Author: Trevor

Hope Springs Eternal In The Bay

Post author By Trevor
Post date December 29, 2006
2 Comments on Hope Springs Eternal In The Bay

by Trevor Freeman

On December 25th I was talking with my grandpa at the Freeman Family Christmas party. In his late 80s, he is suffering from lung cancer (despite the fact he never smoked) and does not resemble the lean, former collegiate track star I had always been used to. A lifelong San Francisco Giants fan he yearns for the World Series title that has eluded the cursed franchise since they left New York. The subject of Barry Zito came up and his exact words were, “If we could get him, then we’d have a real shot.”

Oakland A's

One Last Look At Our Barry Zito

Post author By Trevor
Post date December 9, 2006
9 Comments on One Last Look At Our Barry Zito

by Trevor Freeman

I remember Bill Simmons once wrote that every city has a player who never quite lived up expectations. For Boston it was Drew Bledsoe. There are other names you can throw out there on both a pro and college level. Ron Pawlus at Notre Dame and Mike Bibby in Sacramento both come to mind. For fans of the Oakland A’s, there is only one guy who could possibly have this tag bestowed upon him. That man is Barry Zito.

As I sit here and get ready to watch the Mets, Rangers, Mariners or San Francisco Giants open up their wallets and bestow upon Barry Zito the money to last a lifetime, I felt it would be remiss if I didn’t use my featured writer status to write my thoughts on Barry Zito. If I didn’t take the time to provide my evaluation of the premier free agent left on the market.

Random Thoughts

A Sports Medley…….The Thanksgiving Edition

Post author By Trevor
Post date November 24, 2006
10 Comments on A Sports Medley…….The Thanksgiving Edition

by Trevor Freeman

Everybody takes the Friday after Thanksgiving off from work. To me, that is just a waste of a vacation day. You see, no work actually gets done on the Friday after Thanksgiving, so you might as well just show up and sit like a corpse in your seat until the powers that be let you out early. PLUS, you save the vacation day which can now be dropped at a time when there is a lot going on. Just trust me on this.

While killing some time at work and with a pile of thoughts floating around in my head, it is time to come with my third Sports Medley. We shall dub this version the “The Thanksgiving Special”…

College Football

The Case For Rutgers

by Trevor Freeman

Someday girl I don’t know when we’re gonna get to that place..Where we really want to go and we’ll walk in the sun…But till then tramps like us…baby we were born to run…
-Bruce Springsteen

If luck truly is when practice meets opportunity then this weekend the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers seized their moment. In the land of Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Tony Soprano……in the land that inspired one of the truly great websites of all-time (www.njguido.com) college football’s best Cinderella story is being written. For a win over Louisville and losses by Auburn, Texas and California has elevated The State University of New Jersey close to a place that Mr. George Mason currently resides. David is once again tapping on the door of Goliath.

Tags bcs, College Football, rutgers

NBA General

Breaking Down The NBA

by Trevor Freeman

For most people, October 31st was Halloween. A day that is dedicated to hooking up with women dressed like slutty nurses and egging unsuspecting houses. For me……and you can tell I’m pushing closer to 30, Halloween was on a Tuesday and that meant I had work the next day. However this year for the first time, October 31st also meant the tip-off of the NBA season. It meant Miami was getting their rings and Adam Morrison was one day closer to proving to Chad Ford that he is superior as a basketball player to Andrea Bargnani. It meant that no longer would the big NBA stories revolve around Sebastian Telfair’s boys possibly shooting Fabolous and it would instead revolve around the actual game of hoop. With all that mind, I figured it was time for me to throw my NBA rankings together.

We will begin our countdown in a locale that is used to watching losing professional basketball. Sadly this locale also doubles as home and this team is………gulp…….the team I was born into rooting for (shaking my head as I am writing this).

Tags nba preview

College Basketball

Is It College Basketball Season Already?

Post author By Trevor
Post date October 22, 2006
2 Comments on Is It College Basketball Season Already?

by Trevor Freeman

I have but one piece of advice to pass along to all of you……..

Beware the Bay Area natives in your NCAA Tournament pool this season. For they are the ones that have been reading College Basketball preview magazines since mid-October and are already prepared for March Madness. An October stumble in baseball and two NFL teams that have yet to leave the gate have reduced us already to March planning……..and plan I already have.

It took some careful film study and consultation with my crack research staff but we are ready to unleash our preseason Top 25. Words can’t describe the anticipation with which I am looking forward to the upcoming season of college hoops. You know why NFL football and NCAA basketball are my two favorite sports to follow? It is because both sports do it right in terms of how a season should be structured. Both sports begin with drinks and light hors d’oeuvres (preseason NFL games and preseason tournaments). Those are followed by a solid main course (regular seasons) which is then capped off with a sumptuous dessert and after dinner Scotch (NFL playoffs and NCAA Tournament). With that let me order my first cocktail and begin our list with………..

Oakland A's

Our Plea…..

Dear Sports Gods,

I did everything right. Everything. After my beloved A’s swept Minnesota, I held off on calling my friend Max and taunting him about it. Before the ALCS, I never once mentioned advancing to the World Series. Like Gene Hackman in “Hoosiers” my response was always that we will not be concerned about the next step until we climb the one in front of us. Heck, instead of poking fun at Yankee fans for losing to Detroit…..I took the approach of putting my arm around them and providing encouragement. I heard the words, “don’t worry Steinbrenner will get you some pitching next year” come out of my mouth. It’s not just that though. I did other stuff to help the A’s pull through in this series. Instead of pretending to read my newspaper and ignoring an old lady on the train, I got up and gave her my seat. Five times I was the last person to exit a crowded elevator. I do not understand why you are doing this to us, but it is just inhumane at this point.

Tags MLB, Oakland A's

MLB General

Do It For Us Jason……

by Trevor Freeman

Mike: Are you calling to rub it in?

Trevor: No, I’m calling because I want you to step it up. I want Jason Giambi in the Oakland Coliseum next week. Please beat the Tigers. Do it for me. Do it because all I want is for your Yankees to come to our house.

Mike: Screw you!! After we beat these Tigers, we’re going to kick you’re A’s a$$ too!!

Trevor: Don’t sing it…………bring it……..

Tags MLB, ny yankees, Oakland A's

MLB General

Is There Room For One More At The MVP Table?

Post author By Trevor
Post date September 19, 2006
5 Comments on Is There Room For One More At The MVP Table?

by Trevor Freeman

“Don’t get me wrong, he’s a great player but he’s got a lot of guys in that lineup. Top to bottom, you’ve got a guy who can hurt you. Come hit in this lineup, see how good you can be.”
-David Ortiz

I’m not thinking about the MVP right now. We’re thinking about winning a division. We’ve still got something to play for.
-Derek Jeter

All week long, the only commentary I have read from various sports pundits in regards to the race for AL MVP revolves around Derek Jeter and David Ortiz. However, before we coronate another Yankee or Red Sox with the award, let me be so bold as to insert one more name into the argument. It is a name that you all once knew. It is a renaissance that is happening in an often-overlooked town on a classic baseball franchise. His name is Frank Thomas and he has once again become “The Big Hurt”.

San Francisco 49ers

A Completely Objective Look At The San Francisco 49ers

Post author By Trevor
Post date September 6, 2006
12 Comments on A Completely Objective Look At The San Francisco 49ers

by Trevor Freeman

With the NFL season starting on Sunday, I figured it was about time to talk about the Five-Time Super Bowl Champions. Like Judge Wapner, I’m going to be as even-handed as possible when breaking the San Francisco 49ers down position by position. I think it’s important as a writer to always maintain credibility and to avoid being a shameless homer. Without further ado, let’s begin our look at the Greatest Franchise In NFL History.