Rules changes make comparing eras and records exceedingly harder

Apples and oranges. People say they can’t be mixed. Well, they can if you put them in a blender.

The Golden State Warriors have captured the imagination not only of basketball fans but sports fans. The Warriors began the 2015-2016 campaign by winning their first 24 games before losing to the Milwaukee Bucks 108-95 on Dec. 11. Golden State’s 24-0 start broke the previous record of 15-0, which the 1948-1949 Washington Capitals and 1993-1994 Houston Rockets established.

The Warriors have won 28 consecutive regular season games dating back to last year. The 1971-1972 Los Angeles Lakers hold the record for 33 consecutive wins. The only difference being their winning streak came in the same season whereas the Warriors’ string spanned over the course of two seasons.  

Golden State, which won its first NBA title since 1975 last June, is a serious candidate to surpass the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls’ regular season record of 72-10, best in NBA history. Matt Steinmetz, who is a broadcaster for Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area, is also featured several times per week on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco as well as hosting pre and post game shows during Warriors broadcasts. Steinmetz was a Warriors beat writer for the Contra Costa Times from 1996-2005.

In lieu of the Warriors’ historic run, Steinmetz posed the question on Twitter of “could the Warriors beat the 72-win Bulls team? Showtime Lakers? Bad Boys Pistons?” Though Steinmetz followed those questions up by saying it would depend on the era in which you are playing the games, the blowback was significant.

Former NBA All-Star turned TV analyst Charles Barkley has not made too many friends in the Bay Area within the past year. Throughout last season, Barkley proclaimed that a jumping shooting team would not win an NBA championship. All the Warriors did in 2014-2015 was go 67-15 on the way to their first NBA title since 1975. Yes, the Warriors are making 3-point shots at at historic pace led by reigning MVP Steph Curry and backcourt mate Klay Thompson. However, the team is on par with the likes of the San Antonio Spurs with their passing and defensive prowess.

Barkley hasn’t shown any inclination to say he was wrong about the Warriors either. In a recent interview on FS1 with Colin Cowherd, Barkley said, “We would have just mauled them. You're not gonna let guys come off those picks. They changed the rules—it's kind of like the NFL where you can't touch the wide receiver. The defense is at a disadvantage, all these cornerbacks in the NFL are really at a disadvantage. And a guy like Stephen Curry, who is amazing, you can't put your hands on him, you can't hand-check him. It's a totally different game.”

Let’s be honest, rules of the game have been made to benefit offenses from the 3-point shot to clear path fouls to no hand checking just to name a few. With that being said, before you declarative say that Team X from today would not beat Team Y from 20-40 years ago, the question asked should be “which era are we playing the game?

If I matched up the 1996 Bulls versus today’s Warriors in 1996, I’ll say “advantage Bulls.” Put that game in today’s era and I’ll say “all bets are off.” Put the Warriors today against the Bad Boys Pistons in 1988, I’ll say, “advantage Pistons” but if I put that game in 2015, I’ll say “advantage Warriors.”

You make the same argument for the NFL, where the rules have been made to benefit offenses. In today’s game, there are very few 21 personnel (two running backs, one tight end), 22 personnel (two running backs, two tight ends) or 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends). Football today is about shotgun offenses with three or four receivers and in many cases the tight end being in the slot formation. The era of tight ends being in-line blockers and occasional pass catchers are a thing of the past.

Not only is a defender not allowed to hit the quarterback too high or low, he cannot hit them too hard. If he lands on a quarterback, a penalty and fine are on their way for putting too much of his body weight upon the golden boy.

Defenses have been castrated beyond recognition. If a team wants to play defense as the way NFL Films often hails in historic clips, they will be fined and suspended without fail. Not only has the aura of a great defense been lessened drastically, but the personalities that go with them have been greatly tempered.

To that end, let’s say you matched up today’s New England Patriots against the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers. Who wins? Again, it depends on the era the game is played. If you play the game in 1975, I’d say advantage Steelers. For openers, Tom Brady would not get the ridiculous protection he gets today from referees. Mean Joe Greene would tear his head off with no consequence. The likes of Mel Blount would mug Julian Edelman down the field.

If the game is played in 2015, however, I’d say advantage Patriots and a big reason for such is that the game has changed to where the Steelers would not be allowed to play the style of game that made them successful in the 1970s.

Time Out with Davon Middleton Jr. (2016 American Canyon High senior)

Vince D’Adamo: What have you enjoyed most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Davon Middleton: What I've enjoyed the most about competing in athletics throughout my life is getting to know new people and watching myself grow and succeed in the sports I play.

D’Adamo: What are your plans after high school?

Middleton: My plan after high school is to go to a community college for two years then transfer to a University and play football.

D’Adamo: What might you choose as a major? What intrigues you about going that direction?

Middleton: I want to major in Radiology. I want to go in this direction because I realized I want to do something in he medical field and getting X-rays interest me.

D’Adamo: What has been your favorite class here at American Canyon High?

Middleton: My favorite class has to be Sports Med.

D’Adamo: Within your family who have been the most influential people?

Middleton: My little brother Kyree Middleton influences me to do my best on the field and also in the classroom.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports, that you would most like to meet.

Middleton: I want to meet DeSean Jackson because he reminds me of myself he's not the biggest or tallest on the field and I was the same way this year when I played football.

Time Machine 2006: Calistoga basketball teams break St. Vincent hex

Have you ever had a situation that seems so unfathomable now but then you realize, it actually did happen before? Calistoga and St. Vincent (Petaluma) High School have had many encounters over the years, many of which have come as North Central League II opponents.

Setting the stage: The games have been known to be contentious at times but it’s hard to call it a rivalry now because it has been so one-sided in St. Vincent’s favor, at least in the recent past with the possible exception of softball, where the teams split the four head-to-head matchups. In football, Calistoga has not beaten St. Vincent since 1999.

In some ways, the rivalry is social as much as athletic. Calistoga is a small town public school while St. Vincent is a private school. The argument is frequently made that public schools are limited in their drawing power whereas private schools can draw students from communities other than their own. Nowadays though that argument is flawed at best because public schools have students on campus that are from other districts. However, Calistoga is one of the few districts, at least in the immediate area, that has a legitimate gripe. You seldom if ever hear of a student coming to Calistoga living in another district.

As for private schools, the term “recruit” is often used. While that may happen in some cases, I wouldn’t put St. Vincent in that category because if they truly recruited, they would be on De La Salle’s level but that’s another debate for another time.

While Calistoga High basketball has fallen on hard times for much of the past decade, neither has experienced a winning season since the 2006-2007 season. Over the course of the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 seasons, however, the Wildcats experienced the joys of success.

Thumbnail sketch of the games: On Feb. 1, 2005, the Wildcats trounced St. Vincent 68-50, but that final score was deceptively close as Calistoga led 52-29 after three periods.

The win marked the first in 13 years that Calistoga posted over St. Vincent. The previous time Calistoga beat St. Vincent, assistant coach Cesar "Shorty" Cruz was playing. Cruz is now the varsity girls basketball coach for Calistoga.

The Wildcats beat the Mustangs later that month 52-51 on two Donnie McMahon free throws in the closing seconds. McMahon led the Wildcats with 25 points and the Wildcats received timely contributions from other sources.

Luis Vasquez tallied 11 points while Beto Mendoza added 10 points and six rebounds. Francisco Gonzalez added seven and Shane Kohler six, all in the opening quarter. Jeremy Campbell scored just two points but added eight rebounds and eight steals.

On Dec. 15, the Calistoga girls turned the trick for the first time since at least 1988 five days after winning the Gene Duffy Holiday Classic.

The Wildcats edged St. Vincent 54-52 with Julia Hoff hitting the game-winning jumper with 41 seconds left in the contest. Hoff finished with 15 points and seven rebounds.

Rachel Lilly led the Wildcats with 20 points while Alyssa Smith had 12 points. Yesenia Vasquez led Calistoga in rebounding, grabbing 14. That game marked the first win over St. Vincent in girls basketball since 1988.

What it meant: On the boys side, the Wildcats went 15-11 to complete the 2004-2005 season. The following year, Calistoga would go 20-9 to win a share of the North Central League II South with Rincon Valley Christian. In 2006-2007, Calistoga went 19-10. Those years were a string of four consecutive CIF North Coast Section Div. V playoff appearances.

The Calistoga girls went on to finish the 2005-2006 season with a 18-11 mark, reaching the postseason for the first time in school history. The following year, Calistoga went 18-7.

While Calistoga basketball has fallen on hard times since those years, that era is a good reminder that you have to enjoy success while it lasts because success can be fragile.

Time Out with Dominic Collins (2016 St. Helena High senior)

Vince D’Adamo: What have you enjoyed most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Dominic Collins: I've enjoyed the competitive aspect to athletics because they've taught me discipline and tangible communication skills. Athletics also act as an outlet to pursue my personal passions, as I hope to do when I'm an adult in the workforce full time.

D’Adamo: What are your plans after high school?

Collins: I plan to attend a large four-year college after high school.

D’Adamo: What might you choose as a major? What intrigues you about going that direction?

Collins: I will major in Business Administration, with a concentration in Finance, Management Information Systems, or Accounting. I'm drawn to these subjects because of my interest in quantifying assets like sports contracts and the varying nuances of business negotiations.

D’Adamo: What has been your favorite class here at St. Helena High?

Collins: My favorite class has been AP Statistics with Ms. Rios because she provided us with incredible resource opportunities to take advantage of in learning the material. It also coincided with my major interest in college and helped me determine what I want to do.

D’Adamo: Within your family who have been the most influential people?

Collins: Within my family, while I'm forever indebted to my mother, I believe my dad has had a tremendous influence on who I am. By incorporating our almost identical interests and his life experience, he's taught me accountability and respect among the other valuable life lessons. I feel more like him everyday and he is a definite role model in my life.

Time Out with Aaron Cronin (2016 St. Helena High senior)

Vince D’Adamo: What have you enjoyed most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Aaron Cronin: The thing I enjoy most about competing in athletics is the camaraderie that you build with your team. While playing the game is certainly fun, forming relationships around a sport where there is interdependence between all players creates unique relationships, that aren't seen in many other places.

D’Adamo: What are your plans after high school?

Cronin: After high school, I plan to attend a four-year university. My top choice is Colorado College, but I've also been looking at Lewis & Clark University and Denver University.

D’Adamo: What might you choose as a major? What intrigues you about going that direction?

Cronin: I'm very unsure of what I want to major in, but I'm leaning towards something in the biological/ecological sciences. Maybe something like biochemistry or environmental science. I'm intrigued in biological sciences because getting a major in this field would increase my understanding of the interactions between all living species and the earth, specifically how humans affect the earth. Perhaps I could help the huge issue of global warming by going into environmental policy, or something in the likes.

D’Adamo: What has been your favorite class here at St. Helena High?

Cronin: I took my favorite class at St. Helena High my junior year, which was AP Biology. While the class was very demanding and pushed me to my academic limits, I learned more about the earth and about life than I ever have in my academic career. I think I learned more in that class than any other class I've taken, period. One of the reasons I like it so much is because it is applicable in many real life situations, which helps justify my learning of the subject.

D’Adamo: Within your family who have been the most influential people?

Cronin: My sister has been very influential, in that she has served as a role model to me as I've grown up. She attends Colorado College (my top choice), and is the one who got me interested in it. Besides that, she's shaped my music taste, political perspectives, and has helped me in countless situations. Of course, my mother and father have been very influential in shaping my perspectives as well, and raising me to be a grateful and realistic young person.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports, that you would most like to meet. What would intrigue you about meeting him or her?

Cronin: If I were to meet one historical figure, it would be Kurt Vonnegut. I love his writing style, and his ability to find humor out of even the darkest subjects. I'd be interested to see how he is in person, and whether he talks and acts how he writes.

Time Out with Dominique Shelton (2016 Justin-Siena High senior)

Vince D’Adamo: What have you enjoyed most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Dominique Shelton: I enjoyed the competitive aspect of my athletic career. I love being able to compete with the guy next day me and get challenged by my opponent.

D’Adamo: What are your plans after high school?

Shelton: My plans after high school is to play football at the collegiate level.

D’Adamo: What might you choose as a major? What intrigues you about going that direction?

Shelton: My major most likely would be business.

D’Adamo: What has been your favorite class here at Justin-Siena High?

Shelton: It has been a great experience I made friends with people I would have never known if I didn't transfer.  

D’Adamo: Within your family who have been the most influential people?

Shelton: My parents, they do everything for me along with my grandma and uncle and great grandparents. All of them are a big aspect in my life and I'm blessed to have them in it.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports, that you would most like to meet.

Shelton: Lebron James. Ever since I was little legion was my favorite player. He's physical and he's the best player in the world

Time Out with David Johnson (2016 American Canyon High senior)

Vince D’Adamo: What have you enjoyed most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

David Johnson: I’ve enjoyed playing with my brothers, and know that my brothers have my back and they know I have theirs.

D’Adamo: What are your plans after high school?

Johnson: After high school I plan to be in the Marine Reserves and also be a fireman.

D’Adamo: What has been your favorite class here at American Canyon High?

My favorite class is financial algebra, it really teaches me real world problems and solutions with bank accounts and taxes etc.

D’Adamo: Within your family who have been the most influential people?

The most influential people in my family have been my dad because he's always tried to push me to be the best I can be. Also it has been my mom for basically having my back for the past 17 years.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports, that you would most like to meet. What would intrigue you about meeting him or her?

Johnson: I would want to meet Deion Sanders because he played in a professional baseball game and a professional football game in the same day, also because he's an all time great in the NFL.