Sports

SFoodie Has a New Editor: W. Blake Gray

The Franchise Episode 1: Promising Rookie Looks a Little Raw

UCinternationa​When Showtime aired a preview for The Franchise in April, the Giants were only two weeks into the MLB season and still riding high in defense of their World Series title. Back then, the show looked like a window into the lives of baseball players, rather than a rough-and-tumble vie ... More >>

Barbecue Championship Haiku Contest Winners

​San Francisco knows haiku. We had 41 entries in our haiku contest to win tickets to the Bay Area BBQ Championship on Saturday, and many of them were great. No wonder, with a great prize: three $48 tickets, which include five food/drink tickets for each person at the BBQ championship, and thr ... More >>

Five Reasons San Franciscans Have No Style

San Franciscans might be total sluts, but we definitely do not attract our partners based on the way we dress. According to GQ magazine, San Francisco ranked No. 20 on the list of the worst-dressed cities in America. It seems like a head scratcher to us, considering we are No. 1 in so many other way ... More >>

Women's World Cup: Where Do We Go From Here?

​Among the many painful lessons learned from the U.S. Women's World Cup squad's magical run and yesterday's utter collapse -- you can't legislate enthusiasm. Local news stories painted a feel-good picture of yesterday's contest, which was broadcast before a moderate crowd at Civic Center Plaza on ... More >>

San Francisco Giants to Visit White House, Maybe Resolve Budget Talks

Just what Washington needs​It's probably a good thing for all involved that the San Francisco Giants will be paying a visit to President Barack Obama next Monday. The Giants deserve their hard-earned recognition as World Series champs, and Washington needs a dose of good sense as negotiations grin ... More >>

NFL Players at Greater Risk of Brain Disease, Study Finds

Illustration by Doug Fraser​A study of retired professional football players has found that they are more likely than nonathletes to suffer symptoms of cognitive impairment, such as memory and speech problems, a conclusion that that is sure to buttress the arguments of those who point to the risk ... More >>

The Franchise Episode 2 Recap: Hey Now, You're an All-Star

​I've written before that "The Franchise" is not really a show for Giants fans. In theory, it's a way for Major League Baseball to introduce some of the game's personalities to a broader audience at a time when they're finding it difficult to market most of their players. In its basic conception, ... More >>

Pablo Sandoval Helps the Search for Missing Children

He's good -- on and off the field ​Like the Kung Fu Panda he is nicknamed after, the Giants' Pablo Sandoval makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside. And not just because he recently made the All-Star roster, fulfilling a lifelong dream. He's also a giving guy. Last week, the Giants star financed 40,0 ... More >>

Alex Smith: We've Still Got Him to Kick Around

Do the Vitamin Water people think this is going to help move the product? ​For San Francisco sports fans, the news that Carlos Beltran may soon be heading to town was tempered somewhat by the fact he could conceivably be rooming with Alex Smith. For parts of six maddening years, Smith has been the ... More >>

The Franchise Episode 3 Recap: Got Heem!

​Over the past few weeks, I've complained that The Franchise has too often focused on establishing and teasing out narratives rather than using their access to its best advantage. The first two episodes spent most of their time introducing the audience to players, sometimes more than once, and ... More >>

The Franchise Recap Episode 4: Carlos Beltran Is a Giant

Tedkerwin via flickr​Last week, I said that The Franchise had finally found the right balance between broader storylines and behind-the-scenes intrigue. It turns out that I was in the minority: many non-San Francisco reviewers, including Claire Zulkey of the AV Club, thought it was an episode tha ... More >>

The Bachelorette's Ben Flajnik: Five Reasons He Should Run for San Francisco Mayor

Those who tuned into ABC's The Bachelorette season finale earlier this week witnessed San Francisco's very own Ben Flajnik get dumped in favor of New York's J.P. Rosenbaum. For all the SF Weekly readers who thought to themselves, "I would have picked him instead," here's your chance. If we are to ... More >>

This Week in Food Bloggery

CT Young/SF Weekly Flickr pool​ Highlights from the blog this week: 1. Caroline Chen discovers that huge numbers of San Francisco restaurant staffers are working illegally. The San Francisco Health Code declares no one with a venereal disease -- or bubonic plague, for that matter -- should be al ... More >>

The Franchise Episode Five Recap: The Agony of Defeat

jkorn//Flickr​The Franchise has been on a nice run lately, alternating Cliff's Notes of the team season with human-interest stories in the right balance. However, for all its successes, the producers have had a relatively easy time drumming up content. The Giants have been an absolutely stellar te ... More >>

"Senna": Doc Looks at Fast Life and Early Death of Formula 1 Martyr

jkorn//Flickr​The Franchise has been on a nice run lately, alternating Cliff's Notes of the team season with human-interest stories in the right balance. However, for all its successes, the producers have had a relatively easy time drumming up content. The Giants have been an absolutely stellar te ... More >>

The Franchise Episode Six Recap: Searching for Answers

SD Dirk/Flickr​In conception, The Franchise is not a very complicated show -- it tells human interests stories in the context of the Giants season with a healthy dose of insider access. It's built for a large audience, and as such is at its best when it's largely positive. The Giants need to be go ... More >>

San Francisco's Top Five Diners

​Even San Francisco natives like me are sometimes alarmed by the pressure applied to denizens of this city to publicly acknowledge that we live in the best place on earth. That being said, we certainly do have access to the best of things here: The best intoxicants, stimulants, and ingredients; th ... More >>

Jerome Williams Was Called "Jeremy" By Giants Teammates -- For Two Years

It turns out Jerome Williams pronounces his name like everyone else named Jerome. That's news to the Giants.​You haven't arrived until you end up as an answer to a trivia question -- and, hopefully, not one akin to "this was the man who fell into the gorilla enclosure at the zoo and was passed amo ... More >>

Dodgers File Civil Action Against Accused Bryan Stow Attackers

Louie Sanchez and Marvin Norwood​The Los Angeles Dodgers filed papers in court this week, taking civil action against the two men accused of beating Giants fan Bryan Stow into a coma at Dodger Stadium earlier this year.Stow, who remains in critical condition, and his two children filed a lawsuit o ... More >>

Big Race

Louie Sanchez and Marvin Norwood​The Los Angeles Dodgers filed papers in court this week, taking civil action against the two men accused of beating Giants fan Bryan Stow into a coma at Dodger Stadium earlier this year.Stow, who remains in critical condition, and his two children filed a lawsuit o ... More >>

"Moneyball": Formula Works for Sabermetrics Sports Flick

Louie Sanchez and Marvin Norwood​The Los Angeles Dodgers filed papers in court this week, taking civil action against the two men accused of beating Giants fan Bryan Stow into a coma at Dodger Stadium earlier this year.Stow, who remains in critical condition, and his two children filed a lawsuit o ... More >>

Sorry, Simba Moneyball is King of the Jungle

Jackpot​Back in 1994, The Lion King's Simba gave his competitors fair warning via song -- "I'm gonna be a mighty king, so enemies beware" -- but that didn't stop Moneyball from dominating San Francisco's box office this weekend. In fact, you could say it was a home run for the Oakland A's baseball ... More >>

A Giant Beer Dinner at Jardiniere

randychiu​You've done a lot to support the Giants. The orange wig, 'Let Timmy Smoke' t-shirt, and beard implant were all grand gestures. Next week, there's another way to celebrate the home team, and all you need to do is indulge in some quality food and beer.As the season winds down, Traci Des Ja ... More >>

Giants Barred From Trademarking "San Francisco" Logo

Wait! There's a "likelihood of confusion!"​It was that kind of year for the San Francisco Giants. The team scored the fewest runs in the National League -- the fewest runs the team has scored, in fact, since it lost 100 games in 1985. At the plate, the Giants just couldn't deliver. Bizarrely, it h ... More >>

Howard Eskin Lucks Out -- There Is a San Francisco Back East!

Howard Eskin won't have to wander far from his fan base after all...​Yesterday we reported on one Howard Eskin, a Philadelphia "radio personality" who felt so strongly the Eagles would top the 49ers he swore to bike from Philly to San Francisco if the opposite came to pass. Naturally, it did; it's ... More >>

The 1,101 Trademarks of San Francisco

Out at the plate, Giants...​Earlier this week, we reported on the San Francisco Giants' summer of discontent carrying over into a fiasco at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The team was barred from trademarking the script "San Francisco" logo featured on Giants jackets and an armada of other ... More >>

Al Davis, Steve Jobs, and the Deaths of Difficult Men

Yes, this really happened​When Albert Schweitzer passed into the great beyond, the obituary writer's task was relatively straightforward. That's not to say it was easy -- but penning a remembrance for a man whose name has become synonymous with benevolence is a unique endeavor. More indicative of ... More >>

Fighting Chance: Boxer Karim Mayfield Fights to Rise in a Dying Sport

Yes, this really happened​When Albert Schweitzer passed into the great beyond, the obituary writer's task was relatively straightforward. That's not to say it was easy -- but penning a remembrance for a man whose name has become synonymous with benevolence is a unique endeavor. More indicative of ... More >>

Giants Get Sued Over Team's "San Francisco" Logo

Yes, this really happened​When Albert Schweitzer passed into the great beyond, the obituary writer's task was relatively straightforward. That's not to say it was easy -- but penning a remembrance for a man whose name has become synonymous with benevolence is a unique endeavor. More indicative of ... More >>

MC Hammer, Brian Wilson, Other Non-San Francisco Voters Shill for Ed Lee

By now you may already be recovering from watching the Ed Lee music video featuring MC Hammer, Brian Wilson, Ashkon, Willie Brown and others. The video was funded in large part by Hammer's good pal and right-wing piñata du jour Ron Conway, as well as Sean Parker (who you may recall having paranoid ... More >>

Strong Female Characters

By now you may already be recovering from watching the Ed Lee music video featuring MC Hammer, Brian Wilson, Ashkon, Willie Brown and others. The video was funded in large part by Hammer's good pal and right-wing piñata du jour Ron Conway, as well as Sean Parker (who you may recall having paranoid ... More >>

Robin O'Connor, Giants Payroll Manager, Admits to Embezzling $2.2 Million from Team

Robin O'Connor ​The woman who was accused of diverting millions of dollars from the San Francisco Giants for personal use pleaded guilty in a federal courtroom today. Robin O'Connor, 41, the former payroll manager for the team, admitted to transferring more than $2.2 million from the Giants into h ... More >>

Rant: When Crossing the Street Gets Real

Robin O'Connor ​The woman who was accused of diverting millions of dollars from the San Francisco Giants for personal use pleaded guilty in a federal courtroom today. Robin O'Connor, 41, the former payroll manager for the team, admitted to transferring more than $2.2 million from the Giants into h ... More >>

Raiders Accuse Nation's Burgers of Unsavory Advertising Practices

The Raiders want Nation's to pay them, and not in burgers​The Oakland Raiders are taking Nation's Giant Hamburgers to court, claiming the Northern California food chain has .... uhh raided the team's famous trademark: Raider Nation. Now the question is will the Raiders "Just win, baby?"According t ... More >>

49ers Blackout: Life Imitates Art

All things considered, a few more candlesticks would have helped out at Candlestick​If nothing else, yesterday's lights-out performance by the San Francisco 49ers' defense offered sportswriters the chance to make gratuitous puns. The hometown side folded, spindled, and mutilated the visiting Pitts ... More >>

Bowling For Chumps: How the Bowl System Robs U.S. Schools

All things considered, a few more candlesticks would have helped out at Candlestick​If nothing else, yesterday's lights-out performance by the San Francisco 49ers' defense offered sportswriters the chance to make gratuitous puns. The hometown side folded, spindled, and mutilated the visiting Pitts ... More >>

Ed Lee Calls Candlestick Blackout "National Embarrassment." Ain't That a Bit Harsh?

ESPN television broadcastIf John Madden were calling this clip, no doubt he'd say "Boom!" ​When Mayor Ed Lee told gathered throngs of media that the multiple power failures during Monday Night Football were a "national embarrassment," he used strong -- and curious -- language. San Francisco's infr ... More >>

Boof Bonser Returns to Giants -- Harmonic Convergence to Follow?

He's back!​The news that pitcher Boof Bonser is returning to the San Francisco Giants received little fanfare -- and deserved less. But, for those who love to wallow in sports arcana, the move represents the closest one can come in real life to hitting the "undo" button. Of course you can't hit th ... More >>

49ers Season Tickets Will Require $30K Fee

Back in those days, $30,000 could probably buy a ticket for you and about 10,000 friends​The NFL is a hell of a business. Niners fans, paying an exorbitant amount for season tickets, will now be required to plink down tens of thousands of dollars in order to have the privilege of paying even more ... More >>

The Old Guard

Back in those days, $30,000 could probably buy a ticket for you and about 10,000 friends​The NFL is a hell of a business. Niners fans, paying an exorbitant amount for season tickets, will now be required to plink down tens of thousands of dollars in order to have the privilege of paying even more ... More >>

Vice President Joe Biden Discovers the 49ers in San Francisco Yesterday

A rare moment: Biden puts food, not a foot, in his mouth ​There's nothing we enjoy more than a good gaffe from high-profile politicians. But the foot-in-the-mouth moment Vice President Joe Biden had yesterday in San Francisco was so unfortunate it made Rick Perry's brain farts a little more forgiv ... More >>

49ers-Giants: The Biggest Games

It's hard to be nostalgic when you don't remember anything. It's also hard to be nostalgic when you can't remember anything. Vernon Davis, who made what is being dubbed "The Catch III," was several years shy of being born when Dwight Clark made "The Catch." But fans -- we remember. We remember every ... More >>

49ers Game to Air On All Six Cumulus Stations

The only thing you won't find on Cumulus. ​Even you hipsters out there who are completely ambivalent about all things football, who got your ass kicked by the jocks in high school, who would only wear a 49ers sweatshirt to a theme party, and, like our vice president, are apt to confuse the 49ers w ... More >>

49ers Faithfuls: It's Armageddon Sunday at Candlestick Park

​Take it from a Bears fan, there ain't no better rivalry in football, maybe in all of professional sports, than the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Giants. No two teams have had so many epic battles, knock-down, drag-out fights, as the 49ers and Giants. Both teams are giants in their own ri ... More >>

49ers Pissed Away Super Bowl Berth. Accept This, and Move On.

This, too, shall pass (or run)​It may stagger longtime 49ers fans to comprehend it, but children born the year the team last won a Super Bowl are now able to buy cigarettes, vote, and sleep with whomever they choose. And yet, it's a testament to the utter dominance of the Niners of yore that older ... More >>

Super Bowl Bar Viewing Spots Where You Might Actually Eat Well

This, too, shall pass (or run)​It may stagger longtime 49ers fans to comprehend it, but children born the year the team last won a Super Bowl are now able to buy cigarettes, vote, and sleep with whomever they choose. And yet, it's a testament to the utter dominance of the Niners of yore that older ... More >>

Adieu, 49ers: San Francisco, Team to File for Divorce

For those with Kezar Stadium memories, losing the 49ers hurts. So does knowing the city can no longer afford the team.​Following that rarest of things -- a Super Bowl that came down to the final snap -- New England Patriots fans will be endlessly playing over the events in their minds. If only tha ... More >>

San Francisco Giants Heart Bruce Lee

​On Sept. 4, you might notice lots of inappropriate chicken-like kung-fu noises in the vicinity of AT&T Park. In honor of the Year of the Dragon, the San Francisco Giants are hosting Bruce Lee night, which includes, among many other treats, your free Bruce bobblehead. Hosting a Bruce Lee n ... More >>

Jeremy Lin Latest One Who Got Away from Warriors

Had 'em and lost 'em​The Golden State Warriors' transcendent moments have resonated so strongly because the team's status quo is unmitigated failure. Failure has built up atop failure, creating a rich loam with which to grow more failure. The franchise that traded Robert Parrish and the draft pick ... More >>