Despite Tough Loss, the San Francisco 49ers Are Playing With A New Winning Mentality

No more Mike Nolan, no more Dennis Erickson, no more Mike Singletary. Despite the tough loss in Week 2, Jim Harbaugh's San Francisco 49ers are legitimate contenders no matter how you slice it up.

For the second straight week, the 49ers played simple and basic football to the absolute tee, and it almost worked in Week 2 against a Dallas Cowboys team stocked with weapons both offensively and defensively.

No Dilemma On San Jose Sharks' Defense

If you told San Jose Sharks' coach Todd McLellan after last season that not only would he have one of the best defenses in the NHL going into next season, but that he would have too many good blueliners, he probably would not have believed you.

CSN's Brodie Brazil wrote an article the other day on how the Sharks now have somewhat of a problem on their hands with owning too many equally-talented players on defense.

San Francisco Giants: What If There Was a Second Wild Card Spot?

The President of the San Francisco Giants, Larry Baer, came on KNBR 680 AM the other day and joked about how he hopes MLB Commissioner Bud Selig would create a second wild card spot before the current season ends.

First of all, it was weird to hear the president of a ball club pretty much publicly state that his team has close to zero chance of making the playoffs with a few weeks left. However, that is what kind of honest upper management the Giants have, and i would not have it any other way. Tell it to me straight.

San Francisco 49ers: Alex Smith Looking Composed in Jim Harbaugh's Offense

The San Francisco 49ers' win at home against the Seattle Seahawks did not blow anyone's mind on Sunday. However, it did give fans a reason for some hope this season.

A first-year head coach, desperate quarterback and one-time disgruntled running back and wide receiver turned into a 33-17 win in Week 1 of the NFL season.

Who knew?

The biggest jolt of Week 1 was the composure of Alex Smith, who went 15 of 20 for 124 yards. The biggest stat, though, was the fact Smith had zero turnovers -- a rarity in 49er Land.

San Francisco 49ers: Ted Ginn and the Defense Come Out To Play In Week 1 Win

It was a tale of four different quarters for the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. But in whatever unorthodox way the 49ers did it, it do not matter, as they defeated the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1.

Like I said, it was tale of four different quarters for this team. The first quarter started with a rough first defensive drive and ended with a 49er fumble and recovery in Seattle territory.

The second quarter was centered around the third down play, which the 49ers could by no means execute. That lack of execution led to four trips

San Jose Sharks: Training Camp Starts September 17; Kyle Wellwood Still On the Market

San Jose Sharks training camp starts at Sharks Ice in nine days, and yet the current roster seems incomplete. Maybe it is wishful thinking, but it still feels that the Sharks are one player away from being complete as a team.

The position that needs to be filled is a third or fourth line player, preferably a winger. Currently, San Jose will start the season with Torrey Mitchell, Michal Handzus and Jamie McGinn on the third line, and any combination of Andrew Murray, James Sheppard, Andrew Desjardins and Benn Ferriero on the fourth line.

Former Top Prospect Angel Villalona Rejoins San Francisco Giants' Organization

The San Francisco Giants' organization, as a whole, caught a break on Friday when they received word that talented prospect Angel Villalona would rejoin the ballclub.

Villalona had been charged with murder in his native Dominican Republic in 2009. The charges were dismissed earlier this summer.

When It Comes to Playoff-Like Baseball, the San Francisco Giants Are the Elite

Orange rags were swinging and playoff baseball was in the air at AT&T Park on Friday night.

Maybe it was the orange jerseys, orange rags waving or the sell-out crowd living and dying with every pitch thrown, but the crowd knew and both teams knew it -- this was a game with meaning.

Suddenly, the Giants of 2011 were the Giants of 2010. Cody Ross hit a home run and made a diving catch, Aubrey Huff was playing first base, Mark DeRosa was the first one on the dugout step, a misfit like Jeff Keppinger had an RBI double and manager Bruce Bochy was making moves -- and they were working.

San Jose Sharks: Should Todd McLellan's Coaching Seat Be Getting Warm?

Many teams around the NHL are looking at this headline with pure amusement right now, but we'll address it nonetheless. The San Jose Sharks have been at such a high level for so long that they deserve to be called one of the elite franchises in this and any other sport, yet the ultimate prize that is the Stanley Cup has forever escaped them.

Zero Stanley Cups and zero Stanley Cup Finals appearances will lead to the coaching situation discussion getting a little hotter if San Jose does not sniff the Cup this season. As for Todd McLellan, any

It's Not Over Yet, But the San Francisco Giants are in a Race Against Time

I had written an article a week or so ago saying that the Giants' playoff push starts on September 1. I said that because of the fact that San Francisco's injury woes would, in a way, be replaced by a new set of players from the 40-man roster.

Darren Ford would be called up, as would Brandon Crawford and many others who could fill the void for the list of DL casualties this season.

Problem solved?

San Jose Sharks: 5 Players That Could Surprise in 2011-12

It is almost that time of the year again. With training camp set to drop the puck on Saturday, September 17, many are excited to see what this new-look San Jose team has to offer.

Maybe "new-look" is a bad term. The team still has the same core of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Dan Boyle. They even have the same young stars like Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture.

However, the average Sharks fan may not know who the rest of the supporting players on the roster are, with all the moves that have happened this offseason.

A Disgruntled Frank Gore Is A Weary San Francisco 49ers' Offense

San Francisco 49ers' running back Frank Gore did not play Saturday night against the Houston Texans at Candlestick Park.

Instead, he stood dressed on the sidelines with a bit of a disgruntled look on his face.

It needs to be understood that Gore's mean-looking mug is just the way he was made, so maybe there was nothing wrong. However, the 49ers' offense did look flightless on Saturday night, which is why the talks of Gore's contract must be a top priority in Niner Land.

San Jose Sharks' Focus Should Be On Antti Niemi and the Third, Fourth Lines

There is no hiding the fact that the San Jose Sharks were busy this offseason. The dealings between San Jose and the newly befriended Minnesota Wild have been well-documented, as have both teams' chances at their respective runs in the playoffs next season.

For the Sharks, they needed to address two problems they encountered last season: Speed and defense.

San Francisco Giants' Baseball Is Torture, But Not the Good Kind

Losing is contagious.

You know how I know?

The defending World Series champions, and a team in the middle of a competitive playoff race, are in danger of being swept by the worst team in baseball.

Do you cringe when you watch Giants baseball these days? How about turn away from the television once the opposing team scores over three runs?

You're not alone.