SportsXchange: Johnson rolls to Genesis Open win, grabs No. 1 ranking

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By Art Spander
SportsXchange

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — So many negatives for Dustin Johnson, the collapse at the 2010 U.S. Open, the six months away from golf for "personal issues" — was it a suspension for cocaine? — the three-putt bogey at the 72nd hole that kept him out of a playoff for the 2015 U.S. Open. 

What was wrong with the guy? So much talent. So many near misses. So much criticism about his personal life. 

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2017 SportsXchange 

SportsXchange: Rain suspends second-round play at Genesis Open

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By Art Spander
SportsXchange

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — Tree limbs were falling as well as putts. What was being called "The storm of the decade" hit the Genesis Open just before noon local time Friday, forcing officials to call off play without first-round leader Sam Saunders — Arnold Palmer's grandson -- even hitting a single shot. 

Jhonattan Vegas did play 14 holes, went 3 under par, and with his 4-under 67 Thursday at Riviera Country Club was at 7 under, moving into a tie with Saunders, who on Thursday had a 7-under 64. 

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2017 SportsXchange

SportsXchange: Saunders takes early lead at Genesis Open

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By Art Spander
SportsXchange

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — He's Arnold Palmer's grandson, and that would be difficult enough — the attention, the questions — had Sam Saunders not become a professional golfer. 

But Saunders, 29, who Thursday took the first-day lead of the Genesis Open (the former L.A, Open) handled himself beautifully, appreciative of his heritage, someone who not only accepts who he is but relishes it. 

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2017 SportsXchange

SportsXchange: Spieth vies for California double at Riviera

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By Art Spander
SportsXchange

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — This is a place of stars, Riviera, far out Sunset Boulevard, a country club where Hollywood's greatest stars would hang out and play, Humphrey Bogart, Howard Hughes, Dean Martin, Katharine Hepburn. 

A place a golfing star named Jordan Spieth understands and appreciates. 

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2017 SportsXchange

S.F. Examiner: Spieth, Pebble deserve each other in best way

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By Art Spander
San Francisco Examiner

PEBBLE BEACH — It’s a party, a picnic, a weather forecast, a comedy routine, a study in history and — not incidentally — a golf tournament. One, that thanks to a man’s love of the game and a bit of property described as “the most felicitous meeting of land and water in creation,” is one of a kind.

The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the derivative of the Bing Crosby Pro-Am, has been raising umbrellas and money for about a zillion charities on the Monterey Peninsula ever since Bing Crosby hauled it up the coast in 1947, probably before many of you were born. Golf, of course, was born 600 years ago, give or take a century.

Read the full story here.

©2017 The San Francisco Examiner

SportsXchange: Spieth strolls to four-shot win at Pebble Beach

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By Art Spander
SportsXchange

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — The 12th hole at Augusta? The two balls in the creek last April? Ancient history now. For Jordan Spieth, for his fans, and not the least for golf. 

He may have lost on one of the sport's biggest stages, but Sunday, in the sunshine, alongside the crashing surf, he won on another big stage.

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2017 SportsXchange

SportsXchange: Spieth surges into six-shot lead at Pebble Beach

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By Art Spander
SportsXchange

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — It's a cliche, but also an unavoidable fact of the game, that in golf one drives for show and, yes, putts for dough. A two-foot miss counts as much — if not more psychologically — as a 300-yard tee shot, one stroke. 

So when Jordan Spieth, who even at the young age of 23 is one of golf's brilliant putters, said his game on the greens hadn't met expectations, others could only shake their heads. 

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2017 SportsXchange

SportsXchange: Three tied for rain-interrupted Pebble Beach lead

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By Art Spander
SportsXchange

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif -- Bad weather struck the Monterey Peninsula on Thursday midway through the opening round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, turning some putting greens into small lakes and forcing officials to suspend play.

Rich Lamb, Seung-Yul Noh and Joel Dahman were among a few golfers to finish before the rainstorm arrived, each shooting a 4-under-par 68 at Spyglass Hill, one of the three courses used the first three days -- along with Monterey Peninsula, and Pebble Beach. 

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2017 SportsXchange

SportsXchange: Shanahan exits Falcons after deflating defeat

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By Art Spander
SportsXchange

HOUSTON -- It was nearly a perfect ending for Kyle Shanahan. The offense that he developed as coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons couldn't be stopped, and the defense was no less impressive.

Shanahan's final game with the Falcons, Super Bowl LI on Sunday night before he stepped away to become the presumptive head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, was everything the Falcons and their fans -- and the Niners -- could have wanted. 

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2017 SportsXchange

Newsday (N.Y.): Super Bowl LI: Falcons defense left reeling from late collapse

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By Art Spander
Special to Newsday

HOUSTON — He came from Seattle with a well-earned reputation. Dan Quinn was the defensive coordinator of the Seahawks, curator of the so-called “Legion of Boom.” Seattle won one Super Bowl and almost won another.

The Atlanta Falcons made Quinn their head coach before the 2015 season, and with his strategy and tactics — and draft picks — he made them the 2016 NFC champion.

Read the full story here.

Copyright © 2017 Newsday. All rights reserved.

Newsday (N.Y.): Super Bowl LI: Don’t expect confrontation if Patriots win

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By Art Spander
Special to Newsday

HOUSTON — The question is what will happen if the New England Patriots win Super Bowl LI on Sunday and — a laugh is permitted — quarterback Tom Brady and team owner Robert Kraft receive the trophy from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Nothing out of the ordinary, if history means much. It would be an old production with new performers.

Read the full story here.

Copyright © 2017 Newsday. All rights reserved.

SportsXchange: Politics seeps into Super Bowl week

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By Art Spander
SportsXchange

HOUSTON — Has the prelude to the Super Bowl gone off the rails? Hasn't the prelude to every Super Bowl? 

Of course, rarely was there such a mixture of, pardon the reference, politics and Patriots. However, that is to be expected given current events. 

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2017 SportsXchange 

SportsXchange: Goodell dishes on Raiders' situation in press conference

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By Art Spander
SportsXchange.com

HOUSTON — The Raiders still are in Oakland and may be for a while despite attempts to move to Las Vegas, San Diego or Los Angeles. That is one way to interpret the words of the man in charge, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, at his annual Super Bowl news conference. 

Goodell, for the first time tieless but certainly not clueless, at a session held on Wednesday instead the traditional Friday, said there is work to be done before the Raiders plan to shift from the East Bay to Vegas could become a reality.

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2017 SportsXchange

 

SportsXchange: Belichick too focused on winning to worry about legacy

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By Art Spander
SportsXchange.com

HOUSTON — Was Paul Brown like this? Vince Lombardi? 

Bill Walsh had his moments, times when he could be stern, rough, but mostly he chose to be less stringent, even friendly. Remember that 1982 Super Bowl when Walsh dressed as bellman to handle the bags of the team. 

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2017 SportsXchange

Newsday (N.Y.): Super Bowl LI: Sportswriter didn’t mean to take Kyle Shanahan’s backpack

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By Art Spander
Special to Newsday

HOUSTON — You’ve seen the signs at luggage carousels in airports that say “Many bags look alike. Make sure the one you have is yours.” Well, this wasn’t an airport, although with the noise and chaos it seemed like one, and the bag I had, a backpack, it turned out wasn’t mine.

It belonged to Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. And it held his Super Bowl game plan.

Read the full story here.

Copyright © 2017 Newsday. All rights reserved.

S.F. Examiner: Kyle Shanahan’s missing playbook saga from the columnist who took it

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By Art Spander
San Francisco Examiner

HOUSTON — The Niners have their guys now, Kyle Shanahan as coach — that was a given — and John Lynch as GM. The latter was a surprise, to us if not to Shanahan who developed a relationship with Lynch.

Long contracts, reportedly, six years, big salaries. This we know.

Read the full story here.

©2017 The San Francisco Examiner

SportsXchange: Opening Night madness: Shanahan nearly loses game plan

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By Art Spander
SportsXchange.com

HOUSTON -- The man heavily responsible for this quasi-madness, the late NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, who was there at the creation, used to preach that the Super Bowl was nothing more than entertainment. Of course, and so is camel racing. 
It is not easy to describe the annual Opening Night, nee Media Day, as entertaining. Not in the sporting sense, that is. Unless you get a few laughs out of athletes sitting in booths and advising that Super Bowl LI (thank heavens we are back to the Roman numerals) "is just another football game." 

Media Day used to be on Tuesday, in the morning at the place the game will be held, in this instance NRG Stadium. Now, in the Super Bowl's second half-century, it takes place on Monday and at night, prime time, if you will, with fans paying to watch and listen. 

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2017 SportsXchange 

S.F. Examiner: In uncertain times, Steve Kerr finds pride in NBA’s inclusiveness

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By Art Spander
San Francisco Examiner

The question was terribly appropriate for Steve Kerr, a man of the world as much as the basketball court.

On this Saturday evening of contradictions — the Warriors honoring one group of immigrants to America, the Chinese, wearing jerseys with Mandarin letters, while the nation had been ordered to ban other groups of immigrants — Kerr was asked if he had any thoughts on President Trump’s decisions.

Read the full story here.

©2017 The San Francisco Examiner

S.F. Examiner: Cal hopes newest hire ushers in era of tough football, beating rivals

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By Art Spander
San Francisco Examiner

Berkeley isn’t Tuscaloosa, or Ann Arbor. Cal is known for academics, not athletics. Then again, so is Stanford, and therein lies the challenge for the new guy with the Golden Bears, Justin Wilcox.

To win a game now and then from the Cardinal, to restore a sense of respectability to the football program, maybe even — to dream — make it to Pasadena on New Year’s Day.

Read the full story here.

©2017 The San Francisco Examiner