Who are the best analysts on TV in each sport?

During the Notre Dame-USC game on Nov. 24, USC quarterback Max Wittek threw what appeared to be a gift-wrapped interception directly into the arms of Notre Dame star linebacker Manti Te’o. At least, that’s how it looked live on television.

Within seconds, analyst Kirk Herbstreit quickly diagrammed on replay exactly what Te’o did, what a truly remarkable play it was, and how it wasn’t a case of a quarterback showing his freshman inexperience. Sure, Herbstreit couldn’t have done it without All Stars in the production truck – the director, producer and person working replay all have to working together in sync – but it was the latest example of what makes Herbstreit so good at his craft.

This got us thinking. Who are the best analysts working on television these days in their respective sports?  It’s common for fans to mock/heckle/rip/laugh at many of the ex-athletes and ex-coaches who “analyze” the games we watch. But who are the best?

Josh Suchon and Matt Hurst decided to make their own separate lists, without consulting each other, and they are comparing their lists below.

The ground rules: this is a TV analyst working a live game. No play-by-play announcers. No studio analysts. Nobody on radio. We’re also not including any local analysts because regional biases always cloud your judgment (pro or con). These analysts, in theory, should be the best of the best, network TV analysts doing national games on TV.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Josh: It’s ABC/ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit, hands down. Nobody else even comes close. He might be the best analyst of any sport right now. He does his homework. He tells you what matchups a team is looking to exploit. He’ll criticize a team’s play calling or decision making, but never in a mean-spirited way. He’s not a former coach who is clearly playing nice with his old coaching buddies because he wants back in the fraternity. It’s telling that some people think he’s biased toward Ohio State, where he played quarterback, yet Herbstreit moved his family out of Columbus because the Buckeyes fans thought he was too negative toward his alma mater. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a good-looking guy. He articulates with authority, but never screams. He’s good on the widely popular College GameDay, but he’s at his best during a live game.

Matt: Kirk Herbstreit. And it’s not even close. What I love about Herbstreit is that he knows so much more than you – or anyone else with a microphone – around the entire sport, but he never acts like he’s preaching to you about it. I admire how he can go from breaking down a play to giving you terrific background and insight into a player and then break down how someone made or missed a tackle. He’s easily head and shoulders above the rest.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Josh: This was a close call, for me, between NBC’s Cris Collinsworth and ESPN’s Jon Gruden. The all-time best is still John Madden, even if he sometimes became a caricature of himself near the end of his career. Just the way Madden used the word “finality” during the playoffs gave you goosebumps that a team’s season was ending. Gruden is probably too positive and Collinsworth is sometimes too negative. Collinsworth has no desire to be a coach or GM and it’s evident because he doesn’t care who he pisses off. That makes him a great analyst because he’s so candid. Gruden’s most recent work on a very boring Carolina-Philadelphia game illustrated what makes him so special. He was describing life on Mike Holmgrem’s staff, how you’d try so hard to invent a play that ended up on Holmgrem’s play sheet and be so proud when it happened, and how Andy Reid was the teacher’s pet. Only Gruden can pull that off. Yeah, I know, every player is great, and he’d want to coach every player. Still, I find that Chucky personality a lot of fun. By an eyelash, I'll take Jon Gruden.

Matt: There is an entire generation of people who could not appreciate what John Madden was able to do in the booth as an analyst because we got sick of Madden by constantly playing his video game. Even though I’m sure he spent hours in a room recording sayings for the game, when you invested hours and hours into a video game, the announcers get rather repetitive. That’s how I felt about Madden, who I envisioned more as the “BOOM! Tough-actin’ Tinactin” guy than someone who basically made everyone raise their game and who invented the tele-strator (not true, but he popularized it and used it better than anyone has or will). Nowadays, anyone not associated with ESPN around the NFL is a breath of fresh air. And that’s why I love Cris Collinsworth. He is so good at explaining things and breaking down various parts of the game without sounding like a former player or a pompous ass (which is everyone around the game associated with ESPN). He is easy to listen to and his ability to say something quickly and effectively is fantastic, especially because he doesn’t want to step on Al Michaels’ toes, because he is one of the best that ever lived. The next time you hear Collinsworth unprepared for a game will be the first.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Josh: To me, the best is ESPN’s Orel Hershiser. (Full disclosure: I have a rather unique relationship with Hershiser, dating back to my childhood.) If anything, my hatred of Hershiser during my youth only goes to show how good he must be, if I think he’s the best baseball analyst on TV. The first time Hershiser’s work stood out to me was during the Little League World Series a few years ago. His compassion and excitement were the perfect balance for an event of 12-year-olds. At the major-league level, nobody is better at breaking down pitching mechanics, a pitcher’s mentality against a lineup, or a pitching coach’s thought process. When his co-analyst was Bobby Valentine, Hershiser almost exclusively talked pitching. Last year, with Terry Francona sharing the analyst duties, Hershiser talked about hitters more and didn’t skip a beat. I appreciate how Hershiser would ask Francona questions on the air, drawing out his partner’s wisdom. It showed that Hershiser is a good teammate in the booth, and genuinely was interested in learning more from Francona.

 

Matt: It’s so easy to say who I cannot stand as analysts around baseball (Tim McCarver, Chris Singleton, Rob Dibble, Joe Morgan) than guys who stand out. But, I spent a fair amount of time in my car this past postseason and was so pleased with the combination of Dan Shulman and Orel Hershiser that I would rather listen to them broadcast a blowout than if there was a tight game on the other channel. Shulman does a great job at allowing his analyst to shine and that’s where Hershiser is his best. He was such a cerebral player that it only makes sense that he is a good analyst. Orel broke down things you wouldn’t expect a former pitcher to – speaking about guys in the dugout and how they might prepare for at-bats – but then you realize that he was able to be around his teammates a lot more because he only pitched once every five days (well, with Lasorda, it wasn’t always that simple). He is so great at breaking down how to play certain players, what defenses teams would employ and, of course, what a pitcher is thinking on the mound, which is supremely important because that’s where every bit of action starts. As someone who knows a ton about baseball, it was wonderful to listen to someone tell me things I still didn’t know and explain them in a way where even my wife would understand.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Josh: A tough choice because there’s so many options, but my vote goes to ESPN’s Jay Bilas. (Personally, I don’t understand why he consistently ranks my beloved San Diego State Aztecs so much lower in his rankings than everybody else; 48th? Really? When they’re 21st in the AP poll?) Objectively speaking, he’s the best in his field. Bilas is really smart and looks at advanced statistics, but doesn’t feel the need to constantly prove to you how smart he is. He was just good enough as a player to have some swagger, but not so good that he falls into the “this is how I did it” trap. He can work with any play-by-play announcer seamlessly, or in a three-person booth without trying to dominate the conversation. He’s not afraid to chastise the NCAA for being hypocritical. He works hard and seems to know the background on every kid in America. I still maintain a soft spot for Dick Vitale, even if his schtick gets old sometimes and he defends every coach in America as the greatest guy in the world. But the best in the business is Bilas.

Matt: This one was also fairly simple, but I hate to give him the credit because if he stumbles on over here, his head might get even bigger. But Jay Bilas is really, really good. The issue is that he knows it and he comes off as a turd sometimes. He’s a little too in love with all things Tobacco Road (but isn’t everyone with college hoops?) Jay knows his stuff, though. And that’s especially hard in this arena because of so many programs and so many one-and-done players so he’s constantly turning over new things and information. Plus with so many different kinds of offenses and defenses run in college hoops, you need someone who can instantly recognize those and relay them and Bilas is very good at that. It’s too bad that we’re only breaking down national analysts because this title should belong to UC Santa Barbara’s Don Ford, who is probably the best analyst you’d ever want to sit next to while calling a game.

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

Josh: Despite getting older, ESPN’s Hubie Brown isn’t slowing down. He’s been the best for two decades, in between his various stints coaching again. Brown has a little bit of a mad scientist quality to him, which is endearing. He strikes me as a person who never leaves a gym, and always watches film, even though he doesn’t need to watch film. Brown picks up on matchups before anybody else, and sees things that even a highly knowledgeable fan would miss. Brown’s unmistakable voice gets your attention, but not in a bad way. I’m just glad that I didn’t have to choose between Brown and Doug Collins, who is now back on the sidelines, but reminded us during the Olympics how great of an analyst he still is.

Matt: This is probably the toughest one because the best is part of a studio team (Charles Barkley) and the worst doesn’t do it anymore (Bill Walton). Everyone else kind of falls in the middle. I used to really enjoy Doug Collins, so it was saddening when he went back to coaching and I never was in love with Mike Fratello or Jeff Van Gundy. Too often the NBA broadcasts employ a three-man booth and it’s too hard for everyone to have a piece of the pie. I think Steve Kerr and Reggie Miller are a tie for me because they don’t detract from the broadcast, which is what you’d want.

FINAL COMMENTS

Josh: My plan wasn’t to kiss ESPN/ABC’s butt by selecting somebody from their network for every sport. Maybe those individuals stick out in my mind, subconsciously, because I hear them so much more often. More likely, the volume of work those guys do across all ESPN platforms – not just the games themselves – is what makes them so good. Analyzing sports are no different than playing sports in that practice makes you better. The more repetitions you get, the better you will be. In retrospect, analysts like Clark Kellogg, Troy Aikman and Gary Danielson are hurt -- a little – because they aren’t asked to work the volume of games/studio shows that ESPN announcers work. There’s a fine line between working so many different shows that you’re stretched too thin. But overall, the repetition brings out the best in ESPN’s talent.

Matt: These analysts stand out to me because you actually enjoy what they bring to a broadcast. For sports fans, constantly learning about the games is what makes it fun and interesting and these guys allow you to do that better than everyone else. And, isn't that part of their job? There are so many bad analysts – former athletes trying to hang around the game – and they are all too much yuck-it-up and not enough break-it-down. And that’s annoying. I enjoy Troy Aikman as an analyst, but I despise Joe Buck, so I probably cannot appreciate Aikman as much as I should. I despise Jon Gruden as an analyst, so I probably cannot enjoy Mike Tirico as much as I should. It's a give and take. The best duos work well with each other and know when to shut up and when to jump in. It's truly an art and when it works well, these guys can deliver. Maybe some credit should be given to the play-by-play men who work alongside these analysts, but they are the straight man in this scenario. The analyst is really the one who adds to the broadcast. Anytime it's someone who is the opposite of “Look at this here …” or “When I was playing …” then I am ready to pay attention.

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"40 Before 40" checklist -- No. 19 -- Watch a game with The Show

-- by @Josh_Suchon

I'm in the red-black rugby shirt, about 5th row up, next to the railing.

My hands are still sore, especially my right thumb. My voice is a little hoarse.

It was totally worth it.

When I originally compiled my “40 things to do before turning 40 years old” list, watching a San Diego State basketball game with the famously outrageous student rooting section -- known as “The Show” – was intended to be accomplished at a home game at Viejas Arena.

While I’m still hopeful that opportunity presents itself in the next four months, the next-best option manifested Sunday night (for this Los Angeles resident) when the Aztecs played at USC’s Galen Center.

Greg Block, my friend and fellow Daily Aztec alum, drove up from San Diego to join me at the game. We met another Daily Aztec alum, Vinnie Batra, his brother, and what turned into hundreds of other SDSU fans inside The Gastropub Lab before the game.

The tickets I purchased for the game were at the top row of the Galen Center. Upon entry, it was clear this game would not be sold out and we could sit wherever we wanted.

But this was not a time to sit closest to the floor. This was a time to find where The Show was standing (they don’t sit) and join them. Oh yes, you knew the 124 miles between SDSU and USC were not going to stop The Show from exerting its collective will on a non-conference game.

This is pretty stupid, but I’ll admit that I actually had butterflies as we walked over to The Show’s section. What if they looked at us funny? What if we weren’t welcome? Would we have to ask permission to join them? Was there an initiation routine? Is it creepy that two guys who were students 15-20 years ago would join the student rooting section?

Of course, none of that was a problem. We were wearing the right colors. We were welcome. Our age was irrelevant.

This is "The Show" in action at Viejas Arena.

In fact, that’s what makes The Show so special. It’s not really, truly a “student” rooting section. Use of the word “student” is very liberal. When you read the lore of The Show on its official website, it’s clear that taking classes at the school are not a requirement. 

Most members are students, or recent graduates. All that’s required, however, is a love of Aztec basketball, and a willingness to create a psychological advantage in the stands that will help SDSU be victorious on the court.

What was fascinating to observe was the interaction between what appeared to be the original members of “The Show” and the younger members, which I’m assuming are current students.

One elder member offered a brief scolding to a front-row member for texting on his cell phone during game action. Another elder reminded a younger to mix up the chants more often. Head nods and acknowledgments were exchanged, like it was Yoda advising Luke.

Some of the highlights of my night and a few thoughts:

* Standing on your feet an entire game and making noise is exhausting. It’s also exhilarating. I can’t fathom doing this at a baseball game or a football game. But the length of a basketball game is perfect. I recommend you do it. It’s a great workout. I easily burned off whatever calories I consumed earlier in the day.

* The Show takes delight in mocking other teams’ fan bases for not being as vocal, animated or creative. This becomes contagious. I even got into the act by taking a photo of some USC fans sitting down during the game, and one was even on her laptop. 

* In typical SDSU fashion, a 19-point first half lead was squandered. This allowed the USC fans to cheer their hearts out, return some derisive chants at The Show, and extend a few middle fingers toward The Show. The Aztecs new-found mantra of finding a way to win made this victory extra sweet. Hopefully, neither fan base took things too personal. The Show brought out the best in the Aztecs, but also the best in the USC students. Maybe they learned a few things. It’s college basketball. The environment is supposed to be filled with passion like that every night.

* It’s hard to pick a favorite chant from the night when the options are: the chorus to Muse’s “Uprising”; the school fight song; the pre-game “I Believe” chant; the “No One Likes Us … We Don’t Care” motto; the constant “No-tre Da-me” chants; the post-game “This Is Our House” chant directed at the USC student section; or the “OJ Did It” chant.

* My favorite, however, came immediately after the USC students chanted the usual, “You’re a State School” at The Show. Proud as hell, The Show responded, “We’re a State School.” It was like the final scene in 8 Mile, when Eminem uses every line his opponent is about to use against him and takes ownership of all his inadequacies. Nothing is more liberating than taking ownership of your detractors’ taunts.

* The respect that head coach Steve Fisher and his players give to The Show makes the bond extra special. Fisher went out of his way to thank the fans, unprompted, on his postgame radio interview. Jamaal Franklin once said The Show’s energy makes him go from Mario to Super Mario. Star of the game James Rahon pointed to The Show as he exited the court Sunday night, and posted this later on his Twitter account.

It was a fabulous night, especially for this proud alum, because I rarely indulged in being a ridiculous fanatic as a college student. During my college years, our basketball team sucked. Hardly anybody went to games. The students ignored the team. I was so focused on a future journalism career, I was sitting press row, dressed responsibly, and following the rules of not cheering.

Now? I get the chance to be loud and proud. It’s still hard to fathom how good this program has become, and its uncanny ability to find ways to win games. Let’s be real, it’s a lot easier to be a fan when your team always wins. Thanks to The Show, my age didn’t matter, and I had the most fun of any regular season game of my life.

Next stop: this Saturday in Anaheim, against UCLA.

Hopefully later this year: at Viejas Arena, for a trip inside The Show for a home game.

The small things that I'm grateful for ...

--by @Josh_Suchon

I’m thankful that …

... Ken Levine gave me this idea to steal.

... half of LA residents leave the city during the holidays, so it’s super easy to get around town.

... I can walk to the grocery store, to get coffee, to my yoga studio, dentist, multiple bars, restaurants and other businesses. Who says nobody walks in LA?

... I went to college at San Diego State.

... I didn’t go to BYU.

... We have the freedom to criticize this country because that’s how you get better.

... My TV is huge and awesome.

 

... I don’t snore.

... Dexter and Homeland exist.

... The Hollywood sign always helps me get my locational bearings.

... I live where others vacation.

... Twitter gives me instant news and prevents me from being bored.

... When a plant dies, I can buy another and not feel like a total failure.

... Somebody invented cocktail sauce for shrimp.

... Somebody else realized if you smash avocados up and mix with other ingredients, it tastes even better.

... All of my CDs are now on a hand-held device and sound much better.

... Simply clicking the “like” button can make somebody’s day.

... Josh Rawitch convinced me to go to Iguazu Falls when I went to Brazil, and I now have hundreds of photos likes this to show off.

... I told Orel Hershiser he was lucky.

... Oakland A’s announcers Ken Korach and Vince Cotroneo never go longer than two minutes without giving the score.

... Most people still do the right thing most of the time.

... The stupidest things make me teary-eyed … and Jim Valvano taught me that if you think, laugh and cry, that’s a heckuva day. 

Top sports power couples

On the latest Out of Ink podcast, Matt Hurst and Josh Suchon discuss the Top Sports Power Couples. Where do Justin Verlander and Kate Upton rank? Where do we place Jenna Jameson and Tito Ortiz? Or tennis stars Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi? Or what about Mia Hamm and Nomar Garciaparra?

-- by Matt Hurst

It's too early in their relationship to deem Justin Verlander and Kate Upton as a top-5 athlete power couple. It could happen some day, but let's allow them to be together at least a year before they crack this list. Until then, here are my top-5 all-time sports-related power couples.

5. Tito Ortiz and Jenna Jameson 

They may not have the star power that some others do on this list because neither of them are considered super "mainstream" but the best MMA fighter at one time and the most-Googled porn star at one time deserves to be ranked on here. Plus, Jameson and Ortiz have broken away from their stigmas of meathead and porn star. They are each past their respective careers but still ranked as some of the best in their respective genres.

4. Nomar Garciaparra and Mia Hamm 

Both of them were considered amongst the best in their sports in their primes as Nomar was in the Jeter and A-Rod discussion of the best in baseball during one of its biggest offensive booms while Hamm was the best female soccer player - maybe ever - to help set up the type of fame the likes of Hope Solo and Heather Mitts and Alex Morgan have enjoyed. Both have crossover appeal, too, as Nomar has appeared as a commentator and Hamm still receives endorsement deals.

3. David Beckham and Victoria "Posh" Beckham 

These two, based on their endorsements and worldly power, should be No. 1. But we are in the United States where soccer isn't important and the Spice Girls were as much as a flash in the pan as Carly Rae Jepsen. Sure, their relationship has stood the test of both English, American and worldwide paparazzi, so there must be true love there, but neither of them are front-page worthy in the U.S. anymore. Therefore, they rest at No. 3 on my list.

2. Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe 

The original athlete/actress power couple. These two, after their deaths, still draw a ton of interest individually because of who they were and what they represented. DiMaggio, one of the finest Yankees of them all, responding to always playing hard with the quote of "Maybe there's someone in the stands who's never seen me play before." And Monroe is such a classic icon in Hollywood and Americana that she is emulated almost as often as Elvis.

1. Tom Brady and Giselle 

One of the best quarterbacks ever. One of the best supermodels ever. As far as power couples, it doesn't get much better than that. Together they are an unstoppable force that has somehow left the public to know nearly nothing about their personal lives. Hard to imagine in a country that is so insatiable for information about its stars that you can ask almost anyone on the streets and they don't know much about either outside of their lines of work. Kudos to them for that.

What we've learned in baseball's playoffs so far

On the latest Out of Ink Podcast, Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com joins Josh Suchon and Matt Hurst to discuss what we've learned so far in the baseball playoffs. Topics include Justin Verlander, laser beams coming out of foul poles, tequilla shots to start a rally, how Seven Nation Army is played endlessly, that Tim Lincecum is alive, how the St. Louis Cardinals never die, and a bunch of slobbering over how cool the baseball playoffs have been.

UPDATED Why Bay Area fans like all their teams ... unless they hate them

--by Josh Suchon

People will never understand it outside the Bay Area.

Fans in other two-team markets shake their heads in disbelief, call it blasphemous, wonder what they’re smoking up north, mock the Bay Area, and use it as proof there’s something wrong with the people who live there.

The truth is, especially for people who spent their whole lives in the Bay Area, it’s more common to like both baseball and football teams than hate one team.

Alright, it might be a stretch to say the football fans “like” each other. It can feel like a war zone in the stadiums when the 49ers and Raiders play each other. There are plenty of fights and bullets to prove it. But don’t let the couple hundred knuckleheads obscure the larger truth.

Bay Area fans of one team don’t hate the other team. In some cases, they like both baseball teams equally. If nothing else, they go to both ballparks, and enjoy being able to see American League and National League baseball. If their favored team wasn’t very good that year, regional pride dictated you cheered for the other team.

For the first 20 or so years after the A’s and Raiders arrived in Oakland in the late 1960s, Bay Area fans didn’t have to pick one team to like. It was easy to root for both teams. They rarely played each other head-to-head. It was even rarer for both teams to be good.

The Coliseum and Arena under construction.

The Raiders were great in the 1970s, found a way to blow it in the playoffs most years, and won the Super Bowl in 1976. The 49ers were pretty much lousy the whole decade.

When the A’s won five straight division titles from 1971-75, and won three straight World Series titles in the middle of that run, the Giants just weren’t very good.

The Giants won the division in 1971, lost to the Pirates in the championship series, and didn’t reach the playoffs again until 1987. In fact, they finished under .500 in 10 of the next 15 years. That’s an entire generation of kids who didn’t know what it was like for the Giants to reach the playoffs. Their only thrill was knocking the Dodgers out.

From 1976 to 1986, the two teams went an entire decade where – other than the strike-interrupted 1981 season of BillyBall -- they were always closer to leaving town than finishing in first place.

Would the A’s move to Denver? Would the Giants move to Toronto? Would the A’s move to New Orleans? Would the Giants move to St. Petersburg? Would the A’s move to DC?

It was easy to like both teams when neither was any good, and both were possibly on their way out of town. The region never knew which team would be its sole resident.

The point was driven home in 1982, when the Raiders did leave town for Los Angeles.

Now the 49ers had the market all to themselves. They enjoyed the greatest decade that any team has ever experienced in Bay Area history, reaching the playoffs every year and winning four Super Bowls in the 1980s.

It’s hard not to like a winner, especially a charismatic team like those 49ers with Hall of Famers in every direction. A few Raiders loyalists held out, rooted for the team down in LA, and hoped for a return that seemed impossible. But most Raiders fans embraced the 49ers as the Bay Area’s only team and enjoyed their success.

During those ’80s, the Giants couldn’t get a new ballpark built in San Francisco, so they looked south to San Jose or Santa Clara.  The A’s had the territorial rights to that region, but there was no “blue ribbon” committee needed to decide if the Giants could move there because then-A’s owner Walter Haas gave the rights to the lucrative South Bay to the Giants for free. Yes, for free.

In hindsight, it was a horrible business decision. But it wasn’t about business. It wasn’t about trying to get rid of the Giants. Haas’ generosity was based on what was best for the region. It was another sign that we’re in this together.

It was common to see people wearing A’s/Giants split hats. They were sold during the exhibition Bay Bridge series that would be played the final Saturday-Sunday before the start of the regular season.

Late in the 80s, the baseball teams finally started to win. The Giants won the division in 1987. The A’s reached the World Series in 1988.

Then the teams met in the 1989 World Series. The first 16 days in October of 1989 ushered in an unprecedented period of Bay Area pride. But it also forced people to finally pick sides. 

For most people, it was an easy choice. They wanted one team to do well, but they loved the other team.

Personally, I think 1989 meant more to the A’s and their fans. After getting stunned by the Dodgers in the World Series the year before, the A’s simply had to win it all. It was not a time for civility. It was a time to dismantle the Giants and show the world they were the dominant organization in all of pro sports.

The first two games of the Series brought out the passion and the emotion. It wasn’t the 1968 Summer of Love. It was mostly friendly. But with a World Series at stake, it was heated and intense in the stands. Fans made it clear which team was their team.

Then the earthquake happened.

Baseball no longer mattered. This was about life and death, about helping your neighbor, and about a region finding strength in its solidarity. It was almost like Mother Nature’s way of reminding Bay Area citizens, “this is not a divided region. This is not Chicago, or New York, or Los Angeles. We’re all in this together.”

Ten days after the earthquake, the Series resumed. It was part of the Bay Area’s healing. It showed the world that we were OK, and life was getting back to normal. The A’s finished off a four-game sweep. The celebration was subdued, out of respect to those who had lost their lives, or had their lives dramatically altered by the earthquake.

After the World Series, after fans were forced to choose a side, it was hard to get back to the old days of rooting for both teams. The lines had been drawn. Both teams were annual contenders over the next few years. That meant they were a threat to each other.

The teams had two of the biggest stars in the game, Jose Canseco and Will Clark, and the two toughest kids on the block are eventually going to see who is toughest. Shortly before the 1990 All-Star Game, Clark called Canseco “a jerk.” Canseco’s response was, “I'm making a million more than you are, you big, overrated, three-toed sloth with no arms.”

Even with the name-calling, it was all in fun. It wasn’t real hatred. It was almost like the Bay Area was trying to force itself to dislike each other.

The biggest reason for the A’s-Giants rivalry building was the front offices. Mostly, the A’s front office, which always resented how the Giants received more media coverage. The San Francisco papers and the San Jose paper dramatically favored the San Francisco teams. The East Bay papers played it mostly down the middle, with perhaps a slight edge to the Oakland teams.

The only all-sports talk station was KNBR 680, the Giants flagship station, and the 100,000-watt flame-thrower rarely discussed the A’s.

The A’s wanted to beat the Giants in spring training games so bad, they paid their players bonuses for important contributions that led to those victories. Over and over, the A’s beat the Giants in those seemingly “meaningless” games in the early 1990s.

Still, it wasn’t much of a feud. Residents liked both teams and supported both teams. They didn’t need to pick sides. The strike in 1994 united both sets of fans in their contempt for the sport.

Then the Raiders returned in 1995.

The Raiders fans who returned to the Coliseum were different that the Raiders fans from the 1970s. This was a rougher, tougher crowd – more South Central LA than blue collar East Bay. A new generation of Raiders fans didn’t know what it was like the first time the Raiders were in Oakland. They just knew the colors and the reputation.

It didn’t matter how many holdover fans from the 1970s remained. The tide had turned. The silver and black reputation had been sealed. Even “normal” fans bought into the hype, the experience of dressing like it was Halloween, and acting like animals.

Besides, those 13 years in Los Angeles brought out the anger and hatred between Norcal and Socal.

Oakland Raiders and 49ers fans didn’t love each other in the 1970s, but they were cordial and wished each other well. Los Angeles Raiders fans hated the 49ers with extreme passion and disgust -- no doubt fueled by the 49ers success and finesse style of football. That hatred carried over from Los Angeles to Oakland as the Raiders came home.

Therefore, it was only natural … if Raiders fans hated the 49ers, well, A’s fans needed to hate the Giants too.

It helped that the Giants now had Barry Bonds on their team, the best player in baseball and the most polarizing player in baseball. Bonds was easy to boo. Bonds was great for rivalries.

It also helped when interleague play began in 1997. Now the teams would play each other six times during the regular season. You didn’t need a World Series to pick sides. You did it during a pair of weekend series’ on each side of the Bay each year.

Meanwhile, the territorial rights issue – which had once showed how the Bay Area was united – now showed how divided the region had become.

The Giants never moved to the South Bay. They built their gorgeous ballpark by the bay in San Francisco, opening in 2000. The A’s wanted their own shiny new ballpark. They badly needed it after the Coliseum was transformed for the Raiders return.

Now, the A’s looked to San Jose. To which the Giants said, “no way, Jose.” They wouldn’t give the rights back. They wouldn’t sell the rights back. It didn’t matter how they once received the rights. It was no longer about what was right for the region. It was about cut-throat business.

Now you have this weird dynamic: A’s fans who hate the Giants because they’re blocking the A’s from moving to San Jose; pure Oakland fans who hate any A’s owner who wants to move the team out of Oakland; Giants fans who hate the A’s for constantly whining about San Jose and just want them to go away; Giants fans who are so self-absorbed they don’t even realize the A’s exist across the Bay; and the old guard, the longtime Bay Area natives who still think, “let’s do what’s best for this region because we’re in this together.”

From 2007-2009, the A’s and Giants were awful. The Raiders and 49ers were awful. Four teams. Zero playoff appearances. It gets old cheering for teams that suck. You want to root for a winner.

Finally, a winner arrived in 2010. The Giants won the World Series, a team of misfits that tortured their fans all season long. It was a time for the Bay Area to rejoice its first world title of any sport since the 49ers of 1994-95.

Sure, there were a handful of defiant A’s fans that didn’t want to see the Giants win, and maybe wanted to see former A’s third-base coach Ron Washington win a World Series as the Texas Rangers manager, but the choice of rooting for a Bay Area team or a Texas team is a no-brainer.

Now, we’re in 2012, and both Bay Area baseball teams are in the playoffs again – the sixth time in history, and fourth time in the last 13 years. The Giants were expected to be here. 

The A’s were not expected, and those come-from-nowhere stories tug at people’s emotions.

It creates new fans from those new to the region. It inspires appreciation from Giants fans. And that old guard of Bay Area sports fans, certainly a lot grayer, dreams of another 1989, while thinking, “this is the Bay Area and we’re in this together.”

The great thing about being a sports fan -- especially a fan in the middle of a “we didn’t think we had any chance this year … and now, holy crap, we might win it all” season – is that anything that puts a smile on people’s faces and bonds fans together is a great idea. Even if it’s ridiculous. No, especially when it’s ridiculous.

That’s the only way to explain how the big bad tough intimidating A’s fans -- they are always linked to Raiders fans -- sing and dance along to “Call Me, Maybe” between innings.

Then they get loopy doing something beautiful called The Bernie Lean that requires just outright silliness.

Photo courtesy of San Francisco Chronicle

Then they absolutely rage when closer Grant Balfour enters a game in the ninth inning.

In other words, the Oakland Coliseum this Fall is equal parts teeny-bopper convention, Halloween costume party, heavy metal show, and old fashioned ballpark relic from the 1970s.

In other words, there’s something for everybody … just like the Bay Area itself.

My good friend and life-long Bay Area native Joe Pereira explained is this way: “as Chris Berman would say, this isn’t your father’s Oakland Coliseum.”

Even the most fervent Giants fans – the type that wants them to just go away, or just now realizes they exist – can’t help but root for the Athletics.

It’s hard to hate the A’s. They came from nowhere. They’re a bunch of no-names. They have colorful characters who aren’t afraid to show emotion, and share the experience with the fans. Who doesn’t love a team full of Australians straight from WWE casting? Besides, the A’s have so few fans, there’s plenty of room on the bandwagon.

It’s hard to hate the Giants. Bonds is gone. How do you not respect Buster Posey and Matt Cain? Then there’s beloved former A’s fan favorite Marco Scutaro playing second base.

So the Bay Area cheers for both of its baseball teams. Perhaps grudgingly. Perhaps looking around first, making sure it's alright.

Deep down, A’s fans remember how much joy Barry Zito brought them, and want to see him pitch like it’s 2002 again, keeping the Giants season alive one more day.

Deep down, Giants fans appreciate that something special is happening in Oakland and want to share it.

If nothing else, fans of each team can’t help root for both teams to reach the World Series. Maybe it’s time for a rematch without an earthquake.

If so, forget all that stuff about liking each other.

Then it’s all-out fucking war. 

UPDATE after the A's lose Game 5 to the Tigers and the Giants beat the Reds in 5 games:

The view of die-hard A's fans -- They won't instantly jump over and passionately cheer on the Giants. In fact, the Giants' dramatic comeback will make the A's loss sting even worse. A's fans will need at least a week or two to get over this disappointment. If the Giants are in the World Series, regional pride will take back over, and they'll wish the Giants well. Right now, A's fans are crushed and pissed.

The view of die-hard Giants fans -- Now we don't have to share the local media spotlight with that other team. Cool.

Sometimes a photo is worth a thousand words

This is Space Shuttle Endeavour, flying over the Griffith Park Observatory with Downtown Los Angeles in the background. Happy retirement, Endeavour.