Leading Off

As we sit one day away from the 56th annual Causeway Classic, this year's matchup between Sacramento State and UC Davis has a decidedly different flavor.

The odds are against him repeating, basically two-against-one. But don't count out Giants ace Tim Lincecum when baseball's National League Cy Young Award winner is announced today.

Don't even consider it. It's not worth fantasizing. Don't even wish that the Kings would sign Allen Iverson.

After 182 wins in 29 seasons as a college football coach, Dick Tomey deserves to go out on a higher note.

If you're reading this column, chances are you're planning to watch an NFL game today. TV ratings for the NFL this season have skyrocketed.

The debate about the best major college football conference is over. It's neither the Pacific-10 nor the Southeastern nor the Big 12. It's the Southwest Conference.

I just got back from Albuquerque, N.M., where I celebrated my youngest daughter's birthday. Unfortunately, I brought back a bad case of déjà vu.

Never again, I said. Never again would I allow myself to get sucked in by HBO's occasional sports miniseries "24/7" and end up buying a pricey pay-per-view championship boxing match that ends up one-sided and boring.

The view from section LR19, Row 3 at Candlestick Park on Sunday did nothing to dissuade me from my prior thoughts on the 49ers' quarterback situation.

Who would have thought our region is one of college football's best places to grow running backs?

Sacramento has always been – and will always be – a baseball town.

As the 49ers face the Titans today, they have a chance to help end the tenure of the league's longest-running coach.

Recently, I was talking with Jerry Reynolds, the Kings' director of player personnel, about how this year's team was more fun to watch.

The storm clouds are swirling around Raiders coach Tom Cable. He avoided charges for assaulting an assistant coach, but an ESPN report Sunday revealed accusations of violence committed by him against two women in his past.

They're doing it again. They're teasing us. The Sharks are trying to convince us that it's OK to watch them. It's OK to root for them. It's OK to think they won't break your heart again.

A few observations after watching the Kings' home opener from Section 115, Row E.

We have a reader who calls frequently – he never leaves a name or number – to exclaim we're disrespecting Oregon football.

It must have been difficult for Mike Singletary to bench Shaun Hill in favor of Alex Smith last week.

You've probably heard the story of the 1972 Dolphins, the only NFL championship team to go undefeated.

To paraphrase "Network" anchor Howard Beale, I'm as mad as hell about the baseball playoffs, and I'm not going to take it anymore!

Let's try not to jump off the bridge, yet. The Bay Bridge is still under repair, and the Guy West Bridge is too short. One game does not a season make, but the knee-jerk reaction to the Kings' season-opening loss at Oklahoma City on Wednesday is, naturally, to be frustrated.

A friend used to say that she didn't want to move to Southern California because strange things happen to marriages there. She may have been right, at least when it comes to baseball teams.

Every Kings game – including tonight's season opener in Oklahoma City – will be seen on cable.

The last time we saw Mark McGwire, he sat fidgeting before a Congressional panel in 2005, refusing to answer questions about steroid use during his baseball career. He said he was "not here to talk about the past."