What’s funny is I remember saying this last year amidst the trade rumors around our head coach, the talk that the GM and HC hadn’t spoken in months, and the innuendo around the Jim Harbaugh insanity whirlwind hyperbole generation machine. Brought to you by Deion Sanders, Jay Glazer, Jayson Stark, Trent Dilfer, Steve Young, ESPN, Comcast, Fox Sports, and the millions of other media types that weighed in on the state of the franchise as they struggled through an injury-ridden and thoroughly disheartening season.
8-8 at the start of the Harbaugh regime would have been seen as a nice improvement over the previous staff. Fortunately (for the fans) and unfortunately (for St. Jim) Harbaugh took them to 13-3. An amazingly quick turnaround, especially due to the fact that it was a strike-shortened preseason. The offense was what it was, and the defense was what it was. The numbers all remained fairly similar.
Except for one thing. Wins and losses. A team that couldn’t win close games or win with any consistency suddenly became an NFL juggernaut. From laughingstock to Super Bowl favorites in short order. After coming oh so close in 2012, the 2013 season was another let-down on the doorstep of the Super Bowl. While the team was still considered a contender, the shit show gained full momentum. Not even going to rehash all that except to say we’ll never know who did what to whom, but it sure seemed like all sides were hell-bent on parting ways. Throw in a forgettable season, and there you go. It played out how it did. Harbaugh and most of the coaches left, and players retired, re-upped elsewhere, or left via trade.
So where are we now? Well, this is the crux of the biscuit. I’m of a mind that despite the changes and roster turnover, we still have a very good team. Especially defensively. Something that was already a strength. Mangina has plenty of NFL experience and has some HCing (varying levels of success) under his belt. LB coach Jason Tarver has DC experience with the Raiders, D line coach Scott Brown has 35 years in football, and had DCed for Colo St. DB coach Tim Lewis, a great DB back in the day, has DC experience for the NY Giants among other stops in his 21 year coaching career.
So much for the theory that this team didn’t start good coaches.
Offensively we have ex-Dalphin and Raider HC Tony Sparano, tasked with getting VD, VMcD, and Derek Carrier going after a shit season for all the TEs, RB coachTom Rathman, who has been instrumental in the continued development of the run game, and O line coach Chris Foerster, a guy with a track record of nothing but success in his different schemes that he’s used over his coaching career. A new set of WR coaches in Ronald Curry and Adam Henry (LSU’s WR coach for Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry) and the departure of Michael Crabtree give me hope for a resurgence among the WR corps.
The big question mark remains the duo of QB coach Steve Logan and OC Geep Chryst. Logan traces his coaching roots to Jimmy Johnson at Okla St, and he head coached the college powerhouse East Carolina winning a couple bowl games along the way and beating Miami 31-6 in their worst home defeat in years. He’s well-versed in the West Coast Offense, and appears at least to be installing an up-tempo rhythm-based offense. All good news to me. The Geepster? He’s the guy I don’t have any real concept of his game. He was OC in San Diego at a time when the Chargers were dogshit. I mean really. Jim Harbaugh was his starting QB. Erik Kramer was his backup. They did manage to break even at 8-8. The next year, of course was the Ryan Leaf Experience, and one last gasp of Jim Harbaugh as an NFL QB. A 1-15 debacle of epic proportions.
I guess that’s impetus right there for Chryst to get off to a hot start.
Forty Niners Forever 
Did anybody watch the MLB All-Star pre game ceremony? My all time favorite baseball player is Willie Mays. Seeing him announced as “who many say is the best all around player in baseball history” got my eyes watery!
I still carry one of his baseball cards in my wallet. Honest, though it’s not the good one I had when I was a kid that had every season and career stats. I first saw him play at Candlestick in the mid-’60s with the Catholic Youth Organization, another of Mom’s attempts to make me religious – HA! Left field upper reserved I think, great seats later in the game, though, when all of us kids came down to the lower deck sun.
Mine too. I did get a little misty at the 84 all star game. I really did love the stick and the 60’s Giants. What a fucking organization and we didn’t win squat, but to me they have always been the best.
Good to see we’ve driven Bullit around the bend. They had high draft picks for 7 years and had a defense that was top notch. Smith was being coaches badly and they had the fastest TE in the league plus Frank Gore. Yeah, throw in Patrick Willis and Justin smith donte whitener and on and on.
Yeah he turned gold into silver.
Bullit calls bullshit on the narrative??? That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever read.
You gonna correct my spelling buwwit? Or straighten my sheets?
Good God. Funny shit.
Chuck you need to go to rehab to get over your Bullit addiction. He is a small minded guy who needles everyone. I stopped dealing with him long ago, its a waste of time and energy.
I just found a recipe for tofu that I like.
1. Throw the tofu in the trash.
2. Cook some meat!
Berger check these guys out – New Aussie Blues Rock Group – Datura4 –
http://tinyurl.com/p99ug26
Not sure if this will link for you directly, as it’s at rdio.com but, it’s free to subscribe.
Debut album is excellent IMO.
Album title is Demon Blues if you have to search for it –
Just for fun . . .
Here’s a message from George Clinton to Skeebers and company.
Free your mind and your ass will follow. Jealous that my daughter just saw Bootsy Collins a couple weeks ago. She sent me a 45 second vid and said the show was fantastic.
Thanks chuck fantastic shit. Funk forever.
Yeah. Love that old funk. First album I evern bought was Quadrophenia by the Who.
Second album was Fire by The Ohio Players.
Geneoushire bans all heathen music. Only chamber music is allowed.
lqtm
You wanted Smith back, NoFear. Don;t fucking whine up that tree. I ended up being proven right about Smith. Id been saying for years with better coaching he’d do better. Harbaugh’s chickenshit offense would deo better with a guy like Smith in there.
Emmissary? Give Skeebers shit for banning me, you hypocrite. Winder’s only spelling out for Bullit the point. Which always seems to elude buwwitt.
It’s just pathetic that some folks can’t take a differing point of view.
The team had talent when Harbaugh got here. Is that a shock to admit? To some its blasphemy.
Like some people who can’t admit the 2012 team had more talent than this current version.
The narrative must survive!!!!!
Now Singletary’s failings are York’s fault? Wow. That’s a stretch even for you, NoFear.
Then York gets credit for making Harbaugh a magnificent coach.
For 3 years, anyway.
Chuck its getting weird in here dude.
I agree. I read that other blog for 2 or 3 days and got caught up in the puerile bullshit. I’d rather not even hear about it.
That blog has become the tornado of bullshit.
I will wait till the season starts before reading it, maybe, perhaps some actual football will calm those hysterical minds.
Justin Smith to join his Alma Mater as a Strength Coach?
http://tinyurl.com/ng3nsx4
Not sure if this was shared yet?
Some input regarding the Mangini Defense offered from BR –
http://tinyurl.com/pdc7rgt
In a news article on nbc bay area kurt warner has new comments and observations on kap. warner is pretty happy with kappy and thinks he’ll succeed this year !
Condolences Rob
May Dad RIP
in news on the home front …
we just buried my father , Ed De Luca sr. in arlington national cemetary . Dad was a world war two vet and spent 6 months as a P.O.W.
Sorry to hear of your loss Rob. RIP Ed Sr.
Sorry for your loss Rob.
rob, sad news indeed. i know what it’s like losing Pop’s. RIP.
Sorry to hear that, Rob. Condolences to you and your family. My dad was also of tbat era . Fighter pilot for the AAC. By he time he left it was the Air Force.
Hey, that’s too bad Rob. Almost nine years since my Dad died, at least now I can laugh about it. My Dad stole my uncle’s car to drive 500 miles to Denver to volunteer after Pearl. He wound up a company clerk in the middle of nowhere in Alaska at a non-existent CW base. (My uncle, he of the car, was already a civilian pilot and became an AAC flight instructor for the duration.)
My best to your family and you, Rob!
Skeebers keeps the name calling going. So much time and so little to say.
Righteous indignation for Jed being in charge.
Lol. Like it matters.
Rest easy old warrior.
DeLuca, I hope the wait for Arlington wasn’t too bad.
Condolences to you and family.