I’ve taken a new approach to watching the Giants play this year, and it’s not unlike the way I view futbol (soccer).

The Giants offense has been so mild, each run they score is greeted in my house by a long and explosive shout of GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!!!

They’ve managed just 88 runs in 24 games (3.66 runs per game) and are in the midst of a stretch where they have just 7 runs in four games.

Credit to the great pitching staff for the fact that they’re 12-12 (2-2 over the last four) despite a glaring lack of offense.

Much like a free kick in soccer, when the Giants get a runner to third with less than two outs I hope for a goal (run).

But like in soccer, it usually results in disappointment and a big zero on the scoreboard.

Lead-off doubles are like corner kicks; a good scoring chance but a situation that needs further action, like a header (yes) or in this case, an actual timely hit.

We all knew the offense would be docile but the fact that they’ve scored 2 runs or less 11 times this year is downright unacceptable.

BIRDIES FOR THE BRAVE

Just wanted to take a few graphs to talk about an incredible charity I was lucky enough to be a part of yesterday.

KNBR held a golf tournament at TPC San Francisco Bay at Stonebrae to benfit Birdies For The Brave.

This organization raises money for military personnel injured while defending our country. More than $2.5 million has been raised since 2005 by this organization.

I’m a steadfast supporter of our troops and deeply appreciative of what they do on a daily basis to keep us safe and provide us freedom.

All politics aside, our troops MUST be supported and helped as much as we can and I’m happy to have been a small part of this yesterday.

I tend to be a guy who does not dwell on sadness and the grim reality of life-on-Earth but today’s events have rocked me.

I’m sure most of you have heard about the very untimely death of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenheart. The 22-year old was fresh off his arguably his best day as a professional baseball player, only to have his life taken in a horrific traffic accident.

It’s rare in my job as Sports Anchor for KNBR 680  that I have to actually “break” hard news that pertains to the sports world. We run an intentionally light-hearted Morning Show and most of the bad sports news can be sprinkled in accordingly.

Today’s jolt was far different.

I guess for me it hit home extra-hard because the man was on the cusp of truly realizing all the dreams he had worked so hard to achieve.

The nature and violence of the accident reminds me that all of this “life we get” is such a tremendous gift and can be taken at any moment that it must be appreciated and then appreciated again.

I want to say that I take nothing for granted and live every moment but that’s not entirely true. I’m just going to spend the rest of the monets of this one day trying to experience and really “feel” everything, knowing that it could be the last “now” at any time.

MASTERS BEGINS

As I debate whether or not to bring my kids to the yard for Giants-Brewers, I can’t wait for Masters coverage to begin.

Nothing like the opening montage of foliage and play-you-missed from earlier to satisfy my golf Jones. I’ve intentionally eschewed internet coverage since Tiger teed off, making that opening all the sweeter.

Again for the record, my cash (proverbial) is on Jeev Milkha Singh.

A couple years ago on the KNBR Morning Show, Brian Murphy asked all of us on the air what the name of our auto-biography would be.

I answered Dream Liver and weekends like the one upcoming are the reason why. I’m lucky enough to have a “job” that coincides with my passion for sports and as a result, I’m “on assignment” at the Final Four in Detroit.

I leave for Motown today for five days and while I’m there I’ll watch my fourth consecutive Final Four and National Championship game.

The fact that this has become an annual junket for me is a boondoggle beyond all boondoggles.

March Madness is one of my favorite sports events and being there among all the media, coaches, and random cognoscenti is a blast.

The two games on Saturday both look like fairly competitive matchups, although in my three visits I have seen some blowouts. Just being there supercedes the fact that the game’s might be blowouts.

The big bonus for me in my first-ever trip to Detroit is the chance to catch the Red Wings Sunday afternoon in Hockeytown at Joe Louis Arena.

While not a huge hockey fan (it’s probably my 7th favorite sport), it will be awesome to see the Wings in their own house and get a look at the team that the Sharks will have to beat this year to win the Cup.

Monday night’s final is always a more mellow affair than the Saturday double-header but a good game can change everything. Last year’s Memphis meltdown will be a moment I’ll never forget.

Tuesday I return in time to get my Spring break celebrating kids and head to AT&T for the Giants home opener.

I’ll be enjoying every moment.

I just felt like dropping that headline as an eye-catching way to point out that I really enjoyed Kurt Busch this morning on the KNBR Morning Show with Murph and Mac.

For anyone who has not yet been bitten by the NASCAR bug or who thinks it’s “stupid” or something, take a listen to these drivers. They are the most refreshing group of athletes in America.

We spent about 10 minutes with the driver of the Blue Deuce (thank you PCon) and it was very entertaining. His frank and forthright answers about driver feuds and his details about the rugged schedule were educational.

He ably inserted the plug about the road race at Infineon later this year and chatted about how he always checks to see if he beats his brother after a race.

TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN

No person can be expected to turn down $35 million to do something they love. Nobody.

Memphis basketball coach John Calipari is apparently set to accept a contract with Kentucky that would have him in one of basketball’s hotbeds through the 2016 season.

That’s huge cash to go with huge pressure. And all this from a guy who has not won a National Championship and is best known for a choke-job last year in the NCAA championship game and a near-brawl with John Cheaney of Temple.