Golden Nuggets: More Shaun Hill, please.

by James Brady on Jan 17, 2009 1:15 AM PST in 49ers Links

Look, Shaun Hill got it right on the Joe Show: more Shaun Hill, please. I just feel like he should be named the starter as of right now and the fact that he hasn't been is kind of infuriating, honestly. I have to wonder what Singletary is thinking. Old school is one thing, but I think we've come upon the first flaw of Mike Singletary: stubborness. He seems like a very humble man when he should be, but he also seems like someone who thinks what he thinks is right no matter what and... I don't know, I'm going to cut it off there and if anybody's interested I'll rant for a good twenty or so minutes in the comments. There's some links for you today, enjoy, etc etc. Oh, and also... Fooch will be doing 'a bit of a live blog' of the Shrine game today at 1 PM. For more on that check the end of the links.

Linehan is expected to make a decision by the end of the weekend. (PressDemocrat.com)

Here's more on that as well as more on Linehan himself. (SFGate.com)

Apparently Rick Dennison is no longer in the running. So much for you know, my gut feeling. (SacBee.com)

So far I'm unhappy with Singletary in this sense... Why isn't Shaun Hill the starter for the upcoming season? I'm sorry but he's earned it and Singletary's reasoning for not naming him the starter is stupid. I don't have faith in Shaun to win a starting job in training camp, I do however have faith in him to take us to the playoffs. (ProFootballWeekly.com)

Here's a look at the playoffs from the official website. What to Watch For. (49ers.com)

Are the Yorks looking for new investors? They say no but I think yes. (MercuryNews.com)

Our great and benevolent ~~overlord~~ ~~dictator~~ head coach* Fooch has asked me to let you guys know that he'll be doing 'a bit of a live blog' of the Shrine game today at 1 PM PST so you should definitely check in for that.

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Singletary was honest.

If another quarterback is signed or shows up in training camp then what’s the point of naming Hill now? Right now he’s the best of a rather mediocre collection of quarterbacks. Suppose Smith suddenly hits his stride. Or a free agent shows up and does well?

The only way to Singletary could have put it better is that football is a sport where every position on a team is always potentially upgradable. Nothing is guaranteed.

by Bob In Beaverton on Jan 17, 2009 9:18 AM PST reply actions

Yeah, but it’s just as easy to say “As of right now, Hill is our starter. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but if nothing changes, then he’s the guy.”

Same exact message.

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Jan 17, 2009 10:02 AM PST up reply actions

true

by (Florida) Danny Tuccitto on Jan 17, 2009 10:36 AM PST up reply actions

i agree with bob...

singletary simply made a CYA statement. if he names hill the starter, and then they go and sign cassel in free agency, what then? start hill because he has to keep his word, and have a $10M/yr QB sitting on the bench? start cassel, and lose all credibility in the locker room like nolan?

i think the right way to look at the situation is that if hill, smith, and some non-descript 3rd-stringer (draft pick or f/a) are what the niners QB depth chart looks like at the start of training camp, then hill is the #1 no question. if some high-priced f/a (e.g., cassell) gets signed, then they’ll compete. when you look at it this way, what’s so unfair or wrong about hill not being named the 2009 starter…yet?

by (Florida) Danny Tuccitto on Jan 17, 2009 9:35 AM PST reply actions

agreed

nothing is gained by saying "Shaun Hill is the starter ‘for now’ – with the next game being months away.

There is a lot of potential for disaster, though. So why bother with meaningless words? It’s just not Sing’s style.

by shlecko on Jan 17, 2009 10:13 AM PST up reply actions

expand...

…on this:

There is a lot of potential for disaster, though.

i’m curious to know what disaster might ensue from what singletary has said about the starting QB situation.

by (Florida) Danny Tuccitto on Jan 17, 2009 10:20 AM PST up reply actions

Shaun Hill loses confidence in himself, and no longer has the drive to succeed? Not likely, but it is certainly possible.

by Cruithear on Jan 17, 2009 10:29 AM PST up reply actions

Shaun Hill loses confidence in his moped and no longer has the ability to drive. Problem is, he’s driving when it happens.

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Jan 17, 2009 10:34 AM PST up reply actions

I’m sure that was meant to make my statement look silly, but that situation is entirely possible. Completely unrelated (you’d be discussing something like Generalized Anxiety Disorder or Panic Disorder), but still possible.

How about an argument as to why it is unlikely that Shaun Hill would not lose confidence and/or how that would not have any effect on his ability to play the game?

Something more realistic? You hear about a new position opening up as the permanent of your department. You were the temporary head of your department for most of the previous year, having taken over for someone who royally fudged up when reviewing and filing the TPS reports. You’ve done a decent job, and you are waiting any day now on that call from the VP telling you that the job is yours. Then one day at a staff meeting your boss starts discussing that opening, and does not even come close to indicating that you are considered the top candidate for that position. Would you feel… good? After all that you had done, would you want to continue pressing on in the vain hope that you may just land that position anyway, even though all your previous hard work didn’t solidify you in that position? Some people would, to be certain, but there are some that would not. That is why I indicated that, while unlikely, it is POSSIBLE for Shaun to lose confidence and see his production drop.

In the future, please don’t be condescending in an attempt to make your point.

by Cruithear on Jan 17, 2009 11:09 AM PST up reply actions

Permanent Head

Sorry, somehow missed that part.

by Cruithear on Jan 17, 2009 11:10 AM PST up reply actions

I’m sure that was meant to make my statement look silly

Nah, I just thought it was amusing. I wasn’t trying to take a shot at your comment at all. When things are going well on these blogs, my MO is pretty much “I sees a joke, I makes a joke.” Sorry if it sounded dickish. I really wasn’t intending anything negative toward you or your comment.

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Jan 17, 2009 2:10 PM PST up reply actions

i imagine that...

…if he hasn’t lost confidence after being a clipboard carrier for many years, not being the week 1 starter in 2008 after what he did in 2007, not being allowed to compete for the starting job this year in training camp, and having to listen constantly about his lack of arm strength and poor practice performance, i’d say the odds are quite slim that he’s going to lose confidence because of singletary saying he’s not 100% sure that hill will be the starter in week 1 of 2009.

by (Florida) Danny Tuccitto on Jan 17, 2009 10:36 AM PST up reply actions

Well

It could be the straw that breaks the QBs back, but I did indicate that it is unlikely ;). Just trying to play shlecko’s advocate.

by Cruithear on Jan 17, 2009 11:11 AM PST up reply actions

nothing is gained by saying "Shaun Hill is the starter ‘for now’

Nothing is lost, either. You’re saying the exact same thing if you say it this way, you’re just saying it with the added implication of confidence in your guy.

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Jan 17, 2009 10:36 AM PST up reply actions

I just feel like

Being 7-3 Shaun Hill deserves the job. No, I don’t want Matt Cassel and you shouldn’t either. I’m also not thinking that Shaun Hill could just lose his confidence, I’m thinking that he could be easily overlooked. Say we do sign Cassel, I’m worried that everyone overlooks Hill because honestly I think Shaun Hill is better than Cassel and I’m not interested in any kind of QB battle. In my eyes, the 7-3 Shaun Hill should be the starter next season, any other coach in the league would have named him the starter.

Singletary is a new breed (old breed?) and while I don’t agree with this decision, don’t get me wrong: I hope it pays off.

by James Brady on Jan 17, 2009 12:57 PM PST reply actions

Having it both ways

Seems to me that Singletary can have it both ways. He can say that Hill is the #1 going into training camp but that the new OC will make the call on the #1 going into the season. Hill gets the pat on the back for his past performance and the new OC knows going in that Singletary is ceding the authority to him for this critical decision.

by Circus Act on Jan 18, 2009 8:08 AM PST reply actions

Would Singletary really give that authority to the OC? It seems to me that he knows firsthand how that kind of attitude can get you a JTO behind center.

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Jan 18, 2009 9:33 AM PST up reply actions