Once again proving that the Beard might just be the coolest person on the planet, Deadspin tips us off that Baron Davis has filmed a commercial for Reebok consisting of him riding around on roller skates to the music of New Edition's "Cool it Now." ...

Here's todays sports news...

Here's todays sports news...

Here's todays sports highlights...

Here's todays sports news...

Attrition has been one of the Warriors' best pickups this offeseason. While the Warriors have taken some baby steps forward, many of the Western Conference rivals have been moving in the opposite direction.

When looking at the Warriors chances to make the playoffs this year, it runs from the bottom up....

Here's a few random sports stories for the day...

--The Golden Gate Bridge opened 70 years ago today! The Golden Gate Bridge RULES. --Hilarious cartoons of vacations gone awry by Don Asmussen. (Even more in the print edition!) --M&R admit that they got Chris Daly's outfit wrong in their item about him busting in on Newsom's meeting last week. Chris magnanimously gives them a quote in response that he's growing a beard in tribute to Baron Davis. (M&R also have some more gossip......

Bust out the Thin Lizzy Warrior Nation, because the boys are back in town.

Thursday night in the vaunted O-rena, the Warriors rebounded from back-to-back shoulda-coulda-wouldas in Salt Lake City to dominate the Utah Jazz, 125-105. In the must-win game 3, the Warriors not only staunched the momentum bleed of games 1 and 2, they completely reversed it. And they couldn't have done it without the uplifting energy and emotion of the hometown crowd -- and of course, Baron Davis.

We were pretty much wrong about everything.

Last night in Salt Lake City, in game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series, it was the Utah Jazz who had the energy and it was the Warriors who were a step behind. The Jazz looked confident; the Warriors looked hesitant. The Jazz ran the Warriors off the court. Matt Harpring done brought it. And the Jazz backcourt held its own behind the spirited play of Deron Williams. Did we leave anything out? Oh yeah, the Jazz didn't lose by 20, they, uh, won, 116-112.

Game 1 was a back-and-forth nailbiter (16 lead changes and 21 ties) that went right down to the quick. And like a bamboo shoot to the quick, it hurts. The Ws fought hard all night and had a chance to take the lead on a three-pointer by Stephen Jackson with eight seconds to play, but the shot clanked and so did the Warriors fortunes in game 1.

Improbably, almost impossibly, the Golden State Warriors' dream season continues tonight with game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal matchup with the Utah Jazz. The Warriors are into the semis by virtue of their historic six-game stunner over the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks; the Jazz eeked out a game 7 road win over the Houston Rockets.

The Jazz are the fourth seed in the Western Conference, but in our minds, its the Dubs that enter this series as the favorites. The Jazz are undoubtedly mentally and physically drained after their game 7 thriller on Saturday, while the Warriors are riding a wave of emotion that shows no sign of dissipating.

Go ahead Bay Area, whoop it the hell up. Call in sick to work, pick up a twelver at the corner store, order some team gear online, call your boys over, and replay game 6 again and again and again on your DVR. It's time to cel-eh-brate, come on! Last night in the O-rena, before 20,677 fanatics-in-arms, your Golden State Warriors rose up and crushed the Dallas Mavericks, 111-86, to close out their first-round, best-of-seven series, four games to two.

"Ain't nothin' but a ballgame fellas, ain't nothin' but a thing."

That's probably what Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson were telling their teammates Tuesday night on the flight home to Oaktown after letting the Dallas Mavericks slip the hangman's knot in game 5, 118-112.

With the series now a little tighter at 3-2 in favor of the Warriors, the C word (choke) hangs over Tuesday's bobble like Adonal Foyle's contract against the Warriors salary cap. We're still seeing all this as a win-win though. Game 5 was an incredible game for playoff-starved Warriorphiles. Both teams played spirited ball. The Mavericks faced down elimination from the very brink of defeat. The Warriors had a chance to close out their opening round best-of-seven playoff series with the Mavs, but couldn't quite pull it off. The game featured great defense, clutch shots, a little intrigue (again), last-second heroics, and playoff drama -- everything a hoops fan expects from the postseason.

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That huge farting noise you heard last night wasn't Mark Cuban sitting on a whoopee cushion, it was the sound of the air going out of the Warriors playoff fantasy balloon.

In a game that featured sloppy ballhandling, poor shooting, and bad behavior by our beloved hometown cagers, the Dallas Mavericks regained their basketball footing and reclaimed the psychological advantage in their opening-round playoff series with the Warriors.

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To get you psyched for tonight's game, here's some news on the Warriors front: -Here are Ten Reasons why you should jump on the Warriors bandwagon. -Baron Davis is the happiest guy alive. -The Betting Fool tells everyone to calm the f---- down. -Is this series a grudge match between Nellie and Cuban? Or are they one, but not the same? -Will the Mavs continue to go small or give it to Nowitzky? -Nellie, with......

Here's todays sports news...

OK, so we've gotten some flak about picking the Warriors to take down the Dallas Mavericks in six games in the opening round of the NBA's western Conference playoffs. We'll be the first to admit it's a homer pick, because, well, we do really want the Warriors to win, and we'll be the first to admit it.

But our pie in the sky has an empirical basis. Here's five reasons why the Warriors will beat the Mavs in this playoff series.

A good NBA season is like a good acid trip: it's all about peaking at the right time. Just ask last year's champions, the Miami Heat, about that one (the NBA season, not the acid trip). Well lo and behold, the Warriors are playing the last month of this season like a seasoned DeadHead instead of a burned-out meth-breath. After stomping the playoff-bound Utah Jazz Monday night in the O-rena, 126-102, the Warriors' playoff chances are skyrocketing like so many fantastic colors, and their days as league doormat may truly be numbered.

The Giants are installing solar panels right outside WhateverTheyWantToCallItNow Park......

Here's todays wrap up of sports stories...

Here's todays wrapup of sports stories...

Warriors, baby, we need to talk. With Monday night's double kiss off -- a demoralizing loss to the Nuggets in Denver and the news that Baron Davis is going under the knife -- our relationship in on the rocks. Again. Sigh.

As such, we find ourselves on the horns of a dilemma. Should we shoulder the slings and arrows of the last month and give you one last chance to make it up to us with a playoff berth, or should we go ahead and change the locks on this season?

-And speaking of the Warriors, there's bad news and even worse news. The bad news is that they lost to the Nuggets 123-111. The worse news? Baron Davis is all set to have knee surgery. Is this the end of the season? Should the Warriors, then, throw in the towel and play for a lottery pick? And should fans root for them to loose-- you know, fantanking. ...

Please, for the love all that is holy, make Armando Benitez go away....

-Stanford men lose to Washington State, Cal men lose to Washington. -Stanford women beats the snot out of Washington State, Cal women lose to Washington. Got that? -Bud Selig was in town yesterday to squirm uncomfortably whenever Barry Bonds' name comes up. -Relax, Giants fans-- Armando Benitez can't wait for the season to start. Actually, in really good news, Jon Miller re-upped for another six years. Say this for the Giants-- their broadcasting team is......

We were watching all the ESPN gab-fest shows yesterday and every single reporter on every single show ripped the Giants for all things Barry. We know it doesn't matter in the long run, but we do not like it when our favorite baseball team is ripped to shreds. Needless to say, the whole Barry thing is just leaving bad tastes all around. So much so, Magowan himself sent out a letter to all season ticket holders saying that mistakes were made in the past, but this time they really, really are trying harder but they really had no choice to do what they did. As El Lefty put it, the team’s slogan this year should be: Your 2007 San Francisco Giants: Savor the Grim Inevitability! ...

-The Warriors beat the New Orleans/OK City Hornets and on KNBR this morning we heard the word "playoffs" being mentioned in reference to the Warriors this season. We'll let Basektball Chris handle that one, but how many seasons now have the Warriors gone on a run in December/January and had people thinking this might be the year? Let's just say the season ain't official 'til Baron Davis goes down. And Tim Kawakami agrees. Meanwhile, are the Warriors better without J-Rich? ...

-Baron Davis leads the way to another Warriors road win, this time against the Orlando Magic. Davis had thirty-eight points and nine assists as the Warriors held off a furious Magic rally to win. ...