Your Daily Dose of Sunshine Returns

I may have been too optimistic when I thought the Niners had a shot at 3-13 this year. Unless the Raiders unexpectedly show up a couple of times on their regular-season schedule, we're looking at 2-14 exceeding current expectations.

Meanwhile, Lil' Jed was all too happy to chat about his awesome experience sitting in Section 50 at the game the other night. Given the poor attendance, I'd say he had roughly a half-dozen other folks joining him there. I'd like to see him try that stunt during the Dallas, Pittsburgh or Giants games this year and get an earful from real (paying) fans as they watch their Niners get their asses kicked in a real game.

And now, (links to) the news:

Sports Illustrated's Peter King on the Niners' chances in 2011:
"I think, from what I've seen in the preseason so far, the 2010 Stanford coach has a pretty decent chance to coach the 2011 Stanford quarterback on the 2012 San Francisco 49ers."

From SFGate.com:
49ers' Offensive Linemen Forced to Watch Film of their Atrocious Performance

A fine photo gallery from SFGate.com answers this question: What do Stepehen McGee, Chase Daniel, Charlie Whitehurst, Greg McElroy and Tyrod Taylor have in common?

Another gem from the SF Gate:
Beyond the proposed new stadium's stark financial picture (Niners have only raised roughly 1/4 of the funds needed to build this facility), questions are now being raised about too much traffic and not enough parking allocated for gameday.

Progress? The Merc's Tim Kawakami says the 49ers are going backwards.

"Forever Faithful?" How much did they pay people to embarrass themselves like this?

UPDATE: Niners may be in trouble for letting Crabtree practice; still can't get anything right.

Pathetic

A 30-7 ass-whuppin', courtesy of the perennially mediocre Texans.

Alex Smith's preseason thus far: 12-for-26, 0 touchdowns, 2 picks.

Meanwhile, Lil' Jed uses the broadcast to continue to deflect blame for the stadium violence fiasco. As always, it's everybody's fault but the Niners'.

Disgusting.

More later.

Define "Tailgating"

Disclaimer: hat only valid until 1pm on game days.

First off, when the 49ers said they would address their safety issues, I don't think trading Taylor Mays was what anybody had in mind. That's a real nice 2nd-round pick you made there, Trent Baalke.

And now, on to the problem at hand....

Lil' Jed's knee-jerk reaction to the fan violence at Candlestick Park last Saturday was to suggest an 18-game regular season. Needless to say, this suggestion was met with sharp criticism by local media and fans alike.

Once the 49ers turned their attention to proactively preventing a repeat of this scene occurring again at the stadium, they decided to ban tailgating during and after the games, seemingly unaware at the slippery slope they're now teetering on.

I think it's a good thing to restrict the activities of the lowlifes attending Niner games who don't have the common sense to monitor their own alcohol/drug intake. These are the same idiots who pose a threat to general society anywhere they go, regardless of circumstances.

But let's take a look at the tailgating situation as a whole, shall we?

True story - prior to the 1981 season, we would frequently leave our house in San Bruno 30 minutes prior to kickoff and still be able to get into the gates while the anthem was being sung. Even when the team started winning Super Bowls, we never felt the need to get out to the stadium more than an hour or two prior to the start time, because there were plenty of adjacent lots along the road leading into the facility. All we needed was enough time to hang out in the lot and eat a couple of sandwiches before heading into the stadium.

Once the adjacent dirt lots along the waterfront were converted into a public park, the demand for parking spaces began to exceed the amount of stalls available. Over time, as more and more parking spaces were converted into apartments, condos and office buildings, it became necessary to arrive earlier and earlier, thus leading to more elaborate and lengthy tailgating. We never wanted to tailgate that much, but if you didn't want to use public transportation to get to the game (nobody really wants to use public transportation in California unless you are living in the city), you had no choice but to arrive several hours early to get a decent parking space.

Flash forward to the parking situation today. Even with a main lot parking pass, you still need to arrive early - the 49ers themselves suggest that you are inside the stadium itself 75 minutes prior to kickoff (conveniently, that's 75 more minutes of fans purchasing products at the concession stands). The only thing worse than navigating your way into your parking space (which is just wide enough for a Mini Cooper or motorcycle), is trying to get out of the lots and onto the freeway, where it's not uncommon to be stuck in traffic for at least an hour after the game.

To avoid this mess after the game, fans typically do one of two things:

1) Leave before the game ends (which, in recent seasons has often been halftime), or
2) Hang out in the lot and wait for the traffic to disperse while firing up the grill, munch on some snacks and toss the football around

With this new policy, the 49ers are putting fans into a tough position after the games. They are basically telling them to get in their cars, and sit through a traffic nightmare. Sounds like another kick in the nuts to their loyal customers.

And that's where we have a problem.

There is no way any clear-thinking fan is going stay until the final whistle and then head straight to their car and sit through an hour or more of traffic while inching their way out of the parking lot. Nobody would willingly sign up for that level of Hell. If I decide to hang outside my car (that I can't move, anyways) and eat a sandwich, drink a soda or chat with my friends about the game, is that considered "tailgating?" Am I breaking the rules? What happens if I break the rules - do I get sent inside my car? Aside from doing keg stands while lighting up a joint, who's to tell me what I should be doing while I wait for the traffic to subside? One man's definition of "tailgating" is another man's definition of "passing the time."

Here's another hypothetical (and very likely) situation - what if a fan decides he may have had one too many at the game and wants to chill out for an hour or so before making the drive home? What happens then? Or what if fans are waiting for the rest of their crew, who may be involved in some other post-game activity or at the stadium club, to show up at the car? Are they supposed to sit still inside their vehicles? What if they weren't the driver and don't have keys to the car?

The Niners have opened up another can of worms and are shoving the contents down their customers' throats. And if their solution to preventing post-game tailgating is to somehow solve the traffic situation after the game (a best-case scenario), then to hell with them for not providing this fix 20 years ago.

Every day, my decision not to renew my season tickets is looking better and better.

Once Again, Lil' Jed Shows He Has NO Clue

Stay classy, Candlestick.

It's been very entertaining listening to local sports radio today. I've yet to hear one host or caller that isn't ripping apart the Niners and Raiders organizations for their lack of foresight and control during the melees that occurred during last Saturday night's game.

Violence at Candlestick has become a huge problem due to the steady increase of thugs and hooligans who have been running rampant throughout this crumbled facility during the past ten years. Instead of addressing the problem for what it is, Lil' Jed has a different approach: more regular-season games (which, incidentally, would create more revenue-generating opportunities to line his pockets):


"I think when you have a preseason game, when you don't have your regular-season ticket holders coming to the game, I think that plays a big factor into it," York said. He said that's another reason why the NFL wants to eliminate some preseason games in favor of 18 regular-season games.
(Courtesy of ProFootballTalk.com)

Hey Jed - how about you beef up your security staff and monitor all of the folks who are causing trouble in the parking lots before they enter the stadium gates? How about you hire some security personnel that could actually stop a fight in the stands?  How about you operate a zero-tolerance policy on this behavior in your facility?  How about you remove the requirement for season ticket holders to PURCHASE full-price tickets to these exhibition contests, thus ensuring that none of the human waste, filth and garbage that attends these events only does so because they've received free tickets from people who don't want them?

Nah - why don't you just use this as an opportunity to jump up on your soapbox and tell everybody how an 18 game regular season would prevent all fan violence across the league, instead. That will solve everything. Except for the fact that there will STILL be two preseason games played each season. But hey - half as many preseason games would mean half as many opportunities for lowlife degenerates to shoot and beat the crap out of other fans at the game.

Half as much is still 100% too much.

The 49ers have stood idly by for nearly 15 years as their game day fanbase has deteriorated into it's current sorry state. Now they have to deal with it.

GORE UPDATE: Hey Frank - I really appreciate how hard you've played for the 49ers over the past several years, but if you think a 28-year-old running back with two reconstructed knees coming off an injury-shortened 2010 season has ANY leverage for getting a new contract or demanding a trade, I have a bridge to sell you.

Shootings at the 'Stick - No Surprise

Welcome to Candlestick Park

Last night's multiple acts of fan violence during and after the 49ers - Raiders game were, unfortunately, no surprise. For several years, Raiders fans have been gooning it up during these worthless preseason contests at Candlestick. Meanwhile, the 49ers' general ineptitude on the field has transformed their "wine and cheese" gameday crowd into an accumulation of "Budweiser and blunts" thugs. It was only a matter of time before shots were fired.

Normally, you could chalk this up to just another case of Raider fans being Raider fans - I've seen these wannabe juggalos terrorize opposing teams' fans (including my wife) in both San Francisco and San Diego over the years. But in this case, it takes two to tango.

Over the past decade-plus, I've watched the 49er fanbase de-evolve into its present state of drunken bozos and petty thieves. These are the "fans" that get into altercations with elderly folks who have been ticketholders for several decades, because they think it's their God-given right to stand up and shout for the defense for 45 straight minutes while turning away from the action on the field to block everybody's view and implore the rest of their disinterested compatriots to do the same - even if some of them can no longer stand and shout due to age or physical limitations.

Take a look at this scene in the parking lot before the game last night and tell me you would want to take your kids, your parents, your spouse, your grandparents - ANYBODY to a 49ers game at Candlestick Park.If there was any doubt that I'd refrain from attending a 49ers home game this year, it's been completely erased. I've seen enough of this garbage.

These are the same fans that my wife and I now call "RaiderNiner Fans" since they act exactly like the worst representatives of the Raider Nation, except they are wearing 49er scarlet and gold. And the 49ers organization are willing participants in catering to these asshats, since they are now the only people who show up to watch this crappy team play in this crappy stadium. Long-time fans have been marginalized, and the ones remaining rarely bother to attend these farcical preseason games, resulting in the tickets being handed down or given away to a bunch of mouth-breathing drunken imbeciles, which leads to incidents like last night's.

Until the NFL stops forcing people to pay full price for these glorified practice scrimmages and the 49ers exert  more control over the thuggish element they are allowing into Candlestick on gameday, these disgusting displays of fan violence will continue.

Update: Scott Ostler (as always) nailed it. 

The 49ers, Raiders and the NFL should be ashamed. But as long as they keep raking in the money and playing fake games that are dubbed "The Battle of the Bay," they probably won't give a shit.

The Final Piece of the QB Puzzle - and a Ticket Sales Update

Well played, 49ers. Fail to sign Matt Hasselbeck, Vince Young, Donovan McNabb, Daunte Culpepper or any other former NFL quarterback with a pulse in order to lock down the talents of Josh McCown. So the big question now is whether this will vault the 49ers from 2-14 to 3-13 in 2011.

Normally, the third-string quarterback isn't much of a big deal. But on the 49ers' roster during the Alex Smith era, it usually is. Consider some of the third (and fourth) stringers that have been called into action since 2005: Cody Pickett, Chris Weinke, Troy Smith, JT O'Sullivan, Ken Dorsey and Shaun Hill. All six of these guys were listed at third or lower on the depth chart at one point and ended up starting a game that same season.

So, it's probably a safe assumption that the 49ers will rely on Josh McCown at some point in the season, especially considering Colin Kaepernick's rookie status.

And, it's probably a safe assumption that most of us wouldn't like their team's chances with McCown under center on gameday.

It doesn't take Nostradamus to see where this season's headed.

UPDATE: Wonder how those ticket sales are going? I just received an email announcing that the Niners are offering an "exclusive" 24-hour sale through Ticketmaster for up to 40% off tickets for this Saturday's preseason "game" against the Raiders. Sounds like there is plenty of inventory left. Two things immediately come to mind:

1) 40% off any preseason game is still a rip-off
2) When I was a season ticket holder, this was the kind of stuff that used to drive me crazy - I'd purchase an entire season's worth of tickets at full price while random folks could purchase deeply discounted tickets the week prior to a game. Once again, the Niners fail to respect - and properly reward - fan loyalty.

Hey Jim - How Ya Like Alex Now?

Yes, we've seen this before.

Well, that didn't take long. Jim Harbaugh found out the hard way on Friday night that installing Alex Smith as your starting quarterback is a proven method of being on the wrong side of a lopsided score while fanning the first flames of what will eventually be called a "hot seat."

First things first. Friday night was an offensive abomination by the majority of the first and second-string units, as the 49ers' over-matched offensive line looked as clueless as their quarterback usually does when responding to a zone blitz audible. Aside from a long-range field goal, the 49ers couldn't do anything against any Saints defender from the top of their depth chart down to the guys who will be trying to collect UFL paychecks a month from now.

You want good news? Here it is: the Niners' first-team defense stopped Drew Brees and a vanilla Saints offense during the first quarter, Colin Kaepernick made a few nifty plays on the run and David Akers proved he still has a pretty decent leg.

The bad news? Everything else. The 49ers' performance was a debacle, with Alex Smith, as usual, leading the charge. Smith completed just 2 of 7 passes for a measly 10 yards, while coughing up one of three fumbles from the Niner QBs. "It just wasn't good," Smith said of his performance. Well, you gotta give him props for honesty, as understated as it may have been.

I'll say this for Jim Harbaugh - he seems to be a quick learner. It only took 15 minutes of live football for him to decide that an open competition is now underway for the starting quarterback job that was graciously handed to Alex Smith the day Harbaugh became the new head coach. And that competition may get a bit more crowded now that the team has already become desperate enough to give Daunte Culpepper a workout this afternoon at Niner HQ.

New coach, same old quarterback, same old results.

EDIT: The excellent sports blog "With Leather" doesn't think Mr. Smith is very good, either.

It Doesn't Matter

"Yeah, but who's gonna throw me the ball?"

While the Braylon Edwards signing is a significant upgrade for either the No. 1 or No. 2 wide receiver slot and the Niners did manage to pick up a decent center and shore up their defensive backfield, none of it will matter much in 2011.

As long as #11 is taking snaps, the 2011 season is doomed. A new quarterback should have been priority #1 for this franchise heading into the offseason. Instead, they chose to answer the "who's the quarterback?" question the same way they have since 2005.

Maybe Jim Harbaugh will learn how Alex Smith is a coach-killer (history doesn't lie, facts are facts). In the meantime, he's looking foolish when he says the fans have thrown Smith under the bus.

This is the NFL - if you can't lead your team into the postseason for six seasons while constantly underachieving, then you get "thrown under the bus."  It's insulting to even use the term "thrown under the bus" in these circumstances. When you don't perform to expectations time and time again, your paying customers will complain and demand changes or they will stop consuming your product. That's business, pal.

To put the Smith era into perspective, consider this: he's been the starting quarterback during the majority of this franchise's worst run since the NFL's Super Bowl era, dating back to the mid-sixties.

Remember how we all think of the '70s as the absolute low point in the history of the 49ers? Guess what - the Niners of the '70s had more playoff appearances (3) than the 49ers did during the '00s (2). The current streak of non-playoff seasons equals the same streak that began in 1973 before a guy named Joe Montana ended the drought by leading the Niners to a Super Bowl title following the 1981 season.

So Jim, you can call it whatever you want - "throwing Alex under the bus," "booing," "unfair criticism" - it doesn't matter. Fans have purchased their seats on this bus for a hell of a long time, and it's been going nowhere for the past eight years.

No.

This stupid organization doesn't know how to take "NO" for an answer. This week, I've received a season ticket brochure in the mail and another notice sent to my email account.

It's amazing that these clowns think that somebody who decided not to renew their tickets four months ago would suddenly change their mind and "renew" in different seats now that the CBA has been reached.

The 49ers still don't get it.

PS - I did a search and saw that there are still season tickets available in at least five "gold level" sections. That's not exactly a ringing endorsement by the fanbase, is it?

PPS - Somewhere, there's a Spinal Tap "Stonehenge" joke to be made from this article.