Well, sort of. The ramifications of the gay-gate comments of Chris Culliver are still bouncing around the myriad studios of all the media present at this pig-trough of excessive coverage. But today thankfully, the teams can hunker down, lick their collective wounds over Callahan-gate, Antler-gate, and now swing-the-other-way-gate. I’m sure at some point in the near future Chris Culliver will be duct-taped to the goal post, or red-coded (you can’t handle the truth!) but in reality, this was a fairly big distraction. It even went to far as two of Culliver’s teammates (Ahmad Brooks and Issac Sopoaga) disavowing participating in the “It gets better” campaign. They said they thought it was an anti-bullying, not anti-gay bullying piece. The vid has been pulled from the video producer’s website, and the consternation swirls. So, yeah, I’m sure the locker room is very happy with young Chris as this shitstorm continues to swirl around the team. There’s talk of sending Culliver to a day with the New York Gay Football League to see that gays can play just as hard as their straight bretheren. Certaily this is a teachable moment for the idio . . . uh kid.
BUT, the talk is over. It is now time to batten down the hatches and work through the final preparations for Super Bowl XLVII. I’m starting to miss the talk of Kappy being invincible, Balt’s defense being impenetrable, Flacco’s unstoppable, and the Niner D immovable, or vice versa.
I think the NFL needs to do away with the extra week between the championship games and the Super Bowl. Too much time for too little payoff. The league went back and forth with this about 12 years ago, and I didn’t notice an appreciable difference. The 1st week is filled with nothing anyway. Might as well start the feeding frenzy the Monday after the Champ games. Less press access, and more regular practice during the week.
Forty Niners Forever 
SF 31, Balt 30.
Akers wins it with last second FG. Ha ha ha…
If I have to watch Akers for a game winning/losing kick I’ll need a sedative first. I mean, if he made it it would be a great end story, but if it didn’t take 5 years off us diehard Niner fan’s lives I’d be surprised.
“I think the NFL needs to do away with the extra week between the championship games and the Super Bowl. Too much time for too little payoff.”
Spoken like a true fan whose team is in the SB. I suspect though that for the rest of the paying public/SB venue/advertisers/networks/media it is a money making extra week.
This has been the longest fucking week I can remember. I swear Thursday started about Tuesday and last 5 days. Now it’s finally Friday. How many days does it last?
The ONLY thing good about a two week hiatus before the SB is that the teams have a chance to get guys recovered from short term injury and sundry bumps/bruises. Any long-term injury before or during the Conference champ games won’t be helped. It is nice to have the two teams going at each other as close as possible to full strength, and not banged up…
Well, it would put a little more emphasis on that bye week to star the playoffs. But since the talk is of expanding the playoffs anyway, the point is moot. That will really suck.
If it comes down to Akers, I WILL NOT survive . . .
About the only think Harbaugh can really be ripped about is the Akers situation. It just boggles my mind that he allowed that situation to get to the point that the team was painted into a corner with a kicker with a physical/mental situation going on as they headed into the playoffs. One thing in this day and age is that your kicker should not be much of a worry to make FGs 40 yards and in. But, he is…
I think the 49ers are going to blow out the Ravens. I know I called for a blowout against the Falcons, but I think the Kaep pick 6 in the game prior affected how the 49ers attacked the Falcons. The 49ers came out conservative – trying to see what the Falcons were doing. And it worked…. eventually. But I believe Jim, Greg and Vic will see the flaw in their Falcons’ approach and rectify the situation. The 49ers KNOW they have a power run game. The 49ers KNOW they aren’t getting enough pressure with their front 4 so they’ll have to bring blitzes. The 49ers KNOW Flacco is a pocket passer.
Does anyone remember the Saints / Indy Super Bowl? Sean Payton came out swinging – throwing deep balls and blitzing. What about the Giants / Patriots game? In both games the Giants threw the house at Brady. This is what the 49ers will do. The 49ers also KNOW Kaep can play from behind. Kaep’s unique abilities allow the 49ers to gamble and play loose.
I was wrong about a blowout in Atlanta, but I’m predicting another blowout in New Orleans. I think the best bet in Vegas is a two team parlay – San Francisco to the over. 49ers 41, Ravens 17
Predictions, Predictions, I have screwed up both playoff games. First I predicted a close game, GB got blown out. Then I predicted a blow out of Atlanta. and that game was tighter than my sphincter mucsle watching Akers kick a FG. Soooooo lets go with Niners 35 – Ravens 21. 6 and 0 baby, 6 and 0. GO NINERS!!
Talk about gay,the freakin headband Culliver was wearing on Bleacher Report was “Pink ” in the interview.
Snarkk….The real Asshole Coach is Andy Reid.2 years ago when Akers was their kicker,in the Playoffs against GB and they lost 21-16 cause Akers.missed 3 FG’s .He said “Well we could have used those points”.
Yeah it was the difference perhaps,but what not reported to the media at the time was Akers daughter Halley (6)was rushed to the hospital 2 days before that game,with a cancerous cyst on her ovaries.
Reid knew about it and still threw him under the bus after the loss,even though his own 2 sons were having major issues with drugs,but he got full support from ownership on that.
Actually i would like to see Reid at this game and Akers kick a Winning FG, and he can spot him in the stands and wave a “Middle Finger” at him.
How does Reid get snapped up like honey by KC after a horrendous season and a team in absolute disarray, but Lovie Smith goes 10-6, and could have been in the playoffs, and he’s not even interviewed?…
Color? A lot of Chicago fans I know loved the fact he got canned, but there are a lot of fans who didn’t like it.
Yerah, I remember that, AK. Doesn’t do shit for us NOW, but still. The thing is, his atruggles APPEAR mechanical. His kicks aren’t sliding left, they are aimed left. And they STAY left. You’d think this would be a fairly easy correction, but I haven’t seen it yet.
He has supposedly made all his kicks in practice, so we just get to go with that. But yeah, letting it drag out this long is scary. Longwell was available earlier and they could have tried him out 2 months ago. It’s either a misguided sense of duty to Akers, or he just didn’t really give a shit, but we are in a situation where millions of people will be scared shitless if Akers comes out for that game winning (or losing) kick.
I’ve been saying all a long this is an 11 point voctory, so i don;t thik it’s a huge concern, I was right about the GB game, but wrong about the Atl game. I hope I’m right about this one.
I just have to put a freshie in (Copenhagen) and blow gold all over this blog.
Offense – I don’t think Kaep runs very much in this game EXCEPT when the pocket breaks down. The 49ers are very good at taking the top off the defense by decoys running straight up the field, not even looking back for the ball – then engaging the defender and blocking. That one long pass to Vernon in the Atlanta game to the left side, Kaep had radar lock on Vernon underneath. I think Ed Reed will jump that kind of stuff – identifying the decoy. And I think Kaep will run a lot because of it but not out of the read option.
I also think Kaep will have to throw deep a lot. We’ve all seen the stats that Kaep leads the league in percentage completed over 20 yards…. whatever. The bottom line is the 49ers run a lot of decoys, taking the top off the defense, and right now nobody is calling that bluff. I think John Harbaugh and Ed Reed will call that bluff and make Kaep throw deep, which I think we’ll result in quick scores.
I honestly hope the 49ers’ offense comes out and runs power sweeps with LaMicheal James around the edge. You have Ngata in the middle, and an older, slower Lewis – get the edge!
On Defense: I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Blitz, blitz, blitz. Aldon getting two weeks off helps, because Aldon hasn’t been Aldon. This is the first year Aldon has been an every down player. I wonder if the legs are also (along with a shoulder injury) shot? Either way, Aldon needs to dominate. If Aldon gets more push, and Fangio blitzes, Flacco won’t be able to go deep as often. But Flacco buys time by putting a lot of air underneath the ball. This is what Steve Young used to be critical of Alex Smith about. If the ball is up quick, the pressure isn’t as effective, and then it’s just up to the defenders. I don’t know if I like that too much. Whitner is short. Brown is short. Culliver and Rogers are taller, but not big hitters. Goldson is the key. Goldson needs to defend the ball in the air, and if he’s late, he needs to jar the ball loose.
Reece is the Baltimore X factor. We shut down the car salesman and Rogers, but Reece is crafty. I could see Reece picking up some big first downs.
All ‘n all, I think the 49ers execute and beat the Ravens handily.
Kappy locked on to VD because there was no one within 15 yards of him.
I agree, but I think Ed Reed comes off his guy.
As usuall what could have been said in a few short sentences turned into a small noval. Rember spit, first post the readers digest condensed version first!!
FORTY NINE HOURS TIL KICKOFF ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Yeah let it happen.
No use posting the scoring challenge now as it keeps getting buried under the avalanche of new threads so we’ll wait til the gameday thread. But rest assured I have all the perdictions.
Man you got a specific score fer us? Or just Niners by 10-14?
You don’t have my predicton yet Phil, i will wait for gameday.I do predict no rain though!!!(grin)
Kat, tell me you ain’t picking the Ravens to tie up our series?!?
Good question Phil, I have been waiting for divine intervention to strike but it looks like the guy upstairs is fresh out. Will sleep on it.
New threads = Chucks nervous energy.
Jim’s team will kick John’s team. Somehow Jim will find the edge.
“Don’t push me ‘cuz I’m close to the edge. I’m trying not to lose my head … ”
Grandmaster Flash (80)!
Seriously.. Enough of the media yapping bullshit! ESPN was counting how many times the Harbaugh brothers were smiling.. Enough!
If for some god awful reason and Culliver gets “Everson Wallsed” late and we lose to the Ravens, I can already see the headlines…
Well, that was fucking gay.
I’m starting to feel the buzz. No. Not that buzz. The Bud and Vicodin haven’t fully quite kicked in yet. I’m talking Super Bowl, baby! The realization has kicked in. The enormity of the moment has settled. This is it.
We’re in the fucking Super Bowl!!! I’m a complete mess.
BLEEP YES!
Damm Right Dennis!!!7 Were in the GODAMM SUPER BOWL!!!!!
Been 18 long and painful years,buy were Back Now and im Fucking Jacked Up.
Bringing back out my “Gold Retro Satin Forty Niners Jacket” for this one at the Bar I will be at.
Main Reason,im 5-O.wearing that bad boy on Super Bowls and I know for sure Jim Harbaugh will not be the first ever Niner Coach to lose one.
49ers dominate SB’s baby.Always have,Always will.Let it be written!!!
After we make it 6 for 6 all the media will have to take notice,cause were just starting another Dynasty!!!!!
Fuck let’s get this game started,and wipe some Deer droppings on Ray Fucking murderer,thug dickwad,Lewis useless brain cells!!!!!
orchid room or home tomorrow?
Orchid Room BF.
Just my second home to hangout.Great bunch of characters,love the bartenders,they make stiff drinks and.love to talk some football and high five’s after Niner scores!!
Gonna be one hell of a wild time sunday,when we kick the Ravens Asses!!!
Niners # SiX to tie us back up with the Steelers alltime on top of the most wins in SB history where we “Rightfully Belong”and then pass them again next year!!!
Yeah, what you said.
I’d like to see some of you so called football fans drumming up an argument for the fat Ravens cheerleader who got left off the team due to all her fat. And get your thoughts straight on this before you post, I am positively correct about this and will blog to the death the defense of the team for leaving this fat chick off the team…..
1.8 pounds?
It might as well have been 1.8 tons……..
I’m with Dennis on this. Play the fucking game already. I’m flying to Reno tomorrow so I’ll have about 45 minutes to kill in the air, I guess. Once I turn this in to a ground war I’m not promising anything. Tell the world my story…….