SI: Alex Smith's Last 12 Months
"At one point in late January, Smith left his cellphone at the team's facility. Harbaugh wanted to tell him but didn't know how to reach the quarterback. So he called Smith's parents to see if they had a cell number for Smith's wife. The conversation did not go as Harbaugh envisioned. "I told his dad, 'I really want Alex here. This could be his fresh start,' " Harbaugh says. "That was met with crickets. You could hear the chirping on the other end of the phone."
Harbaugh laughed before adding: "I felt for them, I really did. I totally understood that this would maybe be the last place they would want their son. It's spectacular how things have transpired."
---Very good read.
about 1 month ago
Badly Browned
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The 49ers should be the blueprint that teams look at when deciding to draft a QB #1 overall, for literally every single thing to NOT do
"And thank you to God for making me an Atheist." - Ricky Gervais
by MichaelClutchtree on Jan 17, 2012 10:24 AM PST reply actions 7 recs
Or they could just have a good coach and staff
Then it wouldn’t matter. LoL
"Bears are crazy, Willie. They'll bite your head off if you're wearing steak on it."
by Blank x2 on Jan 17, 2012 10:27 AM PST via mobile up reply actions 2 recs
His first 2 years he had McCarthy and Turner
Coaching wasn’t the problem then. But he had no OL, no receivers, constantly changing system, and a HC who tried to make his failures Alex’s fault. He never had one long-term offensive coach to believe in him, push him, develop him, and make the offense fit him.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
yup, the niners really set up an environment that success was nearly impossible
for Smith’s first 5 or 6 years in the league.
Who would’ve thought, a young, inexperienced QB needs a coach to coach him? Crazy talk, I tell ya! Consistency at head coach, offensive coordinator, receivers with talent, O-line that blocks, I guess these things are needed for success, who knew?
by pt33 on Jan 17, 2012 10:34 AM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Good thing we let the rest of the league know.
You’re welcome, Cam Newton. LoL
"Bears are crazy, Willie. They'll bite your head off if you're wearing steak on it."
by Blank x2 on Jan 17, 2012 10:36 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Bradford got alexed
And when we win, we want to dominate. We want to take guys out. We want to hurt guys. We want to win. We just want to dominate, hit them in the mouth. - Rathman
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by manraj7 on Jan 17, 2012 11:24 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
really great story
nobody deserves praise more than alex right now. Not after all the crap he went through over here
by mtl9ers14 on Jan 17, 2012 10:56 AM PST via mobile reply actions 1 recs
We Want Carr!
We are the WORST fans in sports history. Poor Alex plays his guts out for seven years and gets treated like dirt.
by mcwagner on Jan 17, 2012 10:59 AM PST reply actions 2 recs
not even close
49er fans at their worst are like Eagles fans on any given Sunday.
Heck the Giants who have a super bowl from 4 years ago.. half their fans hate Eli and up until this weeks win wanted Coughlin fired.
Draft: 1. Kendall Wright 2. Trumaine Johnson
FA: Smith, Morgan, Brooks, Rogers, Snyder
by whistlingmountain on Jan 17, 2012 11:22 AM PST up reply actions
But thats typical NY media and the people who live their
- SF GIants Baseball 2011 = *sigh* Home of 6 World Series Titles
- SF 49ers Football 2011-2012 = ??? Home of the 5.5 Super Bowl Champs ( Aaron Rodgers should of been a Niner)
- WHO'S GOT IT BETTER THAN US???? NOOOOOOOOOOBODYY!!!!!!!!!!!!
- A fan of the Warriors and Lakers.
So your standard is the lowest common denominator?
That’s a pathetic argument. Those :fans" are at the very least the WORST fans in 49ers history.
A. Smith + tiger blood + Harbaugh = #winning
umm what?
Draft: 1. Kendall Wright 2. Trumaine Johnson
FA: Smith, Morgan, Brooks, Rogers, Snyder
by whistlingmountain on Jan 17, 2012 2:40 PM PST up reply actions
Let me simplify.
Rationalizing pathetic 49er fan behavior by saying that other teams fans are worse is comparing the 49er fans to the lowest common denominator. It’s like you are saying their actions of actually booing the team and individual players is acceptable because other teams fans behave even more badly. The standard should not be to compare to the worst example (LCD).
A. Smith + tiger blood + Harbaugh = #winning
booing is acceptable, it's professional sports
they’re not 10 year olds
Draft: 1. Kendall Wright 2. Trumaine Johnson
FA: Smith, Morgan, Brooks, Rogers, Snyder
by whistlingmountain on Jan 17, 2012 5:52 PM PST up reply actions
I suppose, just don't reallty dig it myself.
What’s the point of booing a your own team?
A. Smith + tiger blood + Harbaugh = #winning
Expression of frustration
It’s not always about the QB or head coach but they’re out front and are paid handsomely to take the boos. Sometimes it’s anger at the effort of the team, leadership from the front office, decisions by the owner, etc.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
You do know that we were 0-4 and losing by 14+ to the Eagles when that happened?
I understand why they did that, even though I knew that Carr sucked even before he did play against Carolina. They were frustrated with the team.
"It might be time to give Alex some credit, huh?" - Harbaugh
by mikeinsp on Jan 18, 2012 3:21 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
That was horrible chanting for carr i lived in houston in the carr era as a niners fan i was ashamed hearing that
by Moflush on Jan 17, 2012 1:35 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
ABSOLUTELY!!!
You idiot fair weather “fans” know who you are. There’s been a ton of uneducated bashing and scape goating of Alex over the years. In my opinion anyone who would root against their supposedly own team is no fan at all. And this fan base is supposed to be called The Faithful?
A. Smith + tiger blood + Harbaugh = #winning
Get off your high horse
If you’re going to sit there and proclaim that you were thrilled with 9 years of being one of the most pathetic franchises in the NFL, then you lose all credibility.
Who are you to say who is a true fan and who isn’t?
We’ve all endured through this [site decorum]-storm.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
Follow the Chicken on Twitter
by SportsChicken on Jan 17, 2012 2:39 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Get off the bandwagon.
If you booed the team you are a pathetic “fan”. The good times come with the bad and I always supported the team and could honestly say I didn’t blame Smith for how badly the team underperformed. SF fans got spoiled after Montana/Young then the franchise let another good QB go for no good reason in Garcia to please some of the moron fans. I’ve been to Cody Picket games and cheered my arse off so you can get lost you chicken hearted “fan”. Read the article, you can find a reference to people like you as one of the “fans” who threw A. Smith under the bus. That’s according to Harbaugh.
A. Smith + tiger blood + Harbaugh = #winning
they should send you a ring when they win the super bowl
bravo
Draft: 1. Kendall Wright 2. Trumaine Johnson
FA: Smith, Morgan, Brooks, Rogers, Snyder
by whistlingmountain on Jan 17, 2012 5:53 PM PST up reply actions
sorry, I shouldn't have replied
that was uncalled for.
Draft: 1. Kendall Wright 2. Trumaine Johnson
FA: Smith, Morgan, Brooks, Rogers, Snyder
by whistlingmountain on Jan 17, 2012 5:57 PM PST up reply actions
I'm just calling out the haters.
If that’s not you don’t take offense. I mean there are a bunch of fans who venomously hated A. Smith and tried to run the guy out of town even though he wasn’t the root of the franchise’s problems.
A. Smith + tiger blood + Harbaugh = #winning
Alex Smith was one of the roots of our franchise's problems
guy played terribly and he would be the first to admit it. Alex grew up. I’m saying that we should hang our heads a little for not being faithful to him like he has for us. Alex was the bigger man. I am more than willing to admit that I lost hope for him even though I like the guy. That does not make me less of a fan. In fact, I would say that I am less of a fan than the guys that couldn’t stand Alex because they wanted excellence for this franchise. It really just shows that they are too emotionally invested and not as rational as, say, Jim Harbaugh.
Some people
Pretend that fans hate players.
I don’t know many sports fans that actually HATE a player.
I’ve made it clear that I want excellence from this team for years on this site, Alex Smith was one of many people who denied me that wish up until this season.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
Follow the Chicken on Twitter
by SportsChicken on Jan 17, 2012 10:54 PM PST up reply actions
Bandwagon?
Yeah, I’m a bandwagon fan for sticking with this team though all the [site decorum] they’ve pulled for over 10 years.
Just because I didn’t support every dumb decision they made, I’m not a “fan”?
I guess all the people who loathed Kwame Harris and Mark Roman weren’t “fans” because they didn’t support terrible players that were brought in by terrible decision makers.
If I tell you that I didn’t support Terry Donahue, you’re going to tell me I’m not a “fan”?
Please.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
Follow the Chicken on Twitter
by SportsChicken on Jan 17, 2012 10:51 PM PST up reply actions
To be fair
Alex made an awful play before that chant, and the fans were directing eight years of anger where most fans direct it: the QB.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
With the game on the line, he ran backwards and then fumbled before being hit
It was a humiliating moment for the franchise.
I guess people were supposed to clap slowly and chant “Good effort, Alex. Good Effort.”
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
Follow the Chicken on Twitter
by SportsChicken on Jan 17, 2012 10:57 PM PST up reply actions
Not really. The chant started after a few dumpoff passes that were not, in fact, bad plays.
Alex had a habit of throwing away the ball or checking down when no one was open. Which most people seemed to forget was a GOOD THING.
Hm, I recall the boos and chant starting after the fumble
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
We dat team that beat them Saints!
Great story.
For once all the excuses people made turned out to be legit.
At USC we're not snobs, we're just better than you.
Not excuses ... they were Facts ...!!
I'm your " Huckelberry "...it's just my game ..( .AleX ) was asked , what do you think about all the game manager talk ... AleX i guess i just managed myself a VIctory ... Extend the Man ...!!
Big Ups to Alex
The guy wanted to show that he wasnt a bust and he stuck wit it! mad love for that guy and all he has gone thru. Win or lose this weekend (WIN MOST LIKELY,) he needs to be resigned for at least another 2 years, and we need to get him that over the top reciever!!!
I keep thinking about him hugging his wife at night after the game
his wife was probably balling hard, Alex seems like more of a rye smile kind of guy, like.. shit yea.. knew I could do it..
have to win 2 more though or it’s not worth nearly as much
Draft: 1. Kendall Wright 2. Trumaine Johnson
FA: Smith, Morgan, Brooks, Rogers, Snyder
by whistlingmountain on Jan 17, 2012 12:52 PM PST up reply actions
Here's a toast to hopefully playing in the Super Bowl
- SF GIants Baseball 2011 = *sigh* Home of 6 World Series Titles
- SF 49ers Football 2011-2012 = ??? Home of the 5.5 Super Bowl Champs ( Aaron Rodgers should of been a Niner)
- WHO'S GOT IT BETTER THAN US???? NOOOOOOOOOOBODYY!!!!!!!!!!!!
- A fan of the Warriors and Lakers.
ayeyoJERM
Your signature says Rodgers should have been a Niner? According to what experts? Can you even remember the analysis leading up to that draft? Across the board Alex was considered to be the best QB of the draft. The funny thing is Alex was known more for being a dual threat with his legs than Rogers even though that has been a big time strength for him in the NFL. I wanted Rogers on one hand because he was a Nor-Cal guy and played at Cal but I remember distinctly thinking that A Smith was gonna be the better player. In the end it’s a moot point, no way to even know if Rogers would be a 49er at this stage or developed the way he has after all the turmoil that he would have been subjected to if he was in Alex’s shoes. Cheers to that toast.
A. Smith + tiger blood + Harbaugh = #winning
if A.Smith helps win the big game
they will both be tied with 1 ring each.
Coach Harbaugh is the truth!!
That thought's crossed my mind.
But as an objective fan who has continually rooted for Alex I would still admit Rogers is a better QB. At this point I don’t think I’d want to have a swap though, the sweetness of this team and ESPECIALLY Alex overcoming all the adversity is amazing. A Superbowl Victory this year would be unreal!
A. Smith + tiger blood + Harbaugh = #winning
you have to admire how hes pulled through
everything that he has been through. hopefully this season has a storybook ending.
Coach Harbaugh is the truth!!
i would like to say congrats to my little brother Edgar (also a 49ERS fan)
on the brith to his first child. a beautiful babyboy, future 49ERS fan. im proud to say i gave the little fella his first 49ERS jersey. a Willis jersey.
Coach Harbaugh is the truth!!
To: Edgar Z, and Edgar Z Jr.
Congrats.
jacobtaylor2002
by jacobtaylor2002 on Jan 17, 2012 1:24 PM PST up reply actions
Who's got it better than Edgar Z, and Edgar Z Jr.?
NOBOOOOOODY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A. Smith + tiger blood + Harbaugh = #winning
Imagine if Alex left at the end of last season...
He’d be a forgotten second-stringer somewhere. Interesting how things work out.
Moody and complicated
He'd be in Seattle, maybe?
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
Follow the Chicken on Twitter
by SportsChicken on Jan 17, 2012 2:40 PM PST up reply actions
probably
they take all of out leftovers
Nate Davis, Robinson, Balmer, Scot McCloughan, Jeff Ulbrich, Phillip Adams
Missing anyone?
Rule #1) If you hate Joe Buck, watch this www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkCSZKbyL94
Rule #2) Follow rule #1
Chris Maragos
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
Follow the Chicken on Twitter
by SportsChicken on Jan 17, 2012 10:57 PM PST up reply actions
Did a fan bring a sign that says
please forgive us Alex Smith…
And when we win, we want to dominate. We want to take guys out. We want to hurt guys. We want to win. We just want to dominate, hit them in the mouth. - Rathman
Follow @manraj76
start chanting we want smith?
And when we win, we want to dominate. We want to take guys out. We want to hurt guys. We want to win. We just want to dominate, hit them in the mouth. - Rathman
Follow @manraj76
bad sentance
you guys understood though…
And when we win, we want to dominate. We want to take guys out. We want to hurt guys. We want to win. We just want to dominate, hit them in the mouth. - Rathman
Follow @manraj76
Great story.
Can you imagine a little kid just standing there and getting picked on. They get rocks thrown at them. Spit on them. Alex’s just one of those guys, he’s been there. I just wish him all the best. I want to see him successful. I just want to see all good things happen to that guy. Because he is a warrior.
Alex is my fave niner.
Alex Smith 86%+ QB rating with 22+ TDs this season, hopefully! :)
honestly I wasn't a huge fan of Alex
he made me eat my words this season and looking back I can see how we royally screwed him over. I know he won’t know/care but I feel bad now…
And when we win, we want to dominate. We want to take guys out. We want to hurt guys. We want to win. We just want to dominate, hit them in the mouth. - Rathman
Follow @manraj76
About booing Alex
I will be honest I was a big Alex fan for years until last year I just gave up on him. I saw enough from him his second year to know he had something and wouldn’t let it go. My friends all wondered what I was smoking saying that he could be a decent qb and we had the talent to make the playoffs. After that 0-5 start last year, I was done, I had given up on him. I needed changed, I rooted for Troy freakin Smith to start. Then this year, I was pissed at the organization for picking up guys like Whitner, Goodwin, Rogers this offseason because I thought the moves moved the Niners from a 1-2 win team to a 6-7 win team. I wanted to write a blog called No Luck Involved: How the Niners tanked to get a franchise Quarterback.
I have always known the NFL now is a QB/Coach league, I just had gotten to the point where I could only believe that it was Alex’s fault because he was the only thing consistent about all those terrible teams. I guess it had been so long since I had seen a good coach that I forgotten how important it was. This season has been so glorious that no matter what happens Sunday, I want Alex to be our Qb of the Now and Futrure. Thank you Harbaugh, Baalke and Alex most importantly for bringing the Niners back to where they need to be.
And of course Beat the Giants
by Oracle Junkie on Jan 17, 2012 9:50 PM PST reply actions 2 recs
Well said
What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
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by SportsChicken on Jan 17, 2012 10:58 PM PST up reply actions
That's very odd, honestly. The timing, I mean.
Last year was when I sat up and took notice if him. I’d always been an Alex fan, considering his improvement year to year and that he was obviously a nice guy, but last year things started to finally come together for him as a QB. Despite the Niners losing, it was clear that he was finally NOT the root of the problem. He was taking charge and actually doing a decent job.
The New Orleans loss in particular made me realize he was not the quarterback that everyone said he was. That’s why it bugged me so much when people wanted Troy Smith to start: it was pretty clear that when the Niners won with Troy, it was in spite of him, and when the Niners lost the close games, it was not because of Alex. Not solely, anyway, in the way his rookie year was.
I totally understood the sentiment, though. Alex was by no means a guy who other teams respected and had to take notice of, and the Niners losses were agonizing. But it was an irrational hatred directed at the QB who was not the sole cause, but in many ways a victim, of the last 6 years.
I wonder if the fans will start a we want Smith chant to start the game sunday?
And when we win, we want to dominate. We want to take guys out. We want to hurt guys. We want to win. We just want to dominate, hit them in the mouth. - Rathman
Follow @manraj76
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