Category Archives: Sports
Michael Lewis: After Moneyball comes softball
By Michael Lewis
One of the striking traits about Berkeley is the competitive spirit its residents bring to seemingly uncompetitive activities. They may not be playing the same game as everyone else, or be willing to admit an interest in victory, but the games they play, they play to win.
In addition to a lot of obvious intellectual and artistic achievement, our population can go head to head with any in its capacity to find what is morally objectionable in common foodstuffs; in its ability, as pedestrians, to make life miserable for automobiles; in its sensitivity to the presence of petroleum in products; and in its willingness to express political opinions, especially on bumper stickers. If the Olympic Committee ever were to replace cycling with recycling, our residents would not only take home all the medals, but know exactly which colored bin to put them in. And of course our tree sitters would kick the butts of tree sitters in any other similarly sized city. … Continue reading »
Young chess masters head to Brazil for championships
Most second and third graders probably have fairly modest plans for next week. Josiah Stearman and Ben Rood, however, will be getting on a plane for Brazil to compete in the World Junior Chess Championships in Caldas Novas. The boys are the latest students of the Berkeley Chess School to represent the United States at the world championships.
From modest beginnings nearly 30 years ago, the Berkeley Chess School now runs 120 different classes throughout the Bay Area. Stearman and Rood attend classes in Orinda and work under John Griefe, an international master who was US chess champion in 1973. Both boys started playing chess when they were four years old.
“It was fun to play,” said Rood. “Now I like it because it’s strategic.”
“I think it’s challenging and I like to study and practice,” said Stearman. … Continue reading »
Piedmont Ave reopened: new road, sidewalk, bike path
Those of you who take Berkeley’s Piedmont Avenue regularly to get from A to B will be delighted to have seen that the northbound lane has reopened — and it’s much enhanced since it was closed off to enable the construction work being undertaken at Cal Memorial Stadium.
The street has been repaved, there’s a spanking new bike lane, new vintage-style street lighting and a wide sidewalk. A significant improvement is that all the street’s overhead power lines have been … Continue reading »
BUSD addresses concerns over BHS campus construction
Earlier this month, the Berkeley Unified School District abruptly closed Berkeley High School’s Old Gym citing the unsafe condition of the building. The lack of warning meant that several of the school’s sports teams, including its football squad, had no place to store equipment. The rowing team abruptly lost access to its ergometers, the football team lost its weights room, and the wrestling team lost its practice facilities.
Superintendent Bill Huyett apologized for the disruption, but staff, students, and parents have expressed concern over both the handling of that case and a variety of issues related to construction at Berkeley High. BUSD last week responded to these issues in an email to the school community:
A plan for communication regarding construction projects at Berkeley High
• Weekly Wednesday communications sent via e-tree with updates directly from both the Berkeley High site and the District Facilities Department. … Continue reading »
Superintendent Huyett apologizes to BHS football team
Last week’s sudden closure of Berkeley High’s Old Gym puzzled and angered many student athletes and their supporters. Last night, at the Berkeley Unified School District board meeting, Superintendent Bill Huyett apologized for the disruption, but said that his decision was forced by the unsafe condition of the building.
“We do recognize the problems that have been put upon the [football] team,” Huyett said. “I don’t think anybody wanted this to happen, especially in this way. It happened very clearly out of a lack of information on my part.”
Huyett said that he had spoken to the BHS football team and coaches after practice on Wednesday to apologize.
The superintendent was responding at the school board meeting to Richard Boyden, a parent of a current member of the Yellowjackets. … Continue reading »
Go Bears — if you cross the Bay
Saturday was the odd home football opener for the California Golden Bears. Odd, because the team had opened on September 3 against Fresno State — but that game at Candlestick Park counted as a neutral site. Odd, as well, because it was the team’s first of the season at its temporary home at AT&T Park. And odd, finally, because it was a quixotic game against the nearly unknown Presbyterian Blue Hose (unsurprisingly, the Bears ran out the 63-12 victors).
Cal volleyball captures top rank in nation
The Cal women’s volleyball team, after sweeping its opponents last weekend, has grabbed the top rank in the nation, according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll. It’s the first time in the team’s history that Cal has led the national rankings.
Cal went into this season ranked third, behind Penn State and USC. The Nittany Lions, national champions for the past four years, were upset by Oregon last weekend, and the Trojans were in turn beaten by the … Continue reading »
When Cal plays in SF, what happens to business?
When the Cal Golden Bears open their home season against Fresno State on Saturday, the team won’t be at home.
Cal’s six home games this season will be played in San Francisco: on Saturday at Candlestick Park, and the remainder at AT&T Park (although if the Giants somehow turn their season around and get to the playoffs, the Bears will be even more nomadic than planned). The seismic retrofit and reconstruction of Cal Memorial Stadium, the team’s home since 1923, … Continue reading »
Cal star Morgan clinches US World Cup victory
Fans of the U.S. women’s World Cup team could finally stop biting their nails in the 82nd minute yesterday when Alex Morgan, a standout for Cal, chipped over French goalkeeper Berangere Sapowicz to take the score to 3-1. The win carried the U.S. team into Sunday’s final against Japan.
Morgan came into the game as a substitute in the 56th minute, and added speed and freshness to a U.S. attack that had looked second best to France for much of … Continue reading »
Former Cal star bolsters US women’s World Cup team
There are countless tales being told about the stirring victory of the U.S. women’s team in yesterday’s World Cup quarterfinal victory over Brazil. But one of the less heralded roles was played by former Cal star forward Alex Morgan, who came off the bench in the 72nd minute — with the Americans a player down — and added fresh legs and vital impetus to the team.
She floored Brazilian defender Daiane with a powerful shot at the end … Continue reading »
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