SF Examiner: Stage set for more Pebble magic

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By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

PEBBLE BEACH — It’s a place of myth, magic and great champions. It’s a name, Pebble Beach, that evokes other names, those such as Nicklaus, Watson, Kite and Woods.

A golf course can be equated to a battlefield. It’s what happened there that makes it unforgettable. Through the years at Pebble Beach, what’s happened is four times the U.S. Open was played and four times top players won.

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2010 SF Newspaper Company

RealClearSports: Reacquainting with Tiger, the Golfer

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By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- The sense of determination was heavy. Tiger Woods allowed that, yes, golf is supposed to be fun. "It's a game,'' he reminded. But a game with a purpose. To be a winner.

He sat there Tuesday, fielding questions two days before this 110th U.S. Open as he does before every major, smiling occasionally, snapping once. Whatever has gone on the last several months, and it's been a great deal, we are about to become reacquainted with Tiger the Golfer.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2010

SF Examiner: 10 years later, it's a different Tiger at Pebble

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By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

PEBBLE BEACH — The man has changed. At least to our way of thinking. It’s a different Tiger Woods.

The course has changed. The Pebble Beach that Woods and the rest of the field will challenge starting Thursday in the U.S. Open is not the Pebble on which Woods won the Open 10 years ago.

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2010 SF Newspaper Company

SF Examiner: Pebble's 18th a tough beast to tame

in ,
By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

SAN FRANCISCO — It’s the beast that’s the best; water on the left, out-of-bounds on the right and possibly success dead ahead. It’s the 18th hole at Pebble Beach, a last stop on the road to glory or to oblivion.

Someone will come parading up 18 Sunday, the scheduled last round of this 110th U.S Open, surf crackling, crowd cheering, headed for America’s golfing championship.

Read the full story.

Copyright 2010 SF Newspaper Company

RealClearSports: NCAA's Verdict: USC Out of Control

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By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com




Maybe they should change the name of that USC offensive formation to "student body wrong.''

The place known as Tailback U is now "We Caught U.'' The NCAA has nothing against players accepting pitchouts but as proved once more it's greatly opposed to handouts, illegal ones, that is.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2010

Global Golf Post: Tennis Anyone?

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By Art Spander
For GlobalGolfPost.com

It was June 1972, on the bluffs above Carmel Bay, the first time America's golf championship was brought to Pebble Beach. There was plenty of history: Jack Nicklaus winning, to tie Bobby Jones' record of 13 majors; a first U.S. Open ever on a course available to the public.

There was also a great deal of hysteria.

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2010 Global Golf Post

SF Examiner: With familiar offense intact, Niners feeling comfortable

in ,
By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

SANTA CLARA — In football it’s always the future. And on this Tuesday morning of sunshine and possibility, for the 49ers it made sense to look ahead.

To the result of the vote on the planned stadium, to the results of a season which is only three months away, and you’d better believe the schedule.

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2010 SF Newspaper Company

RealClearSports: Lakers on the Freeway to Success

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By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

Ray Allen's jumper must have been stopped at security. He traveled from L.A. to Boston, but his shot wasn't allowed to board. Or knowing the airlines, maybe it was shipped to the Bahamas by mistake, with those suitcases which were supposed to go to Baltimore.

Is there a Bureau of Missing Baskets?

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2010

RealClearSports: The Great Fight Ends for John Wooden

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By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

The discipline is about to begin up in heaven. St. Peter will learn how to wear his socks and tie his shoes. Or else.

John Wooden's arrived, and if there's one thing John never could accept, it was ignoring fundamentals, whether dealing with the proper method of shooting free throws or the proper method of getting into one's footwear.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2010

RealClearSports: Imperfect Baseball Showed Its Best Face

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By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

Sporting America is at a better place today. The principles so often promoted as the real values of our games, respect, acceptance, moving beyond issues over which we have no control, have been placed out there before us.

And we responded like champions.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2010

RealClearSports: Celtics: A History of Agony for Lakers

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By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

They came from Minneapolis 50 years ago -- you think a team in southern California ever would be named "Lakers?'' -- and nobody seemed to care.

The big games played in L.A. in those days were not under a roof. As the Rivieras sang, people were out there having fun in the warm California sun. Not indoors.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2010

SF Examiner: Giants need Lincecum to right ship

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By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

SAN FRANCISCO — It’s his feet. Or his arm. Or his head. Or all of them together. Tim Lincecum is a mess — figuratively, that is.

Thus, the Giants are a mess: A team without a leader, without an anchor — dare we say, if any sort of championship is to be discussed, a team without a chance.

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2010 SF Newspaper Company

RealClearSports: Lakers-Suns: As Good As It Gets

in ,
By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

Remember the film from a few years back, “As Good as it Gets’’? Jack Nicholson was in that one. Nicholson, who as always, was courtside Thursday night when the Lakers and Suns played a game that was, yes, as good as it gets.




Maybe it wasn’t for Suns fans. Not when they look at the scoreboard. But if they are able to see the big picture, if they judge a sporting event for what it can offer in excitement and drama and irony, even they grudgingly might concede.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2010

RealClearSports: Only Journalists Whine About NY Super Bowl

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By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

“Whatever can go to New York, will,’’ wrote the late, great Jim Murray. “Whatever can’t will go to Philadelphia.’’




Jim must be smiling up there, laughing if you will, gleeful about his prescience.

Gleeful he won’t have to cover Super Bowl XLVIII, the one scheduled for February 2014, the one in New York.

© RealClearSports 2010

SF Examiner: Spring unkind to Bay Area teams

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By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

The San Jose Sharks — they’re not to be confused with the San Jose A’s. The A’s still are playing. So are the San Francisco Giants, unfortunately.

If it weren’t for the Houston Astros, the Giants would have a losing record. If it weren’t for the Giants, the A’s would have a losing record. If it weren’t for the Sharks, we’d have to rely on the Warriors’ lottery selection for the story that never ends.

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2010 SF Newspaper Company

RealClearSports: Landis Goes the Full Cycle

in
By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

Life is one disillusionment after another. We learn Tiger Woods is guilty of infidelities, and as we recover from the shock, we are told by Floyd Landis he indeed used illegal performance-enhancing drugs when he won the Tour de France in 2006. Oh, my.

After Landis a couple of years ago spent 300 pages insisting he was innocent of doping charges in his biography "Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won the Tour,'' one understands why the book originally priced at $24.95 is now available on Amazon for 45 cents.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2010

RealClearSports: Sharks: Smoke, Fire and More Disappointment

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By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

Steve Jobs, the poo-bah from Apple, has invented a new sport. He and his wealthy pals from down here in Silicon Valley buy those Segway machines, the ones that look part scooter, part cycle and cost a cool $5,000. Then they use them to play polo.

Cheaper than a string of ponies, is their contention.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2010

SF Examiner: Sharks trying to avoid Bay Area curse

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By Art Spander
Special to the Examiner

SAN FRANCISCO — Now it is the Sharks’ turn to overcome the Curse of the Bay-bino. No, our teams didn’t sell Babe Ruth — just traded Willie Mays and Mark McGwire — but they’ve been undone by a jinx, the Left Coast version.

Fame of late has been achieved less through suspension bridges than suspended belief. They did what? We’re the kings of the “Here We Go Again” syndrome.

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2010 SF Newspaper Company

RealClearSports: Speculation on LeBron: We Do Overkill Well

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By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

Avery Johnson, the coach turned announcer, is "rooting for Cleveland.'' I'm rooting for a moratorium. Wishing there were not one mention of LeBron James until July. As if that's possible.

This will be the summer of our dyspepsia. We're going to be sick of the speculation. We already are.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2010