EDITOR'S NOTE 6:25PM - Thanks to Nosetackle Supreme for spotting this article, as I completely missed it. This is definitely something worth keeping an eye on. I'll poke around and see if I can find any more information on this story. You never want to lose a draft pick or get a reputation as cheaters of any sort. More to follow.

49ers investigated for tampering with Briggs INDIANAPOLIS - The NFL is investigating a charge by the Chicago Bears that the San Francisco 49ers tampered last year by making overtures to linebacker Lance Briggs, three league sources said.

...the Bears' grievance claims that San Francisco held contract talks with agent Drew Rosenhaus during the season, thus interfering with a player under contract.

The 49ers' counter is that they talked to the Bears first about a possible deal, then contacted Rosenhaus and the NFL Management Council about signing Briggs to a new contract. [Due to the franchise designation and not getting a deal done by a July deadline Briggs] was not eligible to sign a new contract with the Bears or any other team, even if he was traded.

San Francisco dropped the idea of trading for Briggs at that point...

If the 49ers are found to have tampered, they could be fined or lose a draft pick.

Seems like losing a draft pick is pretty harsh, but we'll see what the investigation shows. At first glance, it seems pretty innocuous. If they must lose a pick, however, I'd hope it's a day 2 pick. it's not liked they taped the other team's signals or anything...

I'm surprised no one posted this already, but Dean finally made it. He certainly deserved it. He should go in as a 49er.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/03/SP7GUR8L6.DTL

Unfortunately, also, he has fallen on hard times.

After 18 years of consideration by the Hall of Fame board of selectors and in his second year as a finalist, 49ers defensive end Fred Dean finally received his due Saturday as one of the NFL's most innovative and game-changing pass rushers. He was among the six players voted into the Class of 2008.

Dean, the four-time Pro Bowler (1980-'82, '84) and two-time All-Pro (1980-'81), joins two Redskins, wide receiver Art Monk and cornerback Darrell Green; Patriots linebacker Andre Tippett; Vikings and Broncos tackle Gary Zimmerman; and one of two senior committee choices, Chiefs cornerback Emmitt Thomas.

When Dean, 55, learned the news, he was watching a basketball game on television at his home in Ruston, La., and noticed a bulletin scroll across the screen confirming his selection. Dean and his family quickly turned on the live broadcast of the announcement on the NFL Network.

He had almost lost hope this day would come. Dean's fortune and health have been in decline since his retirement from the NFL in 1985. He has been forced to sell his two 49ers Super Bowl rings to pay mounting medical bills.

From an attachment on Maiocco's blog.

Home: Arizona Cardinals, St. Louis Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, New York Jets

Away: Arizona Cardinals, St. Louis Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins

Without knowing the precise order of the schedule, I think 2008 may have a tougher schedule than 2007, which doesn't make sense.

I don't usually put much stock into these rankings, but the 49ers are ranked so low, I just had to wallow a bit in my misery:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/powerranking?season=2007&week=10

29 (28)    49ers     2-6-0    

It's always troubling when a young player regresses -- especially if he's your QB. A year ago, Alex Smith finished with a 74.8 passer rating on a 58.1 completion rate. This year: 57.6 rating (last in the league) and 49.7 completion rate.

The 49ers are ahead of the Jets (1-7), Rams (0-8) and Dolphins (0-8).

Basically, I think it's all a bunch of BS, but then I ran across his comments today about specifics and I am now of the opinion that he just doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about.

He said:

"I never said Peyton doesn't get criticized. I never said Carson doesn't get criticized. I never said Tom doesn't get criticized, because they do," McNabb said. "They talked about Peyton not winning the big game. They talked about Tom Brady and his baby and girlfriend. We get criticized a little differently."

Pressed for specific examples, McNabb pointed to being a running quarterback.

"Nobody ever talked to Steve Young about the running quarterback situation and Jake Plummer," he said. [emphasis added]

McNabb has always been sensitive about being labeled a running quarterback. He considers himself someone who passes first and runs only out of necessity.

"You wouldn't ask somebody else the questions we get asked," McNabb said, declining to reveal those questions.

I don't live in Philly and don't follow McNabb daily, but I seriously doubt that he's been called out as a "running QB" to the extent that STEVE FUCKING YOUNG was. I mean, for years, that's all we heard about Steve. Hell, Steve also got criticized for the offense not being suitable for left-handed passers (before it was changed). The bottom line for most of us, was that he wasn't Joe and didn't deliver the big prize. But there's no question that Steve had "to do a little extra" to win over the fans and the media, which was, of course, winning the damn Super Bowl and that was after winning an MVP and leading us to 3 straight conference title games.

Either McNabb just said something vapid when put on the spot or he is completely ignorant of what the hell he's talking about. Either way he is just a whiny little bitch and I'm tired of his act.

Sorry for the profanity, but fuck!

[Update] here's the link.

Matt Maioco is reporting that the former 49er Head Coach and father of current 49er Head Coach Mike Nolan is deteriorating in his health:

SANTA CLARA - Mike Nolan has traveled to Texas twice this offseason to see his parents. Those visits have been especially difficult, as he witnessed his father's rapid decline in health.

"When I'm down there, that's when it's the hardest," said Nolan, the 49ers' head coach. "When I'm here, I have a lot to do, so my mind is distracted. When I think about it, it's disappointing."

Dick Nolan, 75, who was 49ers head coach from 1968 through '75, is suffering from Alzheimer's disease and prostate cancer.

"He doesn't recognize who we are and he's battling cancer at the same time," Nolan said Monday. "He's not doing well."

Obviously, we hope for recovery and for him to get well soon, but realistically it's not looking good and there's no cure for Alzheimer's, so I guess we can just pray for the family during this rough time and offer our symphathy.

Then there's the Reebok issue.

Dick Nolan wore a suit and tie on the sideline during his coaching tenure. After Mike Nolan became head coach more than two years ago -- 37 years to the day after his father was named coach of the 49ers -- he sought permission to honor his father by wearing a suit on the sideline.

Reebok, the official provider of NFL coaching apparel, designed a suit for Nolan to wear twice last season. Reebok has told Nolan he will be allowed to wear a suit for another two games this season.

Nolan wants to be allowed to wear a suit for every game. He said he considers the issue important, regardless of his father's health.

"When I did it (asked), I did it for the same reason," Nolan said. "I'd feel a lot better if they just put it to rest and let me just do it all the time, because it's ridiculous they don't. We're trying to send the right message all the time. And...it's ignorant for them not to recognize that. Reebok's never had more attention given to them."

I've long had problems with the NFL selling just about everything they can (i.e., the Urlacher/Vitiamin Water and The Big Game trademarking messes), and here's another issue where selling out is probably not the best. It shouldn't be that big a deal, really, and I guess Reebok is more to blame, but just because you can sell something, doesn't mean you are required to. Soon they'll be putting billboards on the uniforms or naming the next NFL expansion franchise the "LA Gear," or some such egregious sponsored name.  

It's not like the NFL will end up in the poor house if it gives back 1/32 of its Reebok money. Hell, Reebok even designed his damn suit, so it shouldn't even come to that. Let the guy honor his father and bring a bit more class back to the game. It seems to me that would be better for the game than another coach in a sweatshirt.

The NFL is absolutely ridiculous.

Faced with the opposition of Stanford and Cal, the NFL has changed courses on its efforts to trademark the phrase "The Big Game.'' It has decided to punt.

On Friday it abandoned its applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to register the phrase.

The NFL had insisted its trademark applications, filed early in 2006, had nothing to do with the Bay Area universities, whose annual football game has been called the Big Game for more than a century.

Brian McCarthy, the NFL's director of corporate communications, reiterated Wednesday that the targets were companies that engage in so-called ambush marketing of the Super Bowl by referring to it in their advertising as the Big Game.

Since the NFL doesn't let companies use the term "Super Bowl" in their adds for chips and dip and beer they decided that they won't let anyone advertise anything that isn't approved by them even without directly mentioning the Super Bowl, (e.g., an ad that says "load up on chips for the big game on Sunday").

I understand that the NFL doesn't want others to get rich off of their efforts, but this is going a bit too far.