Philly Fans Are Mumbling to Themselves….
We did it to them again. Less than a year ago, our team from San Francisco gave Philly fans a lesson in what happens when you have too much hubris. Some of them are still waiting for Ryan Howard to swing that bat. Yesterday, the Alex Smith Led Niners doled out another painful lesson to learn. There are few things I enjoy more in sports than knocking an east coast fan base or media base down a few pegs. And boy did we do that yesterday. The “Dream Team” is turning into a nightmare. How many Super Bowl teams started the year 1-3? There’s probably precedent for it but it can’t be too many.
Chuck is doing a fabulous job with his new blog ninersforever.com. You can check it out in the blogroll to the right. I shouldn’t have a thread about football but I’m still flying high off one of the great Niner comebacks in their history. As a longtime Harbaugh disciple from our street growing up as kids through his short but dominant time at The Farm, nothing about what he’s doing with this team is surprising me. I thought it might take a little longer to take hold since they had virtually no training camp. But what he’s done with the Niners in this short time is amazing and Alex Smith, as I suspected, is reaping the benefits of a coach who believes in him as well as actually coaches him. His QB rating for the year is 97.7 and that’s outstanding no matter how you look at it. He’s ahead of Romo, Vick, Rivers, Newton…..even the vaunted Dalton. Who’d a thunk that?
Yes, this is a Giants blog and “no” I will not be tolerating anything but high praise for Smith and the Niners here today. If you’re a fan, enjoy this re-birth in San Francisco. But this bus isn’t taking on any new fares so if you weren’t on before the season started just wait patiently for the next one. The Cowboy bus should be coming along any time now…….
If you want to check out a historic baseball milestone, clink on this link
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/blog_article/60th-anniversary-bobby-thomsons-famous-homer/
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
I like a good spanking and the Eagles got spanked. The biggest difference I see with the 49ers this year is a “sense” of someone being in charge and knowing what the hell they are doing. This “washes” over the players and gives them confidence, e.g., see Alex Smith. The players know that the coaches have their back.
Don’t EVER group me with the Smith naysayers . . . I have and will always believe that he got a raw deal. Why? Start with the multiple offensive coordinators, with multiple offensive systems he had to learn. Sprinkle in multiple personalities, whereby Alex didn’t know whether he was coming or going. Then combine that with new head coaches and myriad offensive philosophies and systems. Couple that with their personalities . . . is it any wonder that he struggled? Yet, he still perseveres.
Even if Smith goes to hell in a hand basket this year, IT WILL BE MORE BECAUSE OF THE PAST DYSFUNCTION IN THE ORGANIZATION VERSUS WHAT HE HAS OR HASN’T DONE TO ADJUST. He’s always worked hard, had a positive attitude, and been civil to everyone in the organization, as well as outside the organization (press and fans). In short, everyone should give props to this young man.
I can’t see how anyone could top this post today so……
Dennis will never agree to that!
Thanks Flav . . . Meant every word of it.
Nolan and Sing v, Harbaugh. No wonder Smith is coming on strong. It’s like giving water to a wilted plant.
I have to say, I wasn’t completely sold on Harbaugh. I thought the Niners hired the flavor of the day, and didn’t really expect him to do much. But watching them mount that gritty comeback in PHILTHY, in front of a hostile crowd, and against that potent offense. Has done much to start making me a believer.
I remeber Smith at the end of the year under Norv; I thought he looked great. Since then, injuries and new systems that were progressively worse until the nadir of sing and raye. What could he possibly learn from those two, except what not to do?
He used to be seen quite often in downtown los gatos where I work, just walking around (not boozing it up and partying). He came into my shop and bought a lot of stuff with female companion (I don’t know what the wife looks like). Not arrogant or high maintainance at all. Plus he put on a big charity fundraiser last year too that was well attended and rec’d.
Contrast niners with the rest of the divsion: rams not nearly as good as advertised, cards still capable of shooting themselves in the foot despite talent (losing hightower not a good move either), and the seachickens and carroll paying dearly for allowing hasselbeck to go elsewhere without acquiring suitable replacement.
Harbaugh even has crabtree contributing, something I didn’t think I’d ever see here. Great game (Vick is a beast too, he can really play), and nice to see J Smith get all the props on nat tv for his hustle play.
You know, I told Yanks guys that SF beat Lee ( and Doc) last year….you have to wonder if he is Mr. September. Man , how fun to listen in to Philly sports talk today?
I haven’t watched any, and probably won’t either, but AZ the only team not holding up to scrutiny so far.
I haven’t paid much attention all year to the Cards, but their pen is an f-ing joke. Anyone that could play SS or the OF we could cherry pick over there? They re-signed Berkman and Holliday has a big contract too, and I would assume Pujols re-ups as well. That puts a big dent in the payroll, so I would think inexpensive set up guy would be number one priority, esp if he had potential to close…they dumped Rasmus, anything else look good enough to warrant SF interest?
Possibly the 49ers’ biggest victory in about 9 or 10 years.
for all the props the defense gets, this is the FIRST time in a long time that they made a play when the other team was driving to win the game late. I was totally thinking it was going to happen again (despite the bad rookie kicker, of course he would come up big to beat the niners) and the alex hating train would be at full throttle. Nice to see the o-line open some holes. Alex made some really good plays with his feet.
ewisco— just before Smith made that unreal track down of Maclin I was thinking we were fucked. Vick was getting 4-8 years on those stupid ass short passes and it looked like we had no answer. He saved the game. And Gore running through that tired Philly D in the last sequence was predictable and welcomed. I really hope Hunter gets used more often and we might even start seeing a “thunder and lightening” formation…..
yeah, big call on 3rd and 7, to run the sweep with Hunter and pick up the first. Gore was a beast, good to see that. Mr. Inside/Mr. Outside. Imagine if they could use Hunter to catch the ball out of the backfield too.
alex was being chased to the right when he saw hunter open and got him the ball on a little dump off. one of the plays i was refering to when I said he made some nice plays with his feet.
Bowman had a super play to bring down Vick in open field short of first down in 3rd Q, and that just didn’t happen all day long (getting Vick on the ground, I mean). D held them scoreless after 23-3, making the comeback possible, and shut down running game. tho maybe reid had a lot to do with that himself. Stop the run first tho, you make any team one dimensional.
I saw the headline and figured this was a reference to the Phils losing Game 2. Anyway, thank you Niners. I’m glad the Giants were able to return the favor.
what is the vibe out there today, Mac? Philly scribes? talk show call in guys?
Sorry, Flav, I listen to NY radio, especially after the Yanks lose a playoff game and their fans start panicking. But I know they’re angry in Philly, and the constant booing during the Niner game was probably all you needed to hear. They already were PO’d at Reid big-time after the loss to the Giants because of some very questionable play-calling, so losing to the Niners only adds more fuel to that fire. Also, the radio guy who said he’d bike to SF is Howard Eskin, who apparently is already welching on the deal.
thanks, Macdog, good to eavesdrop on another sports world’s happenings. And I hope Eskin gets ridden on this one. LOL
Yeah, the closest gaMe to this one in recent memory is the 2002 24 point comeback in the playoffs vs the NY Giants. The high water mark for Jeff Garcia and Steve Mariucci. The next week, fittingly was against Tampa Bay. Unfortunately it sealed Maruicci’s fate when he took a knee with 45 seconds to go in the 1st half and the Niners trainling 28-6.
Crazy to praise a defense that gave up 500+ yards, but Philly only got 2 TDs on their 6 trips to the red zone. Even though Vick scrambled for 70 yards, and threw for 400+, it could have been A LOT worse. The thing about THIS game is, these were the ones that the Niners have consistently lost in the past 4 years. Close, but not quite. The previous coaches would say “Look, we almost beat the Eagles. See? We’re OK. The Panthers will be a push over.” They then go out and play flat as a pancake and lose to a crappy team to further exacerbate the problems.
A game like Cincy was important because it showed they could play bad and win on the road. The game yesterday showed these guys that they can come back in a hostile environment. Next week’s game is another test. They have to watch out for the let-down. They’ll be at home, the fans will be going crazy, and they need to guard against thining they are all that.
Here’s Harbaugh’s postgame speech. I like when Harbugh said “Don’t think you are good. Keep working.”
http://tinyurl.com/3ps4rfy
I think the last 2 coaches fell into the trap of praising their guys too much. There were so many games where these guys felt like just by showing up they’d win. That doesn’t fly in the NFL. See:Eagles, Phildelphia
Mumbling to themselves? I’d wager they are screaming blue murder. Like I said, the murmers for Andy Reid’s head has gotten a lot louder.
Some radio guy in Philly was talking to Radnich last week, and he said this game is a guaranteed mortal lock that Philly would win. He also said that if the Niners won he’d ride his bike from Philly to SF. Still waiting for the response to that . . .
I pointed out before the game that Reid made stupid game decisions. Always has. Making little attempt to run even with a 20 point lead was certainly one of them… Smith was fantastic, though. Wouldn’t you agree, Chuckles?
Wonderful. Spectacular. His best game as a Niner.
No BLEEP today.
Fuck you, Nippy
* insert gay-ass winky face *
I fucking love Harbaugh— what a great post game talk he gave to the team……
BF loves a coach! News at Eleven!
Yeah, I truly think this is the trap that Nolantary fell into with their teams. Lose a close game, tell the guys that they were almost there. That they were better than their record. They’d feel good about themselves, and proceed to puke on their shoes to a supposedly inferior opponent. The whole 2007 season was liek that for Nolan, and the entire 2010 season was like that for SDingletary.
Harbuagh’s take is you were great game. you guys were great TODAY. Tomorrow we are all back at square one. We need to start working all over again. The one thing Walsh always stressed was ‘us aganst them.’ ‘Them’ was always a different thing, it could be the opponent, the writers, the general perception of the team, or even the front office. he got them to rally around each other. Harbaugh seems to be doing very much the same thing. And they are WINNING these tight games where in the recent past they’ve lost most of them.
Yes, as is often the case, I talked about that awhile back, on Chuckie’s blog. The “moral victory” crap that they bought into. A lot of it is Hargaugh but just as much it’s Smith- as conservative as it’s been at times, the offense has been remarkably error free ( save the pre-snap penalties). That’s Camp Alex. Result is a 3-1 record. It’s certainly early to be celebrating anything more than a good first quarter of the season- but it’s about time there was more of that and less obsessing over every Smith hiccup-real and imagined.
First Quarter MVP- Alex Smith. And there’s no second place.
Well, the chicken-egg thing with Smith has been going on since he was thrown into the starting job back in 2005.
As in, what can he do with an offensive minded head coach? Or even what can he do with any kind of coaching at all?
The rap has been the revolving door OCs, the play-it-safe head coaches, the general lack of talent, the lousy line, etc etc etc. Frankly, the play calling to start th season didn’t give me much hope. Or the blocking up front. What I did see were times where Harbaugh was really just trying to see what the team could or couldn’t do. Trying to run the ball on Dallas late in the game is a prime example. He wanted to see if they could do it. They couldn’t and lost. Harbaugh, to me, was thinking long-term, not just about the win or loss that day. The next game saw more passing and more spread formations. It sort of worked, but still the fits and starts. Yesterday’s game saw a little more emphasis on the downfield passing game in the 2nd half. The blocking improved, and sudden;y there was time to throw. Smith hit some very nice passes. Ones that he hasn’t been asked to throw very much. Like the slant to Morgan and the deep ball to Crabs. Even the crossing route to VD was a route we haven’t showed much of at all. 90% of our passing game in the Smith era have been comebacks, out routes, and the dreaded bubble screens. It was something to see Smith getting time and hitting those passes.
Losing the Dallas game also had kinda, well, a LITTLE to do with a totally blown coverage in OT, Chuckie..
Hi Flavor, Phil Fan just over from Chuck’s blog after seeing your note about this thread. Quotes from his press conference.
Harbaugh today: I’m starting to get the feeling like there’s too many nice things coming our way here. My coach in college said, whenever people start talking nice about you, kick ‘em in the shins. Let’s stop. Let’s stop. We got to get back to work here and start concentrating on this football game. I feel exposed when people are saying flowery things about us. We would rather prefer that all that’s written is written against us.
Q: OK, well, then, you suck.
HARBAUGH: Thank you. Thank you. Go back to yourselves. Go back to the list of everything that’s negative. Play the negative quiz show.
Q: So, that helps you? So that’s how you want it? You against the world?
HARBAUGH: Yes…We just feel a more certain assurance of success when all that’s written is written against us. It’s when honey words of praise are flowered upon us that we begin to feel exposed before our enemies.
After reading this I got the idea that Del Mar Denny really has a strategy to Help and Motivate the 49ers (and their fans) by “playing the negative quiz show”. See, in his own unique way he’s really trying to help. Lord knows the feel good vibes and moral victories of Nolan and Singletary were a miserable flop. I think deep down he actually still loves the 49ers. Does that go on over here?
Cheers, Phil
Tongue in cheek of course. It’s not really possible Del Mar is a paid agent of Jed York or Brian Sabean is it? Naw couldn’t be…
I could be wrong but it seems to me historically Alex Smith often has really good second halves but also as often it just wasn’t quite enough for the win. Good drama yesterday, that’s for sure. Fun game.
On another note…so, blade. You like a good spanking?
Well, last year, he had one of the highest, if not the highest, QB ratings in the league in the first quarter. Also the best in the red zone. What’s always been true- he’s best when the offense is NOT conservative. As Billick has touched on- they got a guy out of a spread offense, stuck him in the “I” to hand off to Frank, and wondered what the fuck was wrong with HIM..
Have to go get shots for adrenal issues- as has been said many times- often it’s the cure that kills you. Although it’s not the same steroid that the athletes use- many of the side effects are similar- and possibly long term ones as well. Adrenal insufficiency can be one of them. I suspect that later in life many users will find they bit off more than they bargained for..
As always, Mike, good luck, and keep on keeping on. You battle more shit than any 20 people I know. . .
As one of my doctors told me, it’s my type that has the best odds- combative, ornery, dickheads.
Glad to see “dickhead” has finally made it into the medical field lexicon. Good luck, twin
This has been a fairly recent development- I’m supposed to be off of the decadron now. It’s a steroid that needs to be tapered, as it takes over your body’s natural function of producing steroid hormones. After weaning from the Decadron, the adrenal glands are supposed to resume that function. In my case, as soon as a low level of the steroid is achieved, the adrenals aren’t taking over as they should. It’s a problem, even for dickheads…
Ummmmmmmmm. No comment.
It’s OK, Chuckie. I’ve never asked for any slack for anything and wouldn’t give you any if the situations were reversed. You know what I mean, if you had cancer and I were an unemployed layabout 😉
Yeah but Chuck’s thinking it!
A little Giants baseball to round out the morning: Schulman: “Sabean revealed that 2012 payroll will be “in and around” $125 million, which means no increase over last year.
That would make it extremely difficult to keep all the free agents and arb-eligible players they want, take care of Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum and go after new free agents. However, Sabean did note that he could go to ownership and ask for more money based on a specific player they are targeting. So, what I get from this is, we’re not going to see another 25 percent bump in payroll like last winter, but if Sabean wants to re-sign Carlos Beltran and needs more payroll room to do it, ownership will be willing to listen.”
http://blog.sfgate.com/giants/2011/10/03/on-brandon-belt-2012-payroll-and-my-take-on-moneyball-the-movie/
I don’t think anyone living in Realityvillle expected much different from what Bill reports. If it’s Beltran, I’d hold my breath on that, something always seem to go amiss when Sabean shops at Beverly and Wilshire. About 6 million per year seems to be his limit…
Dodgers, a different strike zone — “Dodgers request modification of judge’s ruling”
“The Dodgers have asked a Delaware bankruptcy judge to modify his ruling of last week and allow evidence of MLB’s dealings with other clubs to determine whether Commissioner Bud Selig has treated the Dodgers in good faith.
“Judge Kevin Gross set a Wednesday hearing on the club’s filing, which is in response to his ruling on Friday that limited discovery to the Dodgers’ dealings with Selig. The club argued that it should be allowed to present evidence of the Commissioner’s dealings with other clubs involving similar transactions to allow the court to determine if the Commissioner is “using a different strike zone” for the Dodgers than for other clubs.”
…
“At the crux of the argument is the Dodgers’ reorganization plan that is keyed to an auction of future television rights.
“The Dodgers have asked the court to approve a new plan to sell those rights, while MLB has told the court that it would not approve the sale of any future rights for the Dodgers, suspecting that owner Frank McCourt would use some of that money to fund personal expenses. Instead, MLB has asked that the court order an immediate sale of the club.”
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111003&content_id=25462350&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb
The only thing worse than football talk here is dodgers news.
anyone want to discuss Rugby World Cup from New Zealand?
the usa team looks up and coming. Once they can get some of those strong and fast football jocks on the team they should give the Springboks and the All Blacks a challenge.
Price is dealing
it is a beautiful thing to watch a pitcher in the groove and I have always been a fan of pitching contest games.
rays up 1-0 going into the sixth.
who had Price in FL? Lewis done okidokee4me this season.
I think Giant Head had him Ed.
oops
Texas does seem to be a ‘later innings’ team. I think that says something about pitching staffs, too.
Well, he’s had some good years before, but Howell was pretty terrible this year.
Yeah, didn’t expect the Gints to up the payroll; imagine what they could do without having Rowand and Zito still on the books. I wish there was some kind of “special fund”, like an insurance policy, that could just pay those off and get them off the salary budget. Kinda like disaster insurance. One time payment. Gone.
I haven’t really followed the NBA negotiations Paul, but isn’t there something like that getting looked at now? Like a team can pick one contract to NOT count against the soft cap? Or something like that?
Not a big NBA fan myself, Craig, but I seem to remember hearing something like that… It’s a good idea…. Let’s have Bud look into it immediately! ……….. ………..
Or, they could transfer the salaries of Rowand and Zito to staff payroll, get them off player payroll. Rowand could be a roving “gamer” coach and Zito could… um… be a roving yoga instructor….
Early morning in Saigon, off to work, enjoy your evenings, gentlemen (?) (courtesy of Ted)
I like cracking a beer at the same time I’m reading Paul’s post about him heading to work. 🙂
Oh well, there’s a flip side to that, too……
Always a pleasure to read Paul’s posts. Enjoy your day.
And also always yours, Michael, good luck with the new treatments…. I can’t even imagine.
I take exception to you 1:32 post, Mike. I’m an employed layabout.
Winky wink mofo . . .
Twin, it amazed me that you got so frothy about that Alex Smith shit. The win for fans who believed in him going into this year is the stammering stupid bullshit you get from his detractors today. I’m having a ball with this. Watching them grasp for straws to try to prove he’s a shitty QB by pulling out mindless, random shit from last year? That’s the victory, my man. Follow up comments are unnecessary…..
Put another way: Their idiotic comments are what support your earlier claims…….
” Defending Alex” has been my only paying gig since 2005. Doing so vigorously is one of the conditions of the job 😉 It’s sort of funy, though. When I note that following up on yesterday’s performance with another good one against Tampa might be even bigger for him than yesterday’s outing, it’s ignored. I actually do realize the guy has plenty to prove and I understand skepticism about him, but, as you know, there is absolutely no possibilty of reasonable discussion with a True Non-Believer. Hell, if Lynch says he had a good quarter, he gets acciused of having a man crush..
I understand all the “7 year” idiots. They get caught up in the past the same way someone can get caught up in a baseball card. What you’ve done in the past isn’t necessarily an indication of what you’re gonna do tomorrow. That’s why saber stats are so great, they go beyond what the common idiot can read and process. Anyway, Alex is performing almost exactly as I said he would this year. If that bothers u as a Niner fan then maybe u should go be a fan somewhere else. Like Dallas. That qb seems easy to support, no highs and lows to deal with. LQTM……
Who are you talking to about not liking that Alex is doing well as you thought he would? I’m totally down with anyone who can see past the bullshit and appreciate how he’s done. I imagine your’e talking about Denny, but it appears as if you’re responding to my post..or maybe I’m just going insane, could be.
At any rate- the numbskulls refused to believe that Harbaugh was sincere in his praise of Alex. The idea that he HAD to keep Smith because of the lock out just doesn’t wash- he had options
Craig, what, you think I’m not cracking a beer as I head off to work in the morning? Ah, life in Saigon, welcome to my world… (gay ass smiley whatever…)…
All this talk about Alex Smith. He obviously has an arm… can he play shortstop??
Some would say just as well as Miggy did
Ah, but can he (take a) hit….
He’ll fall right in with Timmy then . . .
He’ll need a tall first baseman.
Night all. I’m to watch a shitload of sports highlights in bed.
Love my picks thus far. Bummer I can’t win.
Think of the sports angst going on in Philly, Boston, New York, and Dallas at the moment. Sportstalk radio burning up the airwaves.
—–
The NBA network is showing the Warriors’ Game 7 of West Finals in ’75 vs. the Bulls. Worth it just to see Al Attles’ suit. Broadcasters are Brent Mussberger and Oscar Robertson. The game is actually pretty low-scoring for those days. 71-70 halfway through the 4th quarter.
The Warriors won 83-79. I like their chances in the Finals.
NBA network is now showing game 3 of the ’75 Finals. The coach of the Bullets is…..K.C. Jones! I had forgotten that.