Bay Area Buzz 8/3: A’s Start Off Bad, Niners Sign Collie, Raiders Re-Sign Kicker

Oct 28, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Oakland Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski (11) kicks a field goal with the help of holder Shane Lechler ((0 against the Kansas City Chiefs in the first half at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning folks!

Once again, we’re coming to you with fresh coverage on some of the Bay Area’s hottest sports teams. The Giants continue to struggle, but the A’s are seemingly doing just fine. They’ve lost three straight, but are still doing considerably well. They now have to keep the Rangers from advancing on them in the standings.

Oakland A’s:

"A few days ago, the Oakland Athletics were six games ahead of the Texas Rangers in the American League West and pulling away. Fast forward to Aug. 2, and Oakland has lost two straight, Texas has won four in a row, and the boys are on a collision course by the bay starting Friday night.With the Los Angeles Angels completely out of the race, along with the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros, these two teams will be battling only each other for a sure spot in the postseason while the loser fights for a wild-card position. This series is baseball at its finest — two really good teams meeting in the heat of a pennant race.The Rangers enter this weekend hoping to shave another game off the A’s lead, while Oakland simply hopes to win the series and move on to Cincinnati. With a third of the season remaining, this is when the rubber begins to hit the road.– Yahoo News, Matt Verderame"

San Francisco 49ers:

"When Austin Collie impressed in a June workout with the San Francisco 49ers, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported that no contract offer was forthcoming because the team’s brass was going away on vacation.Nearly two months later, Collie finally will sign with the49ers, Rapoport reported. The Niners later officially announced that Collie signed a one-year contract. The team also announced the signing of former Tennessee Titans wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins to a one-year deal.– NFL.com, Chris Wesseling"

Oakland Raiders:

"The Raiders have holes on both sides of the ball, but there’s zero concern over Oakland’s kicker.Sebastian Janikowski on Friday signed a new five-year contract with the franchise that picked him 17th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported, per a source involved in the negotiations. The team later announced the move.The contract is worth just under $19 million, with an average of $3.8 million per year, according to Rapoport. The deal includes $8 million in guarantees over the first two years and will ensure that Janikowski continues as the highest-paid kicker or punter in the league.– NFL.com, Marc Sessler"