The Fooch 49ers Philosophy
by Fooch on May 8, 2009 11:35 AM PDT
in News
60 comments
Every so often I like to throw out my own fan philosophy when it comes to the 49ers. It's been a while since I last explained it, but with all the new readers since the end of the season, now seemed as good a time as any. There has been a lot of intense debate between the blind devotees and the less optimistic folks. If you haven't been reading the site that long, it might help to know where I'm coming from to better understand what I put out there for everybody.
As a fan, I like to think of myself as an optimistic realist. Or maybe it's realistic optimist. I'm really not sure how much of a difference there is. I do recognize that the team has problems. I don't say it all the time, but I realize the pass rush has some issues. I do realize the QB situation is far from ideal. I do realize the secondary could use some help. And I do realize the offensive line is a potential question mark.
However, I also prefer to look at all things 49ers in the most positive light. For example, the offensive line: Obviously the line has struggled in the past with injuries and Marvel Smith is not exactly helping things. However, I'd like to think that we do have some decent backups in Adam Snyder and Barry Sims. People complain about them, but as backups, I really don't see them as being all that awful.
Or, the secondary. Yes there are big question marks at free safety. Dashon Goldson hasn't proven he can stay healthy and they don't have much experience backing him up, aside from Mark Roman. I recognize this, but given the situation I'm willing to believe the team wants to give Goldson every possible chance.
Now this might come across as sticking my head in the sand. However, I view it as accepting the situation and looking at the bright side of it. I'm not saying anybody else has to accept things as they are. People can scream until the cows come home. It doesn't make you any less of a fan to complain about the team.
However, I figure the situation is what it is and life's too short to be pessimistic. Now I'm not saying I think the team will go 12-4, win the division and make a Super Bowl run. There's a difference between optimist and just plain fool. If that did happen obviously I'd be ecstatic, but I do have some sense of reality. At the same time, I do think they'll win 7-10 games.
As I mentioned somewhere else, I think this team will be competitive in almost all of their games and have a chance to win a good deal of them. Whether they do or not is something I can't control. I'd rather enjoy the ride and even if it leads to disappointment, that's just the way life is.
So, how do you view yourself? Optimist, pessimist, realist? In the poll I'm going with optimist. Feel free to discuss your philosophy as a 49ers fan.
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I more or less agree with you here, but for slightly different reasons.
I’m an optimistic 49ers fan because I have very high expectations for the team (I don’t go for any of that “keep your expectations low and then you won’t be dissapointed” crap). I mean since THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS ARE THE GREATEST FOOTBALL TEAM IN THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF THE NFL BAR NONE, I think SF Fans should hold them to high standards. The Niners are that great of a team, so they can stand being held to the highest standards in football.
That said, I wouldn’t call another fan predicting a 12-4 record a fool, and I wouldn’t criticize the fans complaining about the team sucking as ‘not real’ fans. You should complain, that’s part of holding to team to a high standard. (For example, if Alex Smith keeps screwing up behind a collapsing offensive line, he shouldn’t because San Francisco 49er Quarterbacks are better than that.)
So we should go into every singe new season believing that the Niners have a chance to go to the Superbowl, because they do.
"Those boos really motivate me to make something happen." - Bonds
by Persiflage on May 8, 2009 12:42 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Similar, too
I go into every season thinking, “Maybe this year will be it. Maybe they will finally start to turn it around.” While I do realize the team has shortcomings all across the board, parts of me still feel the optimism that, I believe, makes me a fan. I don’t have a ton of faith that Manny Lawson will find his pass-rush mojo, but I’ll definitely be rooting for him to do so if he’s named the starter.
by sfgfan on May 8, 2009 1:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I also understand...
… when fans have gripes about players and the team, too, of course.
by sfgfan on May 8, 2009 1:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I must be an extreme optimist or completely delusional...
because I feel that every year is going to be the year we win another Super Bowl. Some might consider me a fanatic.. . lol, but that is what a fan is ultimately in my opinion. I feel the only time we lose a game is when the other team cheats, and I tell everyone the 49ers win “on my television.”
Really to me the 49ers can do no wrong.. I support them 100% and everyone currently on the team. I truly feel will we go 16-0 ever year when I look at the upcoming schedule and think what games we will win. Yeah it is unrealistic, but this is why I am a (fan)atic.
by danknerd49 on May 8, 2009 1:00 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
actually a fanatic doesn’t have to believe “the 49ers can do no wrong”
going 2-14 in 2004? wrong
going 4-12 in 2005? wrong
going 7-9 in 2006? wrong
going 5-11 in 2007? wrong
going 7-9 in 2008? wrong
Would we have gone 7-9 last year if Shaun Hill had started 16 games instead of J.T. O’Sullivan starting the first 8? No. Nolan done wrong.
"Those boos really motivate me to make something happen." - Bonds
by Persiflage on May 8, 2009 1:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I can't comprehend disloyalty
I am an optimist. That means I support all of the 49ers, not just those who are doing well. If they are wearing a 49er uniform I support them. I may criticize their play, but I will not turn vicious as some have done. I hate to see 49er fans viciously attack any 49er because he has not performed well. Of course, I am referring to the mean spirited comments that have be directed toward Alex Smith. Why be so mean and nasty? It tells us nothing about the object of your hatered, but a whole lot about you. If your are a 49er fan, then be LOYAL to all 49ers, please!!!
by CorneliusJ on May 8, 2009 1:17 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
disloyalty
I think you can be critical and still be a loyal fan. But I do recognize the problem with some of the more vicious criticisms that are not about playing ability.
by Fooch on May 8, 2009 1:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
You guys (CorneliusJ & danknerd49, among others)
are the right kind of fans with the way you support the team. The only players that should be ripped are guys who aren’t trying, aren’t giving their all or guys that have their mind on other things besides football. Unfortunately, it’s often hard to tell that sitting at home.
When the Eagles cut Cris Carter a long time ago, he had a serious drug and alcohol problem that was obviously affecting his play. Most fans, however, knew nothing of it. The team kept it under wraps to protect Cris.
Bear fans crucified Rex Grossman and it was kind of disgusting. By all accounts he was an excellent teammate and worked hard (except for one New year’s Eve game). He never got into trouble off-the-field. The year they went to the SB, he ignited the team early on by playing lights out in September (he was named NFC offensive player-of-the month that month).
His struggles during the rest of the season are well documented. The next season he was crucified with every mistake he made. It was ridiculous. When wide open receivers dropped easy passes right in their hands, that was OK. When Grossman threw an incompletition, he was ripped.
By all accounts both Hill and Smith are doing all they can to be the best they can be. That’s really all you can ask out of anybody.
by GeoMak on May 8, 2009 1:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
criticisms
While I do agree it’s rough to be crucifying your own players, there’s also a human nature aspect of it. A person feels like they’re invested in the team and when a player makes bad mistakes (which do happen) it can be extremely frustrating. And while people aren’t experts, a person certainly is allowed to think they know more than the GM. While it can cause a ruckus debate, human nature is what it is.
by Fooch on May 8, 2009 1:48 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
+1
I agree that more people should be rooting for our team instead of rooting against players who a trying hard to make the team better. Of course you always want the best players on the field, but I want all of our players to do good. I hope Alex Smith can erase that “bust” label that everyone puts on him. Every year I think its going to be different. Its the only thing you can do as a fan is be optimistic.
by agchee on May 8, 2009 2:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well, that's fine and dandy, but you really miss this part...
The part the Grossman really sucks.
Well, we're waiting....
by drummer on May 8, 2009 2:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Respectfully
You have probably watched a handful of Grossman’s games. You’ve seen his ‘miscues’ a million times, but little else. It’s really hard for anybody (myself included) to make a judgment on a player they have rarely seen play.
You probably don’t say that Daniael Manning sucks. Who? Manning is a DB for the Bears.
The Bears opened the SB with Hester’s kick-off TD. Later in the first quarter, Grossman hit Muhsin Muhammad for a TD. The Bears scored 14 first quarter points in the SB. I believe only three other teams scored 14 points. That’s even more than the 85 Bears scored in the first quarter (13).
No team has ever come back from a 14 point deficit to win the SB. It should have been a real tough road for Indy to climb. After all, Peyton Manning threw an INT on his first pass of the game.
They were struggling bigtime in that game.
Except, the Bears never did have a 14 point lead. Sandwiched in between the Hester TD and the Grossman TD pass, was the KNUCKLEHEAD play by Manning. Confused as to whether the Bears were in man or zone, Manning left his receiver (Reggie Wayne) after about 15 years, leaving Wayne wide, wide open for an easy TD.
Take that blown coverage out of the equation, and the Colts were probably looking at a 14 point deficit, something that had never been overcome in the SB.
by GeoMak on May 8, 2009 2:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think I've seen enough of Grossman..
To think he sucks, but then again, he rarely starts for the Bears anymore. I guess I didn’t watch all of his 31 games 6 years, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.
Well, we're waiting....
by drummer on May 8, 2009 3:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
All I am saying is that sometimes
you just can’t tell from home.
In SB XXX Steeler QB Neil O’Donnell threw two crucial INT’s to Dallas DB Larry Brown. Brown was named the SB MVP and O’Donnell was crucified.
The first INT was all on O’Donnell. The second, however, was the fault of WR Andre Hastings. One the play in question O’Donnell threw exactly to where Hastings was supposed to be. Unfortunately Hastings, instead of slanting one way, slanted the other way. The wrong way!
He wasn’t where he was supposed to be which was why the ball ended up in Browns’s hands for his second INT.
Watching from home, it looked like a boneheaded play from O’Donnell. And it’s in the record books as an INT charged to O’Donnell. The facts, however, are much different.
AS O’Donnell’s teammate (Mike Tomczak) said: “That definitely wasn’t Neil’s fault. He made a read and was right. Mistakes were committed by other people. But the QB always gets blamed.”
by GeoMak on May 8, 2009 3:20 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well, you can go on and try to qualify Grossman...
But at this point, I think you’re better served getting behind Cutler. At least that’s what the Bears are gonna do.
Wanting a better QB isn’t a bad thing, and for some odd reason, you think 49er fans haven’t watched much of their team. And it shows.
Well, we're waiting....
by drummer on May 8, 2009 3:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
You misunderstand me.
I’m not saying that Grossman is great or anything. I’m just saying that evaluating players is more complicated than I think some people make it out to be.
Cutler is clearly a better QB.
I’m confused with your comment about me thinking that 49er fans haven’t watched much of their team. Not sure what that means.
by GeoMak on May 8, 2009 3:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
look, wanting to get rid of players who suck is not disloyalty
This doesn’t mean that you don’t root for them while they are playing during the game. You do. Indeed, it would be wonderful if a certain player stopped sucking and actually started making good plays. I would have loved to root for a “good” Alex Smith or Mark Roman. But, at the same time, if a player is just sucking on the field, then I want him replaced. I refuse to blindly support and root for that player when he could be sucking somewhere else (like on the Raiders or on the Bengals, etc.)
There is a reason Rex Grossman, Joey Harrington, and Alex Smith were all disliked by the fans. When they played on the field, they all made their teams lose. No matter how much integrity they had, or how nice of a person each of these guys were, they were just plain bad football players. You could feel the whole morale of their team swirl down the toilet under the leadership of these guys.
As a 49ers fan, I think my team is better than this. They are too good to start players who suck.
"Those boos really motivate me to make something happen." - Bonds
by Persiflage on May 8, 2009 2:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Actually
Rex Grossman was a big reason why they even went to the SB. In their first five games the Bears went 5-0. Grossman played OK in one (against Minnesota) and GREAT in the other four (earning him player-of-the-month honors). The odds on a team going to the playoffs after starting 5-0 are astronomical. It’s almost a done deal.
After that he played hot and cold. In their two playoff games, he played extremely well, throwing only one INT. And yet, most fans only look at the negative. Not exactly correct (or fair).
Football is the ultimate team game, where each player is dependent on his teammates and coaches.
Jay Novacek is a great example. Drafted by the Cardinals, he wasted away on the bench. Former Cardinal QB Cliff Stoudt says “It was stupidity. Gene Stallings was our coach, and I used to think ‘If this guy’s such a brilliant leader, how can he keep our best player off the field?’”
The Cards let him go after five seasons and only Dallas offered him a contract. Under Norv Turner (and with Aikman) he became a perrenial Pro-Bowler. While other OC’s thought Novacek undersized, Turner salivated at the match-up problems he caused the defense.
Same player. Not much in Arizona. Pro-Bowler in Dallas.
by GeoMak on May 8, 2009 2:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
if want to take up the virtually impossible task of defending Rex Grossman, power to you
I saw plenty of his games (not just playing the Niners) and he sucked
Every bad player can have a good game or two, heck, even Joey Harrington looked good for a year. (And Alex Smith looked good in college.) But, same as Harrington, when you watched Grossman play, you could see the defeat in his eyes. No charisma. No leadership ability. Terrible team captain. Overrated playing ability = lost games. He genuinely looked like he hated playing football. It was his attitude along with his playing ability.
I don’t care enough about him to argue this with you for too long. If you want guys like Alex Smith or Res Grossman leading your team, fine. I know we can do better than that.
"Those boos really motivate me to make something happen." - Bonds
by Persiflage on May 8, 2009 3:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nobody is arguing here.
But when you say that he had no leadership ability and that he was a terrible team captain you are clearly wrong. That would apply to Harrington, but not to Grossman.
When a guy is having a bad game, he often doesn’t look too good. That said, he was well liked and respected by his teammates.
Nobody is saying that I want guys like Grossman and Smith leading my team.
I am saying is that often people judge players from other teams based, not so much on watching the games, but on highlights and perception.
People had the ‘perception’ that Kurt Warner was washed up after he left the NY Giants, which is why he was pretty much unwanted. Obviously, he wasn’t.
And I knw what you’re going to say . . . Larry Fitzgerald & Anquan Boldin.
But like Ron Jaworski says: “You still have to have someone to get them the ball.”
And Larry Fitzgerald has said that Warner did more for Fitzgerald than Fitzgerald did for Warner.
Warner did the impossible. He took the woeful Arizona Cardinals to the SB in 2008. And yet, after the 2007 season, Matt Leinart was named the starter, not Kurt Warner. Crazy.
by GeoMak on May 8, 2009 3:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I guess this is why we all like Shaun Hill so much ...
when he was having a bad game, he’d either grit his teeth and run right through a linebacker 10 yards for his own first down, either that or toss a couple to Isaac Bruce
no depressed, confused, haunted look in his eyes, instead he has that whole “eye of the tiger” thing going
a suckster QB looks bewildered after he gets sacked, Shaun Hill just looks really pissed off after he gets sacked
"Those boos really motivate me to make something happen." - Bonds
by Persiflage on May 8, 2009 4:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I like Shuan Hill.
He and Kyle Orton play a similar game. There are differences between the two, but watching both last year I saw a lot of similarities.
Leadership is mostly about getting the guys in the huddle to believe in you. It’s not so much in how you ‘verbalize’ it. Eli Manning is more of a ‘quiet leader.’ Rex is kind of like that.
Slamming the ball down and getting angry after a sack really is meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Coaches constantly talk about having amnesia on the field; forgetting the last play (good or bad) and going on to the next.
Troy Aikman was greatly respected by his teammates because he was pretty cool and calm towards them, even when he was taking a beating, unlike say, a Dan Marino, who was a cry baby . . . always yelling at linemen who missed blocks and when receivers made mistakes.
You’re entitled, of course, to criticized Grossman. And your criticism isn’t entirely off-base. But the fact is you’ve probably only seen, at most, 5% of his career. It’s pretty hard to make an informed judgment based on that.
by GeoMak on May 8, 2009 5:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Don't forget...
… that he supposedly convinced Singletary to leave him in the game once.
by sfgfan on May 8, 2009 5:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Great Subject fooch..
I am impressed with the results, or the pessimist haven’t voted yet. Football is like life. has picks and valleys and you should be nothing but optimist.
Optimist means there is no optimum! You have to always be improving with the right attitude.
Go Niners 09…
by Niner Power on May 8, 2009 1:19 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
pessimists
I guarantee a lot of people some view as pessimists view themselves as realists. It’s all a matter of where the perception is coming from.
by Fooch on May 8, 2009 1:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think, being that this is the Internet...
That a lot of fans feel they have to be on one side of the issue, being either you’re an optimist or a pessimist. I don’t know where a pragmatist lies in this whole issue, but it seems to not fall into what we think of as “fandom”.
Well, we're waiting....
by drummer on May 8, 2009 2:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
realist?
I think being pragmatic would probably fall under realist…which I’m perfectly fine with.
by Fooch on May 8, 2009 2:59 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think being pragmatic is the way to go here...
Because, in a lot of other fan’s eyes, being a realist can make you a pessimist.
Well, we're waiting....
by drummer on May 8, 2009 3:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I've been a fan of this team...
For over 30 years, so I don’t know what people here qualify what constitutes a fan, but I’ll make a few personal observations about this….
1. I was a fan of the team before the Internet. Well, at least as we know it now. So blogs, message boards and such are only source of info to me, and I take them for what they’re worth. A lot of youth presides over those sources, and I take that into account as well.
2. I was a fan of the team before I had the ability to peruse stats on a daily basis, stats compiled and analyzed from MIT types. I take them for what they’re worth as well.
3. I was a fan before TecmoBowl, and then Madden, so basically, if we wanted to play a game of football, we did it out in the sandlot. Unless one of us lucky kids got one of those vibrating football games for Xmas.
4, I don’t take much stock into offseason “hype”, since it rarely translates into anything during the regular season with this team these days. Sorry if I don’t fall into the "ZOMG!! WE GOT CRABTREE!! clique, since I’m still “Waiting For Davis” to come around, as well as the rest of the 49er organization (thus, my sig…)
5. I’m not a pessimist. Just cynical.
6. If you really wanted to hear some “whining”, you should have been around during the “Joe vs. Steve” debate in SF. Even when this team could do no wrong, fans still nitpicked over every little nugget of negativity, like why they didn’t score 70 points on the Rams.
7. There were really good Ram teams in the 70’s, and why, while growing up in SoCal, I chose the 49ers as my team then can give you a clue of what kind of fan I am. I think I did it to piss off my best buddy who was a Raider fan, as well as some family members who were Ram fans.
8. I’ve found that 49er beat writers have different opinions on the team when they are asked about them on the radio, than they do in print. Maybe it’s because they have to sell newspapers/websites more than give us their real opinion.
9. There are too may polls/topics on what makes a true fan. Maybe we should ask a Lions fan what makes a true fan. Not 49er fans.
10. If Crabtree lands on a Wheaties box, then the question of “what he has for breakfast” can finally be put to bed.
Well, we're waiting....
by drummer on May 8, 2009 2:33 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Unless one of us lucky kids got one of those vibrating football games for Xmas.
How did those work, anyway? Was it random luck?
by sfgfan on May 8, 2009 3:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't remember...
My buddies game stopped working after one hour of play. LOL. I do remember watching the “players” move around, but not really going anywhere.
Well, we're waiting....
by drummer on May 8, 2009 3:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Those games
were a lot like life. You go and you go and in the end, you really don’t get very far.
by GeoMak on May 8, 2009 4:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I voted Pessimist
Since I do dwell on negatives more then positives.
but when watching games I am optimistic, I believe my fave team can make a miracle comeback at anytime.
http://www.49ersboard.blogspot.com
by supraman on May 8, 2009 3:12 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Realist. This game is a business...
We WILL NOT BE CONTENDERS…until we have supremely talented executive management .That’s the reality. Plain and simple. Pro-sports is a business and if you want to win you have to have sharp dedicated people pulling the strings.
Dominic Rhodes…Jay Cutler…Albert Haynesworth…Roy Williams…TJ Houshmanzaheh…Larry Foote…Matt Cassell…
How many more proven talents (and more importanly intemadators) will we let other teams have while we invest in Nate Clements and Justin Smith. While we develop Alex Smith and Kentwan Balmer. While we let Oakland corntrol our draft and land Crabtree out of dumb luck and not strategy.
The reason New England, Indy, Pitsburg, Greenbay, Dallas, and a few I’m missing, are consistantly good (meaning always contenders and always putting a quality product on the field) is because there teams are run by purpose driven results oriented bussinessmen. Impossible to argue, so “Fooch” please don’t reply about how beautiful life is in 49er land. Until the 49ers can get a Walsh (god I miss him) and an Eddy D back in the front office we will continue to flounder in mediocraty. Hardly worth bogging about.
I grew up watching this team and any “true” fan should be appauled with what the York family has done to this franchise. Getting a few lucky breaks like P-Willis and Gore is just that…luck. It does not mean we’re up and coming. Being sub 500 for alomost a decade does not show reason for optimism or acceptance. Be a fan, be loyal, but be VERY discusted with the way the Yorks took a blessing and ran it into the ground. Because folks…thats the reallity no matter if your a fan or not.
by Forttyner4life on May 8, 2009 3:43 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Hmm.
Rhodes? Really? A guy who bailed for a free agent deal to get cut and be taken back by his original team for next to nothing?
Cutler? Did the team really have a shot at him? How do you know the front office didn’t try to go after him?
Haynesworth? Again, did the team really have a shot at him? Washington is being looked into for talking to him too early, and even then, do you really want to compete with Daniel Snyder in a “whose got more money” game?
Roy Williams? I think the 49ers already have a player pretty similar to him: Michael Lewis.
Housh? I’m glad the 49ers didn’t sign him. They basically got a much younger (and probably eventually better) version of him in Michael Crabtree.
Larry Foote? Like two of the above players: did the 49ers really have a chance at him? He signed for one-year with his hometown team. Besides, where would he fit? Next to Willis? Spikes is already there for fairly cheap and he’s already developed a rapport with Willis.
I understand that fans want the front office to go after “big-name” players, but there are reasons the big-name players are even available. Besides, as I alluded to above, how do we as fans even know what discussions are going on within the front office staff? How do you know the team didn’t establish a price they were willing to pay for Cutler and found out it was too much to acquire him AND give him an extension?
I understand criticism of the front office. In the past, they’ve been pretty bad. Lately? Not so much. They’re not doing extremely great things, yet, but they’re showing they’re finally getting it. To criticize them by saying they’re not acting is flat out wrong. As you mentioned, the NFL is a business, so what’s the best way to make money? Put a winning product on the field. Why would they actively (as you’re accusing) be skipping out on players that they think may improve them?
Simple. Either they don’t think those players won’t help the team at all. Or they think the player(s) won’t marginally improve the team, at least not enough to warrant the price paid to acquire them.
by sfgfan on May 8, 2009 4:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Sfgfan...you'll never manage anyhting...
I didn’t say they “weren’t” trying to act…you genius. I said the aren’t talented enough to negiotiate and close a big name transaction. Name two FA signings that showed any guile by front office in the last 10 years. Your much like many of the other bloggers…defensive. Get over it. WE HAVE NO TALENTED PEOPLE PULLING THE STRINGS. Houhmanzadeh…are you kidding me…your not disapointed we didn’t get him? You happy Seattle got him?Seattle out did us. Again. Instead we got Brandon Jones! Shauan Hill to Brandon Jones…boy I’m just terrified if I’m an opposing defense.
Cutler wasn’t worth the price???? Really. Boy if I’m scotty that woudl have been numero uno priority. Try stacking the box on Jay Cutler…YOU GET THROWN ON. Dealth with cutler to Brandon Marshall style. So what happens when you get a Jay Cutler…you don’t have DB’s in the box killing Frank Gore. Football 101. When you have a doninant QB you win games. What if you asked Frank Gore how much he’d like a Jay Cutler. What do you think he’d say? Hell yes.
Rhodes…you mean the guy who won a superbowl with Manning. The “back up” with 538 YDS and 7 TDS last year.Yea him.
And last…look at the management the Falcons have. Art Blank had to deal with Mike Vick. MIKE VICK! And what did he and his stff do??? Mike Turner…Warrick Dun and Matt Ryan. And now they add another FA Tony Gonzolez…BRILLIANT plays by smart people who live and die to win football games.
So go on and defend our front office but understand your a moron. We haven’t landed jack !@#$ talent wise in close to a decade. Until we do, we’ll make up a bunch of excuses like you do and continue to put a mediocre team on the field.
by Forttyner4life on May 8, 2009 11:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
name calling
You don’t improve your argument by calling people names.
by Fooch on May 9, 2009 8:50 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
People have this misconception about the Falcons
That they were a terrible team in 2007 who got great last year in 2008. They weren’t. They were an average team (8-8 in 2005, 7-9 in 2006) who had a horrendous year in 2007 (thanks to the Mike Vick & Bobby Petrino fiascos).
Then they got ‘lucky’ in 2008. They had the third pick in the draft and a college QB that many have called the most ‘NFL ready’ in ages (Matt Ryan) fell right into their laps.
Their new GM (Demitroff), new HC (Smith) new QB (Ryan) and an excellent FA RB (Turner), among some other moves, helped an average team overcome their terrible 2007 season to have an excellent season in 2008.
by GeoMak on May 9, 2009 3:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Houhmanzadeh…are you kidding me…your not disapointed we didn’t get him? You happy Seattle got him?
No, I’m not disappointed one bit that the 49ers didn’t get him. And while I’m not necessarily thrilled that Seattle got him, I am glad they’re the ones that overpaid for an aging possession receiver who may not turn out to be the “gamebreaker” everyone thinks he is once he gets away from Chad Johnson.
Cutler wasn’t worth the price???
First of all, I didn’t say anything about Cutler not being worth the price. I really liked Cutler. I was one of the many people here hoping the 49ers would end up with him. However, I’m not going to blast the front office and say they failed to negotiate a deal to bring him here. The 49ers don’t play in a vacuum, and the bottom line is there were plenty more teams that had WAY more to offer than the 49ers did. Heck, it seems the Broncos really like Orton. Whose to say that they would have liked Smith or Hill instead? You can throw up all the puzzle pieces you want, but the other team actually has to, you know, like them?
Rhodes…you mean the guy who won a superbowl with Manning. The "back up" with 538 YDS and 7 TDS last year.Yea him.
You know what your magical 538 yards in a season boils down to? Just over 33 yards a game. That can be found from a variety of back-ups in the league. And you just said it yourself: he won a Super Bowl with MANNING. I’d say Manning had worlds more to do with the success of the Colts that year than Rhodes did. So much so that he was actually replaced by a rookie who averaged a yard more per carry over the course of the season.
by sfgfan on May 11, 2009 10:02 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
reply
First, as my post said, I do recognize issues, but I just prefer to look at the positives in place.
Second, you mentioned Justin Smith and implied it was a bad signing. Why do you think Justin Smith was a bad signing?
Third, while I was certainly happy to get Super Bowls under Debartolo, the York’s had to clean up the salary cap mess he and Policy left the team in. They’ve made plenty of bad decisions, but I also think they’ve improved as owners (particularly in handing the reigns off to Jed) over the last few years.
by Fooch on May 8, 2009 4:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
You lose all credibility, to me
by mentioning Dallas. Jerry Jones is one of the best owners in the NFL, who happens to employ one of the worst GM’s in the league (Jerry Jones). And that GM hires some of the worst HC’s in the NFL (guys like Chan Gailey, Dave Campo and Wade Phillips).
by GeoMak on May 8, 2009 4:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wade Phillips isn't that bad
Now Chan Gailey and Dave Campo are awful.
by bignerd on May 8, 2009 11:20 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wade Phillps
is an excellent DC who has absolutely no leadership ability as a HC. That’s one of the reasons why Dallas was 1 – 2 in penalties and turnovers last year.
There’s very little discipline on that team, in part becasue their HC is not a leader.
by GeoMak on May 9, 2009 2:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I wouldn’t go so far as to call Matt Cassell or Dominic Rhodes “proven talent” – let’s see what happens this season – I still wouldn’t want to even draft either of them on my fantasy football team
We WILL NOT BE CONTENDERS…
ok, like I said, imagine Shaun Hill starting 16 games last season instead of Turnovers O’Sullivan starting the first 8 – would we have been contenders then? if we had won just one more game we probably would have been in the playoffs, and I bet Hill would have helped win more than just one – would we have been 7-9? nope – I think that qualifies as being “contenders” don’t you?
are we a better team going into ’09 than we were going into ’08? yes – that should make us “contenders” even more
"Those boos really motivate me to make something happen." - Bonds
by Persiflage on May 8, 2009 4:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
This.
Very well said. The rationality doesn’t even require a fan to look at the 49ers through rose-colored lenses.
by sfgfan on May 8, 2009 5:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The whole "If Hill had started"...
Is really just pure speculation, because if he could have flamed out hard early in the season behind that O-line playing like crap. Let’s not forget, Hill looked horrible in the pre-season. He was just flat out bad. He looked horrible in that first half of the Ram game too. Hill might not have lasted 4 games if he had started in the beginning.
Well, we're waiting....
by drummer on May 8, 2009 7:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Speculation
Yes, it very well may be speculation, but taking his body of work from the end of the season prior and the end of last season, I don’t think the speculation is at all wild that he could have won at least one more game.
by sfgfan on May 11, 2009 9:52 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
And he could have lost one more game too...
The first half of the season, they had the Pats, Gints, Saints, Iggles, and the only sure win was the Lions. They barely squeaked by SEA. The teams they beat in the second half of the season had a total combined wins in their respective second halves of around 8. Now, before the season starts, you look at the schedule, look at your new offensive scheme, go into pre-season to see who can run it best, and guess what happened? Hill was the 3rd best QB before he became the backup, due to Smith getting injured. The possibility of Hill looking JTO like and flaming out early (like in the last Rams game, against a horrid Rams defense, which showed up just in time to lose the game for them, adding another win to the Hill column), and then JTO taking over (like he almost did in that Ram game) is more probable than he posting up one or 2 more wins. Heck, we might have seen Jamie Martin late in the season too.
Well, we're waiting....
by drummer on May 11, 2009 11:36 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'd like to think of myself as an optimistic realist
When Nolan first came on I was optimistic, considering what we had had before him. And where the management had been awful before I thought it had been mediocre with Nolan, and even then it was hard to judge Nolan the first couple of years because of where they had to come from. 7-9 in his second year was an improvement, although it was clear that there were enormous holes on the roster. When Turner left and things devolved on offense the next year it was clear there were problems with Nolan’s regime. As a head coach he was a defensive coordinator. And when he handed over the offense to Martz and tried to gimmick his 3-4 the fail light went on.
I am optimistic because I feel that Singletary is a good head coach. He plugs in his coaches, tells them what he wants and oversees the operation. Of course, the proof is in the pudding, or winning, but I feel as if McCloughan has been making good moves as far as personnel are concerned.
So I like how things are shaping up. I don’t think it’s crazy to imagine the team winning the division and I don’t think I could have said that last season (although they almost did).
by Bob On The Coast on May 8, 2009 8:12 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I'd have to be realistic and so I voted that way
Here Here fellow niner fans it’s the one and only………………… you know the handle!!
I understand Football, and for the first time in years I have an inner belief that we are a playoff team. I understand the struggle,unity, battle and defeat. Our Head coach this year will have our tesam ready for battle, IMO it’s half the war out there. Coaches are ready for battle, as well as the players. And face it I prefer my rookies and backups to be too tired to stand out early on in the Training Camp part of the year. There’s an interesting philosophy, practicve and train so hard that the games are easy. I don’t have the luxury of watching many games. I will tell you for the ones I’ve been to in St. Louie and the ones on tv, Our schemes and approach to getting to the Qb suck. it’s half an dhalf players and scheme. I can guarantee one thing about the camp every player Offensive and defensive will have an endless motor. Please enjoy the show…….Playoffs!!! and I’m not Coach mora!!
M. S. #50
by rlott#42 on May 8, 2009 9:32 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
optimist & real
I’m one of the fans spoiled by the Walsh coaching with Montana & Rice years then got sick when Seifert & Young took over leading to Mariuchi, Garcia & TO making the downhill slide to everyone asking what happened to the 49ers.
So can we sit out one more season & get Tebow in next year’s draft with a few more defensive players?
I wont be happy again & a lot others until the west coast offense & punch in your mouth ball hawking defense returns to the BAY when the 9ers stayed in California for the Playoffs and made one trip in the playoffs to the SB and won it. when it was automatic that the 49ers were contenders not questions of will they win 7 or 9 games.
Now I live in Louisiana my daddy got me loving the niners, he loved them before Walsh when sucking would’ve been good for them…so if im passionate for the 9ers you BAY folf should have torches ready…lol.
by J49er on May 8, 2009 10:48 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Tebow?? That's a step backward give me Alex Smith
M. S. #50
by rlott#42 on May 9, 2009 2:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Tebow?
He may end up being a great quarterback, I mean, he is a great college quarterback, but I don’t see the smooth transition into the pros.
Great quarterbacks in the NFL more often than not are gems found deeper in the draft, who sit on the bench for a couple of years and then blossom. When a team has lots of holes to fill, and that would include the Niners and most other teams, I think that there’s better value in fattening the whole roster with talent than drafting a quarterback who’ll get beaten up for the next five years (for ex, A. Smith). Bad teams that draft big name quarterbacks number one (hello, Lions) tend to stay bad and watch over their prized possession getting pummeled. Good teams, when they draft great quarterbacks, protect them.
by Bob On The Coast on May 9, 2009 8:20 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree with most of what you wrote, except
for this line: Great quarterbacks in the NFL more often than not are gems found deeper in the draft.
They are sometimes found later on, and many, many first rounders are rushed into play and end up being busts, but great QB’s are more often found early on.
Some of the best in the league right now (both Mannings, Rivers, Cutler, Big Ben, McNabb, Palmer) are first rounders. Drew Brees was the first pick in the second round.
Then you have rookie first rounders like Flacco & Ryan.
Other first rounders who start like Aaron Rodgers, Jason Campbell.
As compare to undrafted or later round guys like Warner, Romo, Trent Edwards, Matt Hasselbeck, and of course Tom Brady.
I agree that most should sit for a while (like the old days). And that some late round picks turn out to be great.
I just wouldn’t say that “more often than not” referring to later round picks.
by GeoMak on May 9, 2009 2:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Im a Realistic Optomist as well
Im surprised there wasn’t a section to vote that way.
49ers and TOOL live, my personal Heaven!!!
by CW30 on May 9, 2009 8:21 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I'm all three
An Optimist for the future of the Niners -A Realist, knowing this team is not playoff caliber ready and a Pessimist regarding Upper Mgt. I want the Niners to Win like everyone else, and I hope they do. But, making bad mgt. decision and 7 OC doesn’t help.
by LASVEGASNINER on May 9, 2009 11:32 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
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