Meet the New QB

Looks like Alex Smith won't be re-signing for anything longer than one year. The Niners traded up to select Nevada's Colin Kaepernick with the 35th pick in the NFL Draft.

That should be a fun conversation between Harbaugh and Smith at team headquarters today.

More on Smith - the Day After

"Smile and remember - I've just made you a millionaire.
You're welcome. This is a recording."

I'm not a draft geek. I don't look at mock drafts and I rarely tune in to the NFL draft broadcast when the Niners aren't on the board. At best, it's an inexact science that cannot be deemed a success or failure for several years. At worst, it's a bloated three-day circus that only serves to promote the NFL brand during a slow time in the offseason calendar.

That said, I'm not very excited about the Aldon Smith pick. This is probably because I've seen the 49ers try to draft a pass rusher for the better part of three decades in the first round with minimal results dating back to Jim Stuckey. Since 1999 alone, the team has selected Kentwan Balmer, Manny Lawson, Andre Carter and Reggie McGrew in the first round to provide a top-tier pass-rushing threat to the front line, and none of them achieved any sustained success in San Francisco. While the team has done a good job at picking up some interior linemen like Bryant Young, there are still many more Ted Washingtons than Dana Stubblefields in their draft history.

So I'm hoping Aldon Smith, who was a general consensus surprise pick, will become the type of player we all hoped Manny Lawson would be. But until he rings up double-digit sacks, I'll be pessimistic in his ability to break the current cycle of first-round pass-rushing busts. On the other hand, what are the odds of drafting two "A. Smith" busts less than ten years apart?

So what did some of the "experts"  think about the 49ers' first-round selection? Here's a brief sampling - and if you bother to check out the comments in any of these articles, you'll see that I'm not the only person who remains pessimistic about the Niners' level of competence :

• Knapp: Smith wasn't worth a No. 7
• Kawakami: Odd pick for 49ers
• Sports Illustrated's draft analysis: "a very curious selection."
• Pro Football Talk: First Draft Surprise

And here's some news on the quarterback situation - some good, some bad (guess which is which):

• Peter King (who was at Niners HQ during the first round): "Sounds like a Kevin Kolb or Matt Hasselbeck might be coming to town."
• Sac Bee: Alex Smith visiting 49ers today

Your Newest Niner...



The officials allowed Missouri to beat SDSU. Look it up.

 ...is Aldon Smith. Let's hope they've finally picked up the pass-rushing threat that they've been lacking the past several years.

So they picked up a guy from Missouri, but it wasn't Blaine Gabbert. Interesting.

Jake Locker was drafted by Tennessee with the next pick. Jon "Sluggo Route" Gruden is gushing about him. Man, I hope he doesn't go all Aaron Rodgers on the Niners...

And for anybody who thinks the NFL is just fine, thank you very much, I hope you heard the commissioner get heartily booed by the crowd when he stood at the podium for the first time tonight.

Your Daily Dose of Sunshine

Welcome to Hell.

Let's keep it positive on the eve of the First Day of the Three-Day 2011 NFL Draft Presented by Roger Goodell...

The 49ers may be stuck playing in crappy old Candlestick Park for the foreseeable future, but at least they aren't the Raiders (or A's) who will soon be calling their home the "O.co Coliseum."

I don't even know how to pronounce that. "O dot c.o.?" "O dot Co?" "Oco?"  It doesn't matter. A shit hole by any other name is still a shit hole.

And Al Davis is still running the show over there.

Also found on the world wide web of internets today:

• CSN Bay Area article on why Alex Smith won't re-sign with the Niners.
• Matt Barrows of the SacBee gives the details on the $135 million in guaranteed money the Niners have spent on first-round draft picks since 2000.

Like I said, it's all positive today.

New Hire to Bring Zero Football Knowledge to Local Team

"How many points do
you get for a touchdown?"

Breaking "news" - the 49ers have named Gideon Yu as their Chief Strategy Officer. Yu was previously the CFO of Facebook and YouTube and a VP/Treasurer for Yahoo! 

The speculation is that Yu will be handling new stadium business. Lil' Jed and Paraag now have a new buddy to play with.

I've been around Silicon Valley for the last decade-plus, and I never heard about Facebook, YouTube or Yahoo! being in the football stadium business. I guess that's because they aren't.

Lockout Lifted

Earlier this afternoon, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Richard Nelson's ruling lifted the lockout that was imposed by NFL owners. Although the owners will certainly ask for a stay, you can bet Trent Baalke is already using his speed-dial to contact Alex Smith and get him under contract for 2011.

You have to figure Smith will be back in a Niner uniform for the upcoming season. The Niners desperately want him back, and I doubt other suitors have been knocking on his door since the 2010 season mercifully ended.

In other words, the plan at quarterback heading into the 2011 season will shape up just as it did prior to the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 campaigns (nobody expected Smith to start immediately following the 2005 draft). Get ready for another season of the Alex Smith Show.

Enjoy it, ticketholders. He's all yours.

Joe Perry, 1927-2011

Sad news to report today - Niner Hall-of-Famer Joe "The Jet" Perry passed away this morning at the age of 84.

Perry broke the 49ers' color barrier in 1948, a year after Jackie Robinson's Major League Baseball debut with the Dodgers. He was the first player to record consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons and was a member of the famed "Million Dollar Backfield."

He was also a really nice guy (and sharp dresser) who always took the time to pose for pictures with pesky kids wearing Members Only jackets.

Thanks for the memories.

Your Daily Dose of Sunshine

• The good news is that it looks like the NFL finally figured out how to get a bunch of players to attend the draft next weekend. The bad news? None of them have donned a helmet or shoulder pads for several years. Still, it will be nice to see Dwight Clark at the podium to announce the Niners' second round pick. Then again, the Niners have had a former wide receiver announcing picks at the NFL draft for the past decade....
• Overheard on the Damon Bruce Show this afternoon: "How many Madden players automatically create a new player and make themselves the quarterback when they play as the 49ers?"
• The Niners called me back at 5:30 last night (they didn't give me an opportunity to opt out of the teleconference) and it felt good to hang up on them, even if there wasn't a live person on the other end of the line (and yes, that includes commissioner Robot Goodell).
• Kissing Suzy Kolber totally nailed the "schedule release" farce, too. Well done. My sentiments exactly.

3,027 Days and Counting, Plus Your Daily Dose of Sunshine



Imagine that - a QB making a play - in the playoffs!

It's been 3,027 days since the 49ers' last playoff victory, and 3,021 days since their last postseason appearance.

Just a friendly reminder to anybody who thinks the Yorks are competent NFL owners.

Does that bum you out? No? Well, chew on this Daily Dose of Sunshine:

ESPN is reporting that the 49ers would welcome back Alex Smith if  the 2005 first overall pick wants to return. That's right - IF he WANTS to return. Six years of failure and he is still holding the 49ers hostage.

Every time I read one of these stories I have to wonder if Alex has incriminating pictures of somebody high up in the Niner organization.

UPDATE: Gwenn Knapp also says it's time for Alex to move on...

If You're Looking for the 2011 Schedule...

...you'll find it here.

Until the NFL can guarantee that the 49ers will be hosting the Seahawks on September 11, I couldn't care less. Check out Deadspin's take on this farce.

I'll believe Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh on Thanksgiving night when I see it. And even then, I'll consider it another nationally-scheduled sacrificial offering to the gods of the AFC Central.

Is There A "Do Not Call" Registry for the NFL?

It's Tuesday afternoon and I'm minding my own business while working at the office. I answer a call on my BlackBerry, only to hear the pre-recorded voice of Joe Fonzi telling me that the 49ers are having a conference call with the commissioner and I'm invited! Not only am I invited, but I don't even have to do anything to register! The team will be calling me tomorrow night when the event starts!

"If the 49ers call, tell them I just stepped out of the office."

I have no idea why I am still on the 49ers' phone list. I've asked them to leave me alone, but every time I think I'm free from them, something like this happens. Telemarketers are more subtle than the 49ers organization.

It's occurrences like this that make me think the 49ers still haven't come to grips that many of their former customers have stopped doing business with them. I'm not the only person who keeps getting pestered by the team after choosing not to renew my season tickets - several other former ticket holders are still getting contacted on a regular basis by the team for events like this. And yet, none of us have received a call or a letter asking us why we have chosen not to renew. Instead, we're being treated as though it's business as usual and we can't wait for the 2011 season to get started. Nobody is listening.

Then again, apparently nobody at the NFL league offices (and, to a lesser extent, ESPN) is listening, either, as they continue to pretend that there isn't any lockout while conducting their regular offseason activities like shoving the NFL draft down our collective throats.

Maybe it's just me, but I find it insulting that the league and ESPN are spending so much time hyping an event that will have no logical result. Why have a draft when you can't sign the players? Shouldn't signing an agreement with the players' association take precedence over choosing which collegiate athletes will be told which team they will (eventually) play for?

I won't be answering the call tomorrow night. I've already attended one of these conference calls with the 49ers before, and it was a complete waste of time. A friend of mine dialed in to the Chargers' call with the commissioner last week and he hung up after 10 minutes of self-congratulatory rhetoric about how the league is doing all they can to provide the best possible experience for us fans.

If the league wants to provide the best possible experience for fans, they can start by locking themselves in a room with the player representatives and not doing anything else until both sides have come to an agreement. Until then, I'll pass on whatever they're dishing out.

My NFL Draft Guide - Team Needs

With the NFL draft less than two weeks away, I thought I would pass along a comprehensive list of each team's needs heading into the 2011 season:

49ers - A collective bargaining agreement
Rams - A collective bargaining agreement
Seahwawks - A collective bargaining agreement
Cardinals - A collective bargaining agreement
Eagles - A collective bargaining agreement
Giants - A collective bargaining agreement
Redskins - A collective bargaining agreement
Cowboys - A collective bargaining agreement
Bears - A collective bargaining agreement
Packers - A collective bargaining agreement
Vikings - A collective bargaining agreement
Lions - A collective bargaining agreement
Falcons - A collective bargaining agreement
Saints - A collective bargaining agreement
Buccaneers - A collective bargaining agreement
Panthers - A collective bargaining agreement
Patriots -A collective bargaining agreement
Jets - A collective bargaining agreement
Dolphins - A collective bargaining agreement
Bills - A collective bargaining agreement
Steelers - A collective bargaining agreement
Ravens - A collective bargaining agreement
Browns - A collective bargaining agreement
Bengals - A collective bargaining agreement
Colts - A collective bargaining agreement
Jaguars - A collective bargaining agreement
Texans - A collective bargaining agreement
Titans - A collective bargaining agreement
Chiefs - A collective bargaining agreement
Chargers - A collective bargaining agreement
Broncos - A collective bargaining agreement
Raiders -A collective bargaining agreement

Alex Smith - Yes, ALEX SMITH - Turned Down a 1-Year Offer with the Niners

I'm trying to hop aboard the Jim Harbaugh bandwagon, but his infatuation with Alex Smith is really making it difficult.

Even Alex isn't eager to be
a 49er again.

Matt Barrows has reported that Harbaugh is still pursuing Smith (he thinks Alex has skin like an armadillo, for whatever that's worth) and that there's a one-year deal on the table for Smith. So far, Smith has decided to test the free agent waters, which is something the 49ers should probably consider if they want to foster some goodwill among their increasingly frustrated fanbase.

I know there are plenty of folks who visit this blog that think keeping some consistency at the quarterback position is a smart move. I'm not one of them. Even if there is some upside that is still remaining with Smith, I don't want to see him try to attain it in a 49ers uniform. I've seen enough, and anybody who spends time on other Niner blogs or listens to local sports radio can clearly understand that the majority of Niner fans want to see both Smith and the 49ers turn the page and move along on their separate paths.

This isn't a York thing. This is a football thing. Most of us are tired of watching Alex Smith play football for the 49ers. I'd much rather see the Niners take a chance and pick up a Marc Bulger or Matt Hasselbeck, who have proven they can win a few games and play Pro Bowl caliber football, then try to coax an adequate performance out of Smith.

Besides, what if the 49ers sign Smith to a one-year deal and he actually plays decently (not great, not good, just DECENTLY)? The team will either be forced to sign him to a long-term deal (again) or let him walk via free agency. Is that really worth the risk for the 2011 season?

Plummer Fired for Being Too Sexxxxxy

I'm too sexy for the Niners

Deadspin is all over the Gary Plummer sexy sextalk podcast that possibly (probably) contributed to his firing last month. You can listen (if that's your kind of thing) here.

I guess it could have been worse. It could have been Ted Robinson.

Your Daily/Weekly/Monthly Dose of Sunshine

I've been out of town the past week or so - here are a few items that I've been laughing about...

Alex Smith - now bringing the
49ers down from the outside.

First off, is a report from March that the Niners were one of five teams fined for having illegal contact with players prior to the end of the league's calendar year. Not really a big deal, except the player in question is Alex Smith, who continues to negatively impact the 49ers - even when he's not on the practice field - or under contract! Unbelievable.

Next, is another news item about how the Niners are planning to make some imaginary money by getting naming rights to their imaginary new stadium in Santa Clara. As with all York-related projects, I'll believe it when I see it. How about you stop worrying about naming rights and start worrying about when you'll actually begin BUILDING your stadium?

Finally, hot off the presses this afternoon is the announcement that radio analyst Gary Plummer, who occasionally ripped the 49ers on-air over the past couple of seasons, is being replaced by Eric Davis. Again, not really a big deal, except it seems as though Davis is more of a "company guy" in Lil' Jed's stable of yes-men. Then again, at least he can string two sentences together without pausing akwardly. I'll call it a wash.