49ers dig themselves a hole with loss to Titans

After three straight losses, the 49ers found themselves in a favorable scenario.

They were back home to play a 1-6 Tennessee team that had one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL.

But Alex Smith and the 49ers could not deliver the knockout blow when they had the chance, and the Titans stormed back to beat San Francisco 34-27 on Sunday at Candlestick Park.

Volleyball drops three straight matches to Nevada

Click on the photo to see a slideshow by Adam Murphy.

Spartan Football Preview: Nevada

With Tommy Wright and Joey Akeley

Produced by Joe Proudman

New York Yankees add to their championship total

The New York Yankees have won their 27th world championship in a game six, 7 – 3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies, according to ESPN.

The Yankees may have “bought” their championship with the offseason acquisitions of Mark Texeira, C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, but all they bought was the crown of “paper champions.”

In baseball, you still have to play 162 regular season games, plus the playoffs.

Unfortunately for Yankee-haters, there was no team that was better than the Bronx Bombers.

The Yankees weren’t the best team because of their new all-stars, but because of a cast-off from the Chicago White Sox named Nick Swisher.

Although not their best player, Swisher helped foster team chemistry that’s absolutely vital in the day-to-day grind that is baseball.

The chemistry was easily seen in the many shaving cream pies Yankee players got in their face after their myriad of walk-off wins.

The calmness and enthusiasm is so much different in this year’s Yankee team that Alex Rodriguez — who was much maligned because of steroid allegations and his later admission, before the season — finally broke out of his playoff slump and more than delivered.

Can the Yankees repeat?

Yeah, of course they can.

Will they repeat?

Some of their star players are getting older, like the seemingly immortal Derek Jeter and the legendary Mariano Rivera, but they’ve got a couple of good, young players like Brett Gardner and Robinson Cano.

Don’t forget the Yankees can always sign almost whoever they want in free agency to improve their team and fulfill their desires for a 28th world championship.

The Yankees may have gotten a new Yankee Stadium, but they’re still the Yankees and they’re not going to go away.

Husain Sumra

-Staff Writer

Injuries plague 49ers playoff chances

During the San Francisco 49ers 18-14 loss to the Indianapolis Colts Sunday, left tackle Joe Staley and cornerback Nate Clements sustained injuries that will keep each of them out for six weeks.

The Staley injury is a huge blow to an offensive line that was already reeling from the season-ending injury to right tackle Tony Pashos.

Staley has been the one solid constant on an otherwise mediocre offensive line. With Barry Sims as his short-term replacement, expect the 49ers to play even more conservative to avoid third and long situations.

Volleyball falls to Hawaii

Click on the photo to see a slideshow by Dave Cabebe.

San Jose Sharks season thoughts so far

The San Jose Sharks young season has started out tremendously well for a team that has had some major surgery. The bottom two lines have performed admirably, despite day-to-day call ups from Worcester, the Sharks minor league affiliate. What makes the bottom six’s performance even more astounding is they have done it without its full cast.

Injuries to Joe Pavelski, Devin Setoguchi and Torry Mitchell forced the Sharks to upgrade players that really have no right playing with as high as they are. The revolving door has worked in Paveliski and Mitchells absence. The Sharks are getting offense from their third  and fourth lines that they haven’t enjoyed for years.

The season is still young, but the bottom six would have to play downright terribly for the rest of the season to not surpass last year’s totals. I have been impressed with the play of Jamie McGinn. He has been hitting the opposition at every chance, winning battles along the boards and using his good shot.

The defense has looked the weakest out of all areas, but their play has been much better the last couple games. Jason Demers has been a revelation from the back end, but he has had his fair share of defensive blunders. Kent Huskins has looked lazy and uninspired at times and and at times a force to be reckoned with.

Boyle and Blake will be solid, Marc-Edouard Vlasic needs to be more consistent, but this defense will have its fair share of growing pains.

The biggest plus this season for me has been the play of Patrick Marleau and Evgeni Nabokov. Marleau seems to have finally figured out how good he really is and is finally playing up to his ability. He has the ability to dominate at both ends of the ice, its just a matter of his putting out the consistent effort.

Nabokov was the best Shark for the first few games of the season. The only foreseeable problem for Nabokov might be his work load. Nabbie performs better the more work he gets. Its when there is a lull that he lets in the odd 5-hole goal. As the Sharks start to gel they will dominate more and Nabbie may lose the edge that he was playing with at the beginning of the year.

Heatley has been as advertised, a streaky scorer that is immensely talented. Every time he puts his stick in the air I hold my breath. Heatley scores ugly goals on a regular basis that have no right going into the opposition’s net. Those are the types of goals that are going to propel the Sharks in the playoffs.

A part of me almost wants Joe Thornton and Heatley to never develop any kind of chemistry so Heatley does keep driving to net and scoring those ugly goals that will be so important come playoff time. The other part of me wants to see a 60 goal season from Heatley.

The Sharks are ahead of schedule in their development. Barring injury, it can only get better. Its a good time to be a Sharks fan.

10.29.09 Spartan Sports Preview

There’s a new sheriff in town: Smith named starter

Following a great second-half performance on Sunday in which he threw three touchdown passes against the Houston Texans, Alex Smith was named the starting quarterback for this weekend’s game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Smith entered the game at halftime with the 49ers down 21-0. He threw three touchdown passes to tight end Vernon Davis, the third of which cut the Texans lead to 24-21.

Smith had one chance to lead a game-tying drive with under two minutes to go, but his 4th-down pass was intercepted by safety Eugene Wilson, effectively ending the game.

Spartan Football Preview 10.22.09