Cal football fans have incredibly short memories. In the wake of the disappointing loss to Southern Cal, a flood of abusive e-mails and phone calls have been directed at coach Jeff Tedford. Don’t these people even remember the Tom Holmoe years?Something like this happened 15 years ago. Bruce Snyder guided the Bears to a 10-win season and a triumph in the Citrus Bowl, Cal’s first win in a New Year’s bowl in 54 years. But what many Cal alums chose to remember was that Cal lost the Big Game, thanks to a flurry of personal fouls. Read More

The quarterback criticizes the offensive coordinator. The star wide receiver admits he’s lost interest and isn’t playing very hard. Still angry about a meeting nine months ago, the coach hardly uses the team’s second-best receiver. And the 77-year-old owner, on a walker, threatens a writer in the dressing room.Welcome to the 2006 Raiders, the most dysfunctional team and organization in the NFL. Read More

The impossible dream of a San Francisco stadium that could be used both for the 49ers and the 2016 Summer Olympics was crushed this week as the 49ers changed their focus to Santa Clara. In truth, San Francisco has always had about as muchchance as Fresno of landing the Olympics and building another stadium on Candlestick Point was a bad idea.But the 49ers may have exchanged one unworkable plan for another, with their announcement in Santa Clara on Thursday. Read More

The A’s will probably stay within their organization in hiring a new manager. And Ron Washington is clearly the people’s choice. He isn’t Billy Beane’s first choice, though. So Bob Geren is a more likely pick.Meanwhile, Beane is using the interview process to gain information about other organizations, including division rivals Los Angeles and Texas. Nothing new here. Charlie Finley used to do it with scouts, picking their brains about players in other organizations. Al Davis did it with coaching candidates in a time when coaches actually wanted to come to the Raiders. Read More

Mike Nolan is following Bill Walsh’s pattern with the 49ers by first improving the offense. Now, he must do as Walsh did next, working on the defense, if the 49ers are ever to get back to playoff contention.In 1979, Walsh brought in his offensive system, and the 49ers scored points, 308 his first year, 320 the second.But, oh, that defense! Read More

Brian Sabean is facing an even bigger challenge than the one he confronted when he became the Giants’ general manager 10 years ago.Midway through the 1996 season, as Sabean was preparing for the general manager position he would assume after the season, we sat in his box at Candlestick Park watching a Giants team that would win only 68 games. "We’ve got only four legitimate major leaguers on that field," he said. Read More

Now that the defense has joined the party, it’s time to think the unthinkable: The Cal Bears are the best team in the Pac-10 Conference.The assumption has been that Southern Cal, based on its overwhelming success under Pete Carroll, is the best. But the Trojans had to scramble to beat Washington State and they beat Washington by only six points at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where they haven’t lost since Tyrone Willingham was coaching Stanford. Read More