Bleav Inside China Basin

Ray and Joe discuss the Warriors game 1 win in Minnesota and how the Warriors can be successful the rest of the series with or without Curry. The Giants are off to a solid start although there are some issues defensively.

Rory McIlroy vs. Bryson DeChambeau was the heavyweight fight but in the end Justin Rose battled Rory in a playoff at Augusta. Plenty to digest from an epic Masters, including Rory giving Bryson the "silent treatment." The Warriors have to face the Grizzlies in "Play-In" game as Golden State fights for a playoff spot. And, Jung Hoo Lee lights up the Yankees in the Bronx.

Golden State is 12-2 since Jimmy Butler arrived. Ray and Joe discuss his impact and how Jonathan Kuminga's return will improve the team even more. We take a hard look at the 49ers roster situation and prepare for some of the best television sports coverage of the year with March Madness on our doorstep.

Along with Super Bowl analysis, this podcast delves into whether or not the 49ers can follow the Eagles blueprint for success. Should San Francisco give up what it takes to acquire Myles Garrett? Speaking of acquisitions, the Warriors took a big swing when they traded for Jimmy Butler. How will that effect their chances of being a championship contender? Does Butler make everyone else better? On the baseball front we have a little discussion about what Justin Verlander has left in the tank to give the Giants in 2025.

The Warriors are a .500 team as they head towards the trade deadline. What do they need to do to improve? How much Chiefs fatigue is there ahead of the Super Bowl? Why would a Hall of Fame voter leave Ichiro off the ballot? All questions answered on the latest TheSportsVirus podcast.

Purdy joins Ray and Joe providing stories that are part of the brand new book San Francisco 49ers: An Illustrated Timeline. Learn how Tony Morabito brought professional football to San Francisco and hear a fun discussion about Joe Montana, Steve Young, Bill Walsh and other legendary figures in the team's history.

Castellano passed statistical notes and other information to Gumbel in the CBS Sports booth at NFL games across the country from 2006 to 2022. Now after Greg's death, Joe reflects on his idol and friend with a special podcast in his honor. Fishman, who was a director at CBS for 47 years, also worked closely with Gumbel for many seasons and has fond memories and stories to tell. He explains why Greg was loved by everyone at CBS and others around the industry. We also hear from Gumbel himself during a 2021 interview that served as the debut of TheSportsVirus podcast. Rest In Peace, Greg, you will be greatly missed.

Rickey Henderson left us with many indelible images of his Hall of Fame baseball career and our tribute includes mentions of some of those highlights and accomplishments. We also tackle key questions about the 49ers going forward after a disappointing season and the latest on the Warriors fall from grace after a 12-3 start.

Five straight losses for the Warriors has the team searching for answers including how to divvy up Steph's playing time. The 49ers are missing most of their important players so is it fair to knock the head coach? We go into deep discussion about a possible MLB rule change that would allow for any (and we mean ANY) pinch hitter to be used. Plus, appreciation for Brandon Crawford who just announced his retirement.

Ray on working with Tom Tolbert: "Tom was the cleanup hitter and he was synonymous with KNBR...it's very sad to see that go away. It's feels like the beginning of the end...it's not just KNBR but it's terrestrial radio en masse...that show (when Ralph Barbieri was co-host) was must listen radio for many years...they were a lot of fun...he made it so every single day I always got a belly laugh."

Complete analysis of the World Series and a review of the 49ers win over the Cowboys and the Warriors back-to-back victories against the Pelicans.

Kike Hernandez dropped an F bomb at the end of the Dodgers clincher over the Padres. Joe says it's not classy. Ray analyzes the Giants move to put Posey in charge. What makes Brock Purdy so good and what are the weaknesses of the 49ers so far? All answered here.

The 49ers blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter in their Week 3 loss to the Rams. What went wrong and was there a silver lining for San Francisco?

Mason gives the Niners an obvious 1-2 punch when CMC comes back. We discuss why San Francisco's depth will be a big key this season in a Super Bowl title or bust year. The Giants will be winding up their season soon so we take a peak at what's important for 2025.

Do the Giants really have the "best rotation in baseball" as Farhan Zaidi proclaimed at the trade deadline? We tackle that question and chat about the critical nature of the series with the Braves. Also, it's time to reminisce about the 2014 World Series championship team that was honored at Oracle Park.

Joe calls for a more exciting Home Run Derby in the future with sluggers like Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. Ray dissects the Warriors possible trade offer for Lauri Markkanen. They answer the question of whether or not the Giants should be sellers, buyers or stand pat before the MLB trade deadline.

Klay Thompson has left the building, heading to Dallas after an illustrious career with the Warriors that saw him help lead the team to four championships. Ray and Joe chat about his legacy and regrets that Golden State might have. What's next? Is Jonathan Kuminga untouchable or should they trade him? Also, the San Francisco Giants could have a completely different rotation in the second half of the season; will that be the difference to make an impact in the post season?

Willie Mays was more than just numbers and All-Star games. We reminisce about some of the great moments in his career and discuss who takes over the title as "greatest living ballplayer."

Ray tells some great stories about Jerry West and his trip to Yellowstone, while Joe can relate to putting on the greens at Pinehurst #2 and has a couple of Steve Kline (former Giants pitcher and current head coach of D2 Indiana University of Pennsylvania) quirks to ponder. We tackle the question of whether or not the Giants should be buyers or sellers later this summer at the trade deadline.

Ray and Joe talk some golf as Scottie Scheffler holes one for an eagle on the first hole during the podcast. They discuss the state of the San Francisco Giants and analyze the 49ers schedule.

Mike Yastrzemski homers at Fenway right in the middle of the podcast which spurs a conversation about his grandfather Carl, who was a Hall of Fame player for Boston. Somehow Sam Lynn Ballpark in Bakersfield becomes a conversation piece. Ray reminisces about Candlestick Park and Hank Greenwald broadcasts. Joe wants to see more of Shawn Estes on Giants game telecasts and George Kontos added to the mix.

Could it be the last game that Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson play together? We review the 2023-24 season and discuss where the Warriors go from here. The Giants are lacking speed and clutch hitting so far. Will Blake Snell get on track? Real-time baseball talk while San Francisco finishes its series in Miami.

What is the best sports April Fool's joke ever? Maybe Sidd Finch almost 40 years ago. Certainly the Giants rotation is no joke and we talk about how San Francisco is equipped to compete in 2024. The Shohei Ohtani situation is on the table for discussion. The Final Four is around the corner so we size up some of the top players. And, the Warriors are counting on Draymond Green to keep his cool and join Steph and Klay on a playoff run. Can Andrew Wiggins step up again?

While it didn't work out so well for Davis who lost millions of dollars, how does the Giants plan look as the regular season approaches? We admire the play of Trayce Jackson-Davis as the Warriors try to move up in the standings with time running out before the playoffs.

The headlines are on the table for Joe and Ray to chat about; Steve Kerr gets a contract extension, while Brandon Crawford heads to St. Louis and the Panda returns. Plus, admiration for Steph Curry as he heads to Madison Square Garden, the site of his coming out party 11 years ago.

Ray and Joe play a game of what ifs when reviewing Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas. A fumble, a muffed punt and a blocked extra point were three key mistakes that the 49ers made as they lost to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, again. Should they have taken the ball first in overtime? How justified is the narrative surrounding Kyle Shanahan that he can't win the big game? The discussion moves to the hardcourt and why the Warriors are in much better shape before the NBA All-Star break than they were just a couple of weeks ago.

The 49ers made an incredible second half comeback in the NFC Championship to beat the Lions and reach the Super Bowl. Joe and Ray give their thoughts on the key plays in the game and discuss everything from Dan Campbell's decisions to Brock Purdy's running ability. They preview the matchup with the Chiefs in Las Vegas and Ray states his opinion on the Taylor Swift hoopla. Then it's on to some Warriors talk including whether or not they should deal Jonathan Kuminga or Andrew Wiggins before the NBA trade deadline on February 8.

Ray Woodson gives his thoughts on the Chiefs/Eagles matchup in the Super Bowl which will be played right there in his backyard in the state of Arizona. We dive into the 49ers quarterback situation, discuss the Warriors possibly moving James Wiseman before Thursday's NBA trade deadline and preview the Giants before pitchers and catchers report to spring training next week.

Kontos explains why signing Correa is a good move for San Francisco and tells us how he will fit into the clubhouse. He also reveals what he thinks the Giants need to add before the season. We discuss Brandon Crawford's position change and what losing Carlos Rodon does to the rotation.

Stan Van Gundy analyzes the Golden State Warriors at length on TheSportsVirus Podcast. We dig deep into how they got past the preseason Draymond Green/Jordan Poole incident and discuss what makes Green great for the Warriors. Van Gundy gives his thoughts on what it's like to be an NBA coach and player in this day and age of social media scrutiny. We also get into his relationship with younger brother Jeff, also an analyst for ESPN.

Steve Lenox from ESPN Radio gives his thoughts on MLB banning the shift and picking up the pace of play. We touch on Jeff Saturday getting the Colts head coaching job and what's happened to the New Jersey Nets. We also learn about Steve's career and how he ended up in Bristol.

The 49ers are off to a 3-4 start and former KNBR talk show host Ray Woodson gives us his assessment of the season so far. We also chat about the Warriors' depth and how Steve Kerr will go about setting his rotation early in the season. How did Golden State get past the Draymond Green/Jordan Poole incident? What makes new Rangers skipper Bruce Bochy a great manager? It's all here on this addition of TheSportsVirus Podcast.

Whether it was the NFL, college sports, golf or the Olympics, Verne Lundquist was on the microphone for amazing historical moments. We reminisce about those calls and special events including "The Catch," the Christian Laettner shot and the Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan Olympic figure skating saga. We talk about his analysts and even his long-time statistician during this fun-filled conversation with an incredibly versatile sports broadcasting legend.

Cross talks about what it takes for a quarterback to survive in the NFL these days and why Trey Lance has the tools to succeed. He also tells some stories about Joe Montana, The Catch, The Drive and other great memories from his time in San Francisco.

Ray Woodson and Joe Castellano do a thorough examination of the Niners quarterback situation now that Jimmy G remains with the team as the backup to Trey Lance. Can it work out without being a distraction or will it be a full blown soap opera? Also, what happened to the San Francisco Giants and what can they do to improve in 2023?

Scott Reiss is an Emmy Award-winning sportscaster who served as the radio play-by-play voice of the Stanford Cardinal. He was also an anchor/reporter for KTVU in San Francisco as well as a host for Comcast SportsNet. Scott gives us his thoughts on the Bay Area teams, USC and UCLA leaving the Pac-12 Conference and he explains why he's moving on to his next opportunity in Kansas City.

Vin Scully spent a lifetime in the broadcast booth with the Dodgers (67 seasons) and on network broadcasts including the World Series. Joe and Ray take a look back at some of the great moments as they reflect on a Hall of Fame career and discuss what made Scully so great.

Will Clark has been a guest of TheSportsVirus over the years and has discussed several interesting topics including: the pressure of being a first round draft pick, hitters dealing with shifts in recent years, rule changes to protect players and what it takes to be a clutch player. Today we revisit those chats with the man of the hour in San Francisco.

Bob Miller talks about his long career with the Kings from beginning (1973) to end (2017). We get to hear stories about the Triple Crown Line, the Miracle on Manchester, Wayne Gretzky and the team finally winning its first Stanley Cup championship in 2012.

What's working and not working for the Giants as they head to the All-Star break? Ray Woodson helps us dissect their season and what they might need to do as the trade deadline approaches. We also discuss a possible Kevin Durant reunion with the Warriors and touch on Trey Lance's readiness to be the quarterback the 49ers need now.

Mark Purdy might be retired, but he still has plenty of opinions about sports. We chat about an unhappy 4th of July outside of sports, then dive into the state of the Giants and issues with the A's stadium project. Mark gives his thoughts about new Sharks GM Mike Grier and the future of the team. Plus, we discuss USC and UCLA moving to the Big Ten Conference.

Roy Firestone joins TheSportsVirus Podcast to talk about his recent enshrinement into the California Sports Hall of Fame. We chat about his love of baseball which goes back to being a bat boy at Orioles spring training and developing a relationship with Hall of Famers like Brooks Robinson and Jim Palmer. Roy gives his thoughts on some new baseball rules and expresses his concern for the state of professional golf with the addition of the LIV golf series. He also tells great stories about his long run as host of ESPN's Up Close show and his role in the movie Jerry Maguire.