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2B Daily News – Wednesday, February 29, 2012 49ers sign LB Brooks to $44.5M, 6-year extension SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Ahmad Brooks always wanted to stay in the Bay Area, a place that has become a new home after all those painful memories of getting cut by Cincinnati four years ago, and the San Francisco 49ers sure made it hard for him to leave. Now the two are tied together long term. Brooks signed a six-year, $44.5 million contract extension with San Francisco on Tuesday that will take him through the 2017 season and keep one of the NFL's best linebacker units intact. The deal is worth $17.5 million guaranteed, said his agent, Greg Williams. ''Something was telling me just to sign here. I feel like this is where I should be,'' said Brooks, who could've opted for free agency. ''These are the people who gave me a chance to get this contract.'' Brooks emerged as a regular starter for the first time in his six-year NFL career last season. Along with All-Pro inside linebackers Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman and sensational rookie Aldon Smith at the other outside spot, Brooks helped the 49ers win the NFC West behind one of the league's best defenses. San Francisco allowed only 14.3 points per game, second only to Pitts- burgh at 14.2. The 49ers lost at home in overtime of the NFC championship game to the even- tual Super Bowl champion New York Giants. ''I think he felt a part of the team. He felt like it was home,'' Williams said. ''I think it was kind of a feeling all year long that he wanted to stay there. We kept options open on whether he would go to free agency or not. He believes that this is the opportunity to be on a good team for a long time and he wants to be a part of it.'' Brooks' big payday almost never hap- pened. Brooks, who will be 28 on March 14, admits he might've enjoyed the NFL's rich- es a bit too much earlier in his career. He was even told by coaches he wasn't smart enough to learn defenses, he said, and often given excuses as to why he couldn't crack the roster. The Bengals, who selected Brooks in the third round of the 2006 supplemental draft out of Virginia, cut him just before the 2008 season. ''I don't like the simple fact that a team told me, 'Well, hey, we don't want you,''' Brooks said. ''I never had that happen to me ever in my life. It kind of felt like a girl broke up with me and broke my heart.'' The 49ers selected Brooks off waivers and the outside linebacker vowed to change his ways. In 2009, Brooks had a franchise single- season record with five forced fumbles. He had 50 tackles, seven sacks and a forced fumble while becoming a key member of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's top- ranked run defense last season. And In San Francisco's thrilling 36-32 playoff win over New Orleans, Brooks had one of three sacks on record-setting Saints quarterback Drew Brees, a fourth-quarter hit on the quarterback for a 7-yard loss. Brooks' turnaround has culminated this offseason. A little more than a week ago, he was baptized at a Bay Area church. Brooks has been working out regularly at 49ers head- quarters, and now that he has the contract he's always craved, he's not about to forget how far he's come from those Cincinnati days. ''I pretty much told myself that I would never let that happen,'' Brooks said. ''Regardless of what goes on in my life, I will never let this happen again. I pretty much had to reevaluate myself as a player and a person to become the best person and the best football player I could be, because it's not going to last forever. ''And then once you retire from the game or once the NFL says no to you, we don't want you to play anymore, you want to go out knowing you did all you can do. And that's where I'm at with myself.'' Bumgarner remains youngest pitcher in camp SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Left-hander Madi- son Bumgarner enjoyed the flow of champagne over his head after San Francisco's successful run to the World Series title two years ago, a mere three months after he reached legal drinking age. He's about to start his second full season in the majors this April and remains the youngest pitch- er on the Giants' 40-man roster. Despite this, Bum- garner is a model for some of the younger pitchers looking to reach the big leagues. Bumgarner chose to sign with the Giants instead of attending North Carolina and it has worked out well for the 22-year-old. He's still just five years out of high school, owns a World Series ring, and is consid- ered one of the more accomplished pitchers on a staff that includes former Cy Young Award winners Tim Lincecum and Barry Zito. ''He is one of our best conditioned guys,'' Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. ''He can definitely effect things, even as a 22-year- old. He's a leader by exam- ple. Guys watch him go about his business and how he handles himself. He can influence these kids.'' Bumgarner credits his father, Kevin, for his even- keeled manner, which led former major league pitcher and current radio broadcast- er Mike Krukow to call him a ''40-year-old in a 21-year- old body.'' ''It was just the way I was raised,'' Bumgarner said. ''I try to stay humble. I don't know if it's the right way but when I come into spring training, I feel like I want to earn a spot.'' Bumgarner began devel- oping his own throwing pro- gram in the summer before his junior year in high school. It was about the same time he learned that major league scouts were becoming interested. ''It helped me make it easier to work hard,'' said Bumgarner, who was 13-13 with a 3.21 ERA last year. ''I knew there was some- thing to work toward. I signed with North Carolina but it was hard to turn down (the Giants' offer). If I had gone to North Carolina, I wouldn't have had won a World Series.'' The Giants may not have reached the postseason without Bumgarner, who was 7-6 in 18 starts, includ- ing wins in his last two deci- sions as San Francisco edged the San Diego Padres for the NL West Division title on the final day of the 2010 season. The Giants won 11 of his 18 starts. Bumgarner lost three games in which the Giants were shut out. Bumgarner spends most of his offseason condition- ing, and when he starts to throw off a mound, will work on everything in gen- eral and not one particular aspect, unless there's a NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE Pacific Division Clippers Lakers WL Pct GB 20 11 .645 — 20 14 .588 1.5 WARRIORS 13 18 .419 7 Phoenix KINGS 14 20 .412 7.5 11 22 .333 10 Southwest Division WL Pct GB San Antonio 24 10 .706 — Dallas Houston Memphis 21 13 .618 3 21 14 .600 3.5 19 15 .559 5 New Orleans 8 26 .235 16 Northwest Division WL Pct GB Oklahoma City 27 7 .794 — Portland Denver 18 16 .529 9 18 17 .514 9.5 Minnesota 17 17 .500 10 Utah 15 17 .469 11 EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division Philadelphia 21 14 .600 — New York Boston Toronto Miami WL Pct GB 17 18 .486 4 16 17 .485 4 10 24 .294 10.5 New Jersey 10 25 .286 11 Southeast Division WL Pct GB 27 7 .794 — 22 13 .629 5.5 20 14 .588 7 Orlando Atlanta Washington 7 27 .206 20 Charlotte Central Division Chicago Indiana 28 8 .778 — 22 12 .647 5 Milwaukee 14 20 .412 13 Cleveland 13 19 .406 13 Detroit 11 25 .306 17 —————————————————— Tuesday's results Indiana 102, Golden State 78 Utah at Sacramento, late Boston 86, Cleveland 83 Chicago 99, New Orleans 95 Houston 88, Toronto 85 Milwaukee 119, Washington 118 Philadelphia 97, Detroit 68 Minnesota at L.A. Clippers, late New Jersey at Dallas, late Today's games Golden State at Atlanta, 4:30 p.m. Oklahoma City at Philadelphia, 4 p.m. Orlando at Washington, 4 p.m. Charlotte at Detroit, 4:30 p.m. Cleveland at New York, 4:30 p.m. Milwaukee at Boston, 4:30 p.m. Dallas at Memphis, 5 p.m. Toronto at New Orleans, 5 p.m. Chicago at San Antonio, 6 p.m. Houston at Utah, 6 p.m. Portland at Denver, 6 p.m. Minnesota at L.A. Lakers, 7:30 p.m. Thursday's games L.A. Clippers at Sacramento, 7 p.m. Oklahoma City at Orlando, 5 p.m. Minnesota at Phoenix, 6 p.m. Miami at Portland, 7:30 p.m. 4 28 .125 22 WL Pct GB noticeable flaw. He's also learned how to use weights from the Giants' strength coaches. He weighs about 25 pounds more now than when he first broke into pro- fessional ball at Single-A Augusta, where he also threw his first breaking ball. ''My dad would not let me throw anything but fast- balls and change-ups through high school,'' he said. ''He was big on that.'' Bumgarner said he felt he progressed at a steady pace, moving up a level every year until sticking with the Giants in 2010. ''I didn't feel super fast or super slow,'' Bumgarner said. ''They always gave me time to get comfortable wherever they sent me.'' NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE Pacific Division WL OT Pts GF GA Phoenix 32 21 9 73 164 155 SHARKS 32 22 7 71 177 159 Dallas 33 26 4 70 165 171 Kings 29 23 12 70 138 137 Ducks 27 26 10 64 161 178 Central Division WL OT Pts GF GA Detroit 42 19 3 87 202 151 St. Louis 39 17 7 85 161 126 Nashville 37 20 7 81 181 165 Chicago 33 24 7 73 193 189 Columbus 18 38 7 43 146 212 Northwest Division WL OT Pts GF GA Vancouver 40 16 7 87 203 154 Colorado 33 27 4 70 168 173 Calgary 28 24 11 67 151 173 Minnesota 28 26 9 65 139 167 Edmonton 25 31 6 56 167 184 EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division WL OT Pts GF GA N.Y.Rangers 40 15 6 86 169 124 Pittsburgh 36 21 5 77 198 163 Philadelphia34 20 7 75 203 187 New Jersey 35 23 4 74 172 170 N.Y. Islanders26 28 9 61 148 187 Northeast Division WL OT Pts GF GA Boston 37 21 3 77 200 140 Ottawa 34 23 8 76 199 192 Toronto 29 27 7 65 187 195 Buffalo 27 27 8 62 154 180 Montreal 24 30 10 58 164 177 Southeast Division WL OT Pts GF GA Florida 30 20 12 72 158 172 Washington 32 26 5 69 172 178 Winnipeg 30 27 8 68 166 186 Tampa Bay 29 28 6 64 176 213 Carolina 24 26 13 61 166 190 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. —————————————————— Tuesday's results Philadelphia at San Jose, late Carolina 4, Nashville 3 Detroit 5, Columbus 2 Florida 5, Toronto 3 Los Angeles 4, Minnesota 0 Ottawa 1, Boston 0 Tampa Bay 2, Montreal 1 Washington 3, N.Y. Islanders 2, OT Vancouver at Phoenix, late Today's games Pittsburgh at Dallas, 4:30 p.m. Toronto at Chicago, 5 p.m. Buffalo at Anaheim, 7 p.m. St. Louis at Edmonton, 7 p.m. Thursday's games Buffalo at San Jose, 7:30 p.m. Minnesota at Montreal, 4 p.m. New Jersey at Boston, 4 p.m. N.Y. Islanders at Philadelphia, 4 p.m. N.Y. Rangers at Carolina, 4 p.m. Florida at Winnipeg, 5:30 p.m. Calgary at Phoenix, 6 p.m. Columbus at Colorado, 6 p.m. St. Louis at Vancouver, 7 p.m.