Andrew Luck retired four years ago, saying he needed to “remove himself from football.”
Now, Luck is back on the field — as a coach at Palo Alto High School, right across the street from his Stanford stomping grounds.
For
@mercnews
, my story + photos:
"Game 6 Klay" is a well-earned nickname for some memorable performances.
But did you know the game in a playoff series that Klay averages the most points in is not Game 6, but Game 5?
Game 5: 22.15 (443 pts in 20 games)
Game 6: 20.7 (248 in 12 games)
Will Klay go off tonight?
Since Kyle Shanahan took over as head coach in 2017, the 49ers have been trailing by 7+ points entering the fourth quarter 24 times.
They have won zero (0) times in those instances.
Largest "after 3 quarter" deficit they've overcome? 4 points, from 12/21/2019 vs. the Rams
Some news this afternoon:
The "SELL" shirt created by Oakland A's fans (
@oakland68s
) is headed to Cooperstown.
@mercnews
/
@EastBayTimes
story on why the shirt is an important artifact to have for the Baseball Hall of Fame's collection:
the last thing ever shown on a Pac-12 Network women’s basketball broadcast was USC’s cheerleaders saying, “UCLA sucks” while USC's band jammed the team off the set.
Perfect, 15/10, no notes
Joc Pederson is now the first ballplayer to hit a Splash Hit with three different teams (LA, CHC, SF) - and the second guy to hit one for and against the Giants (Ryan Klesko)
After all the talk about the disparity of coverage/love for Sue and Syl, pretty wild to watch (on TV) the refs give Sue the game ball and not have one for Syl. Sue literally had to give it to Syl herself, which is noble of her… but also, doesn't that prove so much of the point?
Dawn Staley is talking to the Stanford crowd after her Gamecocks beat the Cardinal.
“Dawn is the face of women’s basketball,” Tara VanDerveer said as she introduced her to the crowd.
Immense respect between these two.
So this has to be a first: two position players pitching on the same day who went to the same high school.
Daniel Descalso for AZ & Alex Blandino for CIN both went to St. Francis HS in Mountain View, CA. Can’t imagine that’s happened before.
@DianaTaurasi
@HighPostHoops
Considering
@S10Bird
’s history with nose injuries,
@DianaTaurasi
said she was thinking about her a lot as the game went on: "She’s very picky about her nose. When you have a nose like mine, you don’t give a shit. When you have a face like Sue, I would worry, too.”
@HighPostHoops
Seated courtside (circled in the second pic) tonight (left-to-right):
Diana Taurasi, Penny Taylor with Leo on her lap, Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe.
How about this,
@TheNextHoops
?
I’m at Chase Center, where the news is out that the Warriors are getting a WNBA team. Press conference soon, but the team already has these courts with the WNBA logo set up out in front:
@edsbs
Dropping a “pigeons aren’t real” after EIGHT had me terrified about the After 12 video.
And then he looks like he’s reconsidering this entire series after 12.
Diana Taurasi and Penny Taylor’s daughter is named Isla. She said to
@jeffmetcalfe
and I that her son Leo loved that name and chose it for them.
@TheNextHoops
Johnny Cueto’s first inning back on a professional mound: 3 strikeouts (1 swinging, 2 looking) and an infield single that was a high grounder the shortstop couldn’t field. 13 pitches, 11 strikes (3 swinging) and 2 balls, both on 0-2 counts.
Folks, it is with delight that I inform you that I have figured out the most chaotic WNBA path possible:
A *six-way tie* for the 6-11 seeds at a record of 15-21.
Before practice today, Diana Taurasi was asked by
@ClassicJpow
what needs to change in how Phoenix stops Kahleah Copper.
Taurasi quipped, “Hopefully she doesn’t show up to the gym, that would be nice.”
@TheNextHoops
Steph Curry just walked in at Maples Pavilion. He’ll be sitting on the baseline where Stanford is attacking in the first half.
As
@juliasulek
reported last March, Curry and Cameron Brink’s families go way back:
Noelle Quinn was officially named the Seattle Storm's head coach less than 18 months ago.
With Mike Thibault's retirement, Quinn is now *THIRD* in terms of HC tenure with their current team.
Only Cheryl Reeve (MIN) and James Wade (CHI) have been in their current jobs for longer.
And here’s former Pinnacle HS quarterback Spencer Rattler (
@SpencerRattler
) taking the field for his first collegiate game. He’s listed as 3rd string on OU’s depth chart.
@sportscronkite
Noelle Quinn was named the head coach of the Seattle Storm on May 30, 2021.
25 months and one day later, the only coach who has been in their job for longer than Quinn is Minnesota's Cheryl Reeve.
An absolute insane amount of turnover in the WNBA these last 2+ years.
I’m in San Francisco today, covering the anti-John Fisher protests that A’s fans are putting on at the Bay Bridge game.
The UNITE THE BAY posters are being handed out and quite a long line (split pretty evenly b/w Giants and A’s fans) are here for black SELL shirts.
The talk around the San Jose Earthquakes should be about the team's playoff push.
But owner John Fisher's apparent view of PayPal Park as "outdated" has enraged the Quakes' fan base.
@mercnews
story, with a comment from SJ Mayor Matt Mahan (
@MattMahanSJ
):
Johnny Cueto struck out 5 hitters in 2 innings of work in his first rehab start. He threw 19 of 21 pitches for strikes, including 7 swings & misses. His only two balls were on 0-2 pitches. Allowed one baserunner on a weak high grounder to short.
A group of youngsters from San Mateo - a mix of Giants and A’s fans - are out in the (very high) centerfield bleachers in Oakland tonight with a huge “Sell the team” sign and chants:
Tomorrow, I start as the sports editor at
@SFGate
. I’ve admired the work at SFGate for a long time (especially from departing sports editor
@dpyoung13
) and am so incredibly excited to get to be a part of it myself going forward.
There’s a line of girls waiting to take pictures with
@haleyjoness19
at halftime of the Ole Miss-Gonzaga game.
On her final weekend playing at Maples, it’s pretty clear that she’s left a lasting legacy on The Farm.
@mercnews
on her time with
@StanfordWBB
:
The Mercury have announced that Game 3 of the WNBA Semifinals will be played at ASU’s Desert Financial Arena.
Their usual downtown home of the Footprint Center is hosting Disney on Ice that evening.
@TheNextHoops
The actual WNBA players have love for both. It’s those shaping the narrative for years — which shapes how society views these people, btw — that have created this problem (one
@katie_barnes3
dove into so excellently).
ESPN showing Sue’s final sub-out … but not Syl’s… 🤔
Shay Murphy was on the 2014 Mercury championship team and she was *fired up* after the game for this win. Here’s her 2014 teammates Taurasi and Griner taking a pic with her postgame - with their 2014 championship ring.
@TheNextHoops
ESPN has two stories and a video for tonight’s Seattle-Phoenix game — a game they aren’t even showing on TV! And sure, it’s great to highlight Sue and Diana’s dynamic.
But seeing this in the same week that they disrespected a young Black superstar in women’s hoops is … 🤔
A's fans (
@LastDiveBar
,
@Oakland68s
) are bringing their anti-John Fisher protests to the Bay Bridge Series on Tuesday.
They're hoping Giants fans can relate -- and want to join in.
@mercnews
/
@EastBayTimes
story talking to fans of both teams:
Steph Curry is taking in Stanford WBB tonight as the Cardinal hosts Morgan State.
It’s also Cameron Brink’s birthday - the Brink and Curry families are close.
(Photo source: my mother, who is also at the game)
@StanfordWBB
Some news: Today is my last day at Bay Area News Group.
It's incredibly hard to be leaving the amazing coworkers we have at
@mercnews
/
@EastBayTimes
. I will forever cherish the opportunity & time I've had at BANG.
I'll have more on my next stop soon, but: Thanks for reading, y'all
Do I have a Friday news dump for y’all:
Next week, I’ll be starting as an editor & digital strategist on the sports desk at Bay Area News Group (
@mercnews
&
@EastBayTimes
). I’m incredibly excited to be working with a great team and to be heading back to the Bay Area.
In a quick chat after Tara VanDerveer’s retirement press conference, I asked Kiki Iriafen if she was planning on returning to Stanford next season.
Iriafen didn’t answer verbally, but shrugged her shoulders.
Phoenix Mercury just sent a statement on Brittney Griner, who media reports out of Russia indicate is currently being detained on a “drug charge” - for a vape pen and hashish.
Mercury statement:
(
@TheNextHoops
)
If my TV guide is any indication, sounds like ESPN has some plans for content coming on Tuesday … the first day WNBA free agents can officially sign contracts …
So be on the lookout, y’all.
@TheNextHoops
My first-ever baseball card is Orlando holding me at Giants Fantasy Camp in ‘96. An incredible person who was always so kind and loving to the Simon family, and so many more.
RIP, Baby Bull.
Longtime
#SFGiants
fan
@mccoveycovedave
snagged the fourth grand slam splash hit in Oracle Park history on Wednesday. What happened after, though, was quite complicated.
@SFGate
story:
@extrabaggs
They’ve been more than happy to privatize the gains for years and years and years. Now one bad year comes and they’re trying to socialize the losses. They deserve endless shame for this.
Apologies for the terrible recordings off of my computer but wanted to make sure I had the audio.
Here’s the sub-out, where Sue is shown getting the sub, flashed back to a few times … and Syl is only shown just at the very end of the substitution:
@dieter
I think it’s not even timeout Mavs, but rather “media timeout”
And then he clearly reassures Looney that it’s Warriors ball.
Also, even if it was Mavs ball… Why would the Mavs think the ball gets advanced?
Bruce Bochy is back in the World Series.
From
@gggiants
for
@SFGate
earlier this month:
"Bochy’s [success] seems to be resonating with Giants fans in more than a “we’re really happy for him” way. To say he’s missed is an understatement."
More:
Life update: I’m going to be an adjunct professor at
@Cronkite_ASU
this semester, teaching one section of Sports Reporting to undergrads. I'm incredibly honored & grateful to get this opportunity and I’m excited to get started here soon.
But please, don’t call me Professor Simon.
Sunday’s matchup between
@GamecockWBB
and
@StanfordWBB
will be the *34th* time since 2000 the top two women’s teams in the AP Poll have met. On the men’s side? There’s only been nine such games.
My
@mercnews
story on why 1 vs. 2 is so significant for WBB:
If you’re to believe
@DianaTaurasi
, there’s absolutely no question about Sue Bird’s status for Game 5.
“Oh yeah, Sue will play, for sure,” Taurasi said.
@HighPostHoops
Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey is not just in the building here, but she’s sitting on the baseline right near the Mercury bench, rocking a Skylar Diggins-Smith jersey from Notre Dame. Skylar told me yesterday she has *a lot* of people in the building this weekend.
@TheNextHoops
Tina Charles was introduced as a member of the Phoenix Mercury tonight. It’s a move that almost happened in 2020, but the excitement over it happening now was palpable in the building. I’ll have more for
@TheNextHoops
soon 👀
Here’s what Skylar Diggins-Smith said yesterday about the Mercury’s team chemistry mattering right now: "I think that’s why you see, even [after] an embarrassing-ass game like yesterday, we come back today in the locker room and we’re together.”
(1/2)
@TheNextHoops
Holly Rowe’s (
@sportsiren
) full report from the WNBA Draft show on Brittney Griner.
The Mercury plan on carrying a rehabilitating Kia Nurse on an 11-player roster. Griner’s status being such an unknown makes the roster relief portion of Rowe’s report so fascinating.
@TheNextHoops
Here's
@SkyDigg4
talking about Brittney Griner’s impact on the floor — even when she’s not 100%, like Wednesday and Friday. I wrote more about BG's MVP-level performance for Phoenix so far this year over at
@TheNextHoops
:
Maryland v. Stanford, with the Terrapins fully healthy this time, could legitimately be the best college basketball game of the season.
Sooooooo much talent on the floor at all times. I’m so pumped for that one Friday night.
I’m in Oakland, where the African American Sports & Entertainment Group (
@AASEGOakland
) and the City of Oakland are announcing an agreement for the Coliseum complex.
Former WNBA player Alexis Gray-Lawson advocating for the WNBA to add an expansion team in Oakland.
FINAL: Sky 86, Mercury 50.
It’s the most lopsided result in a game in the history of the WNBA Finals.
The previous high was last season’s Game 3, when Seattle beat Las Vegas 92-59.
Game 4 is at 3pm ET/2pm CT/noon PT on Sunday.
@TheNextHoops
Jim Pitman said he’d be willing to make moves. There’s still a big one left to finalize, but moves have been made - and the message is clear: the Mercury are going for it all.
@TheNextHoops
story:
@LOLKNBR
Just re-listened on the At-Bat app. He said: "Bellinger threw it to third and he sailed it **40 FEET** over the head of the third baseman.”
And then: “In the NFL, they would’ve penalized him 15 yards for a throw that wild."
No single thing written during March Madness has looked as prescient as
@drewmagary
's column at
@SFGate
on Kim Mulkey from two weeks ago, including his thoughts on this Iowa-LSU rematch ⬇️
Sophie Cunningham is not listed on the Mercury’s injury report that was just released. She’s good to go and will play in Game 2 tomorrow.
@TheNextHoops
Griner had mentioned on Monday in Phoenix she was hoping to get her report date to Russia pushed back a bit to give her a bit more rest … But clearly, with the SuperCup Women today, she went over for today’s game.
I can’t fathom what her travel schedule was to get there.
Brittney Griner debuting (not starting) for UMMC Ekaterinburg right now against Valencia for the
#SuperCupWomen
. Only the Sky players are still to arrive (Breanna Stewart won't come after her Achilles surgery)
Scary Hours 🔪
USC has the clip here. Genuinely felt like the production crew did not want the show to end … and just let it ride for a while.
A single tear was shed in my house as this happened:
It’s officially an attendance record here: 9,680 people is the most to attend an Aces game since the franchise moved to Las Vegas.
One hell of a crowd for this one tonight.
@TheNextHoops
@billbarnwell
This is very, *very* common with the major Bay Area sports teams. The man has his takes, he’s got one Twitter account and he lets those takes fly from the one account
@LOLKNBR
@peterhartlaub
@warriors
@justinberton
The fact that the last damn thing they took down from Candlestick was the Gate A escalator was too damn fitting. That thing always felt like it was gonna fall any second but, really, was indestructible
It was a festive night for Giants and A's fans at Oracle Park, where many of the 40,014 fans in attendance joined together to chant "Sell the team."
My
@mercnews
story on the anti-John Fisher protest coming to the shores of McCovey Cove: