SB Nation Bay Area: All Posts by Pete Holbyhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48817/bayrea-fave.png2013-01-05T13:10:43-08:00https://bayarea.sbnation.com/authors/pete-holby/rss2013-01-05T13:10:43-08:002013-01-05T13:10:43-08:00Ben Gardner returns to Stanford for 5th year
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<figcaption>Ed Szczepanski-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Stanford's defensive line retains a key member for one more year.</p> <p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/stanford-cardinal">Stanford Cardinal</a> defensive lineman Ben Gardner will return to the team for his fifth year,<a href="https://twitter.com/BennyG49/status/287661562469175297"> he announced via Twitter</a>. Stanford's defense was a huge asset for the team in the 2012 season, and Gardner played a key role.</p>
<p>Gardner shined in the 2013 Rose Bowl in particular, making six tackles, four solo, including a key tackle early in the second quarter. Up 14-0, Stanford was making a goal line stand and had Wisconsin going for it on fourth and 1 from the Cardinal 1. Gardner tackled James White for no gain, keeping the Badgers off the board and the momentum in Stanford's favor.</p>
<p>Gardner had 49 tackles in 2012, 26 of them solo and 14.5 of them for a loss. He also had 7.5 sacks, five passes broken up and a forced fumble. Cardinal fans are undoubtedly pleased to see if he can top those numbers in his final year.</p>
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https://bayarea.sbnation.com/stanford-ncaaf/2013/1/5/3840142/ben-gardner-stanford-5th-yearPete Holby2012-12-15T15:34:15-08:002012-12-15T15:34:15-08:00A's pitchers get in charity work this offseason
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<figcaption>Dilip Vishwanat</figcaption>
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<p>The Oakland A's Community Fund helps the team give back to the community, and two young pitchers were helping out this holiday season.</p> <p>Relievers Ryan Cook and <span>Sean Doolittle</span> are among the members of the <a href="http://www.csnbayarea.com/blog/casey-pratt/relievers-pitching-community">Oakland A's pitching in to the team's charity works</a>. The A's Community Fund raises money and awareness for community-based initiatives, most recently with Cook and Doolittle meeting a group of fourth and fifth graders from the Achieve Academy in Oakland. The event was at the Oakland Zoo.</p>
<p>Both men enjoyed meeting the kids. "It's really, really rewarding to be able to use what we do to help," said Doolittle.</p>
<p>Cook pointed out that "We're in a position with what we do, being professional athletes, where we have the ability to draw attention to people in need, or deserving causes."</p>
<p>The A's Holiday Caravan has included stops with Cook and Doolittle in Walnut Creek collecting for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, and doing outreach in the media with Comcast SportsNet and 95.7 FM The Game.</p>
<p>Cook was a key part of Oakland's bullpen in 2012, with a 2.09 ERA in 71 games. Doolittle converted from first base to pitcher in the minors and made it to to the big leagues in no time at all.</p>
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https://bayarea.sbnation.com/athletics/2012/12/15/3771254/as-community-fund-charity-workPete Holby2012-12-15T15:14:56-08:002012-12-15T15:14:56-08:00Where did Vernon Davis go?
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<figcaption>Ezra Shaw</figcaption>
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<p>Vernon Davis has only three catches on five targets in the last three games, but explanations for the drop in production aren't readily available. </p> <p><span>Vernon Davis</span> might not be so thrilled with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.ninersnation.com/">San Francisco 49ers</a>' transition from Alex Smith to <span>Colin Kaepernick</span>. Davis has only five targets over the last three games, <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/49ers/ci_22195734/49ers-vernon-davis-forgotten-target">reports the Mercury News</a>. He had zero targets against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">New Orleans Saints</a>, caught two of the three balls thrown his way against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/st-louis-rams">St. Louis Rams</a> and caught one of two against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Miami Dolphins</a>.</p>
<p>That's a steep decline from the six catches for 83 yards he made in Kaepernick's first start. Davis averaged 3.2 receptions and 4.5 targets per game when Alex Smith was under center. The coaches downplay the change. Head coach Jim Harbaugh simply said that "whoever is open, that's who the quarterback is instructed to get the ball to. And that varies from week to week." Offensive coordinator Greg Roman said that Davis still commands respect from defenses, also implying it was a question of Davis not being open.</p>
<p>Davis is on pace for 68 targets and 47 receptions this season. That would be his lowest number of targets since 2008 and his lowest number of receptions since his rookie year. It is worth noting that Davis has not said anything about this, and is not publicly complaining.</p>
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https://bayarea.sbnation.com/49ers/2012/12/15/3771202/49ers-vernon-davis-colin-kaepernickPete Holby2012-12-08T09:23:34-08:002012-12-08T09:23:34-08:00Healthy Curry is bad news for Wizards
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<figcaption>Brad Mills-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>The Warriors handled the Wizards the last time the two faced off, and this time they have the full efforts of Stephen Curry.</p> <p>A healthy <span>Stephen Curry</span> is making all the difference for the <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Golden State Warriors</a>, who face the <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Washington Wizards</a> on Saturday night. Curry had 28 points in Golden State's 109-102 Friday night win over the <a href="https://www.netsdaily.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Brooklyn Nets</a>, and he also avoided committing a turnover. He's averaging 22.2 points per game over the last six, shooting 59.3 points and picking up a double-double in four of those games.</p>
<p>Golden State faces a Wizards team that stands at 2-14 but surprised everyone with a home win against the <a href="https://www.hothothoops.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Miami Heat</a>, 105-101. Patience was key in that win, with 31 assists on 38 buckets. That may come up again, as teams tend to move the ball around against the Warriors. Golden State opponents average 22.6 assists per game, the eigth highest total in the league.</p>
<p>The last time the two teams met, the Warriors took a 120-100 win, and a foot injury kept Curry to less than 10 minutes. With Curry back at full strength, Saturday is a big opportunity for the Warriors to make a statement.</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/warriors/2012/12/8/3743686/warriors-wizards-preview-time-tv-schedulePete Holby2012-12-01T12:31:44-08:002012-12-01T12:31:44-08:00Logan Couture latest Shark to leave Europe
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<figcaption>Geoff Burke-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture has left the Swiss National League, where he was leading the first-place Geneve-Servette HC.</p> <p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fearthefin.com/">San Jose Sharks</a> center <span>Logan Couture</span> has<a href="https://twitter.com/KKurzCSN/status/274959691304550400"> </a><a href="http://www.fearthefin.com/2012/12/1/3715132/logan-couture-leaves-switzerland-citing-personal-reasons">reportedly </a>left Switzerland, with his agent citing "personal reasons" for the departure. Couture was playing for Geneve-Servette HC, who are the current points leader in the Swiss National League.</p>
<p>Couture was leading Geneve-Servette in scoring, having picked up 23 points (7 goals in 22 games.) It is unclear if he is done with the team for good, but <a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.swiss-icehockey.ch%2FNL%2Faktuell%2Fde%2Fsportinformationen_news.php%3Fnews%3D20121201_brz026_2&act=url">the league </a>does note that he is no longer under contract, having signed a deal with the club for only two months.</p>
<p>Many NHL players have headed overseas during the lockout, but as <a href="http://www.fearthefin.com/2012/12/1/3715132/logan-couture-leaves-switzerland-citing-personal-reasons">SB Nation's Sharks blog Fear the Fin</a> points out, both <span>T.J. Galiardi</span> and <span>Antti Niemi</span> have preceded Couture in departing Europe for North America. Other Sharks remain overseas, including <span>Joe Thornton</span>. He also plays in the Swiss National League. He's second on HC Davos with 22 points on five goals and 17 assists.</p>
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https://bayarea.sbnation.com/sharks/2012/12/1/3715244/logan-couture-sharks-switzerland-nhl-lockout-2012Pete Holby2012-11-29T09:49:20-08:002012-11-29T09:49:20-08:00How would Brian Wilson look in Dodger blue?
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<p>Brian Wilson lives in Los Angeles in the off-season. CSN Bay Area's Andrew Baggarly wonders if the Dodgers are a good fit for the former Giants closer who missed most of the 2012 season due arm issues. </p> <p>Were he to not play for the <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">San Francisco Giants</a>, <a href="http://www.csnbayarea.com/baseball-san-francisco-giants/giants-talk/Could-Brian-Wilson-end-up-with-the-Dodge?blockID=807281&feedID=2796">Andrew Baggarly reports</a>, <span>Brian Wilson's</span> preference would be the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Dodgers</a>. Citing <a href="https://twitter.com/TBrownYahoo/status/273858565356261376">Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports</a>, Baggerly reports that the Giants closer would favor Los Angeles were he to become a free agent.</p>
<p>The Giants have until Friday at 9 p.m. PT to offer Wilson a contract. He is in his final year of arbitration eligibility, and with Wilson returning from a year on the bench there are inevitable questions about his long-term value. Wilson made $8.5 million for a season of two games, the rest of it being lost to Tommy John surgery. By the terms of the CBA, the Giants would be unable to sign Wilson for less than $6.8 million in 2013.</p>
<p>The Giants have expressed a desire to keep Wilson, but the details of the contract will not be easy for the two sides to hash out. If that doesn't happen by Friday, Giants fans could face an unwelcome sight on opening day.</p>
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https://bayarea.sbnation.com/giants/2012/11/29/3706854/brian-wilson-dodgers-giantsPete Holby2012-11-29T09:21:37-08:002012-11-29T09:21:37-08:00Kings to Virginia plan takes a step forward
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<figcaption>Jed Jacobsohn</figcaption>
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<p>Virginia Beach now has a concrete proposal for an arena that would house the Kings.</p> <p>The possibility that the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.sactownroyalty.com/">Sacramento Kings</a> might move to Virginia took another step forward, <a href="http://www.csnbayarea.com/basketball-sacramento-kings/kings-talk/Report-Virginia-Beach-Kings-arena-detail?blockID=807347&feedID=2802">reports CSN Bay Area</a>, as Virginia Beach has worked out a clear proposal for a new arena. The proposal seeks $150 million from the state of Virginia to help cover "construction costs and moving expenses for the unnamed team."</p>
<p>It may be unnamed in that instance, but the full report contains a more clear idea of who would fill the arena: "The Kings would be the main tenant." Earlier reports have indicated that Kings ownership has met with Virginia governor Bob McDonnell as well as officials from Virginia Beach. The official ownership line on the move is that they have been approached over the years by several cities, but they offer no specific comments.</p>
<p>Previous developments regarding a new arena for the Kings in Sacramento fell apart when the <a href="http://bayarea.sbnation.com/sacramento-kings/2012/3/29/2912697/sacramento-kings-new-arena-anaheim-relocation">Kings' ownership indicated they were not willing to pay for a good portion of any new arena</a>. The city pursued the possibility of <a href="http://bayarea.sbnation.com/sacramento-kings/2011/3/28/2077384/sacramento-kings-anaheim-relocation-rumors-future-in-sacramento-looks-grim">building an arena without the guarantee of the Kings as an anchor tenant</a>, but that did not appear to go anywhere.</p>
https://bayarea.sbnation.com/kings/2012/11/29/3706694/kings-relocation-virginia-beachPete Holby2012-11-29T08:28:02-08:002012-11-29T08:28:02-08:00Andrew Bogut may be out for three months
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<figcaption>Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Andrew Bogut may take much longer to return than originally expected. The center now says he may be out for as long as three months.</p> <p><a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Golden State Warriors</a> center <span>Andrew Bogut</span> may not make his return to the team for as many as three months,<a href="http://www.csnbayarea.com/basketball-golden-state-warriors/warriors-talk/Boguts-return-up-in-the-air?blockID=807303&feedID=2799"> reports CSN Bay Area</a>. He may be out for "one, two or three months" says Bogut.</p>
<p>The injury has been slow in developing, with a shifting timeline. The team had hoped the center would be ready for training camp, but that shifted to hoping he could be 100 percent by the regular season opener. Signs in the early season were not positive, and the team shut Bogut down in mid-November. He was expected to return in 1-2 weeks, but it now seems he will be out for much longer.</p>
<p>Bogut has played in four of the Warriors' first 14 games, averaging 18.3 minutes and 6 points per night. His injury originally stems from fracturing his left ankle in January of 2012, when he played for the <a href="https://www.brewhoop.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Milwaukee Bucks</a>. In April of this year he had surgery that was involved a microfracture procedure, something Bogut had not expected.</p>
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https://bayarea.sbnation.com/warriors/2012/11/29/3706494/andrew-bogut-injury-return-warriorsPete Holby2012-11-24T13:40:03-08:002012-11-24T13:40:03-08:00Raiders promote LB Kaelin Burnett to main roster
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<figcaption>Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>The Oakland Raiders promoted undrafted free agent Kaelin Burnett, filling a spot on the roster that opened up when the team released former first-round pick Aaron Curry.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/oakland-raiders">Oakland Raiders</a> have promoted linebacker <span>Kaelin Burnett</span> from the practice squad, <a href="https://twitter.com/espn_afcwest/status/272449329229348864">reports ESPN</a>. Oakland had released linebacker <span>Aaron Curry</span>, opening the spot for Burnett.</p>
<p>Burnett was signed by the Raiders as an undrafted free agent prior to the 2012 season. A native of southern California, Burnett is a graduate of the University of Nevada with experience at both linebacker and defensive end. At 6'5 and 234 pounds, he's severely undersized for an end at the NFL level, and with the Raiders it's expected that he would fit in a rush linebacker role. He was also a standout on special teams with the Wolfpack, so Oakland may find a role for him there as well.</p>
<p>Curry was selected fourth overall by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fieldgulls.com/">Seattle Seahawks</a> in the 2009 NFL draft, but he floundered in the league and was traded to Oakland for a pair of late-round draft picks. He failed to find a niche with Oakland and after a Week 10 performance that included two personal fouls and $23,000 worth of fines in a total of 15 snaps, the Raiders began looking elsewhere.</p>
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https://bayarea.sbnation.com/raiders/2012/11/24/3686446/oakland-raiders-roster-kaelin-burnettPete Holby2012-11-23T05:02:53-08:002012-11-23T05:02:53-08:00Busy weekend for both Kings and Warriors
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<figcaption>Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Both the Warriors and the Kings have back-to-back games this weekend, and both are looking to continue recent momentum.</p> <p>The weekend's NBA schedule includes heavy action on both Friday and Saturday night, with both the <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Golden State Warriors</a> and <a href="https://www.sactownroyalty.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Sacramento Kings</a> playing on both nights.</p>
<p>The Kings play the <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Utah Jazz</a> back-to-back, with the first game in Utah and the second at home in Sacramento. The 3-8 Kings are coming off a win over the <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Lakers</a>, and they should be able to carry that momentum into games against the Jazz, who have struggled to find consistency this season. Utah has two straight wins, but before that they had two straight losses. Friday's game is at 6 p.m. PT and Saturday's is at 7 p.m. PT, with both games broadcast on Comcast Sports California.</p>
<p>The Warriors are also on the road to start the weekend. They play the <a href="https://www.denverstiffs.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Denver Nuggets</a> on Friday night hoping to continue their recent success. The Warriors have won four of their last five, but earlier in November they lost to Denver, 107-101. The game is at 6 p.m. PT and will be broadcast on Comcast Sports Bay Area. </p>
<p>Saturday night sees the Warriors return home for a game against the <a href="https://www.canishoopus.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Minnesota Timberwolves</a>, whom they beat just a week ago. That was a 106-98 victory that saw the Warriors dominate in the paint as the team started to pick up momentum. Game time is 7:30 p.m. and the game will also be on CSN Bay Area. </p>
<p>A complete NBA schedule is available at <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/schedules/weekly/today/?xid=sbnation">SI.com</a>.</p>
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https://bayarea.sbnation.com/warriors/2012/11/23/3681282/nba-schedule-2012Pete Holby