Annoying National Writers

I don't know about you guys but I get a subscription to Sports Illustrated and because I don't live in the Bay Area or even in California for that matter, I don't receive tons of 49ers news, especially from a national source and not a local source. So when I opened up my issue of SI from this week, I was excited to see an article about my 49ers. I opened it up this morning only to find an article written by a guy who obviously either didn't do his research before writing or knows very little about the 49ers themselves and tried to make it look like he knew something.

There were a few things that really set me off about the article because they were very easy to notice if someone had just done a little bit of research. The first thing I noticed was that the writer (Taylor) said that Colin Kapernick was a 4th round pick. Really? How about a 2nd rounder. It's not even like he can say it was a typo because he didn't type a 3rd rounder or a 1st rounder. Just google his name and you can easily find out where he was drafted. 36 overall my good sir!

Secondly, Taylor consistently ripped Alex Smith and his performance over the past few years (rightfully so), however he stated that Smith has "not exactly made (Harbaugh and Balke) look like visionaries so far (in the preseason)." Really? Through, two weeks and even after last week's tremendous improvement, I can't believe that we aren't already going to the playoffs guys! Taylor also misspoke when talking about Alex Smith's "descent performace" last week. He claimed that Alex had two scoring drives, which in reality it was only one. Had he watched the game film of Alex last week, he could have easily deciphered that information.

Another interesting comment about Smith was that "the Niners seem confident that Harbaugh can transform Smith into at least a competent quarterback." So first, Alex Smith is underperforming through 2 weeks in the preseason and is making Harbaugh look bad. Then Harbaugh is attempting to turn Alex into a competent qb. Alex made a stupid throw last week that got picked off, but anyone that watched that game last week (or most games over his career) can easily say that he is a "competent" QB. A competent QB implies someone who is "acceptable and satisfactory, though not outstanding" (definition from dictionary.com). Alex Smith's name is a synonym for competent in the dictionary. He is acceptable and satisfactory and that is why he is seen in some circles as a bust. He was picked 1st overall, he is supposed to be outstanding. We aren't looking for competent. Trust me Taylor.

The last exaggeration that frustrated me was concerning the 49ers coaching staff. The article made a reference to the fact that Harbaugh is the 49ers 6th coach since Walsh's "protege" George Seifert left in 1997. It then states that "ONLY (emphasis mine) these teams have had as many in that period" and then goes on to list NINE TEAMS that have also had that many coaches. That's almost a third of the teams in the NFL. The author is trying to claim that the 49ers are in some crazy minority and then goes on to list nine other teams. JEEZ.

I know it's a common complaint but I am frustrated to a certain degree with the national media and their coverage of the 49ers. I wish that people who wrote articles for magazines (aside from authors on other blogs) would do a little research. Even a 49ers fan who lives out in South Dakota and doesn't get his regular daily dose can easily disprove this author. It's a little annyoing...