Bleacher Report - Articles by D Miller

Once San Jose State's Savior, It May Be Time for Dick Tomey To Step Down

D Miller — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:48:38 -0500

In the wake of last night's 62-7 drubbing--or shall we say, latest drubbing--at the hands of Nevada, San Jose State football has reached a crisis point.

It's now easily the worst team in the WAC. Quite possibly, it's the worst team in the nation. Unquestionably, their appears to be no turnaround in the near future.

In regards to Head Coach Dick Tomey, current president of the American Football Coaches' Association and one of the winningest active coaches in the game today, San Jose State seems to be right back where they were when he took over in 2004.

Back to square one.

When Tomey took over, the program was in a shambles.

Wins were rare. Crowds were scarce. Classroom attendance and performance was abysmal, leading the NCAA sanctions that cost the team valuable scholarships throughout Tomey's tenure.

There was even a movement on campus by a minority of students and faculty demanding that the football team be put on ice for good, therefore diverting the funds allocated to the suffering and costly program to academic matters.

Tomey, the coach who had once led Hawaii out of the national cellar and moved on to bring the University of Arizona to national prominence, rode into San Jose as the proverbial "knight in shining armor," giving the program its only shred of credibility and within three years it's first bowl appearance in 20.

And five years later, the program is right back where it was when he arrived.

Coming into the 2009 season, he spoke of how the team had its greatest depth and most talent since he took over. More so, he promoted the great academic strides the Spartan players have made in the last five seasons.

He also spoke of the rugged three-game start to the season--a home contest against Utah sandwiched between away games against USC and Stanford--as a positive challenge that would motivate his players.

By now, it's clear that opening stretch has ruined the season for the Spartans, whose lone victory has come against FCS-Cal Poly in a rather competitive game.

Basically, every reason Tomey cited for Spartan fans and alumni--who have suffered through a mostly miserable 20-plus year stretch--to look foward to the season, has been empty promises and naivley wishful thinking.

It would be easy to cite Tomey's 2007 bowl victory and the players that have moved on to the NFL from the SJSU program as examples of his success in San Jose, but those supposed accomplishments are misleading.

The 2007 New Mexico Bowl was won mostly with previous coach Fitz Hill's players. The likes of quarterback Adam Trafalis, linebacker Matt Castelo, and NFL draftees John Brussard and James Jones were all in the program before Tomey arrived.

Now in 2009, he can take credit for the majority of the roster, one that's lucky to be sitting at 1-7 right now and one that appears to have given up on their season--and their coach.

And what do they have to look foward to next year? Road trips to Alabama, Utah and Wisconsin to kick things off.

Whether or not it was Tomey's idea to play the body bag games and bury his team to start two straight seasons, he has signed off on it. And his once seemingly solid recruiting ability is only looking worse and worse with each class.

And on the heels of last night's embarrasment at the hands of the Wolfpack, one thing is clear: While Tomey may have saved the program from extinction, he can't sustain the life he has given it.

An easy question to ask would be "Who better than Tomey is out there and willing to take the job?"

A more appropriate question may be, "How can the performance get any worse?"

SJSU: A Season In Crisis, As Re-Told 21st Century Style

D Miller — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:59:39 -0400

Saturday night at Spartan Stadium, a swapping of WAC stature took place during the Idaho Vandals' 29-25 defeat of San Jose State.

Once the doormat of the WAC and arguably the worst team in the FBS the last few seasons, the Vandals served notice that they are no longer a penciled-in victory for San Jose State or the rest of the WAC, and quite possibly replaced the Spartans as the conference's rising program.

As for Dick Tomey's squad, they may be headed back to the cellar of the WAC that they for so long occupied prior to his arrival in San Jose.

For myself, it wound up being only the second home game in the last four years that I missed, and despite my alma mater taking the crushing defeat in the final seconds, it may prove to be the most exciting game played at Spartan Stadium this season. And true to Spartan form, this home game, like some other barn-burners against the likes of Boise State and Hawaii, teased the home fans with a great show but still wound up in a SJSU loss.

The main reason for my absence, outside of needing to stay home and tend to some family matters, was my former college roomate and fellow Spartan die-hard, Geoff, was out of town for a 30th birthday trip arranged by his girlfriend (she hasn't learned yet to check the SJSU schedule ahead of time).

So I stayed home, cosied up to the laptop and followed the action via espn360.com. I kept Geoff updated via text message, and the banter that followed wound up being a discussion and analysis of some of the obstacles and self-imposed problems plaguing this team during what has turned out to be a woeful season.

Nothing short of a miraculous turn around, which would include a few stunning upsets, can save this season and bring a level of success even close to what Tomey was touting prior to the season.

Rather than just drone on about it, the written phone conversation between Geoff and I Saturday night can spell it out in succinct fashion (samples provided, the entire thing would be hell on the B/R editors):

5:17PM (From Me)

Brandon Rutley is back, already has a good run on first play from scrimmage

5:20Pm (From Geoff)

Rutley needs to stay healthy

Brandon Rutley is a sophomore running back that was a pleasant surprise last year, and with his combination of speed and moves he could develop into a cornerstone of the Spartans' offense. But like every good Spartan player it seems lately, the injury bug had struck with Rutley. He missed a few previous games.

5:22PM (From Me)

SJSU forced a punt to start the game, then promptly marched downfield. La Secla looked good, they spread the ball between Rutley, Muldrow, Avery, Jurovich and then Harrison...err, I mean, Le Blanc Jr.

This was a summary of the first San Jose State drive, which was easily the most impressive of the season. For once, the defense looked as advertised, stopping the Vandals right away and forcing the punt.

Rutley and JC-transfer RB Lamon Muldrow has some nice runs, receivers Marquis Avery and Kevin Jurovich made some nice downfield grabs, and sophomore wideout Josh Harrison scored on a nifty pass from emerging Spartan QB Jordan La Secla. There was no reason to think the Spartans weren't settling in on a competent if not successful night of football following this drive.

The "Le Blanc Jr" reference is to former Spartan wideout Casey Le Blanc from the late 90s-early 2000s, who wore the same number, had the same build, and was also a super-fast short white dude, like Harrison.

5:24PM (From Geoff)

I hope they can solidify their place in the WAC with a big win tonight. Surprisingly, this would be a big conference win.

5:28PM (From Me)

Nevada crushed LA Tech last night so they might not be as advertised. A shot at third or fourth in the WAC could be at stake tonight.

Basically, we're not delusional like many other college football fans. We know our place, or more importantly, the place of our team. A third place finish in the WAC would mean a bowl birth, and the fourth place team could sneak into an at-large bid. Having only one bowl birth in the last 20 or so years, it's a big deal in Sparta just to make the post season. With Nevada dropping Louisiana Tech like a bad habit, the winner of this game had a head start on post-season contention.

5:34 (From Me)

Idaho just tried a little wildcat with 2nd and goal and the motion guy ran right into the RB taking the snap and knocked him down. They settled for a field goal.

The Spartan defense seemed to be in bend-but-not-break mode, and I was content to watch Idaho kick field goals all night given the way our offense had stormed down the field in their first possession. I was also hoping the Vandals would keep up with the sloppy play, but as I would find out, their head coach, Robb Akey, wasn't about to let that happen.

5:40 (From Me)

Idaho apparently forgot how Jurovich shredded them last time they were here. He's open all day.

Another good sign, and Jurovich was so wide open that the announcers on the Idaho broadcast (which I was stuck with) were baffled at how open SJSU's top playmaker was to start the game.

5:41 (From Me)

La Secla opened with Eight straight completions, but they just punted. Downed at the two.

Having to punt wasn't great, but the composure of the Spartans' junior quarterback was, not to mention special teams appeared to be on point.

5:47 (From Me)

Our defense looks like sh*t. No pressure, they are running and passing at will between the 10s.

The start of a frustrating trend. SJSU's defense is supposed to be the Silicon Valley version of Tomey's old "Desert Swarm," yet this season they have been anything but. And Idaho was starting to really expose it.

5:50PM (From Me)

Just held them on third, but Duke Ihenacho just went hands to the face on the QB for a 15-yard penalty. Ball on the 20.

Great, so not only is the defense already starting to cave, they left their composure in the locker room...

5:57PM (From Me)

Touchdown Vandals, extra point blocked.

Idaho plowed their way through the SJSU defense en route to an early lead.

5:57PM (From Geoff)

Romantic dinner time, so I can't write back, but please keep the updates coming.

So I'm on my own. But who am I kidding, if he was even able to check the phone during the romantic dinner and follow the game that's pretty impressive. Later on I would text him that Idaho was marching up and down the field. And I was starting to get used to it.

Fortunately, I was able to inform Geoff that the Vandals had fumbled into the endzone, and San Jose State recovered. So while the defense was starting to cave, the offense was holding their own, and the lucky breaks seemed to be coming our way...SEEMED to be.

I was able to send him this gem at 6:22:

La Secla with a sweet td run from the 10. Started the drive with a sick run as well. They marched with help from some penalties. Play calling is really coming together and La Secla is running the hurry-up offense really well.

At this point, I was not only feeling upbeat about our new starting QB, but the fact that he's a junior. Plus, new offensive coordinator Terry Malley seemed to finally have his crew in synch.

After a Peyton Thompson interception that put the Spartans at mid-field, I had to break this to him:

6:33PM

Had a completion inside the 10 with 20 seconds, but they called Avery with PI for having the nerve to block downfield. Pushed them back to the 40.

The refs flat out screwed the Spartans here. Even the Vandals game crew (which I found to be quite fair and honest) said Idaho got a break with this bogus call, which led to...

6:35PM

La Secla just made his first bad pass of the half. Idaho picks it off, takes it to field goal range. 52-yard fg as time expires, 14-12 Spartans at half. We get the ball.

Looking back, the PI call on Avery really came back to haunt the Spartans. Rather than kicking a field goal themselves, they were backed up and forced to air it out, leading to a six-point swing that would prove to be the difference.

Beginning with the third quarter, when Idaho came out of the half on fire and proceeded to slap the Spartans up and down their home turf, the texts slowed down and took a more dejected tone.

It was an all-too familiar scene: San Jose State plays a tight first half and, for the most part, produces some quality football--only to come out of halftime deflated and get pounced on by the other team. But normally, it's Ohio State, Stanford, Utah, Boise State, USC even, pouncing on the Spartans. Not IDAHO...

In fact, the most notable text of the third quarter was short, yet spoke volumes:

6:58PM

They just showed Tomey on the sideline looking like he's well past his bed time. And I thought he was on Hawaii time...?

Look, don't get me wrong, Dick Tomey is a phenomenal college football coach who is best known for getting maximum results out of talent-challenged teams. He's the savior of our program, and lends it about its only shred of credibility.

But he's into his 70s, and given the 1-4 start to this season, I can't help but think the New Mexico Bowl in 2006 was his peak as a Spartan. They've regressed. And I'm starting to pay attention to some of the sentiment out there within Sparta that Tomey is more interested in combing the sandy beaches of Hawaii during recruiting season than chasing down recruits.

Later on I would fill him in on how the Idaho announcers were constantly "jocking" their offensive line, when they should have been criticizing SJSU's defensive line for their impotent play. One thing I did agree with the Vandal crew on was them ripping Spartan receiver Jalal Beauchmann for a series of dropped passes, something I've become used to seeing. When the ball flies his way, I tend to really hold my breath.

The fourth quarter started to pick up, but not before I informed Geoff that the three-star QB recruit from San Jose that had committed to the Spartans last fall, then de-committed and followed their offensive coordinator to Wyoming, lit it up for the Cowboys that day. Beautiful...

But the fourth quarter saw the score tied up at 22 following a sweet La Secla to Avery hookup for a touchdown. The topper was Beauchmann catching the two-pt conversion to knot it up at 22. Unfortunately, him making important catches would not become a trend...

8:01PM

Idaho was marching but our boy Tanner Burns picked one off and took it back to their territory. They are in a position to start running away with the game if they can score a TD.

Man, even as I wrote it I worried that I was jinxing the Spartans. Did I ever. Burns, the son of defensive coordinator Keith Burns and one of our favorite emerging Spartans, snagged a pass from Idaho QB Nathan Enderle, one of his three picks on the day. Being that they had just kicked a field goal to move ahead 25-22, SJSU was in full control. All they needed was to score another TD, and the game might well of been out of reach right then. But...

8:03PM

Idaho holds, Spartans fail to convert on fourth and 12. Idaho ball on the 35. Beauchmann dropped the fourth down pass by the way.

And thus, just two minutes after SJSU took the ball away from Idaho, I was unknowingly filling Geoff in on the beginning of the end. The Vandals promptly marched downfield, running the ball on all but one play (with their backup quarterback in the game no less) and basically punked the Spartans on their way to a score with just 1:10 left on the clock.

The San Jose State identity under Dick Tomey—the staunch defense that has made it a competitive team over the last four seasons and produced three NFL draft picks just last season—seemed to disappear right before the eyes of Sparta in this game.

And thus, the updates culminated in this:

8:13PM

La Secla throws a duck up, its picked off. The offense was otherwise real good, this one falls on the defense IMO.

Never expected to be saying that about San Jose State, but it was the easiest conclusion to come to.

The Spartan defense, which to its credit has been struck by injuries, played sloppy, inept, undisciplined football. And for a team that was supposed to be relying on its defense this season while the new offensive coordinator tried to bring his unit up to speed, it has spelled disaster.

Credit should be given to Idaho and Coach Akey. The turnaround he has made this season, especially given the peril the program was in when Dennis Erickson bolted for Arizona State three years ago, has been remarkable.

The Vandals have now beaten San Jose State, Colorado State, and Northern Illinois—all on the road—en route to a 5-1 record. No big deal to a BCS conference program, but a major accomplishment for a team that could mostly only beat FCS schools in recent years.

San Jose State, on the other hand, appears to be headed in the opposite direction of the Vandals. Brutal out-of-conference schedule aside, the Spartan barely handled FCS Cal Poly for three quarters at home two weeks ago and let a team it has regularly dominated march into their stadium and steal a victory that was nearly locked up.

Sure, the Spartans have a promising quarterback on their hands, to go with some promising running backs in an offense now being run by the most competent offensive coach San Jose State has had since Dave Baldwin was at the helm.

But what good is an improved offense when it now has to pick up the slack of a sagging defense?

As for the game texts, they ended in almost the same depressing fashion as the game itself:

10:44PM (From Geoff)

I think they needed to win today just to assure 4 wins. They could (bleeping) lose to Utah State this year if they try hard enough

No offense Aggie fans, we know your team has made some improvements too. And that's even more reason for pessimism in San Jose this season.

SJSU: Has Brutal Scheduling Sabotaged 2009—and Beyond?

D Miller — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:56:01 -0400

After an 0-3 start to the season that has included two crushing defeats at the hands of Pac-10 programs, there may have never been a better time for San Jose State to be hosting an FCS opponent.

But as the Spartans prepare to face Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo this Saturday, there are legitimate concerns about how they'll handle their latest challenge, given the demoralizing start to 2009. Having sandwiched a potential upset of then-No. 17 Utah between two blowouts at the hands of USC and Stanford, rising to the occasion could be extra hard on a team that has cultivated zero momentum thus far.

Can Head Coach Dick Tomey rally his squad to the start of a winning streak, or has the treacherous out-of-conference schedule laid waste to the rest of the season?

We can can give credit to Tomey and the Spartans for having the stones to take the field against such formidable opponents--but should that credit be positive? On paper prior to the start of the season, San Jose State appeared under-manned and outclassed in its first three games—and it turns out the paper didn't lie.

It's a questionable scheduling strategy on the part of Tomey and Athletic Director Tom Bowen, one that is in part based on financial need, and also supposedly aimed at gaining exposure for the program.

It's already a harsh reality for mid-major programs that so-called "body-bag games" are necessary to raise money. USC served that purpose this season, and a trip to Alabama in 2010 is reported to be worth close to $1 million for the Spartans. Throw in the current financial despair of California's public universities, and it makes sense that schools like SJSU would throw themselves to the wolves once a season.

But scheduling two BCS bowl winners in a row, to start the year, is almost a death wish.

Granted, schedules are made several years in advance, but USC and Utah have been leaps and bounds ahead of San Jose State in terms of talent and success for years now. To force the out-manned Spartans to face these teams two weeks in a row, with no prior warm up, has left them in a hole from which they may not be able to dig themselves out.

The many reasons why San Jose State shouldn't be stacking its OOC schedule begin with the overall situation Tomey inherited when he took over the program in 2004.

Under the previous regime of Head Coach Fitz Hill and Athletic Director Chuck Bell, the Spartans' football program was in shambles. The team was falling miserably short of the NCAA's attendance requirements, and graduation rates and overall players' academic performances were sub par as well. The performance on the field was painfully similar to the team's classroom performances.

Tomey was practically a knight in shining armor when he accepted the challenge of revitalizing San Jose State's program. The fourth winningest active coach behind Joe Paterno, Bobby Bowden and Mack Brown, his mere presence brought instant credibility to a team that was on the brink of being folded.

But much like his 2009 squad, Tomey started his tenure with a hole he had to dig himself out of. The academic failures of the program prior to his arrival left the team short on scholarships, thanks to NCAA sanctions.

Because the NCAA evaluates teams based on academic progress rates (APRs) that are computed over the course of four years, Tomey's first five seasons have been marred by NCAA disciplinary actions relating to players he didn't bring to San Jose State.

The team is just now beginning to recover, and according to website Inside Sparta, the Spartans' scholarship count this season is up to 75—ten below the maximum allowed under zero restrictions—and the team is on pace to regain the maximum within two years.

Long story short: San Jose State has been severely undermanned the last five years, and by Tomey's own admissions, have had to field players too young, too soon. In fact, his rationale for being able to face teams like USC and Utah this season has been his declaration that the 2009 Spartans have the most depth and talent of any team he has coached in San Jose.

Clearly, he has overestimated his squad.

The fallout could reach far beyond wins and losses, injuries, and a sunken team morale.

San Jose State has been at a recruiting disadvantage for years, and if they continue to play the role of punching bag to college football's elite, that likely won't change.

Another reason for San Jose State's trip to USC was supposedly the exposure to Southern California recruits. Could that loss have done more harm than good for recruiting efforts?

It goes without saying that recruits want to play for winning teams, be it in a BCS conference or not, an FBS program or not. Having the balls to get their teeth kicked in by USC likely isn't swaying any recruits in their direction.

Prior to Tomey's arrival, recruiting played a crucial role in the team's sub par performance. Under his leadership, San Jose State has managed to improve recruiting in the high school ranks, land three and four-star juco recruits and lure some heralded transfers from Pac-10 programs such as USC, Cal and Oregon State.

But when did he land his best recruiting class?

In the 2007 offseason, following the 2006 season in which San Jose State won the New Mexico Bowl after a 16-year post-season drought, Tomey landed probably his deepest class. Nine current starters or regular contributors to this year's team were signed that offseason, including 2008 All-WAC safety Duke Ihenacho and promising running back Brandon Rutley.

Also inked in 2007 was four-star wide out David Richmond, who was a two-year starter for San Jose State after choosing the Spartans over, among other schools, Oregon. Perhaps the most surprising acquisitions that offseason were transfers Kyle Reed, Jeff Schweiger and Coye Francies.

Reed was a four-star quarterback out of high school who transferred from Cal after being dropped on their depth chart. Schweiger was a five-star defensive end in high school who transferred from USC after injuries and personal issues dropped him out of their starting lineup. Legal troubles had gotten Francies kicked off Oregon State's team, but his resurgence in junior college earned him another chance with the Spartans.

Francies is currently in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns, and while Schweiger had a mediocre senior season in 2008 and Reed hasn't been able to secure the starting job for the Spartans, there is still a great significance to their transfers: three players that would have never considered San Jose State in the past suited up for them under Tomey.

And who did San Jose State's OOC schedule consist of that year? Washington, a terrible Stanford squad under Walt Harris, Cal Poly and bottom-feeder San Diego State.

Fast forward to the 2009 offseason, following a year in which the Spartans were pummeled outside of WAC play by Nebraska and Stanford en route to a 6-6 finish and no bowl birth, and recruiting isn't quite as rosy.

No big time transfers. No higher than a three-star recruit (based on Scout's ratings). Their highest-profile commit, quarterback Austyn Cart-Samuels of San Jose's Bellarmine College Preparatory, turned on the Spartans and followed former offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo to, of all places, Wyoming.

Obviously, recruits were more impressed by the 9-4 record and bowl victory in 2006 than by the high profile opponents the Spartans played the following two years.

Recruiting didn't take a real sharp decline after going 11-13 the last two seasons, but the momentum gained after the New Mexico Bowl has evaporated. Most recruits and the rest of the college football audience seem to regard San Jose State as the same mere afterthought they were for most of the last 20 years.

If the Spartans' brass thought the Fresno State model of "anyone, anywhere, anytime" was the right path to follow, they were mistaken.

Despite having earned a lot of respect throughout college football, Pat Hill's Bulldogs have yet to crash the BCS and haven't won an outright WAC title since Boise State joined the conference. By the time Fresno State gets to conference play, they are usually too battered from their stiff OOC schedule to contend for a title.

Meanwhile, WAC kingpin Boise State has laid out the blue print for mid-major success clear as day.

Schedule one powerful opponent (in 2009, Oregon) that you're familiar with, and a few lower-end BCS conference programs or other teams from mid-major conferences.

Even when Boise State doesn't go undefeated or, as in last year, have a schedule the computers deem good enough for a BCS birth, they still enter WAC play healthy, fresh, and confident. BCS bowl or not, a WAC title nets them a top-25 finish, and leads to strong recruiting classes.

In fact, in recent years it has become common for Boise State to lure recruits away from Pac-10 programs, especially in the talent-rich California regions.

So while the body-bag games, for the time being, are inevitable, it's clear that the Spartans need to think in terms of moderation.

One or two losses to major programs are affordable. Three straight shellackings to start a season may be insurmountable.

Because for all the positive spins Tomey and his staff can put on a 56-3 loss to Southern Cal, the results in terms of team morale and recruiting could send this team on a tailspin right back to where it was when he arrived.

And having been resurrected from its death bed once before, San Jose State can't afford to run circles through the past.

Week Three in Sparta: The Bill Walsh Legacy Game

D Miller — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:46:38 -0400

Heading into Week Three of the college football season, San Jose State's schedule eases up—ever so slightly.

For the first time in 2009, the Spartans won't be facing a team that won a BCS bowl game last season, but it's a small consolation considering they'll be on the road against a Stanford squad that has dominated them two years in a row.

As early as it is in the year, this could be a make or break game for Head Coach Dick Tomey and San Jose State. Week One featured a crushing, demoralizing defeat at the hands of USC; Week Two saw the Spartans threaten to hand Utah its first defeat since 2007, only to let it slip away late in the game.

If Week Three turns out anything like the last two times San Jose State played Stanford, a Week Four victory against FCS Cal Poly could come into question.

Coming off a 2006 season in which they were 9-4 and won their first bowl game in nearly 20 years, the Spartans were confident going into their 2007 game against the Cardinal.

They had overcome a 20-point deficit to beat Stanford 35-34 early the previous season, a game that in large part got the momentum rolling for the team's success in '06.

The Cardinal squashed that confidence in quick fashion, manhandling the Spartans 37-0 in a game that, similar to the year before, set the tone for San Jose State's mediocre 5-7 season.

Next season's matchup didn't turn out much better, as the Spartans remained close for much of the game before Stanford's pass rush, and single-season rushing leader Toby Gerhart, took over in the second half on the way to a decisive 23-10 victory.

For San Jose State to have a chance in this game, they'll need to not only overcome two straight disappointing losses to start '09, but also two straight losses to their South Bay rivals, in which Stanford established a measure of dominance over the Spartans.

The keys to a San Jose State victory are rather simple—on paper. The execution could be the tough part against a Cardinal squad that has improved leaps and bounds since Jim Harbaugh took over.

Key No. 1: Establish an Offensive Rhythm, Ball Control

The Spartans made some noticeable offensive improvements from Week One to Week Two, though the drop off from USC to Utah may have been the difference. While they had no offensive consistency to speak, San Jose State finally started to move the ball last week.

Unlike the game against USC, in which quarterbacks Kyle Reed and Jordan La Secla split playing time evenly, Tomey chose to go with the hot hand in La Secla against the Utes.

The junior finished 21-33 for 242 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, in probably the most respectable passing game a Spartan quarterback has had since Adam Trafalis graduated in 2007.

Tomey has named La Secla the starter for Week Three, and indicated there will not be a sharing of reps. This could be the right step toward establishing some much-needed consistency in the Spartans' re-tooled offense.

La Secla preformed well in the short and intermediate passing game against Utah, and receivers Kevin Jurovich (seven catches, 113 yards) and Marquis Avery (seven catches, 85 yards) made for great targets.

A heavy dose of Avery and Jurovich, and an improving running game with a rotation of the Spartans' serviceable backs, could provide the ball control the defense will need to keep up with Stanford's offense. Protection up front will be vital, as the Cardinal pass rush got to Reed eight times last year.

Key No. 2: Get to Stanford's Freshman Quarterback

Stanford has one of the most promising young passers in the Pac-10, if not all of college football, in redshirt freshman Andrew Luck. So does USC with Matt Barkley, whom the Spartans managed to frustrate for much of the first half in Week One.

If San Jose State's defense can play the way they did the first half against USC for an entire game against Stanford, they'll be in a position to win down the stretch.

The Spartans lost some speed on the edge against Utah, when defensive end Mohamed Marah went down possibly for the season.

All-WAC defensive end Carl Ihenacho will have to pick up even more of the slack for the Spartans in their effort to get to Luck, and his brother Duke will need to step his game up in the secondary to prevent big plays like the 51-yard touchdown pass Utah completed to break that game open.

Key No. 3: Contain Toby Gerhart

Stanford's single-season rushing leader was nearly unstoppable in the second half of last season's game, providing the final nail in the Spartans' coffin down the stretch in that defeat.

To suggest the Spartans will stop him is rather optimistic, but containing him would keep them in line for a win.

San Jose State had a solid warm up for Gerhart last week and made the most of it, holding Utah's talented back Matt Asiata to 94 yards on 20 carries and no scores.

With Gerhart playing such a vital role to Stanford's offense, keeping him under 100 yards and scoreless limits the entire offense, which is still looking to establish some other playmakers.

However, if they are unable to contain Gerhart, it could wind up three in a row for the Cardinal. Last season's game saw him rumble for 152 yards on 22 carries and one touchdown, in an offense run by this season's backup quarterback.

Fortunately for the Spartans, the number of offensive threats they face keeps going down week by week, and in the third week they'll be able to keep most of their focus on one.

In short, any chance the Spartans have at winning on The Farm rests with a combination of their offense's ability to control the football long enough to keep Gerhart off the field—and their own defense being rested enough to pursue him when he is on it.

The last six games of this series has been won on the home field, an advantage self-righteous Stanford has no plans of giving up—despite this series being a matchup of two schools legendary coach Bill Walsh was a part of.

There may be no better way to reverse momentum for the '09 season than for San Jose State to defeat Stanford on its own field.

After all, Stanford's refusal to play an even series and split home field advantage played a role in San Jose State's choice to drop them from the 2010 schedule in favor of traveling to Alabama. An extra year of bragging rights as winners of the Bill Walsh Legacy Game would be extra sweet for the Spartans.

Spartans Hang Tough, But In Typical Fashion

D Miller — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:21:41 -0400

With the fifth year of Head Coach Dick Tomey under way at San Jose State, the time has come to start evaluating the legacy he'll leave behind once his tenure as the Spartans' coach is over.

Off the field, the legacy will be nothing less than stellar.

Tomey has been a savior of sorts in San Jose, bringing a measure of legitimacy to a program that barely qualified as an FBS squad prior to his arrival.

As the face of San Jose State football, Tomey has led a campaign that increased attendance by over 300 percent (and brought it to the standards required by the NCAA), and greatly improved the academic performance and graduation rate of the players.

In short, Tomey took over a dying program and saved it from near extinction.

On the field, his teams have been more competitive overall than in years past, defeated rivals such as Stanford and Fresno State, and played in and won the program's first bowl game in nearly 20 years in 2006.

But if Saturday night's loss to Utah is any indication, the most notorious part of Tomey's legacy at San Jose State could be the upsets his teams let slip away.

Expectations weren't very high for the Spartans heading into the game against the No. 17 ranked Utes, especially coming off the previous week's demoralizing defeat at USC.

Led by a stingy defense that forced two turnovers and kept Utah's explosive offense mostly in check, the Spartans gave notice early that they wouldn't be rolling over in their home opener. Halftime came with the teams tied 7-7, a score that would hold steady into the fourth quarter.

But in a way, that has become all to familiar to San Jose State—a seemingly inevitable result that the team's fans almost expect—the bending Spartans finally broke in the fourth quarter, allowing Utah to break the game open with two touchdowns in a span of five minutes.

The pain of knowing they were capable of the upset and let it slip away is almost worse than the pain that comes with a thrashing like the one USC put on the Spartans—but it's a pain San Jose State fans should be getting numb to.

Back in 2006, the Spartans were nearly the spoiler to Boise State's undefeated season and heroic Fiesta Bowl comeback against Oklahoma.

San Jose State controlled most of the game heading into the fourth quarter against the undefeated and 14th-ranked Broncos. With a little over five minutes to go, Boise State tied the score at 20, giving a Spartan offense that had moved the ball well all night ample time to drive for the winning touchdown.

Instead, the drive stalled, and special teams had a melt down on the ensuing punt, allowing Boise State to return it 43 yards and straight into field goal range. A 37-yard field goal as time ran out sealed the game—and a magical season—for the Broncos.

The following year, it was Hawaii's turn to represent the WAC in a BCS Bowl, but not before making a stop in San Jose.

The Spartans hosted the 16th-ranked Warriors on a rain-soaked night in front of a nationally televised ESPN audience, and despite the sloppy field conditions, the two teams put on an offensive barnburner.

While the Spartans were lit up by Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan for 545 yards, they also managed to pick him off four times and keep him under duress throughout the night. With a 35-28 lead and under four minutes left in the game, San Jose State was controlling the football and the upset seemed almost certain.

A Spartan fumble would change things quickly, however, and lead to the game-tying touchdown and extra point. In overtime, the Warriors stunned the crowd by scoring first and then intercepting a pass to seal the victory.

The trend would continue in 2008. Heading into the fourth quarter on the road against Nebraska, the Spartans trailed by a mere two points and had silenced the crowd of 80,000-plus fans at Memorial Stadium. That changed rather quickly after a kickoff return for a touchdown by the Cornhuskers opened the door to a 21-point outburst and a 35-12 final score.

San Jose State would also go on to play tough against Boise State and Fresno State, only to be outclassed in the final quarters of those games, resulting in defeats that on paper did not reflect how competitive the Spartans had been.

Suffice it to say, the Spartans under Tomey have not been able to get the breakthrough, upset wins that propel teams past mediocrity and into conference contention.

To be fair, Tomey took on a steep, uphill battle when he stepped in as head coach of the program. Poor academic results under the previous regime had left San Jose State under NCAA sanctions that reduced scholarships, forcing Tomey to play a large amount of freshman out of need, and not necessarily based on talent.

The lack of depth and experience on the Spartans roster has been most apparent when they've taken their best opponents to the brink, only to fold at the end.

But the academic improvements under Tomey are bringing the scholarship cuts to an end, and the Spartans began 2009 with the steepest roster of talent he has had yet, by his own admission.

If the Spartans are to become a contender in the WAC, and not merely a bump on the road for conference champions, they are going to have to start upsetting teams for a full 60 minutes.

They travel to Stanford next week, and the disappointment of the previous two games can be erased with a victory over their South Bay rivals.

Unfortunately, this isn't nearly the same squad the Spartans beat in 2006, nor is it even the same team that walloped them the following two seasons.

For San Jose State to notch the first win of '09, they'll have to overcome a vastly improved team under Jim Harbaugh that features one of the premier running backs in the Pac-10 (Toby Gerhardt) and one of the most promising young quarterbacks in college football (Andrew Luck).

In other words, the Spartans need to pull off a big upset.

And if they can't, the 0-3 Spartans could be facing an upset of a different kind in Week Four, against Cal Poly.

No Time to Rest in Sparta: No. 17 Utah Next on the Slate

D Miller — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:59:32 -0400

On the heels of a 56-3 lambasting at the hands of Southern Cal, the road gets no easier this weekend for the Spartans of San Jose State, who must find a way to rebound from Week One's debacle in time to host No. 17 Utah on Saturday.

It's not as if anyone (sane) inside or outside of San Jose State's football program had any real delusions of grander about the Spartans shocking mighty USC last week, but many who follow the team closely expected less demoralizing results.

Instead what they got was a competitive first quarter that ended in a 3-0 lead for San Jose State, a mere aberration on the road to the brutal end result.

The Trojans erupted for 28 second-quarter points, and doubled it in the final half behind the efforts of many of their backup players, each of whom were all too hungry to feast on San Jose State's worn and weathered starters.

In the end, San Jose State's top rusher (senior Patrick Perry) gained a meager 48 yards, and three quarterbacks combined for just 112 yards through the air. Altogether, the Spartans offense had eight first downs to USC's 22, and converted only once in 16 third down tries.

The Spartans' defense, which is the strength of the team, broke down midway through the second quarter, hamstrung by an ineffective team offense and overmatched by the Trojans' stellar offensive depth.

To be blunt, marching the Spartans into the L.A. Coliseum with a revamped offense and inexperienced secondary was a recipe for disaster that Head Coach Dick Tomey probably should have seen coming.

And how do the Spartans plan to recover from last week? By playing host to defending Mountain West and Sugar Bowl Champion Utah in Week Two.

San Jose State probably deserves a hint of respect for being the only team this year to start out of the gates against two straight BCS bowl winners from last season. At the same time, for a program that is 11-13 the last two seasons, the logic in scheduling two championship-caliber teams in a row is questionable at best.

Nontheless, the Spartans have to quickly put the USC game behind them and find a way to basically put on a performance opposite of last week's. It won't be easy, as the supposedly rebuilding Utes looked more like they reloaded in the offseason when they rolled over the Spartans' WAC rival Utah State 35-17 in Week One.

Judging by that game, San Jose State will need to field a vastly improved offense in Week Two, one that can give their defense a chance to rest in between series and can actually capitalize on turnovers and convert them into points.

Against USC, the Spartans forced two turnovers but were unable to take advantage of them, stalling whenever they crossed the 50-yard line and never even reaching the red zone. Utah State won the turnover battle against the Utes three to one, so San Jose State figures to force a steal or two on their home turf this weekend.

The Spartans' defense will have it's work cut out for it for a second straight week, with the task at hand being to contain an offense that gained 519 total yards last week.

Taking the reigns from graduated quarterback Brian Johnson, junior college transfer Terrance Cain didn't miss a beat as he threw for 286 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Matt Asiata kept the Utes steady on the ground, carrying 36 times for 156 yards and two scores of his own.

In recent years, Tomey's defenses have shown they can play up to the level of their staunchest opponents, including the likes of other BCS-busters Boise State and Hawaii. But keeping high scoring offenses in check has been a quick-fix solution for San Jose State, as their own mostly impotent offense tends to have trouble keeping up even in low-scoring games.

That's why the keys to success fall into new Offensive Coordinator Terry Malley's hands.

The Spartans appear to be steady at running back, with the return of Perry, the arrival of heralded JC-transfer Lamon Muldrow, and the emergence of sophomore speedster Brandon Rutley.

Top playmaker Kevin Jurovich is back, and despite rather pedestrian numbers by his standards against USC, he appears ready to pick up where he left off in 2007 when he was second-team All-WAC.

The most pressing need for the Spartans this weekend may not even be winning, but settling on a quarterback. Senior Kyle Reed and junior Jordan La Secla split time against Southern Cal, with neither doing much to stake his claim to the starting role.

The best option at this point appears to be Reed, if for no other reason than his mobility, which may become more and more crucial as the season wears on.

A four-star quarterback out of high school, Reed transferred to San Jose State from Cal under much fanfare from Spartan fans and alumni in 2007. He endeared himself to those fans in weeks one and two of last season, coming off the bench to engineer a come-from-behind victory over UC Davis in Week One, and keeping the Spartans competitive with Nebraska in Week Two before an injury sidelined him for the final quarter.

Reed also appeared to have bonded on the field quickly with Jurovich during those two weeks, which wound up being the only games the receiver played in prior to losing his season to an illness.

Unfortunately, he battled injury throughout the latter part of the season and was never able to fully establish himself as the Spartans' guy heading into 2009.

Tomey has been steadfast in his opinion that both quarterbacks performed well enough to earn playing time during the offseason. While that may be true, the flip-flopping under center appeared to prevent the Spartans' offense from establishing any kind of rhythm against USC, and the stats and lack of conversions spell that out.

So while an upset over Utah would be ultimately be the most satisfying result, the most realistic and rewarding one may simply be the emergence of a signal-caller. The Spartans need to know who their leader is, and what their chances of competing in the WAC will be.

By Saturday night, we should have a better idea about both.

Fallout From Week One's Worst Body Bag Game

D Miller — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 14:08:11 -0400

In the weeks leading up to his team's season opener against USC, San Jose State Head Coach Dick Tomey kept stressing the positives of stepping up to a national powerhouse in a hostile environment.

He cited the months of offseason preparation the team spent in anticipation of their Week One showdown.

He cited the step-up in competition as a way to raise the level of practice and on-field performance, both through the pregame preparation and the on-field experience against a legitimate national title contender.

He also cited the overall exposure for the program, both to potential recruits in Southern California (a region that produced much of the Spartans' current roster) as well as on a national level.

Tomey certainly netted the exposure he referred to, but in light of the 56-3 drubbing his squad took from the Trojans, it's doubtful that any positives came out of the experience yesterday.

Much of the game was typical for the Tomey-era Spartans when taking on an overwhelming opponent.

They started off strong in the first quarter, with their defense forcing a few turnovers and their offense being servicable and predictably unspectcular.

They carried a 3-0 lead into the second quarter, and after a few momentum-killing turnovers by the Spartans' offense, USC put up some quick scores and the lack of Spartan depth on both sides of the ball led to the inevitable:

An embarrasingly hard-to-watch ass-kicking.

Whatever the gameplan was heading into Week One, it was all wrong.

Wrong offensive scheme.

Wrong defensive matchups.

Most importantly, wrong game at the wrong time.

Unfortunately, the current landscape of college football—as well as the current financial state of California's public universities—dictates that mid-major schools like San Jose State must schedule BCS conference juggernauts in order to survive.

But forcing your players to start the season off against a team that would smash the majority of large conference schools throughout the country could be a season-killer.

Last season, the Spartans faced a similar up-hill battle, traveling to Lincoln, Neb., for a Week Two game against the Cornhuskers in front of 80,000 fans (probably the most populated place in the state on that particular weekend).

The difference in that game from the waxing they took at the hands of USC yesterday (aside from the fact that USC is leaps and bounds better than Nebraska), is that San Jose State was able to take some game experience—and much-needed momentum on the heels of a Week One victory against UC Davis—into Memorial Stadium last season.

This time they were broken in for 2009 the hard way, trying to fight through insurmountable odds in a game that was already decided mid-way through the second quarter. It eventually became a contest of whether the Spartans could even muster some offensive points.

And it shouldn't come as a shock to the coaching staff or athletic director.

The Spartans took an undecided quarterback situation, a secondary with no seniors and three sophomores starting, and a revamped offense under a new coordinator into the Coliseum with hopes of winning that would be comprable to those of a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest.

How much this sets the team back remains to be seen.

It's a little early to tell what the injury toll was, but the mental strain of being thoroughly dominated could be too much to overcome in the week's time they have to prepare for their second-straight 2008 BCS Bowl-winning opponent.

Utah travels to Spartan Stadium next week, and if Saturday was any indication, Tomey's squad is likely to be overmatched and under-prepared for a second straight week.

By Week Three against a rising Stanford team, there could be some serious questions about San Jose State's scheduling strategy, not to mention serious doubts about the remainder of the season—this team has shown in recent years that momentum is a serious component to it's success (or lack thereof).

What's unfortunate is they could have taken a safer route and still played stiff competition.

A look around Saturday's results yields a familiar picture of mid-major teams stepping up to BCS conference foes, but without such dire consequences.

Ohio hosted Conneticut. Northern Illinois traveled to Wisconsin. San Diego State faced UCLA.

The difference for these smaller programs is their steps up in competition weren't against national title contenders, and thus the results weren't as thoroughly demoralizing.

Heading into the USC game, anyone following San Jose State's program knew that simply hanging in there for a half and putting forth a respectable effort would be a moral victory.

What the people in charge at San Jose State apparently ignored was the potential for the opposite happening, and the consequences that could follow.

They took a team that had one of the worst offensive units in the nation last year and asked it to unveil a new attack against one of the staunchest defenses in the nation, year in and year out.

They also asked a young and inexperienced secondary to hang tight while their undersized defensive linemen and linebackers tried in vain to keep USC's freshman quarterback in check.

What ultimately led to the Spartans' demise on Saturday was the depth, which took over in the second quarter as USC started to roll out two and then three strings of players, most of whom would start at any WAC program.

In the end, it was simply too much to ask of the Spartans.

It's not hard to expect a Dick Tomey-coached team to keep their heads high and fight through an adverse start to the season. One week certainly doesn't guarantee season-long failure, no matter how brutal that week's result was.

But at the same time, it's just as hard to expect any team to pick itself up off the ground, dust itself off and take a positive mental state into the following week's home opener...against the undefeated team that finished second in the nation last year.

Time will tell, but at the very least there appears to be a very difficult—if not downright ugly—month ahead for the fans of Sparta.

The WAC Vs. the Big Six: 10 Potential Upsets in 2009

D Miller — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:46:59 -0400

While most teams within the BCS conferences have the luxury of lining their out-of-conference schedules with cream puffs from the lower conferences (or even divisions), those in conferences without an automatic BCS berth have no such luxuries.

In order to have even an outside chance at a prestigious bowl berth, teams in the WAC, Mountain West, Conference USA, etc., have to not only schedule ranked teams outside of their conference, but also hope the rest of their inter-league foes can reach a respectable record so their own might seem at least slightly impressive.

This can present a problem for teams like Boise State and Utah, perennial BCS contenders that many traditional powers can afford to avoid while they pad their OOC slate with easy wins.

On the flip side, many of the downtrodden non-BCS teams are forced to donate their time to so-called "body bag" games, in which they serve as a tune-up for schools from the "Big Six" conferences for the sake of raising some cash.

All the while, a conference like the Mountain West can finish a season with three teams in the top 25 (including their undefeated champion) and not be rewarded with an automatic BCS bid.

At the same time, a team like Penn State can set up arguably the easiest OOC schedule in the country (Akron, Temple, Syracuse, and Eastern Illinois, all at home) and cruise through the declining Big Ten with only one in-conference juggernaut foe to a guaranteed pass to the BCS.

Despite the fact that the Mountain West and WAC conferences each have more ranked opponents than the BCS conference Big East heading into 2009, changes toward a fairer system of play appear nowhere in sight.

Outside of a playoff, the best way for these conferences to earn some respect is to keep scheduling and beating the big guys.

The WAC, a conference with one bona fide power at the top, a few dangerous teams in the middle, and some of the worst programs in the country at the bottom, never shies away from high-profile opponents. Some of their OOC games this season will amount to body bag games, while others have the potential for eye-popping upsets.

The following is 10 games involving the WAC against "Big Six" conference opponents, broken down from the least to most likely to finish with what most of the country will view as an upset.

10) San Jose State at No. 4 USC, Sept. 5

What makes a San Jose State victory even possible? Appalachian State over Michigan, Stanford over USC. That's about how long of a shot the Spartans have in this game.

Both teams are tied up in heated quarterback competitions, though with two former Gatorade National High School Players of the Year in the USC competition, the Trojans are in much better shape than San Jose State.

The Spartans will need to keep the score low, recover a few Trojan turnovers, and count on a slow 2009 start from USC. If they field a typical Dick Tomey swarming defense, they have a slim chance. Very slim.

9) Louisiana Tech at No. 11 LSU, Nov. 14

There's no doubt that Louisiana Tech, with Derek Dooley at the helm, is a program on the rise.

Coming off an eight-win season in which they received a bowl berth and beat SEC program Mississippi State, La. Tech is poised for more upset wins. The chances of one coming against 2007 National Champs LSU aren't very good.

LSU is a consistent quarterback away from being a top 10 team. The Bulldogs may have a chip on their shoulders coming into this interstate rivalry game, which should be enough to make it competitive, but a Louisiana Tech victory would make national sports headlines.

8) San Jose State vs. No. 19 Utah, Sept. 12

A week after a likely drubbing at the hands of USC, the Spartans host their second straight BCS winner in Utah.

Working in their favor is the fact that many of the players that led Utah to their undefeated 2008 season are gone, including their quarterback.

If San Jose State can come away from USC relatively healthy, they may be able to use the experience of that game to pull off a stunner at home.

Realistically, the Spartans are looking at an 0-2 start to 2009.

7) Fresno State @ Cincinnati, Sept. 26

A year removed from preseason expectations of being a BCS buster, Fresno State again has a very respectable OOC schedule.

In the Bearcats, they face the defending Big East champions, who were 11-2 in 2008. Cincinnati is not expected to field a dominant team in 2009, but neither is Fresno State.

What will keep the Bulldogs in this road game will be ball control through their dynamic rushing duo of Ryan Matthews and Lonyae Miller. But with Fresno State breaking in a new quarterback this year, teams will be able to focus on stopping the run.

A Fresno State win is not out of the question, but it definitely will be a very difficult road game.

6) Hawaii @ Wisconsin, Dec. 5

A year after rebuilding their highly potent offense, the Warriors are now in rebuilding mode on the defensive side of the ball. To their credit, they developed quarterback Greg Alexander in his first year in 2008, and the former juco transfer seems poised to have a typically prolific season for Hawaii.

Unfortunately, Hawaii will be dealing with a long flight to Wisconsin for this game and don't typically perform well in the Midwest and further east. If they can't slow down the Badgers' running attack, it could be an even longer flight home.

5) Nevada at No. 23 Notre Dame, Sept. 5

Nevada enters the season as the most highly regarded team in the WAC outside of Boise State, and with their offensive firepower, they stand a realistic chance of upsetting the Irish in South Bend.

With three 1,000-yard rushers on their roster, including 2008 WAC Offensive Player of the year Colin Kaepernick under center, the Wolf Pack is destined to put up a lot of points in 2009 no matter who they are playing.

If their defense can contain Notre Dame and keep pressure on quarterback Jimmy Clausen, they should be able to control the game. A victory in week one for Nevada could immediately call into question Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis' job security.

4) Fresno State @ Wisconsin, Sept. 12

After having their BCS hopes derailed early by Wisconsin in 2008, Fresno State should have revenge on their minds heading into their Week Two tilt with the Badgers.

Despite the home field advantage Wisconsin will enjoy, the Bulldogs will benefit from having prepared for and played Wisconsin last year, a game Fresno State was in through the fourth quarter.

Also working in their favor is the fact that they always seems to pull off an upset each season and tend to play well against their toughest opponents.

3) Louisiana Tech @ Auburn, Sept. 5

Coming off their disappointing 5-7 campaign in 2008, the rebuilding Auburn Tigers are ripe for an upset loss—about as ripe as Louisiana Tech is for an upset victory.

One program is on the upswing, the other in a downturn, and they could be meeting in the middle in week one.

Depending on how new head coach Gene Chizik works out, the Tigers probably aren't in a free-fall. But his first game at the helm might not be a good time to coach opposite one of college football's rising stars at a rising program.

The travel won't be rough, and the Bulldogs should be used to the SEC atmosphere by now. A victory for them is well in reach.

2) Nevada vs. Missouri, Sept. 25

Like Fresno State against Wisconsin, Nevada will be facing the Missouri Tigers for the second time in as many seasons. Unlike Fresno State, they get Mizzou at home.

The Wolf Pack should benefit from facing a rebuilt Tigers offense that lost quarterback Chase Daniel, receiver Jeremy Maclin, and offensive coordinator Dave Christensen.

Meanwhile, their explosive offense, which was able to move against the Tigers last year, should put up more than the 17 points they had last season. It's a safe assumption that Missouri won't be posting the 69 points they put up last season, especially on the road in Reno.

The revenge-minded Wolf Pack should make it an even matchup this season.

1) No. 14 Boise State vs. No. 16 Oregon, Sept. 3

In a nationally televised showdown to kick off the college football season, the Oregon Ducks are tasked with taking on the Broncos on their home blue turf, where they are 64-2 over the last decade. Predictably, Boise State is the slight favorite heading into this game.

Oregon will be looking to avenge a 37-32 home loss to the Broncos in 2008, but they face a reloaded Boise State team that has one of the best home field advantages in college football. With a victory, the Broncos will be a front runner for an at-large BCS berth provided they cruise through the WAC—which they typically do.

With the Ducks transitioning to a new head coach, the odds will be against them to spoil Boise State's home winning streak.

10 WAC Players That Could Challenge for All-American Status

D Miller — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:53:54 -0400

While most of the non-BCS attention of late has gone to the Mountain West Conference, their former conference has stolen a share of the spotlight in its own right. What sets the Western Athletic Conference apart from the MWC (and below it, in many eyes) is that fact that while it has talent in the top half, some of the worst programs in the country are bringing up the rear of the WAC. That said, the two conferences are tied with two BCS bowl appearances apiece. But while Utah is the lone team giving the MWC BCS prominence, two teams in the WAC have done so--Boise State and Hawaii. So while the bottom feeders of the WAC are among the worst of worst, the top half keeps its credibility and has the conference in postion to challenge for a BCS appearance every year. It couldn't be done without talent, and the WAC certainly isn't short on it. Following are some notable WAC players that could challenge for All-American status at the end of 2009. Not necessarily First Team, but if some of the players live up to or exceed expectations, they could wind up on one of the top three All-American rankings.

Begin Slideshow

Can San Jose State Spartans Draw Parallels to Successful '06 Team?

D Miller — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:47:12 -0400

With the two Pac-10 Bay Area college football squads seemingly on the upswing heading into the 2009 season, the lone non-BCS program in the Bay is predictably on the public spotlight's back burner.

As in years passed—especially the ones prior to when head coach Dick Tomey came aboard and resurrected the program—the Spartans of San Jose State are a near afterthought on the Bay Area football landscape compared to Cal and Stanford. Outside of their season-opener against mighty Southern Cal, local media doesn't seem to find the team too newsworthy.

Don't hold your breath waiting for Tomey to care, as he continues to go about his business as the Spartans coach that saved the program from dissolving when he joined in 2004. In that time, he has helped pull the team out of the academic cellar, a position inherited from the previous regime that cost Tomey valuable scholarships over that time. He's also boosted attendance by a near 300-percent margin per game, and in 2006 coached the team out of its 16-year bowl drought.

But despite that 2006 New Mexico Bowl victory, it's been a typically uphill battle for the Spartans over the last two seasons, not only in their quest for respect within the Bay Area football community, but in their quest to reach the upper-ranks of the Western Athletic Conference.

The 2006 season seemed to be the breakthrough the program was looking for, but it was followed up by a sub-par 5-7 campaign in 2007, and while the team started out 5-2 and played Boise State midseason with first place on the line, they faltered down the stretch, finishing 6-6 and without a bowl invitation.

San Jose State has managed to get a grip on the bottom half of the WAC during the Tomey era, consistently handling the likes of Utah State, New Mexico State, and Idaho, none of which would be labeled a major victory in any year. They've also managed to hang with and even beat parts of the upper-half of the conference, but they've been unable to do so consistently, which keeps them out of serious contention for a league title.

The 2006 bowl team was arguably the most competitive WAC squad the Spartans have ever produced, a season in which rivals Stanford and Fresno State both left Spartan Stadium with losses, as did former WAC champions Louisiana Tech. Losses to Nevada, Hawaii, and Boise State left the Spartans in third place.

The upside to the 2009 Spartans is there are comparisons to be made to that 2006 team, and in a program that has been short on winning records, much less championship contenders, it's as good a parallel as can be drawn.

The quarterback of the 2006 team was Adam Trafalis, a junior at the time who had not yet lived up to expectations. With future NFL receivers James Jones and John Broussard having breakout seasons that year, Trafalis bloomed into a solid team leader as well as one of the more decorated passers in school history.

Enter Kyle Reed in 2009, the Cal transfer that took over the starting job in the first game of 2008 and seemed on the brink of a breakout season himself, before injuries and an increasingly abysmal offense began to affect his performances.

Like Trafalis in 2006, he enters this campaign with something to prove. Considered a top-five dual-threat quarterback in the nation coming out of high school, Reed chose to play up north in Berkeley until a 2007 third-string demotion led him to depart for the South Bay.

Despite the accolades Reed brought with him, nothing has been handed to him in San Jose. He enters his fifth and final college season fighting off junior Jordan La Secla for the starting spot, a battle Tomey has indicated should last into the season and possibly until WAC play starts.

If Reed can recapture some of the magic he started out with last season, when he led the Spartans to a last minute victory over UC Davis and kept the team competitive on the road at Nebraska, he should be poised to lead the team the entire season.

Quarterbacks with his skill-set—the combination of a strong arm and mobile ability—have become the standard in the pass-happy WAC, and unless the line makes dramatic improvements from last year, Reed's running ability will be crucial to the offense.

His targets should be as good as the ones Trafalis had in 2006, especially with the return of former All-WAC receiver Kevin Jurovich, who missed all but two games in 2008 while sidelined with an illness. Jurovich emerged in 2007 as the go-to guy in the Spartans offense, when he ranked in the top-15 nationally in both receptions and yards.

He'll be joined by heralded JC transfer Marquis Avery and 2008 starter Jalal Beauchman, with a young corps of recent recruits waiting in the wings that Tomey hasn't had access to in previous seasons.

Where this year's offense may have an edge on the 2006 version is at running back, where not only will there be more depth, but possibly an upgrade at talent.

Previous starter Yonus Davis filled the role admirably when healthy during his time with the Spartans, but considering the arrival of four-star JC running back Lamon Muldrow, combined with the emergence of second-year man Brandon Rutley, the running threat should far upgraded from near non-existence a season ago. Added to that is the likelihood that 2006 contributor Patrick Perry will be granted a sixth-year of eligibility.

On the other side of the ball, the Spartans continue to be one of the most formidable in the WAC under the defensive-minded Tomey.

Linebacker Justin Cole should fill the same role former defensive leader and tackling machine Matt Castelo did for the 2006 team, and has already received preseason All-WAC honors from Rivals.com.

What the last San Jose State bowl team did not have that this squad will is the havoc-wreaking Ihenacho tandem (Carl on the defensive line, Duke at linebacker/safety). The two brothers, who had a combined five years of high school experience before San Jose State took a chance on them, should continue to excel for Tomey's Silicon Valley version of his old "Desert Swarm" unit.

The hardest task the Spartans face defensively, especially given the conference they play in, will be replacing NFL draftees Christopher Owens and Coye Francies on the corners. Each were among the most respected defenders in the WAC last season, which likely means the rest of the conference will be eager to exploit the young group likely to replace them.

The most promising sign for Tomey coming into the 2009 season is that his squad now is by far deeper and more talented than any he has had in San Jose. For the first time in his tenure, he could wind up red-shirting all incoming freshman—a sharp contrast to the years in which he was forced to play many out of necessity. The ability to bring these freshman along at a reasonable pace is due in large part to the scholarships regained in recent seasons through improved academics.

Tomey also enters the season with the most experienced offensive sidekick he has had yet in San Jose.

Terry Malley, former offensive coordinator for the Arena Bowl Champion San Jose Sabercats, has moved across town and should provide an immediate boost to what wound up being a very dismal offense in 2008.

The transition from the "50-yard indoor war" to the collegiate game shouldn't be rough, as Malley was the head football coach at nearby Santa Clara University prior to the folding of their program. That background should prove to be quite useful in terms of local recruiting for the Spartans.

The 2006 New Mexico Bowl squad was a highly successful one by San Jose State standards, one that gave the fan base and alumni hope for better things to come. In light of the following seasons that produced an 11-13 record, 2006 may appear to outsiders to be an aberration for an otherwise downtrodden football program.

However, that team came into the season with similarly low expectations and less talent.

And if this year's team can survive the brutal opening schedule that includes games against USC, Utah, and Stanford right off the bat, it could wind up being Tomey's most surprising success story yet.

Remarkable Fedor Signing for Strikeforce Is a Letdown for Fans

D Miller — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:41:30 -0400

When fledgling promotion Affliction ceased MMA operations a few weeks ago following the collapse of it's third fight card, the destination of heavyweight centerpiece Fedor Emelianenko was easily the hottest topic in the wake of the fallout.

Would the Russian superstar, widely considered the best overall fighter in the world, return to Japan? Would he stick with his management team's promotion M-1 Global and fight strictly on their fight cards? Or would MMA fans finally get what they have anticipated for several years now—an Emelianenko foray into the top MMA spotlight in the world, the UFC Octagon.

The latter seemed almost inevitable, as it stands to reason that the top heavyweight fighter, arguably of all time, would eventually land in the UFC, who's roster includes most of the top fighters in the world at Emelianenko's weight.

Most fans likely didn't even realize Strikeforce was an official player in the Fedor sweepstakes until it was announced he had signed with the upstart promotion, an almost shocking announcement considering the rampant rumors of the past week that claimed a Fedor-UFC union was all set.

It's a major coup on the part of Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, one that boosts the stock of not only his company, but the rest of the fighters on his roster. They are now positioned to fight on undercards of major events headlined by Emelianenko on the airwaves of either CBS or Showtime and, down the road, pay-per-view.

It may also signal the end of the mutual respect between Coker and UFC President Dana White, who in the past has expressed his approval of the way Strikeforce conducts business. With Emelianenko signed to their roster, Strikeforce is now a legitimate contender to the UFC's promotional dominance.

But while the signing of the most sought-after free agent in the sport raises Strikeforce's stock, it's a major disappointment to legions of fans who will have to keep waiting to see Fedor in the super-fights that can only be provided by the UFC's stable of fighters.

Legitimate challengers to Emelianenko are few and far between in Strikeforce, with Brett Rogers appearing to be the most realistic threat. Other potential opponents include UFC reject Fabricio Werdum and former Pride gate-keeper Alistair Overeem, the current Strikeforce heavyweight champ that is sidelined for the foreseeable future.

Even if Josh Barnett's career somehow hasn't been ruined by his most recent positive steroid test, it's highly unlikely he'll be licensed by the California State Athletic Commission any time soon, making a fight between Fedor and Barnett in the San Jose, Calif.-based Strikeforce virtually impossible.

And while Strikeforce is relatively thin on heavyweight talent, the UFC has bolstered it's once-weak heavyweight division over the last year with the only kind of talent that can reasonably challenge Emelianenko, thus leaving fans where they were when Pride disbanded: Without the best possible heavyweight fights.

Strikeforce's probable emergence as a major promotion following the Emelianenko signing is a positive step for MMA in the long run; a rival promotion stifles the UFC's attempts at creating an MMA monopoly, and gives more fighters the opportunity to compete on a high stage, thus providing fans with more top-level fights.

But in the short-run, it prevents matchups that could have been the most anticipated fights of all-time.

Emelianenko-Lesnar for the unified heavyweight title would be a blockbuster.

Emelianenko-Couture could have been the defining fight of the legendary former UFC champion's career, and considering the size and skill-sets of the two combatants, it's not irrational to think it would be a tremendous—and even—match.

Even if Emelianenko chose to take a few tuneup bouts in the UFC to build up to a title mega-fight, bouts against the likes of Shane Carwin, Cain Velasquez, or even a light-heavyweight like Tito Ortiz would serve as stiffer challenges than the former Pride heavyweight champion is likely to find in Strikeforce.

Which begs the question: Does Fedor want to define his legacy by seeking out the best possible opponents, or does he want to ease into retirement by padding his record against lesser foes?

Most reports say the UFC couldn't come to terms with Emelianenko's management team, which wanted their M-1 Global promotion to co-promote any fight he was involved in.

As much as Dana White wants to control MMA with an iron fist, demanding to ride the UFC's coattails and benefit from their marketing machine by having a 50-percent stake in their events is bold, if not ridiculous.

As White put it, “It’s like Brett Favre negotiating with one of the football teams and saying, yeah, 'I’m gonna be your 50-percent partner.' " (source: MMA Weekly)

In other words, if Emelianenko himself didn't negotiate his own way out of the best possible challenges to his reign of dominance, he allowed his management to do so for the sake of trying to boost a promotion no one in North America knows or cares about.

And at 33 years of age, his decision to sign with Strikeforce casts doubt on the chances that he'll ever face any of the men most capable of dethroning him.

It also casts doubt on whether he truly wants to fight them.

A 49er Move (Not Too Far) Down South Makes Sense

D Miller — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:56:22 -0400

As the San Francisco 49ers' training camp opens and the 2009 season looms on the horizon, a number of issues pertaining to the roster and lineup are left to be resolved.

But more important than the quarterback battle between Shaun Hill and Alex Smith, or Michael Crabtree's hold out, or even the debut of Jimmy Raye's offense, is the question of just where the team will play a decade from now.

A rivalry of sorts is brewing between the two Bay Area cities that fancy themselves the best location for the five-time Super Bowl champs, and each has a decent case.

San Francisco is the natural choice, being the only home the franchise has ever known, and holding the history behind the team's name—the "Forty-Niner" moniker comes from the days of the mid-1800s San Francisco Gold Rush.

Just down south is the city that already hosts the 49ers headquarters and practice facilities, and Santa Clara is making a strong case for hosting the team on Sundays as well.

At issue is whether the city of San Francisco can realisitcally support a plan to build a stadium to replace the dilapidated, nearly 40-year-old Candlestick Park, and get it's citizens to pitch in on the project.

After a few years of tossing around the idea of keeping Candlestick Point as the 49ers' playing site and building a new stadium adjacent to the current one, owners John, Denise and Jed York have turned their attention to the South Bay, seemingly convinced that San Francisco can't support a new stadium. Or, if you believe San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, they simply won't give the city a chance.

Newsom isn't going to let the team go quietly, consistently suggesting publicly that the Yorks haven't given San Francisco an equal shot at building a new stadium. He recently told the San Francisco Chronicle that the team keeps "raising the bar of concerns" and "finding ways to say 'no'..."

While no mayor of a major city wants to see it's most beloved franchise leave on his watch, it's a telling sign that Newsom has also resorted to a "reaching out" of sorts to Santa Clara residents, albeit in a negative fashion, advising voters in the city to save their tax money for other needs, such as schools.

Nice try Gavin, but that suggestion impacts San Francisco as much as you'd like it to Santa Clara, and is just one reason a new 49ers stadium doesn't appear to be feasible up north.

San Franciscans have repeatedly shown at the voting polls that they lack the desire to commit their tax dollars to a stadium project, and new visions of revitalizing the Hunter's Point neighborhood with a stadium won't change that.

Comparing the Hunter's Point idea to the neighborhood revival that AT&T Park has created since it's 2000 opening isn't realistic; the 49ers are at most going to play 12 games a year at home, only if they somehow pull off two playoff games. And the football fans showing up for those games will mostly be pounding their beers in the parking lot, rather than filling up the bars and restaraunts the way baseball fans do.

And lets be honest about the make up of San Francisco and the number of citizens who want to invest in football; the City by the Bay is made up of such a diverse amount of people, with diverse interests, that it's no longer the sports town it used to be.

A 2005-'07 U.S. Census Buerau survey found that more than 35 percent of San Francisco residents are foreign born. More than 25 percent were born in a different state.

Basically, one-third of the city most likely wasn't raised on football, and one-fourth of the city roots for another team—assuming they follow football at all.

So what maintains the unmistakable popularity of the San Francisco Giants and 49ers?

The greater Bay Area, which brings us to Santa Clara.

Admittedly, I am a South Bay guy. A stadium 15 minutes from my doorstep would be most convenient.

But football games are an all-day event, and if the team had a better option an hour and a half away from me in Napa I'd be open to it.

The bottom line is their best option is down south near team headquarters.

Unlike San Francisco, Santa Clara does not have nightmarish parking and traffic problems. In fact, it's a commuter city, one that can provide easy freeway access to a stadium, not to mention the space to build it next to it's only tourist attraction, the Great America amusement park.

Santa Clara's citizens still need to vote on whether or not to thow in the additional $114 million of public funds needed, and issues need to be resolved with Cedar Fair, the owners of Great America, who have voiced concern over whether the stadium and amusement park could co-exist so close together.

But much like with the rest of the Bay Area, there is a massive amount of 49er fanhood in Santa Clara and all signs point to a stadium approval.

The earliest the Santa Clara park could be ready for play is 2014, and the team is tied to Candlestick Park through at least 2013. Five more years is a long time for this franchise to go without an NFL-suitable stadium.

Long enough for Los Angeles to make itself available to the NFL, which isn't looking for more expansion teams but would love to once again have a franchise in that market.

As blasphemous as a 49er move to Southern California may seem, Bay Area 49er fans should be mindful of the fact that the Yorks are connected and loyal only to the 49ers, not necessarily the city of San Francisco and the surrounding communities.

And while it may seem like a longshot now, all fans in the Bay Area can agree that if an hour-long commute is in store for a 49er game, we'd rather have it be by car than by plane.

The 49ers Fine Print: Coffee Is Sealed, Crabtree Should Follow

D Miller — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:37:22 -0400

The official start of 49ers' training camp is just two days away, and with all but their first-round pick signed and sealed, the new 49ers' regime appears to have their assignments in check.

With a new stadium being their most pressing long term need, the 49ers brass have very publicly made their case for a new state-of-the-art home 45 miles south in Santa Clara, while rather quietly signing 2009 draft picks 2-7 in sound fashion.

Their two highest profile picks not named Michael Crabtree both signed this week, starting with fifth-round project quarterback Nate Davis inking a four-year deal, and followed by running back Glen Coffee agreeing to a four-year contract of his own yesterday.

Having Coffee in camp from the start will be beneficial for both the team and the bruising rookie, who like all first-year players will need all the time available to adjust to an NFL practice schedule and learn the playbook. The 49ers' offense receives an instant boost by his presence, as they can immediately start grooming Coffee to relieve the workload of starter Frank Gore.

Of course, the attention remains where it has been since Draft Day weekend in April, on 10th overall pick Crabtree, who is quickly becoming the target of pondering critics that seem to think a long holdout is in store for him and the 49ers.

Is a holdout out of the question? Hardly, considering rookie holdouts are standard procedure in the NFL these days. Rumors that Crabtree is expecting a contract beyond the normal scope of a double-digit pick lend some credibility to the concerns as well.

Then again, seeing as there's about seven other franchises that are presently in the same boat, 49ers fans may want to ease their concerns for just a bit longer.

Aside from the two quarterbacks selected in the top ten this year--and we all know quarterbacks are handled differently anyway--no other top pick has come to terms yet this off season.

It's common practice that NFL rookies are awarded contracts based on their slots in the draft; in other words, agents and players wait to see how the cards fall for those drafted in front of them before deciding what they can reasonably expect for themselves.

Basically, St. Louis rookie tackle Jason Smith is on the clock, and hopefully once he gets a deal done the rest of the top 10 won't lag too far behind.

If Crabtree is indeed expecting to be paid like the top-five pick he was projected to be, that could obviously complicate matters. Over-paying players was standard operating procedure for the 49ers during the Mike Nolan era, but chances are the team will be taking a more hard-nosed stance in negotiations as they move forward.

This rumor--at this point attributed to un-named sources--that Crabtree is willing to live up to the diva rumors that plagued him prior to the draft, and saddle the team with a long holdout, has a certain amount of plausibility depending on which impression of Crabtree you choose to take.

We can view Crabtree in the diva light that was credited to Eric Mangini and the Cleveland Browns--rumors that prompted Texas Tech Head Coach Mike Leach to publicly and simultaneously lash out at Mangini and fiercely defend his former superstar.

We can buy into the belief that Crabtree is destined to bust because he supposedly comes from a gimmick system at Texas Tech that blessed him with inflated stats. Some argue that he lacks the size and speed to take over games at the pro level the way he did in college.

Or we can remember Crabtree for what he has already accomplished under local and national spotlights: Being a two-time Biletnikoff Award-winner as the nation's premiere wide receiver (in his only two seasons of college football), and being the injured rookie so anxious to return to the field that he was nearly reduced to tears after Coach Mike Singletary told him to limit his practice.

We can also remember that Patrick Willis didn't exactly sprint his signature to the dotted line prior to his rookie season, and no one's questioned his character in the entire time he's been with San Francisco.

There's no guarantee one way or the other how this situation will play out.

While seven of the other top-10 picks are casually waiting to sign their own rookie contracts, Crabtree deserves the kind of patience from fans that he showed as he fell out of the top five and landed in the laps of the 49ers.

He has a case for wanting better than number 10 pay--it's not his fault that the Raiders made a reach at seven, and in fact it became the 49ers' good fortune. However, the 49ers have their own case for not overpaying him.

In the end, I like the chances of both sides reaching an agreement that satisfies everyone.

False Kimo Leopoldo Story a Lesson for B/R Writers

D Miller — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:59:30 -0400

If you limit your MMA Internet surfing to this site and the mainstream sports media outlets, you might not know that former UFC fighter Kimo Leopoldo was reported (and supposedly "confirmed") dead this week, only to surface and hold a press conference proclaiming that he was "pretty sure he's alive."

I first heard the news Tuesday morning on my way to work, as the morning talk show hosts for Bay Area sports radio station KNBR briefly mentioned it in passing, reflecting on how it was one of the "many weird and sad occurrences" lately in sports.

On one hand I'd like to think that I can trust a media outlet like KNBR—"The Sports Leader"—to report accurate news. On the other hand I'm not surprised that they would take misinformation regarding MMA from other outlets and pass it along to listeners, because even as the sport blooms into the mainstream conscience, most veteran journalists still don't have the respect for MMA to apply strict journalistic ethics to it.

It reminds me of how Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon used to rip MMA prior to its mainstream explosion on their show "Pardon the Interruption." They took to ESPN's airwaves to label MMA a "bar room brawling" sport and insisting that primitive violence such as eye-gouging, biting, and groin strikes were legal, which of course was a complete lie.

It always bothered me that those journalistic ethics somehow flew out the window when blow hards such as Kornheiser and Wilbon decided to spread lies about MMA. If they had gone on record saying it's perfectly legal to go head hunting with a hockey stick in the NHL while trying to downplay that sport, their jobs probably would have been in jeopardy.

And even now as the mainstream sports media has all of a sudden pulled a 180 and accepted MMA (dollar signs anyone?), we still have a situation like the false report of Leopoldo's death, which is probably just as much due to a lack of overall respect for the craft of journalism as it is a lack of respect for MMA.

A recap, for those unaware:

A popular member of one of the original and most popular MMA Internet forums, who is known for being a first rate Internet troll, yet is a former MMA fighter with strong ties to many current popular fighters, started a rumor that Leopoldo had died in Costa Rica.

It was likely intended to just be a joke on a few friends and the forum community in which it played out, and it wasn't that hard for many to believe.

Leopoldo, who gained immediate fame in the UFC when in his first fight he nearly defeated original UFC champion Royce Gracie (Gracie wound up bowing out of his next fight that night), is known for his struggles in the past with drug addiction. The Southern California-based fighter has enough of a name to make him newsworthy, but has been out of the spotlight enough lately that it would be hard to immediately verify any story regarding him.

What ensued was a media storm that fooled everyone, and has Leopoldo's attorney's threatening a lawsuit.

Somehow along the way, TMZ caught wind of the troll job and turned it into a story, reporting it as fact. No doubt other media outlets have let down their guard regarding TMZ, as others jumped on board and ran with the story.

By the time Leopoldo found out, he had to deal with a host of friends and family that were scared, saddened, frustrated that this story was out there, and they might be unaware of his passing.

The first lesson for anyone who follows the media is to be wary of anything coming out of TMZ. They will obviously run with anything in order to be the ones who "broke the story." Apparently, they are immune to the age-old journalistic standards that require actually verifying a story from credible sources (ie: not an Internet forum where anyone can post), and no one is bothering to hold them accountable.

There is also a lesson to be learned for the writers at Bleacher Report, since the bottom line here is also that anyone can sign up and post something.

If you're going to fancy yourself a journalist in training, or one right now, make sure you know what goes into the trade. Don't fall for bogus claims, sensational stories, and false advertisements that have no proof or merit. As this story showed, anything posted on the Internet can take off like wildfire and affect a lot of people.

We all want to be the one to break some random or stunning news. But no self-respecting writer wants to be the guy throwing crap against the wall just to see if it sticks.

And with the dust far from settled in this bogus Kimo story, I guess one piece of silver lining is this: At least it didn't originate here.

MMA's Stars of Inconsistency

D Miller — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:51:38 -0400

Along the course of his or her competitive career, an MMA fighter is almost certain to navigate peaks and valleys--a series of highs and lows defined by tremendous victories and agonizing defeats.The top fighters enjoy those peaks far more frequently in their careers, periods when they seem almost invincible, as is the case for UFC World Lightheavyweight champion Lyoto Machida. Many fighters will also experience lows that indicate their career is nearing the end, as appears to be the case now for the legendary Chuck Liddell. And while MMA will probably never have it's own Rocky Marciano, the former boxing champion that retired undefeated, the cream of the MMA crop is expected to maintain it's standard of excellence once it has been established. However, there are those fighters that sometimes simply baffle fans with their performances; fighters we just know are way better than they often perform, and go through more letdowns--in either performance, result, or often both--than we know they should. Following is a list of MMA fighters that often fail to live up to their billing. Some surprise us with wins, but most have surprised us with losses or subpar performances that we know are beneath them.

Begin Slideshow

Sports Cheats and Scandals: "As Long As It's MY Guy, It's Okay"

D Miller — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:13:12 -0400

It's July 3rd baseball fans, which means it's time to cue up that popular Manny Ramirez soundbyte:

"I'm baaaaaaack...."

In other words, the seemingly fastest 50-game suspension in the history of sports is over, and looking back on the timespan from when Ramirez tested positive for a banned substance to right now, you'd think basically, "No harm, no foul."

Just as it was when the lights went out in "Mannywood" 50 Dodgers' games ago, L.A. is firmly atop the NL West standings and listed at the top of just about every reputable MLB power rankings list out there. Manny might have a lost a few bucks in the process, but all of a sudden, he is a potent addition to a team that probably didn't even need one.

And the fanbase out at Chavez Ravine?

Don't worry about Manny there, he'll no doubt be welcomed back with wide-open arms—by child and adult alike—and cheered just as overwhelmingly as he was in his short minor league rehab stint this past week.

I'd like to perch myself way up on my high horse and and chastize those shameless Dodgers fans for being so accepting of a cheat, but, oh yeah, that's right—I'm a San Francisco Giants fan.

Surely, there should be no trouble for me throwing some criticism down south to our hated rivals, but I'm going to do my best to avoid being the pot that calls the kettle black. With years of rooting for Barry Bonds under my belt (and having grown tired of the last ditch excuse that technically he hasn't failed a test yet), I'm in no position to judge Dodgers fans for endearing themselves to their roided hero.

In fact, no baseball fan is, in light of the Mitchell Report and the subsequent steroid bombshells that have been dropped in its wake.

All across the baseball landscape, from the Bay Area to L.A., New York to Chicago, Baltimore to Boston, all fans have been guilty of cheering and supporting a cheat, whether they knew it at the time or not.

And the sad truth is, once you've found out your beloved All-Star isn't doing it on pure talent, you can't just flip a switch and turn your back on him.

Just ask fans of the Giants' rivals across the Bay, the Oakland A's.

Oh, how they loved ragging on Bonds during his home run record chase, never passing up a chance to label him a fraud and lump the fans who rooted for him right into that catergory.

They also never hesitate to remind Giants fans of the 1989 Bay Bridge Series, when the A's swept the Giants to take home a World Championship.

But don't remind them of whose bats got them there in the first place...oh yeah, that's right, both Jose Canseco and Mark "I'm not here to talk about the past" McGwire.

The fact remains that while steroids are (at least publicy) a baseball problem, the trend of supporting proven cheats, liars, and all-around scumbags because they play for our team is prevalent throughout the sports world.

I remember attending a 49ers-Rams game a few years back and being appauled—and baffled—that someone was sporting a Leonard Little jersey. This fan could have chosen Marc Bulger, Steven Jackson, maybe a little nostalgia with Henry Ellard, but, nah—he chose to rock the suit of a guy twice convicted of a DUI, the first one resulting in someone's death.

Two years removed from his disgraceful bannishment from the NFL and months after his subsequent prison sentence, how many Michael Vick jerseys will be in the crowd at Atlanta Falcon games this season?

What about "Iron" Mike Tyson?

He somehow managed to re-invent himself after his rape conviction and get back into title contention, and with millions of his fans watching on Pay-Per-View, he cannabalized Evander Holyfield in the middle of the ring. Yet how many of us (myself included) were laughing when he laid out the fat guy in the box office hit The Hangover?

The problem with supporting cheaters and bad characters probably goes beyond just a "rooting interest."

Anti-sports critics would have us believe that there are major character issues within the world of professional sports; however, it's merely a microcosm of the general public itself.

Granted, the vast majority of us can't relate to these athletes on a physical level, but we all know people who have cheated to get ahead.

We all know someone who has gotten a DUI, perhaps ourselves.

Live long enough and you'll know someone that has cheated on their spouse and lied about it.

In fact, many fans out there are guilty of the same mistakes these athletes make, and the fact that we're all human likely makes it almost as easy to forgive them as the 40 home runs our roided superstar hit last year.

Certainly, there are some athletes out there that we will feel deserve no forgiveness, but even that is a matter of personal opinion.

Personally, I never want to see Todd Bertuzzi take the ice for my hockey team. No matter how many spins I see his fans put on it, I could never forgive him for the Rick Steiner-bulldog he put on Steve Moore and how it cost him his career.

Likewise, given the severity of the charges that put Maurice Clarrett behinds bars, I just can't see myself ever rooting for him should he get a second chance at football.

But other fans do and will continue to root for guys like them, and even in disagreement, I'll withhold my own judgement of those fans.

Afterall, even if we aren't a cheat or scumbag ourselves, at some point we all root for one.

Ten of the Most Dominant Ground Fighters in MMA Today

D Miller — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:56:39 -0400

Probably the most complex part of mixed martial arts, ground fighting has the distinction of being what sets MMA apart from other combat sports, and at the same time what often turns off the casual fan.

It's an ironic distinction, at least to the MMA purist, because ground fighting, which encompasses takedowns, ground and pound, submissions, and submission defense, is often what sets the athlete apart from the true fighter. It's also what gives a world-class MMA fighter an edge against a world-class boxer in a fight that's allowed to hit the ground.

While anyone can throw up a haymaker and luck into a knockout, almost all takedowns, submissions, and sub defenses are created through intelligence and technique; the culmination of hours of training and application that take a fighter much farther than simply power and aim.

That's not to say a talented striker doesn't put in just as much gym time and require the match of brain and brawn that a grappler has, but while everyone has a "puncher's chance," under-trained and outmatched fighters don't get to rely on an "arm-locker's chance."

With that said, lets take a look at some of the most feared ground fighters in the sport today. The list includes fighters that do more than just submit their foes; this is a roster of fighters that have slick takedowns, dangerous ground and pound, and rarely—if ever—get submitted themselves. Quality of opponents finished will come into play as well.

There may seem to be some glaring omissions, however many talented athletes from other grappling sports have moved into MMA without living up the names they built prior. BJ Penn was the first American to win the Mundials (the World Championships in Brazilain Jiu-Jitsu), yet has a fairly pedestrian finishing rate as an MMA fighter. The same can be said for former sport BJJ superstar Matt Serra.

Of course, other omissions could simply be a slight on the part of the author—there are afterall a lot of dominant grapplers in MMA. So feel free to add to the list in the comments section.

(Fight statistics are courtesy of the Sherdog.com fight tracker)

10. Nathan Diaz

Perhaps the fastest rising BJJ-based fighter in MMA, Diaz has possibly the most dangerous triangle in the sport. A brown belt member of the Cesar Gracie Fight Team, where belt promotions are notoriously hard to come by, seven of Diaz' 10 wins have been by submission. His victims include Junior Assuncao and heralded jiu-jitsu black belt Kurt Pellegrino.

9. Matt Hughes

With 43 wins on his resume, Hughes has 18 wins by submission over the likes of Frank Trigg and Georges St. Pierre. Considering he has never been known to KO people on the feet, Hughes' other 15 stoppage victories are proof that his wrestling and ground and pound ability has been nothing short of devastating. He's slammed, pummeled and submitted his legacy as the greatest welterweight of all time.

8. Renato "Babalu" Sobral

Former Brazilian National wrestling champion "Babalu" Sobral, the current Strikeforce Light Heavyweight champion and a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu black belt, has submitted 17 of his 32 overall victims—a list that includes Sokoudjou, Mike Van Arsdale, Chael Sonnen, and Murilo "Ninja" Rua. Complimenting his submissions are his relentless takedowns and ground and pound.

7. Jake Shields

Cesar Gracie black belt Shields is possibly the closest thing to a one-dimensional fighter there is in MMA's top-ten rankings. It's not that he isn't versed in striking, it's just that the former Division II wrestler makes no effort to disguise his gameplans: Takedown, ground and pound, submit.

While no one seems to fear his power on the feet, he now has two weight divisions fearing his world-class grappling skills, which have led him to victories over Nick Thompson, Mike Pyle, and most recently Robbie Lawler. Even when Shields isn't finishing fights, he is usually winning with superior takedowns and ground positioning.

6. Urijah Faber

Faber's wrestling credentials sometimes seem a little inflated (he fell short of All-American honors at UC-Davis), but his wrestling base has translated to MMA magnificently. Mainly a wrestler and ground and pound fighter early in his career, those skills carried him to various regional titles while he completed the rest of his MMA game.

Among his submission victims are Jens Pulver, Jeff Curran and Charlies Valencia; the list of those he has pounded out on the ground includes Cole Escovedo and Bibiano Fernandes.

Along with the offensive skills, Faber is also noted for his tremendous submission-defense.

5. Miguel Torres

Possibly the best pound-for-pound fighter in MMA, Torres built his reputation in the sport through his tremendous grappling skills. Out of 37 victories, 22 have been by submission.

The current WEC World Bantamweight champion and a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Torres is among the most well-rounded fighters in the world. His lone loss was a decision, which he later avenged—by way of submission.

4. Demian Maia

To the casual fan, Maia may not seem to have much more than solid submissions in his arsenal. To the BJJ enthusiast, he has some of the most impressive overall ground skills possibly in UFC history.

Good takedowns give Maia the ability to dictate the fight, and once on the ground, his control, guard passes and submissions are a thing of beauty. He has finished eight of his 10 opponents—including a who's who of the UFC middleweight roster—in seemingly effortless fashion, which has many believing he poses the biggest threat to Anderson Silva's title reign.

3. Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera

Possessing possibly the biggest heart in MMA history, former Pride World Heavyweight champion "Minotauro" brings the kind of submission threat into his fights normally seen in the lightweight division. The BJJ black belt counts 20 submissions among his 31 MMA victories.

Those who have tapped out to the skills of Noguiera includes Tim Sylvia, Dan Henderson, and Enson Inuoe; however, the best example of how dangerous he is on the ground is the 2003 barnburner Noguiera had with Mirko Cro-Cop. After taking a vicious beating both standing and on the ground for much of the fight, "Minotauro" pulled out one of the slickest armlock victories the heavyweight division has ever seen, escaping Cro Cop's onslaught to back control and a quick finish.

2. Shinya Aoki

Japanese grappling ace Aoki hold black belts in both BJJ and Judo, and both styles are always on display in his matches. His throwing prowess opens up quick submission opportunities in the standing-to-ground transition, and Aoki has one of the more diverse lists of submission victories in the sport—having won fights by armlock (standing and on the ground), triangle choke, heel hook, neck crank, rear naked choke, and the highlight reel finisher GoGo Plata (twice).

While Aoki has never been submitted in a fight, he has forced the tap from numerous top-level fighters, including Eddie Alvarez and Joachim Hansen.

1. Fedor Emelianenko

Not only is he the overall baddest man on the planet, Fedor is probably the last guy anyone wants to wind up on the mat with. Even if he hasn't bothered employing his Judo skills to launch you to the floor, once he gets you there your fate is either a powerful submission or brutal ground and pound.

Officially, 16 of his 30 wins were by way of submission—a credit to Emelianenko's sambo background. Numerous other victories came by way of knockout on the ground. Not only does Fedor have the ability to inflict serious damage at a moments notice, but he has also withstood wrestling onslaughts from the likes of Mark Coleman and Kevin Randleman en route to easy submissions.

Against Randleman, Emelianenko looked particularly invincible, absorbing one of the most impressive and high-flying suplexes in MMA history, then simply gaining top control and calmly finishing Randleman with a kimura.

Honorable Mention to (or soon to make this list down the road): Vinny Magalhaes, Cain Velasquez, Brock Lesnar, Frank Mir and Nathan Marquardt.

The All-Time Greatest San Francisco 49ers Offense

D Miller — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:50:47 -0400

With preseason about two months away and major pro football news being of short supply, what better time than now to take a nostalgic look at some of the greatest to ever don the 49er Red and Gold? Surely it's not the first time this subject has been debated on B/R, nor will it be the last. But considering the amount of talent that has gone through San Francisco, the topic of greatest players in franchise history will probably always be debated. This list only includes players who spent a good portion of their careers in San Francisco and could go into the Hall of Fame as 49ers. Larry Allen is probably the greatest offensive lineman to ever grace a 49er huddle, but he belongs to the Niners about as much as Roger Craig belongs to the Minnesota Vikings. With that said, here's a look at the lineup of arguably the greatest 49ers offensive players ever and their backups, some of whom were Pro Bowlers--and one is even in the Hall of Fame. Let the debating begin...

Begin Slideshow

Win Or Lose, Marquee Fights Await Faber

D Miller — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:56:33 -0400

This Sunday when former WEC World Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber steps into the cage in front of his hometown Sacramento crowd, he'll be venturing back into mostly unfamiliar territory.

For the first time in more than three years, he'll be standing across the cage from the champion, and for the first time ever in his fighting career he'll be the former champ trying to re-stake his claim as the best 145 pounds has to offer.

But while Faber has established himself in recent years as one of the premier MMA fighters in the lower weights, playing the role of spoiler won't be completely foreign to him; in fact, it's all he did when he started out in the sport.

In just his third fight, he dispatched UFC veteran David Velasquez.

He won the WEC title in 2006 with a TKO victory over Cole Escovedo, who at the time was considered by many to be the top featherweight fighter on the West Coast.

Faber's next fight was a submission victory over Charlie Valencia, who had been the dominant fighter under 155 pounds in the King of the Cage ranks.

By the time WEC was bought by UFC parent company Zuffa and launched its presence on cable television, Faber had positioned himself to be the star of the company. But he still had to prove his worth by beating two challengers with steeper pedigrees and longer MMA resumes in Jens Pulver and Jeff Curran--which he did in dominant fashion, silencing many critics along the way.

As the reigning WEC champ, Faber had only tasted defeat one time: a September 2005 TKO loss to current UFC 155-pound star Tyson Griffin, who used a dominant strength advantage to muscle Faber around the cage before a nasty staple-requiring cut to Faber's head signaled the end.

Unfortunately for Faber, that loss appears to have been the start of a trend that exposes a weakness in his game for which there may be no easy fix.

As we saw in his second defeat at the hands of Mike Brown, being at a size and strength disadvantage doesn't bode well for "The California Kid."

Speed, endurance, unpredictability, and tenacious overall style aside, Faber's lack of size and power in comparison to Brown makes him an underdog in this fight, much as he should have been the first time around.

While it certainly doesn't guarantee a loss (Faber built his career handling guys that were supposed to beat him), it cancels out the popularity advantage he carries over the current champ that no doubt will have many casual fans expecting Faber to win.

Consider the common theme of the fights on Faber's resume: when size and strength are equal, he wins. When he carries the size and strength advantage, he dominates. The only times his opponents have had size and strength on their side, have been his only two losses.

Now consider that Faber, no matter how much people might like to compare him to 155-pound fighters, is more built for 135, and the fact that he has spent his career carving up the 145-pound class makes him all the more impressive. At the same time, his 135-pound frame hurts his chances against a beast like Brown.

As a 155-pound fighter, Brown had reasonable success, even notching a win over former top-ten fighter Yves Edwards. Since dropping to 145, he has been nothing short of destructive. In fact, no one has been able to match his power, or fight through it.

Brown is said to routinely spar with 170-pound American Top Team teammates, a list that includes Luigi Fiorivanti and wrecking machine Thiago Alves.

In fact, ATT fighters in general are notorious weight cutters, typically weighing in 10-20 pounds heavy come fight time. Add that fact to Faber's admission last week on Bay Area sportstalk station KNBR that he has a hard time keeping his weight up, and its clear that the former champion has a steep hill to climb Sunday night.

Fortunately for Faber, he is in a great position regardless of the outcome of this fight. No matter the outcome, superfights await him at multiple weights.

Win and he sets up the greatest trilogy and the greatest rivalry to date in WEC, a third bout with Brown. Another victory there and he could toy with the idea of moving up and challenging the UFC's 155 pound champion, though his chances there are very slim.

A loss, however, opens new doors for Faber.

With 145 pounds firmly in Brown's control, he can create an new beginning, a new identity, as a bantamweight, challenging what could be the best overall pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Miguel Torres still has undefeated Brian Bowles on his slate, but it wouldn't be far-fetched to expect him to retain his title in that bout.

With Faber being naturally built for the 135 division, he could create an incredible matchup stylistically with Torres, and the fireworks in that fight would be about as certain as it gets in MMA.

The best part is a move to 135 by Faber wouldn't be out of necessity; with him having already dominated 145, WEC could promote it as the former champion seeking out new challenges. The amount of exciting new matchups it would create could fill WEC main events for quite a long time.

When you assess Faber's overall success in MMA, you have credit him for doing what once seemed impossible, by making himself one of the most well known fighters in the world despite being too small for the UFC.

In essence, Faber is the closest thing MMA has to Oscar De La Hoya.

No, he's not going to generate multi-million-dollar pay-per views and become one of the most lucrative brands in all of sports; but what he is is arguably the most relevant fighter in the world under 170 pounds, one who has headlined more cards than BJ Penn and is seen on weekly cable television more than Georges St. Pierre.

Faber has taken his in-cage success and translated it into real life success, generating lucrative sponsorships, operating his own gym, and becoming one of the most marketable fighters out there.

It's because of that combination of outstanding physical talent and keen business sense that Faber's future only gets brighter following his fight with Brown.

And either way, his fans are in store for more great battles for some time to come.

Ryan Bennett: Remembering a True MMA Pioneer

D Miller — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:45:10 -0400

If you are a "post TUF" fan of mixed martial arts—in other words, began following the sport once it hit mainstream acceptance—you most likely missed out on a number of early MMA figures that had profound impacts on the sport.

When it comes to people who made their mark on the sport outside the cage, perhaps none worked harder and influenced the sport journalisticly like Ryan Bennett.

One of the first professional broadcasters to dive into MMA purely out of love for the sport and not just in search of a paycheck, Bennett was the pre-Zuffa play-by-play voice for live WEC events and a post-fight interviewer for UFCs 33-40. He also co-founded MMAweekly.com, one of the most reputable online MMA news sources and the site that featured his popular daily radio program with veteran fighter Frank Trigg.

Sunday marked the the three-year anniversary of Bennett's untimely passing following a horrific car wreck that fortunately did not also claim the lives of his wife and four young children. He had been traveling through his home state of Utah when he over-corrected his drifting SUV, resulting in the rollover that claimed his life at age 36 and stunned the MMA community.

A charming and affable person both on the mic and off, Bennett's thorough knowledge of MMA made him a drastic upgrade from other MMA announcers that had no knowledge of the sport's history and couldn't tell a straight armlock from a kimura. His passion was evident daily on the radio show he hosted with Trigg, as the two often interviewed a who's who of MMA royalty and actively engaged their audience.

Ultimately, it was his professionalism that made Bennett such an asset to MMA; while many in the mainstream media were all too quick to dismiss it as spectacle rather than sport, Bennett, a former radio DJ who spent his final years as a sports anchor and reporter for NBC affiliate KSBY in San Luis Obispo, Calif., legitimized numerous MMA broadcasts with his seasoned voice and play-by-play ability.

While his greatest MMA exposure probably came during his post-fight discussions with fighters inside the UFC octagon, the promotion that was impacted most by his work—and tragic passing—was easily WEC.

Back when WEC was an independent promotion based out of Central California, Bennett teamed up with another UFC alum, Jeff Blatnik, and together they formed one of the better commentary duos in all of MMA, calling the action as many of today's current stars paid their dues fighting for WEC.

It was at one of these events, WEC 9: Cold Blooded in January 2004, that I met Bennett personally and quickly knew that the outgoing, friendly character he played on TV and radio was the same guy off the set.

I was fortunate to know one of the cageside judges for that show, and he set myself and another friend up with seats next to him, right in front of the action.

The most memorable part of the night was probably when TUF veteran John Polakowski made his debut against Olaf Alfonso—on six hour's notice because the hard brawling Alfonso's opponents kept dropping out—and the two proceeded to beat each other senseless for 15 minutes while those of us sitting cageside had to use the table aprons for cover as their blood rained upon us.

But I also won't forget my encounter with Bennett prior to the start of the action, and the helpful disposition he had when I introduced myself as a recent journalism graduate that was interested in reporting on MMA.

Without the slightest hint of arrogance or indifference, he briefly discussed the business with me before giving me the card of MMA Weekly's editor, and his strong encouragement gave me every indication that an application on my part would be respectfully considered.

As it turned out, I put my MMA writing aspirations on hold back then, but I knew there would be no better indoctrination into the online MMA world than under his guidance.

To this day, I miss throwing the headphones on at work and listening to Bennett and Trigg banter back-and-forth daily over my favorite sport, and I am far from the only one that misses his overall presence in MMA.

Former UFC World Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson was one of the many MMA figures to express condolences and share memories of Bennett on MMA Weekly shortly after his passing.

"He was the only guy that I would get up early in the morning to do interviews with for (a) radio show," Jackson said. "I'd get up early for Ryan Bennett any day."

Tito Ortiz wasn't short on praise for him either, calling Bennett "one of the Top Five people responsible for building MMA."

The boss himself, Dana White, didn't hold back when describing the impact Bennett had made.

"This is a huge loss for the MMA community," he told MMA Weekly. "Ryan Bennett was one of the staunchest supporters of the sport over the years, and more importantly, he was a good man and someone who truly loved his family."

Indeed, the sport has had its share of tragedies in its short history, with Tapout founder Charles "Mask" Lewis' passing being the latest non-fighter death to rock the MMA world.

Mixed martial arts has also grown tremendously since Bennett's passing, with its popularity skyrocketing and its mainstream presence finally providing the payoff for so many people that helped it expand from near extinction less than a decade ago.

One can't help but imagine Bennett looking down these days, his constant smile fixed upon what has become of the sport he invested so much time and energy into.

Of course, since he wouldn't bother to assume credit for the impact he had on MMA, it's up to us to make sure it's not soon forgotten.

For more information on Ryan and his story, visit RyanBennett.org

Breaking Down the Week By Week Schedule of the 2009 49ers

D Miller — Wed, 27 May 2009 18:58:23 -0400

As OTAs wrap up and with preseason within the five-month horizon, the San Francisco 49ers could have as many question marks surrounding their team as any other club in the league.

Concerns about personnel and exactly who will comprise the starting lineups come Sept. 13th in Glendale, AZ, as well as whether or not the offseason coaching decisions will pan out, loom large for 49er fans.

Throughout the league, wins are the bottom line, with San Francisco being no different--especially in light of new team President Jed York's expectation for a perennial playoff contender. The team has flirted with the .500 mark several times in the last few seasons, but climbing that mountain has proved to be a difficult task.

The good news for the 49ers is the finished last season on a high note, and their ability to carry the momentum they gained from the two-game winning streak that wrapped up the year will be crucial to 2009. With only 16 games on an NFL slate, starting slow out of the gates can kill a team's playoff hopes.

Under new Head Coach Mike Singletary, the team learned how to win on the road, pulling out a 10-3 gut-check in Buffalo in Week 13 that was their first win in the Eastern time zone in seemingly ages, and scoring a Week 16 come-from-behind win in St. Louis.

The turning point for the 49ers was likely Week 14, when they held off the New York Jets at Candlestick Park at a time when the Jets and Brett Favre were all the craze in the NFL. That game not only showed Singletary could prepare his team for prime opposition, but also likely the beginning of the end for Eric Mangini and Favre in the Big Apple.

But along with the standard roster and coaching concerns, come scheduling challenges.

One of the most important factors in a team's playoff chances is the schedule it is dealt by the NFL.

San Francisco has seven games against 2008 playoff teams; another '09 opponent, Chicago, was 9-7 last year and missed out on the postseason on the last day of the regular season.

The team travels to the far East coast only once, a Dec. 20 meeting with Philadelphia. The remainder of their travel is mostly centered in the Mid-West and with their NFC West rivals.

Two prime-time games are slated--both at home--with a Thursday night game against Chicago on Nov. 14th and Arizona coming to town for a Monday Night tilt on Dec. 14th.

Following is a look at the entire regular season schedule, with a look at the important matchups and what the keys will be to a 49er victory. Obviously, a lot will happen between now and the regular season that could change the outlook of these matchups, but there are few roster moves remaining that could drastically alter the lines Las Vegas will put out for them.

WEEK 1: SEPTEMBER 13TH @ ARIZONA

The battle for NFC West supremacy starts right out of the gates, with San Francisco returning to the desert, where their luck hasn't been good in recent seasons.

Despite their Super Bowl loss this past February, the Cardinals will be carrying a lot of momentum and swagger into the 2009 season. Assuming Anquan Boldin is still in town (all indications are that he will be), Kurt Warner and the gang will be looking to shred the NFC West through the air yet again.

The key matchup will be the 49ers corners, mainly Nate Clements, Tarrell Brown and Dre Bly trying to contain the play-making machine that is Larry Fitzgerald, Boldin and Steve Breaston.

The 49ers were two yards short of upsetting Arizona in the desert last year, so a win is definitely within the grasp of an improved 49ers unit. However, Ken Whisenhunt made dramatic strides with this team late in the year and the improvement is likely to continue.

Winnable game, but a loss is more likely.

WEEK 2: SEPTEMBER 20TH VS. SEATTLE

Whether Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has returned to form will be a big factor in the San Francisco-Seattle series in 2009. If not, the 49ers will be in position to take two from the Seahawks.

Seattle still maintains a tough defense with a very solid linebacking corps, which includes rookie first-round pick Aaron Curry. The key matchup for this game will be the 49ers' line against the Seattle pass-rush, which has wreaked all sorts of havoc on San Francisco in recent years, including the season ending hit of Alex Smith in 2007.

If the 49ers o-line can keep the quarterback on two feet and open holes to run through, San Francisco should be in control of this game.

But considering both teams traded home losses in '08, anything can happen.

Very winnable game for San Francisco.

WEEK 3: SEPTEMBER 27TH @ MINNESOTA

The biggest question mark for the Vikings right now is at quarterback; unfortunately for the 49ers, they have the same question mark, and a less stellar defense than the Vikes.

Minnesota is parallel to San Francisco in many ways, however they tend to still outclass them in those similar areas. As good as Frank Gore is, Adrian Peterson was already being viewed as the best back in the league as a rookie, and Patrick Willis probably won't be enough to stop him in Week 3.

Better chances would exist at Candlestick Park, but the 49ers would still be the underdog. In Minneapolis inside the dome, it's probably too much to ask of the young squad.

Likely loss for San Francisco.

WEEK 4: OCTOBER 4TH VS. ST. LOUIS

Last year brought about a little deja vu for 49er fans, as they got back to dominating the Rams the way long-time fans are accustomed to. a new coaching hire and some solid drafting isn't likely to change that anytime soon.

The matchup to watch in this game will be the 49ers' linebackers against running back Steven Jackson. if they can slow him down, it will enable the pass rush, mainly Justin Smith, Parys Haralson and Manny Lawson, to try exploit Jason Smith, the rookie tackle the Rams drafted to replace Orlando Pace.

It will probably be too much to ask of the young Rams squad to stroll into San Francisco and steal a game from what should be an upstart 49er team.

Likely victory for San Francisco.

WEEK 5: OCTOBER 11TH VS. ATLANTA

Working in the 49ers favor will be the fact that their Week 5 game with the Falcons will be the second home game in a row; on paper, not much else works out in their favor.

With a very promising second-year man under center, one of the top backs in the league and Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez added to the already talented receiving corps, the Falcons have plenty of weapons at their disposal coming off their playoff season in 2008.

This will be the first true test for the 49er defense in terms of defending the pass; will they be able to contain the likes of Gonzalez and and Roddy White, or will Matt Ryan have a field day on the 49er secondary? Even if the pass is contained, they still have to worry about 2008 fantasy icon Michael Turner running wild.

If the 49ers can limit the potent Falcon offense, it will be an indication of great things to come. Unfortunately, it may be too much, too soon to ask the Niner defense.

Likely loss for the 49ers.

WEEK 6: OCTOBER 18TH, BYE

WEEK 7: OCTOBER 25TH AT HOUSTON

While Houston isn't the most formidable team on the 49ers' schedule, the bye week comes at the right time, as San Francisco will likely be coming off a tough game against Atlanta, and the time off to prepare for the Texans' dangerous pass rush will come in handy.

Houston is similar to the 49ers in that they are a team that has been dancing near the .500 mark in recent seasons, and each year feel it's their turn to contend for the playoffs.

They might have found their back of the future in former West Virginia star Steve Slaton, who posted 1282 yards last season as a rookie. But if they continue to get inconsistent play out of quarterback Matt Schaub, they could be spending another January at home.

The 49ers proved that they could win these type of road games last year, and barring a major setback, should be able to continue that trend in '09.

If the 49ers can shut down all-world wide out Andre Johnson, or at least contain him, they should be able to keep Houston's offense in check and control the ball on offense by way of Frank Gore. Look for the 49ers to double-cover Johnson and hammer the ball with Gore 30-plus times.

Very winnable road-game for San Francisco.

WEEK 8: NOVEMBER 1ST @ INDIANAPOLIS

This is where 49er fans start to find out if their team is a contender or pretender.

No matter what the team's record is coming into Indy, expectations for the 49ers will be low in this game.

Difficulties containing Peyton Manning, stopping the rushing attack (which just added heralded rookie Donald Brown in the draft), and finding an answer to their pass rush will only be amplified trying to do it on the road.

This could be the first ugly loss of the year for San Francisco, and while moral victories don't exist with Coach Singletary, playing the Colts tough will show the 49ers are no longer easy prey for the NFL's elite.

Chalk this up as a loss.

WEEK 9: NOVEMBER 8TH VS. TENNESSEE

Despite returning home, it doesn't get any easier in Week 9 as the Titans, the top-seeded AFC team in last year's playoffs, come to town.

Marching into Candlestick with them will be the two-headed monster consisting of running backs LenDale White and Chris Johnson, with the latter carrying a chip on his shoulder after being snubbed for NFL Rookie of the Year honors in 2008.

This game will show how far Greg Manusky's defensive unit has come. Stopping the Titan's rushing attack will be nearly impossible, containing it could open the door for the Niners to steal this game at home.

The matchup here will be White and Johnson vs. Willis and Takeo Spikes. If they can slow down the Titan backs and the 49ers' offense can avoid the three-and-out, San Francisco has a chance. Unfortunately, not a very large one.

Winnable game, but more likely a loss.

WEEK 10: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12TH VS. CHICAGO

With the 49ers getting only four days rest before their Thursday night affair with the Bears, the outcome of this game could depend largely on their ability to come out of the Tennessee game healthy.

Considering the physical style of football the Titans play--which Singletary has made clear he plans to implement--San Francisco is likely to come into this game banged up.

As such, the 49ers depth will be tested in Week 10.

Will the back up running backs, lineman, and linebackers be able to pick up some slack? If so, San Francisco could pull this one out.

Chicago's acquisition of quarterback Jay Cutler makes them better than last season on paper, but he proved in Denver that he could hurl the ball all over the field and still not get his team to the playoffs. In Chicago, his receivers only get worse.

Considering what the Bears gave up to acquire Cutler, it's highly unlikely they will be dealing for a prized receiver any time soon.

The real concern for the 49ers will be Matt Forte, who emerged in 2008 as the first quality back the Bears had drafted since Neal Anderson. If Willis, Spike and company can shut Forte down, they should be able to keep Cutler in check.

This game could go either way, but if the 49ers can maintain their health in Week 9, they could win this game.

WEEK 11: NOVEMBER 22ND @ GREEN BAY

In San Francisco, you have a team theoretical on the upswing. In Green Bay, you have a team two years removed from an NFC Championship appearance that went 6-10 last year.

By Week 11, fans will have a much better idea on the direction either team is headed.

Like most of the league, San Francisco has never had much luck at Lambeau Field. Barring a continued regression on the part of the Packers, the 49ers' luck probably won't change in 2009.

They seem to match up well on paper, but the home field advantage at Lambeau can't be understated. Only dominant teams come into Green Bay and take care of business, and the 49ers aren't in that category yet.

The ten days off following the Thursday night game will help, as would a stellar performance by the 49er secondary against a stacked Packer receiver corps that includes Donald Driverand Greg Jennings.

But while it's not completely out of the question, chances are the 49ers will pick up a loss in Week 11.

WEEK 12: NOVEMBER 29TH VS. JACKSONVILLE

Only two seasons ago, Jacksonville looked poised break through the upper ranks of the NFL.

Instead, they stumbled to a 5-11 record in 2008 and had to regroup in the offseason.

The key to this game rests squarely on Maurice Jones-Drew's shoulders. Stop him, and the 49ers come out on top.

The Jags still don't have a real threat at receiver, and David Garrard was rather mediocre last season. Fred Taylor is no longer there to share the load with Jones-Drew, leaving him as the lone proven playmaker on the Jags offense.

Bay Area native "MJD" will probably have some extra motivation on his side when he takes the field in San Francisco, but an improving 49ers' defense should be able to stuff that motivation and force Garrard to beat them through the air, which won't happen.

The trip west won't help matters for Jacksonville either.

Likely victory for San Francisco.

WEEK 13: DECEMBER 6TH @ SEATTLE

Late in the season, this contest could have division title or wild-card ramifications, depending on the kind of improvement both teams have made.

As in their first meeting, San Francisco's ability to keep the pass rush at bay will be an important factor, but even more critical will be the 49ers rushing attack.

The 49ers will need to rely heavily and Frank Gore to carry the load and keep the pressure off the quarterback and linemen in the notoriously loud and hostile Qwest Field. If San Francisco falls behind and has to throw the ball to stay in the game, chances are whoever is under center will be under duress and the line will chalk up plenty of false-start penalties.

Establish Gore early, and the 49ers could ride him to victory.

The outcome could go either way.

WEEK 14: MONDAY, DECEMBER 14TH VS. ARIZONA

If all is right in San Francisco, this game will be for the NFC West title.

A two-yard fullback dive in the final seconds of last year's game at Arizona wound up being the difference between 8-8 and the playoffs and 7-9 and the 10th pick in the draft. Basically, these teams weren't that far off in the regular season.

If San Francisco is improved like they should be, this should be their game for the taking.

They'll need a complete game on defense, but what is going to win it for the 49ers will be error free football on offense--which as we all know also includes the coaches on the sidelines.

If the offense can produce and keep the Arizona passing attack off the field, it should be a coming out party for the 49ers in the national spotlight.

Winnable game for San Francisco.

WEEK 15: DECEMBER 20TH @ PHILADELPHIA

Regardless of whether San Francisco pulls it off in Week 14, hopes shouldn't be high for 49er fans in Week 15.

Having to make their longest trip of the season, on a short week, against one of the top teams in the NFC adds up to a loss in this one.

San Francisco's best chance will be to contain the Eagles' running game and hope for an implosion from Donavan McNabb (not completely out of the question).

The 49ers don't fare too well in Philly, and that won't change in '09.

Chalk up a loss in Week 15.

WEEK 16: DECEMBER 27TH VS. DETROIT

The NFL delivers a present in time for the holidays to the 49ers in Week 16, but not only keeping them at home but sending the first ever 0-16 team to face them.

Detroit can only get better than last year, which included a 31-13 embarrassment at Candlestick last season, but the rebuilding effort will take much longer than 15 games.

As long as San Francisco plays steady on both sides of the ball, and assuming they are chasing a playoff spot, they should handle the Lions with ease.

Probably the easiest game of the year for San Francisco.

WEEK 17: JANUARY 3RD AT ST. LOUIS

When Jed York spoke last year of no longer ending seasons in December, he probably wasn't referring to a January 3rd regular season finale with the Rams.

But, with the 49ers likely to be a middle-of-the-pack NFC team clawing and scratching its way toward a playoff berth, this game could determine whether they play further into January.

If that is the case, the 49ers will want to avoid the same fate as the '08 Bears team that saw its playoff hopes vanish in the final week of the season.

The 49ers should enter this game a favorite, but nothing is guaranteed, especially considering that the Rams squad that had them on the ropes in St. Louis last season is probably going to be improved.

This time around, the 49ers will need to focus on the Rams' young receivers. Early in the season, second-year men Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton will still be developing.

Come January, they could pose a real threat inside the dome with Marc Bulger leading the charge.

If the 49ers can control the ball on offense and force the Rams to beat them with Steven Jackson, their defense should b able to secure a victory.

Probable win for the 49ers.

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With this overall assessment, the best-case scenario for the 49ers looks to be 10-6 and a playoff birth, but that is a stretch at this point, considering the likelihood for all NFL teams to lay an egg once or twice a year against lesser opponents. Along those same lines, a three-game swing in the win column may be too much to expect from the young squad.

The outlook seems good in San Francisco, however it's not all feel-good stories and total optimism for the 49ers going into 2009.

The team is without a time-proven starter under center, and has a new offensive coordinator with baggage that includes a career 67-125 record. The defense still needs to establish a pass rush and shore up holes in the secondary.

While it may have appeared that the 49ers defense improved in the nine games under Singletary last season, it only managed to trim about 25 yards per game off the 339 yards per game it surrendered with Mike Nolan at the helm. Obviously, 315 yards allowed per game is still too steep.

The offense seemed to find a spark with Singletary as well, but it remains to be seen whether that was a result of his motivational reach spanning the entire team, or Mike Martz pulling out all the stops in his effort to land the head coaching job.

Optimism is contagious, especially amongst 49er fans, but it will probably take until mid-season before they know if a positive outlook has been validated.

UFC 98 Reflections: 205 Is Stacked, Other MMA Divisions See Shakeups

D Miller — Mon, 25 May 2009 13:43:58 -0400

In the aftermath of UFC 98, a stellar card that produced a third new light heavyweight champion in as many defenses, one thing is clear about MMA's top promotion:

The balance of power, talent-wise, has switched back to the 205-pound division.

Normally, the kind of parity we are seeing within the light heavyweight division, in which the last two champions have been unable to successfully defend their titles and the one before that only notched one defense, might indicate a lack of dominant talent—resulting in a revolving door at the top.

In this case, there is an abundance of championship-caliber fighters, many capable of defeating each other on any given night, with the proof being in the game of title belt hot potato that the latest round of champions is engaging in.

More proof has come in the competitiveness in the fights in the 205-pound division of late, even those that were ended on sudden, definitive knockouts.

Former champion Quinton Jackson took all three rounds and one of his better overall efforts to defeat 205 wild card Keith Jardine, a man who has been on the receiving end of some brutal KOs but can still list former champions Forrest Griffin and Chuck Liddell as his own victims.

Liddell himself looked to be cruising against former PRIDE middleweight ace Mauricio Rua before being flattened at the end of the first by "Shogun," the second such fight in a row in which Liddell looked to be in charge only to meet his fate with a sudden knockout.

Griffin looked to be in control of Rashad Evans but wound up being surprised by the now-former champion's power and pummeled into the mat in a similar fashion to how he was finished by Evans' teammate, Jardine.

Coming off that victory, which was preceded by his dramatic KO victory over Liddell, Evans looked to be riding a wave of success that wouldn't die down anytime soon.

Such is the case now for Lyoto Machida, the lone undefeated fighter at the top of the division who seems to have a style and tenacity that will keep the belt around his waist for some time to come.

If recent history is any indication, however, fans shouldn't label Machida unbeatable just yet, as dramatic upsets have become even more common in the 205-pound division than the recent title swaps.

Starting with Griffin's 2007 submission victory over Shogun Rua, then the consensus top light heavyweight fighter in the world, outcomes such as Houston Alexander over Jardine, Jardine over Liddell, Griffin over Jackson, and Machida over Tito Ortiz have made for a constant reshuffling of the 205-pound rankings and proven that anyone is beatable in the division.

Except for, at the moment, Machida.

But his title reign won't be an easy one, considering the challenges he'll be facing not only in the aforementioned group of fighters, but also with the likes of Brandon Vera, Luis Cane, and former middleweight king Rich Franklin climbing the ladder.

Common sense has seemed to favor the 155-pound division as the one most stacked with talent since it returned to the UFC, but considering there is one incredibly dominant champion in the weight class (BJ Penn) and only two or three fighters that have truly shown thus far the potential to upset him at that weight (Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez), 205 looks to be the class of the UFC for now.

OTHER NOTES FROM UFC 98

Give Tito Some Credit

Speaking of Tito Ortiz, it's time to give the former UFC poster boy his due for his spot amongst not only the all-time greats in the sport's history, but today's top fighters still.

Against the last three 205-pound world champions, Ortiz has a record of 1-1-1, defeating Griffin, drawing with Evans, and losing to Machida.

His defeat of Griffin was a close contest and one that showed Griffin belonged with the UFC's elite, but also a fight in which Ortiz fought through a knee injury. The tie with Evans was a fight Ortiz largely controlled and one in which he was never really in danger, but a point deduction cost him the victory.

And despite Machida's recent displays of dominance and devastation inside the octagon, he never really had Ortiz in danger either, rather winning the fight through effective counter-striking and octagon control.

Ortiz' one-sided defeats at the hands of Randy Couture and Liddell had many within the MMA world believing his best days were well behind him, and perhaps he wasn't keeping pace with the evolution of the sport.

But taking into account who has been at the top of the 205-pound division in the last two years and how several of them fared against "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy," it's clear that Ortiz is still a tough match for almost anyone, even if he is more of a gatekeeper these days.

Major Shakeup at Lightweight

Frankie Edgar has made his career off soundly defeating favored opponents, but his latest upset victory was his greatest to date and is likely to keep him out of the underdog role in most of his future fights.

His entrance into the UFC was a tough indoctrination, but it was a test he answered by handing Tyson Griffin his first loss. He also soundly defeated former title challenger Hermes Franca, and Saturday night he handled Sean Sherk in steady fashion.

Sherk might have reached his peak around the time he was suspended for steroids two years ago, but his recent performance against Tyson Griffin left the impression that he was still one of the most dangerous at 155 pounds.

Sherk may still be, but the future could lie in Edgar's hands.

The lone blemish on the record of "The Answer" came at the hands of another blue-chip prospect at 155, Gray Maynard, but Edgar's exciting performances have him further in line for a push from the UFC brass than Maynard's standard lay-and-pray outings, and Edgar has shown a growth and versatility that indicates he'll match up well with anyone in the division.

He could probably drop to 145 pounds with his small frame and dominate the division in WEC, but with the success the New Jersey native is having and the money that comes with it, Edgar should be a force in the UFC for quite some time.

Serra, Phone Home

Matt Serra's grudge match with former welterweight ruler Matt Hughes proved two things about the Long Island jiu-jitsu ace: No one has an easy night when facing Matt Serra, and Serra needs to drop back down to his natural weight of 155 pounds.

That Serra managed to pack on 171 lean pounds to his short, stocky frame is surprising in itself, but better fights and more success await him at 155.

The fact is, despite his short reign as world champion at 170, he only had one major victory at that weight—his upset of Georges St. Pierre.

After he was soundly defeated by a more focused GSP in the rematch, Serra really had no place in the 170-pound rankings, yet many publications left him there. He only moved to 170 in the first place because the UFC had dismantled the 155-pound division and the reality series offered comebacks at 170 pounds.

He proved he can hang with the bigger boys at 170, but would be better served cementing his legacy with one last run at 155.

No one has ever soundly defeated Serra at that weight, which includes current champion BJ Penn, who holds a decision victory over him that was hotly contested by fans and Serra at the time.

With his unfinished business with Penn, and Father Time waiting to take his toll on Serra, he'd be wise to drop back down and give the fans more great matchups at that weight.

San Francisco 49ers: Untapped Potential Awaits Jimmy Raye

D Miller — Sat, 23 May 2009 19:05:31 -0400

While my phone stays quite active during the regular season, with back and forth texting banter between friends and I as the football games unfold, it's a rare occurrence that a preseason game will elicit any kind of message other than "hope that guy enjoyed training camp."

Of course, every now and then something special, something promising happens, that gives a fan reason to react.

Such was the case in the 2008 preseason, when my phone started blowing up with reactions to a 101-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the San Francisco-San Diego contest.

It wasn't the first time any of us had seen a kickoff taken all the way to the house, but it was probably the first time we'd seen a backup tight end do it.

The star of those preseason heroics that evening was 49ers backup utility man Delanie Walker, a sixth-round draft pick in 2006 that has shown glimpses of immense potential that up to this point has gone mostly untapped.

The arrival this offseason of new 49ers offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye has been met with marked pessimism, mainly due to the lackluster records of the teams for whom he was previously in that position; however, several 49ers stand to see their production climb significantly in 2009 based on Raye's strengths as an offensive coach.

Walker, one of the most versatile players on the team, could be among those who benefits the most from the new offense.

Raye has served in the coordinator capacity on a number of teams in the past, including the (then) Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Oakland. He offenses have been all over the map in regards to overall productivity, with several of his teams posting top-10 finishes in passing, and several others doing the same in rushing.

Never has an offense finished top 10 in both categories under Raye's guidance—in fact they have been mostly dominant in one area and toward the bottom of the league in the other—which shows that Raye has the ability to excel in both the air and on the ground, but vexingly hasn't been able to do so at the same time.

All indications are that either the running backs are in for a big year, or the quarterbacks and tight ends.

Why tight ends and not wide receivers?

The main reason is depth and experience, which the 49ers appear to have more of both at tight end.

Another indication of such is that former Kansas City tight end Tony Gonzalez, a future Hall of Famer, began his development into an elite tight end while playing under Raye with the Chiefs. At the same time, no wide receivers have really had dominant seasons playing for him, a list that includes Randy Moss and Henry Ellard.

Why might Walker see his breakout instead of Vernon Davis?

It's no guarantee that Walker will play a bigger role in this year's offense, especially since the talent pool has gotten deeper with the arrival of rookie Bear Pascoe, but Walker has made himself valuable at a variety of positions while Davis has shown his receiving skills are limited.

A former collegiate wide receiver, Walker was a four-star recruit coming of out Mt. San Antonio Junior College in 2003. He was recruited heavily by some of the Pac-10's elite programs, including USC. Ultimately, he wound up at Central Missouri State after less-than stellar grades kept him out of a top school.

Upon being drafted, two big questions surrounded Walker's arrival:

How good might he have been had he played at USC?

How hard will adapting to the NFL be after playing in Division II?

For his part, Walker did what a top recruit should do when forced to check down to a Division II program, posting 1347 yards on 113 receptions in 20 games for Central Missouri.

Since joining the 49ers, he has been one of the most dependable backups on the team. That he was able to notch 21 receptions as a second-stringer in the abysmal Jim Hostler offense of 2007 shows he could be counted on for a more prominent role in the future.

It's almost a given that Davis, a former first-round pick the 49ers have a lot more invested in, will be the starting tight end this season. But it's not out of reason that Walker won't even need to capture the starting spot to make an impact.

With the 49ers poised to be a run-oriented team, two tight end formations could be featured much more in 2009 than three and four-wide receiver sets.

Along those lines, Walker's past experience in the H-back role gives them more ways to take advantage of his speed and pass catching ability, not just from the line of scrimmage, but out of the backfield.

Davis' inconsistent receiving skills have up to this point been offset by his tremendous blocking ability; with Walker in the mix, he can fill the receiving void while giving the 49ers another big body that serves as both a blocking and pass catching threat.

The way the 49ers are currently built, it looks as though the team would benefit most if Raye's focus is on the passing game. With Frank Gore managing to hit the 1000-yard multiple times already and what looks to be an improved offensive line for 2009, it would probably take a severely inept coordinator to not get decent production on the ground this season.

With a solid rushing attack in place, an improved and focused passing game could finally give Raye the complete offense that has eluded him through most of his career.

He'll have to start by identifying and utilizing all of the talent at his disposal, and Walker is capable of being his secret weapon.

Another Generation of Montanas Trying To Blaze Their Own Trail

D Miller — Thu, 21 May 2009 18:17:26 -0400

Throughout the 1980's, Joe Montana was possibly the most recognizable man in the NFL, if not all of sports. His calm demeanor and ability to perform under pressure, not to mention all the Super Bowl victories and MVP honors, made him the poster child of athletic accomplishment in America.

Those accomplishments as the most respected quarterback in football during his prime have given Montana legendary status in the sports world, giving his successors with the San Francisco 49ers one tough act to follow.

Imagine trying to carry that torch throughout life as his son.

Yesterday, San Jose Mercury News college sports beat writer Jon Wilner had a link in his blog to a brief ESPN.com story highlighting the performance of Nick Montana, the youngest son of the four-time Super Bowl champion Joe and his wife Jennifer, at a recent training camp for high school football prospects.

Nick is currently the signal-caller at Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, Calif., where a few of his teamates also have noteworthy fathers, including Trevor Gretzky (son of Wayne) and Trey Smith (son of movie star Will). In his junior season, the 6'1", 185-pound Nick threw for over 2500 yards while leading Oaks Christian to a California Interscholastic Federation sectional title.

ESPN.com's review of the EA Sports Elite 11 Regional Camp at Berkeley, Calif. had Nick as the top rated quarterback prospect in the camp, which included over 60 kids from as far away as Iowa and Virginia.

Noting that he is one of the most sought after high school quaterbacks in the country, ESPN.com offered this analysis:

"Montana has a great frame, was solid on his drops, had a quick release and was spinning it very well. He plays with a swagger and has excellent leadership skills..."

Sounds like a chip off the ol' Joe Cool block.

College recruiting site Scout.com seems just as impressed as ESPN, already bestowing a four-star rating on Nick before the end of his junior year in high school.

"His arm strength is solid. He's got good touch on his throws, and he managed the offense well. Throws a nice deep ball," notes Scout.com's Brandon Huffman, before adding the obvious. "Has good bloodlines too."

Despite the rave reviews, Nick seemed more focused on the portions of his game that need tweaking, rating his day in Berkeley as just "average."

"I wasn't as consistent as I wanted to be and my mechanics were messed up a little," he told ESPN. "I threw some good balls but I'm usually a lot more accurate."

Self-criticisms aside, Nick has a notable list of suitors at the next level, and appears to be keeping his options open and not limited to a single geographic region. Scout lists Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Stanford, Washington, and dad's alma mater, Notre Dame, as the schools currently under his consideration.

If he's to willing to take additional weight on his shoulders by following in Joe's footsteps at Notre Dame, Nick will have familiar company there, as his older brother is a preferred walk-on with the Fighting Irish, also at the quarterback position.

Nathan Montana didn't see the kind of success Nick has so far in high school, serving mainly in spot duty as the third-stringer at national powerhouse De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif. But he too benefited from not only the stellar bloodlines, but the tutelage of Steve Clarkson, a former San Jose State and CFL quaterback that has made his career coaching prospects as young as elementary-school age.

The Hall of Famer Montana has been noted on many occasions saying he wouldn't push his sons to football, knowing the immense pressure there would be to live up to the name before even taking a snap. But now that they have taken to the gridiron, Joe is taking all the necessary steps to ensure their success by seeking the guidance of other quarterbacking gurus, rather than assuming his mentorship is all they will need.

Clarkson's camps have produced nearly 20 NFL quaterbacks and numerous collegiates, including Matt Leinart, Ben Rothlisberger, and current Notre Dame passer Jimmy Clausen, who also attended Oaks Christian High School, and now Clarkson's colaborating with Debartolo University, an amateur sports company founded by the prolific former 49ers owner.

In a day and age in which simply having natural talent and instinct won't take you nearly as far as it did in the elder Montana's day, it's obvious that Joe, who is now serving on the coaching staff for Nick's high school team, is willing to give his sons ample opportunity to chase his old accomplishments.

Montana's son is just one in a long list of legendary sports figures whose sons have tried to pursue dad's craft, including NFL quaterbacking father-son tandem Bob and Brian Griese, and Michael Jordan's son Marcus, who recently accepted a scholarship to play basketball at Central Florida.

And while Nick looks to be well on the right track, it's important to keep in mind that high school performances and high recruiting service grades are no guarantee that a kid will pan out at the collegiate level, much less find stardom at the NFL level.

Numerous five-star recruits have fizzled out of the collegiate rankings before exhausting their eligibility, while the recruiting services completely missed the mark on current NFL superstars such as 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis (rated two stars by Scout coming out of high school), or former collegiate All-Americans such as new 49er receiver Michael Crabtree (three stars coming out of high school).

But it doesn't hurt to imagine a second coming of the man considered by many to be the greatest ever, especially for long-time 49er fans stuck in the stands wondering if there is a quarterback on its roster that is able to lead the team for an entire season.

Way Too Early NFC West Preview

D Miller — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:55:12 -0400

In recent years, the West division of the National Football Conference has been revered in the sports world almost like estranged family--no one's too fond of it, no one's too impressed by it, and it certainly gets no respect.

But much like its baseball counterpart the NL West--also given hardly a shred of respect before or during the season--the NFC West division has managed to surprise doubters that think the worst football in the league is played there.

Three years ago Seattle surged through the entire conference en route to its first Super Bowl appearance, and last season Arizona defied the odds by following up its pedestrian 9-7 season with an unpredictably dominant run in the playoffs, falling only a shoe-string catch short of the Lombardi trophy.

In fact, the only team in the NFC West not to make a Super Bowl trip this decade is the one with by far the richest history, San Francisco, who could be poised for a breakout season.

So as the NFC West sets out for another year in which league-wide expectations will likely be mediocre, lets take a look at possibly the most underrated division in the league, in my predicted last to first order for the 2009 season.

ST. LOUIS RAMS

2008 Record: 2-14

Predicted 2009 NFC West Finish: Fourth

New head coach Steve Spagnuolo, the defensive wiz that organized the strategy that kept New England's offense in check in Super Bowl XLII when he was the Giants defensive coordinator, has signed on to be the head man in St. Louis after having been rumored for a number of vacancies the past two offseasons.

Hot new commodities on the coaching market have fizzled out plenty of times in the past, so the Rams will need more than a coaching change to improve on their abysmal seasons of the past two years.

They picked up some immediate help in the draft, OT Jason Smith of Baylor in the first round, and Ohio State's All-American linebacker James Laurinaitis in the second, but rather than boosting the current lineup the rookies will be replacing departed veterans.

The drafting of Laurinaitis seems to have paved the way for the release of last years' leading tackler Pina Tinoisamoa, a move that surprised many, and Smith has the unenviable task of trying to live up to the standard set by Orlando Pace over the last decade.

Perennial Pro Bowler Torry Holt is gone, having requested his release, and thereby leaving quarterback Marc Bulger as the final remnant of the "Greatest Show on Turf."

Those pass-happy days appear to be long gone in St. Louis, with the team having purged itself of nearly its entire staff of wide outs, and second-year men Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton left as the main outside targets for the aging Bulger.

The only bona-fide superstar left on the roster is running back Steven Jackson, who will need St. Louis' efforts to bolster the offensive line in the offseason (which included the signing of prized free-agent center Jason Brown) to pay off in order to be productive.

Even if the offense is improved, St. Louis still has too many question marks on defense to make much of a rebound in 09. Spagnuolo probably needs another draft or two to be able to work his magic.

The Rams should definitely be better than two wins this season, but more than five could be a moral victory.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

2008 Record: 4-12

Predicted 2009 NFC West Finish: Second-place tie

Seattle may have been decimated by injuries in 2008, but a 4-12 finish last season was still a long way to fall considering the way the ruled the NFC West with four- straight division titles leading into '08.

Losing the only coach to lead them to a Super Bowl, Mike Holmgren, doesn't seem to bode well, though the 2008 offseason announcement of his pending retirement probably didn't help matters that year.

Former Falcons coach Jim Mora Jr. takes over, and while he wasn't wildly successful in Atlanta, he is familiar with the NFC West, having been defense coordinator in San Francisco earlier in the decade.

While the Seahawks aren't likely to recapture the success they had in 2005 when they made the Super Bowl, they're easily better than last year's four-win debacle.

If Matt Hasselbeck can remain healthy--Seattle's draft day pass on Mark Sanchez indicates they expect him to--the offense should be more potent, especially with the arrival of TJ Houshmandzadeh at wide out and fullback Justin Griffin paving the way for Julius Jones and TJ Duckett. Draft pick Max Unger could be an immediate starter on the offensive line.

Defensively, the linebacking crew could be one of the best in the league, despite the departure of Julius Petersen. First-round pick Aaron Curry was considered by many the top overall defensive prospect in the 2009 draft, and a threesome with re-signed Leroy Hill and Lofa Tatupu could wreak a lot of havoc on the NFC West this season.

Ken Lucas has also returned after his stint in Carolina, providing some size on the outside to matchup with the deep receiving talent in the West.

Depending on Hasselbeck's health and the team's ability to adapt to a new coach, Seattle could be anywhere from a sub-.500 team to 10-6 and contending for the playoffs, but chances are they will be neck-and-neck for second place in the division.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

2008 Record: 7-9

2009 Predicted NFC West Finish: Second-place tie

Much like Seattle, the 49ers enter 2009 with new leadership, only not just at head coach, but with new team President Jed York now running the day-to-day operations.

And while now-permanent Head Coach Mike Singletary seems to have a new vision and the right mindset to lead San Francisco over the hump they've been stuck at for the last few years, there are plenty of question marks.

The overall offense is the big mystery; Singletary and General Manager Scot McCloughin were meticulous in their search for Mike Martz' replacement, only to be rebuffed by Scott Linehan (who signed with league doormat Detroit instead) and finally settling on a coordinator with a less-than-mediocre winning pecentage, Jimmy Raye.

Singletary contends Raye was hired because he shares his vision for physical football, while local speculation in the Bay Area leans toward Raye being the last option. While the offensive talent has improved, San Francisco may have taken a step back coaching-wise.

The saving grace in that situation is that Raye likes to pound the football, and will have one of the premier horses in the league, Frank Gore, to rely on.

The passing game got an upgrade in the draft when Michael Crabtree fell to San Francisco at the tenth spot, however the quarterback competition between Shaun Hill and Alex Smith could last into preseason--in other words, until someone loses the battle.

The 49ers will be overly-reliant on its defense to keep it in games in 2009, a trend of recent years. The unit should be more consistent now that defensive coordinator Greg Manusky can stick with the 3-4 scheme rather than alternating within former coach Mike Nolan's hybrid flop.

Leading the Niner defense is Patrick Willis, the 2007 All-Pro rookie who appears ready to assume Ray Lewis' torch as the top linebacker in the league. The team needs outside linebackers Parys Haralson and Manny Lawson to provide the pass-rushing threat it expects out of them, but a talent drop-off still remains in the secondary, especially with cornerback Walt Harris likely out for the year.

Considering the 49ers were one ill-advised two-yard fullback dive away from beating Arizona last year and going to the playoffs, there is reason for optimism in San Francisco. But with a mediocre coordinator taking over a raw offense, double-digit wins appears to be out of reach.

ARIZONA CARDINALS

2008 Record: 9-7

2009 Predicted NFC West Finish: First

While San Francisco may have been two yards away from stealing the NFC West from the Cardinals last season, Arizona was a shoe-string, toe-dragging catch away from winning the Super Bowl.

On the heels of one of the more entertaining Super Bowls in history, expectations are higher than ever in the desert, especially with quarterback Kurt Warner finding the spiritual guidance he needed to resign with the Cards for $23 million.

Questions regarding Pro Bowl wideout Anquan Boldin's commitment to the team have rivaled Warner's headlines during the offseason, but all indications are that Boldin won't be moved in 2009, meaning Arizona will likely have the most dangerous passing game in the league this year.

Edgerrin James has been released, which won't affect the team much with the drafting of Ohio State star Chris "Beanie" Wells, who is likely to share Arizona's relatively light running load with Tim Hightower.

As long as Warner has Boldin paired with Larry Fitzgerald, who broke out as the NFL's premier receiver in 2009, Arizona should be lighting up scoreboards throughout the season. Even if Boldin were to be traded, the Cardinals have quality backup behind him in Steve Breaston, and such a move would almost certainly net Arizona great talent and/or draft picks in return.

The defense won't be as staunch as the offense is electric, but it continues to improve.

Bryant McFadden has been brought in from Pittsburgh opposite Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, one of the top rookie defenders in 2008, and the safeties remain solid in Antrell Rolle and Pro Bowler Adrian Wilson.

The pass rush should also be solid, but not spectacular behind Bertrand Berry and Chike Okeafor, hoever Darnell Dockett's unrelenting demand for a trade could pose problems for the defensive unit.

Any potential problems for the defense won't be a major concern in Arizona, as their defense will face far better competition in practice than it will within the division.

More than anything, what is likely to keep Arizona on top of the NFC West is shot-caller Ken Whisenhunt.

Coach Whisenhunt reminded the league in 2008 that he was a proven winner in his roles prior to being a head coach, and served notice that he plans on continuing his winning ways.

The Cards may have stumbled upon some luck on their way to the Super Bowl, but with a potential Hall of Famer under center and a rising head coach that came from a winning franchise, Arizona is poised to maintain and build on the success of '08 and mount another playoff run.

None of the other teams in the NFC West appear to have the talent to contain Arizona's passing game, and the Cardinals' defense should be serviceable enough to contain the other offenses in the division, ensuring their grip on the division title for at least one more year.

Forty-Niner Fanhood: From the Past to the Future

D Miller — Tue, 19 May 2009 22:28:44 -0400

When people meet my dad for the first time, it only takes them one glance to see that his nose has been subject to some abuse during his time.

While many of the stories surrounding my old man's crooked beak are worthy of retelling, if you ask him which one stands out the most he'll tell you my favorite story, which involves me, even though I don't remember it.

I was about two or three-years old at the time, and my dad and I were on the living room floor, perched in front of the television as both my parent's beloved San Francisco 49ers took to the field.

As the story goes—the best I can retell it—Joe Montana (the first hero of my childhood) had just hooked up with Dwight Clark, and number 87 was rumbling his way toward the end zone.

From my front row seat in good ol' Dad's lap, I joined in the cheering..."Go! Go! Go!"

And as we rocked back and forth in anticipation of a 49er score, I swung my head forward, then back, and CRACK...I jumped up and down celebrating while my dad lay behind me nursing yet another busted nose.

Now for all I know, it could have been Mike Wilson or Freddie Solomon scoring that touchdown. The story can get pretty fuzzy when a guy tries to replay it to you some 20 years later.

The important part is it illustrates something I was born into—the 49er Faithful.

For those of us that were kids growing up in the 1980s or 90s, being a 49er fan was a no-brainer. They were the class of the league, rarely lost, and each year they gave us legitimate Super Bowl hopes.

For our parents and grandparents, they had a rougher stretch. The stories I used to hear 15 years ago from fans that forged through the mostly hopeless years of the 60s and 70s seemed so foreign to me then—that is until the Yorks assumed control of the team earlier this decade.

My generation of course is still the most spoiled.

For the first 20 years of my life, they missed the playoffs only four times, which is one less the amount of Super Bowls they brought home.

During this stretch we spent our Sundays watching some of the greatest football ever played, by some of the most talented teams ever assembled.

We were treated to performances by multiple figures that were arguably the greatest at their respective positions in NFL history: Joe Montana at quarterback, Jerry Rice at wide receiver, Ronnie Lott at safety, and Bill Walsh at Head Coach.

Figures such as the aforementioned group carried rock star status in the Bay Area, revered by a diverse community made up of people from many walks of life, a population that had 49er fanhood as its one common denominator.

Those of course were the good old days.

As I've navigated through my 20s and started viewing the NFL as a whole, and not a 49er playground, I'm almost bothered by the fact that a San Francisco loss doesn't have me seething for an entire week until the following game's victory eases the previous week's pain.

It's the result of team mismanagement and the disappearance of the the 49ers winning culture, which took so many years to build, yet less than a decade to vanish.

And that makes me wonder—will the next generation of kids in the Bay Area find it so natural to pledge allegiance to the Gold Rush?

Will my own kids gravitate toward the 49ers like I did, or will I have to convince them they really are worth following? If I do convince them, will the team back me up?

It was looking like the next generation of the Bay Area would have the San Jose Sharks to hold in highest regard, but while they are the current winningest team out here, an entire population isn't going to put all their faith in a consistent choker—as much as it pains me to say it.

For a kid like me, whose grandparents still have pictures of Lott and Montana over the mantle amongst the rest of the family, there was never a question.

But if my own nose is ever going to get busted up in my own son's heat of 49er passion, suffice it to say, this team's going to have to pick up the slack.

From where I sit, the greatest source of hope for a return to glory isn't so much in the coaching staff or the on-field talent, as important as they are.

It's another kid from my generation, that generation of spoiled 49er fans that know what it's like to see back-to-back Super Bowl wins: who remember when there were no moral victories in San Francisco—only rare, unacceptable losses.

New team President Jed York may barely have a shred of experience as an NFL executive, but right now I'll take the other experience he has from growing up in the 49ers' winning culture of the 80s and 90s instead.

Because, as I recall, his uncle didn't have much experience either when he took over, but York was raised in that winning culture his uncle Eddie Debartolo Jr. created.

And there's a lot more to be excited about knowing one of "us" is at the helm.

See Ya, Tony Kornheiser; Don't Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out

D Miller — Mon, 18 May 2009 18:52:40 -0400

For football fans that prefer their game broadcasts managed by professionals that know their place and are void of arrogance, today is a day for rejoicing. Tony Kornheiser has stepped down from the Monday Night Football broadcast team, as his fear of flight has overcome his desire to ruin the game calls.

To the Kornheiser backers, I'll get it out of the way up front—the man is a highly accomplished sports journalist.

Between the newspaper columns, radio shows, cable TV shows, and millions of dollars he has made by plastering his mug throughout ESPN programming over the years, Kornheiser is a true success story. Who am I to criticize him, right?

I'm a sports fan, that's who.

A sports fan that prefers to leave the play-by-play to the professionals and the color commentary to the experts that have lived the sports they explain to us, and a fan that has no need for that third analyst spot that Kornheiser filled worse than Dennis Miller did years ago.

Monday Night Football had already taken a hit following the exit of Al Michaels from the broadcast crew in 2006, and the decision that same year to allow Kornheiser—a notoriously self-absorbed and pompous sports critic—to pollute the Monday Night telecasts eliminated MNF from the ranks of supposed "must-watch" programming.

A true shame, really, considering the other two-thirds of the MNF team consist of the highly respectable Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski, with the latter constantly having to battle Kornheiser for airtime when it came to color commentary.

Let's face it, no matter how many years someone spends writing and talking about sports, they have no business trying to rival a former Pro Bowl quarterback like "Jaws" on a football broadcast; no more right than I would have trying to steal Emeril Lagasse's thunder on a cooking show because I have eaten a lot of food in my day.

True sports fans just want to watch the game, have it called by a competent play-by-play guy, and explained by a credible color man; we don't need to know about any underlying ironies or a correlation between a city's landmarks and its team's record.

We certainly don't need a third voice in the booth that has an almost alarming obsession with Brett Favre (maybe the aviophobia excuse is just a ruse after all?).

If you think I am being harsh on Kornheiser, I am not alone. He's consistently felt heat for his contribution (or lack of one) to the MNF broadcast since he first joined the crew, and despite the fact that he has made an entire career out of waging his own verbal onslaughts onto others, apparently he can't take the heat so well himself.

When former Washington Post colleague Paul Farhia highlighted Kornheiser's role as being third fiddle on the broadcast team and said he played a similar role that Miller had but "in a bad way," Kornheiser lashed out at Farhia on the Dan Patrick Show, calling him a "two-bit weasel slug," and claimed the Post had backstabbed him for having the nerve to levy criticism in his direction.

Kornheiser's blatant and cocky sense of self-entitlement obviously has him believing it is okay to dish it out without taking it in return; fortunately this year's travel schedule scared him off and has relieved viewers from having to put up with him on Monday nights.

It would have been addition by subtraction; however, the news that the new third man in the booth will be former Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden has actually improved the broadcast by leaps and bounds.

Instead of having to simply "deal" with the unnecessary evil Kornheiser's presence represented, now I can look forward to true insight from someone that actually has a clue—and with Gruden, we'll get it in entertaining fashion.

So in that regard, I guess I owe ol' Tony a bit of gratitude for stepping down.

Congrats buddy; you just made Monday nights a whole lot better.

Realistic Expectations for the 2009 San Francisco 49ers Offense

D Miller — Sun, 17 May 2009 17:35:44 -0400

When it comes to assembling a coaching staff in the NFL, a head coach or general manager may have to decide whether a cohesive coaching unit of like minds is more important than proven success, or if a potential clash of personalities is a worthy risk in a team's pursuit of a championship.

If you pose that question to San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Mike Singletary, he'll no doubt tell you his priority is having fellow coaches that think like he does.

As for previous success in the league, that may just have to come later down the line.

Singletary has been vocal in his desire to have coaches that share his philosophy since his hiring of Jimmy Raye as offensive coordinator this past offseason, but he hasn't needed to explain himself.

His decision to part ways with 2008 play-caller Mike Martz, a former Super Bowl champion coordinator that improved the 49er offense from last to 23rd, shows that results aren't always the bottom line for Singletary.

While the 49ers head coach has been a source of optimism since taking the team over in the middle of last season, Raye's arrival in San Francisco isn't quite being met with that same optimism, as his previous stints as an offensive coordinator have been far from spectacular.

An employer of the three digit offensive system created by former San Diego Chargers Head Coach Don Coryell, Raye could provide some stability to the 49er offense that was coached under the same style of offense in 2006 by Norv Turner.

He has pledged to command the tough, physical run-first offense that Singletary felt he couldn't have with Martz calling the plays, with assurances that the '09 49er offense won't be one-dimensional and will throw the football when the pass is available or necessary.

The limited optimism that has followed the Raye hiring is due to his lackluster record in previous OC roles; his previous teams have gone just 67-125, and by trading in Martz for Raye the 49ers are swapping out the 21.2 points per game they averaged last season for just over 18 points per game throughout Raye's career.

Forty-Niner fans eager for a blast from the past that included the innovative and potent offenses of Bill Walsh and his disciples may have to keep their hopes in check this season.

In his defense, Raye presided over one of the greatest seasons any offensive player has ever had, when Los Angeles Rams runningback Eric Dickerson set the single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards in 1984 with Raye running the offense in L.A.

Suffice to say, Raye's strength as a coach appears to lie in the same area the 49ers are strongest talent-wise—the running game--and that appears to be the team's best chance for success this season.

The 49ers in 2009 won't be a run-oriented offense simply because their head coach likes it that way, the team is built to pound the football and control the clock.

The star of the team is Frank Gore, the Pro Bowl back who owns the 49ers single-season rushing record, set in 2006 when Turner was running an offense similar to what Raye brings to San Francisco.

Barring injury, Gore has the talent to mimic the success Dickerson had under Raye, and a return to the performances Gore had in '06 could have this team in contention for the NFC West championship.

The arrival of some promising young backs to spell Gore this season and a former Pro Bowler at tackle, Marvel Smith, will have the 49ers in a better position to control games on the ground.

The question mark at quarterback right now is who will start the season under center for the 49ers, however once that battle is settled other questions will remain.

Will Alex Smith or Shaun Hill be able to achieve consistency?

Will the offensive line be able to protect the quarterback in '09, or will Smith or Hill be under constant duress like last season?

Will the young receiving core be able to follow Issac Bruce's example and make life a little easier on the rest of the offense, or will a meager 60 catches lead the team in receiving again this season?

Clearly, Raye has his work cut out for him, and at 62 years old, this is likely his final shot at being a winning offensive coordinator. The talent he has to work with isn't spectacular, but improved from the group Martz inherited and brought out of the NFL statistics cellar in 2008.

Chances are good that Gore will be able to return to Pro Bowl form this season with the style of football Raye likes to play, and while there is always pressure on the quarterback to perform, Hill or Smith won't have as much as they would have playing for Martz.

Simply being servicable and managing the game while Gore hammers the ball should be enough for the '09 signal-caller, whoever that may be.

Unfortunately for San Francisco, just having a solid rushing attack isn't enough to win a championship in the NFL. And if history serves as a reference, Raye's track record doesn't suggest he'll be an upgrade from the pass-happy Martz.

Then again, despite what both Raye and Singletary say about the new offensive coordinator being in San Francisco for the long haul, Raye could be keeping his seat warm for someone else.

Down the coast in San Diego is a coach that could find himself on the hotseat in 2009.

If the former 49er coordinator Turner stumbles into another 8-8 record or even worse this season, chances are the San Diego brass will send him packing.

Singletary hasn't been shy in his admiration for Turner as a play-caller, and if he becomes available, don't be surprised if Coach Raye finds himself in a different role.

And in Other News, We Have a Good Fight Card on Our Hands: UFC 98 Preview

D Miller — Sat, 16 May 2009 02:06:30 -0400

With the way MMA headlines over the last two weeks have been dominated by fights with slim to no chances of ever happening—Anderson Silva vs. Roy Jones Jr and Dana White vs. Tom Atencio—the upcoming UFC card headlined by Rashad Evans taking on Lyoto Machida seems to have lost its rightful place in the spotlight.

Further diminishing the attention being paid to UFC 98 could be the fact that none of the headliners are named Liddell, Couture, Silva, Griffin, or Lesnar, which is an ultimate shame, because the main event showdown between Evans and Machida probably features the two best combined records in an MMA fight ever.

Both are undefeated and at the cost of a cavalcade of talented world-class fighters.

This is a world title bout that should have the entire sports world buzzing, yet it seems not even the MMA world is completely focused. Rest assured, come Saturday the 23rd, all eyes will be on Evans and Machida as they wage battle in one of the most intriguing matchups in UFC history.

Their showdown will be accompanied by a very solid undercard, which includes the long-overdue grudge match between opposing TUF coaches Matt Hughes and Matt Serra.

And with that, a preview of the main card for UFC 98:

SEAN SHERK VS. FRANKIE EDGAR

Make no mistake about it: This has fight of the night written ALL over it. Lightweight bouts consistently steal the show, and there's no reason to think that two of the very best the UFC has to offer won't.

The "Muscle Shark," Sherk, has in the past been labeled a one-dimensional wrestler that controls but doesn't finish fights...in other words, boring. While his finishing ratio in the UFC isn't stellar, he has been anything but one-dimensional since returning to the octagon.

He outstruck Nick Diaz in a 2006 victory, left current No. 1 contender Kenny Florian a bloody mess when he defeated him that same year, and dominated BJJ black belt Hermes Franca at the jiu-jitsu game in 2007.

Following his own domination at the hands of BJ Penn last year, Sherk bounced back by defeating Tyson Griffin and has shown not only is he still at the top of the division, but consistently improving.

Edgar, aka "The Answer," is one of the most promising lightweights in the UFC. The former Clarion University wrestler combines his stout wrestling base with the hardcore blue-collar ethic typical of wrestlers from the New Jersey/Pennsylvania region.

With his ever evolving boxing skills, Edgar has avoided the "one-dimensional" label since his arrival in the UFC, when he showed incredible heart in his decision defeat of highly regarded Tyson Griffin.

How Sherk Can Win

While they match up evenly in almost all areas of the fight game, Sherk has displayed an advanced jiu-jitsu game that Edgar hasn't. If he can gain the top position, Sherk should dominate with superior positioning—created through his outstanding guard passing ability—and textbook ground and pound.

How Edgar Can Win

If "The Answer" can control the wrestling, especially by gaining top position, he is just good enough to keep the positioning he'll need to outpoint Sherk with positioning and ground strikes.

Prediction

Sherk not only has an notable experience advantage, but he's a man on a mission. That's not to say Edgar isn't, but Sherk has one last title run in him that probably won't be derailed. Sherk has only been defeated by legends in MMA, and is on the cusp of creating his own legend.

Sherk wins by decision in a fast-paced fight that goes everywhere.

DAN MILLER VS. CHAEL SONNEN

In a fight that could either be a barn-burner or a lackluster chess match, former All-American collegiate wrestler Chael Sonnen takes on the larger half of the fighting UFC Miller brothers, Dan.

Team Quest product Sonnen is an MMA veteran who has an all-star cast of opponents on his resume, which includes losses to Jeremy Horn and Renato "Babalu" Sobral, and wins over Paulo Filho and Trevor Prangley.

Tarnishing those two big wins is the fact that he also has losses to Babalu and Prangley.

Sonnen has shown the ability to hang with anyone he's put against, at least for a round or two, and when the matchup is in his favor his wrestling skill makes him downright dominant.

Miller, at 11-1, has been on a roll since entering the UFC, going undefeated in the three fights in the octagon, with two of those wins by submission.

How Sonnen Can Win

If Sonnen can control the fight and keep it where he wants, he'll be able to punish Miller with a superior ground and pound game while simultaneously keeping himself out of trouble.

How Miller Can Win

A glance at Miller's record shows quite a few submission victories. Conversely, Sonnen has been on the losing end of his fair share of subs. If Miller can neutralize Sonnen's ground and pound, there is a good chance he can pull out a submission victory.

Prediction

Miller is on a roll, and at age 32, the game might be passing Sonnen by. Look for Miller to take this in the second or third round, with a sudden submission.

Andrew McFedries vs. Xavier Foupa-Pokam

At 20-10, Foupa-Pokam is a well-rounded journeyman who has finished the vast majority of his fights, with an almost even number of wins by submission and KO/TKO.

The Frenchman is coming off a loss in his UFC debut to the renowned Denis Kang, which is no shame on its own, and prior to that was on a seven-fight win streak.

Nicknamed "The Massacre," McFedries has a pedestrian 7-5 record, though he has faced some fairly stiff competition in his time. The heavy slugger trains out of the Miletich Camp in Bettendorf, Iowa, so he preparedness shouldn't be a question mark.

How Foupa-Pokam Wins

A knockout is theoretically possible, but if he is smart, Foupa-Pokam will look to take McFedries out of his comfort zone and seek a submission victory,which have accounted for three of McFedries five losses.

How McFedries Wins

Exactly how his style suggests—KO. He's going to swing hard and often, and if he connects, it could be lights out for Foupa-Pokam.

Prediction

Foupa-Pokam appears to be a bit more journeyman than McFedries, and the better training camp may come into play here. McFedries is better than his 7-5 record indicates, and he's going to prove it with a knockout victory.

MATT HUGHES VS. MATT SERRA

Though this fight has lost some of its relevance with both fighters coming off decisive losses, it carries plenty of intrigue as it's a classic contrast in styles and personalities.

Hughes is probably the most dominant champion MMA has ever seen, having run through the welterweight division for the better part of a decade before recent losses to Georges St. Pierre and Thiago Alves exposed him as past his prime.

Despite those losses, Hughes remains a dangerous opponent, as his wrestling base combined with his always evolving striking and jiu-jitsu make him a threat to the entire 170-pound division.

Bringing perhaps the biggest heart in MMA to octagon against Hughes with be "The Terror," the former lightweight fighter that shocked the MMA world with his first-round destruction of St. Pierre two years ago.

Of course, Serra brings more than just heart to the cage, as he is one of the most elite jiu-jitsu fighters in MMA history. Added to that is his never-say-die approach, which actually cost him the first loss of his career against Shonie Carter when Serra was caught with a spinning backfist after electing not to safely ride out a fight he was winning.

How Hughes Can Win

How he always wins—scooping, slamming and pummeling his opponents either into submission, or a long, painful night.

How Serra Can Win

By utilizing the Achilles' heel of wrestlers—exceptional submissions. Serra has the talent to submit just about anyone, and he'll need to have saved his best performance for this fight to win.

Prediction

Hughes sends Serra back to the lightweight division.

Despite his tremendous accomplishments in sport jiu-jitsu, Serra hasn't had a high finishing ratio in MMA. He constantly throws out submission attempts, but the vast majority of his wins have been by decision, which does not bode well for him against Hughes.

Serra has only lost to premier fighters in MMA, but unfortunately for him, his opponent next weekend is exactly that.

MAIN EVENT: RASHAD EVANS VS. LYOTO MACHIDA

There have been some heavily anticipated matchups in the UFC's 16-year history, but none have been an assembly of two fighters with the combined success these two combatants have.

Between the two of them is a record of 32-0-1, against competition that includes Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell, Rich Franklin, and Forrest Griffin.

Machida is coming off a statement fight, in which he silenced critics that questioned his entertainment value by putting tough guy Thiago Silva on queerstreet. Before that, he secured the good graces of UFC president Dana White by sending White's nemesis Tito Ortiz packing from the UFC with a loss.

What makes Machida dangerous for anyone is his highly unorthodox style; originally trained in the tradition karate style, Machida is one of the few who has maintained a karate base rather than shedding it for a more typical kickboxing style and found success at the highest level.

He is also a blackbelt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, making him dangerous everywhere.

Making his first title defense since dismantling Forrest Griffin in December of last year, "Sugar" Rashad Evans has defeated some of the most recognizable members of the UFC roster.

Evans initiated himself into the UFC by winning season two of The Ultimate Fighter as a heavyweight, which culminated in his dramatic slugfest with Brad Imes that showed Evans' heart should never be questioned.

What is most impressive about the current light heavyweight champ is the constant improvement he shows each and every outing, which is downright scary considering what he has already accomplished. Before the label of wrestler could stick, he floored Sean Salmon with a head kick that will be shown on highlight reels for years.

The following year he flattened the legendary Chuck Liddell with a dramatic KO, and his encore was running through Griffin to claim the title by TKO.

How Machida Can Win

"The Dragon" is the first jiu-jitsu blackbelt Evans has faced, and he can show the world just where Evans' submission defense stands. Evans has shown a trustworthy chin, so Machida's best chance would be to take the champ out of his comfort zone and seek the tap.

How Evans Can Win

With his striking having caught up to his wrestling base, Evans has shown he can perform equally on the feet and the ground, but his damage is always done through strikes. He'll test Machida's chin and heart, and a KO could be within his grasp. Otherwise, ground and pound domination could be in the cards.

Prediction

Evans is on a collision course with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, and as formidable as Machida is, "Sugar" Rashad won't let him get in the way of that fight. As if motivation isn't enough, he has MMA gameplan wizard Greg Jackson in his corner, and with Jackson's help Evans will continue his trend of marked improvement with each fight.

Already having proven his knack for the random, dramatic KO, Evans will end this fight in the later rounds with a swift and sudden knock out.

Ten Former 49ers Worthy of 2nd Round HOF Inductions

D Miller — Fri, 15 May 2009 18:15:13 -0400

In an apparent effort to display his appreciation for the past while leading the charge on a new beginning, San Francisco 49ers team president Jed York announced earlier this week the creation of the Eddie Debartolo Sr. 49ers Hall of Fame. The initial round of inductees is already decided, consisting of former players and one coach who have either had their numbers retired by the team or been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It's a "who's-who" list of 49er legends dating back to their pre-Super Bowl era. With the first wave of inductees settled, and a rich history that includes five Super Bowls championships, numerous NFC championship appearances and countless Pro Bowl participants, the 49ers aren't short on alumni worthy of consideration down the line. Following is a list, easily debatable considering the talent that has donned the Red and Gold, of former 49ers that should be at the list for the next round of inductees. Additions, subtractions or debate of course is encouraged.

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