Headline Sports with London Marq: Big fan push for changing NBA logo to Kobe; How Reid and Shanahan will coach to win on Sunday; plus more

nypost.com photo: Simulated look at new Kobe NBA logo if switched from the current Jerry West NBA logo

On Headline Sports with London:

#1 Huge fan push to change NBA insignia from Jerry West to Kobe Bryant and the push is catching on

#2 The Super Bowl is normally one of sports biggest events but after the death of Kobe his death has overshadowed the big game.

#3 Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is looking for his first Super Bowl with the Chiefs while San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is looking to recover from the last Super Bowl he coached in. As an assistant coach Shanahan had the Falcons ahead in the Super Bowl only to cave and lose the Super Bowl. Shanahan is looking to get it done on Sunday.

#4 On ESPN Stephen A said there was no way that the 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo outplays the Kansas City Chiefs Pat Mahomes on Sunday

#5 How important is it that Dusty Baker hired by the Houston Astros who are trying to get away from the sign stealing scandal and Dusty is a player’s manager, doesn’t use technology or computers to manage a game or need to steal signs.

London Marq joins Sports Talk each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland Raiders podcast with Joe Hawkes Beamon: Reid says Gruden is doing what’s right and has lots of respect for Chucky

arrowheadpride.com photo: Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid will lead his team onto the field at the Oakland Coliseum this Sunday against the Oakland Raiders

On the Oakland Raiders podcast with Joe:

#1 The Raiders (2-9) host the Kansas City Chiefs (9-2) this Sunday this week the issue of Raiders head coach Jon Gruden has come up and questions about how he has coached this team and some even have said he doesn’t know what he is doing. We ask Joe if that’s not true.

#2 Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that it wasn’t true and that the Raiders have a good coach, someone that Reid said he respected and considers coach Gruden a friend.

#3 Gruden and Reid were assistant coaches together at Green Bay from 1992-94 and Gruden said of Reid that he’s a great friend of his.

#4 Joe talks about Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has 3628 passing yards, 117.9 in passing, and has a league-high passing rating of 37 touchdowns.

#5 Chiefs and Raiders this Sunday. Joe tells us if the Raiders have a chance in this one.

Join Joe each week for the Raiders podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Michelle Richardson on the NCAA

by Michelle Richardson

USC considers Lovie Smith: It’s good move that the USC Trojans would consider hiring ex Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith. I was really surprised before the Chiefs hired Andy Reid that he was able to get another professional job. Smith did a good job with the Bears he took them to a Super Bowl. He lost in the playoffs and ran into a string of bad luck with player injuries.

I never thought he did a bad job at Chicago and I was surprised when they let him go and a few times prior I thought they might let him go. It’s a good move if he gets on with USC. He can be as good as former SC coach Pete Carroll and Lovie was successful as a pro coach with the Bears coming out of that Tony Dungy camp.

So this is a good move the only thing is he’s really going to have to surround himself with good consistent coaches that go out and help him recruit because he doesn’t know anything about recruiting players so he’s going to have to find some coaches around him that can help him produce this school. Smith is from Southern California he’s at the University of Southern California he going to be able to go after some of the best and brightest players if hired.

Crimson Tide going into week 10 perfect: Alabama and Oregon are one and two in the BCS poll ratings the red headed step child of the SCC was brutalized by Missouri and came off a heartbreaking loss to South Carolina where South Carolina was able to get the win as much as Missouri lost the game. The holder didn’t turn the laces on the ball therefore Florida State people always think wide right and he meant wide left.

It was not a good day for the University of Tennessee but hopefully the new coach will turn things around in the next year or two because it’s a shame that Tennessee is really not in the hunt this year for anything when it come to college football after they play their last game at the end of November that it’s literally over for them that’s really a shame.

NCAA Basketball season opened this week: This going to be an interesting year even though Kentucky is predicted to be number one I don’t see any clear cut number one. Kentucky lost a whole squad and they got up there with a entirely new squad but their still freshman. I’m going to go for the team that’s been together for more than a year will be the winner.

Kentucky probably won’t do it like they did two years ago that was an anomaly of course everybody is looking for one man out of Kansas Andrew Williams if this year goes like it’s expected to do this young man is going to be one and done. I hear so much about him and how great he is can’t wait to really see him play on the big stage.

Don’t forget about the young man out of Duke forward Jabari Parker he’s been touted as the next Benji Watson and for any old schoolers who remember Watson out of Chicago the young man was tragically killed in his senior year and really never got to play on the whole next level but if your from Chicago or if your from the midwest and your of a certain age you’ll know about Benji Watson and know what he could have been.

Michelle Richardson does commentary on the NCAA each week

Preseason preview week 2, 49ers at Chiefs

By Gabe Schapiro

This Friday, August 16 at 5pm, the San Francisco 49ers (0-1) face off against the rebuilding Kansas City Chiefs (0-1) at Arrowhead Stadium. Despite just being the preseason, this matchup comes with some intrigue. After a dismal 2-14 season last year, the Chiefs underwent a major overhaul. They brought in a new general manager, John Dorsey, and head coach, Andy Reid, who had previously spent over a decade with the Philadelphia Eagles. In addition, the Chiefs got themselves a new starting quarterback. In June these two opponents completed a trade that sent Alex Smith, who was somewhat controversially replaced last season by Colin Kaepernick, to the Chiefs for a couple of draft picks. This will be the first time Smith will be taking on his former team of seven years.

Last week in the preseason opener the 49ers lost to the Denver Broncos 10-6. As is to be expected the assumed starters saw little action, mostly just playing in one series. The first-team offense looked solid, going on a 13-play drive for a field goal in their opening possession. The second and third units have some work to do after combining for four turnovers, but that is what this time of year is all about. As will continue to be the emphasis in the coming three weeks, the preseason is all about staying healthy, settling position battles, and gearing up for the real deal on September 8.

With week 1 in the books, the competition at wide receiver seems to be more up in the air than ever. Anquan Boldin already seems to have an established chemistry with Kaepernick, which is great news moving forward, but after Boldin the depth chart looks unclear. Kyle Williams didn’t play last week as he continues to nurse a hamstring injury. Marlon Moore, Chad Hall, Kassim Osgood, and Austin Collie had solid games. AJ Jenkins, however, struggled. He saw his fair share of snaps, but was targeted just three times, and only had one reception. To make matters worse, on his one reception he promptly fumbled, accounting for one of the teams’ four turnovers. By all accounts Jenkins has the talent, but as of yet just hasn’t been able to put everything together. Keep a close eye on the receiving corp, Jenkins in particular, heading into week 2 against a lesser defense.

The competitions at free safety and cornerback continue as well, although both positions look far less muddled. At safety Craig Dahl started the game last week, but presumed starter Eric Reid had a strong debut, getting a lot of playing time and finishing with six tackles. Looking to step up for the injured cornerback Chris Culliver, the trio of Parrish Cox, Tramaine Brock, and Nnamdi Asomugha did well. The group will look to show what they’ve got against former teammate Alex Smith.

As a whole, expect to see slightly more playing time for all of the starters as everyone gets game ready for the regular season opener.