Jim Harbaugh Vs. Mark Jackson: Which Bay Area Coach Has the Brightest Future?

Two of the Bay Area's professional sports teams have jumped on the phenomenon of hiring young, hip coaches to run their teams. They did so in hopes of jumping the gun on the next big thing in coaching. In the case of these two coaches, the San Francisco 49ers and Golden State Warriors may have struck it rich.

Jim Harbaugh played 14 seasons in the NFL, most notable for the Chicago Bears, but his new chapter as a head coach may be the highlight of his NFL career.

NHL Rumors: Should the San Jose Sharks Continue Shopping?

It seems as though someone whispered into San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson's ear after last season and told him that back-to-back Western Conference Final losses are just not enough.

So Wilson re-tooled.

Making the biggest splash of the 2011 free agency period, Wilson and the Sharks sent young scorer Devin Setoguchi and talented sniper Dany Heatley to the Minnesota Wild for All-Star defenceman Brent Burns and All-Star winger Martin Havlat in two separate deals just 10 days apart.

San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson Is Doing Work This Offseason

I ran into San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson the other day. No, I do not personally know him. I am not quite that far along in my journalistic career as of yet. However, I do work at the country club that he is a member at. So, yes, we're best friends.

Of course, I tried to sneak several peaks at him.

Can you blame me or anyone with a love for the Sharks?

This was the mastermind behind the Sharks' success year in and year out. He was the man with the power to do what he pleased with this team.

Rory McIlroy: 15 Bold Predictions for the Next 15 Years

The phenomenon that is Irishman Rory McIlroy has taken flight, and the golf world is abuzz with the possibility that we are witnessing the start of a career that could go down as one of the best ever.

However, before we anoint the 22-year-old the Second Coming, let us take a step back and realize how lucky we truly are to potentially witness two of the greatest golfers to ever live.

As soon as McIlroy broke Tiger Woods' record of the lowest score at the 2011 U.S. Open, we started comparing the two.

NBA Rumors: Tyson Chandler and 10 Young Players Set For A Payday

Around this time last year, the nation was captivated by one of the greatest free agent offseasons the NBA will ever see. Lebron James, Amare Stoudemire and Chris Bosh headlined the list of free agents set to earn big contracts with their new respective teams.

On July 8, 2010, James made his decision to "take his talents to South Beach," and the all hell broke loose.

A year later, with an NBA Lockout looming, basketball has given us a list of free agents that cannot even hold a candle to the cast highlighted last year.

NHL Draft: Despite No Notable Picks, the San Jose Sharks Still Had A Productive Draft

The San Jose Sharks went out on a limb on Draft Day 2011 and acquired defenseman Brent Burns from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for winger Devin Setoguchi, top forward prospect Charlie Coyle and their 28th overall draft pick.

Heading into the 2011 NHL Draft, the focus for the Sharks was centered around building for the future.

That is exactly what the Sharks achieved without even owning a first-round pick at the end of the day.

The Golden State Warriors Selected Two NBA-Ready Players

Remember all those NBA Drafts where the Golden State Warriors would select absolute projects whose talent levels would not be NBA standard for the next few years?

Kiss those days goodbye thanks to two names: Jerry West and Joe Lacob.

In just a short stint with the Warriors, Lacob has already taken this team from seemingly zero draft knowledge to knowingly brilliant draft picks.

Remember projects like Patrick O'Bryant or Ike Diogu, even Andris Biedrins?

2011 NBA Draft Grades: Grading the Teams and Picks of the NBA Draft Live

The overwhelming consensus of the 2011 NBA Draft is that the talent level is shallow at best. Of course, the years to come will decide that, but with so many unknown players in this draft, it would be hard to know much about who that 18-year-old European player is.

What we do know is that Kyrie Irving will be selected No. 1 overall and Derrick Williams will be selected No. 2, barring something out of this world happening. However, it would be hard to say that both of those players will be All-Stars one day.

Though the talent level is dull, what will make this draft exciting is everything around it.

San Jose Sharks: Their 5 Biggest Needs in the 2011 NHL Draft

If you ran into an average sports fan on the street and asked them when the 2011 NHL Draft was, odds are they could not tell you. I even had to look it up just to make sure.

My sources tell me it is this Friday, June 24, and runs through the 25th. But you cannot always trust what Wikipedia puts out.

Either way, the Sharks must make major waves in this draft if they desire to stay among the upper-echelon of teams in the NHL.

They own the 28th overall pick in the draft this year.

Proof the Golden State Warriors Are Shopping Monta Ellis

Fan speculation and simulated trade rumors have been running rampid since Golden State Warriors adviser Jerry West hinted at a possible Monta Ellis trade this summer.

There have been confirmed reports that teams are interested in Ellis, but every proposed deal seen on the internet has come from pure fan speculation and not confirmed reports.

Nevertheless, fan speculation has fueled a more personal view of the Ellis trade scenarios, and on Monday the public got their first look at a "real life" proposed trade for Ellis this summer.

San Francisco 49ers: Odds For Alex Smith, Colin Kaepernick and the Rest of the QB Race

With no current NFL season and talks still underway as to if a 2011-12 season will ever happen, speculation is all we have these days.

If there was a team that has been hurt the most from the NFL Lockout, it would be the San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers have a new coach in Jim Harbaugh that has no experience running an NFL team. He cannot organize a practice with his team, nor can he even name his own starting quarterback.

San Francisco Giants: Add Bill Hall To the List of Misfits

Bill Hall tallied his first two hits as a San Francisco Giant on Wednesday night. It was a welcomed sight for Giants fans, who have seen the likes of Pablo Sandoval, Buster Posey and now Freddy Sanchez lost to injury at one point this season.

Hall's RBI double over the head of Arizona Diamondbacks' center fielder, Chris Young, on Wednesday night seemed to make all forget about what kind of an injury-plagued season this team was having.

Hall's big night also has some thinking.

Is he this year's version of Pat Burrell?

College Basketball Recruiting 2012: Power Ranking the Top 17 Undecided Recruits

With the freshmen in college basketball performing at all-time highs, fans are eager to know the names of incoming players that could one day make a name for themselves in March Madness.

These are players have have so much hype coming out of high school that they are coveted by teams looking to recruit the next Kyrie Irving or Jared Sullinger.

How these players develop in college basketball is yet to be determined, but whether the most-hyped players turn out like a Josh Selby or a Brandon Knight, does not matter.

NHL Free Agency 2011: Top 15 Goalies and Where They Will Land

With only a handful of elite and reliable goalies in net in the NHL, now is as good a team as ever for a team to go out and acquire a fairly decent one.

In the free agency class of 2011, there are several goalies that could do wonders for teams looking for a netminder.

Already, we have seen the top goalie on the market acquired by the Philadelphia Flyers, who have wasted no time in claiming their future goaltender in Ilya Bryzgalov.

Some teams are still desperate for a goalie, though.

San Jose Sharks: Exploring Their Free Agent Shopping List For the Offseason

The San Jose Sharks will enter a pretty big offseason starting on July 1. That would be the day that the NHL free agency period begins, and it will be the first chance the Sharks have at re-signing or departing with the 23 players on their current free agent roster.

This is a free agency that could possibly define this team for the next couple of years, having to decide whether to re-sign or let go several young and promising players. There are also a few veterans in the mix that could potentially alter the chemistry of a proud and competitive franchise.

More or less, the Sharks involvement in the NHL free agency period relies solely on what San Jose decides to do with two of their key free agents.

San Francisco Giants: 5 Bold Predictions For the Rest of the Season

Another day, another man down. That seems to be the story these days for the World Series champion San Francisco Giants.

Freddy Sanchez was placed on the 15-day DL Saturday after dislocating his right shoulder diving for a ball, and continuing the voodoo-like coincidence of the best current Giants hitter going down to injury.

We witnessed this with Pablo Sandoval earlier in the season, Buster Posey a few weeks ago and now with Sanchez.

Tread lightly, Nate Schierholtz...

NBA Draft 2011: Alec Burks and 10 Prospects For the Golden State Warriors

Now that the NBA Finals are over and the Dallas Mavericks have prevailed over LeBron James and the evil empire, the NBA Draft can start to heat up. But with just over one week left until the big day, there is still no set order to the draft outside of the top four picks.

We can speculate all we want, but in this next week it will become a little clearer as to who will be picked where.

With the no. 11 pick in the NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors may have an idea who will be available, but there are several players that have the possibility of their draft stock rising and falling within the next nine days.

Golden State Warriors: Hiring Mike Malone As Assistant Reveals More Than We Think

Joe Lacob and his Golden State Warriors hired Mark Jackson as their head coach on Monday, and with it came mixed reactions.

Jackson has zero coaching experience and quickly made the jump from game commentary to coaching. However, he brings a new, young and noticeable face to the Golden State Warriors franchise.

Fact.

There had to be some kind of gimmick, right?

Certainly the Warriors would not hire an NBA commentator, with monotone catch phrases such as "Mama, there goes that man" and "hand down, man down," without something to help ease the pain to their extremely loyal fan base.

San Jose Sharks Free Agency: 5 Players Who Should Be On Their Radar

The San Jose Sharks' inability to get passed the Western Conference Finals, yet again, has some wondering whether or not GM Doug Wilson will decide to redesign this team for the future.

The Western Conference runner-ups will have to deal with a flurry of 23 free agents on their current team this summer.

No, these free agents will not affect the core of the Sharks, but it will alter both the depth of San Jose and which direction they wish to take the defense.

NBA Mock Draft: Who Will the Golden State Warriors Take At No. 11?

Now the draft process can officially begin for the Golden State Warriors. They have named their next head coach, a solid assistant coach and hired a basketball legend as an adviser to the team.

Things are looking up in Golden State.

As for the business at the 11th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft on June 23, the available options are nothing to write home about.

The upcoming draft is already being written down as a four-man draft with a boatload of players from Europe. How those players from Europe will do in the NBA will be discovered in the next few years.