hope that it works. and it's all about volume. we're diametrically opposed to that. >> reporter: and the family environment has been especially welcoming for long-time assistant misty martin and the newest associate matt baldwin. >> in my experiences in the past, it was a lot of learning on your own and trying to pick up, learning by doing, essentially. with bob i'm essentially getting a masters degree in, you know, becoming the best sport agent in the industry. >> bob and lynn are the most genuine people in the world. they're fun, they're loving, they're giving. they're sincere. they're genuine. >> reporter: it's a journey that has truly come full circle. >> right now i do the same amount of teaching and the same amount of coaching i did as an educator at elk grove in santa teresa high school. and we were blessed to do it. when you have great clients, you become a great agent. if you don't have great clients, you don't become a great agent. >> great pleasure to share the

lamonte story you tonight. tomorrow night the raiders open against one of their other clients, jon fox hosting oakland on monday night football. that's not the only new beginning. coming up, the sharks are getting ready for this coming season. training camp has started with several new names. todd mclellan sits down with us to break down the changes ahead. plus, a look at the players on board in san jose, trying get the sharks for their first ever stanley cup finals. plus, the giants have a new bat in town, just raking in his debut. he has a fitting nickname.

that's

you're watching "sports sunday" on nbc bay area. welcome back to "sports sunday." it's being called the darkest day in the history of hockey. the hockey community around the world still reeling from a plane crash that killed an entire

russian hockey team on wednesday. one of the players who died was a top prospect for the san jose sharks, denils shevchenko was the top round pick. the prospect spent part of this summer training in san jose. people in prague, latvia and belarus took part in candlelight vigils to honor the 37 players and coaches aboard the plane. seven crewmembers are also among the dead. the jet crashed about 150 miles northeast of moscow. the team was on its way to a game, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation. sharks general manager doug wilson released a statement after the tragedy. it said in part, danille atte attended our development camp and everyone on the staff agreed he had a bright future with our organization. he was a great person with a fun-loving attitude. his attitude and energy during his time in san jose was infectious. our deepest sympathies go out to

his families and friends. training camp began friday. before the start of camp, we caught up with the team's boss on the bench. with three full seasons as the sharks head coach under his belt, each of them with san jose winning the division, expectations are higher than ever for todd mclellan. his first season, the '08-'09 campaign, saw the team's first ever president's trophy or to the league's highest ever points total in the standings. following that up with two consecutive trips to the western conference finals brings us to a new season where plenty of changes have been made to arm the coach with a squad, hoping to go deeper than ever before in the postseason. so this is how the sharks staff spent part of this off-season. >> well, like any other year, we sat down as a coaching staff, and with the management. and we tried to identify some of the areas that we thought we were weak in when it came to the conference finals and the whole season. and we identified the blue line. we felt that we needed to upgrade there. i think doug and his staff has

done a wonderful job bringing in vandermeer white and brent burns, and we're excited about that. we feel that our blue line will be stronger. it will be bigger. we have more tools, if you will, for lack of a better term to use. and some experience back there. so the game itself in my opinion starts from the blue line out. net out, if you will. and i think our team can be faster. it can move the puck a little better because of these editions. and we'll look forward to seeing that evolve as the season goes on. >> reporter: for the years leading up to last season, the sharks have been very solid on the penalty kill. yet this past season they dropped to 24th in the league in this category, which begs the question, how could a previous top 5 unit fall so precipitously? >> it happens. sometimes fate has it that a puck crosses the goal line more often than not. we have basically the same system that we have used in all of our years here as well as detroit and i've always been

successful with it. with that being said, people can figure it out and find holes and cracks in it. as a staff and system wise we have a huge responsibility in trying to fix it and make it better. player personnel, losing some key people in certain situations also affects it. and we'll look at fixing things as the season goes on. our penalty kill was not very strong early in the year. last season. and it's hard to get those numbers back late in the season. and we're looking for a good start all around, not just penalty kill wise, power play, five on five, goaltending, the whole nine yards and try to keep our numbers up where they belong. >> that booming shot from the point that we saw with rob blake, for instance, does burns bring this and create some offensive opportunities to handle the really heavy shot? >> he does. burnsy can fire the shot. there is no doubt about it. he is 6'5". he has a ton of leverage. he is willing to prepare to fire pucks. and he also is comfortable enough in his game not to be intimidated by the other people on the ice, and maybe pass when

he should be shooting. and we feel that's an asset that he has. he'll take a little bit of pressure off dan boyle. they're both dynamic. they like to be up in the rush. the opposition now has to come into our building and be concerned about more than one element when it comes to that. they have to be concerned about two. and obviously being a 6'5" man, makes him more difficult to knock the puck and bigger to battle against. >> reporter: one of the stable assets last season returning for his second campaign in san jose is goaltender antti niemi. if it happens again, he has the right demeanor to handle any rough stretches ahead. >> antti stepped up especially in the early january phase where the team wasn't playing very well. and we handed the reins over to him. he solidifieded that position. and in turn everybody else got more confident and more comfortable with what their roles were. antti was a huge part of our success last year. i think a number of other players assumed more, or took

more on. you look at jumbo and his captaincy after year one. dan boyle, we've talked about him earlier. the need to move the puck and get it up and through the neutral zone and created speed. he had a great year. logan couture. when things weren't going well for us last year, he was the one bright spot, between him and ryan clothier, chemistry. both of them were very, very valuable at giving points. we'll look for that from all four of those players again and others. >> reporter: and even with the departures of danny heatley and devin setoguchi, the strength of the team lies with an experienced set of forwards. >> it's huge for us. the depth isn't maybe quite as what it was in the past because we lost those two players, both heatley and setoguchi. so up-front the depth isn't as deep as it was for scoring, if you will. so the players that we have, the coutures, the marleaus, the pavels, they all have to perform at a very high level. meet their expectations first

and then ours. if they can do that, then we can do it by committee. and we believe that can happen. >> reporter: as for mclellan's outlook on just who he thinks will be his players with breakout potential, elevating their games this season -- >> there is two players that come to mind instantly for me. and one is torrey mitchell. toriey in my time here hassed a tough career, if you will, a tough three years. i felt by the end of last year he really started to come around. his speed is an asset. he looked like the torrey of old. so we're counting on him to give us a very strong year. and jason de meer is on the blue line. his room for growth still exists. he is going from a young man to a mature man now with the national hockey level. he has seen and experienced it all. he has to adjust some things in his game. but we think there is more there. i know he believe there's is more there. and we need it to come home. >> reporter: it's an interesting situation. you have a team that has gotten

into the western conference finals two straight years, five years in a row with over 100 points in the standings. and everybody still wants that next thing. but how is this process you even closer to that next thing, the cup final? >> every year is a new year. that's one thing i can guarantee fans. and the players in the locker room, you have to start over. you have to reestablish your foundation and what your beliefs are, and you have to play towards them. last year is a prime example of us not doing that in the first part of the season. we tried to cheat, tried to do it the easy way, perhaps saving the gas tank for the end of the year. it pretty much cost us. for us we need to get off to a good start. that's one lesson learned. we continually address the lineup to find the right combination of players. health is extremely important. the ability and depth on the team that you have has to come out. so there is a number of factors that we evaluate as we go on year after year to try and get us over the hump. and it's a very interesting

league right now there aren't teams that are repeating. it's anybody's ball, if you will, at the beginning of the season. and just to make the play-offs is usually a real big accomplishment, especially with it as tight as it is. >> and preseason games start for the sharks in the middle of next week, wednesday, september 21st when they visit anaheim. two nights later on friday 23rd, they host the ducks at the tank. for the past couple weeks, we've brought you our new mma before midnight segment. a look at the mixed martial arts scene here in northern california. tonight a look at an east palo alto native who has fought a huge card at the tank in san jose, plus around the world in the ufc. now he is helping at-risk kids with messages learned through martial arts.

that's coming up.50

you're watching "sports sunday" on nbc bay area. welcome back to "sports sunday." tonight on mma before midnight, we bring you in the words of a strike force fighter helping

kids in east palo alto. mikey vang brings us the story. >> let's go again. my name is eugene jackson. i've been doing mma for about 15 years. i grew up in east palo alto back when it was the murder capital of the world. i was gang-related for many years, for too many. i was watching friends die, watching dumb stuff that you couldn't come back from. >> nice, keep going, keep going to the head. >> i'm trying to take the youngsters that are normally going to go the wrong way, we're showing where you put it in a cage, you can be successful, you can be a role model. you can help pull yours out of the street and help them get a better life. that's all they're looking for. that's why i mentor these kids so much. >> he sells it to you straight there is no bs. he know house to interact with my level. >> if you believe in any higher source, however anyone put our spiritual strength that we want to give, it's not trying to destroy or degrade anyone else.

what my oldest son almost became part of and had to shake him up and move schools, he went that route and my son went the right route. his friend got killed two years ago. me having made it into the big screen and video games, it makes them take you a little more serious there is other people who have never done wrong that could probably have a way better testimony than me. but because they can relate to where i came from, i can help lead them back to talk to these people. >> he has been through all the same situations if not worse. i can trust him. it's easy to turn that page. >> get off the fence. every gang banger is going to prison or getting killed or something happen to their family or friends. all bad. and when you look on the other side, what is the worst? you got an okay job and you're having an okay life compared to doing prison life or not turning lights on your house because you're worried about somebody shooting you up and you can't drive down a certain neighborhood. >> jackson nobody as the wolf in his professional fighting career has two sons who along with

jonathan chaplain train together some of the bay area's top amateurs. keep an eye out for the entire jackson clan, making a good deal of news in the local mma scene. why is will clark back in the news? the giants have a rising star

pushing the story forward. when we return, you're watching

"sports sunday" on nbc bay area. welcome back to "sports sunday." the giants have had a tough time down the stretch this season, trying to hang on in the nl west race. but there were plenty of smiles to go around on tuesday. >> just up the street here in southern california. high drive, left field line. out of here! his first big league hit is a home run. i don't believe it. >> well, he has been waiting a while to do that. i mean, the giants' dugout, i mean, they're just thinking this is a big party. look at this reception he is going to get.

>> his first major league pat hits a home run against the padres. pill was called up when he parted ways with aaron rowan and miguel tejada. tuesday night he got his first at-bat and made the most of it. >> that's something you dream about. i've seen that guy a few times and this year in the minor leagues. and you know, after d-rail got that big hit, i figured he would try to throw a change-up and try to get me to hit a double play. i was looking for something else and i was lucky i got it in the air. >> they're calling him till pil the thrill. the last giant to hit a home run in his first at bat was will the thrill. no fan will forget will clark playing houston in the astrodome in '86, digging in against future hall of famer nolan ryan and taking him the deep to center field. that's all for this week. special thanks to craig fiero,

>> this is "the chris matthews show." >> ask not what your country can do for you. chris: the day, the decade. losses of lives and two wars. and financial collapse. how do you put a number on fear? straight from new york, since 9/11 with a weighted deliverance. we still weight. there are times we thought we would get past it but each time the relentless war and rising debt keeps pulling us back. when do we in the bad times say good-bye? finally, number nine, number nine, can barack obama get a

second term if his jobless number remains upwards of 9%? even a year from now? it's something he must be thinking about. hi, i'm chris matthews. welcome to the show. with us today "the huffington post" howard fineman, a.p.'s kimberly dosier and "the washington post's" david ignaceous. first up, the attacks on september 11, first attacks on america since pearl harbor, were unimaginable. before that terrible day. now it's hard to imagine how much different, more confident, safer feeling, more complacent our country would be today if it weren't for that still-awesome set of attacks on september 11. we might not have gone to war in afghanistan and iraq. >> on my orders, the united states military has begun strikes against the al qaeda terrorist training camps and military installations of the taliban regime in afghanistan. >> american and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave

danger. chris: the toll of those two wars until now. more than 6,000 americans killed. another 220,000 civilians killed in both wars. more than 100,000 americans wounded, many left with life-changing injuries. a huge share of our national debt is driven by those wars. one estimate by brown university is that the total cost of both of those wars and future bill that will come do is $4 trillion. and climate of fear, of course. those warnings from our leaders over the last ten years more attacks are a matter whf, not if. >> 9/11 changed everything. we begin every day reading intelligence reports from the cia and f.b.i. on the nature of the threat that's out there, on the plotting by al qaeda members and related groups to launch attacks against the united states and contemplating the possibility of of an attack against the u.s. with far deadlier weapons than anything we have seen today. chris: even barack obama has used that threat of war attacks.

>> there are terrorists holed up in those mountains who murdered 3,000 americans. they are plotting to strike again. chris: david, so many costs, it's hard to imagine as i said in the opening what life would have been like without the 9/11 attacks. let's go through how it impacted our lives, iraq war. would there have been an iraq war, american invasion and occupation that continues had we not been hit on until until >> it's haunting to see those tapes, chris, as we approach this anniversary and think that's the moment that changed everything. but with the iraq war it is possible that even if there had been no september 11 attacks, the bush administration would have wanted to go in militarily against saddam hussein anyway. many of the senior officials of the bush administration believed that we left iraq and saddam hussein as an unresolved problem after the first gulf war. i don't think in the ends that the country would have accepted it. but the same arguments about weapons of mass destruction, which are arguments that proved

to be false but were widely believed, would have existed with or without september 11. so it's possible that very costly war moit have happened anyway. chris: that's news to me n a way it meets some of the my scepticism about the case, way for war. you were wounded badly in 2006 covering for cbs. your thauts on the way all of this tumbled out of 9/11, including the war in which you got hurt. >> well, one of the initial things the attacks of 9/11 did for the united states was bring the war against terrorism home for all of us. we lost 3,000 people thatdy. -- that day. later we lost twice that number in u.s. service americans including 30 members in the recent cha nook crash. what i worry is the initial pull-together of our society has broken down. that increasingly we are divided. we have the part of society that fights these wars overseas, bears the losses and the folks

back home who really don't want to hear what's going on. war is distant to them. there has not been an attack on american soil. they want it to go away. that's a real disservice. chris: i agree with you completely. regular people, meaning people who are of like the vast majority of americans who don't have stakes in those wars, people stakes, don't even talk about those wars. >> you have fewer than 1% of this country serving and fewer than 5% of this country who knows someone that serves. chris: president obama's decision to go into iraq made barack obama president. one of the unintended consequences, 9/11 probably led to the probability of iraq happening, being able to be sold to the country any under circumstances. unpopularty led to what i believe as barack obama's unexpected, out of nowhere, selection by the democratic voter over hillary clinton. >> right. it's hard to say what would have happened if that were had not happened. as we know, obama was the only one and touted it during his campaign, i voted no against that war.

it was a wrong war. it was a dumb war. chris: senator clinton voted for it and he used that against her. >> that was one of her biggest handicaps. it it is also hard to say what could have happened. maybe if the attention had been on afghanistan from the beginning and not dropped to the iraq war, whether we would have solvedcation or whether we would be out of nenn right now. we don't know any of these things. we don't know what the field would be like in terms of candidates. maybe osama bin laden would have been captured five years ago. these are the things we don't know todd. chris: howard, the 9/11 was the call for the war in iraq, trumpet call. even country music said, we got to do something about it, we have to go and hit them back. then we had the iraq war. for me it's been the pendulum almost, the reason the political back and forth, left and right, still driven by the attitude people have about that war. >> i think that's true, chris. i think we need to say first of all that we are resilient and

ten years on in some respects, it's remarkable how seemingly normal things are. but they aren't normal. they just seem normal. we're much, much more in debt than we were. and it's not just the 4 trillion that brown university counted. we cut taxes furiously. we printed money furiously. all in an effort to keep the economy float, which is what osama bin laden was really attacking when he attacked the world trade center. so we spent trillions of dollars to create the illusion that nothing has changed. in fact, everything has changed and we have yet as a society really to examine openly and how to argue and deal with the consequences of ten years ago. the american people are like that. we like to look ahead. we don't like to pick tend trails of the past. because we haven't done so, we haven't