49ersNews.com

by Jeremy Burnham

04.18.06 – Leave Kwame Alone? Why Should I?

Well, by now you have noticed Tony Farmer’s article about Kwame Harris. I’m wondering, IS Tony Farmer Kwame Harris? If you have not read it yet, you may want to before reading this one.

Before I start, I want to say that Tony Farmer is a good guy. I like Tony and enjoy his articles, but come on now! Let me reprint the quote everyone is upset about. I’ll remind you that it is not confirmed that this quote is from Kwame, but let us assume it it, as we did for Tony’s article…

When asked if he likes Football, Kwame replied, “It’s OK. I mean, I am pretty good at it, but I have a lot of interests, too. A lot of days, when I am getting ready for practice, I would prefer to be back home playing my piano.”

‘Niner Vision’

by Jeremy Burnham

OK, let me get one thing out of the way. THERE IS NO WAY THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN. Owens would never want to come back, and the Niners wouldn’t have him. But this IS the internet, and a fansite no less, so we can talk about things like this…

Let me tell you what made me write this story. While visiting family this past weekend, I got to talking about the Niners with my dad and brother. My brother was saying how he missed TO, and if he were in charge of the Niners, he’d bring him back. My dad took the other side, and said how much he hates the guy, and said how big of an ass TO is making out of himself since leaving us…

Though, like I said, this is not going to happen, it is a fun topic to discuss. If YOU were in charge of the Niners, would YOU try to find a way to bring him back? Well, after thinking about it, my response may shock some of you who know me. YES.

Don’t get me wrong. I still don’t like the guy. He was an ass in SF, and is an ass in Philly. He’s had two very good QBs, who he has abused and turned himself against. I still blame for for a lot of went wrong between him and Jeff Garcia in San Francisco. But, the fact is, he has now messed up twice. Think what you want of Owens, no one ever called him stupid. He KNOWS he messed up, and now that it has happened twice, he knows it can’t happen again.

Believe it or not people, Owens HAS learned his lesson. Owens WILL be given another shot by someone, and Owens IS going to make the most of that shot.

Just think about it. When he was in SF, he said he wanted to play with a much better QB. He named off a bunch of QBs, all but one of them were black. He got just what he wanted, a GOOD, black, star QB. And he STILL found a way to ruin it.

He MUST know that it is his fault, and that if he wishes to make it with his next team, he’s going to have to change his ways. Now, he is still the same guy he’s always been, but he will at least be able to fake it for the sake of his career.

81 WILL fly again, and he IS still the best WR in the league. I have always said that. Give me him over Moss any day. So would I take him back? Sure thing!

The Real QB Competition
by Jeremy Burnham

Everyone in their right mind knew that Tim Rattay should start over rookie Alex Smith. If you did not know that from the start, you sure found out after the first preseason game. And if you still had doubts after that, they were crushed after the second game. Even Coach Nolan seemed to finally get it, naming Rattay the starter.

Now I am not saying Smith is going to be a bust, it's way too early to say that. I'm one of the ‘Rattay in 05, Smith down the road’ guys. I have high hopes for him. I just don't want him starting right now. Our best chance of winning games right now, is not with him in there. He proved that while playing with the starters for two weeks. With QB play like that, face it, we would not have scored a single TD all freaking season, and would have gone 0-16. Plus, with a weaker O-Line, do we really want to get our new young guy smashed? I'd rather get Rattay beaten up, because he's going to be gone in a year or two anyway…

I really want to get off the whole Rattay vs. Smith debate, though. This is not why I'm writing this article. The headline is the REAL QB Competition. Rattay vs. Smith should not have been a real competition. Rattay should be the clear cut winner. The REAL competition should be for the third string job between Ken Dorsey and Cody Picket. I know I know, all signs point to there not being any fight for that job, it's all Dorsey's. I’m asking, WHY?

Why the hell do we still have this dude on our team at all? Dorsey sucks. He has alwasy sucked, and I'm sad to say, he will always suck. He sucked in his first year. He was down right awful while filling in for Rattay last year. Now, once again, before the season starts, we hear all the BS from so called experts saying how much better he looks this time around. BS! Did you see him in his first pre-season games against the third stringers?! He sucked! Did that look any better to you? And just think, that bozo was starting games for us last year. In the mini'camps, when all the experts were saying how great he looked, some fans started saying he should be the starter this year. And they were saying that he had a chance to win the job. I simply said that was BS. There was no way that was going to happen. It was going to be Rattay, or Smith, but no way it was going to be Dorsey. That upset a lot of people. They don't want to accept the sad truth, Dorsey sucks.

Pickett, on the other hand, has not gotten much of a chance at all. He was told he most likely wasn't even going to get to play in the preseason games. Him playing in game two was a surprise to him. And he led the team to one last TD drive at the end of the game, which ended with him running it in himself. That was one great drive*. In the one drive he got to play, he impressed me way more than Dorsey has ever since we drafted this guy in the 7th round a few years back. Dorsey. I can't stand this guy. Ken he do it? No he Ken not!

—-
*Note* I started writing this article right after the 49er’s 2nd game of the preseason. I stopped writing it after finding out about the death of Thomas Herrion. I thought an article which went into the final drive of that game, which was also the final drive of his life, was not very sensitive. Now, after a week and a half has passed, I felt better about finishing the article. I know you will all join me in my thoughts about his family. From everything I read about him, he seemed like a first class human being. He will be missed by the fans of the Gold Rush. RIP!

Jeremy can be contacted by email at Burnham@49ersNews.com

by Jeremy Burnham

Since the 49ers beat down the Raiders in their first preseason game of the year, I have had a good chance to make fun of some Raider fans I know. It was no surprise to me that they responded with words and hand signs which I can't post on a family friendly website. This reminded me of what losers most Raider fans are. Yes, if you are a Raider fan, I’m talking about YOU. That got me thinking, three years ago, back in 2002, when 49ersNews.com was brand new, I wrote an article about Radier fans. It was the first article I ever wrote for this site, so it wasn’t the best. But still, it bugs the hell out of Raider fans. So I thought now would be a good time to repost it, and since we have a flashback section, this seemed appropriate. I take you back to 2002! It was written right after we had beaten the Raiders in Overtime.

Raider fans are an embarrassment to the NFL
November 6, 2002
By: Jeremy Burnham

On Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers beat the Oakland Raiders 23-20 in OT in Oakland. This week I'm not going to talk too much about what the players did in the game, but instead, what the FANS did. Because San Francisco and Oakland are so near each other, fans from both teams can show up to the game right? 49ers with family in the area can bring them along to the game right? Well, you would think so, but no. Many players on the 49ers in fact told their family NOT to come to the game. Why? Because it is in Oakland, and Raider fans are violent.

Jeremy Newberry's father did show up to the game, and he paid the price. After the game Newberry and his wife were walking to meet their son (who is the center for the 49ers) when a Raider fan bashed a glass bottle over his head. Newberry was attended to by 49ers physicians and is OK.

There were ridiculous personal insults yelled at 49er QB Jeff Garcia, and many other insults and profane shouting all day on Sunday. There was also many objects thrown from the stands, and a 49er fan in a 49er jacket was attacked by a Raider fan.

Now what I want to talk about is that whenever any other team's fans do something like this, EVERYONE talks about it. When the fans of the Browns did what they did it was all over the papers for days. Why is this any different? Because it is EXPECTED from the Raiders. Can anyone really say they are surprised? No one is talking about it, people made a MUCH bigger deal about TO signing the football.

One thing that was in my head all night a few nights ago was, ‘Why are so many Raider Fans like this?’. Now are ALL Raiders fans like this? Of course not. But so many are. They are known to do this kind of thing more then any other team’s fans in the NFL. And I asked myself WHY! This is what I came up with.

Look at any big city in the USA. There is a huge range of people from every city. From the very classy, to the very obnoxious, to the violent people who smash glass bottles over the head of the other teams parents. So most teams have all kinds of fans. There are a few teams known for either very classy fans (namely the 49ers), or very obnoxious fans (namely the Raiders). San Francisco and Oakland are so near each other that both teams draw fans from the same market. It is almost like one big city, with 2 NFL teams. The 49ers, from the start, aimed for the calmer and classier fans while the Raiders always liked the ‘bad boy image’. It is almost split right down the middle. With the classier half of the Bay Area going for the 49ers, and the rest going for the Raiders. Now of course there are MANY Raiders fans who are not like that. And you know what? They are not showing up to the games as much now. In fact, the Raiders are having a hard time selling out all their games. It's because there are lots of good Raider fans scared of their own teams’ fans.

The Raiders MUST do something about this, they are too great a team to have an image like this. The Raiders won Super Bowls XI, XV and XVIII. They have a history of great teams. They are one of most feared teams in the NFL, they have had some great players, who I have nothing but respect for. But the fans are now nothing more than an embarrassment to the NFL.

Rice not needed
By Jeremy Burnham

03.03.05—I love Rice as much as the next Niner fan. He is the greatest, and so it saddens me to say that I don’t want him back. I’d love for him come sign a 1 day contract before retiring, but not to come back and play for a year, unless he’d agree to be the 4th WR. But that’s not what he wants.

Rice doesn’t want to retire, and he doesn’t want to be number 4. He wants to play for someone who will give him playing time. I don’t blame him! Though his year started out poor last year with the Raiders, as soon as he went to the Seahawks, his stats went up. He still has a year of decent play in him, I don’t doubt that in the slightest. I even think he could still help a team somewhere win.

I know what you’re saying. "If he can still help a team win, why in the world don’t you want him back? Drop what ever it is you’re smoking and slowly back away"! Don’t worry though, I have a good reason, though not a reason Niner fans will want to hear about.

Brand new 49ers head coach Mike Nolan has said that he’s not interested in Rice, and I back him 100%. Yes, Rice could help a team win, but not the Niners. Come on now, the 49ers are not going to be in the Super Bowl this year. Might as well just say it now. I know people don’t want to hear this, and I’ll get feedback saying stuff like, "God I’m glad you’re not the coach." But really think about it. Bringing Jerry Rice in would only make since if we could win right now, he’s NOT going to be around in 3 years! We are still in the REBUILDING stage. An ugly, but important stage that fans would like to skip, but cannot be skipped.

The key to the 49ers will be to decide who they want to be playing WR for them, and get them in there right away to get experience. If everything works out, in two or three years, this could be a playoff team! These young guys need experience. They aren’t going to improve until they get experience. And let’s not kid ourselves, Nolan is in a rush. He’s a smart dude. He’s looking around at other coaches getting fired for not rebuilding fast enough. Why waste a year forcing one of your young WRs to sit and lose experience just so Jerry can play his last years as a Niner? Yes, some fans would love it, but those very same fans would turn around and be pissed at Nolan when the team doesn’t improve as fast as they should.

I really believe this team can be a playoff team in 2 years, 3 at the most if they make smart moves, bring in players at need positions and again, let their young guys get experience! The first step would be a 6-10 to 8-8 season this year. I’ve been told by some fans that they either want the Super Bowl, or a 0-16 season and the first round draft pick. This is the stupidest mindset in the world. Improvement is slow sometimes. But every step forward is a step closer to a playoff, Super Bowl contending season.

Tom Brady = Joe Montana?
By Jeremy Burnham

02.06.05—This article will sound funny coming from me. Just 24 hours ago, I wrote an article that offended a lot of Joe Montana fans who disagreed with me when I said that Steve Young was the best QB ever to play the game. However, instead of getting back into that topic, I want to bring up the topic I had been planing for Super Bowl Sunday for quite some time. That topic is Tom Brady being called the new Joe Montana.

I’m sure you have seen or heard someone do it by now. Everyone has chosen Tom Brady as the new QB to warship. "He’s so calm. He’s so cool in the pocket. He plays just like Joe Montana." My response to that is, ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Now, I may not think Joe is the greatest ever to play, but he is on my list of the top two. There is NOBODY playing the game right now who has earned the right to be compared to Montana, and ABSOLUTELY not Tom Brady.

Now, don’t get me wrong, Brady is cool. Brady DOES have a calmness to him that Montana also had. But that is ALL Brady has. Brady RIDES his team, Montana LED his. Brady plays well enough to win. He makes NO mistakes. He makes just enough big plays to win. But he does little more than that. Lets take a look.

In 5 seasons, Brady has a passing rating of 87.5. Not bad, but clearly not one of the greatest ever. Like I said, he plays well enough to win, but he has one of the most complete teams around him in NFL history. There are tons of QBs who would be winning Super Bowls if they were on the Pats. So, while again, he IS playing well enough to win, so did Trent Dilfer. Yes, you forgot about him huh? That one year with the Ravens he had quite a good year. At least, he didn’t mess up. he played well enough to win the Super Bowl. He made just enough big plays to allow his defense to win. Oh my god! He’s just like Joe Montana! Forget the fact that his performance on the field is mediocre. Forget that a lot of his games were won by the DEFENSE, not by him. Let’s compare him to Joe Montana. Or maybe John Elway.

No one ever did that with Dilfer. Why? Because that would be crazy. I don’t mean to insult the guy, I’m a big fan. He grew up in my hometown. I’ve even met the guy. He’s a hometown hero to Santa Cruz. But he is NOT a great QB. He had a great team around him, and he didn’t mess up. That’s it.

Now, Brady is better than Dilfer, I know that. But it’s the same idea. There are a number of people on that team who play bigger part of its success than Tom Brady. The Pats were not even in the top ten of NFL pass offenses. Their rush offense was ranked higher than their pass offense. They had the number 9 defense, to go with the number 7 offense that got a lot of it’s boost from the running game. I’d say passing is NOT what is LEADING them to the Super Bowl.

However, I do admit that numbers DO lie sometimes. He does have something to him. He plays as well in huge games as he does at the start of the season. There is no choking this guy. Nothing gets under his skin. Something you can’t say for Payton Manning or Big Ben. That is really something he shares with Joe Montana. But Montana was more than that. While stats aren’t EVERYTHING, you have to have better stats than Brady does before you can be compared to Montana. Montana had 7 seasons with a higher passing rating than Tom Brady’s best rating.

On the field, Joe Montana was magic. As long as he was under center, Niner fans everywhere knew they had a shot at winning. Even if they down. Even if the odds were against them and they were getting bashed all game and it was late in the 4th. If Montana was there, Niners fans still had hope that they could win. Not only did they have have hope, they KNEW they COULD. And quite often, they did. He led his team to an amazing 31 4th QT comebacks. Accuracy as great as his had never been seen before. Not only was he great in the way that numbers can’t show, he was great in the way they could as well. He was great in every single way there is.

All across the board, Joe had 7 seasons better than Brady’s very best. Montana had 2 years in which he led the NFL in passing, and 5 in which he led the NFC. Brady has 0 and 0. Comparing him to Joe is a JOKE. Without a doubt, Brady is one of the better QBs in the game today. Montana is one of the greatest to ever step foot on the face of earth. Brady impresses, Montana amazed. Brady is brilliant, Montana was pure magic. Brady is good, Montana surpassed greatness. There is NO comparison.

Steve Young – Out of the shadow of greatness
By Jeremy Burnham

02.05.05—Today, it was announced that former San Francisco 49er QB Steve Young was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Young joins fellow Niner QBs Joe Montana and Y. A. Tittle.

Steve Young was Born October 11, 1961, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Young was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1st round (1st pick overall) of the 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft. However, instead of the NFL, he chose to sign a contract with the USFL’s LA Express in what was the largest contract in pro sports history. His contract was for $40.1 million, with $34.5 million of the deal paid over 37 years in an annuity. Unfortunately, he only played there for two years before the league folded.

Young then signed a contract with the Bucs, the NFL team that had drafted him. He played for the Bucs in 1985 and 1986. Both of these years were very painful for Steve, his parents and his fans. Tampa Bay did not have a good line, and Young spent half of his Tampa days down in the dirt. After two very tough seasons in Tampa, including one with a passing rating of only 63.1, the Bucs decided they didn’t want him. They traded him to what some may have seen as the worst job in football. He was to be Joe Montana’s backup.

First of all, Montana still had a large number of good years left in him. And this was one backup job where you really had no chance at all of overtaking the starter. Second, if down the road Montana DID move on and Young had to take over, replacing the great Joe would surely be one of the toughest tasks in the world.

So, one can surely see how some people would call this the worst job in football. However, Young did not look at this way at all. Where other people would see hopelessness, Young saw a chance to learn from the best. Young learned what he could, and quietly waited for his chance. In the meantime, he made the best of his backup roll.

In 1987, his first season as backup QB for the 49ers, Young impressed greatly. He got to start for the injured Montana against the Saints, and was 5 for 6 with a TD before getting hurt himself in the 1st QT. However, he would get to play more that year. He replaced Montana in the game against the Bears, and threw 4 TD passes. He finished the season throwing only 69 passes, but for 570 yards, 10 TDs, no INTs and a passing rating of 120.8. He also saw action in a playoff game where he took over midway through the 3rd QT. In the short amount of time he got to play that game, he led the team in rushing with 72 yards and a TD. It was clear from that point on that Young had something Montana never had. A threat on the ground as well as through the air. This is what made him the QB he was.

Young’s job on the team would grow. Two years later in 1989, he saw action in 10 games. He started 3 of them. This year he thew 92 passes for 1002 yards and 8 TDs. He had 3 INTs as well. His passing rating this year was again 120.8. In the post-season, the Niners had a big enough lead in the Super Bowl that Young got to see some action. He went 2 out of 3 for 20 yards.

When he did get his shot to start, he really proved that he could be an NFL QB. In 1991, Joe Montana missed the season due to injury. Young stepped out of the shadow of Montana’s greatness. In Young’s first season as the starter, he led the league with the highest passing rating, 101.8. And this season, unlike the other seasons, he threw over the 100 pass cutoff that allowed his passing rating to count in the rankings.

In 1992, even though Montana was back, Young started for the 49ers and Montana was 2nd string. Young was named the NFL’s MVP with a passing rating of 107.0. Young threw 402 passes that year, well over 100 he needed to make the rating official.

Over the years, Young would go on to win a record 4 passing titles IN A ROW. He has an NFL record of 6 seasons in which he had a passing rating of over 100 while throwing at least 100 passes. Twice as many as Joe Montana’s 3. And seeing how Young had many fewer years as the team’s starter, that says a lot. Young also has a higher career passing rating than Montana. In fact, he has a higher career passing rating than ANYONE. By stats, he is the best passer in NFL history! And what’s more, the passing rating doesn’t even take into account what a QB does running the football. There has never been a player who had a better pass/run combo than Steve Young. So, he is a better passer than Montana, and a better runner than Montana. Add passing and running together and he is one hell of a QB.

His best year came in 1994. This may be the greatest 49er team ever to take the field. Young led the team to a 13-3 record and marched through the playoffs all the way to the Super Bowl. He was named the NFL Player of the Year with an NFL Record passing rating of 112.8. The one and ONLY thing Montana has on Young is more Super Bowls, but this is a TEAM accomplishment. Young did, however, make the best of his one Super Bowl he did get to as a starter. He threw an NFL record 6 TDs in the blowout win and was named Super Bowl MVP.

What truly made Young great though was his class. People remember him as a class act on and off the field.

Former Miami Coach Dave Wannstedt remembers what Young did on and off the field. " Steve Young was not only a great champion on the field, but he was a leader and a role model off the field as well. He leaves the game having accomplished just about everything a QB can do, and he did it with class and integrity. He will be missed by many!"

Steve Young, the greatest QB ever to play the game, welcome to the Hall of Fame. You deserve it!

The Amazing Lloyd!
by Jeremy Burnham

09.07.04—Ladies, Gentlemen and Children of all ages! Come see one of the craziest performers EVER! You saw a little preview last year against the Seattle Seahawks. That was just a teaser. This year is his first year being one of the feature acts.

What am I talking about? Is there a circus coming to town? Nope, just Brandon Lloyd, one of the 49ers’ new starting WRs. Though against the Seahawks last year, most people were pretty sure it WAS a circus when Lloyd made one of the most amazing catches seen in the league for a long time.

This year, we will see a lot more of him as him and Cedrick Wilson take over for Terrell Owens as the starting WRs. The 49ers also have a new starting QB and a new starting RB. While I think this "new look offense" will be a lot better than most people expect, I really feel that Lloyd is going to surprise even the fan who is expecting good things from this offense. I feel he has what it takes to be as good and better than Owens ever was.

Speaking of fans though, some of you know that I live in Richland, WA. Not exactly 49ers country. However, I just got back from vacation in Santa Cruz, CA, where everyone is a Niner fan. Anyway, I was quite disappointed. It seems most people are believing the sports media when they say how bad we are going to be. Now I know that non Niner fans are going to think that we are going to be awful. They don’t know who we have. They have never heard of the amazing Lloyd, Tim Rattay, Cedrick Wilson or RB Kevan Barlow. All they know is Jeff Garcia, Terrell Owens and other have left. And that they have been replaced by people they have never heard of. So in their minds, that means the Niners will be awful.

What I found surprising and sad was the fact that even the NINER FANS have no faith in this team. What is their excuse? They know of Brandon Lloyd. They know the crazy skills this guy has. And I really don’t mean to start another fight about who is better, Garcia or Rattay, but even us Garcia fans know that Rattay is no bum. And losing Hearst for Barlow is an UPGRADE. Niner fans should know this. I guess they spend too much time listening to "experts" bash us. Even my brother (who lives in San Francisco) is telling me how awful we are going to be this year. It really makes me sad to hear all this.

Lets take a look at what some of these guys did when they DID get to play last year. Tim Rattay looked great in the games he started in place of the injured Garcia. Barlow shared his job with Hearst and did well.

Brandon Lloyd was the teams’ 4th WR for his rookie year. So he didn’t get a whole lot of playing time. However, when he did play, he sure made the most of it. He ended the year catching 14 passes for 212 yards and 2 TDs. Not great numbers, but not bad for a rookie who didn’t get a lot of playing time. Remember, he was the team’s 4TH WR. He picked up some of the slack against the Seahawks in the last game last year when Owens was hurt. In that game, he also made that amazing catch staying inbounds. I really wish I could talk more about that catch, but words just can’t explain what he did. I only hope you were able to see the play yourself. If not, you will never know quite how great it was no matter how many articles about it you read.

But don’t feel TOO down. Even if you did miss that catch, Lloyd is sure to do many more amazing things before he is through. And with him starting this year, well, at least we know the passing game should be exciting.

This article was featured on the official site for Brandon Lloyd.

Preseason Blues
by Jeremy Burnham

09.08.04—Well, it has been less than 24 hours since my last article "The Amazing Lloyd". While that article talked mainly about Brandon Lloyd, I also talked about all the 49ers fans who expect us to be one of the worst teams in the NFL this year. In the short time since that article, I have gotten a number of emails talking about the preseason. They say that the reason they know we are going to be awful is that we lost all the preseason games and "we just looked awful".

Is this for real? Do people REALLY think the PRESEASON means ANYTHING? If my memory serves me, didn’t the Niners do really quite well last year in the preseason? Did we end up winning the Super Bowl? Gee, if the preseason means so much, then I don’t think we should play the real season anymore. We should just let teams play half assed football using their backups for the 2nd half after not playing for months. Then, after 4 games, we should take the team with the best record and give them the Super Bowl Trophy.

You have got to be kidding me. People are thinking we are going to be awful because of the PRESEASON? I know I have said that a number of times in this article already. But I am hoping it will start to sink in. It still hasn’t for me. People are judging the team based on the PRESEASON?

Lets take a look at who made the playoffs based on the preseason shell we?

In the AFC, The Jets, Ravens, Jags and Raiders each are the div champions. The BROWNS pick up one of the wild cards. Wow, big surprise this year, no Pats in the playoffs. Thats right! Last years Super Bowl champs finished last place! Just like the Niners did. Tough luck. But hey, if they could not play in the preseason, they have no place in the playoffs. Losers, go home! They should be ashamed of themselves.

Looks like the Lions and the bears share the lead for the NFC South. They both will be in the post season. Wow, the Eagles are in last place in the NFC East. I guess people forgot to tell Terrell Owens that these preseason games are all important. The Panthers went 4 and 0.

So, why are we going through with this whole season thing? I think watching players who have been resting for months trying to get in shape was all that was needed. Lets just give the Panthers the Super Bowl Trophy and be done with it.

Anyway, I just was surprised to hear anyone bring up the preseason. But I guess I should not have been. Last year, when the Niners stupidly decided to can Mooch and give the job to Erickson, people were saying that since the Niners kicked butt in the preseason, it proved me wrong and proved that Erickson was a great coach after all.

Now, we had a hard time in the preseason and all is lost. Hello! Our new starting QB MISSED half of the games! We have a brand new starting offense. That is why we have the preseason. That is the exact reason the games don’t count right from the start.

Oh well, I’m done, I don’t fell like writing anymore. Two articles in the same day is enough

Where is the love?
by Jeremy Burnham

05.31.04—I know you have noticed the headline of this article by now. "Where is the Love". I know what you are thinking. But don’t worry, this isn’t the anti war rap song featuring Justin Timberlake. You know the one. The one where, if it is the first time that you’ve heard the song, you mistake Justin for a girl. No, I’m not asking why our country doesn’t just love Saddam. Instead, I’m asking where the love is for the San Francisco 49ers.

Jeff Garcia is no longer a 49er. Terrell Owens is also gone. As is Hearst. The sports world is now completely convinced that the 49ers are going to be awful. And what I want to know, is why? The very same people were saying what a problem Terrell Owens was to the team last year. They were saying how much he was hurting the team, and what a bad guy he was. I should remember, I was one of them. So now that he is gone, what are they saying now? They are saying how bad the 49ers will be because they let Terrell Owens get away.

What has changed? Nothing. TO was a brat before, he is a brat now. Kicking his ass out of San Francisco was one of the best things the Niners could have done. The 49ers also lost the other starting WR, Tai Streets. But I must ask, is that really such a bad thing?

What really gets me is how people keep insisting that the 49ers now have no one to throw the ball to. You have people who don’t even really know much about the Niners taking one look at the depth chart. They see Brandon Lloyd’s name and say "Well take a look at that, I don’t know who this person is, he must suck". Of course you don’t know who he is, he has been playing behind TERRELL OWENS. Nobody other then Niner fans know who he is. Niner fans also seem to be the only ones who know how GOOD he is. Rashaun Woods will also be important to the Niner’s passing game. Even if you are able to convince these people that some of the 49ers’ young WRs are very talented, they will brush you off by saying something like, "That may be, but I’m telling you, that means nothing. They are completely untested". Really? Wow, talk about some first class detective work! Good job Sherlock! News-flash, EVERYONE is untested during their first year in the spotlight. Since when does untested mean bad? People are using that as a reason for the Niners to bring in a vet to start right a way. The thing is, how are the young guys going to get tested IF YOU DON’T TEST THEM? The Niners have brought in Curtis Conway. I only hope that this will be for a backup roll. I just don’t see the need for a vet.

The fact is, Brandon Lloyd is not even 100 % untested. He got limited playing time last year, but when he was in the game, he played very well. In fact, it was he who picked up some of the slack when TO went down to injury near the end of last season. Take it from me, the 49ers will be in good hands with Brandon Lloyd.

People also like to bring up the loss of QB Jeff Garcia. Now, please keep in mind, I’m a Garcia supporter. I always have been. But I’m going to remind you that most critics last year were talking about the huge QB conflict of the 49ers. You remember it don’t you? The one between Jeff Garcia and Tim Rattay? Remember how most people thought it was very close? Even people who thought Garcia should remain the starter (myself included) admitted it was close. Then there were all those people who thought that Rattay should take over. What are people saying now? They are saying how bad the Niners are going to be after losing Jeff Garcia. Now, this must mean that they think that Garcia must be a real good QB for his loss to hurt so much right? So if Rattay is very close to such a great QB, doesn’t that mean that he must be pretty awesome himself? I would think so.

On the down side, Rattay does have an injury. The 49ers expect him to be back for the season opener, but he will miss a lot of camp time. However, this just means that Ken Dorsey, the untested 49er backup QB, could get tested some. With any luck though, Rattay will be back and ready for the season.

And people talking about this next loss just kills me. The 49ers let go of Hearst. OH NO! All I want to know is what took so long? Yes, he’s a great back and one tough guy, but come on, we have Kevan Barlow. He has to take over at some point. Last year, a lot of people were saying that it was Barlow time. Now they are listing Hearst as a loss. Give me a break. I see it as an upgrade. In fact, I would say that the rebuilding of the Niners is looking pretty good. Why can’t anyone say that?

But no, people would rather say stuff like this quote from ESPN’s Power Rankings.

"Ranked 31 out of 32 – 49ers could be fighting it out with the Cardinals this year in the NFC West—and that’s not for first place."

No, the 49ers are nothing like the Cards. The Cards have been awful forever. They WILL be awful forever. They are showing no signs of improving anytime soon. The 49ers on the other hand have a very talented young team. I admit, they may need some time before really being one of the best teams in the NFL. I’m not saying they will win the SB this year. But I’ll tell you one thing, in two years, I really think that this is a playoff team.

I’m going to save that ESPN Power Ranking quote for a while. When the 49ers surprise people this year I will take another look at it. I’m sure by then, people will have found the love for the Niners.

Erickson has pushed me over the edge
by Jeremy Burnham

03.31.04—I have always tried to stay consistent on one major thing in my articles. I am a Niner fan first. I really am. Now that Rattay is the QB, he has all my support. With coach Dennis Erickson, I found it a little harder to stick with my rule. Don’t get me wrong, I never rooted against him, and I never will as long as he is the 49ers’ coach. But I did write a number of articles speaking out against him. Finally though, I was able to get myself to write one urging everyone to get behind him a few months back.

With Tim Rattay, it was much easier because I have always liked him and think that he will do fine with the 49ers. With Erickson, I did not. But I remembered my rule of always supporting current 49ers so I got up and wrote an article in support of him, and have spoken much kinder of him ever since.

Now though, enough is enough. I am tired of pretending to like this joke of coach. I am still a Niner fan first and will continue to hope that Erickson wins games, but will no longer pretend to like the guy.

What happened? Why the sudden anger? Well, it was a recent quote of his that has completely pushed me over the edge. I got up one day and was reading the recent NFL News. I saw that some NFL teams want to add two teams to the NFL playoffs. Interesting, I thought. I don’t really have anything that much against it. I just think that some reasons to want it are better then others. I was very disgusted when I read Erickson’s reason for supporting it.

"I’m for anything that gives my team a better chance to make the playoffs," Erickson said.

Wow, isn’t that grand? Isn’t that just wonderful. Doesn’t that just make all of you Niner fans want to get out and dance in the streets? Our coach wants to lower the standards and get a playoff spot handed to us. Gee, this whole NFL playoff thing is just too hard darn it, let’s make it easier. Yes, going out and proving that Erickson is a halfway decent coach and EARNING a playoff spot would be cool and all, but who are we kidding? Wouldn’t it be much more fun to just lower the standards?

But seriously, is "I’m for anything that gives my team a better chance to make the playoffs," the mindset you want to hear from the head coach? Wouldn’t you rather hear him say something like "Adding a team to the playoffs could be a good idea, and I’m sure the 7th place team in each conference would love it. But the 49ers are determined to go out and make the playoffs no matter what". I know I would much prefer something like that.

Really folks, is this who you want guiding our team? Is this who you want as the head coach of the team with one of the greatest dynasties in sports history? Someone who instead of going out there trying to do whatever it takes to EARN a playoff spot, would rather just make it so that one will be handed to him. Doesn’t that show the great faith he has in the team? Pretty much, he just told the whole team and all of the fans that he does not think the 49ers are good enough. Either that, or that he does not think he is a good enough coach. If it is the latter, then he is right.

I have said quite a few times that I think any coach should get more then one year to prove himself. But Now I have changed my mind. I am ready for him to be fired right now. I only wish it wasn’t too late to get someone like Denny Green. If I was the owner I would not be writing this right now, I’d be on the phone this second. He has already turned a playoff team in to trash with all of the same players in just one year. And now he is saying the Niners need help to make the playoffs. What a great idea! What a wonderful mindset. It’s great thinking like that, that will really take us to the next level.

Time to get behind Rattay
by Jeremy Burnham

03.22.04—You know what? I’m sick of listening to Jeff Garcia fans say that we need to bring someone in to compete with Tim Rattay for the starting QB job. Am I a Garcia fan? Yes. If he was still here, would I want him to start? Yes. Now that he’s gone, am I going to hate Rattay for the rest of his life just because he’s the guy who is taking Garcia’s place? No. Unfortunately, a good number of Garcia fans WILL. Just like a huge number of Montana fans hated Young. And a huge number of Young fans hated Garcia. I loved all three of them. I loved all three of them for what they gave to the San Francisco 49ers.

Now, Garcia is gone. It doesn’t matter if you think he SHOULD be gone, he is gone. The 49ers wanted to bring him back, he refused.

"I have to look at myself and look at what is going to make me happy in my life," Garcia said. "I’ve always been one to make sure everybody else is happy before myself and it really comes down to a time in my life when I have to look out after myself, No. 1. That’s not so much being selfish, that’s being human and being tired of being run over in so many ways."

I see his point. I do not blame him for leaving at all. But all of you Garcia fans have to realize, that it is not because of the 49ers that he is no longer the starting QB here. He could have stayed, but chose not to take a huge pay cut.

So now that he is gone, we are getting a ton of of Garcia fans saying that we need to bring in a new starting QB. Some are insisting that 2nd year pro Ken Dorsey should get a shot to compete with Rattay. What this is, is Garcia fans being angry that Garcia is gone and feeling that they are doing their duty to Garcia by holding a grudge against Rattay for the rest of his life. Dorsey will have his shot, but not now. He is not next in line. Tim Rattay is next in line.

Tim Rattay has played behind Garcia for the past four years. For most of the time, Garcia played great. He did, however, go through some hard times. And almost all the time, he had a huge number of fans demanding that he be taken out in favor of Rattay. Rattay meanwhile, stay quite. How many times did you hear him get in front of cameras saying he should take over? You heard WR Terrell Owens say it all the time, but never Rattay. Rattay has been a class act backup his whole stay in San Francisco. A backup that Garcia should feel lucky to have had. Even when Garcia had a few awful games, and then went down to injury, Rattay still kept quite. All he did was wait for a chance to play, and when he got that chance, he went out and did his best. And he did very well too. In his first start, he threw for 236 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT. More importantly, he led the struggling 49er offense to 30 points and a win. The next week against the Steelers, he went 21/27 for 254 yards, 2 TDs and no INTs. Again, more important then his stats was the fact that he led the 49ers to their first and only set of back to back wins of the season. He let his play on the field do all his talking. How refreshing.

Now, you may ask, what is the harm of having someone come in to compete with him for the job? Simple. Rattay deserves better. He has earned the shot to go in to camp as the clear cut starter. He has earned the right to get ready for his first ever season as an NFL starting QB without the extra stress of having to worry about beating out some kid for the job. In fact, Dorsey will most likely get more out of playing behind someone right now. He is still young and will have lots of shots. Let’s let Rattay have the shot that he has earned first. We don’t need to bring in Marc Bulger. We don’t need Jon Kitna or Trent Dilfer to compete with Rattay. If Rattay doesn’t work out, the 49ers can always looking into other choices NEXT season. But for now, let’s let Rattay jump in there and get the chance to prove himself. Wouldn’t that be nice?

And speaking of nice, what would REALLY be nice, is if all Niner fans jumped behind Rattay and gave him our support. He is, after all, our new starting QB. It’s time for Garcia fans to either forget about Garcia, or to go join the Browns. It’s time for Niner fans to accept and welcome the new guy. It’s time to get behind Tim Rattay.