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Pac-12 WBB: Stanford survives, USC’s Watkins shines as five teams advance to Sweet 16

Bay Area Mercury News Sports - Tue, 03/26/2024 - 10:43

The Kiki Iriafen discovery phase ended long ago in the Pac-12 but continues nationally with each NCAA Tournament showing.

Take Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly after Iriafen’s 41-point, 16-rebound performance Sunday saved No. 2 seed Stanford from a second consecutive second-round exit at home.

“She’s just one of those kids that in person was much better than on video,” Fennelly said. “Just a tremendous talent.”

Or consider the comments from Larry Vickers after Norfolk State’s first-round loss to Stanford. “We don’t have the Pac-12 Network. I had no clue she (Iriafen) was that good.”

Iriafen has been the equal of her better-known teammate, Cameron Brink, all season. The 6-foot-3 junior leads Stanford in scoring (19.2 points per game) and is nearly even with the 6-4 Brink in rebounding.

Brink is the Pac-12 Player of Year and Defensive Player of the Year, but the Cardinal would not be one of five Pac-12 teams playing in the NCAA Sweet 16 without Iriafen scoring almost half of Stanford’s points in an 87-81 overtime win against Iowa State.

Iriafen played 41 minutes to Brink’s 23 (due to foul trouble). Brink had eight points, eight rebounds and five blocks before fouling out with 2:11 left in regulation.

Brink is projected to be the No. 2 pick in the WNBA draft on April 15 (by Los Angeles). But an argument can be made that Iriafen, if she were eligible, would be selected ahead of Brink.

ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike, who played at Stanford, said Sunday she sees comparisons between Iriafen and two-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson.

“I just remembered where we were last year,” Iriafen said of Stanford’s 54-49 second-round loss to Mississippi. “It wasn’t a great taste in our mouth. We didn’t want that to happen two years in a row. So giving it my all to make sure we can get to Cleveland (Final Four site) was in my mind.”

Iriafen scored 11 points in the five-minute overtime as the teams combined for 36 points. The best game of the NCAA’s first weekend had “more drama than a junior high lunch table,” ESPN announcer Roy Philpott declared.

There were six lead changes in overtime and two in the final minute, courtesy of 3-pointers by Iowa State’s Addy Brown, then Stanford’s Brooke Demetre. Emily Ryan scored 36 and had nine boards for the No. 7 Cyclones but also committed 10 turnovers. Stanford scored 21 points off 19 turnovers.

Because of overtime and what was at stake, the game surpassed even the Oregon State-UCLA thriller back on Feb. 16, which featured four lead changes in the final 10 seconds — with a buzzer-beater finish — for best the Pac-12 game of the season.

“This was a heavyweight fight,” Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. “We know we can play a lot better, and we were up against a team that was hotter than snot out there.”

Five Sweet 16 teams ties record

The Pac-12 has five teams in the Sweet 16 for the third time, all since 2017.

USC and UCLA won in the second round on Monday, joining Stanford, Oregon State and Colorado in the second weekend of the tournament.

There were two casualties, however. Utah lost at Gonzaga while Arizona, after winning in the First Four, fell in the first round to Syracuse.

UCLA, Oregon State and Colorado will travel to Albany, where two of the four regionals will unfold. USC and Stanford, the Pac-12 tournament and regular season champions, respectively, are staying west in Portland. All five are facing opponents seeded No. 5 or higher.

Nothing will beat the matchups in the Albany 2 region, where Colorado tangles with Iowa and Caitlin Clark while UCLA faces LSU, the defending national champion.

The Pac-12 failed to advance any teams beyond the Sweet 16 last spring. Prior to that, the conference had one or more Final Four qualifiers in 12 of 14 NCAA Tournaments since 2008.

LA schools win at home

USC and UCLA, hosting early-round games in the same season for the first time since 1992, made the most of their advantage in second-round wins Monday.

The Bruins overcame a 10-point deficit early in the third quarter, then scored the first seven points in the fourth and held on to beat Creighton 67-63.

Sophomores Kiki Rice and Lauren Betts led UCLA with 44 combined points while the 6-7 Betts and Gabriela Jaquez teamed up for 21 rebounds. Betts returned to action after sitting out in a first-round game against Cal Baptist with a foot injury.

“At halftime I really laid into them about choices,” UCLA coach Cori Close said. “We don’t give up that many points in a half (42) to anybody. We needed to get back to doing things with our defense. I knew if we could get enough stops, we would score enough points.”

The Bruins are in the Sweet 16 for a second straight year.

Across town, USC had an easier time, beating Kansas 73-55. Freshman sensation JuJu Watkins scored 28 points in her second tournament game after totaling 23 in the first round against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

“Today was our team on display,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “I’m glad that the country got to see that. Ju is spectacular. They had to change and go to a zone because of her attacking early on. We made big play after big play.”

McKenzie Forbes supplemented Watkins with a combined 43 points in the first two rounds.

Role players meet the moment

Stars like Iriafen, Oregon State’s Raegan Beers and Colorado’s Aaronette Vonleh were central to those teams reaching the Sweet 16. But so were role players such as Stanford’s Demetre, Colorado’s Tameiya Sadler and Oregon State’s Dominika Paurova — they all stepped into the spotlight that can shine on anyone in March.

“We would not have won this game without Brooke’s contributions,” Iriafen said. All eight of Demetre’s points came at critical times in the fourth quarter or overtime against Iowa State.

Sadler scored eight consecutive points for Colorado late in the third quarter, part of a 15-3 run that created separation against Kansas State in a 63-50 win. Colorado and three other Pac-12 schools are joining the Big 12, which includes Kansas State, in 2024-25.

“I turned to Tameiya at the end of that third quarter when we were up by 10 and said that’s because of you,” teammate Maddie Nolan said.

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Colorado coach JR Payne said her star guard, Jaylyn Sherrod, asked to be replaced by Sadler because “she recognized that Tameiya was playing better than she was. It’s a great example of how unselfish our team is.”

On her 19th birthday — and with her parents and sister from the Czech Republic on hand — Oregon State’s Paurova scored a season-high 17 points in a first-round win over Eastern Washington.

“Dreamy scenario,” Oregon State coach Scott Rueck said. “It’s these type of moments that we hope for everyone. You just hope those moments won’t be too big or they won’t overthink it.”

Fair too much for Arizona

Arizona, the only unranked Pac-12 team in the NCAA field, came within three minutes of reaching the second round — even with its seven-player rotation in foul trouble.

The Wildcats led by five points against Syracuse before guard Dyaisha Fair returned from what at first appeared to be a serious knee injury and took over the game, scoring her team’s final 13 points in a 74-69 win.

“That’s what stars do,” Arizona coach Adia Barnes said. “They take over in the moment when their team needs it. We just don’t have that player. We’re going to get that type of player and when we were successful, we had that type of player,” referencing Aari McDonald in 2021, when Arizona reached the NCAA championship game.

Including Arizona’s victory in the First Four, the Pac-12 posted a 12-2 record through the first weekend.

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NFL owners approve a radical overhaul to kickoff rules, AP source says, adopting setup used in XFL

Bay Area Mercury News Sports - Tue, 03/26/2024 - 10:29

By ROB MAADDI | AP Pro Football Writer

ORLANDO, Fla. — Kickoff returns are returning to the NFL.

Team owners on Tuesday approved a new rule that will take what essentially had become “a dead play” and make it an integral part of the game again, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the league hasn’t announced the change.

The major overhaul to special teams — which has been in the works for years — takes elements of the kickoff rules used in the XFL and tweaks them for use in the NFL beginning in 2024. The rule will be in play for one season on a trial basis and then be subject to renewal in 2025.

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NFL Competition Committee chairman Rich McKay said Monday there was urgency to vote on this rule before the draft because it could impact the way teams structure rosters. There were 1,970 touchbacks on kickoffs last season that now could be returns.

“I think it’s good for the game,” said Rams coach Sean McVay, who is one of three coaches on the eight-member committee. “I think all the intentions are in the right direction, and I’m really appreciative of the time and effort that the special teams coordinators have put in to try to be able to keep this play relevant in our game.”

For a standard kickoff, the ball would be kicked from the 35-yard line with the 10 kick coverage players lined up at the opposing 40, with five on each side of the field.

The return team would have at least nine blockers lined up in the “set up zone” between the 30- and 35-yard line, with at least seven of those players touching the 35. There would be up to two returners allowed inside the 20.

Only the kicker and two returners would be allowed to move until the ball hits the ground or was touched by a returner inside the 20.

Any kick that reaches the end zone in the air can be returned, or the receiving team can opt for a touchback and possession at the 30. Any kick that reaches the end zone in the air and goes out of bounds or out of the end zone also would result in a touchback at the 30.

If a ball hits a returner or the ground before the end zone and goes into the end zone, a touchback would be at the 20 or the play could be returned. Any kick received in the field of play would have to be returned.

“It’s a drastic kind of move that’s going to be way different,” said Ravens coach John Harbaugh, a former special teams coordinator. “Is that the right move at this time? I don’t know. I think that’s to be determined.”

Under current rules, any touchback — or if a returner calls for a fair catch in the field of play — results in the receiving team getting the ball at its 25.

The proposal needed 24 of 32 votes to pass.

“I’m all for it,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “You have 2,000 dead plays. Nobody wants to see that. It’ll add excitement and newness.”

___

AP Pro Football Writer Mark Long contributed to this report.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Pac-12 legal affairs: What the negotiated settlement means for WSU, OSU and the 10 departing members

Bay Area Mercury News Sports - Tue, 03/26/2024 - 10:16

It took three months to dot the proverbial ‘i’s, but the negotiated settlement between the Pac-12’s remaining schools and the departing members was finalized Monday with signatures, public statements and a heavily redacted document.

There were no surprises in the sections visible to the naked eye.

Each of the 10 outgoing members will have $6.5 million withheld from their conference distributions (in installments) over the remainder of the calendar year, leaving behind a pot of $65 million for Washington State and Oregon State.

The Cougars and Beavers also are entitled to all NCAA Tournament revenue paid out in future years, including the money earned by departing schools, as well as the distributions from the Rose Bowl and College Football Playoff.

The total assets should land in the $250 million range — enough for the Cougars and Beavers to fund athletic operations and potentially rebuild the conference during the two-year grace period allowed by the NCAA. (Starting with the 2026 football season, the Pac-12 must have at least eight members.)

“We are pleased to have reached a fair and equitable settlement with the 10 departing schools that will set the Pac-12 Conference on a path toward future success,” WSU and OSU offered in a joint statement released Monday. (The settlement was originally announced in December.)

What did the outgoing schools receive?

They have voting rights on conference matters that impact the 2023-24 budget in a material way, defined as “any deviation reasonably likely to result in increased Conference costs or expenses or reduced Conference revenue, in each case in an amount greater than two percent (2%).”

The 10 departing members also retain the rights to their intellectual property (audio, video and other archival material) but will license the material back to the conference in a “perpetual, non-exclusive, gratis, royalty-free, fully-sublicensable or assignable license” manner. (See the full settlement below.)

In other words, the Pac-12 will be able to show highlights of Bill Walton playing for UCLA even though the Bruins are in the Big Ten.

Another provision designed to protect the outbound schools: If the conference dissolves before August 2026, all 12 members will share the remaining assets, thus ensuring WSU and OSU cannot turn out the lights and keep all the assets for themselves.

“We are pleased to finalize an agreement with OSU and WSU that provides support for all our student-athletes while ensuring an equal distribution of the vast majority of funds earned by all 12 schools during the 2023-24 academic year,” the outbound schools stated.

So rejoice, folks, because everybody’s “pleased.” It only took six months and hundreds of billable hours across 12 campuses and six states to get there.

But in our view, two of the settlement’s most important elements aren’t even visible:

— The first is the manner by which the schools plan to handle liabilities that will range from modest, like former commissioner George Kliavkoff’s contract settlement, to massive.

How massive?

The Pac-12 and the other power conferences are named defendants in a class-action antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA. Scheduled for trial next winter, the House case could carry billions in damages. Even if there’s a settlement, the bill will be enormous.

How will the schools handle the Pac-12’s legal liabilities? Will the departing members cover a share of the damages?

Section 14 of the settlement, titled “Confidentiality,” refers to a series of redacted sections that presumably address the liabilities:

“The Parties agree that the disclosure of this information would cause substantial competitive harm to the Conference and each of the Schools, would prejudice the Conference’s and each of the School’s respective or joint defenses of active and potential litigation matters, and would violate the vital joint interests of the Parties in the defense of litigation.”

Put another way: The schools don’t want the plaintiffs to see their defensive playbook.

— The second unseen element is not part of the redacted material. In fact, it’s not included anywhere.

It’s the settlement’s impact on Washington State and Oregon State as they fight for survival.

The 31-page document is their lifeboat.

Without it — without the revenue it guarantees and the protections it provides — the ‘Pac-2’ schools would not have control of their future.

“So much of the case is wrapped up in the changing landscape of college sports,” said a source familiar with the agreement. “The (settlement) allows them to keep their options open.”

Since Sept. 1, when Cal and Stanford agreed to join the ACC and left the Cougars and Beavers alone in open water, the ‘Pac-2’ schools have masterfully plotted and executed a strategy.

They secured control of the conference and the rights to future assets worth hundreds of millions.

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They entered into a football scheduling agreement with the Mountain West and placed their basketball teams and Olympic sports in the West Coast Conference as affiliate members.

They took perhaps the worst hand in the history of college sports and did not fold — all while remaining free to explore their options and prepare for multiple outcomes.

They are not bound to anything or anyone beyond the spring of 2026.

By then, college sports as we know it might not exist.

The ACC could crumble, sparking massive realignment.

Athletes could be declared employees, their salaries paid by the schools.

A football super league could be in the works for the 20 or 30 heavyweight programs, leaving all others on a second tier with Washington State and Oregon State.

Nobody knows exactly what’s coming, but everybody knows something’s coming.

WSU and OSU “are as well positioned as anyone could have hoped for universities facing these circumstances,” the source said.

And the settlement agreement announced Monday, 200 days after WSU and OSU first filed the lawsuit, is their sustenance.

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Baseball 2024: SF Giants’ Oracle ballpark offers eats for vegan and vegetarian baseball fans too

Bay Area Mercury News Sports - Tue, 03/26/2024 - 10:00

For a long time, ballpark fare has been dominated by hot dogs and burgers, leaving vegetarians with slim options for diamond-side bites — unless you really love peanuts and Cracker Jack.

But San Francisco’s Oracle Park has expanded its concessions menu in recent years to appeal to vegetarian baseball fans, offering everything from Impossible burgers to vegetarian lumpia and falafel wraps.

Peter McGuinness, CEO of Impossible Foods, says he thinks the transition is all about giving baseball fans more choices. “People want healthier options and better options,” he says. “Some people want plant-based options. We want to make them available to everyone.”

That effort took a step forward with the opening of a That’s Impossible! kiosk — his company’s first brick-and-mortar outpost — on the ballpark’s club level, where club-level ticket holders can enjoy dishes made with Impossible-brand “meats,” including Philly cheesesteaks, Impossible chicken nuggets and chili.

Impossible burgers and similar veggie fare are also available at food stands throughout the ballpark, a nugget we discovered in the waning days of the last baseball season, as we set out to find the best vegetarian and vegan-friendly options there. And while we’re ready to declare the Impossible cheesesteak a home run, it has competition.

That’s Impossible! at Oracle Park before the San Diego Padres game against the San Francisco Giants in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) 

That cheesesteak ($16) is a delightfully drippy affair, with veggie and Impossible “meat” juices running from the thick roll and combining into a happy, sloppy cheesy meal. It’s a satisfying alternative to the traditional dish. And the upcoming season brings potentially big news: An Impossible-brand hot dog may be available as soon as opening day, according to McGuinness.

The Lumpia Company’s vegetarian lumpia makes a great bite at Oracle Park before the San Diego Padres game against the San Francisco Giants in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) 

The ballpark’s vegetarian lumpia ($15) will easily get you to second plate — as in, you’ll want seconds. Made by Bay Area fave, the Lumpia Company — the Oakland food company owned by restaurateur Alex Retodo and East Bay rap legend E-40 — this Filipino classic boasts a flaky, crisp exterior that gives way to chewy, flavorful veggies.  The food stand is also known for its vegan-friendly Dole Whip in both classic pineapple and new wave strawberry-calamansi flavors, if you’re looking to sate your sweet tooth.

Meanwhile, the Super Duper veggie burger ($14) from the popular San Francisco-based burger purveyor is fine, but a bit dry inside. The addition of hummus instead of traditional burger condiments doesn’t add enough moisture or flavor — and it doesn’t mix well with ketchup and mustard. Still, it’s pleasing enough to wash down with a nicely chilled beer and an easy thing to let slide — especially when the traditional vegetarian alternative has been to just go hungry all game.

Super Duper Burgers’ vegetarian burger for $14 at Oracle Park before the San Diego Padres game against the San Francisco Giants in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) 

Here are the ballpark’s other vegetarian snacks, sides and dishes and where to find them:Related Articles

  • Greek or Caesar salad: section 103
  • Green salad: section 144
  • Veggie lumpia: section 116
  • Veggie dog: sections 112, 121, 134, 142 and 144
  • Vegetarian Mission Street burrito bowl: section 130
  • Veggie burger: section 139
  • Garlic fries: sections 103, 106, 118, 130, 136, 144
  • French fries: sections 103, 106, 110, 115, 118, 130, 136, 144
  • Nachos: section 130
  • Mac ‘n’ cheese: section 110
  • Chur-waffle: section 110

For pescatarians:

  • Fish tacos – section 140
  • Poke – section 112

And there’s always Cracker Jack.

Find the latest ballpark concessions information at mlb.com/giants/ballpark/food.

49ers: Ten key topics Kyle Shanahan discussed at NFL owners meeting

Bay Area Mercury News Sports - Tue, 03/26/2024 - 09:04

Kyle Shanahan sounded upbeat and confident Tuesday morning in his first press conference since two days after the 49ers lost Super Bowl LVIII.

That loss was not rehashed in his 30-minute session with reporters at the NFL’s annual owners meeting in Orlando, Fla.

Instead, Shanahan mostly spoke about changes to his coaching staff and the Niners’ defense, going so far as to say the 49ers’ run defense last season was the worst in his seven seasons at the helm.

Here are the top 10 topics Shanahan covered, as captured in a video posted by The Athletic’s David Lombardi:

1. SORENSEN AS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Nick Sorensen’s familiarity with Shanahan, his two-year apprenticeship on the defensive staff, and his ability to relate well with players earned him a promotion to defensive coordinator, a role Steve Wilks was fired from after one season.

“I just love where he’s at from a football mind,” Shanahan said. “Our players love him. He’s been talking to our team every Thursday, doing the Ball (turnover-oriented) meetings. Our players are used to him and it’s a great opportunity for him. We’re happy to put him in this position.

“I’ve been with him the last two years, mainly. When you’re with somebody, it’s not really an interview that changes it. It’s being with somebody in the building every day. I thought he was close last year to being ready, and I think he’s even more ready now.”

2. RUN DEFENSE ISSUES

The 49ers allowed the NFL’s third-fewest rushing yards in the regular season before they proved vulnerable in the playoffs, where their three opponents averaged 5.2 yards per carry and each ran for at least 130 yards. The Detroit Lions ran for 182 yards and three touchdowns in the NFC Championship Game.

“We obviously got beat on some crack tosses too much, and once that did happen, it didn’t stop,” Shanahan said. “I mean, we got more ran on us last year than I’ve ever seen in my career. That’s what happens when you don’t stop that bleeding right away: People keep attacking it. That made it a bigger challenge for us and something we have to get better at.” (More on those defensive adjustments later in this story.)

3. AIYUK’S STATUS 

This offseason’s most publicized drama revolves around Brandon Aiyuk’s contract status, and whether the 49ers’ leading receiver will play under his fifth-year option ($14.1 million) or land a multi-year raise, presumably with the 49ers.

While Shanahan prefers removing himself from “sensitive” negotiations, he noted: “I’ve seen Brandon a couple of times. I actually ran into him in Cabo last week. He was randomly at our hotel; I don’t think he wanted to be. He’s doing good. Hopefully we’ll get this done sooner than later.”

Although Aiyuk has vented on social media, Shanahan said that hasn’t interfered with their relationship: “I’ve seen him a couple of times and we’ve been good. I don’t expect it, too. Brandon understands the situation and I know I do. I’m excited to get him back playing for us.”

Shanahan acknowledged that quarterback Brock Purdy’s success is tied to having quality receivers, adding; “It starts there with Brandon. It’s real big for Brock and his future, to make sure we have a good group for him going forward.”

4. PURDY’S PROGRESS

Once the 49ers reconvene April 15, Shanahan is excited for what will be Purdy’s first true offseason program as an entrenched starter, and he’ll have 19 games from last season to further review and improve upon with quarterbacks coach Brian Griese and his assistant, Klay Kubiak. (Mick Lombardi is expected to move into the pass-game specialist role previously held by Klint Kubiak, now the Saints’ coordinator).

“I’m just pumped that Brock gets an offseason,” Shanahan said. “His first year, he didn’t get much of one, just because he was the third quarterback. Last year, he couldn’t throw with us until training camp. This year, he just got married, he’s fully healthy, and he’ll come back in a couple of weeks when we get going. I’m just pumped to go through the film with him and be on the field with him, which he hasn’t had a chance to do yet in his career.”

Brought in as Purdy’s potential backup is Josh Dobbs, who impressed Shanahan by proving tough to beat in Week 4 with the Arizona Cardinals. “I loved how consistent he was,” Shanahan said. “You could tell whatever the game plan was, he executed extremely well. I loved how competitive he was when he ran, how physical he was in breaking tackles. He gave his team a good chance to win.”

5. BRANDON STALEY’S ROLE

Former Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley has joined Shanahan’s staff, though his role remains vague, presumably as the assistant head coach, a title that Shanahan and the 49ers have yet to announce.

“Brandon will be a big part of the game plans, implementing a lot of our defense here in the offseason and during each week,” Shanahan said. “He’s been a big part of free agency, helped us with the draft and he’ll be a huge asset to the whole coaching staff.

“… I know we looked into him for the coordinator role, but I really wanted to stay in-house, and keep it similar to what we’d done in the past with our scheme. Being able to get Brandon on board, it was huge.”

6. D-LINE CHANGES

In come defensive linemen Leonard Floyd, Yetur Gross-Matos, Maliek Collins, Jordan Elliott and perhaps more. “We really wanted to add some guys who had some good health history,” Shanahan said.

Most appealing is Floyd. “He goes all day. We played against him too much. I never liked playing against him,” Shanahan said. “He’s always been such a good player. It was real cool having Brandon on our staff, because he got to coach him in L.A., and just hearing the type of practice player he is, he goes all day, loves playing football, and I’m pumped to have him on our team.”

The most disappointing departure? Arik Armstead, who was released after nine seasons and struck a lucrative deal with Jacksonville.

“It wasn’t something we really wanted to happen. It’s one of the tough things when trying to keep a team together and where it goes with the salary cap,” Shanahan said. “He got in a good spot and real happy where he ended up, but hate to see him go.”

7. O-LINE CONTINUITY

Right guard Jon Feliciano’s return on a one-year deal ensured that the 49ers could field the same starting offensive line as last season. “We’ll always keep look to add and improve through the draft, to get more competition in there,” Shanahan said. “But I’ve been real happy with our group.”

That holds true with right tackle Colton McKivitz, who signed a one-year extension through 2025. “He’s the exact type of guy we want. He’s one of the real leaders on our team,” Shanahan said. “He did a hell of a job playing.”

The other starters: left tackle Trent Williams, left guard Aaron Banks, and, center Jake Brendel. Feliciano overtook Spencer Burford as the starting right guard after adjusting his style. “Once he got out there on the field, the way he was in games on Sundays, the way he reacted in the huddle, the ways guys gravitated to him, you could tell football wasn’t too big for him,” Shanahan said of Feliciano.

8. REMAINING ROSTER HOLES

The reigning NFC champs still have uncertainty at spots that, as the Super Bowl showed, could dictate an outcome.

At nickel back, Deommodore Lenoir could settle in there if Isaac Yiadom proves a reliable right-side cornerback. Ambry Thomas, Sam Womack and Darrell Luter are other options, and more could come from the 49ers’ 10-pick arsenal in next month’s draft.

Return specialist Ray-Ray McCloud left in free agency for Atlanta, opening the door for Ronnie Bell to “compete and get better at it,” said Shanahan, who again alluded to the draft as an avenue for replenishment.

McCloud also saw time as a No. 4 wide receiver, so the 49ers need to add depth there. But Shanahan said it was huge to yield a second-round tender to Jauan Jennings. “He’s only gotten more physical each year,” Shanahan said. “The style of how he plays, how big he is, people sleep on him. They don’t realize how big and physical he is until game day, and it catches a lot of guys off guard.”

9. SAFETY DEPTH

Although veteran safeties are idling in free agency and ex-Colts starter Julian Blackmon recently visited, the 49ers aren’t compelled to bid high for one when a starting spot is not up for grabs with Ji’Ayir Brown coming off his rookie year and Talanoa Hufanga returning from knee reconstruction.

“We’d like to add but I’m also real comfortable with how good Ji’Ayir (Brown) played last year,” Shanahan said. “Everyone knows what Huf’s done. It’s always scary coming back from an ACL, but once you come back in this day and age, it’s usually OK. I expect to get him some time in training camp. Getting back George Odum, he’s probably the best special teams player in the league, and he can also play safety well, too. And we’ll see how it goes in the draft.”

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10. DRAFT REVIVAL 

Not only do the 49ers have 10 draft picks but they own a first-round spot for the first time since 2021, when they moved up to the No. 3 overall slot for quarterback Trey Lance and shipped multiple picks to the Miami Dolphins.

“It’ll be more fun,” Shanahan said. “It’s pretty miserable not having a first-round pick, just watching and having nothing to do that first day. We knew we weren’t going to have one the last (two) years, so we didn’t look as much at those top picks. We’ll be prepared for everybody this year. You never know whether we stay where we’re at or if we move around, but at pick No. 31, you have to be ready for anything.”

BONUS ITEM: KICKOFFS

The NFL approved a new kickoff role to “promote more returns” while also perhaps enhancing safety measures by aligning players closer together to reduce collision speeds. The 49ers were among three teams who voted against the rule, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows reported.

“It’s interesting. I don’t think anyone totally knows. When you put guys in different spots, there’s different timing,” Shanahan said. “It’ll be fun to watch. We’ll have to figure it out as we go. That’ll be a fun thing in the league but it will be different each week.”

NFL owners vote to ban ‘hip-drop tackle.’ Not everyone is happy about the decision

Bay Area Mercury News Sports - Tue, 03/26/2024 - 08:27
By Ben Church | CNN

NFL owners officially voted to ban the ‘hip-drop tackle’ from the sport on Monday, after an annual league meeting in Florida.

The tackle has long been a topic of debate and was cited as the reason behind multiple injuries in the NFL.

According to the NFL, the hip-drop tackle in question involves a swivel technique in which a player “grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms” and “unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner’s leg(s) at or below the knee.”

From next season, the tackle will result in a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down, the league announced.

However, not everyone is happy with the decision.

“Just fast forward to the belts with flags on them,” former three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year JJ Watt said on X, formerly known as Twitter, in response to the news.

Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland also criticized the decision, posting on X: “Breaking news: Tackling Banned.”

CNN has reached out to the NFL for comment about the criticism.

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Baltimore Ravens star Mark Andrews was one victim of the tackle last season, suffering a serious ankle injury after being brought down by the controversial technique in November.

Earlier this year, Andrews said he didn’t blame the player who tackled him and would not weigh in on the conversation over whether or not to ban the technique.

“It kind of was just an unfortunate event,” he said. “I’m just going to let everybody else do their thing. If they want to ban the tackle, fine. I’m going to go hard no matter what. I don’t blame the guy. He was just playing hard.”

The league also voted for two other changes during Monday’s meeting, firstly “to protect a club’s ability to challenge a third ruling following one successful challenge” and secondly “to allow for an enforcement of a major foul by the offense prior to a change of possession in a situation where there are fouls by both teams.​”

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