Bleacher Report - Articles by Nate Maez

Randy Johnson's 300th Win Is More Than Just Another Game For The Giants.

Nate Maez — Wed, 27 May 2009 15:12:20 -0400

Randy Johnson is two wins away from a milestone 300 victories.

If he does accomplish the task, he will be one of only 24 pitchers to reach the 300-win club.

A ten-time All-Star, Johnson has amassed five Cy Young Awards, is second all-time in strikeouts (4838 as of May 27, 2009), and has a career ERA of 3.29. He has also thrown one of 17 perfect games.

In his 24th season, Johnson's age has been catching up with him. He is 3-4 with an ERA of 6.26.

The Big Unit was born in Walnut Creek, and attended high school in Livermore. His coming to the San Francisco Giants is a sort of homecoming.

The Giants' season has had its share of ups and downs, and the fans are wanting something special to happen this season. That special event will come to them in the form of the 300th win for Randy Johnson.

That accomplishment will no doubt help ticket sales for the Giants, but for the fans, it will give them something to cheer about for a long while. However, Johnson cannot do it alone, he needs help from his team.

The Giants are the one of the worst offensive teams in baseball. They have the least amount of home runs this season and the second fewest runs scored.

This team is nothing remarkable, but the Big Unit will give Giants fans a truly remarkable accomplishment, and for even a day, the dismal performance of the team will be forgotten.

Can the California Golden Bears Win the Pac-10 in 2009?

Nate Maez — Mon, 25 May 2009 11:39:17 -0400

It seems that every year, the California Golden Bears are a favorite choice of many to break through and finally become an elite team. It also seems that every year, the Golden Bears come up a little short of expectations.

This year's team has enough talent to end the USC stranglehold on the Pac-10 conference. Finally.

Cal is on a record-breaking run of six straight bowl appearances, but the fans want more. They want a BCS bowl game.

The Bears had the coveted No. 1 spot in their sights during the 2007 season, but terrible play from Kevin Riley led the Bears to five losses during the final seven games of the season.

Cal is entering the 2009 season with a three-game winning streak, but the Bears are without a lot of returning players, especially on defense.

Also, there is no clear-cut choice of who is going to be the starting quarterback at the start of the season.

Head coach Jeff Tedford has three passers to choose from. Kevin Riley, Brock Mansion, and Beau Sweeny are all in the running. Although Sweeny is a long shot to take the starting position, Brock Mansion is making sure Kevin Riley isn't just handed the job.

The quarterback position isn't the only question mark for the Cal Bears. A strength to the defense last season, the linebacker corps is now a young but talented group of players.

Also, whoever ends up winning the starting quarterback job needs a true go-to receiver. The Cal receivers are big, fast, and strong, but very inconsistent. They drop too many passes and don't run their routes quickly or crisp enough.

With center Alex Mack gone to the NFL, it is up to junior Chris Guarnero to fill the legendary Mack's shoes. It is going to be a difficult task, but Guarnero is a tough and quick technician, and has been learning from Mack since arriving on campus.

All of these question marks, and the California Bears still have a ton of strengths that every team they face is going to have to account for. The most dangerous of these strengths is the backfield.

With the dynamic duo of Jahvid Best and Shane Vereen, California's running game is set to become one of the elite in the nation. Both of them have either 4.3 or 4.4 speed, and have the ability to bring the crowd to its feet and demoralize the opposing defense.

The Golden Bears' secondary was ranked number six nationally in pass efficiency defense last season, and all but one of the 11 letterwinners are returning for the 2009 season.

The star of the secondary, and perhaps the defense, is cornerback Syd'Quan Thompson. He is one of the nation's true lockdown cornerbacks, recording 70 tackles, two sacks, four picks and 14 pass breakups.

The rest of the secondary always seems to be at the right place at the right time, knocking down 73 passes and turning 24 interceptions in 2008.

The major obstacle on the schedule is obviously their game against the USC Trojans on October 3rd. Cal always play well against the Trojans, but have failed to produce a win since 2003. The game will be played at Memorial Stadium, and if Cal wins, they have a very good chance of playing in the Rose Bowl.

Success would be a finish to the season no worse than second in the Pac 10, which, really, is what everyone in the conference is chasing.

While there are many obstacles on the road to a Pac 10 conference title, the California Golden Bears are poised to make a splash this season.

Are We Overly Optimistic About The 2009 San Francisco 49ers?

Nate Maez — Sun, 24 May 2009 13:29:56 -0400

It is safe to say that within the Bay Area, there is a lot of excitement and optimism surrounding the 2009 San Francisco 49ers.

The question is, will they live up to fans' expectations, or fall short of them, like they have since the end of the 2002 season?

While numerous experts, writers, and bloggers have stated that the 49ers are a team on the rise, I cannot help but feel a hint of doubt when I try and get optimistic about this coming season.

There are so many factors that go into a professional football season that it is always hard to predict how a team's fortune will pan out, but the question is: How many of those factors will positively or negatively impact the 49ers?

We have first-year head coach Mike Singletary at the helm for the whole season this time, so it will be easier to gauge his success or failure at the end of the season. Regardless, Singletary showed signs of his inexperience last season, most notably with the time management aspect of the game.

Still, Singletary has the faith and confidence of his general manager, team president, and, most importantly, the players themselves. He seems to have lit a fire under the team, and for that, I will give him the benefit of the doubt.

We almost must remember that the legendary Bill Walsh did not have a very successful early beginning to his head coaching career, and for the fans to have such a high bar set for Singletary might be unfair.

Inexperience is also a question for new team president, Jed York. Although his passion for the game and for winning should go unquestioned, his lack of experience running day-to-day operations should keep fans from expecting miracles.

Still, York made a promise to the fans that 2008 was the last season that ends in December, which further raised expectations of the team.

I have also heard a lot of fans say that this is the best draft the 49ers have had in years. While that statement will not be proven at least until the end of the season, the general feeling is that Michael Crabtree will provide superstar talent at the wideout position.

While Crabtree has the talent and physical tools to become a superstar, it has yet to be seen how he responds to the speed of the NFL's defense. Also, it remains to be seen how he returns from the fracture in his left foot to make any conclusions on how he will affect the 49ers.

Added on to that is the fact that the 49ers have not named a starting quarterback. Singletary has stated repeatedly that it is an open competition, but, ultimately, it is Shaun Hill's job to lose.

Trying to give Alex Smith some confidence by letting him compete for the job is understandable, but what the 49ers need right now is a concrete starting quarterback. The earlier this decision is made, the better, as it will give the starter more reps to get his timing down for the start of the regular season.

If Hill is named the starting quarterback, it has yet to be seen that he can take the punishment of a full NFL season. The 49ers gave up a league high 55 sacks in 2008, and, without major changes to the offensive line, it remains to be seen if they have improved at all.

While I am a diehard 49ers fan and will remain so, it is hard for me to be optimistic about the coming season. There are too many question marks that remain on this team. Hopefully, the 49ers make me eat my words, but we shall see.

Will Jahvid Best Compete for the Heisman in 2009?

Nate Maez — Sun, 24 May 2009 10:54:25 -0400

During the 2008 season, Cal running back Jahvid Best had the second most all purpose yards in the NCAA. He was right behind Missouri wideout Jeremy Maclin. Although neither of them were nominated for the Heisman Trophy last season, both were among the best players in college football.

At 5'10" and 195 lbs, Best runs like a bolt of lightning with a number four on it's chest. He needed only 194 carries to lead the Pac-10 in rushing last season, and defenses had to account for him at all times. Though not as nationally recognized as Reggie Bush, Best has the same game breaking mold, and is able to change a game with one play.

Now it is up to Cal's passing game to keep their opponents' defenses from stacking against the run. Cal's quarterbacks were in turmoil in 2008, with Nate Longshore being a mess and Kevin Riley not stepping up when he had his chances.

Jahvid Best has great vision and burst through the hole, but it will be up to the quarterback to play consistently in order for Best to get his stats up for Heisman recognition.

Besides that, the only other thing holding Best back is that he prone to getting injured. This January, Best underwent surgery to tighten a ligament that had been injured when he dislocated his left elbow.

The same month he had another surgery, this time for his foot, to relieve irritation of an extra bone that was caused when Best bruised his foot during the middle of the season.

Now let us Cal fans pray that Jahvid Best gets the national recognition he deserves, and is at least a finalist for the most coveted individual award in college football.

It's Hard Being A Bay Area Sports Fan.

Nate Maez — Sat, 23 May 2009 12:38:31 -0400

Having grown up in the Bay Area, I have witnessed my fair share of both horrible and spectacular teams throughout my adolescent and adult life. A few teams that come to mind include the 2002 San Fransisco Giants, 2002 Oakland Raiders, 1994 San Fransisco 49ers, and the 2006 Golden State Warriors. On the flip side, we have the 2009 San Fransisco Giants, 2008 Oakland Raiders, and... well we all know how our respective teams have been doing as of late. Even our San Jose Sharks, who were the best team in the NHL this season and won the President's Cup, lost in the first round to the eighth seeded Mighty Ducks.

Despite the Bay Area's recent slump, fans continue to hold out hope for their respective teams regardless of how terrible the previous season was. There is really only one complaint I have about Bay Area fans, and that is their acceptance of Jessica Alba only attending the Warriors' playoff games. Where was she this season? Does she even know who Monta Ellis is?

Sports writers, TV hosts, and fans will forever debate the impossible questions: What makes teams great? Is it an insanely fast offense? A punishing defense? Both? I believe if you look at consistently great teams such as the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, or Los Angeles Lakers, you will see that great teams at the very least have owners who want to win.

While the Rooney family, Jerry Buss, and Robert Kraft consistently give their fans playoff bound teams, Bay Area sports fans are blessed with the likes of Al Davis, Chris Cohan, and John and Denise York.

49er fans have long suspected that the York family was always more concerned to money than winning, but were given a glimmer of hope when they named their son, Jed, team president. Meanwhile, Al Davis continues to remain stuck in the 70's and 80's, using overhead projectors to explain why Lane Kiffin is a terrible person, and continues to make peculiar decisions for his beloved franchise the Oakland Raiders.

I digress however that this is a tribute to the fans, not a complaint of the teams. Regardless of how any Bay Area team is doing, fans will continue to show up and cheer. I have always believed that the Bay Area has the most underrated fans. Think about it, who else would put up with Candlestick Park for so long? Or deal with Al Davis' rants and raves on a weekly basis? Or watch Chris Cohan completely dismantle his team over and over and over again? We Bay Area sports fans have it rougher than most, but we love our teams.