I never really understood that phrase. I would hear it in movies or whatever but I didn't really get it. Until a few weeks ago. At that point I finally understood the sentiment behind the phrase. As I started to write this post I looked into that phrase a little more. It started in France about a bazillion years ago. The idea is that there can never be a time where there is no king. As soon as a king dies the successor is king. Or as Harbaugh would put it, next man up. So what do 12th century French traditions have to do with the 49ers? Let me explain.

First, I know Alex isn't dead. I know he wasn't even cut. He was just demoted. I like Alex. I supported Alex. Alex is out. Colin is in. I like Colin. I support Colin. As France can never not have a King, the 49ers can never not have a starting QB. I support the starting QB. Whoever that is, that is who I support. I know that is easy to say and it may be hard to do. When you buy into a player wholeheartedly and then that player is taken away it can be surprisingly emotional. Trust me, I know.

Picture this, a young man. Maybe about 12 years old. He loves Joe Montanan. (He may later go on to have a screen name of 16to80fan). He doesn't just like Joe Montana he worships him. He has his posters all over his room. When he gets a hair cut (long before he started losing his hair) he would actually have the barber shave "16" into the back of his head. In suburban Salt Lake City that is kind of a shocking thing. Anyway this kid loves Joe Montana. And then one day he wakes up to find out that Joe Montana has been traded from his favorite team. And when I say favorite team I don't just mean "the team he kinda like." I mean he owned about 8 49ers shirts. He wore a 49ers shirt every day. He was never seen without a 49ers hat on. He loved the 49ers. He loved Joe Montana. And suddenly that relationship was severed.

Well, so how did this young man react? At the prime of his football loving life he spent about the next 3 years hating Steve Young. He still loved the 49ers. He also now, temporarily, loved the Chiefs. But he hated Steve Young. Is Steve Young a bad guy? No he is awesome. Was he a bad football player? No he was awesome. He is probably my favorite analyst at this point. But I missed out on enjoying several years of one of the best and most exciting football players to ever play the game because I was bitter. The only person who was hurt by this was me.

I have been reading posts and comments for the last few weeks since the QB change. I see some good debate on the soundness of the decision based on football reasoning. I also see a lot of emotional arguments. I see a lot of bitterness. I see a lot of bickering. I see a lot of petty arguments about semantics. I see people discrediting the things Kap does and over stating the things that Alex did. I see people completely ignoring the really good things that Alex did do and giving Kap credit that he may not deserve. My point isn't to clarify one way or the other who is right. My point is to say learn from me. I missed out on enjoying some really great football played by a great player on my favorite team. Don't make the same mistake I made. Just enjoy what Kap does. Support the guy who is helping our favorite team win. And if that guy changes then I will support the next guy as well.

The 49ers Starting QB is benched, great success to the 49ers starting QB. It doesn't quite have the ring of the king is dead, long live the king. But I think it is something that all of us can understand.