Saturday, May. 17, 2008

Peter Magowan: Great, great, horrible

Reading time, two minutes:

The legacy of out-going Giants boss Peter Magowan is a mixed bag.

Saved the Giants for San Francisco (great).

Signed Barry Bonds (great).

Looked the other way while Bonds hijacked the organization (horrible, and the Giants are paying the bill).

OK'd the de-emphasis of the farm system (horrible).

Chased Dusty Baker (check the results since then).

Signed Barry Zito (horrible so far).

What balances the scale: Built one of the nation's best ballparks.

The federal perjury case vs. Bonds accelerated this week. And he thought not being signed was his major headache.

Add the Sharks' Ron Wilson to the list of fallen winning coaches in Northern California: Baker, Rick Adelman, Steve Mariucci and Jon Gruden.

Scan the landscape today: We're so much better off, right?

Someone said Wilson is hockey's Marty Schottenheimer. Question: Did Wilson ever tell the Sharks, "I see a gleam!"

The Cal State Stanislaus baseball team (37-23) ended its season with a two-and-out at the NCAA Regional. More important was the Warriors' first-ever trip to the Division II postseason.

How right it would be for Stanislaus senior Erick Justesen to be national medalist on Jim Hanny's last day as coach.

About the absence of the Rams' walkthrough tape: So now you give the Patriots the benefit of the doubt?

Another Spygate thing that doesn't square: Bill Belichick insisted he followed the letter of the law, while Matt Walsh supposedly was told, "Don't get caught."

The Sacramento Monarchs prepared for the WNBA season with two exhibition games. NFL, please take note.

USC bounces from the Reggie Bush House to the O.J. Mayo Gift Shop. Can you say, "Lack of institutional control?"

Riding into Trojan Land very soon: the NCAA posse.

Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius will be allowed to try out for the South Africa Olympic team. He needs to say two words to Casey Martin: Thank you.

Scientists aren't sure if the "Blade Runner" owns an unfair advantage. From here: If he did, wouldn't that just balance things out?

An easy answer for the one-year collegiate players bolting to the NBA: Either you turn pro after high school, or you spend no fewer than three years on campus.

Just asking: Why does some incident regarding Robert Horry decide every NBA playoff series?

Sergio Garcia's first reaction after he won The Players was to plug equipment makers. For a second, I thought he was Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The Dallas Stars trail the Detroit Red Wings 3-1. Didn't mean to pile on, Sharks fans.

Another nickname, and it works: the White Sox's Nick Swisher, aka "Dirty 30."

Big Brown pursues the Triple Crown at the Preakness, while the rest of us just hope all horses survive.

Magowan is replaced by Bill Neukom. All we know about him so far -- his wallet is fat.

Magowan's best parting gift would be therapy for Zito, Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain.

Sometimes the other man's grass is greener: While the Giants pitchers grovel for a no-decision, the Diamondbacks' Brandon Webb is 9-0.

The reason Magowan wins the argument: They're not the Tampa Bay Giants.

Bee sports columnist Ron Agostini can be reached at ragostini@modbee.com or 578-2302.