Sharks v Ducks

Tonight the Sharks take on the Ducks for the second time in three days. The Sharks are looking strong in there past five games going 3-2 and they are winning with JR and Cheech out of the lineup.

The Sharks are leading the Ducks in most Offensive and Defensive stats going into tonights game. It will be a fun game to watch, as all of these rivalry games are. Sharks are at the top in the Pacific but they need every point they can get to fend off the surging Stars. It is still early in the season and the Sharks have not been consistent enough to be labeled a sure pick in the West. However, what I have seen is promising. Lets face it, the Sharks have a phenomenal team but they are mentally weak. When things begin to break down in a game, it breaks down hard and fast. This is the time for the Sharks to begin strengthening their mental game. When they get behind by a goal or two, they need to keep it close and give themselves a chance... we all know they are capable of doing that, it is time for them to prove it to themselves.

SJ Injuries:

Jonathan Cheechoo	F	Out Indefinitely (groin injury)
Ryane Clowe	F	Out Indefinitely (leg injury)
Brad Norton	D	Out Indefinitely (back injury)
Jeremy Roenick	F	Out Indefinitely (knee injury)
Alexei Semenov

Welcome to the Bay Rowand!

Thank God... Just a quick note, the Giants decided to sign Rowand to a five year 60 million dollar contract. Rowand is an outstanding hitter, has a great average and knows how to bring in runs. Did I mention he is one of the best center fielders in the league. More to come on this, but it is great to acquire a guy of this caliber in the free agency. Now lets get one more big bat signed so we can keep our rotation and start winning games again. More to come on this, but this is great news...

Warriors lose with out Monte

There is no question what Monte Ellis brings to the Warriors both on offense and defense, SPEED. His speed was severely missed in the losing effort on Wednesday night against the Blazers. The Warriors need his speed with the offense they have decided to put together.

Three different Blazers, including Brandon Roy put up 20+ points. The Warriors did show some heart and determination when they closed a 14 point gap in the third period. However, eventually the lofty shooting of Barnes and Jackson could not keep a lead going into the forth.

Baron Davis and Barnes had an amazing game, especially one night after defeating the Spurs. It is frustrating to me, and I am sure to all you other bay area fans, to see such an effort on Davis's part go to waste. The Warriors have an explosive fast paced offense, but for some reason when they have to bring the ball from half court, they choke. I hate to say it, but you cannot depend on the turnovers and fast breaks to win all of your games. The Warriors have a pesky defense, but when the turnovers stop coming, a fundamental offense needs to be established.

It is time for someone to step up. When Jackson was not there they went 0-6, when Ellis wasn't there they could not keep up with Roy. Jackson and Davis have been on a tear as of late, but it is time for everyone to pull it together, stop taking outside shots and drive to the hoop. In the game against the Spurs, the Warriors did not draw a foul for nearly eight minutes into the game. Davis and Biedrins need to get to the line, and they only can do that by driving, right?

I am sick of watching these fast breaks, where Barnes pulls back mid run to take an off balance jumper that we all know is not going in. Harrington needs to slow it down, and perfect the ball movement when Davis brings it in from half court. We all know that the Warriors are a playoff caliber team. Having said that, they need every win they can get. The Blazers have beat some good teams, like Dallas and Denver... But the Warriors could have taken a win if they showed some patience in the first and second quarter. Hopefully Ellis will be back, Azubuike is fast but not Ellis fast... he is a major part of that offense. Lets see what they can do on Friday against Kobe, it should be a fun game.

"Fanhood"

As I was driving home from a long day of moving furniture and packing boxes, something began to stir in my head. I found my self obsessed with the notion of what it is to be a sports fan. I often become frustrated at my better half's lack of knowledge, passion and overall interest in professional sports. My mind took a journey through my past. I needed to recreate what drove to being a sports fan in order to answer my question and gain some perspective.

It is an age old disagreement. Some people simply cannot get enough of watching, playing, and discussing sports. While others think it is silly to spend a chunk of time watching, playing or discussing sports. In order to better understand why some people are not attracted to sports, I needed to reflect on my journey to this obsession I call "fanhood."

For the better part of my life I have been involved in sports. Growing up I played baseball, basketball, football, soccer and golf. Throughout my adolescence I did not pay much attention to the professional side of sports. It was not until my senior year of high school and into my college career that I actually became enthralled with professional sports teams. Why all of a sudden did I care so much about how many games back the Giants were, or if Baron Davis could keep his knee healthy for the post season.

As I began to put the pieces together I had somewhat of an epiphany. It is clear to me that grown men and women do not simply watch sporting events to see who and wins and loses. There are some very clear reasons for being a part of "fanhood." I realized that a "game" can tell a much greater story then just the game that is being played. You can look at any sport, and at any team, and at any match, you will find a great story that is being told through the game. A story about a person playing the game, a team overcoming adversity, a coach fighting for his job, or a city in desperate need of something to cheer for.

People who view sporting events as something you can just find on the television, watch for a while, and then click to something else are missing a huge part of what the game really is. It would be as if you picked up a novel, turned to page 78 and began reading. You would not be interested, you have no back story, no connection, and no development. Sports can be looked at in the exact same way. I love sports for the story that will be written by the outcome and the competitive nature of the game.

One example of this would be the recent death of Sean Taylor. I am not a fan of the Redskins, nor did I pay any particular attention to #21 however, the next two games I pulled for the Redskins to win probably more then I did for my local team. An intricate and involved story came out of that tragedy. I wanted to see the Redskins win, and win for Sean. Unfortunetly that did not happen, but it was still a story told through the game. You can apply this to the whole spectrum of sports, whether it is JR coming out of retirement and scoring his 500th goal, or Harvick's first win in Earnhardt's car, or watching Brees and Bush bring hope to a destroyed city.

My point here is not to convince everyone to start following sports and become crazed fans. It is simply to enlighten people and provide an explanation for folks who do not understand what it is that draws us to the game. There are certainly other reasons for watching sports and being a fan. I am sure most would mention that sports attract people because of the barbarianism, or the ability to gamble on them, or the deep tradition people have about roooting for the same team there father, grandfather, and great grandfather rooted for. I will leave you with this thought. People are entertained by sports for a number of reasons. It could be the size or skill of the players, it could be because they want to belong to something, or it could be because they want to escape their forty hour work week and be distracted by something else. The true sports fan finds meaning in the games that are played. It is not the outcome of the game itself, it the journey through the game and the stories that will be told along the way.

-NJ