The Alex hooraw (zzzzzzzzzzzzz) tomorrow notwithstanding, game one of the season looks to be a real interesting matchup. A real barn burner for the last opening day at what is the grand old (crippled, and derelict at 43) dame of football stadiums, Candlestick Park. After the Pack had manhandled the Niners for, oh 18 years, the Niners suddenly have the upper hand. Beating Green Bay in their house to open the 2012 season and trouncing them in the playoffs last year at home. In both games, the Niner defense held the high-flying Green Bay passing game and Aaron Rogers to fairly pedestrian passing numbers (249, and 278 respectively). This was accomplished by pressure. The Niners didn’t blitz, or even sack Rogers much in either game (3 in the 1st game, 1 in the playoffs). But they were able to generate constant pressure with their base defense, which allowed more downfield coverage, and thus picks (1 in each game). It doesn’t sound like a lot, but Navarro Bowman’s pick in the 1st game slowed a GB comeback, and Tarrell Brown’s pick in the playoff game kept the game tied. Each pick was followed immediately by a touchdown on the Niners part. Those were both big momentum swings in the Niners favor.
So, Green Bay has us up in their sights. They have been perennial Super Bowl contenders, and therefore feel its their God-given right to reach and succeed in the playoffs. They don’t lose very much, either, and we have handed them some of their most recent painful losses. Beyond that, the Niners edged the Pack out last year for the #2 seed, and the playoff bye, and used that to their advantage.
You don’t (or ever) hear much trash talking come out of America’s Dairyland, but the Cheeseheads are a proud lot, and don’t take very kindly to losing. Especially to the 49ers. A team that they used to beat with sickening regularity. I’m sure the Cheeseheads will be out in full force come opening day (and they are pretty damn nice and unassuming for the most part having seen them at the Stick for 2 straight playoff losses back in the day), but they certainly aren’t nowhere near the assholes that the Seahawk fans are. And what has Seattle done?
Beyond that, it beats talking about the preseason. Plus, one of our own, 12th man, is going to the game. Take some pics and I’ll post them here, 12th.
Forty Niners Forever 
Chuck doesn’t like assholes! News at Noon!
I got a new tattoo yesterday. A “W” on each butt cheek. When I bend over it says wow.
No, it says wOw.
How do you think Harbaugh is feeling about his comments about Seattle now? The Niners now employ a thug (Brooks), a drunk (Wright) and a pothead (Dobbs). I don’t care about any of the offenders (allegedly) or the offenses they committed. If you can play, you play. It’s all about winning. But Jimbo needs to STFU and be reminded each and every breath he takes that he LOST the Super Bowl. Keep your head down, your mouth shut and make the team better. That is all.
Like I said, better that than PEDs. But yeah, it’s pretty stupid to be casting aspersions all around.
Thankfully that’s all ancient history. Except to you . . .
Harbaugh has done more in 2 years than the previous 40 coaches not named Walsh or Seifert did for the history of the franchise. He can say what he wants.
Harbaugh has done nothing but lose the two biggest games at the end of the year in each of his first two seasons. Not to mention he’s taken at least ten years off of my life.
Beating your teammate over the head with a beer bottle (allegedly) is better than taking PEDs? Chuck, I get to force you to take some PEDs or I get to hit you over the head with a beer bottle. Your choice. That’s what I thought.
I once got hit in the head with a beer bottle across the street from Kezar pub, in the parking lot of Kezar stadium while going to the Bruce Mahoney game with my wife.(SHCP vs SI). I then pummeled the guy so bad that his friends didn’t even want to jump in. Then I went to the UCSF ER and got my head shaved and received 16 stitches. Thank god I was insured. But was he?
PEDs are great. They were the tiny little candy dispenser all we kids bought. Worth a small fortune now. Wish I’d kept one of the many I owned.
I like Rogers (Cal Bear), so I’m always rooting for him unless it’s against the Niners.
Chico, you were in the WCAL too? Small world. We were a poor academic school.
Now they’ve put swimming pools up and redone the whole school.
Mitty Monarchs. Still not enough room for a real football stadium.
My wife went to SHCP.. I went to Terra Nova.. PAL, I believe.
CCS and PAL, depending on what sport.
Serra Padre, do or die.
Pop the Cherries, baby.
Right Dennis. I know in your twisted little mind, you enjoyed Mike Nolan much more than Jim Harbaugh so you could piss and moan all day and night. Much better to be thoroughly shitty than a contender.
With fans like you, who needs fans?
My mind isn’t twisted, it’s just Abby Normal.
Surprisingly, I can tepidly get behind Dennis and his fury over those 2 losses. Maybe the rest of u have gotten over it, but I just can’t accept that we were down on the 5 with 4 plays to get in and….failure. And once again, we were out game-planned in the first half. How does that happen with 2 full prep weeks?
But not being able to get over the SB loss doesn’t mean I don’t love Jim Harbaugh. I never want to feel what it’s like to have a “Nolan” or an “Erickson” coach of great team again.
SI, Riordan, Serra, Sacred Heart, Bellarmine, and the Mitty Monachs!
I’m missing two because of old age. There were 8.
The West Coast Athletic League.
St Francis is one of them. And its West Catholic . . .
Right on target, Chuck. West Catholic.
Randy Cali, my old schoolmate went to St. Francis. His family owned half of our town.
I had to take a test there once in HS, and I really didn’t like it.
The Lancers.
Go Monarchs! I think the green chile and the coffee from the restaurant are kicking in, so I’ll say sayonara for the evening.
Well, one more. I actually did like the St. Francis campus, just it was a lot more urban than suburban me.
Bellarmine sucked. Bad neighborhood, rich boys. Kinda like USC.
SI and Riordan in The City, Serra in San Mateo, St. Francis in Mountain View.
Mitty in San Jose but right on the borders with Santa Clara and Cupertino.
Sacred Heart also in San Mateo IIRC. The one that Barry later went to.
I’m still missing one. I think it was a lame San Jose area school (lame in that it was academic and not athletic, but that’s how we thought then).
I can’t remember the name for the life of me.
I think the green chile and the coffee have kicked in now.
SHCP is on Ellis St. in the city. Bellarmine had some good sports teams in the mid-late 90s and your comment was spot-on. Just like USC.
Oops, Barry went to Serra.
Damn, they make strong coffee next door. It’ll be hours before I fall asleep, but they make fantastic chile and it makes it worthwhile.
Yeah, Barry was 2 years behind me. He could hit a ton back then. Saw him play in a couple JV games as a freshman.
Paul Jones was Mitty’s best athlete ever until Kerri Walsh became the best woman’s volleyball player IN THE WORLD.
GO Monarchs!
Paul was a million dollar running back with a 10 cent head. He blew out his knee in his rookie season at Cal. Hopefully he’s grown up and doing well.
WORLD CHAMPION Kerri Walsh! Go Monarchs!
Yeah, it was always nice to beat the rich kids. We considered any private school the ‘rich kids’ but looking back, my wife’s family was far from rich. Raised by a single mom, they barely scraped by but she invested in her daughter’s education. Went into big time debt, too, but it payed off.
I watched Paul run for 400 yards. In one game. But I also saw him in the corridors being BMOC.
I hope he’s grown up. He was Jim Brown in HS. Seriously, but 10 cent head.
Keith Hernandez and Bob McLure were the best to come out of my high school. I also know Greg Reynolds who plays for the Reds (who the Giants lit up a few weeks ago). I played ball with his older brothers. One of my good friends who moved away freshmen year holds the single season batting record for Cal State Fullerton – Steve Woodward. Funny thing is, he wasn’t even that good in little league.
Chico, I paid for my own education at Mitty. Janitorial work, then later good ol’ McDs.
Nothin’ comes cheap.
Just curious, what year did you graduate high school?
’78. I had all the credits to grad in 3 years, but I thought an extra year might do me good.
Not. Oh well, some mistakes can’t be corrected in old age.
Class of 1996 here. I hope I’m not the puppy on this blog.
I also played ball with this guy and his cousin Joey. Rob moved to Santa Rosa before high school, too. Chuck, this is why I don’t like steroids and why I’m critical of their use. A sad read. I don;t want my kids being around that shit in the locker rooms when they grow up. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2015717
Voted “Most Likely to Succeed” in my ’78 class. Given a 4-year Mathematics award they invented for me.
Sometimes, too much fame and pressure too young can break a guy.
I like training horses now and analyzing old movies and criticizing them.
It’s much more fun.
My grade school algebra teacher and honors program HS calculus teacher met up again in college.
He apologized in front of the entire college class for his behavior towards me, and it wasn’t sexual, it was a professional disagreement between friends.
He was teaching summer school, and I wanted to get into his class on Statistics.
He was a Cuban refugee from the Castro revolution, and didn’t like what I said about Cubans in HS.
We kissed and made up and remained friends for many years afterwards.
I can dish it out Chuck, and I can take it. So when does football start?
Yeah, that didn’t write right. I’m straight. My teacher taught me advanced Mathematics and had a wife and a couple kids.
Our affair was strictly professional and Mathematics.
We both like women. He has his wife, daughters, and grandpups now.
I’m getting there.
When does football start? I’m tired of putting my figurative foot in my mouth.
We don’t know what injuries are going on, that’s what drives Jimmy the Greek crazy.
Half the Niners might have qualified for IR by Super Bowl time. We just don’t know, and don’t expect anybody from the Niners to tell you.
We’ll be fine. Tell Skeebs I’m in for 13-3.
Playoffs, who knows? I say we win it all this year. Lombardi Trophy #6.
Pup you are, Chico! Ain’t no thang though. Class of ’79. . . .
They are pups Chuck.
Class of 74
Hell the HS San Carlos High closed down in 82…Baseball,Football, and the Nude Relays were my specialtys.
LOL..Relays were a big tradition at San Carlos getting drunk,having the cops always wondering where were going to run and drop our jocks and run.Great Night!!
San Carlos was a cool HS. Had a few friends that went there. Great location. Had a few parties out at the water temple. Including a senior cut day near-riot in ’79. We got there early and I met up with my Serra friends and some San Carlos high buds who had the same sr. cut day, with the usual assortment of combustables and beer. Soon enough there were some football players from both schools and sure enough, a couple 12 packs into it, and the football players started talking shit. Brilliantly, one of the Serra football players thought it would be cool to show how tough he was by breaking a bottle over his own head. Hilarity ensued as he cut the shit out of himself, and the melee started. I was long off the team by that point, and didn’t give a shit about those clowns, except to sell them pot, and we watched and laughed from the woods and hung out til the cops came to break things up and toss everyone out of there.
The pisser about Serra was, whenever we went to a party and too many Serra guys started showing up, there was a guaranteed fight, cops arrive, bust up the party, and run from the law. Major buzzkill. Learned very early to cut my losses and take shit to the Point.
The other pisser is that was the moment they decided to put up the 2 miles of ‘No Parking’ signs on Canada Road, and close off the parking lot to the Pulgas Water Temple. BUT, that led directly to Canada Road being closed to car traffic on the last Sunday of the month between Edgewood Rd and 92 for bicycle and ped traffic
Ha! I sold pot in my mid 20s. Come to think of it, I was rolling in dough at the time compared to my friends. My brother lives on the border of San Carlos/RWC (it’s actually RWC) where Alameda turns into a residential neighborhood just south of Sequoia hospital. My nephew will be a freshmen at Sequoia in a couple of weeks. Football & baseball.
Just got back from Vegas. The o/u line on the number of times Dennis wishes death/broken neck on Alex Smith tonight is 36.5. And that’s just the first half!!!!
I hope you bet the OVER.
Lol. He’s only gonna be out there for at most two series.
But he’s the best QB in the league 😉
Yeah, the Peninsula had a lot of good football teams, Unfortunately I went to Ravenswood and Menlo-Atherton and we both sucked.