followed up by earning most outstanding player honors at the South Regional, where the Tar Heels dispatched Gonzaga and Oklahoma to advance to their record 18th Final Four, one better than UCLA.

Now I'm not even in the top 30 on our Tourney Pick 'Em.  So much for my "smart choice."  But it got me thinking as to why I counted Lawson out forever and it was pretty obvious: Pavlov's Dogs.

via www.age-of-the-sage.org

Anyway, here is what Pavlov's Dogs looks like to me most recently:

via cache.daylife.com

That's right.  Larry Davis the former head of the A's Medical staff. . .   Any A's fan will know the drill and know it well over the last several years.  Small injury; day-to-day, turns into season ending or career ending injury.  It happened too many times for me to count:  Mulder's "strain" that would sideline him one start but turned out to be a fracture in his hip that has by all accounts destroyed his career; Hudson's oblique forcing him to walk off the Field in the ALDS against the BoSox; Harden's shoulder time and time again; Bradley's knee; Chavez' back; Chavez shoulder; Duke's elbow.  The list goes on and on, and the common thread among all these injuries was that they were always pronounced as minor day-to-day injuries which would not limit the player for very long.  LIES A's Medical Staff! DAMN LIES!

So you see, I got used to being lied to.  You might as well call me Dmitri or Sergei and tell me to fetch becaue I just got used to it.  So that's why I picked Louisville over NC in the National Title game.  Because of Ty Lawson's big ass toe, the A's doctors, and some russian dogs.

So if you could change just one of your picks, which would it be?

Here are some Cal related links:

Cal swimmer wins nation's top award

Senior swimmer Dana Vollmer, who won a pair of individual NCAA title while leading Cal to the national team championships, has been chosen as the country's top collegiate female athlete in swimming & diving. The honor was based on the results of national balloting among 1,000 NCAA member schools as part of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards program, now in its 33rd year.

Ashley Walker named USBWA All-America

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has chosen the recipients of its 2008-09 women's postseason honors, naming Golden Bear senior forward to its 11-member All-American team.

Women's LaCrosse set school goal record in rout of St. Mary's

California scored a school-record 22 goals to rout MPSF foe Saint Mary's, 22-13, on Wednesday at Memorial Stadium.

Cal Baseball gets smacked around by LB State 19 - 7. Ouch!

Tim Floyd to be named U of A BBall Coach

Tim Floyd will be named basketball coach at Arizona, Mark Asher of Sports 620 KTAR, ESPN's radio affiliate in Phoenix, is reporting according to multiple sources.

Honestly, this hire doesn't scare me at all.  To me Floyd is a middle of the Pac coach.  When I heard rumors that Oklahoma's Jeff Caple was in the running, I was worried because I think Caple is on the verge of becoming a great coach.  Tim Floyd . . . not so much.

Cal athletes were doing just fine without me . . . and then I showed up and ruined their success!

What the hell am I talking about you ask?  Well, some of you may have noticed (or not), that I disappeared for a while.  With all we've been through from the hippie tree takeover, to Court Ruling Episodes I - VI, to the liberation of the trees, I feel like I owe some of you an explanation (that doesn't include you The Maharg).  See, a lot of crap happened between my last appearance sometime in November and now . . .

where do I start?

> 27 day trial

> 187 page brief

> Motion to punch the opposing counsel in the face

> Motion to kick the judge in the stomach

> Two contempt of court orders

> Getting caught by my wife while I was with the gardener and the milk man

> Being stuck in Cuba and not being able to come back into the country

> Obama's inauguration followed by short lived protest at the White House (and jailing)

> Chaining myself to Fannie Mae doors

> MMA cage match resulting in a broken nose

Well, most of you can probably figure out which ones of the above are true (hint: think milk and gardening). 

So what the hell does this have to with Cal athletics?  Well, my departure from watching or following Cal sports coincided with great success in Cal athletics (i.e. football and basketball).  Cal apparently won the Emerald Bowl - of which I still know very little - and embarked on a winning streak in BBall.  It just so happened that the first game I watched upon returning to my "normal" life was Cal @ Suckford BBall (on TV).  I was finally confident that an undefeated Cal team would beat a bottom of the barrel Furd team - and boy was I wrong.  Sadly, this was the beginning of five horrible games by Cal BBall, losing to Furd, OSU, Fucla, and SC, while the team snuck out with a bad victory against a lowly Oregon team.  So there you have it! It's just better if I get sent back to Guantanamo and stop watching Cal sports.

But just for entertainment's sake, can you give me some quick updates on what I missed in the past 3 months?  For example:

Why did Longshore start over Riley?

I saw something about Riley being hurt?  True?

Was the Emerald Bowl good?

Did Longshore suck as much as his numbers indicate?

Why did Morrah declare for the draft?

How did Cal beat both the Washington schools on the road?

Is Monte a good coach, because from "what I've seen," he sucks?

And perhaps most importantly: why couldn't the A's get rid of Crosby?!!!!?

Oh, and here's one link.

Follow Signing Day because there's nothing else going on in Cal sports tomorrow.

Please help me out and if you prefer, I'll stop watching Cal sports.

Look, Twist has done an admirable job of trying to make us forget about the fiasco that was our Bears' horrible 42 - 27 beatdown by U of A, through his discussion of UCLA cannibals and campaign finance reform. Even Hydro pitched in with a linkless DBD about black cat stew or something like that.  But the bottom line is that I'm still totally pissed about losing to U of A, in a game that was just too winnable to be lost.  I just can't get that pissed feeling out of my system . . . kind of like losing to the fucking Furd last year!  So I want you to be pissed with me.  SCREAM, YELL, AND USE ALL CAPS TO GET YOUR POINT ACROSS!  USE LOTS OF EXTRA EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!!!  IT'S OK TO BE MAD! Maybe we can get that loss out of our system.  But no, I think the only thing that can do that is to pull a BYU on those damn baby bruins. But let's try our best shall we?  BE MAD AND BE PROUD OF IT!

Now to some links (pardon if they're recycled):

Article on defensive lineman Trevor Guyton, and some other tidbits.  Of interest is Best's health:

Cal tailback Jahvid Best, who still leads the country in all-purpose yards (200.4 ypg), expects to play again Saturday against UCLA. Best returned from a one-game absence because of a dislocated left elbow at Arizona last week and rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown. But he sat out the fourth quarter after experiencing muscle soreness in his elbow.

Best will continue to wear a brace on his elbow, a brace he said doesn't affect his play.

"If anything, it just looks bad," Best said. "But as far as from a physical standpoint, it doesn't limit me."

Another one on Cal's newest kicker Tavecchio. He's trying to teach his teammates how to say "Go Bears" in Italian.

If you haven't already, check out the Cal Basketball Promotions Page.  Lots of good stuff there including the fact that ESPN's College Gameday will be there for the Feb. 28 game vs. Fucla.

Fucla has lots of injuries.  Let's hope their 5th string back doesn't drop 300 yards on our D.

And Rusty Simmons wins the "pointing out the obvious award" for telling us Cal needs a "go to" receiver.  Thanks Rusty. Thanks.

Something for you to think about: is it me or has Tedford recently (the past few years) been outplayed in second halves.  At first it seemed like JT was great at making 2nd half adjustments.  And now he seems to be losing that battle.  I'm too lazy to crunch the numbers for the past few years, but this year Cal has been outscored by MSU 24 to 21, by U of A 28 to 3, and tied ASU at 7.  Cal only outscored a schizophrenic Maryland team, as well as  WSU, and CSU.  Too much of a small sample to draw any conclusions, but my perception that he is being outcoached in the second half is starting to concern me.  Your thoughts?

Dump away. And remember BE PISSED ABOUT IT!

So I've been an owner of the PS and PS2.  When the PS3 came out I refused to spend so much $$ for a gaming system and have been sucking it up and using my PS2.  Problem is I'm ready for a next gen console and it appears that the PS3, while getting a bit cheaper, probably won't drop in price anytime soon.  In the meantime, Microsoft has come out with an XBox 360 arcade version that sells for only $200.  So I have a few questions for those of you in the know, so that you may help me decide which system to get: in other words, spend the $200 on the XBox, splurge on the PS3, or wait it out some more.

My gaming interests are as follows: I like the multiplatform sports games (Baseball, College Football, Soccer, Hockey) and like role playing stuff, most notably the Grand Theft Auto series (GTA IV did not come out for the PS2).  All I will use the system for is gaming.  So even though I know the PS3 has won the DVD battle with XBox by virtue of Blu Ray, I'm not going to switch to buying Blu Ray discs and wouldn't want to burn out my PS3 with Blu Ray playing anyway.  I also am not a big fan of an online gaming and do not plan on using this feature for either system.  I've heard that most multiplatform games play better on XBox than on the PS3 b/c developers develop for the XBox first and make adjustments for the PS3.  I've also heard that as of now XBox graphics are better but that eventually some game developer will exploit all the PS3 potential. Are either of these claims true?

So I would greatly appreciate any feedback from those of you who know. Thanks in advance.

P.S. Not a big fan of the Wii so that's not an option for me.

It's seems so long ago that Tedford shocked the Nate Longshore loving world that is CGB by naming Riley as the # 1 QB.  Most of us who were tired of Longshore's 4th quarter meltdowns last years welcomed the move, while you Longshore lovers were despondent.

Publicly Tedford came out and said that Riley was performing better in practices and earned the job.  Having not seen the practices, most of us do not know if this is true or not.  But could there have been other factors motivating Tedford's decision?  If so what other factors?

While Riley has had a couple decent games and one bad one, his overall numbers seem pedestrian to me.

In his first game against MSU Riley threw for 202 yards, on 17 - 24 passes with  2 TDs and no INTs.  We all know how Longshore did . . .

In his second game, Riley was flat out bad.  Riley was just 6 - 14 for a measley 51 yards and 1 TD.  His longest pass was a 14 yard gain as he consistently missed receivers  who were more than 10 yards away from him.

In his third game Riley amassed a HUGE amount of yards: 423 on 33 of 58, with 3TDs and 1 INT.  Although Riley began to play better in the second half, his pass completion rate was an uninspiring 56%, and his 423 yards were on 58 pass attempts and against a prevent defense..

So this post isn't an attempt to bash Riley.  Instead, I wonder whether there were other factors involved in Tedford's decision. Riley's three performances don't strike me as great or even that good.  I'd have to say so far Riley has been average and is still going through a lot of growing pains.  Obviously we don't know the playbook, we don't know if our inexperienced receivers ran the proper routes, and at least vs. Maryland we know the O-Line did not do a very good job of protecting Riley and at least some of his 5 sacks were coverage sacks.  We also don't know how Longshore would have performed, but I feel he is better at throwing the long ball than Riley is [notwithstanding his ugly line vs. MSU].  I have no insider knowledge and unlike our own Hydro, I haven't served as waterboy for the team.  So this is based on pure speculation.  However, I think Tedofrd chose Riley over Longford for one or two reasons other than "performance."

1.  Riley was chosen so this team could compete next year.

It's no secret that with a [largely] new crop of receivers, a new defensive scheme, and new off. coordinator, this Bear team was going to be in an ongoing state of learning.  No one expected our Bears to compete for a conf. championship and at best, everyone's most optimistic projection was to have Cal play in the Holiday Bowl.  So even though this last year of Longshore' eligibility would help his pro hopes, why not just get Riley in there this year so that he, the receivers and the off. coordinator have a year of experience under their belts.  This would make it easier to compete for loftier prizes next year and while this hurts Nate, in the long run it helps the team develop under Riley.

2.  Riley was chosen because the team needed new leadership and Tedford feared an "ASU Rudy Carpenter" rebellion.

The team's lack of leadership last year has been well chronicled by the players, coaches, and by CGB.  While this lack of leadership cannot be the fault of any one player, no one on the field epitomizes leadership like the QB.  I believe Tedford saw what we all did when Riley played against OSU and AirForce.  He saw Riley give the team a spark and referred to Riley's "playmaking ability" when discussing naming him the starter.  Naming Longshore the QB could have caused dissension in the ranks and a lack of confidence in the team. Perhaps Tedford felt that to turn things around he had to start with a new QB.

Personally I feel the first factor was the main factor in Tedford's decision.  If the team was not going to compete for a Rose Bowl or BCS Champ. this year, then why not prepare the team and Riley for one next year?  Your thoughts.

I'm sure I will get a lot of crap over this post, but here goes anyway.

Oski's History

Oski. He cavorts along Memorial Stadium sidelines. He hugs kids on Cal Day. He drinks through a straw in his eyehole, a gross but mesmerizing trick. This fall [2006], Berkeley's lovable bear mascot turns 65, with no signs of stopping. Which means, for over six decades, a parade of undergraduates have sweated it out under a stuffy bear head, wool sweater and size-15 tennis shoes. Moreover, they're under a super-duper, heavy-duty, triple-strength oath to keep it a secret from everyone forever and ever. It's enough to make you wonder, as your attention drifts between plays at a Cal football game, what is Oski all about? How did the goofy grin, high-stepping gait, clasped hands and rumors of permanent intoxication become a Cal institution?

Oski came to life in 1941.  Prior to his birth, Berkeley students used to use live bears at sporting events.  But after a referee was mauled in 1940, campus administration sought a new mascot. [That's a lie.  But administration officials were genuinely worried about the unpredictability of live bears].

In the autumn of 1941, a student named William Rockwell donned a homemadebear head fashioned around a football helmet.

He dressed in baggy pants, a large letter sweater, oversized shoes and white gloves. In front of thousands of Cal fans at Memorial Stadium, he led cheers, waved to children and flirted with girls. In later games, he walked on the crossbar between goalposts and tried to grab the football from referees. The bear never revealed his true identity to others.

Oski's creator, William Rockwell

via www.coe.berkeley.edu

Oski is named after old Berkeley cheer:

Oski Wow-Wow!
Whiskey Wee-Wee!
Olee! Muckie-eye!
Olee! Berkeley-eye!
California! Wow!

Oski became so popular that Rockwell's studies suffered.

After flunking a midterm in ME 102, he enlisted in the Navy, served as a decorated fighter pilot in WWII, and after the war, returned to finish school. With his impending graduation, the engineer anticipated the need for a system to manage and guard Oski's identity year after year. Like so many academic institutions, Oski required a committee.

The Oski Committee thrives today. Its members are undergraduates who decide who will play Oski and who induct fellow committee members. Since the group is also pledged to secrecy and anonymity forever and ever, its workings are mysterious.

Oski is now selected by the Oski Committee, a governing body that oversees all aspects of caring for the lovable, 5-foot-7-inch, size 15 tennis shoe wearing Bear. Oski's identity is unknown to everyone, with the exception of the committee.

In recent years, Oski's acvtivities have changed quite a bit.  He still drinks beer, often times through his eyes.  However, he no longer flirts with girls or flips up their skirts [boo!] due to sexual harassment policies. He no longer shimmies up the goal posts for threat of liability [boo]. He no longer climbs, defoliates, brawls with, or otherwise harasses the Stanford Tree per an agreement between the two universities [double boo!]. He no longer throws cake into the crowd at a basketball game or pie at an opposing chancellor.

In 1999, Oski was shrouded in controversy. The ASUC Senate introduced a bill to update Oski's tubby, old-fashioned look. It was eventually vetoed, but not before the public came to his defense. Oski himself appeared at an ASUC meeting and scribbled on a blackboard: "For over 50 years, I have worked very hard to represent everything that is great about Cal. Please respect that."

Arguably one of Oski's greatest moments came when he beat the living crap out of the Furd tree. Link.  Link. [Note: The second link has some annoying "play by play".  Also, if you can find better videos of this, please post].

In fact, the Stanfurd Tree's first appearance was marked by - you guessed it - an ass kicking by Oski.

The first tree recalls the incident:  "And I got tackled by the Berkeley Bear." 

"Yeah, the Berkeley Bear ran over and knocked me down, and the Band broke formation to come and save me," Hutson says.

It was not the kind of debut one would associate with an enduring symbol [uh, yeah it was]. Link.

Some pics of Oski in action

An early ass kicking for the tree:

via www.stanfordalumni.org

Oski says: "Pimpin' ain't easy!"

via www.oski.com

Oski crip-walking:

via www.oski.com

Oski isn't afraid of shattering traditions: "Walking is so out of style!"

via www.oski.com

Time for a Jenny Jones Makeover?

In 1999, Oski was shrouded in controversy. The ASUC Senate introduced a bill to update Oski's tubby, old-fashioned look. It was eventually vetoed, but not before the public came to his defense. Oski himself appeared at an ASUC meeting and scribbled on a blackboard: "For over 50 years, I have worked very hard to represent everything that is great about Cal. Please respect that."

First off, I love Oski.  He represents character and creativity that many other "modern mascots" lack.  His sweater, pants, and shoes are all great parts of his wardrobe, and I've never seen him tuck a jersey into basketball shorts.  Yet, there's something about his face that bothers me.  It looks like it comes from an era before modern technology and he looks slightly related to Goofy.  Part of me would like to see an Oski facelift - something that will keep his character  but bring his face into "pimpmode" instead of "dorkmode." It would also be nice if he could resume kicking the tree's ass.   What do you all think?

Please vote, make comments, add photos and videos as well.  Let's celebrate our mascot.

[Note: Much of this material came from sources at oski.com]

As our own Bertolt Brecht explained recently, the history of the CGB is th history of class struggle.  This is clearly evident in the last 499 DBDs which have been horded, monopolized, and controlled by that greedy, painfully self-absorbed, capitalist pig named Twist.  But the proletariat will not stand by idly while Twist and the ruling class covers the eyes of masses and profits from all the glory of the working class.  So today begins the revolution that our sons and daughters will mark down in their history books as the day that Twist was overthrown and his DBD streak was no more!

[And now back to reality]

I'm not sure I have any interesting links, but I didn't feel like waking up at the butt crack of dawn to beat Twist to the punch, so to speak, so here goes.

In yesterday's news on the stadium front, the Berkeley City Council yesterday announced it would not be appealing the Judge's decision anytime soon.  [Apparently there were not enough votes supporting an appeal and the council can't/won't consider it again for another 58 days, effectively meaning that COB will most likely not be involved in any appeal.  Normally the time to appeal is 60 days, so technically there is time to get involved in the appeal but in terms of seeking to preserve the injunction, COB will not be involved.]

Twist attended the meeting and provided us this picture of himself while there.

via eyjan.is

It seems like his sign did the trick in persuading the council members.  Good job Twist!

Earlier in the day, it was noted that the PHA and California Oak Found., filed their Notice of Appeal with the Superior Court.  They paid about $655 filing fee plus $5,200 for the Court Reporter to prepare the record that will be used on appeal. This is not the actual appeal but is a procedural step necessary to ultimately file the appeal (Petition for Review) in the appropriate appellate court.  Even if there is an "automatic 20 day stay" continuing the injunction (which I have not been able to verify and have doubts about), I think the actual Petition for Review (appeal) needs to be filed in the Court of Appeals having jurisdiction over Alameda County for anything automatic to kick in.  But remember folks, to get a Court of Appeals to maintain an injunction, one of the elements needed to be shown is the "probability of success on the merits."  That is pretty damn impossible to show when you already got your ass kicked on the merits, but that's just my opinion and as I've stated before, my opinion means squat.

Speaking of opinions, someone picked Cal to finish first in the Pac-10!  That's right, over USCheat.  So at least one reporter that covers the Pac-10 knows something about football.  In response to that one vote, our great center Alex Mack said:

"We have a believer." and "I believe we can win the national championship."

In that same articled are a few interesting JT quotes:

Tedford said Jahvid Best, the presumed starter at running back who missed spring ball with a hip injury, is "100 percent healthy."

Tedford is not absolutely sure the legal battle to begin construction of the athletic training center is over, even though a judge ruled this week that the injunction will be lifted Tuesday, barring any further appeals. "I think we're as close as we've been to having some movement," he said, "but it's not over until they say, 'Go.' Over the last month, it's been a big distraction."

In other football news, our friend Phillip Fulmer was served with a subpoena regarding his possible involvement in ratting out an illegal Alabama booster.

And just because I feel like saying it: Brett Favre is an idiot!  Brett Favre is an idiot! Brett Favre is an idiot!! Ok so there are conflicting reports about his possible idiocy, but I'll say it again: Brett Favre is an idiot!

Dump away!

Mostly in response to the recent trades of Harden, Gaudin and Blanton, there has been a lot of talk around here lately of how the A’s are now “primed” to consistently win in the future or in Fremont.  Many have said or suggested it is only a matter of time (Fremont) until the A’s become perennial AL West winners, the Angels become perennial losers, and the A’s even win one or more championships.  Putting aside the real question of when Fremont will arrive (2012?), the recent trades leave me with more unanswered questions than answers and these questions leave me doubting the claims of those who see the future as A’s bliss.  (For the sake of effect I will be referring to “Fremont” and “the future” interchangeably, realizing they are not identical).

Below are a number of questions that concern me greatly:

1.         Who is going to hit and drive in runs in Fremont?

            With all the talk of how the A’s now have the envy of young pitching in the majors and minors, people seem to forget that to win you still have to score more runs than the other team.  As it stands, the A’s currently field 3 legitimate “hitters” that should play and contribute in Fremont: CarGon, Swooney, and Susuki.  Cust does not make the list b/c of his record pace for strikeouts, his apparent inability to hit anything other than fastballs, and his age.  Crosby doesn’t make the list b/c he’s not a hitter.  Barton seems like he’ll never learn to hit. Chavez is too much of a question mark for now and likely will be gone by then.  That leaves holes at one OF spot, 1B, 2B, SS, and 3B (yes the entire infield).  What about the minors? [I am admittedly not as knowledgeable as many here about the A’s minor league hitting prospects].  Do any of the A’s second basemen become good hitters and fielders?  Do we ever get another shortstop that can hit?  Will we be able to field a first baseman that makes us forget about Giambi?  Who takes over for Chavez?  I know many of you might throw out the names Cunningham (OF), Carter (DH?), and Doolittle (1B) but these are just “prospects” no?  I’m tired of prospects (see DJ, Barton) and want some actual hitters.  I remember that Barton was lauded as the best hitting prospect in the Cardinals and then A’s organizations . . .  but look at him now.  And until these “prospects” prove they can hit major league pitching, I’m not ready to celebrate 9 AL West titles in a row. [Like many of you, I think it would have been nice if one of Billy’s trades netted an actual guy that hits ML pitching now].

2.         How good will our young pitchers be?

            I’ll admit most of the time I am really really really excited about the future of A’s pitching.  But how good will these young guns be? To date both Eveland and Smith have shown flashes of good pitching, but is their youth to blame for their struggles or is what we see what we get? Are they still on the learning curve? Will they even be around by Fremont? And how good will everyone else be?  Cahill, Gonzalez, Inoa,  Anderson, and Simmons are all great prospects, but right now just that.  Remember that Dan Meyer was once a great “prospect” also and he’s been all frustration and no performance.  Braden was also touted as a good, if not great prospect and he is not much more than AAAA quality.

3.         Will the A’s even spend money in Fremont?

            Everyone assumes they will, but why?  Because Billy has said that?  Someone even recently wrote that one of the A’s first big signings in Fremont will be Justin Upton. Who knows if Billy will even be around then, he may get picked up by the English Premier League to run a team, and that may now be his dream.  What if the owners simply want to run the team like a traditional business – let’s make some money and turn a profit?  I continue to worry that with the declining value of the dollar in the present economy, Fremont may not mean spending more money.  Why spend it when it means more profit for the owners?  Will the A's stop being a farm system for the wealthy teams of the MLB?  I hope the A's spend money in Fremont, but I have doubts about whether that will ever happen.

4.         Why are so many assuming the Angels will be a non-factor during the Fremont era?

            While the Angels farm system isn’t what it once was, it still is very solid and more importantly it is one of the few franchises that achieves 3 million in attendance every year and has an owner that spends (and overspends) on free agents.  The Angels have shown they are more than willing to follow the Yankee model of success by buying runs and paying top dollar for them.  Why should we assume that they will not buy their way into competing with the A’s?  I for one am not making that assumption.  [And I am also not assuming that Seattle will be a non-factor because even though Bavasi pretty much ruined that team for a few years, it will come back]. 

Because of all these questions, I am not willing to see Fremont as automatic A’s bliss.  And all the talk of it as such evokes sentiments of a “better world, at a better tomorrow.”  I’m not taking that drug and before I feel confident in celebrating the demise of the Evil Empire (Latin edition) I would like to see some concrete answers to these questions.

(Ed Note:  OakTown works his magick again.  I don't think we have to drown him in a lake to know he's a magician here.  But it couldn't hurt to double check, I guess.  Quick!   To Lake Merritt!

If you want to read the UC filings yourself, here's a link with more information.  And if you want to read the discussion of the plaintiff's proposed order, here is the link.

Of course, besides Oaktown's analysis, we welcome any and all analyses of anything relating to the court case.  Ragnarok and danzig were already disussing it and we look forward to further discussion.

Also, Ragnarok attended the non-event yesterday at the Courtroom.  It was non-eventful.  So, lot's of stuff going down on a lovely Friday.  Czech it out.)

So, the UC filed its papers on Friday June 27 and I have to say, the filing kicks ass.  It is very long and very in depth and requires a good chunk of time to sift through, but here is a summary.

Continue reading this post »

[Ed's Note:  First, Danzig provided great analysis,   here  here  here  here here here  here  here  here  here  here  here  here and  here.  Now, OakTownMario, who has previously done some great analysis on this case for us weighs in.]

[Ed's Note 2:  I also added a poll to gauge the feeling of the people.]

So after uploading 129 images and printing them individually (take that trees!), I read through the entire decision, which at times was very boooooring.  (It was only after my arduous print job, that I much later discovered that someone put the whole decision into a PDF file. Oh well).

So the following is a summary and my impressions of the Judge’s decision.  As you can tell by the title, I have no flippin’ idea how the media claims this was a defeat for the school.  Alternate title: VICTORY!!!

Continue reading this post »

Well, as all of you know by now, Ryan Anderson elected to remain in the draft instead of returning at Cal to get two Nat'l Championships.  Bummer.  As disappointed as I am, I really do hope he gets picked in the top 20, but every draft tracker has him in the late 1st or early 2nd.  We'll have to wait to see where he gets picked to decide if his move paid off or not.

Interesting note in the article is this quote:

Anderson remains optimistic about the Bears and said he's heard rumors Cal might get 6-10 transfer Alex Stepheson, who left North Carolina earlier this spring after his sophomore season.

Anybody know anything about this guy?

In other Pac-10 news, Chase Budinger will return for his junior year , and Luc Richard is staying in the draft.

In more bad press for the NFL, Raiders receiver Walker was robbed in Vegas and knocked out .

And finally, Tyson Ross signed with the A's a few days ago.  Some people are concerned about his mechanics and think they are too similar to Mark Prior's.  Hopefully the A's can fix them and get him to use his legs.  If he does use his legs, I think he could throw like 125 mph.

Dump away!

Unfortunately this isn't a movie deal for Marshawn.  He's been named the prime suspect in the hit and run accident we've all been discussing.  The ESPN bottom line confirmed that the DA has named Lynch the prime suspect (the linked story does not mention the DA).  Also of note, other Bills' players may have been with him.  Oh no . . .

In better news, Tyson Ross discusses his excitement about being drafted by the A's - the team he grew up watching "too many times" to count.  He'll be at the A's game Friday night against the hated "Angels Angels."  I say let him start instead of "Cupcakes", who's been having a rough time lately. 

Dump away!

So not much going on the world of Cal Sports . . . but we have found out that Marshawn has invoked his Sixth Amendment Right to the assistance of counsel and/or his Fifth Amendment Right to remain silent regarding the hit and run his car was involved in recently.http://www.contracostatimes.com/colleges/ci_9470848

In any case, it doesn't look good for our former Cal Bear since police seem pissed at him for not talking with them.  Hey, I hate police just like any other red blooded Berkeley radical, but generally if you have nothing to hide, then why not tell your side of the story?  Not looking good for Marshawn, but I'll wait to pass judgment until there is more info.

Oh, and Cal men's "eight" rowing will be seeking a Nat'l Championship this weekend.http://calbears.cstv.com/sports/m-crew/spec-rel/060308aac.html

Gosh, Football season can't come soon enough.

Go Bears!

P.S. Stupid question: How do you insert type into links so that they can flow as part of a sentence?

So despite almost getting swept by the baby bruins over the weekend in what could have been a really ugly series, Cal (3 seed) finally made it to its first CWS since 2001 and will play University of San Diego (2 seed) in its first game, in the Long Beach State bracket.  Here's the bracket:

http://ncaa.com/uploadedFiles/Sports/Baseball/Articles/Division_I/2008MCWS64-teamBracket.pdf

I saw that USD has the 2nd best team e.r.a. in the country so the Bears better bring their bats.

Here's the recap from the last game of the weekend series where the Bears got shut out by Fucla two straight games! Yikes!

http://calbears.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/recaps/052508aab.html

The women didn't fare so well in their CWS, getting beat by Florida twice over the weekend to get eliminated.  But given their inconsistent play over the season and the fact that Florida was the overall # 1 seed, it would have been shocking for Cal to win.  Congrats to a pretty good season lady bears.

http://calbears.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/recaps/052408aaa.html

Have a good Memorial Day and dump away!

So not a whole lot of happenings in the Cal world.

For those of us who have not seen too much of our Cal Rugby team, you all have an opportunity to watch the championship game on Wednesday May 21, on ESPNU at 7:00 p.m. I know it's an ass kicking and a couple weeks old, but given that football and basketball didn't do much ass kicking last year it would be good to watch any Cal Bear team kick ass.

http://calbears.cstv.com/sports/m-rugby/spec-rel/051908aaa.html

If you want more info on Cal women's tennis, here it is:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/19/SPOD10P4T7.DTL

I know it's not football news, but I'm trying here . . .

A short on the Furd's basketball coaching staff:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/16/SP1G10N571.DTL

Is anyone here worried about the Furd's program for next year being any good?  Usually they always seem to find a way to beat Cal, but hey Braun's gone so they must be upset, right?

I know this is dated, but should Montgomery make a run at this guy from Richmond who is leaving Indiana?  I think we need at least one crazy guy on the team, right?

http://www.contracostatimes.com/colleges/ci_9130033

Oh, you're waiting for the oral sex?  No big deal, just a bunch of questionable numbers on a study regarding teens and oral sex.  Basically it says that contrary to popular belief, teens are not engaging in rampant oral sex to preserve their virginity.  See HydroTech, you're not the only one abstaining!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/20/MNIA10P1UP.DTL

Oh, and for you A's fans, they keep sucking, and Blanton keeps showing he is not an Ace.

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20080519&content_id=2732357&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=oak

That's all I got, dump away.

At "Athletics Nation" a great SNB site devoted to the Oakland A's, the community there posts a "Daily Link Dump" or "DLD"  where news concerning the team, players, front office, etc. are linked.  It's great if you want to link some articles but don't necessarily want to write at length about an issue.  It also allows anyone to add a link about whatever topic they want people to know about.

So I thought I'd throw this out as an idea.  There are no rules really as people link random stuff as well as stuff about the team, but generally people stay focused on the team or happenings that affect competitors.  It'd be nice to go here first for all our teams' news. So here goes the CGB first link dump.  I guess we'll find out if Bears like to dump. Dump away!

Men's basketball has released it's 2008-2009 schedule.  Nothing really impressive but I guess this is more likely Braun's schedule than Montgomery's.

http://calbears.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/051908aac.html

There's a story at the CC Times about Ryan Anderson and how "he's excited to play" for Montgomery.  The quote is odd since it discusses his pre-draft NBA plans.

http://calbears.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/051908aac.html

Cal women's tennis defeated Baylor and is into the NCAA Finals for the first time in program history.  Congrats women, and good luck bringing another championship to Cal.

http://calbears.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/051908aac.html

So after last night’s Huston Street debacle I decided I was going to track my own simple stat which will simply count the games that the A’s “should have won.”  I’ve been thinking about doing this for years because unlike Joe Morgan and others, I think April (and now March) games are just as important as September and October games.  I guess it’s because they all affect your win-loss record, which in turn affects your playoff chances – but that’s just how I roll.

Anyway, how do you determine what games the A’s “should have won?”  I guess I could go all stat geek and look at win expectancy graphs, but I want to do something more subjective and just decide for myself on an every game basis what game the A’s “should have won.”  I know this is a bit Joe Morganesque, but what the heck.  Because of this subjective nature however, I am inviting everyone else to come up with their own way of deciding what games the A’s “should have won.”  Keep track of them and perhaps every month or 30 games we can share our “should have won” tracker and compare how we see things.

A few considerations I will take into account . . .  A blown save will almost always translate into a “should have won game” unless the save opportunity is extremely difficult (Street coming into a one rune game with bases loaded and no outs, etc.).  But yesterday’s BS is a clear “should have won” game in my opinion.  Also, Emil Brown’s attempt to mimick Eric Byrnes alone would also create a “should have won” game.  Similarly, taking an 11-0 lead at any time and blowing that game (as the 20 win team almost did), would be a “should have won” game.

I guess if you count “should have won” games, you should also count “should have lost” games to see if things “even out” so to speak, but I honestly don’t have enough time to do this so my game tracking will be admittedly one sided.  But if anyone else has the time maybe they can do both.

Again, I am not trying to be objective and admittedly this process will be arbitrary, but I’d like to see if we are collectively on the same page or not.  Perhaps at the end of the year we can vote on “should have won” games.  Or perhaps we can keep a count on the DLD.

Oh, and just in case you’re wondering.  The A’s “should have won” this morning. 

“Should have won” games to date: 1

This comes from a pretty reliable source in Susan Slusser:

Basically, Harden will be placed on the DL.  MRI revealed no structural damage.  Medical recommendation is 2 weeks of rest followed by rehab, with him returning in "mid to late August."

Some quotes:

"The team's first news after the break is that right-hander Rich Harden, so effective when healthy, is expected to land back on the disabled list today."

"Harden was examined by Angels orthopedist Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles on Monday and Harden is still experiencing difficulty with an impingement in the back of his right shoulder."

Continue reading this post »

While watching the Mets beatdown on Lenny "Why I Am I Starting" DiNardo and the A's, I almost turned off the tube.  But I thought I might see Harden later and such was the case.  I was viewing on the Mets channel and the broadcasters had an interesting discussion about Harden, which got me thinking.

The short of it was that the broadcasters were questioning why such a great talent like Harden, coming off an injury, would go to the bullpen instead of working up his pitch count in rehab for return as a starter.  One of the guys then said he talked to Geren about the issue and that Geren said Harden would work out of the bullpen, eventually as the closer, and that "after the ASB" he would return to the rotation. When Geren was asked why a starter would not work as a starter to get himself ready for that role, Geren was said to not have been able to give an adequate answer.

Continue reading this post »

I'm not sure this warrants a whole diary, but when asking these questions in the link dump, people seem to ignore them because they are too busy dumping or too busy reading about how Tommy Lasorda likes Orel . . . or is it "oral" . . . pretty gross stuff.

Simple questions:

1.  When is the best time to get autographs during ST?  
    Before the game?  If so, how early should one      arrive?
    After the game?  If so, how late should one expect to stay?

2.  Is it different for position players than for pitchers?
   
3.  Does this vary with respect to Home and Away games?  How?
   
4.  Should I have my 6 year-old daughter do all the work, or will "adult" fans get equal attention from players?

Thanks for any helpful responses.

Since Street went on the DL, Duke has done a great job of closing games.  While he doesn't have typical closer stuff - namely a flaming fastball - he does know how to change speeds, use all his pitches and work both sides of the plate.  And he's been able to get that two inning save that Street has so much trouble with.

So my question is simple:  with Street scheduled to come off the DL, should he move into a set up role for Duke with Duke closing?

Street has not looked great this year, and has struggled to regain his rookie form.  Has the league caught up to him or has he just not been healthy?  I think one of his problems is that he has not pitched effectively on the inside part of the plate.  More often than not (it seems like almost every batter), Street pitches middle away.  I don't know if this is a coach's decision, Kendall's decision, or Street's decision, but it is rare to see Street throw inside to batters.  While he has great stuff, if a batter can look middle away, regardless of the pitch, it's easier to get hits.  That's why I think Street has given up a lot of bloop hits even when he fools hitters.

Given Duke's ability to close out games recently, I think he should close, at least until Street becomes dominant again.  What do you think?

Found a really interesting article in the NY Daily News on a suspected roid supplier working with many Dominican players including - currently - Colon, Escobar and Santana.  The article is fairly long but towards the bottom discusses the suspected supplier's current relationship with Colon and the other Angel pitchers.  I demand those three guys get tested immediately!

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/439282p-369944c.html

Are these guys cheating?  Where there's smoke, there's fire.

Which leads me to a thought.  In individual sports when players cheat they are stripped of their victories.  We see this a lot in track and field, boxing, and other sports.  Should there be a forfeiture of games when MLB players are cheating and their participation leads to a win?  I know, it would be very difficult to define what action or non-action by a player "contributes" to a win, but it's just a thought.  Also, I don't think science can yet pinpoint to precise dates of use - can it?
Vote in poll.

I've been watching the pregame report on NESN and they are reporting the Bartolo Collon aka (Shrek 2) injured his elbow while pitching in today's game vs. the Devil Dogs.  The Angels still will win (15 - 6 in 9th).  Colon gave up 4 hits (2HR) in 1 inning of work.  They said it has something to do with his elbow.  I flipped to ESPNews and the bottom line says Colon has elbow irritation.
Is this an equalizer for the A's to win the West since our ace is out forever?   Should this change Beane's startegy in these last days prior to the trade deadline? P.S. The NESN guys also said the lineups aren't up yet (it's 12:18 p.m. now) b/c Chavez had an MRI this morning and the team (Macha) is waiting for the results before filling out the lineup.

Don't know if there are too many Bear fans here but yesterday Cal Alumn Leon Powe signed a three year deal with the Boston Celtics after leaving Cal early to pursue his dream of playing in the NBA.  The first year of the contract is guaranteed with him making close to $450,000 in the first year.  Not the big $$ many players hope for but Powe made it - a remarkable story for someone who had an absent father, lost his home to fire, lost his mother 4 days before leading Oak Tech to a state high school championship, and essentially was raised by the rough streets of Oaktown.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/sports/colleges/cal/15071722.htm

Here is one part of his dramatic story:

http://celtics.bostonherald.com/celtics/view.bg?articleid=147523&format=&page=1

I got to see Leon play at Cal for two great years and enjoyed every game he played.  Though it would have been nice for him to stay one more year in the blue and gold, this is one case where leaving early was his only move.

CONGRATULATIONS LEON! If anyone deserves this success, you do.

    A lot has been said about whether the A's should buy or sell come trade deadline.  Most of it has been intelligent and has focused on the health of the roster, the minor league system, etc. but some has been based on a "sky is falling" mentality.  Here are my thoughts.

    I think the most popular opinion on AN is that this team should buy if Harden is healthy or will be healthy shortly after the trade deadline (TD).  The assumption is that everyone else will be healthy by that time also (Bradley, Kennedy, Witasuck) and that appears to be a fair assumption.

I think it doesn't matter if Harden is healthy and if we finally get our  "on paper"  lineup that Billy envisioned at the start of the year.  And because of this, I think the A's should sell.  Why?

    Our "on paper" lineup is just not good.  What??  Well it may be good enough to win the West (a big assumption), but it's not good enough to win a playoff series against the Yankees, Red Sox, White Sox, Tigers, or even Twins.  Take a look at the stats of who I consider to be the current contenders and A's likely opponents if the A's make the playoffs (they aren't pretty for a team hoping to win it all):

        Runs    Hits    BA    OBP     SLG
CHI    520    894    .288    .354    .476   
BOS    486    861    .283    .366    .457   
NYY    479    846    .282    .362    .443   
DET    455    842    .274    .330    .458   
MIN    422    821    .277    .342    .415   
OAK    380    723    .243    .323    .389   
TB    383    752    .251    .313    .423   

        OPS    BA/RISP    SLG/RISP  OBP/RISP
CHI    .829    .316    .535      .389
BOS    .823    .267    .407      .370
NYY    .805    .280    .465      .382
DET    .788    .272    .436      .340
MIN    .757    .291    .435      .367
OAK    .712    .233    .370      .333
TB    .736    .235    .395      .318

Sadly, the A's rank last or close to last in the AL, in all the categories listed.  I've placed TB's stats to how bad of an offensive team this is.  Sorry folks, but Milton Bradley's return to the lineup is not going to radically alter these low numbers.  While Milton did hit .321, with 10 HR and 56 RBI with CLE in 101 games, his best overall year was with LA when he hit .267, with 19 HR and 67 RBI in 141 games in 2004.

    What about the argument that players such as Kotsay, Ellis, and Kendall are performing under their career average?  I'm not buying it.  Kendall is what he is, a .250 -  .275 hitter with absolutely no power.  I expect Kotsay to improve but not dramatically, ditto for Ellis.  Chavez should improve if healthy (a big if), and I believe Swisher and Crosby will continue to do what they do; play well one game and look like rookies the next.  Thomas will continue to hit his solo HR's and Bradley's return will provide a slight boost.  Payton will get just as cold as he is now hot.  Kielty and Melhuse, who I believe need more AB's will not play enough to make a difference.  I think DJ has to improve b/c his first half has been so bad, but I don't think he'll reach 20 HRs for the season.  But regardless of whether these players improve over their first half, we still have the big problem with this team which is getting on base and hitting with RISP, and then doing that in the playoffs.  Look at the stats, Oakland's OBP is only barely better the LAA's, SEA's and TB's.  And OAK's team BA with RISP is dead LAST!!  Compare any of these offensive numbers with the teams Oakland would be playing in the playoffs and I can't see this team getting by the first round again.  Sure anything can happen in the playoffs and crappy teams have won it (LAA), but is it likely? No.

So here's my proposal:  Trade and build for 2007 and beyond.

Trade who? (if OAK trades Zito, why not everyone on this list?)

1.    Barry Zito - A top notch pitcher will be coveted by many teams at the TD  -  NYM, NYY, and BOS to name a few.  Barry's value will be high and Billy should get a deal he can't refuse.  Get  3 players similar to the Mulder deal (a young pitcher, reliever and a bat or young pitcher and two bats) with a bat being ready to contribute in 2007.

2.    Joe Blanton -  Yeah his stock is low  but he is young and has proven he can be a 4th  - 5th starter.  I really don't think Joe will get better than his current numbers show unless he only pitches against Seattle forever.  The stats here don't lie: Joe Morgan stats (Wins/Losses and e.r.a.) show the same as his peripherals like K/BB, whip, etc.  Joe Blanton is a .500 pitcher.  Don't we have that in Saarloos?  The question is what will we get in return?  Maybe a bat and someone who can compete for the 5 spot in 2007.  If OAK doesn't get a pitcher ready for MLB work in 07, let Saarloos/Halsey/Windsor have the 5th spot for 2007. [This is the only trade I would have some reservations about b/c of Blanton's youth]

3.    Jason Kendall - What is he worth to this team?  A face to block a spike?  A tackle against the ugliest pitcher in baseball?  He will probably hit .270 this year with 1 HR, but he has returned to last year's form of allowing everyone to run on him.  His value is low but I believe Pitt will be paying $5 mill of his K next year.  If Billy sends that $ along with Kendall he should be able to get something in return.  Let Millhouse catch and bring up Brown or Suzuki.  And please, stop telling me about how Kendall "knows" how to call a game b/c this team's pitchers have had success under Ramon, Damian Miller, and Millhouse.

4.    Loaiza (aka The Tijuana Turd)  - Yeah he sucks, but Beane got rid of Mark Redman and Arthur Rhodes.  I trust he can work his magic here.  Do it gain Billy!

5.    Witasuck -  This bullpen has shown it can do fine without him and he has not looked good all year (on the DL of course).  Get a AA bat for him from a contender.

6.    Payton - His value is as high as it will get right now, and unless Beane thinks he is the solution to a corner outfield spot for the future, the time is right to trade him.  

7.    Frank Thomas - He is having a pretty good year for a great value.  One of Beane's better moves recently.  Sure he clogs up the basepaths and hits for low average, but he could help a lot of teams in their playoff push. [Keep only if re-signing for similar value is possible]

Loaiza and Kendall would be more in the nature of salary dumps than true trades, but this salary dumping could allow Billy to sign an outfield bat for 2007 - something the A's desperately need.

I realistically think this scenario or combination is better than (perhaps) eking out an AL West division and losing yet again in the first round.  It is in the nature of a mini-fire sale and protects the core strength of this group.  It also protects what we all agree on is a farm system that is either (a) in shambles or (b) weak and in the rebuilding process.  Sure Billy knows how to get prime value for his trades, but I don't think the remaining value in the farm system should be dealt away in the same way that the Yankees always do.  Keep whatever talent OAK has left in the OAK system.  Your thoughts?

All who saw the game tonight know Thomas didn't look good after his 362 foot single on the 3rd.  Here's a little more info from ESPN on the strained right quad injury:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2484972

"It's the same thing I did in New York," Thomas said. "It's going to be a while one way or the other."

Good thing for interleague play I guess.

Too bad Charlie Finley didn't convince MLB on that designated runner idea, b/c then the A's would be seriously dangerous.