RAW Video and...Sharks Highlights

Great game last night for the Sharks who pulled it out, and overall great playoff hockey in every series so far. If you care to watch any hockey, just turn it to the NBC Sports Network on either Ch. 81 on Comcast or Ch. 603 on Direct TV.

Here you go, RAW video underneath the Sharks highlights.

Puck drops tonight, final shave in minutes

Sharks Playoffs Game 1
TV: CSN-CA Ch. 41 on Comcast, Ch. 698 on Direct TV
Let's Go Sharks!

Zeeeeeeets

If he can still pitch, so can you

Where were you on April 18, 2003?

You might've been in diapers, learning how to draw, and perhaps for some of you, not even born yet.

As for me, I was still getting over my high school prom rejection.

But on that day, Barry Zito threw his last complete game shutout, until the stars aligned yesterday.

Zito was masterful and looked like his 2002 Cy Young Award winning self, going the distance, giving up only four hits, and striking out four.

"I couldn't be happier for Barry," said teammate Aubrey Huff. "It's no secret he gets buried by the fans, the media and all. To see him go out there and put up a complete-game shutout in Colorado, all the haters out there — that's for them."

One person who has done more than his share of burying as a member of the media and as a fan is myself.

After he signed a 7 year, $126 million contract, Zito has produced absolutely nothing for the Giants in his five plus years as a member of the orange and black.

Sure, he has had his occasional good starts, but he isn't even close to living up to his contract, and isn't even close to being good.

Consider this.

When the Giants won the World Series in 2010, Zito wasn't even a member of the active roster. He wasn't eligible nor did he pitch a single game in the playoffs that season.

With the season on the line in game 161 of 2010, Zito fell flat again, and pitched one of his worst games as a Giant - and there have been many, forcing the Giants to clinch a playoff berth on the final game of the year.

On that Saturday, he gave up two runs in the first inning that put the Giants behind the 8-ball, walked four, and only went three innings. And it was the most important game of the year.

Zito has been attacked by the media and fans alike. He hardly has anybody on his side, and you would be hard pressed to find anybody out there that truly believed Zito had a complete game shutout in him.

It would be pushing it to say that anyone had faith in him yesterday to even pitch into the 5th inning, but he did more than that.

But here's the feel good part of the story.

No matter how many times people have kicked him while he was down, Zito still finds the motivation to get back up, and work at it. One thing you can't question him for is his work ethic and how he stays positive despite all the negativity and criticism thrown his way.

Even when he wasn't on the playoff roster in the championship year, Zito never complained publicly and was still a good teammate, cheering on the rest of his team.

Lesson for you boys and girls, is that you just have to keep fighting. There are very few athletes who have been beaten down as much as Zito, but even fewer that have been able to put aside the critics and keep on going.

Will Zito ever pitch another complete game shutout? I don't think so. But did I ever think he was going to throw one yesterday? Absolutely not.

Perhaps the morale of this story is that anything is possible as long as you try.

But if you're not out there playing baseball (or any other sport for that matter), nothing's possible.

Highlights from Barry Zito's performance Monday

Week 5, baseball and playoff beard highlights

Hi, I'm Ryane Clowe...

If you didn't watch the Sharks game last night, you missed out on something that I don't think has ever been done in hockey before. Take a look before you read on:



So yes, Ryane Clowe of the Sharks, was on the bench, and he poked the puck away from a guy on the other team. No, that is not legal, and he should've gotten a penalty on the play, which would've pretty much buried the Sharks since it would've put them at a 2-man disadvantage.

After the game, Clowe had this to say:



I found it hilarious. I'm sure if I was an LA Kings fan, I would not feel the same way. I/we can laugh about it cause they didn't get caught. Had Clowe been given a penalty and the Sharks lost, I don't know if it would've been funny at all.

With that being said, the Sharks are now in the playoffs again, and that means to playoff beard or not to playoff beard? You be the judge. GO VOTE RIGHT NOW ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PAGE.

And in case you never have seen this or want to relive it, here was the playoff beard from two years ago and the open to Awards Night, (which will be on a Saturday this year by the way).

5th grade's first baseball game in the books

Allen got the start for the 5th grade baseball team and struck out 7 batters in 2.1 innings of work.

Unfortunately, the pitching after Allen didn't hold up and the boys lost 8-2 in their first career baseball game.

They took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a pair of bases loaded walks.

Conversely, an 8 run bottom of the third where six runs were walked in did in the 5th graders.

The game lasted three and a half innings.

Monday Update

One baseball team left...sadness.