This has been yet again the weirdest offseason in 49er history. And that’s saying something after last year. Anthony Davis, the guy with the semi-questionable motor coming into the league, decides to retire and forgo something around $18 mill for his services.
I get the fact that players are concerned about their health, but all of the retirements have come from the 49ers for the most part. There have been other guys leaving early, but the rash of guys this year on this team is odd to say the least. But really, to blame this on the Harbaugh situation is pretty much calling the players chicken shit fair weather players. I don’t buy it. Mainly because it is a disservice to guys like Patrick Willis who played through tough situations on some less-than-great teams. Or Justin Smith who toiled long and hard to get to this point in his career to be recognized as one of the preeminent defensive linemen. Or Chris Borland’s courage to walk away from a very promising career. AD? I don’t know. He’s been dinged up and didn’t play well last year. He’s played well, but I;m not sure what the Niners do about the 5 years left on that deal. He is giving back $4.6 mill in signing bonus.
Will his loss hurt? I suppose it will. Some. We are changing schemes to zone blocking, and we look to be more mobile, so road graders won’t be needed as much as they were on the previous 1970s style offense. He doesn’t really fit the new system, so have a nice retirement, AD. The lateness of his announcement is a bitch, but what do you do? Knowing we would need another lineman would have been helpful to know before the draft, but he did what he did when he did. Plenty read into that, but who’s to know? The speculation train is running full speed, but whatever. Shit happens and you deal with it.
All the turnover is a problem but the preseason hasn’t really started so there’s still plenty of time to install their offense. If Harbaugh proved anything it’s that you can install your system fairly quickly. Esp when you remember that he inherited his defense and rode it most of the way. The offense was an extension of the conservative plans from the previous two coaches, but the biggest difference was the D that got stronger and stronger. A new more unpredictable offense, and offense based more on quickness and not slow plays and burning all the play clock is most welcome. All the defense has to do is stay near the top 10. They likely have to be a bit more aggressive with their blitz package, and doing a better job of disguising things. I’d love more aggression. Fabio, for all his success, had games like Denver where he didn’t bother to pressure Manning, and instead laid back and tried to play coverage. Same with the Raiders game. He couldn’t dial up pressure to Carr rot save his life. And this was against a team with a shitty line and little to play for. The O by then was a complete disaster.
Forty Niners Forever 
For those that find change difficult
Sometimes change is good and sometimes it’s not. I am glad for the change but the jury is still out on the outcome. One of my favs.
This one is for all the bandwagon jumpers.
Winder, you’re the best!! I mean, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Country Joe and the Fish? My eldest brother was a hippy wannabe, so I grew up with this stuff. AWWWWESOME
rt- i dunno maybe I never grew-up but I still like this stuff. I just can’t enjoy it like I used too. Country Joe and the Fish’s first album was a classic and if you were around Haight-Ashbury in 66-67 you heard this all the time when you walked down the street.
My brother and lots more just like him brought it to suburbia. The Summer of Love was a bit before our time, and with my Dad’s defense job (yay Nixon and the Silent Majority) and home censorship, I don’t think I ever heard of Haight-Ashbury (or the Summer of Love) until I got to Cal.
rt- probably a good thing. It was loads of fun for a short time and real bad for a long time. I was never a hippie but I liked them. It’s funny because until that word Hippie came out it was just greasers and surfers in my neighborhood. And I was a greaser and being a young guy I fell right into step with the free love and party till you drop crowd.
For a change of pace
Winder- That was fantastic!
Berger- You should try the whole Nighthawks at the diner album. To me it’s one of the very best albums ever.
Berger, just in case you never heard it before.
Well… unlike Politics, Religion, and even the 9ers at times, we all find common ground in music.
It’s good for what ails us 😀
Me?
British Invasion-era Blues guy 1st and foremost.
If it ain’t Blues, it ain’t right.
I was definitely influenced by my best friends’ older brother in that regard.
He introduced us to John Mayall and Clapton, along with the rest of the Invasion Era Rock that accompanied it.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Love that stuff too NJ. For years many Chicago blues artists played in the UK, they were received better there than in the U.S.
Winder here’s a Jersey Boy that made good.
If you haven’t heard him, you’re missing the boat.
His bio includes Canned Heat and many of the British Era artists that made music what it is for me.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Trout
Walter is as big in the UK if not bigger than here in the States.
Buddy Guy, among others from the Chicago Blues scene as well.
Good stuff in my book, EVERYDAY 😀
Lot’s of excellent Blues artists like Paul Butterfield came by way of Chicago.
Can’t beat Luther Allison either, RIP.
NJ- I have listened to Trout before. Very high energy blues. I always liked Butterfield also. Their second album East-West is one of my favorites.
You guys might enjoy this. This was from Bottle Rock in Napa a couple weeks ago . . .
Shit, can’t post it here.
It’s Robert Plant at Bottle Rock in Napa a couple weeks ago. His voice still sounds pretty good.
I heard that was a pretty nice festival that lasts for a few days. The Bay Area has always been on top of that kind of stuff.
Of course I could be thinking of something totally different that goes on in Vallejo. I have been away for a long-time.
Horses mouth good enough? Nah…
I hope Vernon has 50 catches again.
He appears to be saying the game plan never evolved after the first game to include the TE group.
The team has 3 fast guys available now, 2 should be on the field at the same time and I figure Davis plays a lot of snaps this season.
Don’t know about 50 but big plays are back in the game plan.
Asked that very question many times last year 12th.
Where the H3LL are the TEs?
The other question that hounded me was, why can’t we get any young WRs involved?
Hopefully the new regime can improve those areas for us.
I think the answer was plain as day and something Vernon just confirmed. Game planning was a pile of shit and adjustments were worse. Roman and/or Harbaugh had to go.
Well many of us asked for more Offense 12th.
My guess is they may have asked Harbaugh to change OCs and he refused?
Who’s to know for sure?
All speculation.
Changes made.
Move forward, see what comes.
Chuck some of the Plant solo stuff is very good too.
Fate of Nations and Sixty Six to Tibuktu are a couple of CDs I play pretty regularly.
This is a good tune from Fate of Nations –
Tie Dye on the Highway is a keeper too –
This one’s worth it just to watch Grace Potter –
And this one just kicks A$$…
Skip to the Southside Story cut – Whole concert was awesome.
I’ll put it up for you –
loved this the other night . . .
Nice –
Nothin’ wrong with the Blues 😀
You want Spoonful?
You gotta have Cream…..
NJ – A little more blues. The guy who wrote spoonful is playing the base in this one.
Winder the Blues influenced Rock and Roll for a reason.
In my World….Da Blues is ALRIGHT!
Making a trip to Nashville this Summer too.
Gonna make a visit to BB Kings Club while I’m there.
BB, John Lee Hooker and many more like them got this thing started.
Masters All.
RIP BB.
Check out Little Milton playing with the Mule…..
Da Blues is ALRIGHT
And one we’ll all remember BB by –
Courtesy of the Mule…