It looks like all the reports detailing the demise of Bay to Breakers were a tad overblown. Sure, there have been several announcements that floats carrying alcohol have been banned on the race course, as well as glass bottles. Very strict rules, although there are no announced restrictions on cans, backpacks with hydration systems or plastic bottles and thermoses, which seemed to be how most people were carrying their alcohol last year anyway — unless there’s a new dark-brown version of Gatorade I’m not familiar with.
While everyone has been made to feel like this year’s B2B will be a whole new experience in sobriety, the numbers in today’s story on SFGate tell a different story. Not only are there the same amount of registered racers as there were for the 2008 B2B (33,000, although at least that many people enter the race without paying), the same amount of police officers will be stationed along the racecourse as last year. The only number that will increase is the amount of Porta-Potties, up about 250 from last year. Whether that will change the number of people urinating in driveways is uncertain, but after seeing lines of 20-plus people at the few toilets stationed at Alamo Square Park last year, more Portas definitely couldn’t hurt.
You stay classy, San Francisco
–I was one of those fans standing up and cheering after Ryan Zimmerman’s 30-game hit streak ended with a fielder’s choice grounder to Edgar Renteria yesterday, a gesture Washington Nationals manager Manny Acta called “very classy” and “very nice.” No word on what Acta thought about the hand gestures Elijah Dukes kept flashing the bleachers between pitches. (Extra Baggs)
–A preview of the Giants’ upcoming 4-gamer against the New York Mets, which has about a 40% chance of including a perfect game from Johan Santana. (McCovey Chronicles)
–Ann Killion writes that Pablo Sandoval is the lone bright light of an otherwise gloomy local sports scene. Best line might have been from noted comedian Bruce Bochy, talking about the spill Fat Ichiro took trying to leg out a triple on Tuesday night. “I didn’t think he was going to get up,” Bochy said. “He looked like a turtle on his back.” (The Merc)
–For Pandaval fans today was a bountiful harvest, as Scott Ostler also profiled the Giants’ hottest hitter. Wonder if Ostler and Killion bumped into each other a couple times yesterday in the clubhouse. (SF Gate)
–There’s going to be a new 49ers Hall of Fame. Should Terrell Owens get in? (49ers Hot Read)
–Nice story about Leon Powe, who won the NBA’s Community Assist Award for April. Pretty amazing, since he’s only 25 and has never gotten a huge contract, at least by NBA standards. (WEEI)
–Laker fans have to accept their favorite team’s flaws — focus and motivation – because they aren’t going away. (Forum Blue and Gold)
–Adam Lauridsen gives a great, albeit depressing, look at Robert Rowell and Larry Riley’s awful, vague and disingenuous press conference from a couple days ago. This seems to be the first time in years when Warrior fans actually seem angry enough to stop attending games at Oracle, if the comments after Lauridsen’s post are any indication. (Fast Break)
