Who does that leave for the Bay Area sports fan to root for? How about the San Jose Sharks. They are the lone big-time professional sports team in the Bay Area that appears to know what it’s doing. The rest of the teams in the Bay Area should take a page from the Sharks about how to set up an organization and put the coaches and players in place to be successful.

Say what you want about the Sharks — they keep bowing out in the second round of the playoffs or they don’t spend their money wisely. But how can you argue with a team that is consistently in the playoffs and until this season, excelled on the ice while being millions below the salary cap (although this season they are right at the number). So what if they haven’t won a championship? Think the Niners, Raiders, Giants and A’s wouldn’t love to even make the playoffs? To be within shouting distance of making the post season?

The Sharks ownership group is hands-on enough and has a clear vision — they, apparently, want to win a championship. Can the same be said of the 49ers? We know Al Davis of the Raiders wants to but at this point, he has no clue how to do it. The Warriors? Who knows? Owner Chris Cohan is a non-entity and team president Robert Rowell is apparently ready to throw his weight around and whispers around the team are he and Chris Mullin, essentially the team’s general manager, are not seeing eye-to-eye. Billy Beane always seems to have a plan for the A’s but fans are getting restless while the Giants continue to spin their wheels trying to figure things out.

Sharks general manager Doug Wilson is, by far, the most effective G.M. in the Bay Area. He’s assembled a team that consistently is one of the best teams in the NHL during the regular season. And after his pre-season moves that saw him bring in a new coach with championship experience, former Detroit assistant Todd McLellan, along with defensemen Dan Boyle and Rob Blake, were all made to get the Sharks over the hump and at least make the Stanley Cup finals. Whether they do or not remains to be seen but at least the pieces are in place to get the job done.

The same can not be said of the other pro teams in the Bay Area.

Then why are the Sharks still playing fourth-fiddle to the other teams? The team has a rabid fan base and has been around for more than a decade, yet there is never any buzz about the team until the playoffs start. Then the bandwagon fires up and everybody jumps on board until the Sharks are bounced from the playoffs and then they’re never even mentioned again until the start of the next season.

People say that the Bay Area is an “event” area: People don’t get fired up unless there is an event to get behind. Here is a team that is head and shoulders better than anything else the Bay Area sporting scene has to offer. You want a winner? A present to you the San Jose Sharks. Catch the fever!

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Aragon and San Mateo high schools announced the honorees for their sports halls of fame.

The 2009 Aragon class includes: Ann Kiyomura (Hayashi) (1973, tennis), Mark Jorgenson (1963, basketball), Sue and Steve Barizon (facilities improvements), Lou Margo (basketball coach since 1968), Britt Williams (football coach, 1979-1999), Jimmie Pryor (1990, football, basketball and track). The induction ceremony will be held at the San Mateo Elks Lodge, Jan. 24 beginning at 6 p.m. For more information, contact Aragon athletic director Steve Sell at coachsell@rcn.com or call him at 823-5829.

The San Mateo class includes: Lou Bortolin (1952, track), Jeff and Lisa Diamond (founding members of the San Mateo High School Foundation), Dan Lacy (baseball coach 1946-1960), Bob Murphy (1949,football, basketball, baseball, “voice” of Stanford football and basketball), Colleen Nishiiwa (1997. basketball), Arron Olberholser (1992, golf), Edward Stringer III (1975, wrestling), Tom Tuipulotu (1983, football), 1975 football team. The induction ceremony will be held at the San mateo Elks Lodge Nov. 14. For more information, e-mail smhsahof@yahoo.com or call 558-2399 ext. 5200.

Nathan Mollat can be reached by e-mail: nathan@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 117.