Switching to the Who here. Lots of stuff to mine from that band.
Anyhow, the rumor mill is in hyperdrive as reporters are asking the towel boys and the ancilliary personnel if Harbaugh has stopped kicking his dog yet. In the unending blather, Harbaugh has become the pariah in quite a hurry. He wants to be GM, he wants ultimate control over personnel decisions, he wants control of the draft board, and finally he wants $10 million a year.
Funny thing is, none of these things are true. These factoids have been generated by a feeding frenzy of innuendo that started with the Harbaugh-to-Cleveland trade. Since then we’ve had a plethora of hyperventilated reports of player discontent, tension between Harbaugh and Paraage Marathe, Jed York, Greg Roman, the gardeners, the groundskeepers, and just about everyone else in the front office. On FO side of course, there has not been a peep out of York, Jed, or Harbaugh, or Baalke other than the discounting of the trade proposal by Jed and Harbaugh, which was sort of true from their perspective, again depending on if you believe it really didn’t gain any traction other than crooked Jimmy Haslam talking crazy talk.
While this is something to do during the quiet time between football and baseball, this has the real potential of tearing apart a very good team. MY goddamn team that I’ve been following since the late 60s. I suppose Jed and Company could all be sitting around and laughing at all the hyperbolic bullshit flying hither and yon, but I doubt it. There’s too much mud being slung around, and the longer we get silence from the front office and the coaches, the more potential there is for permanent rifts to be developed in these relationships during the radio silence.
Of course we know Young Sir Jed, the owner of the 49ers, is currently in the land of make-believe. He’s also on vacation is Dinseyland. I’m also pretty sure he doesn’t want to cut his vacation short to deal with this, or hold a press conference in the Haunted Mansion to explain why his emplyees are trying to tear each other apart, so this is what we get. He’s a young father with little kids to placate and have fun with, so he gets some vacay time. Since I have no idea what Jed’s schedule is, I have no idea when he’s coming back to the land of reality, but I certainly don’t think he’s going to stay there until the owners meeting on the 23rd. That’s way too much time spent in fantasyland.
The thing is, he has to step up pretty quickly to address the apparent discord in the building. As we all know, Harbaugh’s an intense guy who may rub people the wrong way. Baalke himself has been pegged as a hard-headed guy as well. Throw in Marathe’s throwaway comments about lowballing Kaepernick, and the bullshit flying around the office, and there you have it. The 49ers again start looking like a Mickey-Mouse outfit. York fiddles while the front office crumbles around him. All we need at this point is a pictrure of Yed York flying back from Disneyland with a pair of mouse ears on. My point is, don’t f^%$ this up so close to the finish line. Win a couple Super Bowls before you strip the gears . . .
Forty Niners Forever 
Poor Tony never catches a break. I mean it wasn’t his fault he took a vacation with bimbo #8 Jessica (tuna of the land) Simpson when he was supposedly preparing for a playoff game. A game the Cowboys lost to the Giants.
The 49ers just re-signed Ed Donantel (sp?) to a two year deal, insuring he can’t go be a DC next year. Wonder if it’s just because Ed’s good, or if the 49ers have plans to draft another safety in place of Whitner? Culliver, Brock, Reid and a rookie safety? That reminds me of 81′ and although some would hate it because of the lack of leadership, I’d love it. Either way, the 49ers have to chose between Brown and Whitner. Skill and talent-wise I’d go with Brown. Whitner will always be too short, and shrinking. However, knowledge and leadership-wise, I go with Whitner. Question is who will fit under the cap after Boldin’s new contract and if Kaep re-signs? Re-signing Ed means the 49ers have some flexibility.
I don’t think it’ll be too expensive to keep them both, but we’ll see. We certainly have more bodies at CB, but we don’t know how good they are. Or how well Culliver is doing. Dahl and Ventrone don’t inspire much, though.
I’d lean toward Whitner if it comes down to that.
The Steelers and Browns have used the transition tag today on key players, meaning they can match. I’d figure out who has the softer market, cornerback or safety, and use the transition tag on either Brown or Whitner, accordingly.
Looks like the window has closed to use the transition tag….
But still will this give us some idea what to pay these guys?
From Michael Rosenberg, an interview with Jim Harbaugh:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl/news/20140303/jim-harbaugh-san-francisco-49ers-contract-trent-baalke-jed-york/
Excellent article Chuck. Good timing by Jimi. He’s done what I recommended Balky do: put out a statement “everything’s fine; Jimi’s great”. Quoting:
” He said that repeatedly: He loves working for the 49ers. Also, to be clear about this, in case there is any confusion, Harbaugh did not sound agitated. He was just answering the questions I asked.
The speculation about Harbaugh may persist — that is part of sports and part of the media culture. A lot of people have opinions about the situation. Now you know Harbaughs.”
Notice this did NOT come out in the local media. Notice Balky has nothing to say to spoil his “I’m a hard ass in control freak boss and don’t you ferget it Maiocco self image”. Dickwad
And bravo for Jim getting out in front of the local tempest in a teapot about some big rift. Nice try Balky
All is well and good in Ninerland. Right?
Boldin seems to think there’s no issues in the locker room, at least.
Yup that’s all the evidence I need that maybe things aren’t so awful as Maioccos pals would like us to believe.
Yeah, and I think Boldin’s right about the players and the coaches. I think there is a rift between Harbaugh and the front office, but I think that resolves itself one way or another with Harbaugh staying in SF.
http://www.csnbayarea.com/49ers/boldin-harbaugh-played-big-role-contract-extension
Agree
Chuck the SI piece, at least on the surface, clears up the conjecture I was sensing about whether he and Baalke share a common view of the teams’ needs.
They can squabble all they want, so long as they aren’t undermining each others’ efforts.
Key to me from that article, Jim appreciating how much effort Trent put’s into his job.
Anyone can have business disagreements, so long as those differences don’t ultimately undermine the overall goals.
Good too, to see Jim downplaying the suggestions that he wants more input or control.
Facts remain, he’s under Contract for 2 more years.
I’m feeling better about his attitude toward getting the players prepared to challenge.
First and foremost, it’s about Coaching.
He seems focused in that regard.
As for the Kaep related Contract expectations?
Agree with several of you here, Kaep has much to learn before he can assume to be an elite/Franchise QB.
However, I can safely assume he is OUR Franchise QB.
The Cutler/PRomo Contracts serve as the basis by which I expected them to focus, simply as the current Comps.
Neither of those 2 has done what Kaep has, in terms of Playoff success.
Neither has the running ability Kaep affords either.
In the grand scheme of NFL Contracts and, the related negotiations that go along with them, I’m still comfortable with seeing Kaep in a longer term deal, with a healthy up-front bonus.
In the end, it’s all about having the Cap hit minimized.
He’s young enough IMO, to consider something in the 8yr range perhaps?
Fluff it up, pay a good portion up front, leave the guaranteed portion manageable for the yearly Cap impact.
The Cap went up by $10M this year, expected to jump another $10M by 2015.
I think they can get this done easily.
$18M?
It’s probably the higher end of the spectrum for me but, it’s a negotiating tactic too.
One side aims high, the other low, you compromise.
That’s what incentives are for.
What’s telling about the SI article is that Harbaugh didn’t go to CSN Bay Area. Maiocco is dangerously close to alienating himself from Harbaugh, suggesting Tomsula. But hey, when you’ve got the Niner front office pumping you information, you don’t need Harbaugh….. much. I’ll be paying close attention to how Harbaugh answers Maiocco’s questions.
And there’s no way Harbaugh goes to the Press Dem. Maybe he goes to the Sac Bee to tell his story. Not the Merc because Cam isn’t a player. Interesting he chose SI.
SI is a National Mag (site) too Spit.
One stop, more exposure.
As for Maiocco, I see him as a pretty straight-shooter.
Tomsula got tapped for the interim gig once before.
No stretch to go there IMO.
I’m guessing this rift had more to do with the disappointments of another NFCC game failure.
Easy spot for the sniping and frustrations to surface.
Especially when your most hated Division foe steps on your manhood and grabs the hardware.
Also good to see Harbaugh lobbying for extensions on his Staffs’ behalf.
Might suggest there’s some desire to ride this out, as a unified effort to remain intact?
It’s quite likely NJ. This is a press driven payback attempt- hit pieces- in the service of currying favor with the current GM. Jed has already said “JH is going to be our HC going forward for foreseeable future”. Jimi sez “No big issues here. I’m good”. Boldin sees no rift w/ players & HC.
Winners = 49ers, Harbaugh, Jed and Boldin for signing early. Not to mention us fans
Losers = most of the local media manipulator hacks.
Phil it’s good to read suggestions that there’s still a sense of confidence between Baalke and Harbaugh.
IMO, any good organization in the NFL needs the GM/HC tandem to be working side-by-side.
I’m glad to at least hear something other than the regurgitated, rehashed rhetoric that got delivered by way of Cleveland.
Get me some young WRs in May and let’s have at it.
Chuck to further fuel your Who themed thread.
Let’s serve up some 9er related Who tunes……
Harbaugh/Baalke – I Can’t Explain
The Contract Kaep WON”T settle for – 5:15
The Contract Kaep SHOULD sign for – Bargain
What Jed and the FO is hoping for – Join Together
What the Team wants – Magic Bus
What we the Fans are saying – Won’t Get Fooled Again
What we the Fans DEMAND – Eminence Front
Hey Chuck, no bullshit! Alex is in his ninth year. He’s as good as he’s likely going to get. His INTs were way up, too. And he’s still in the same role being bailed out by a top defense, just throwing checkdowns to a RB and WRs that get more YAC.
Who was Alex’s number one receiver? Yeah, that’s right. Harbaugh was soooo restrictive he saved his ass and took him from a nobody-wants to a decent trade. Yer bullshit IS bullshit, so is Alex’s.
NF I’m late to this party so all I have is questions. What is the dispute between you and Chuck? Alex? Nolan? Media? 100 other things? I guess this is old history but maybe some things haven’t changed even if the players have? Like aspects of our O = run first, no deep passes (few)?
Hey Phil, we have a unspoken agreement. He disagrees with everything I post and I return the favor.
It started back about the time Nolan was hired. Chuck thought the world of him then and defended him with all the rage he bashes him with nowadays. He was planning to wear a suit to a game in support of Nolan back in those days. FlyingV68 used to love to remind Chuck of that one. All good fun I guess.
I’ve always thought highly of Nolan as a coach and a good man and that’s probably the basic what, where and why of it. Chuck liked to say Nolan would never coach again once he got fired but that has recently morphed into Nolan would never head coach again. Of course that will change, too, at some point. and so it goes…
Gotcha, long history there. Funny the automatic disagreement but seems accurate…
Jason Cole tonight on KNBR said he believed Kap would/should be asking for at least around $18M a year for at least 4 years, given that the QB franchise tag number is somewhere around that, and will be higher next season, with maybe $30 – $35M guaranteed, and that the Niners would/should be happy to to close that kind of deal since it will only get steeper the longer they wait…
Suggestion Chuck –
For a later thread…..In honor of the Fillmore West.
Carlos Santana?
What we as 9er Fans have given – Soul Sacrifice
For San Francisco – Treat
What we feel like right about now – Fried Neckbones and some Homefries
What we’ve been doing since ’94 – Waiting
What it feels like of late – Evil Ways
What we’d like to continue to do – Savor
Good 9er Fight Song – Jingo
Love it, NJ!
Where I hope we never play again – – – Europa
I figured out what was bothering me personally about the triangulation business w/Balky and the local writers: dang if the dynamic as I see it there aren’t the ‘same’ as what we’re caught up with out here in one of our forest businesses: As 12 is aware we have one of our small forests (trees for commercial lumber) in a lousy partnership. This bozo is using his local friends to try to steal our investment (triangulation against us). So the situation in 9erland pushes those buttons fer me.
Or as Gilda Radner sez: Nevermind…
Naturally I stand by everything I wrote but maybe a little less hot sauce on that taco and less mustard on that hot dog?
Jim “The truth” Harbaugh is a very savvy guy, prickly but no dummie. He has no good options for this season so he puts the powder away to save it for next time. Either way it played out as we expected, he is coaching under his existing contract this year at least so let’s see what they can do to add to the swag in the trophy case.
So, it’s my fault NoFear is never right? He just sees things through a dirty pane of glass. 90% of his posts are of the Debbie Downer variety.
Good to see you lie like the obfuscating slug you are. I never said anything about the suit (funny thing is, V lived off that, curious, eh?), and you of course suck NOlan’s dick at every opportunity. When he threw his QB under the bus, and let him get pounded on the field when his shoulder was already torn to shreds, yeah, I lost what he was selling. And that was buster and hot air. He left Dildo out there for 3 weeeks after it was obvious he was toast as a QB. His hysterically funny comment was, right befoire Dilfer got knocked unconscious, and thus out of the game, was, “I was going to takle him out at halftime.” Lucky for Nolan, he let Dilfer get blasted to oblivion. Thanks, coach! Since the rest of the NFL seems to agree with me, I guess I was right about that as well.
I suppose if Alex Smith was a prosthelytizer as opposed to a more reserved guy, he’d be God’s gift to QBs, but as it is, that spot is reserved for the LA Kiss’s new QB. Oh, that’s right, Tebow didn’t even make the cut for the Arena league. Gene Simmons passed on Teeblow and went with Colt Brennan. Wow, how the mighty have fallen. Has he done any more commercial spots with Dilfer, speaking of him?
But it’s all good. To each his or her own.
Sorry about that, I had to axed NF. It does run deep and way back I see that. Yeah there’s six sides to every story and since I’m so late to the party I’ll stay in the middle = official policy gonna be “Hell I dunno”. But it makes fascinating reading lol.
Tebow just wants celebrity and he’s getting plenty of that so no worries. Do believe his football days are done. He’ll stay in the (edge of) the news tho.
It’s no big deal. It’s just that for everything I post here, or anywhere else, NoFear has potshotted it relentlessly. If I posted the sky is blue, he’d refute that. He has some sort of unrequited love for me I suppose. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
He and V could not get enough of blathering incessantly about bullshit they made up and blasted in my name over at the Insider back in the unfiltered days. Like the suit, the myth of Joe, Eddie’s rise and fall, and Steve Young. On and on and on, V would post long inane posts which drove most sane people nuts. Spitty got into the act, too, but at least he had fun with it.
Hence the 49ers Unfiltered blog. That one was done in by V. I had no control over things, and thus killed that to go to a more controllable blog. I rarely go to the Insider, but once in a while it’s funny to see V in yet another one of his 85 screen names posting the same retarded nonsense. He was bullitwongrazor, unca_chick, and about 10 other variations of syncophatic names who would be ultra ultra fanboy types. When that got old, he’d switch to his usual banter of “Eddie!, Joe! Jerry!” and rip everything about the current team under a new pseudonym.
Funny, Jimi Hendrix is featured on the front page of Wikipedia this morning. Jimi Hendrix not Jim Harbaugh media maestro. I read his entry sometime after Chuck posted the Moby Grape song “Omaha” as part of the mystery tour of 60s nostalgics. Filmore West (where I never visited)? Ask me. Or better yet look it up. Winterland, Avalon Ballroom? They got it all right there in Wikipedia.
Janis Joplin was a lesbian with a steady girlfriend? What do you think “Down on Me” referred to? Fuck I had not a clue. Thought it was about some dude dumping on her. You want facts? Wikipedia, get some. Facts that is not that Joplin shit.
But I digress. Harbaugh pulls another rabbit outta his…hat. Lol it sure got quiet after Jimi played the denial card so smoothly. Who me? Naw you all are imagining things. Power, money? No way. Kawakami was backing off so fast he burned rubber. But he’ll stick out his contract fer two more years then sign a nice extension hopefully after SB win 6 is in the bag. Damn maybe Kap will hire him to carry his golf bag for a couple rounds with the fat bank Kap stands to make.
But gotta love the sounds of silence not emanating from our local boot lickers. Boom! Detriangulation. That’s how you do it.
As NJ sez- just get us some WRs in May we’ll be alright.
Phil I would lay money Harbaugh won’t complete his contract as is. He was in talks with Jed after his second year, confirmed by Jed not reporters, but Harbaugh broke off the talks for reasons unknown. A guess would be that talks opened based on Harbaugh getting to the SB and that Jed see’s a difference between getting there and winning in terms of contract money.
Harbaugh will want to get paid next year by the Niners or someone else regardless of the season outcome. No way he coaches a lame duck final year for 5 mil.
The good news is the the coaching team is still together for another year.
12 I put my answer (some questions) on the next thread in the rock concert. Just saw this. Cheers
For NJ. Funny thing is, in the late 70s, when Clapton and Santana were both out there touring, whenever one would play in the Bay Area, the other would come out and jam for 3-4 songs as an encore.
Crazy fun times . . . Even crazier is my older sister used to see them play at Sequoia high school, San Mateo high, and small clubs in the city before they rocketed to fame at Woodstock.
Nice, lots of cameras and mics catching their performance. Good stuff
One of my faves:
Some serious guitar face in this one . . .