To kill the jinx, we must acknowledge it. It what must be some kind of twist of fate, the Niners are facing the Double Whammy of jinxes this weekend. EVERYONE knows about the Sports Illustrated cover jinx. And sure enough, there he is, big as life, Colin Kaepernick on the cover of SI this week. Holy . . . indeed. When was the last time the Niners were on the cover of SI? You guessed it. Right before last year’s NFC Champiomship game against the New York Giants. And we all know how that turned out.
The other hobgoblin of doom is the season-long pattern of w-w-l; w-w-l; w-w-t; w-w-l; w-w-l; w-w-l; w-w-??? 18 games into this season, and the pattern goes on. Uncanny consistency in being inconsistent. Every 2 game winning streak was followed by the NFL wonks declaring that the Niners are the best team in the NFL. Whereas they would puke on their shoes and get knocked down a peg or 3. Some losses were to good teams (Giants, Minn), some to bad (StL), and some were ugly (Seattle).
I don’t hold much truck in the fact that my actions determine the fate of my team (superstitions being something I left behind me a while ago), but this may be the time to bring extra mojo to the table. The 49ers are 5-8 in NFC Championship games, and bring a 1-5 record in their last 6 playoff road games. Pish posh you say? Ancient history? Well, sure. But there sure seems to be a boatload of kharmic baggage to overcome in this game. So, dig out that old ticket stub, find that 26 year old t-shirt that brough you good luck in the 1994 Super Bowl game, and hope to hell these patterns don’t repeat themselves. Because as we all know, those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it.
Forty Niners Forever 
I had the Niners picking Kappy in our mock draft last year.
I certainly didn’t have AJ Jenkins, though.
The Niners scout that recommended him was promptly released “to pursue opportunities elsewhere” on the first day the Niners had the chance…forget his name. Not a ringing endorsement of the scout seems to be…
Well, i remember Harbaugh and Baalke both were thrilled that they were able to get Jenkins.
It was a curious pick, and I wonder just what he’ll do next year. I mean really. If he can’t bump Ginn how good is he? I get that he’s fast, but . . .
It’s all up to him. Right now, his biggest problem is he is not strong enough to consistently beat the jam against a starting quality NFL CB. That can probably be fixed in the weight room, IF he will put in the work. The drops and confusion are rookie jitters; those don’t worry me excessively. But it remains to be seen how hard he will work in the off-season. If he does, I still think he’ll have a good career. If not, he’ll be another Rashaun Woods. The one ‘measurable’ you never have on draft day is the size of their heart. Some guys just want it more than others.
Considering that Jenkins and Kaep were joking around on the sidelines after the GB game, I think Jenkins has bought in. Then it’s just a matter if he can actually get off the jam – weight room or no weight room. My guess is Jenkins will get better with time. Randel, Sanu and Jeffrey would have helped us more this year. Hopefully, Jenkins will eventually have similar if not more productive careers.
If you want to review the draft and have the do over the guy you draft at WR is T Y Hilton
Yeah, but I didn’t know about HIlton pre-draft. Pre-draft I knew about Jeffrey, Sanu and Randel and they all had more productive first years than Jenkins.
Internet sketchy so here’s an abbreviated update of our guessing game fer the weekend. Hopefully the web is available at 4am Monday fer the Falcs/Niners…Who you gonna call? If I screwed this up I’ll fix it on the game day thread. Let me know.
Grumpy Guy: Ravens 35, Patriots 31. 49ers 38, Falcons 21.
Nipper: Balt. SF
barleyfreak: SF
Phil SF 35-17. Balt
Chuck: SF. NE
Snarkk: SF
Winder: 41 -34 Niners. Ravens 23 -21
Flavor: Niners 42-10. Baltimore 34-31
Spitblood: Niners 45-17. NE
12th man: Niners. Balt
Irish Kevin: Niners
shaman138: Bradys over Ravens 35-21…Niners over the vultures 21-17.
Alleykat: Niners
Chico: Niners
Gentlemen Let’s whup da doity boids
No homers here. Thanks for keeping this stuff in order phil
All good Winder, my pleasure. Just glad the Net is back up today. I had a backup plan of bribing an internet cafe to open up at 4am fer the NFCCG. Lol
NJ posted this at Skeebers. If you read only one thing about Kappy this year, this should be it. Absolutely no shit. This kid is an awesome human being and is going to be a monster in this league. Canton, save him a space. I think you’ll be needing it.
http://tinyurl.com/a3gxrah
Chuck, one of my posts might be stuck in your spam filter. The article I linked to, posted by NJ at Skeebers’ blog, is worth reading.
Here’s another link to the Knapp article.
http://bit.ly/VRG0vz
Thanks NoFear49er, I just dropped into the blog further down.
Didn’t think to use the reply option here.
DUH.
Excellent NF thanks. Great Kappy stories
I’m going HarBowl:
SF 31-20
Balt 27-24
Ok snarkk
Bro Bowl –
9ers 27-10
Ravens 37-34
9ers get #6
RayRay gives way to Patrick as the Best ILB wearing the 52 Jersey.
NJ- gotcha will update on the gameday thread. Hey good to see you bro!
Long time…
Greetings Phil – Thx.
I have nothing but trouble getting to this site.
Not sure why, but….every now and again I get through without the Network Gods Blocking the site.
Never a problem over on Skeebs’ site, just here?
Looking forward to exorcising the NFCC Game demons on Sunday.
I like our chances.
Need to play fast and assignment sure.
NO self inflicted wounds this time!
“…and can’t speak English.. or speak in general…”
When you’re on, you’re on.
+1
Came across another good read to share –
http://tinyurl.com/a3gxrah
“If he can’t bump Ginn how good is he? ”
I know Spit isn’t worried about Jenkins, but for this reason, I still am. 17 weeks into the season to be targeted? For a first rounder? Really? Dropped passes, rookie jitters, that’s a given with few exceptions, but I haven’t seen any diddly squat being given out.
And +1 on the 1st round going to the DL. That we don’t substitute much at all compared to other DLs is actually a weakness. We need depth there. We need fresh legs there. We have neither. We’ll garner a Super Bowl this year (holding fast and true), possibly by the hair on our chinny chin chin, but we need to address it in the off season.
Just doing some late night duty finding memorable quotes. This from ESPN’s Rick Reilly, speaking about Kaep:
“This kid has a chance to be better than Steve Young, and I don’t say that just to annoy Steve Young, though it’s fun.”
Barley see if you can locate the media genius from the Falcon Presser this afternoon that asked HC Mike Smith, what plans he might have to stop ‘Copernicus’ on Sunday.
No joke intended, he actually didn’t get Colins’ name correct.
Way to prepare there Nut Job.
Hey NJ49er, glad to have the link(s), thanks.
I think Kaepernick has been called Copernicus for the humorous effect and from folks just not caring if they get it right. I’ve seen it here and there on the interwebs for a while, probably since he took the starting job. I see “Kaepernicking” is all over the web now. They’ll get it right pretty soon.
btw, have you tried hitting Ctrl + F5 to force your browser to reload a new page instead of loading from your cache, or just clearing your temp files and browser cache, when you have a problem posting here?
NoFear49er it’s a network thing for me.
They literally Block the site.
Typically it’s content driven as Corp rules go. Ala no porn etc.
Not sure why this is blacklisted since I have no issues with other sites
such as Skeebs.
As for the Kaep/Copernicus nonsense, this media individual at the presser literally got Mike Smith to squint a little as to ‘what the hell are you talking about?’.
I kinda hoped Coach was gonna call him on it but he let it slide.
They can call him anything they want.
Just hoping he shocks the Falcons and gets the chance to land us
Lombardi #6.
NJ49er, I thought when you said “Network Gods” you were referring to the mystical and unknown controllers of the ether not merely paranoid sys admins. I can see how this site may have trouble from time to time lighting up a language trap in a disallowed site firewall.
Precisely NoFear49er.
But typically, (from what I’ve heard), it’s content/subject driven?
Not sure if the way it’s registered raises the firewall flags or not?
Since this is considered social media we have flags on such sites as
Facebook for example.
Just can’t determine what makes this site any different than Skeebs’ in terms of
the red flag.
If this is considered a sports/social media site vs a sports/wagering site,
I could see the flag, since we are blocked from betting/wagering etc.
It’s beyond my scope since I’m not a Network Admin.
But like tonight, I click, I get through.
Who fricken knows?
Hey?
Who knows?
Maybe they lifted a restriction tonight?
See how it plays out as time rolls on.
If my ID shows up on some IP Restricted List I can ask some questions.
Hopefully not while I’m being escorted out of the building.
NJ49er, content filtering is usually accomplished through a weighted word evaluation of some type. Since this site apparently isn’t on a blacklist for your firewall (you’d never get through) I’m thinking it’s evaluated when the page is requested. Not much can be done from your end if it exceeds the threshold value.
There are ways to get around some web surfing filters but your admins would probably take a dim view of such attempts I’m guessing. I could write a post with a slew of words sure to light up your filter and see if you get locked out. (Just kidding there) I’m guessing the difference between Chuck’s and Skeebers’ sites is Skeebers’ language filter.
Sounds reasonable to me NoFear49er
So the question that would immediately come to my mind is, can Chuck Admin
that filter or, does WordPress control it?
Be great to have the story of Kaep and his phenomenal journey to the big stage told for the SB Lead In weeks.
Amazing stuff.
Sammy the Tortoise and the Big Easy.
Let’s get it done on Sunday!
I have a player to look for at the East/West Shrine Game this weekend.
UNC WR Erik Highsmith.
6’3″190, being noticed for ‘Excellent Snatch Catch Ability’.
Probably the most impressive part of Crabtrees’ game, his ability to snatch and go.
Need those hands with Kaep pulling the trigger.
Slotted as a Late Rd/FA at this point.
NJ – I’d just like to know one thing – Why is it that Skeebers and Berger won’t admit they’re president and co-president of the Alex Smith fan club?
Because they’re entry level interns, I’m the President. Pam Smith is my VP.
Does he score “Excellent Snatch” as well?
I can ban words and such, but I choose not to. What is curious to me is the fact that it isn’t all or nothing, You DO get through sometimes. That would lead me to believe its not a word filtering thing. Unless we haven’t dropped F-bombs lately?
Jags sign a Seahawk coordinator. Great news for the 49ers. Not only do we not lose Roman to the Jags, but the move also weakens the Seahawks.
Fuck that . . . But it’s good to see you over here NJ.
Now see if you are banned.
Tolzein got the 3 job because he was a better scout or “look” QB than Johnson. That’s his niche. They’ll need a legit 2.
Again…. not true at all. Tolzien got the job because Harbaugh didn’t want to lose him to another team in the NFL because Harbaugh thinks Tolzien could a star – or at least a very good NFL qb. The NFL knows what JJ is. They don’t know what Tolzien will be. Much like you didn’t know what Kaep would become….
No, as Matt Barrows wrote on the SacBee when the cuts were made, it was for the exact reason I stated.
Welcome back Twin.
Well, then we’ll just have to wait and see who’s right. I think both Jenkins and Tolzien will prove to be good pros.
Thank you, 12. I’m not here to argue about Kap/Smith. I fully expect Kap to finish the job Alex started. I’ve called 24-20 Sunday and 17-16 over the Ravens to win the SB. I’m sorry I’m not calling 56-0 in both games, I just see them as close. I did think the Pack game would be close, too, although I did call for a Niner victory. I root for them, I always thought Kap was a great talent, there will never be anyway to show either way how they would have fared with Smith, I’m delighted to see he’ll be getting the Muni tracks off his back, and have nothing more to say on the QB shit. And I don’t expect to get shit about it from the usuals. If that happens, I’d hope that Chiuck handles them as a blog moderator should. I’m sure he will. Hello, my friend-now let’s get it on-anybody having a problem if C.J. is my new main man 😉
I agree about Tolzein, he looks like possible starting material to me. Not sure what you base your opinion of Jenkins on, he did a little bit in pre-season but hasn’t been able to get on the field and when he has it was nondescript so I have no real opinion about Jenkins yet.
Twin, I enjoy reading your stuff more than most even we don’t see eye to eye on i., Your takes are usually interesting and sometimes an angle I hadn’t thought of. I hope you don’t take our differences of opinion as personal, I certainly didn’t intend that. Just enjoyed the banter.
Spit, I’ll be happy enough to dance in a Broadway musical if you are correct. I’ve read some of your recent comments, and I’ve found many to be quite informative and interesting. Wrong, but interesting 😉
Twin, I agree that SF and BR are the likely SB teams and that both games to get there will be close by the way and I never have doubted your SF fan credentials.
Others have but I’m not going into that anymore, either. Th accusation is absurd. Funny thing yesterday-I accidentally discovered that I could post new threads here. If anyone needs further proof of what a fine wondeful generous man and dog owner I am…I alerted Chuck to the situation instead of putting up the new and exciting thread: “Alex Smith: the Man, the Legend.Profile in Courage 😉
(I definitely need to make use of the winking man)
Would have been funnier to just do the thread.
Uh, I don’t think so. But don’t encourage me.
I thought it was funny Nolan called Greg Roman Greg Norman, he might be eating that slight for quite a while on Sunday.