49ers Year-by-Year: 2003

by howtheyscored on Feb 26, 2010 7:00 AM PST in 49ers Year-by-Year

Come all ye masochists, gather round. That sick pleasure that you take when Dennis Erickson flits across your disheveled mind will be well served here. That fascination with destructive infighting, the magnetic attraction that you feel toward heart-wrenching loss - all of your greatest fantasies are fulfilled within.

Because this is the 49ers' 2003 season. This was the beginning of the very worst of it all. This was the Episode I of Modern Era 49ers' seasons. This one kind of hurts. I still think you should read it, though. And if you do need some intrigue to continue, I've uncovered conclusive evidence that Mike Singletary blatantly plagiarized Jeremy Newberry. It's true.

Date:	Opponent:	Score:	Record:	Opponent's Record:
Sept. 7	Chicago Bears	W: 7-49	1-0	0-1
Sept. 14	@ St. Louis Rams	L: 24-27	1-1	1-1
Sept. 21	Cleveland Browns	L: 13-12	1-2	1-2
Sept. 28	@ Minnesota Vikings	L: 7-35	1-3	4-0
Oct. 5	Detroit Lions	W: 17-24	2-3	1-4
Oct. 12	@ Seattle Seahawks	L: 19-20	2-4	4-1
Oct. 19	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W: 7-24	3-4	3-3
Oct. 26	@ Arizona Cardinals	L: 13-16	3-5	2-5
Nov. 2	St. Louis Rams	W: 10-30	4-5	5-3
Nov. 17	Pittsburgh Steelers	W: 14-30	5-5	3-7
Nov. 23	@ Green Bay Packers	L: 10-20	5-6	6-5
Nov. 30	@ Baltimore Ravens	L: 6-44	5-7	7-5
Dec. 7	Arizona Cardinals	W: 14-50	6-7	3-10
Dec. 14	@ Cincinnati Bengals	L: 38-41	6-8	8-6
Dec. 21	@ Philadelphia Eagles	W: 31-28	7-8	11-4
Dec. 27	Seattle Seahawks	L: 24-17	7-9	10-6

Head Coach: Dennis Erickson

Key Losses: HC Steve Mariucci, WR J.J. Stokes, K Jose Cortez, G/T Dave Fiore

Key Additions: T Kwame Harris, WR Arnaz Battle, WR Brandon Lloyd

After two winning season, including a playoff win just one season before, the 49ers were suddenly an unknown quantity going into 2003. With the unceremonious dismissal of head coach Steve Mariucci, who had been in open conflict with the ownership group as well as some of his more outspoken players for the better part of two years, the 49ers were going into 2003 behind new head coach Dennis Erickson. Erickson had previously coached at the NFL level, finding little success in a brief sting in Seattle. However, his great success as a college coach preceded him, and 49ers fans had to be hopeful that he would finally be able to translate that success at the NFL level.

But while the rift between the ownership and the coaching staff was presumably solved by the hiring of Erickson, the controversy surrounding the team was hardly solved. Over the past two seasons, Terrell Owens had developed not onto into an All-Pro talent, but also into a divisive, emotional, impulsive and disruptive presence on the team. In a short period, he had made waves with his on-field hijinks, while constantly taking light shots at the coaching philosophies and alternately praising and criticizing Jeff Garcia's play. As strange as it is to credit one player with so much influence, Owens' role under the new regime would go a long way toward determining the cohesiveness of the entire team.

Still, the 49ers were largely unchanged from a team that had won 23 games in the past two seasons, including a dramatic, come-from-behind playoff victory. It was a battle-tested team that, theoretically, should be able to repeat the success that had put them in the playoffs for two straight seasons.

And the first game of the season completely justified that optimism. A strong defensive performance and a lighting fast offensive attack combined to trounce the Bears by a score of 49-7. Jeff Garcia used the game to silence critics who worried about a preseason back injury, while a visibly giddy Dennis Erickson used the game to set the tone for what he hoped would be many more like it.

However, it wasn't going to be that easy. Traveling to St. Louis to take on their division rivals, the 49ers and Rams duked it out for four full quarters. Early in the game, both Jeff Garcia and Terrell Owens were knocked out of the game with concussions. However, after passing verbal tests on the sidelines, both were allowed to return. Their play almost brought the 49ers a victory. With time running out in a tied game at the end of regulation, Garcia threw a pass to Cedrick Wilson in the middle of the field. Wilson incorrectly believed that time had already run out on regulation and tried to run for the end zone. Meanwhile, his teammates frantically tried to get him to drop to the ground to call a timeout. By the time he did hit the turf, regulation was over and the game went to overtime. After a series of defensive mistakes in overtime, the Rams won on a field goal.

By the end of the third game, another loss, Terrell Owens was making public statements about his dissatisfaction with his role on the offense. But he wasn't the only malcontent. After the loss, fullback Fred Beasley openly criticized the quarterbacks for continuing to platoon Garrison Hearst with Kevan Barlow, saying that they needed to pick one for the sake of offensive continuity.

Things only got worse from there. Another ugly loss in week four led to even more public dissension from Owens. This time, though, he didn't just make noise to the media after the game. During the game, Owens made an extremely visible display by marching up and down the sideline screaming at the top of his lungs. After the game, though, it was his continued criticisms of Jeff Garcia - even going so far as to suggest that a quarterback change was needed - that grabbed the headlines. Garcia, frustrated, had some choice words for Owens himself.

Things were officially ugly in San Francisco.

But the season was not without intrigue. Despite being 1-3, the 49ers fifth game of the season came with a storyline built in: The Detroit Lions - led by none other than Steve Mariucci - were coming to town. Before the game, Garcia and Owens reportedly patched things up, and it certainly appeared that way as the game went on. The two got off to a fast start, and the 49ers jumped to a 17-0 lead over their old head coach. Then, the Lions buckled down, but it wouldn't be enough as the 49ers, relieved and loose, escaped with a victory.

And that win gave them a chance to climb back to .500. Taking on the Seahawks in Seattle, though, the 49ers failed to capitalize, and it looked like they would drop to 2-5 in the coming week against the defending Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers - the very team that had knocked San Francisco out of the playoffs the season before.

Amazingly, the two-faced 49ers not only showed their good side for once, but completely manhandled the Bucs. Led by Garrison Hearst, San Francisco stepped on Tampa Bay's throat from the first minute, and never got off. After the game, center Jeremy Newberry explained the team's winning attitude by saying, "We wanted to hit them in the mouth. And then when they got up, we wanted to hit them in the mouth again."

But the joy from that game would be short-lived as the 49ers would turn back into the bickering, identity-less team against the division rival and perennial pushover Arizona Cardinals. Unable to punch the ball into the end zone on multiple trips to the red zone, the 49ers routinely had to settle for field goals. Settling, though, would be the difference in the game as two missed field goals and a missed extra point by kicker Owen Pochman. The team's frustrations boiled over and directed itself at the special teams unit. Garrison Hearst, of all people, curtly told the media that he was "pissed off" about the loss. Jeremy Newberry, who just a week before had beamed at the team's toughness, openly railed that losing a game because of a special teams failure was "bull---". Adding injury to insult, Jeff Garcia sprained his ankle during the game and would miss the next week.

But against the Rams it was Garcia's absence that proved to be the difference. Behind the leadership of backup Tim Rattay, the 49ers' offense appeared to find itself again. Though the Rams had won four straight, they had no answer for Tim Rattay's three touchdown passes (one to Owens) and 236 yards (17 to Owens). At 4-5, with the playoff still amazingly within reach, the 49ers had another chance to climb back to .500 following their bye.

This time they wouldn't squander it. Facing Pittsburgh at Candlestick on Monday night, the 49ers enjoyed a special night indeed. With an efficient Rattay getting another start, Terrell Owens again starred in the spotlight. As Owens caught eight passes for 155 yards and a touchdown, the 49ers jumped out ahead of the Steelers and never looked back. At halftime of the victory, they retired Ronnie Lott's jersey, putting number 42 away for good.

The good vibes wouldn't last, though. The up and down 49ers continued their up and down season by getting pummeled in Green Bay, and then again in Baltimore. Just like that, the goodwill of being .500 was gone, the dissension among the team was back, and the team was staring down a schedule that would require them to win out to even have a chance at the postseason. With luck, the Cardinals were coming to town and the 49ers beat the sad-sack club up and down the field.

But even then, they couldn't make it back to .500. The season essentially ended in week 15 when a sloppy, mistake-filled performance doomed an otherwise inspiring offensive display in Cincinnati. The Bengals won 41-38 to ensure that the 49ers would not have a third consecutive winning season.

But .500 - and dignity - was still within reach, and amazingly the 49ers did not squander it as easily as they had at other points in the season. Facing almost impossible odds against an Eagles team that was among the hottest in the league, the 49ers broke through their slump and looked for all the world like the team that they should have been. During the victory, Terrell Owens landed hard on his shoulder and broke his collarbone. He wouldn't play for the rest of the game or the season. In his absence, rookie Brandon Lloyd thrilled fans with unbelievable, acrobatic catches. Unbelievably, it was the 49ers' only road victory for the entire season.

After the game, questions about Owen's future with the team were thrown about. It was well-known at this point that Owens and Garcia were not going to remain on the same team, and Owens looked for all the world like the odd man out. Speculation was that he had caught his final pass as a 49er. And after so much controversy - after so much trouble - many 49ers fans were more than happy to accept that possibility.

The season ended quietly with a loss, but following the result, the future of the team was thrown immediately into doubt. Along with questions about Owens' future with the team, there was uncertainty over whether or not fan-favorite Garrison Hearst would return to the team. With a hefty paycheck and the emergence of Kevan Barlow, it didn't seem likely. On top of Hearst, the 49ers went into the offseason with a whopping 14 unrestricted free agents. More than that, defensive coordinator Jim Mora, Jr., was well on his way to becoming the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

After what could only be described as a disappointing first season, new head coach Dennis Erickson had an unenviable job going forward. The team was undoubtedly about to be dismantled again, and there was nothing that anybody could do about it.

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Ah, Dennis Erickson

How I don’t miss thee.

Proud Sponsor of YoungWillis

by mountaindew77 on Feb 26, 2010 7:20 AM PST reply actions

here we go again

Yea Terrell owens cac run his mouth 2 much,yea he can be a malcontent in the locker room espically if he is’nt involved in the offense (heavily) but please 4 all the sucsess garcia had early REAL early ,ive neve never been a fan of his ,that herky jerky style i knew was’nt going be sucsessful overall and i really knew with dennis (cant coach in the N.F.L)erickson this was tthe beginning of the end of the niners until now and were still only a .500 team but the upside is there but other than miami college i did’nt see why the niners reached 4 erikson i did agree with firing the mooch it was getting old with him 2 but please lets stop putting terrell under the bus he was a problem i get that but he wasnt the biggest the people who was hiring n firing was the prpblem , and that OC terrell waz yelling at in minnesota we’ve seen the tape what has he done but failed with mora in atlanta and in seattle 2 where is he now??

by jayjonna415 on Feb 26, 2010 8:38 AM PST reply actions

I’m not a Garcia fan at all, but I try to put things aside when writing these up. In 2003, Owens WAS the 49ers’ headline. He was the guy putting the 49ers in the news. His actions were visible, if not significant, so whether or not they made a difference to how the team played, I had to represent them as being the most visible aspect of that season. It’s just me trying to write the piece honestly.

But I don’t just talk about him. There was some real discontent on that team, and a lot of players spoke out to the media. Garrison Hearst, Fred Beasley, Jeremy Newberry… guys you would never expect to be active malcontents. And I talk about their comments, too.

I don't know about that, to the groin.

by howtheyscored on Feb 26, 2010 9:04 AM PST up reply actions

I have NFL 2k5, and I like to play with the 2003 49ers, that group of Owens, Garcia, Beasley, etc. They always end up with a top 5 draft pick.

Kosuke Fukudome. Dickie Thon. Jung Bong. Pete LaCock. Best. Baseball Names. Ever.

by Ramah71 on Feb 26, 2010 9:12 AM PST up reply actions

Wow that's pretty dang realistic!

by Mangoman on Feb 26, 2010 10:09 AM PST up reply actions

We have now entered the Dark Ages

Hope everyone’s got their depression pills ready and/or a strong stomach!

by Mangoman on Feb 26, 2010 10:11 AM PST reply actions

It’s okay, guys – we only have to deal with Erickson for one more season! I’m pretty sure that after that, Mike Nolan will save us.

I don't know about that, to the groin.

by howtheyscored on Feb 26, 2010 10:15 AM PST up reply actions

The Dark Ages only started with Erickson.

by bignerd on Feb 26, 2010 12:36 PM PST up reply actions

This 2003 team was the best 7-9 49ers team of all-time

But why Erickson as a head coach? Especially when John York was setting up this team up for sacrafice in the later 2004 season. Did John York want to spare Steve Mariucci from envitable disaster and set up the bumbling, old Erickson for the fall?

Howeveer, during 2003, it seemed like things were THAT bad yet. groan

"Proving 2nd class ownership is profitable"

by More False Hope on Feb 26, 2010 10:26 AM PST reply actions

It’s actually pretty strange that John York gets so much of the blame for the way this team turned during that period. I mean, he was the owner from 1998 (I think) through 2002 – and during that time we suffered from losing the last of the Walsh era players, but rebuilt unbelievably fast and enjoyed two more playoff berths after the rebuild.

At the time, it was largely accepted that Terry Donahue was the man behind the fall. And he was actually a Walsh guy. John York gave the front office more than enough room to succeed during Mariucci’s time. Then, he had Walsh in the front office and let Bill groom Donahue for a job that he was eventually terrible at.

So John York was guilty of two things during that period: Staying out of the way and trusting Bill Walsh.

It really is revisionist history to look at those seasons and place the blame at York’s feet. The team actually was good under his watch. Then, when things did fall apart, it didn’t take him long to ditch Donahue and all of his ilk. I mean, this was 2003, and by 2005 all of those guys were completely gone. So York brought in the new crew with McCloughan and Nolan, which was generally seen as a good decision at the time. Since then, he’s responded to the criticisms of being an owner who makes bad decisions by turning over his decision-making power to somebody else (granted, his son, but hey).

I mean… when I look at it this way it really is a little appalling how much crap the Yorks take from the fans.

Remember: In 2003 and 2004, nobody was calling for John York’s head. Revisionist history is revisionist history. Terry Donahue was the guy. He was awful at his job, and he set us back for years.

The McNolan hirings are another argument altogether. I think it was the right idea with what unfortunately turned out to be the wrong people. But it’s up for debate.

I don't know about that, to the groin.

by howtheyscored on Feb 26, 2010 10:40 AM PST up reply actions

The 1999 and 2000 seasons were headed by John York. Remember that the 49ers went 4-12 and 6-10. However, that Mariucci team was given the “opportunity” to redeem themselves in 2001 and 2002 by making the playoffs.

Recall that there was an “expectation” by Mike Nolan that success should follow these dismal 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 seasons. However, 2007, 2008 and 2009 were only a continuation of more disappointments. I don’t blame the players or coaches for the lack of “opportunity” that ownership is primarily responsible for.

I attribute it to the lack of reinvestment into stadium and team by the Yorks. In recent years, they haven’t made any capital investments into Candlestick Park. They failed to make concessions to the other owners of the team to buy the “opportunity” to win from the other owners of the league. If you asked the York to give up their own personal share of profits— they won’t do it. That’s why the Yorks are lousy, slumlord owners that are living off of a losing environment.

"Proving 2nd class ownership is profitable"

by More False Hope on Feb 26, 2010 3:30 PM PST up reply actions

Like I say below, I don’t excuse John York (I don’t feel comfortable saying “The Yorks”) for the clearly awful execution of his professional duties. I do remember those 4-12 and 6-10 teams. I talk about them in my comment. 1999 and 2000 were crash and burn years that were the direct result of the team losing Steve Young and shedding prohibitive contracts of declining stars. Those contracts weren’t John York’s. Steve Young’s career ending wasn’t John York’s.

And it was some really good drafting between 1999 and 2001, combined with some shrewd free agency moves that got the team back so quickly. It was the high point of York’s time as owner by far.

When terry Donahue was installed as the GM, the drafting went to absolute hell – which was Donahue. When Donahue was installed as GM, Mariucci’s position was constantly in doubt – and Donahue feuded publicly with the coach. When Donahue was installed as GM, our activity in free agency went from shrewd to awful. He basically singlehandedly crippled a franchise that was coming back up.

And York was the one who ended it. Now, I don’t blame York for giving Donahue power. Like I said, he went with the Walsh guy. Sounds like a smart move on the face. Then, I give York credit for cutting bait so quickly on what was so clearly a failed experiment. While I do give him credit for going with the Walsh guy, though, I don’t think you can escape the fact that he made the decision to go with Donahue and it ended up being the worst hiring since DeBartolo hired Joe Thomas.

And I give him credit for looking for a coach and GM after Donahue who had a plan to build the team from scratch. You have to take points away for going with Nolan and Co. Which brings me to:

Recall that there was an "expectation" by Mike Nolan that success should follow these dismal 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 seasons. However, 2007, 2008 and 2009 were only a continuation of more disappointments. I don’t blame the players or coaches for the lack of "opportunity" that ownership is primarily responsible for.

I don’t understand this assertion. So Mike Nolan came in with high expectations. He was given three and a half years of almost complete team control to improve things – failed – and was somehow not given an opportunity? That seems like blind hatred for ownership there. It’s a completely perspectiveless statement.

I attribute it to the lack of reinvestment into stadium and team by the Yorks. In recent years, they haven’t made any capital investments into Candlestick Park. They failed to make concessions to the other owners of the team to buy the "opportunity" to win from the other owners of the league.

This is bordering on nonsense. The lack of reinvestment into a stadium? There has been a very public campaign from ownership to have a new stadium built for years now. And haven’t they been putting money into Candlestick? I could swear that your just wrong. And I don’t even understand what you mean by “They failed to make concessions to the other owners of the team to buy the "opportunity" to win from the other owners of the league.”

I just don’t understand it. John York has made a LOT of bad decisions as the owner. It’s undeniable. Just look at the track record. But it seems like his intentions have always been where they should be. Now, he’s gotten out of the way COMPLETELY, and it’s the same song and dance from people who just hate him outright.

Why did I even write this? I don’t even understand what you’re saying. “Opportunity” in hard quotes? “Expectation” in hard quotes? Not blaming the people who have DIRECT CONTROL OVER THE ROSTER for the roster being terrible?

Come on, man.

I don't know about that, to the groin.

by howtheyscored on Feb 26, 2010 4:03 PM PST up reply actions

And the really bizarre thing is that the displacement of blame from Donahue to York only happened in maybe the last two or three years. I don’t remember hearing all of this insanely single-minded vitriol for the owner when everybody still remembered that Donahue was actually the guy making roster decisions when everything went to hell.

Terry Donahue : John York :: Joe Thomas : Eddie DeBartolo

The difference? DeBartolo hired Walsh. York hired Nolan. The more I think about it, the more it really seems like a very, very clean analogy.

I don't know about that, to the groin.

by howtheyscored on Feb 26, 2010 4:08 PM PST up reply actions

And nobody remembers how much everybody HATED Eddie D when he first became the owner either. He was controlling the team from across the country. He’d hired this terrible man in Joe Thomas. He didn’t seem interested in success. He talked openly about running the team like a business. He was just some stupid rich kid with a new investment toy that he could screw around with.

THAT was how people thought of Eddie D when he first took control of the team. There were people saying that the team could NEVER win under DeBartolo ownership. If More False Hope were posting on NinersNation in 1978, he’d be calling for DeBartolo’s head. And three years later, he’d deny everything.

Now, I’m not trying to make a point about the Yorks here. It’s just such an interesting parallel. But It’s not one that necessarily means anything. Not by a long shot.

I don't know about that, to the groin.

by howtheyscored on Feb 26, 2010 4:18 PM PST up reply actions

Yeah but Eddie figured it out pretty quickly

They bought the team in 77, had horrible seasons that year and 78, fired Joe Thomas, hired Bill Walsh who had to deal with the legacy of the Joe Thomas era, and two years later won the Super Bowl.

Four years from buying the team to winning a Super Bowl—not a bad record at all.

They almost didn’t buy the 49ers either. When they went into the meeting to conclude the sale the asking price had jumped up by $500,000 and DeBartolo Sr was ready to walk out. Eddie Jr convinced him to buy the franchise and the rest was history.

Yes Drew K, Tim Tebow will probably get picked in the first round.

by smileyman on Feb 26, 2010 4:49 PM PST up reply actions

THAT was how people thought of Eddie D when he first took control of the team. There were people saying that the team could NEVER win under DeBartolo ownership. If More False Hope were posting on NinersNation in 1978, he’d be calling for DeBartolo’s head. And three years later, he’d deny everything.

You probably are right!! Why should I give a spit about Eddie DeBartolo?

"Proving 2nd class ownership is profitable"

by More False Hope on Feb 27, 2010 12:53 PM PST up reply actions

To clarify...

I don’t understand this assertion. So Mike Nolan came in with high expectations. He was given three and a half years of almost complete team control to improve things – failed – and was somehow not given an opportunity? That seems like blind hatred for ownership there. It’s a completely perspectiveless statement.

The opportunity to win is difficult to see or even acknowledge. Football games aren’t won by just players or coaches. The game is tainted— whether you like to believe it or not.

This is bordering on nonsense. The lack of reinvestment into a stadium? There has been a very public campaign from ownership to have a new stadium built for years now. And haven’t they been putting money into Candlestick? I could swear that your just wrong. And I don’t even understand what you mean by "They failed to make concessions to the other owners of the team to buy the “opportunity” to win from the other owners of the league.

Well? Where’s the new stadium? Is it hiding in your backpocket?

Why did I even write this? I don’t even understand what you’re saying. "Opportunity" in hard quotes? "Expectation" in hard quotes? Not blaming the people who have DIRECT CONTROL OVER THE ROSTER for the roster being terrible?

“Expectation” – quoted from Mike Nolan while he was still head coach of the 49ers. He had “an expectation to win”.

“Opportunity” – from “opportunity to win”. The NFL owners control the destiny of their teams— not the players or coaches. Don’t you notice all the biased officiating in a game? Or, do you just look at the scoreboard? There is a lot that you are missing when you watch the game.

"Proving 2nd class ownership is profitable"

by More False Hope on Feb 26, 2010 9:49 PM PST up reply actions

So this is just one big conspiracy theory. Gotcha.

I don't know about that, to the groin.

by howtheyscored on Feb 26, 2010 11:41 PM PST up reply actions

The NFL is big business worth billions of dollars. What’s worth more to the owners and football players— true competition or money?

If you love the team and the 49ers— and you want to make things better for them, you need to compell ownership to provide them with the “opportunity” to win.

"Proving 2nd class ownership is profitable"

by More False Hope on Feb 27, 2010 12:38 PM PST up reply actions

I think I’ll leave that up to you.

I don't know about that, to the groin.

by howtheyscored on Feb 27, 2010 12:40 PM PST up reply actions

I don’t have a direct interest in the 49ers or the NFL. That’s why I don’t care. I am free to say what I want without repercussions.

People that have a direct interest in this business aren’t going ruin things fearing that they will be blackballed.

"Proving 2nd class ownership is profitable"

by More False Hope on Feb 27, 2010 12:48 PM PST up reply actions

Most fans don't know the details you just wrote about

So they only see the connection between the ownership change and the team crumbling almost immediately after that. Sure they had some success between ’98 and ’02, but after the previous two decades even that success seemed like failure.

by madmatt on Feb 26, 2010 11:53 AM PST reply actions

I think that if there’s one place my year-by-year posts have been lacking, it’s been in coverage of ownership and front office news. There was some compelling stuff early on with the Morabitos that I covered, and of course I covered the DeBartolo / Thomas / Walsh stuff, but mostly I don’t look at the upper management when I’m writing these up.

I don't know about that, to the groin.

by howtheyscored on Feb 26, 2010 12:02 PM PST up reply actions

I don't blame you

Like I said, most people don’t pay any attention to FO stuff, but I think it’s interesting. Admittedly, I have definitely given the ownership their fair share of blame. For a while it just felt to me like the Yorks didn’t care about the niners at all. It almost seemed like they were just trying to get people to take care of the team so they didn’t have to. I was thrilled when they made Jed the president because I knew he cared about the team. But I have to admit that back then I wasn’t following the team quite as closely as I do now, so it was probably an unfair assumption on my part.

by madmatt on Feb 26, 2010 12:26 PM PST up reply actions

Well, John York has made his share of mistakes, but I don’t think he’s made them because he didn’t care. I think he does want the team to do well for non-business reasons, and he’s had to learn on the job.

I mean, it made complete sense to hand the reigns over to the guy that Bill Walsh hand-groomed. It sucks that it was such a massive failure. But it was good that he cut bait on it so quickly and so completely. It makes perfect sense that he went to a coach who presented him with a plan to start from scratch. It sucks that it was such a massive failure.

And now that it’s clear all of his well-intentioned decisions keep ending poorly, he gave up his right to make decisions. So I think John York IS trying to get the team to succeed. And I think that his thought process was correct for the most part when making these decisions. But his actual ability to make good football decisions has been poor at best, with a healthy dose of bad luck. I don’t want to absolve the man of all blame here. But I don’t think he deserves the level of crap that he gets.

Hopefully the decision to give power to Jed wasn’t simply the latest in a string of things that make sense at the time but go horribly wrong later.

I don't know about that, to the groin.

by howtheyscored on Feb 26, 2010 12:41 PM PST up reply actions

I think the bitterness still stems from the Yorks refusing to hand the keys back to Eddie.

by bignerd on Feb 26, 2010 12:43 PM PST up reply actions

I agree with that pretty completely.

I don't know about that, to the groin.

by howtheyscored on Feb 26, 2010 12:45 PM PST up reply actions

Agreed. And I wasn’t saying that he didn’t care about the team at all (there is no way for me to know that), I was just saying that’s how it seemed to me after being spoiled by the way Eddie ran the organization.

by madmatt on Feb 26, 2010 12:56 PM PST up reply actions

Oh, I wasn’t trying to talk about you specifically. I was thinking more about how fans in general seem to view the ownership.

I don't know about that, to the groin.

by howtheyscored on Feb 26, 2010 12:59 PM PST up reply actions

No, you were attacking me because you hate me

I jest. Really, I was just confessing to being one of the fans that unjustly gave John York too much blame.

by madmatt on Feb 26, 2010 1:09 PM PST up reply actions

But would the NFL have even allowed that with Eddie's past?

Yes Drew K, Tim Tebow will probably get picked in the first round.

by smileyman on Feb 26, 2010 1:18 PM PST up reply actions

Well, I think a lot of people wanted for York to defer to Eddie. Not sell the team back or give up the title of owner, but essentially be the King and Queen of England of the 49ers ownership, while Eddie pulls the strings behind the curtain.

That’s what I was referring to when I said I agree.

Also, there’s just the fact that York isn’t Eddie. I mean, it’s the same basic reason I hate Garcia. He wasn’t Young.

I don't know about that, to the groin.

by howtheyscored on Feb 26, 2010 1:24 PM PST up reply actions

I think the NFL would have listen to the case to reinstate Eddie D. Problem was the Yorks weren’t going to sell the team back despite that being the pseudo-original plan floated around when he gave the team up.

Rumors still persist that the NFL would accept Eddie back. Jerry Jones is a big fan of Eddie and think if given a franchise would make the NFL a lot of money. Eddie is always linked to purchasing a franchise and bringing it to L.A. mainly because they think he would an owner who could sell football in L.A. (i.e. produce a winning team)

by bignerd on Feb 26, 2010 2:30 PM PST up reply actions

I know that I've heard Eddie's named linked to rumors to buy a share

in the Bucs and the Raiders but nothing’s ever come of it.

Yes Drew K, Tim Tebow will probably get picked in the first round.

by smileyman on Feb 26, 2010 4:50 PM PST up reply actions

And now that it’s clear all of his well-intentioned decisions keep ending poorly, he gave up his right to make decisions. So I think John York IS trying to get the team to succeed. And I think that his thought process was correct for the most part when making these decisions. But his actual ability to make good football decisions has been poor at best, with a healthy dose of bad luck. I don’t want to absolve the man of all blame here. But I don’t think he deserves the level of crap that he gets.

How much are the Yorks paying you to say all this brown-nosing fluff?

"Proving 2nd class ownership is profitable"

by More False Hope on Feb 27, 2010 12:55 PM PST up reply actions

Jed York is just his father’s and uncle’s puppet. There has and will be no change in the way things with the sub-par seasons this team has been handed.

"Proving 2nd class ownership is profitable"

by More False Hope on Feb 27, 2010 12:40 PM PST up reply actions

howtheyscored.....good point!!

I always thought that Jed York did a good job putting people in place to do a certain job and then backing away and letting them do what he pays them for. I hear a lot of fans complaining about ownership but I personally feel that the Niners ownership is pretty good if not awesome.

I mean one has to look no further than across the bay to see what a meddling owner can do to sabotage his own organization. At best I’d say you can question the York’s hiring of Nolan, even McCloughan. But to put the blame on Jed York for the teams misfortunes is just beyond me. I personally don’t think either hire was such a bad move. Sure I’ve grown to the point to where I clench my fists and grit my teeth whenever I hear Nolan’s name, but he didn’t seem like a bad chocie at the time of his hire. Once it was made obvious to the world that he contained a pea brain and a head full of helium then of course he’d seem like a bad choice. I felt they were a bit slow in firing Nolan, but they did what had to be done when they felt the time was right.

In McCloughan’s case I think the guy’s been pretty solid. I’m not too happy with his choice of Balmer but sometimes you miss in the draft. He’s been behind a few great picks too as I remember….Patrick Willis, Vernon Davis, even Frank Gore. I’m a little unsure about his hand in the Smith pick though so anyone who wouldn’t mind sharing any information on that one with me I’d appreciate it. I thought Mike McCarthy was more behind us picking Smith, and I felt that was suspect seeing as how he mysteriously ended up in Green Bay with Rodgers. I’m behind Alex Smith, I do have faith in him but I still don’t see how they took him over Rodgers first overall.

Also you pointed out this team rebuilt unbelievably fast once the Walsh era ended. With all or most of the guys from that era heading out the door it’s amazing in my eyes that we were able to make the playoffs with so many changes in the entire organization.

by sak9r on Feb 26, 2010 11:54 AM PST reply actions