Back to football for the moment. There are four games left, they might be interesting, and they might be all we get to see until next August. May as well try to enjoy them, too. We have no idea what we’re going to be getting next year, after Jed York finishes squandering the best asset the organization has had this century.
It’s probably fitting that Sunday’s opponent is the perennially dysfunctional Oakland Raiders. Both franchises are headed up by children who inherited their clubs from the family. York has the edge on Mark Davis, so far. He’s gotten the 49ers a new stadium, minus any semblance of Home Field Advantage, but roaringly hi-tech and suitable for the league to use it for Super Bowls. Davis is still staggering around with Oakland, toilet problems, and a team that has won only one game this year.
I occasionally see citizens walking around wearing Raider paraphernalia and I can’t help thinking, “Aren’t you embarrassed?”
Then I remember they are Raider fans and consciousness has no relevance in their existence.
From 2003 to 2010 these two franchises battled for bottom feeder of the year. Tampa Bay whipped both of them in the 2002 playoffs and Super Bowl, sending each spiraling down the path to ignominy. The 49ers broke out of the muck in 2011, but the Raiders just dug in deeper.
It’s ironic that these two teams play this weekend. Both are coming off embarrassing ass kickings. The Raiders are 1-11 and have nothing but pride and Bay Area bragging rights to play for. The Niners still have flickering hopes of making the playoffs and this game is vital to keep those hopes alive.
But it’s also possibly a crossroads moment for each franchise. If the current rumors turn out to be true, Jim Harbaugh, the man who raised the 49ers out of the muck, is liable to step across the conference and begin to raise the Raiders out of the same mess next year. What happens to the Niners after he leaves is anybody’s guess. But a descent back into shitsville is not out of the question.
At kickoff, though, all the politics go out the window for three hours. The only question is whether there will be more violence on the field or in the stadium. The game should be a 49er walkover, but we all know how that’s gone lately. May as well have one more nail-biter before the heading to Seattle for either the final nail in the coffin or the most stunning victory of the Harbaugh era.
Count Chris Simms as another talking head who thinks the schemes are terrible. Per the chron article on G-Ro.
No judgement here. Merely informational.
When I first heard the talk of Harbaugh going to Oakland, I dismissed it as crazy speculation. But it does make some sense. He bet all on Kap and it’s been a fizzle. Nowhere to go but up in Oakland. Doubt he cares much about the stadium he coaches in. And Davis gave him his first NFL coaching job. Just might happen. The only thing crazier would be seeing Skeebs don the silver and black.
One more victory this season gets us to 49 total wins in the Jimi Hendrix era. That would be a good start to the last quarter of 2014 season. I like that number. 52 or more will work even better.
Sad to think the curtain may be dropping on the best Niner coach since George Seifert. He may coach a few more games at Levis just not for the Niners.
Seifert walked into a similar situation as Harbs. A team Ruth a lot of talent. The big diff being Walshs system was in place for George to run.
Harbaugh seems to be struggling with his offense.
I don’t want to take the last train to shitsville. Not again.
“take the last train to shitsville.”
I believe The Monkees recorded that #1 Hit back in ’66.
I won’t met you at the station
SKEEBERS
What exactly is the best thing to happen to this organization this century.
Your posts are going from bad to worse .
This game worries me a little. If we win, well they’re the Raiders, you were supposed to win. If we lose, we’re the laughingstock of the league again. This is their Super Bowl; meanwhile Trent, Jed and Harbie are arguing over who gets to drive.
We better not look past this. Or Skeebs will have new definition for “Embarrassed” next week.
Remember Ira Miller? A legendary beat writer for the Niners who always told it like it is.
His take on what’s going on.
He’s old and wise and makes a lot of sense.
http://www.mcall.com/sports/mc-fbn-49ers-column-20141204-story.html
Legend tells us the poinsettia came from dried weeds an angel told a boy to pick for Jesus.
Legend also tells us that it was actually Jim Harbaugh, and not Lucifer, who was the fallen archangel that became The Devil who eventually ruined the lives of 49er fans in a cruel and tortuous manner.
True story.
“What exactly is the best thing to happen to this organization this century.”
We used the first overall pick in 2005 to draft Alex “The Shredder” Smith.
Now if you would all please excuse me, I have to go have laparoscopic surgery.
I just busted my gut after reading my last comment.
Yer on fire, ROB!!!! Miller’s nearly as big a hack since they sent Lowell Cohn to the hinterlands.
Rob it’s not Skeebs that has changed. Sadly it is the Niner Express currently driven by one Captain J.Hendrix which has. Skeeber is merely the conductor selling peanuts and collecting tickets on the last train to Shitsville. Unfortunately this is a one way ride courtesy of the mayor of Shitsville aka Shorty the Wop who, with his trusty lieutenant Mr. Low Ballsker The Tweet, has bent the tracks while blaming the great Captain for their evil deeds.
It’s come to this for the brave Captain Hendrix and we the passengers of the good Niner Express. These are the facts as God created them I merely report them. We are trapped on a train to nowhere speeding blindly forward to Hell.
You got a ticket right? How about some peanuts?
The Coach’s film and screen shots of what’s going on doesn’t lie.
The apologists will tell you don’t believe what your eyes tell you but instead listen to their spin and how they interpret things with their slant. Listen to exactly what Greg Cosell who looks at film constantly says which simply said makes sense.
Cossell said this this morning on KNBR
http://www.stationcaster.com/player_skinned.php?s=851&c=4811&f=3711253
Well Bullit Ira Miller gets it. He was always pretty good.
Foolishly Shorty the Wop is blindly following Low Balls the Tweet on the last train…
This will not end well I’m afraid
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Revelation 20:10
Chuck with his daily dumbass comment. Ira Miller a “hack”??
He’s in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a writer.
Ira, , is past president of the Pro Football Writers of America. He was the 1993 winner of the Dick McCann Memorial Award for “long and distinguished coverage of pro football” and has a plaque hanging in the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Obviously Chuck is clueless and I disagree with his opinion of a writer I enjoyed following for many years who always was honest and told things the way it was.
His last Chronicle podcast before “retirement” from the Sporting Green in 2006
http://blog.sfgate.com/chroncast/2006/02/16/hall-of-fame-football-reporter-ira-miller-bids-farewell/
Question was asked of G Cosell: “Are the problems MORE scheme ,, play calling or limitations of the personnel”
He answers = “More on the personnel, execution” Talks about OL, decision making of Kaepernick but Then admits “It’s a very fine line between blaming players or scheme; You have to be very careful in deciding which is crucial on any given play”
IOW IT’S BOTH but Cosell, as is usual for play analysts, does not discuss “What the hell was the plan on this exact play?”
Admits it in a general way but can’t quite be specific. Why? It’s easier to see player performance “Where Kap puts his back foot” than why a pass was called in a predictable situation.
Beyond the scope of his expertise I guess. But good coaches know how to manipulate scheme and play calling to confuse Ds and to take advantage of player strengths. This is rarely discussed by the film guys.
BTW sounds like Gary Radish has deteriorated further yammering about “The kids, it’s for the kids” while acting as an arrogant clown. Not impressive. Give me Mr. T any day.
I’ve always read, enjoyed and respected Ira’s opinion. I remember reading Ira back in Grade School when the Green sheet was still green. He was always considered the #1 49er writer. Listened, and actually talked to Ira on KNBR. Way back when the NFL first instituted the 2 pt. conversion.
I remember asking Ira how the 49ers would go about designing new plays for the two-pointer. He answered that they would probably use their standard short yardage plays. I was disappointed in his reply.
Oh, well. Hey! The Ducks are playing the Cats for the Pac-12 Championship. My two favorite animals. Who should I root for?
Go Duats!
It’s easy to pick the lesser evil and say “This is the cause of our woes” and miss the greater devils stirring the pot of their own creation.
This is called sabotage by media malarkey powered by the shorties and twitters of our world. Oh you blind fools!
But for you the myopic, fear not: You will love Hendrix soon enough. And that will be when he marches into Levis to feast on turkey ala Niner with his new band of warriors.
You will love him then but still you will be riding the shitsville train owned by Shorty and engineered by Low Balls the wicked.
I think I’ll have to stick with my ducks. Got any grapes?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtN1YnoL46Q
It’s easy to see the distant future but for this weekend not so much. Yes we ‘should’ beat the Raiders easily but as many have pointed out nothing has been easy and things on paper often have no relation to reality.
How much and how many players, the ones who will decide the issue, still believe in their team? Will it be enough to win another playoff game VS Raiders SB? Can Kap have a good game and players catch the ball? Will the coaches come up with a game plan to maximize players strengths. Can the Niners run anymore?
Dunno in this year of the unpredictable, wounded Niners. Any kind of win and no injuries will work for me.
Grow a mind, Bulllit. Joseph Conrads a great writer but his writing is a pain in the ass to read. OK, Miller’s not the hack Cohn is and was. Happy now?
Jesus, pow many road playoff games has Greg Cosell won? How many safeties as he looked off? I bet he cleaned the puke up from his uncle’s drunken MNF games plenty of times, but if looking at film is a requirement for being an expert, then we all are.
Like I said, we can all find people to back what we think. Those of us who aren’t children don’t simply post the same drivel over and over again. The problem spans many different areas including a rookie center, injuries on the line, bland play calling, and a stubborn coaching staff. Throw in the front office turmoil and you have a locker room that is unsure what is happening with THEIR future with the team.
My point about the coaching staff is all they seem to be teaching him is to not trust his instincts. He came in to the league flashing a ton of athleticism. Now he’s a mess.
Harbaugh and Kap to the Raiders for Carr and a 2nd rd pick.
As Capt. Picard was wont to say, make it so.
Chuck
Still making the same Kap apologist excuses over and over I see.
Cossell has worked for NFL Films for 25 years and makes a good living doing it.
Yesterday you wee putting down Ira Miller and the day before Brent Jones.
Yeah you’re nothing but a bunch of lame excuses.
Who cares? I can point to 100 people that say our schemes suck. Including Eric Davis. A guy who has intimate knowledge of the Niners. Cherry picker. Dead horse beater. Lame-ass one-trick rainbow poby,
Cosell watches film? Yay. Like I said, I watch a lot of film. Big effing deal.
Yeah, you still haven’t shown me where Brent Jones says he has been in the building watching Kappy not study film. Harbaugh says Kappy studies game film all the time. Sorry, i bedlieve the head coach, not the retired TE.
You calling Harbaugh a liar? Yeah you obviously know more about the situation because you ‘think’ Jones talks to Rathman about the QB’s game study habits. That’s the most ludicrous thing ever posted on the internet, Bullit. You win.
God you are the biggest waste of time in thef(*&^ing world, Bullitt.
At least Spitty was funny. You are as humorous as ebola.
Chuck
Contradict yourself much? Didn’t you say this a few days ago
“Harbaugh has routinely lied about many things under his charge. He’s an abrasive personality, and he’s apparently been hounding the suits for a raise going on 3 years now.”
Today it’s in Jim Harbaugh we trust? You are talking about of both sides of your mouth and tripping over your tongue.
The pattern is set that you defend by pointing the finger at someone else and not owning up to mistakes.
Just like your sidekick who covered up for Kap when he botched a QB sneak. His solution was to take a QB sneak out of the playbook and never run one again. If you can’t run a QB sneak for a foot you shouldn’t be in the NFL as a QB.
Some fans taking their cues from the livid executives, who probably got locked into a higher rate of payback for fewer post-season appearances, are hyperventilating over nothing, or very little, at this point. But then I think hyperventilating is the point for some.
Over-reacting out of panic is never the right thing to do.
Anyone remember how many times we finished with ten wins under The Genius? Seems like we were one and done in the playoffs a few times between SBs back in the days of the dynasty.
If we now hold our HC’s feet to the fire when he is in danger of dropping to the Bill Walsh record, we might be the ones with the problem.
Hendrix will find a position like he did to continue his rivalry w/ Carroll and now w/ the San Francisco Forty Niners, Low Balls and Shorty. Like with the Rams or another team. Hendrix will not slink away and forgive and forget. The shabby treatment by FO will be avenged from his POV is my guess.
Just ask Scott McCloughan how it works. Do we specific details there? No, none. But McCloughan is the blueprint for the Hendrix debacle including his work for a SF rival and their continuing triumphs over us.
FO of Low Balls and Short Stuff are good at one thing for sure = they know how to make powerful enemies.
Good reference of Joseph Conrad Chuck. He’s a great writer but hard to read, yep. Now Jack London there’s great writer/story teller who’s a page turner. Local boy too, born in SF, grew up in Oakland. Pity he died young.
How’s things going with that typhoon report Phil?
Hope all is well in your piece of the world.
If the weather predictions are right (and they usually are) this baby Ruby is going to miss us again NJ- just to the north. Man the same place as last year is getting ripped again. Have an Aussie friend in that area and they were just getting back to normal from the 2013 bomb. They are wiser and many evacuating this time. Should be a lower loss of life. We are blessed!
Kind of puts our issues in Ninerville into perspective. My biggest problem will be if the coconut internet is working tomorrow.
Thanks for asking NJ
Glad to hear what sounds like good news Phil.
Mother Nature is no one to take lightly.
Be well.
Crossing my fingers for the coconut internet too.
Bullit is still missing points as usual. You miss as many points as Manute Bol shooting 3’s. Harbaugh, Kappy’s head coach, says he studies film. Brent Jones, someone not on the team or in the locker room, says he doesn’t study film. Bullit cites Jones’ possible friendship with Tom Rathman as a source, and ‘thinks’ they talk to each other. What about only Bullit knows.
That’s a solid source you got there, skippy.
Gameday
What before the season looked liked the easiest game on the schedule should still be that because the Raiduhs are the worst team in the NFL.
The Niners do not need to play down to their level but play to their own capabilities.
Take them out of the game early and don’t look back. Niners win 30-6.
Chuck
Trolling as usual?
Simply said I posted the Brent Jones podcast which you tried to discredit.
Funny you bring up something Eric Davis said as being the truth as you see it. Eric Davis is no longer associated with the Niners and lives down in SoCal where he does the NFL AM Show.
In your world you elevate guys who agree with your point of view and disparage those who don’t.
Your comments on Greg Cossell ring hollow because you put down Dilfer who played QB in the NFL and played for the Niners.
You are always the hypocrite and continually make an ass of yourself with your contradictions.
Your arguments hear don’t border on silly, they are absolutely silly and foolish.
Guys can make up their own minds whether they think Brent Jones has more creditbility than Chuck does.
Comments like what does a guy who’s worked for NFL Films for over 25 years know and you calling HOF writer Ira Miller a “hack”
just shows how out of touch you are.
Still quiet as a mouse out there. No I don’t mean the O. The storm. Should be passing by during the game. No wind, no rain, no O…mixing subjects here.
Nice to see Jimi defending Kap in the press for K’s being terse. My Gawd how dare these players not kiss up to us bloggers, I mean reporters? Terse, how dare you? And Hendrix all he does is defend players, says nothing and wins. Yeah that’s boring. Fire his ass.
Haven’t we been carrying water for the GM/owner all season reporting shit that never happened? Where’s our premeditated scandal for the week anyway? Lame ass Niners.
There’s no defending what Kap did the other day with his answers, or lack thereof I should say. In fact, I think those still defending Kap’s actions should be limited in their comments to three words or less.
If Kap can only give 2.7 words at a time, bloggers should do the same.
Harbaugh has not only allowed, but programmed his “assholiness” to seep into and transform Kap’s character. And it’s a goddamn shame. I think he’s a good kid at heart.
Rams just finished off their second straight shutout. They might be best team in the division right now.
… and certainly the best backup QB. That’s one we should have kept here. And their “loser” coach has the D playing tight, too.
Assholishness is something you ought to be familiar with. BFD.
Luckily the Rams are 6-7
It’s “The Shredder” vs Drew effing Stanton. Just kicked off now. We beat “The Shredder,” but lost to Drew effing Stanton. Logic would dictate Drew effing Stanton > “The Shredder.”
But we all know damn well both should be shoved into a woodchipper.
Great start, Kap.
As much as an asshole as you perceive me to be, how much bigger of an asshole must Jimbo be to have alienated and pissed off our FO to the point where he’s going to be dismissed at season’s end?
That, is one giant asshole.
Nice first pass from Marcel Marceau today. He sucks.
Damn Roman!
Gotta give Greg more time. Like they say, Roman wasn’t built in a day.
I meant Kaepernick. I knew the mob would get the reference.
Looked as lot like that play Chuck was raising hell about last week.
Damn you, Roman!
If I didn’t look at my calendar and see the actual day of the week, I’d swear this was a Saturday. We’re running the triple option. Bo Schembechler Sr. would be proud of his son.
I think that was just a play action to the FB.
Pray suckers pray the great 6-7 coach sticks around. Face your fear chumps
D getting no pressure on Carr
Another DB cremated by Boldin
AZ not quite the same w/ Carson out. Down to KC 14-9
D is not getting pressure on Carr again
At least “The Shredder” can tackle. Threw it right to the Cardinal DL-man on a checkdown no less. Go figure.
Like the old StarKist commercial, sorry Charlie.
Damn AZ up 15-14
Three and out and OAK had to punt from their own 14 yard line.
No pressure Carr carving the Turkey
What are you talking about? The pass for the TD came out in less than two seconds. We sacrificed coverage for that pressure you keep harping on and got beat for it.
Anyone here who still wants Jimbo and Kap going forward can go take a flying leap. We’re down 24-13 to the 1-11` Oakland Raiders. If you’re wearing ANY 49er apparel at this time…hats, shirts, jerseys, sweaters, socks, take them off now.
I said on Thanksgiving and I’ll say it again…I (state your name) am thoroughly embarrassed to be a 49er fan at this moment.
To that, there can be no rebuttal. Embarrassed.
Embarrassed by the association to such weak fans.
Christopher Walken with an encore starring as Phil Dawson in Capt. Hook!
Different play dipwad. Try to follow along
Weak? I’ve bled, broken bones and went to jail for this team.
On more than one occasion. Don’t tell me about weak.
Time stamp sez yer a f ing moron.
Season
Era
Get ready to host Jimi
Wow.
Just wow.
Things are now officially ugly.
Rams are very likely to edge us out for third place down the stretch, leaving us in the cellar.
How did this season turn to such utter crap?
No pass rush.
Did Lynch and the Smith Bros play today?
Niner chances for playoffs are on life support if that.
One big suckfest.
Lose the turnover battle and you have a better chance of losing the game.
Brings back memories of the Pre-Harbaugh dark times where being inept was the norm and you got used to it.
What I’m interested in, since this was foreseeable, is after Tomsula finishes up the season will the new guy be able to turn this slide around? If so for how long?
Hopefully the FO will feel like supporting him and not trying to trade him.
So, fire Jimi now and pay up or waste the next 3 games?
Let the finger pointing and back biting begin!
Yes I commented on lack of pass rush throughout the game. But a self righteous expert wanted to use those comments as an opportunity to point the finger as usual.
“Let the finger pointing and back biting begin!”
I blamed the FO, the FO blamed Jimi and now who will be blaming me?
Kill the messenger!
So Tomsula leads us into SEA right? He won’t be undefeated for long
I read they benched Brooks for missing a meeting. He didn’t play. That didn’t help pass rush much.
Team has quit, now even the D
New post is up.
“New post is up.”
Is it a funeral announcement?