LaMichael James to the 49ers

By Joey McMurry

Oregon's all-time leading rusher, LaMichael James, is now heading to the NFL.

Check out my thoughts on James going to the San Francisco 49ers on Bay Area Sports Guy!

LIVE BLOG: 2012 NFL Draft - thoughts from The Flurry

Below are the thoughts of Flurry staff members Joey McMurry, Ronnie Grenier, Preston Hiefield, Trent Warren, Zan Schindler, Matt Scotton and Bart Batey on each pick in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

Remember, this same post will update as the draft moves along, so just refresh this page after each pick to see our updated thoughts. Round 1 is at the top, and our thoughts on some big picks in the later rounds are below.

Each of Ronnie's picks is listed as well. Keep in mind all of his mocks are for the original team in the spot before all trades.

NFL Draft: what to expect from The Flurry

Joey McMurry, Ronnie Grenier, Preston Hiefield, Trent Warren, Zan Schindler and Matt Scotton will be doing a live blog during the first round of the draft with Bart Batey txting in his thoughts.

We will be constantly updating a single post as the picks are made with our thoughts on each selection. To follow along with us, all you'll need to do is keep refreshing the same post and it will update as we write our comments.

The post will appear on Thursday with a few preliminary notes on the draft, and will then be updated as the draft moves along.

Just a quick reminder: the draft is this Thursday, April 26 at 5 p.m. pacific time. After round 1, the draft will resume with rounds 2 and 3 Friday at 4 p.m.

We will also be scoring Ronnie's mock draft as we go awarding one point for a correct pick and a half a point for a pick in which he mentioned the player who was actually picked in his description.

Check out Ronnie's NFL Mock Draft before the draft gets underway!

2012 NFL mock draft

By Ronnie Grenier

It's that time of year again. Mocks are abundant, prospects are hopeful, teams are fantasizing, and the media is in full-on spectacle mode.

But, of course, when all is said and done, NFL mock drafts are a total crapshoot. Mockers who proclaim themselves experts are no more of an expert than the next guy. I may not be an expert, but it's always fun to speculate and think about all the possibilities that stem from the draft. In celebration of this wonderful time of year (my favorite time of the year), I present my mock draft for The Flurry.

IKEA is now making...... TVs?

By Joey McMurry

Yep, that's right. The cheap furniture do-it-yourself lots of pieces college student's best friend megastore IKEA is now making TVs.

...Err... Uppleva. That's their name for an integrated TV/furniture combo.

Basically, the idea is that it's all in one - speakers, cabinets, TV, you name it. The wires are all hidden and it puts everything all together.

A pretty cool idea, but will it last, and will it be cost effective?

Continue on to check it out.

Vote ESPN College GameDay to Oregon

By Joey McMurry

For the first time, ESPN is letting fans choose where College GameDay will film a commercial over the summer.

Pretty good way to market the show and connect with the fans, if you ask me.

***BIAS ALERT***

So, of course, Oregon puts on the best show of any college in the nation. Therefore, you should all vote for Oregon by click this link:
http://www.gamedayvote.com/

Like I said, Oregon produces great commericals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCkhpQKX2Rw

And seriously, who wouldn't want to see Puddles (The Duck) in another ESPN commercial?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z56bjJKr07I

See my point? Good. Vote Oregon.

Album review: Little Broken Hearts by Norah Jones

By Hunter Moore

Little Broken Hearts by Norah Jones

Blue Note/EMI Records

Release date: 1 May 2012

It is almost inconceivable that a decade has passed since New York singer-songwriter Norah Jones made her gigantic mark on the pop, adult contemporary, and neo-jazz communities with her 2002 debut Come Away with Me. Jones ended up sweeping the 45^th Grammy Awards in 2003, winning Best New Artist and Album of the Year among others. In the ten years that have passed, however, she has become a different artist with a different path to take. 

Bryan Stow throws out emotional first pitch at the Giants home opener

Bryan Stow and his mother.

By Joey McMurry 

Bryan Stow, the Giants fan who was brutally beaten at a Giants-Dodgers game last season, threw out the first pitch at the Giants home opener Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Stow's injuries showed how entire communities can rally together and his emotional appearance at AT&T Park reminded sports fans how athletics can bring people together. My applause goes out to the Giants community for standing behind Stow and to the Giants management for having Stow at the stadium for the first pitch of the new season at AT&T Park.

Read more about Stow here.

UPDATE: Santa Cruz City Council unanimously approves exploration of moving the Dakota Wizards to Santa Cruz

The top may read "Santa Cruz" by next fall.

By Joey McMurry

In a 6-0 vote, the Santa Cruz City Council decided to approve the exploration of moving the Warriors' D-League team, the Dakota Wizards, to Santa Cruz.

Check out my thoughts on the move at Bay Area Sports Guy.

The Madden Curse: why I won't vote for Patrick Willis in the semi-finals of the Madden 13 cover vote

By Joey McMurry

Patrick Willis is a stud. He's the best linebacker in the league and has made it further than any other defensive player in the history of Madden NFL cover voting. Props to him, and I really am rooting for him to get on the cover because I am a 49ers fan who loves defense.

That being said, I hope Willis doesn't win.

As much as I would love to see Willis dawn the cover of the game I play the most every year, I care too much about the real Patrick Willis and his welfare.

3 Ducks in a Row, Ep. 6 - MLB Season Preview

Joey McMurry hosts the MLB season preview show of 3 Ducks in a Row while Zan Schindler makes his debut on the first video edition of the podcast.

The guys cover division picks, award picks, players to watch, and story lines heading into the 2012 season. A little longer than normal, but with the addition of video, it's worth it.

Two great shots, a natural, and golf at its finest: the 2012 Masters

By Joey McMurry
 
The Masters is always fun to watch. Drama, emotion, it has it all.

But this year was particularly exciting, especially on the event's last day.

Bubba Watson and Louis Oosthuizen teed off together in the final round and ultimately pushed each other to a playoff.

Along the way, though, Oosthuizen made this shot:

Euro 2012 Preview: Group B - "the group of death"

By Ry Basham Mintz

In every major football tournament, there is a group that is christened the “group of death.” With the Euro 2012, Group B has been labeled as such, and with good reason. With three former European champions and a runner-up, along with some of the world’s finest football players, Group B will provide some of the most high profile and thrilling matches of the tournament.

Warriors' D-League team to Santa Cruz? Makes sense for Golden State and Surf City

By Joey McMurry 

A new article of mine just went up over on Bay Area Sports Guy!

Check out my thoughts on the Dakota Wizards, D-League team for the Warriors, possibly moving to Santa Cruz.

Google does it again: augmented reality is now a real possibility

By Joey McMurry

Google has just unveiled glasses that make augmented reality possible.

Umm..... What?

Yeah, that was my reaction.

I could go into tons of detail about everything these glasses can do, but I think Google does a pretty good job in this video: