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JON WILNER, San Jose Mercury News college sports reporter, on Saturday's Pac-10 schedule:
- I'm not going to rant for paragraphs on end about the TV-fueled demise of rivalry weekend - it stinks, and I'd think many readers would agree, but there's nothing to be done. Instead of getting five rivalry games the Saturday before Thanksgiving, we get one: Big Game.
At least there's one other game of significance this weekend: Arizona-Oregon, which kicks off 30 minutes after Stanford-Cal.
So depending on the duration/outcome of both games, Stanford could learn whether it has been eliminated from the Rose Bowl race before it leaves the field. (If Oregon wins, the Cardinal are KO'ed.)
The call here is that Stanford stay stays alive: The Cardinal wins, and covers the seven-point spread handily, while the Cats edge the Ducks.
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/
ANDREW BAGGARLY, San Jose Mercury News beat reporter, on why he would have picked Chris Carpenter over winner Tim Lincecum if he had a vote for Cy Young:
- I'm not saying Tim Lincecum doesn't have the fortitude to be a big-game pitcher. But I do believe he wasn't at his best in the second half. He didn't get consistent run support. He played for an inferior team, despite its 88 wins. And yes, his ERA demonstrates that he certainly pitched well overall. But at the end of the day, wins and losses are what matters. And
Lincecum is a fantastic talent. He's already one of the best pitchers of his generation. He'll go down as one of the greatest Giants in franchise history. And he's getting better. I understand the fierce devotion. Really, I do. And while it doesn't matter, I like him, too, and I'm happy for him that he won.
But in 2009, I watched Lincecum all season. I didn't think it was a Cy Young season. And if anyone should've come away with that sense, it's the beat writers who cover him.
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/extrabaggs/
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MARCUS THOMPSON, Contra Costa Times beat reporter, on watching the Warriors newest player, Raja Bell, play Wednesday despite saying he needed wrist surgery:
- After the game, Bell sat with a huge bag of ice on his left wrist. It was obvious to him he still needed the surgery. Shooting wasn't a problem. Bell was 4-for-6 from the field. He knocked down all three of this 3-pointers, all from the corner with ease.
But there were too many other things he couldn't do. He couldn't stick his hand in the mix to go for steals or strips. He couldn't use his left forearm for leverage while playing defense or to steer his man the way he wanted to go. He couldn't rebound like he wanted to (once he went up with his right hand, his left hand he kept down, strapped to his hip). ... Yes, he's still having surgery. Yes, he still could be out for the year. No, we won't know until he has surgery.
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