Well, I went home for Thanksgiving. For those who don't know, I'm from Seattle and I went home for four wonderful days with my family. However, four wonderful days, quickly became three after a nightmarish day of traveling on Monday.
For those who like to fly out of Bakersfield, I have a few words of advice: Never fly from Bakersfield through San Francisco. Every flight I had scheduled was either canceled or delayed. I know it's the holidays, but still, flying these days is not fun.
It's awful.
I was supposed to land in Seattle in time for lunch and a trip to the Seattle Sonics game to talk to Robert Swift. By the time I landed in the Emerald City, the game was over. It was 11:30 p.m.
It's depressing. From what I was told at the airport, it's always sketchy flying from the Bay Area to Bakersfield, but many might already know that.
I just thought I'd share my tale of woe.

The 'Runners trail by nine at the half 38-29 to Loyola Marymount. The Lions have a clear size advantage inside, but the 'Runners have the athletes to stay in the game.
However, the team needs to start hitting some shots. They are struggling from the field, shooting just 35.7 percent. But the free throws killed CSUB's momentum early, hitting just 4-of-14.
Coming into the game, the team wanted to cut down on turnovers, which it did, but for the third time to be a charm, the 'Runners need to start hitting some shots. The Lions don't boast the flashy, up-tempo style Long Beach State showed on Friday night, but Loyola Marymount did a good job in the first half of taking care of the ball and made 11-of-15 free throws.

Cal State Bakersfield unveiled its new athletic Web site during the Tip-Off Luncheon Thursday. The new site, still located at www.gorunners.com, is on par with most other schools in Division I with sleek new design. As far as I'm concerned, one of the site's best features is the game tracker. I followed women's basketball team's win over Hawaii Pacific Friday, and was impressed with the quality of the stats. It was nice to be able to watch the men play at Long Beach State and still be able to keep tabs on the women's game.

Well, time is winding down with 7 minutes, 54 seconds to play. The 'Runners trail by six and Zeke Andrews is heading to the line. The 49ers keep trying to put CSUB away, but they're still in it.

After trailing by as many as 16 points in the first half, The Roadrunners got going, closing out the half on an 18-2 run.
Early on, the 'Runners couldn't buy a bucket. They missed 3s, shooting just 1-for-12 in the first half. They missed free throws, making just 5-of-16.
But Long Beach State started making poor decisions with the ball, and with Carl Damus scoring a career-high 12 points in the first half, CSUB battled back.
It looked like the 'Runners would into the half down by one, but Dwuan Rice forced a steal, fed it up the floor to Randall Harding who hit Demarcus Hall for dunk as time expired.
The score is tied at 30 at the half as CSUB is, once again, making a statement.
But, to stay in the game and have a chance to win down the stretch, the 'Runners need to start making some free throws.

I just checked the final of the women's game and CSUB won 106-44. I am sad to report that Rhondi Naff missed her first two shots of the year, finishing with 16. Jessi Loring also scored 16 to lead the 'Runners.

Cal State Bakersfield is about tip against Long Beach State. I'll check back at halftime to give an update. The women are at the half, leading Hawaii Pacific 51-23. Rhondi Naff continues to play well with 16 points in the first half.

Statements were made. New stars discovered, and the highlight reel started.
It certainly didn't take long for the basketball teams at Cal State Bakersfield and Bakersfield College to catch fire.
Here's a team-by-team breakdown of  the last week.
BC women: She's not certain, but Renegades coach Paula Dahl thinks the team's title at the San Diego Mesa Tournament might be the first in the program's history. It's certainly the first of Dahl's career. What's even more impressive is the adversity the team has had to overcome to get to this point. Be sure to check Wednesday's paper for a feature on the 'Gades.
CSUB men: Plenty of uncertainty surrounded the 'Runners' season opener, after all, it was the team's first foray into the ranks of Division I.
CSUB wasted little time proving it could compete at the D-I level, claiming the lead for stretches of the first half and even late in the second half.
The problem in the team's 75-67 loss to University of the Pacific Saturday was that the team's young players took some time to catch up with veterans like Dwuan Rice and Zeke Andrews. But, as the game went on, the 'Runners got better.
Rick Robinson, a 6-foot-7 junior forward/center, is going to be a big factor this season. He struggled in the first half against the Tigers as several passes glanced off his hands, landing out of bounds. But in the second half, he seemed to settle down and those passes turned into layups. The most emphatic of which was a dunk along the baseline, which put the finishing touches on a flurry of touch passes from Rice and Andrews.
It really seemed like CSUB had UOP on the ropes down the stretch, creating an interesting matchup at Long Beach State on Friday.
This group of 'Runners expects to win, and with the energy they bring to the defensive side of the floor, the team seems primed for an upset against one of the two D-I schools they play this weekend.
CSUB women: Like the men's team, the CSUB women don't just want to stay close in Division I games this season.
The 'Runners opened with an impressive victory in an exhibition win against Fresno Pacific Thursday.
With 20-point performances by Rhondi Naff and Christine Kepenekian, not to mention a 14-point scoring effort by Jessi Loring and 11 of the team's 32 assists going to Krista Arase, offense isn't going to be much of a problem for CSUB.
The women open the regular season against Hawaii Pacific Friday. But the game to look out for is Nov. 20 contest at UNLV. The Rebels lost their season opener to Pepperdine 57-42 on Sunday. Kisha Lee was the only member of the Rebels to score score in double figures with 10 points.
I wouldn't be surprised at all to the the 'Runners finish with at least a .500 record against D-I teams this season.
BC men: It will be hard for the Renegades to top their 132-point performance to open the season against Allan Hancock, but the 'Gades continue to show they are a team to watch.
The 'Gades dropped their first game of the year to Antelope Valley on Friday, but that hardly diminishes the team's rousing start to the season. BC (3-1) wrapped up the Ventura Invitational Tournament on Sunday with a win over San Diego City College.
Terrence Johns continues to dominate for the 'Gades. He scored 34 points and was named to the all-tournament team. Johns gets lots of help from teammates like Aaron Perez, who had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds and Andrew Ready and Steve Alford who each dropped in 10.
But Johns is definitely the team's leader. He's the one constant. Someone different seems to pitch in each game, but Johns has been good for about 20 points in each game this season.

If you get a chance, get out to at least on Bakersfield College men's basketball game. The Renegades play helter-skelter, up-tempo basketball: Think streetball with structure.
It took the 'Gades some time to find their offense, but once they did, the results were impressive.
"It's always good to start out with a win," BC coach Rich Hughes said. "The kids played hard and we clicked offensively."
Terrence Johns dominated early, scoring a flurry of points in the first half. He's got the size to rebound, but can also step out and shoot the 3. Just to see the reigning co-MVP of the Western State Conference is worth the trip to a game.
He finished with a game-high 26 points.
"He's gonna be there," Hughes said of Johns. "He's just a player. He gets it done. He's an important part of the team."
But Johns isn't the only attraction.
In the first half, Andrew Ready threw an alley-oop behind his back to Lawrence Billings. In the second half, Demetrius Williamson threw down an alley-oop from Reggie Lassiter.
The 'Gades are loaded with at least two solid players at each position. Jonny Machado is smooth at the point and plenty of Renegades can hit the 3.
Hughes isn't sure if the team's 132-point performance is a school record, but it was certainly a performance worth noting.
So, take a chance and check out the 'Gades.

The Roadrunners wrestling team opened the season Thursday with the Blue-Gold meet. The results were mixed, but that's not a bad thing. The team moved up the annual intrasquad meet to better assess where team is at and what needs to improve.
It also gave the freshmen a chance to grasp the the jump from high school to Division I, which is always interesting to watch.
Wrestlers who impressed included Brandon Zoetewey at 125, freshman John Cardenas at 133, Brandon Doyle at 149 and Jeff Baker at 157.
Sophomore Colton Nichols provided the most lopsided victory of the day, beating senior Eric Parker by technical fall 17-0.
Although the team had several wrestlers who struggled to make weight, the event proved to be a success.
Freshmen like Elijah Nacita, Greg Crane and Ryan Becerra are sure to improve, while Cardenas and Riley Orozco each have their first victories.
It will be interesting to watch Zoetewey battle Zack Bigboy throughout the season. It was my first trip to a college wrestling meet, and, after living at Rabobank Arena for the CIF state tournament last season, I was throuroughly impressed with the level of competition at D-I.
And that was just the first meet.

Midway through my first week of Cal State Bakersfield coverage, I'm finally starting to match all of the names and faces.
After three days, the one glaring thing I've noticed is the buzz about the jump to Division I. Sure, there are no playoff possibilities for many CSUB teams, and sure, most teams aren't playing a full D-I schedule, but the athletes have found other ways to create motivation.
They are a part of history.
There is a legacy that starts this season, and athletes want that legacy to be a positive one.
The women's basketball team is a perfect example of this, but more on that next week.
Right now, I wanted to take the time jot down some observations for my first few days on the job.

-- First, the women's basketball team has some serious players. I watched Krista Arase, the team's sophomore point guard, swing the ball behind her back from left to right before sweeping into the lane for an assist. I asked Arase where she developed her flashy style and she said she frequently watches streetball tapes.
"I have them all," Arase said of the tapes.

-- Richard "Zeke" Andrews is definitely the vocal leader for CSUB, constantly barking encouragement to his teammates. Oh, and Trent Blakley, a freshman from Alta Loma High, has the build of a senior. Physically, he looks ready for a D-I schedule.

-- I popped my head into wrestling coach T.J. Kerr's office on Tuesday and got to meet new assistant coach Gerry Abas, who joined the Roadrunners from Fresno State. Abas is itching to get back on the mat, so he can show in addition to describing new techniques.

The wrestling team opens its season with the Blue-Gold Meet Thursday at the Icardo Center, as the team begins its push toward the Pac-10 Championships, which will be in Bakersfield, Feb. 24-25