San Francisco Bay Area

Simon Ricci and Brooke Starn were the top performers in the men's and women's events at Sunday's San Francisco Marathon.

Ricci clocked in at 2:31:42. He did a great job of preserving his stamina for the latter stages of the race. He was averaging 5:25 per mile when he hit the 24-mile mark and 5:33 as he crossed the finish line.

congratulations to simon ricci! winner of @theSFmarathon 26.2 mi through the city in just over 2:30 pic.twitter.com/pFR0dKOQxt

— Mike Wadhera (@mikewadhera) July 24, 2022

That helped Ricci wrap up well ahead of Sumner Jones, who completed his race in 2:38.48.

Starn, who ran competitively for Harvard before transferring to UC Davis, averaged 6:18 per mile for a 2:44:38 overall time. Traversing the downtown terrain was probably nothing new for the Danville, California, native.

Cal Calamia, meanwhile, made history as the first-ever non-binary marathon winner (3:00:03). They were also the top performer in the non-binary category in the Bay to Breakers in May.

The San Francisco full marathon got underway along The Embarcadero near Mission Street. Competitors ran along the San Francisco Bay until crossing the legendary Golden Gate Bridge.

Upon turning back toward the city, runners traveled through the Presidio and Golden Gate Park before heading east toward the bay and along the coast to the finish.

San Francisco's Bay to Breakers road race began in 1912 as a way to unify the city after a devastating earthquake hit the city in 1906—and more than a century later, the event will go on amid the coronavirus pandemic.

After being postponed until September before being canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 109th edition of the race will be held virtually, with runners instructed to log the 12-kilometer distance (nearly 7.5 miles) within a 12-day period. Registrants will receive a hoodie, race shirt, medal and bib number shipped to their door, and sign-ups for the race are still open with a $49 price tag.

Typically, prizes are awarded to top finishers in each age group and overall, but there will be no awards this year, which means the Bay to Breakers race is all about fun and tradition. Racers are still encouraged to dress up in costumes, as is customary, with past competitors assuming the identity of emojis, grapes, and even the Golden Gate Bridge.

What will you dress up as this year?? #BayToBreakers pic.twitter.com/nipuU8Hggc

— Zappos Running Bay to Breakers (@Baytobreakers) September 16, 2020

Here's everything to know about this unique version of Bay to Breakers.

                            

Route

Typically, the race begins at the intersection of Howard and Main St. in northeast San Francisco, continues through downtown and Golden Gate Park to the finish line on Great Highway along the Pacific Ocean. A map of the traditional course can be found on the Bay to Breakers website.

This year, with the race being completed anywhere in the contiguous United States, the race website recommends plotting a course "that will surprise the most neighbors."

                    

Times

The beauty of this year's Bay to Breakers? The 7.5-mile distance can be completed anywhere in the contiguous United States and at any point over the 12-day race period, which runs from Sept. 20 at 8 a.m. PST to Oct. 2 at 8 a.m. PST. Feel like running five miles Sunday, a quarter-mile Tuesday, and finishing up Oct. 1? Go for it.

To earn a Bay to Breakers participation pack, racers will need to track their distance and time using a fitness watch, stopwatch or app on their phone, such as Strava, Under Armour, Google Fit or Apple Health, and upload their results in one go.

               

🚨REGISTER BY SUNDAY🚨

Save your spot for the 2020 Bay to Breakers Virtual Race by 8/30 to ensure your gear arrives on time! You will receive the shirt or tank, medal, and a finisher hoodie! #BayToBreakers

Register Here ➡️https://t.co/kTMkv4hwxM pic.twitter.com/U7Ji1B04RA

— Zappos Running Bay to Breakers (@Baytobreakers) August 27, 2020

Road Closures

The race usually results in road closures across downtown San Francisco from as early as 7 p.m. PST the night before. This year, with no official route, locals should practice the usual caution of watching out for costumed runners over the next few days.

                  

More Info

The weather looks clear in San Francisco over the next few weeks, with no rain in the forecast and temperatures in the high-60s and low-70s, per AccuWeather. However, Mike Nicco of ABC 7 reports that air quality throughout the Bay Area will drop over the weekend as wildfire smoke returns to the region after a few clearer days.

The winner of the female division for the 108th @AlaskaAir #BaytoBreakers is Caroline Rotich with a time of 39:28! Nicely done, Caroline! pic.twitter.com/TkUvGIwU82

— Zappos Running Bay to Breakers (@Baytobreakers) May 19, 2019

In 2019, Gabriel Geay of Tanzania was the first to cross the finish line with a time of 35 minutes, 1 second. In the women's division, Kenyan distance runner Caroline Rotich was the champion with her time of 39 minutes, 28 seconds.

Several members of the Golden State Warriors said they are still going through sticker shock while making the transition from Oracle Arena in Oakland to the new Chase Center in San Francisco.

Connor Letourneau of San Francisco Chronicle provided details from the experiences of guard Jacob Evans ($1.9 million salary this season, per Spotrac) and center Kevon Looney ($4.5 million), as well as forward Alfonzo McKinnie ($1.6 million), who was recently waived by the Dubs and signed by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"You hear about the crazy prices out here," Evans said after calculating he'll pay around $7,900 in monthly housing costs. "But until you actually see those numbers add up on paper, it doesn't feel real."

Letourneau noted the average cost for a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco is around 30 percent higher than even New York City and 105 percent higher than the United States, based on figures from rental website Zumper.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWT-_A05U6I

"Got to let those paychecks pile up a little more," Looney said about deciding to rent instead of trying to buy a house in the high-priced market. "I told my dad, who's from Tennessee, about the housing prices out here, and he was just like, 'You can't pay that. You'd be nuts.'"

Making a significant financial commitment in the ever-changing NBA world also comes with risks.

McKinnie signed a nine-month apartment lease in the area to cover himself for the entire 2019-20 season before the Warriors let him go. While he quickly landed on his feet in Cleveland, he was forced to pay a "sizable fee" to end his lease early, per Letourneau.

"That was brutal," Golden State rookie forward Eric Paschall said of McKinnie's situation. "Lease agents out here aren't too forgiving."

That's life in Silicon Valley.

The Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco Giants are currently in talks to allow the Silver and Black to play the 2019 season across the bay at AT&T Park, according to NBC Bay Area's Raj Mathai.

A Raiders source told Mathai "this is a distinct possibility" for Oakland.

As radio station KNBR noted, AT&T Park has hosted football games since opening in 2000. It played host to a college football bowl game from 2002 to 2013.

In March 2017, NFL owners approved the Raiders' move from Oakland to Las Vegas. The franchise would not be able to make the move until 2020, though, because it is still in the process of building a new stadium in Nevada.

Thirteen months of work in less than a minute.

See how we got here — and where we're going — on our live stadium cam: https://t.co/68Pc7l6KzC pic.twitter.com/luSbcThgs3

— Allegiant Stadium (@AllegiantStadm) December 15, 2018

As a result, the team is looking for a place to play its games next season.

Jon Gruden, in his second stint as head coach with the franchise, recently made his preference known, per Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle: "I want to play in Oakland."

That may not be an option following recent events. Television station KRON (via KXAN) reported last week the Raiders have taken a lease for its current stadium, the Oakland Coliseum, "off the table" for 2019 after the city of Oakland decided to sue the team for its "illegal move."

Raiders owner Mark Davis revealed, per USA Today's Jori Epstein, earlier this month that San Diego, Santa Clara (home of the San Francisco 49ers), Berkeley and a temporary Las Vegas stadium are all possible options for the team next season. No deadline for a decision has been made, although Epstein reports that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell needs an answer by January or February.

Jorge Maravilla has already won the San Francisco Marathon. So this time he decided to do it with his son.

Maravilla crossed the finish line Sunday to win the men's division of the 2018 San Francisco Marathon with his son draped in his arms. The two-time reigning champion finished with an unofficial time of 2:27:56.

And there it is folks! Two-time reigning Champion @1jorgemaravilla crossing the line with his son in an u official time of 2:27. #biofreezeSFM #ThisJustHappened pic.twitter.com/xT1uhlZk1N

— The SF Marathon (@theSFmarathon) July 29, 2018

San Francisco native Bonnie Tran won the women's division with a time of 2:54:09.

Bonnie Tran of San Francisco is our Women’s 2018 Champion in an unofficial time of 2:54! A great sub 3-hour effort. #BiofreezeSFM #ThisJustHappened pic.twitter.com/KNyHxV4zu0

— The SF Marathon (@theSFmarathon) July 29, 2018

Jonathan Briskman finished in second place in the men's division, just a little more than 12 seconds behind Maravilla. Benjamin Heck, Alex Varner and Doug Howard rounded out the top five. Varner and Howard were in a near-photo finish for fourth place, with Varner winning by a little more than two-tenths of a second.

Second-place Julie Woodruff, who posted an unofficial time of 2:57:46, was the only other female runner within 10 minutes of Tran. Third-place Stephanie Kim, fourth-place Hilde Fenne and fifth-place Kristin Sellers were all over the three-hour mark. Fenne was the only non-American to finish in the top five of either race.

Maravilla is the first back-to-back winner since Andrew Cook won the 2006 and 2007 races. Cook went on to become a three-time champion in the San Francisco Marathon, which is a qualifying race for the Boston Marathon.

The 2018 MLB free-agent class certainly does not boast the same strength as the 2019 group, where players like Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are slated to hit the market. Yet, plenty of solid contributors are still available this winter.

Rumors are starting to circulate about where some of the bigger names could be heading. Notable outfielders known for tremendous speed have been in the news as of late, and they could be the first dominos to fall in free agency.

Let us take a look at the latest buzz on surrounding such free agents and what teams have been connected to them.

        

Billy Hamilton on the Move?

Despite generally being one of the elite franchises of the past decade thanks to three World Series titles, the San Francisco Giants endured a dreadful 64-98 campaign last season. Unsurprisingly, they are looking for a lot of help this offseason.

One name to recently surface is Cincinnati Reds outfielder Billy Hamilton, who is drawing interest from the Giants, per MLB Network's Jon Morosi on Monday. Hamilton is one of several targets for San Francisco, who Morosi says are making a concerted effort to improve defensively in the outfield.

Hamilton would fit that bill, as his electric speed and fantastic arm have made him one of the most exciting center fielders. In addition to making highlight-reel catches over the years like the one below, he finished third among outfielders with 13 assists and second in double-plays started with four while boasting a 99.1 fielding percentage last season, per FanGraphs. 

Offensively, Hamilton is a dangerous leadoff man should he reach base. He has posted at least 50 stolen bases in each of the last four seasons, including a career-high 59 steals in 2017. However, he has never hit above .260 in his career, and his on-base percentage has hovered around .300 during that time.

Hamilton is a pending free agent with arbitration eligibility, but the Reds still control his rights. Whether they move him depends largely on Cincinnati's value of him financially.

If the Reds are not comfortable handing Hamilton a hefty raise from the $2.65 million he made last season, which he is certainly due for, then a trade would make sense. With the second-highest payroll in baseball, the Giants can accommodate Hamilton as a free agent.

Assuming this reported interest is real, look for the Reds to save some money by sending off Hamilton to be signed elsewhere while still getting a prospect and some cash back in return.

       

Royals Already Thinking Replacements?

The core of the Kansas City Royals' recent championships runs looks destined to split this winter, as Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas are all heading for free agency. 

Per Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, the Royals are trying to bring back Hosmer and Moustakas, but they apparently have settled on letting Cain walk. This would leave a huge hole in the team's outfield, but there are reportedly replacements on the radar.

A recent World Series winner is one name to recently pop up, according to Morosi:

Cameron Maybin among options #Royals considering for center field, sources say. @MLBNetwork @MLB

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 13, 2017

Cameron Maybin is talented player who has struggled with consistency at times. In addition to having great range in the outfield, Maybin is an average hitter who has hit over .260 three times in his career. He has shown flashes of being a top-end leadoff man, as he hit .315 in over 90 games in 2016, but he batted .228 last season, including .186 after being traded to the Houston Astros late in the summer.

This makes Maybin a high-reward player, but he does carry plenty of risk. He is coming off a five-year deal that paid him $5 million annually. The same annual salary for fewer years would be comfortable for the Royals, especially if they are going to try to keep up with the bidding for Hosmer and Moustakas.

However, another team could be in a better position financially to bid more for Maybin's upside, which could throw a wrench in Kansas City's plans. While Maybin is definitely no Cain, he is still a serviceable player who the Royals could regularly play near the bottom of the lineup or occasionally leading off. 

This team can still compete for a playoff position, especially by keeping its two prized infielders. Making a play for Maybin makes sense to stay in American League Central contention.

       

Reunion Unlikely for Ichiro

Along with guys like Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez, Ichiro Suzuki is one of the most iconic Seattle Mariners of all time.

With the 44-year-old Suzuki now a free agent and still looking to play, could Seattle bring him back to possibly close out his career? That seems unlikely, at least according to the latest chatter around the league.

Per MLB.com's Greg Johns, Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto is looking for outfield help, but the team does not view Suzuki as a viable option. The Mariners are looking to get younger, which certainly does not help Suzuki's case.

Suzuki has not hit at least .300 since 2010, but his on-base percentage has been above .300 since that time. While Suzuki hit .291 in 2016, his average dipped back to the .255 it has hovered around since 2012. 

It is also unclear if Suzuki would be willing to go back to Seattle, as the only recent word of his intentions is that his camp reached out to the Giants, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. 

A player like Suzuki is likely to wait very long before finding a contract, as guys his age are not primary options for clubs. Rather, teams will approach him after most of the roster is filled out and in need of a reserve player. 

Suzuki can still contribute to an MLB team, and it would make more sense for him to join a contending team in need a fourth outfielder, such as the Houston Astros. Expect Suzuki to play in his 18th season, but not for Seattle.

        

Statistics are courtesy of Baseball Reference. Contract information is courtesy of Spotrac.

The San Francisco 49ers will head off to Ford Field to take on the Detroit Lions in Week 16 in search of their fifth win of the season and just their second on the road this season.

These two sub-.500 teams will be vying for position in the upcoming 2016 NFL draft. At 4-10, the 49ers have a better shot to land a better pick than the 5-9 Lions, who have won four of their last six contests.

A loss would ensure the 49ers have a better draft position. But head coach Jim Tomsula's squad would also like to wind down the year on a positive note. To do so, the Niners will look to overcome Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and a still-dangerous Detroit offense this Sunday.

How does San Francisco go about doing this?

Offensively, the 49ers still rank at the bottom of the NFL with just 202 points scored. And the defense, while playing better at home this season, will have to avoid the miscues suffered in Week 14 when San Francisco gave up 200-plus yards rushing to the Cleveland Browns, who had the league's worst ground game entering that contest.

So what should the 49ers' offensive and defensive game plans be for this Week 16 bout?

Offensive Game Plan

San Francisco will have some difficulty moving the ball on the ground given the uncertain status of running back Shaun Draughn.

Draughn (knee) has been ruled out, and the 49ers will look to replicate his efforts with the tandem of Kendall Gaskins and recently acquired DuJuan Harris.

The two backs will have to work behind an offensive line that ranks No. 30 in the NFL in run blocking, according to Pro Football Focus. Needless to say, running the ball hasn't been a strength of the 49ers O-line. And it won't get much easier given left guard Alex Boone (knee) is out for the game and, likely, for the rest of the season.

Fortunately, San Francisco will face a Lions defense that ranks 19th in the league with 1,576 rushing yards allowed on the season.

Look for the 49ers to be effective on the ground, if not stellar.

Still, San Francisco will have to generate an aerial attack in order to maintain successful offensive drives and overcome the recent issues on third down.

One of the key factors in ensuring quarterback Blaine Gabbert has enough protection within the pocket will be the O-line's efforts in blocking Detroit defensive end Ezekiel Ansah.

Ansah is the Lions' sack leader with 13.5 on the season. He also has 16 quarterback hits and 28 hurries on the season, per PFF. He'll frequently line up opposite left tackle Joe Staley, who has been the 49ers' best offensive lineman with a plus-18.5 PFF grade on the year.

The Lions have done a commendable job this season of holding up against the pass. Detroit's defense ranks No. 12 in the league with just 3,354 yards allowed through the air.

But targeting Lions cornerback Nevin Lawson may be a crucial part of the 49ers' game plan. He's the lowest-ranked defensive back, with a minus-6.6 pass-coverage grade at PFF. On the other side in standard formations is Detroit's best corner, Darius Slay.

Look for Gabbert to try to exploit mismatches here.

Yet the most critical aspects for the 49ers will be to avoid 3rd-and-long plays and figure how to end drives in touchdowns and not the rising number of punts from rookie punter Bradley Pinion.

Given tight end Vance McDonald's recent penchant for drops (two were picked off for interceptions a week ago), the 49ers may like to see what they have in rookie tight end Blake Bell.

Defensive Game Plan

San Francisco may catch a break this Sunday, since Lions leading wide receiver Calvin Johnson (ankle) is questionable for the game, per NFL.com (h/t CBS Sports).

Johnson has an even 1,000 yards receiving this season and is the team's best touchdown threat with seven to his credit.

Even if Megatron is able to go, Detroit will look to move the ball through the air by using fellow wideout Golden Tate. He is second on the Lions with 720 receiving yards this season and is a primary threat out of the slot.

So this will mean plenty of action for second-year defensive back Jimmie Ward.

David Fucillo of Niners Nation describes this matchup in more detail:

Ward will have a busy day on Sunday, as he can expect to see a lot of Golden Tate in the slot. Detroit uses 3+ WR personnel 70 percent of the time, and Tate runs 58 percent of his routes from the slot. Over the last three weeks, Tate has been the Lions leading pass-catcher, with 23 receptions on 26 targets, for 186 yards and four touchdowns. Calvin Johnson has only been targeted 14 times for five receptions, 79 yards and a touchdown the last three weeks. One of the interesting stats from PFF is that over the course of this season, 21 percent of Tate's targets have been wide receiver screens. That means disciplined tackling technique is going to be critical for Ward and other 49ers defenders.

Thankfully, Ward has been one of the better 49ers defenders in recent weeks. And, according to Jeff Deeney of Pro Football Focus, he has been the best cornerback in the NFL over the last three weeks.

PFF's No. 1 CB over the last 3 weeks? None other than Jimmie Ward (+9.0). 3-7, 10 yards allowed in coverage with a pick six and 3 run stops.

— Jeff Deeney (@PFF_Jeff) December 24, 2015

Definitely not bad.

His recent play shows how Ward's development is starting to justify his first-round selection by San Francisco back in 2014.

But the 49ers' defensive efforts will need to do more than just rely on Ward's recent surge. Like the Browns, Detroit can't effectively run the ball on the ground. The Lions rushing attack ranks No. 31 in the NFL with just 1,181 yards, and the running game is averaging a mere 3.9 yards per play.

Memories of missed tackles and huge gains from a Browns rushing attack may haunt the 49ers defense on the road. Whether or not San Francisco's defenders can limit gains at the point of attack will determine whether Detroit will have to rely solely on its passing game.

It's an approach the Lions like to do. They're fifth in the league in passing attempts (556), so this trend will force pressure on the 49ers' pass rush.

Fortunately, signs are pointing to San Francisco's defense getting linebacker Aaron Lynch (concussion) back in Week 16. He has been in the NFL's concussion protocol all week but was able to fully practice, per the team's website.

And the 49ers will have an opportunity to put pressure on Stafford, given Detroit's minus-51.8 pass-protection grade on the season, per PFF—No. 25 in the league.

Key Players and Matchups

Lynch will frequently oppose Lions right tackle Michael Ola, so look for that matchup to be a key factor for the 49ers defense.

And defensive end Arik Armstead, who has seen his role increase thanks to the season-ending injury to defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, could also be a critical X-factor for San Francisco.

Lynch, Armstead and nose tackle Ian Williams have been the best 49ers defenders this season, according to PFF (h/t Grant Cohn of Bleacher Report). And this trio will work against a Lions O-line that has allowed 38 sacks on the season.

Equally important will be Ward vs. Tate. Detroit's slot receiver will be a favorite target of Stafford this weekend, so the 49ers defense will hope Ward can continue his solid play at Ford Field.

On the flip side, the 49ers' offensive efforts may come down to how well Staley holds up against Ansah. And Gabbert's ability to effectively move the ball will also be critical.

He'll need help out of the running game—not exactly a certain prospect, given the unproven duo of Harris and Gaskins.

Prediction

The 49ers aren't a good road team. Well, they aren't a good team at all this season. And, given the Lions' recent surge, it's hard to find a way to predict a San Francisco victory in Week 16.

San Francisco has scored 20 or more points just four times this season. And the 49ers have scored 14 or fewer points in four of their last five contests.

That isn't exactly a winning formula regardless of how well the defense is playing.

Granted, the Lions have had their fair share of woes this season. But Detroit's efforts over its last six contests look far better than what the Niners have shown over the same stretch.

Even if San Francisco is able to execute better than it has been, look for the Lions to come away with a victory over Tomsula and Co.

A 27-17 loss for the 49ers sounds about right.

All statistics, injury reports, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.

Peter Panacy is a Featured Columnist covering the San Francisco 49ers for Bleacher Report. Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.