Stalwart Staley Retires
Least controversial take of the day: This was a great draft.
Everyone is praising Staley for telling the Niners about his plans to retire and I guess that was admirable of him because it allowed them to form a back up plan and trade for Williams. But am I crazy? If he told them a day earlier they could have just drafted Wirfs.
We are now back to no sports but that was fun while it lasted, eh?
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Mine was a 1973 blue Mercury Capri. Stick shift so I learned how to actual drive right off the bat. This car blew a gas line and caught on fire one day as I was driving down 280. The car burned up and it started a fire near foothill college. Made the evening news that day.
Styling in the Capri. Did you happen to see the movie Ford v Ferrari? I thought it was a solid movie, but since I was a kid I had a hard on for the AC Cobra so I might be biased.
Closing out the 1st week of fest. If you’re looking for me I’ll be checking out some Raymond Miles, Soul Rebels, Henry Butler, probably some Jason Marsalis, George Porter, Spencer Bohren and for sure closing the day with Sorty. During fest we’ve been eating crawfish bread, fried pork chops, chicken with taso and andouille jambalaya. Crawfish Monica today. No cochon de lait, which is so wrong, might have to try my hand at it next week.
music from Nola Jazz Festing from home has been great. yesterday heard Funky Meters Champion Jack Dupree Buckwheat Zydeco couple singers I’d never heard before and then closed it out with smoking Dr. John set.
The car shown above was all over San Jose in 90s—besides the Regal you had Olds Cutlass and Chevy Monte Carlo that had exact same look. Buddy of mine often resorted to waking up in the “Motel Monte Carlo.”
Williams *doesn’t like that*
that’s pretty funny about Cousins. One thing I’ve read about re: draft picks, NFL preseason and workouts are likely to be way different than before. Bottom line might be more difficult for incoming drafted players to pick things up and get used to speed of game and schemes with fewer practices and preseason games.
So Niners probably better off to have established vet replacement for O line trying to get used to Shanahan’s offense.
Roy Ayers did really nice set at Nola Fest rebroadcasts I heard too, good band behind him. I’ve liked vibes players a lot over years and I’ve seen Cal Tjader and Tito Puente in person few times, missed out on late Bobby Hutcherson though I do have a lot of his recorded music. Currently highly recommend Joe Locke, who has great vid doing Dylan cut “Who Killed Davey Moore.”
I’ve known few guys over years who were in latin music bands in small clubs and unlike rock groups they usually have more guys in band, which cuts down on who makes what kind of $$$. Usually 2-3 guys on percussion, keyboard bass vocalist and if you add trumpet or sax…
Bandleader I’ve liked for long time out of Puerto Rico is Willie Rosario. I saw clip of him from 2001 playing in Cali Colombia—3 trumpets and bari sax on front line, he’s on timbales plus 2 others on bongo and conga, piano bass to fill out rhythm section, a lead singer and 2 back ups on stage at same time.
1957 Buick special.
https://www.49ers.com/video/george-kittle-joe-staley-message-retirement-tight-end-left-tackle-memories
The 49ers did know about Staley’s decision just before their 1st pick and were working the phones with Skins to acquire Williams.Once that went through they were more than stoked to take Kinlaw. If they didn’t land Williams, then yes Wirfs might have been the pick..Really worked out for the best as you get an All-Pro replacement for another and for a 5th and a 3rd next year a total fleece job on a dysfunctional team led by an incompetent owner Dan Snyder..
I’m glad it worked out the way it did.
Mom’s ’73 Mustang convertible. i learned to drive a stick in my sister, 74 Capri. The 2000 cc engine. My brother’s 73 Capri V6 was faster than hell. Fun as fuck to drive till you got around 110. Then the front end would lift off the ground. I told him he should get an air dam for the thing. Had a hand crank sunroof. Canary yellow.
The NFL just does a great job with technology and the modern media environment. Even a schlub like Goodell comes off looking good. Other league commissioners should take note.
That quote above from Williams is pretty funny. I guess everyone has their take on Garoppolo’s talent but he sure inspires players and that’s important. According to Lombardi at the A, Lynch says that “the 49ers knew Staley was planning to retire throughout the draft.” I guess Williams was the plan all along. Not sure I buy that as there’s a lot of risk involved but who knows? Maybe the FO is really confident in Skule and others who performed well enough when Staley was out last year.
per Chron today some local news: San Jose St QB Josh Love signed with Rams as undrafted FA, as did WR Easop Winston (Wazzu and Serra HS), and Wazzu and Terra Nova HS Pacifica QB Anthony Gordon signed with Seahawks.
Other local news, San Diego St. (and Sacred Heart Cathedral of San Francisco) center Keith Ismael was 5th round selection by Redskins.
Good luck to all!
Learned to drive an 89 Toyota pick up with manual transmission. My dad had very little patience and couldn’t figure out how to get me to stop popping the clutch. The fact was that his impatience just increased my nervousness. It was not a good combo. So one afternoon my alcoholic but fun loving Uncle came to the rescue. He stopped at the liquor store, where he picked up a fifth of vodka and then drove me to the parking lot of Solano Community College.
I took the drivers seat and as he continued to drink his fifth, covered in a brown paper bag, I continued to practice stop and go maneuvers, increasing my speed and switching gears in the empty parking lot. After a while, when I asked my uncle if he wanted to switch seats so he could drive home, he lifted up his fifth as if to toast me congratulations and said I was ready to drive home. He was right. I never stalled out again and that’s how I learned to drive a stick. I would become his designated driver for quite a while after that, so I guess it was a win-win.
This post is going to the Flap HOF. #71
Love this.
Yeah me too. Gloves are overrated!
Awesome post, Wilco!
Trivia—what former reliever who had a helluva career played at Solano CC?
He was one of my early favorite players and my dad always loved to tell the story of how I would pretend to be this guy when we played catch when I was a kid.
My first car was a ’73 Ford Pinto Wagon! It was a stick shift. I think we paid $1,100 for it. My dad split the cost with me. I had become somewhat proficient on my sister’s VW bug stick, but I had a helluva time learning that Pinto stick. It got to a point where I would have my buddy drive it if we went somewhere together and even he admitted it was tough. At one point I told my dad we needed to get rid of it cuz it was too hard to shift. Of course he told my soft ass that wasn’t happening. Finally, a couple of times I drove it in fits and starts out to a desolate country road outside of Woodland and just practiced over and over until I got it. I remember on the way out of town some roofers yelling instructions to me as I lurched that sucker down the street.
As a sign of my sports desperation, I watched dodgeball on espn. No not the movie but a stupid match between the US and Canada. Held my attention for about 3 and half minutes..
My high school buddy’s capri had a hole in the passenger side floor covered by a piece of plywood…classic!!! I had to learn on an orange VW hatchback whose gas filter would constantly clog up I guess from rust. I would have to pull off the road get underneath it and pull the filter out unclog it and get back on the road.
I had a girlfriend as college freshman trying to teach me stick and could not get it. Next car was a manual VW rabbit and father’s instructions was far easier to pick up. That car would just die out while in motion especially decelerating off a highway and you would have to pop the clutch while in motion to get it restarted.
During stretch of poverty after graduating college I had a Capri, where things started to fall apart I couldn’t afford to fix. First, problem with shifter (automatic) in middle on floor. It wouldn’t engage and just flopped uselessly back and forth so to get from park to reverse or drive had to start car put on emergency brake and go underneath car and move lever, same thing to park it–leave it running go underneath move lever to park, get back in and shut it off.
Headlight used to come loose and sometimes I had to hold it in from inside with left hand until it re engaged properly, during which times I was steering with right hand and without lights.
I was working 2 jobs to get out of debt and one involved driving from Palo Alto where I shared house with some other roommates to Serramonte shop ctr. in Daly City couple nights a week and occasional weekend.
Next thing that happened was motor went out on windshield wipers. so driving home 25 miles on 280 fwy in the rain was a little stressful. Something else happened after I moved, it couldn’t run for a few days and wound up getting towed off the street. The tow co gave me x amount of dollars for it at the yard which covered tow costs etc and we parted ways. Wound up taking bus to part time job and found another cheap car to get around with once work situation solidified.
I learned to drive in a dull 65 Mustang — straight six, automatic. No Shelby in that thing, but as long as I set the timing and changed the plugs and oil I could take it to the beach on weekends. First car I owned was a 56 Chevy Bel Air. Drove the hell out of it with no problems. But the first car I loved was a sky-blue late-50s Borgward Isabella station wagon. I bought it for $350 from a guy every bit as likable as Spicoli. It was a head-turner. At a party one night, someone I barely knew said: “I saw you on West Cliff Drive last week, in that *car* of yours.”
Great stories here. So many Capris. They were much safer than exploding Pintos, I hear.
first car I had of my own was an early 70s Pinto. Worked great drove it back and forth to work/school, and from bay area to Chicago to visit friend of mine going to Northwestern. survived snow storms out of Salt Lake and 20 degree weather in windy…at Easter time, 70 and sunny in bay area.
Also how I got into jazz-I put FM radio in it and right next to KSJO rock was KJAZ I found by scrolling through stations. Heard Hubert Laws on flute doing Pavane from his Right of Spring lp on CTI records and I was hooked.
My first car was a used ‘70s Pinto. My biggest personal car repair accomplishment ever in my life was replacing the water pump on it. By and large, the car ran well.
Giants network is showing 3 retro games today.
SDawg–give us a hint from your 10:24? League, left or right handed? Trying to remember off hand relievers with distinct style from certain era “…when we played catch when I was a kid.”
First thought was Mike Marshall but he wasn’t local guy at all and pitched at Michigan St.
“Helluva career” is a key hint, not that I know the answer…
I’ve had some experience with Solano and Yolo Counties over the years. The answer to SD’s question startled me. It’ll take some deep Calif. knowledge to nail that one.
The UDFA’s the Niners picked up today.
JaMycal Hasty, RB, Baylor
Chris Finke, WR, Notre Dame
DeMarkus Acy, DB, Missouri
Jared Mayden, S, Alabama
Ronnell Perkins, S, Missouri
Chase Harrell, TE, Arkansas
Broc Rutter, QB, North Central
Jonas Griffith, LB, Indiana State
Salvon Ahmed, RB, Washington
Josh Hokit, FB, Fresno State
Darrion Daniels, DE, Nebraska
The first retro game was the home opener in ‘12 vs. the Pirates. Cain pitched a perfect game into the 6th inning, a foreshadowing of what he did later that season.
Capri, Pinto, some great old forgotten names. My first was along those lines: 1970 American Motors Hornet. My Dad just up and gave it to me for my 17th birthday, “Here, learn on this”, the thing was a disaster, always falling apart, stalling when it drizzled rain, etc. I ended driving that thing for 10 years, over 200k miles, cross country 3 or 4 times, numerous trysts in both back and front seat, etc. By the time I had to put it out of its misery, a wooden milk crate was holding up the driver’s seat and I had to enter the car through the passenger seat. Miss that ol’ Horny Hornet….
My mom lives across the historic 40 from Solano JC, as it was known back then. As a former Fairfield Falcon, I should have known this one (like Xoot, I looked it up). Said stellar reliever’s hometown is also the namesake for a pretty well known cocktail and the birthplace of one of Marilyn Monroe’s husbands. Not that this info provides any helpful clues.
Andrea Kremer, yuck.
I looked it also, didn’t know he was a local kid.
I wish I could say it was the 74 Plymouth Gold Duster, but it was a 69 VW squareback station wagon.
I didn’t drive an automatic for the first time until I was in my early 20’s while visiting my roommate’s family in Riverdale. He being a typical NYC kid hadn’t learned to drive, so it was up to me to get behind the wheel of some big family Buick we borrowed to see a show at CBGBs. I didn’t realize until about 20 minutes into the drive that two pedals didn’t mean you had to use both feet. For a long stretch of the Hudson Parkway, I was in a sheer panic as we lurched down the highway.
now carmen electra, that’s something different
55 million people watched the NFL draft a record amount.. Well duh with everyone contained to they’re homes due to Covaid19 it was the only thing to watch! Still it was entertaining overall watching Coach O’Brien go ballistic about a trade he thought in place with the Lions,Lamb wrestling back his cell phone from his gf, who probably wanted to checkout new gf’s in his phone.Belicheat’s dog ready to make a pick, even Goodell finally making some teams picks in his recliner some what humorous..
One thing that wasn’t brought up re: phil Jackson/Tex winter and triangle. When Jackson saw how action would go, with player and ball movement and reversing ball from one side of floor to another it reminded him of Red Holzman and what he ran with Championship Knicks. those teams had balanced scoring.
His initial problem beside getting everyone used to motion was that he didn’t have the point he needed, which wound up being Scottie Pippen, the player who led the team in assists.
SD’s use of the perfect verb lurch, after all that well here’s how it went down that teenage day intro, was good writing. So was James’s admiring re-use of the verb as he described the opposite driving problem. Lurch learning a clutch; lurch learning no clutch. That’s what makes reading fun.
Like the old public library commercial:
Reading is fun-damental!