Saturday is what is known around these here parts as "the Big Game," a kinda cute nickname for a game usually not of any importance to anyone other to us NorCal folks. This game, in particular, doesn't have much going for it as Stanford, with the exception of the 'SC upset, hasn't been very good and Cal has been more disappointing than Fred Thompson's candidacy. Nevertheless, the game is always pretty exciting and full of tradition-- all the things that makes college football what it is. more ›

So the final pre-bowl Bowl Championship Series (BCS) poll is out, and guess what? Everybody's pissed about something, except for Ohio State and Florida, the two teams that received Golden Tickets to the big game. Different year, same BS for the BCS.

-Homeless people are rousted from Golden Gate Park. We have them coming back to the park in three weeks in the SFist office pool. more ›

This SFist was actually kind of excited about the chances of the college football programs around the Bay this season, with the Pac 10 looking wide open. Then Cal got whipped like cream by Tennessee, getting nothing from potential superstar Marshawn Lynch (whom we've been watching closely for years), while Stanford was creamed like butter by Oregon, saddling themselves from the start with a conference loss. So when we were asked to write a weekly college football column, our reason for accepting was rather cynical: "It certainly won't be hard for readers to find tickets on game day." more ›

First, onto baseball: The Giants are now on a three-game roll after taking two from the Cubbies and beating the Reds in ten innings Monday. Your Black & Orange hero? Shea Hillenbrand who hit the game-winning home run in extra innings. That trade is suddenly looking less like a total disaster these days. Also of note, the heating up of Barry Bonds who hit numero 730 and has now hit five home runs in his past six starts. That gulp you're hearing is of pitchers in the NL, other teams in the Wild Card hunt, and officials at Major League Baseball now pondering the meaning of a so hot right now Barry. The Giants have now won 15 of 21 and are for the first time in a long while, .500. No, we're not going to go there as of yet but we're starting to disbelieve our disbelief. more ›

DCist is screwed in the event of an oil crisis. Not that we're not all screwed in the event of an oil crisis, just D.C. is more screwed. Don't sell your car yet, District resident, a cabbie can kick you to the curb if he doesn't like your address. Not even Metro can save you now. more ›

t's time for American Football Spectacular's bowl preview! Assisted by red wine, our American college football consultant Doug "MC Fried Chicken" Mungin, and the sheer will to succeed, we push ever forward to bring you these scintillating projections. more ›

In another big split-up, albeit one not nearly as suprising as Gav & Kim, the Niner's divorced themselves today from coach Dennis Erickson and GM Terry Donahue. None of this should be shocking as this is the sort of thing that happens when once proud franchises totally embarrass themselves with 2-14 seasons. While some people thought the miserly John York would hold onto both men as a way of pinching pennies (both men are under contract so York still has to give them money even if they do nothing but lie around the house in pajamas and eat cheetos all day), general consensus was that both would go. See above comment about what happens to teams that go 2-14. Most importantly, York made the move somewhat quickly as every day he dithered was another day of limbo for the team, Donahue & Erickson, and Niners fans. With the clock already ticking away on the #1 pick in the NFL draft, whoever is in charge of the Niners has to start scouting and getting prepared. more ›

] more ›

The Niners scored yet another come from ahead loss on Sunday, even though they were the host and favorite to beat the struggling Carolina Panthers. Instead they squandered a 17-point lead, allowing the 30th-ranked Panthers offense to rack up 34 points in the second half to lose 37-27. Obviously a lost season, the 49ers will have to struggle if they want to win more games than the 1978 and 1979 clubs. They head to Tampa to take on the Buccaneers, while Oakland comes off their bye week to host the hated Chargers. more ›

It's election day Q & A. Whoo hoo! First, let's hear from loyal reader Redd Harrington: more ›