Matt, you haven't read your predecessor's article on this issue:

"He came off the field acting like nothing had happened, and Singletary began to deliver a stern lecture.

“You don’t need to be sayin’ nothin’ to me right now,” Davis barked at the coach, according to witnesses. Singletary ordered Davis to take a seat on the bench, and shortly thereafter the coach approached and stressed the importance of avoiding stupid penalties.

“I said I don’t need to hear it,” Davis snapped, cutting him off.

Singletary told Davis to go take a shower..."

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Ais5yklCj6H7RI5vSJwyelBDubYF?slug=ms-morningrush102708&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

I had some similar thoughts in my mind after reading about the game last night and watching ESPN (I missed the actual game). But after I read that Yahoo piece this morning, I'm totally with Singletary.

Also, from reading that it sounds like Nolan was no longer laying down the law, and so I think was important for Singletary to do so right from the start.

Here is the Mike Silver article on Yahoo.com:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AvaRIQfx6rI6f1DkvdiyAW45nYcB?slug=ms-morningrush102708&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

--Matt M.

Silver's article on Yahoo is very interesting not just on the VD issue but on Nolan's rep in the locker room.

I think Singletary had to do this to get the team's attention. It's not something a coach can do all the time or even frequently, just in the right spots. He has to set the tone or the team has no chance. Now maybe they have a chance at some respectability.

Matt, I agree with much of what you said. But, I'm going to guess that Singletary knew exactly what he was doing in that press conference and I am guessing that he didn't say anything to reporters that he didn't say to Vernon and the rest of the team. He needed to make that example to show that locker room he will control the team, not the players. This move was no different then what the Browns did with Winslow or what the Giants have done several times with Burress. I, as a fan, am glad he did it. VD has showed too much TO for my taste.

One of the local radio hosts did bring up a good point this morning though. He is not sure that Singeltary and his 1985 attitude will translate with 2008 players. I remember a couple seasons ago when TO was here being TO and KNBR asked Ronnie Lott how the 80's Niners would have handled it. Ronnie said plain and simple, it never would have gotten that far. The players would have corrected the problem before it got to that point. The current Niners don't really have anyone (besides Frank Gore), who I could see doing that, so Mike did it, maybe he shouldn't have done it on the sidelines in the middle of the game, but it needed to be done because this team have too many players that are just what Mike described, in it for themselves, and not the team.

Kudos to Mike for being a leader, making decisions and sticking with them. It is something your predecessor often failed to do.

I'm really with Matt here. After I saw the call last night on NFL Network, I couldn't believe the ref made such a weak call. Sounds like Davis was just really frustrated about the whole thing and didn't need his coach laying into him right then. That said... let's face it. COaches and players get into heated arguments on the sidelines ALL THE TIME. I'm really hoping, as I said yesterday, that this gets worked out when they see the game film. An even worse decision for VD to have made would be to have gotten in the ref's face about that nonsense and cost his team ANOTHER 15 yards. Laying down the law is good and all, but really didn't seem warranted in this case, IMO.

Questioning VD's desire to win is just foolish. I'm hoping that was just singletary being emotional and frustrated, because a guy who doesn't want to win doesn't run down Wilson after the interception. Battle gave up on that around the 40yd line. A guy who doesn't want to win isn't such a willing and capable blocker. A guy who doesn't want to win doesn't keep his QB late after practice to work on routes and timing.

Matt- Of course Singletary can't do this every week, but he's bringing the old school style of coaching back. Where if you make a dumb mistake, we're not going to dance around the issue, you're going to be humiliated so you never forget it. For instance, Josh Morgan dropped a pass early, and was subsequently benched for a period of the game. This style of coaching was par for the course 25 years ago. And since the 49ers have such a problem with dumb mistakes in key situations, like turnovers and penalties, it would seem that someone needs to start calling the players out and humiliating them if it needs to be done.

Some would question whether the team could benefit from the coach allowing this type of attitude to go on going forward. I think the quote you posted regarding Davis shows that he respects Singletary, and although he didn't admit he did anything wrong, he is definitely listening to his coach.

On another note, in the 2nd or 3rd quarter, the Seahawks KR caught a kick or a pnut (I forget which), at about the 1 and ran backward into the endzone. It was called a touchback. But if you watch the play, he batted the ball at the 2, and didn't gain control until he was at about the goalline. Since he touched the ball without gaining control at the 2, shouldn't that have been ruled a safety?

The problem with Davis is he loves me some me. Singletary's outburst is much needed after the emotionless crap Nolan put out every Sunday. Look at the emotion Gruden and Bill Cowher pour on the field. Players love that and respond. Matt, VD in the last 3 games has cost us more than 50 yards in penalties and that is probably on the low side. Do you have an exact figure on all the penalties it sure seems like it is the same players over and over.

NinerKings - that is EXACTLY why I believe Singletary is perfect for the job. The team is really devoid of veteran leaders who will keep the young guys in check. I could see J smith eventually filling that role, but the other leaders on this team are just as young as VD.

Matty,
I agree with you wholeheartedly. I don't blame Singletary for coming down on Davis. You can't take action like that, at that point in the game, with out reprocussions. However, that was pretty lame for an unnessesary roughness call.

Matt, I've no idea whether Singletary will work out or not, but I think his diatribe and the calling out of Davis was 100% necessary. This loss was actually WORSE than any of Nolan's this season and came at a time when the team should have been rallying around the new coach, and while Nolan dictated to people he did not selected, he had always coddled "his" players. If this team has the talent to compete at all, it has to start with scaring them. Making them believe you can win isn't working, so its time to make them accountable for mistakes and let the results rebuild their confidence.

The calling out of VD isn't about one little play. Its about a pattern of behaviour he skated by with, and Singletary needed to set the tone right away. The only question is, can he get enough out of these losers this year to have a chance at long term impact?

Matt --

Love your stuff but I gotta disagree a bit on taking yesterday's post game conf. and trying to project what it means for Singletary's long term future as a coach.

I think Mike was steamed about the way we played, I think he was steamed about the attitude he got from Vernon, I think he was steamed about our turnovers (yet again).

If there's one thing we can count on from Mike, it's that he is going to speak his mind freely and not pull punches. Let's pretend for a minute that he was subdued his comments about VD's situation -- the media is going to blow it up anyway. As far as I'm concerned, Singletary was just confirming the obvious (that Vernon's attitude was not where it should be.)

Also, I don't think Singletary was really trying to isolate VD as not being a "winner" or a "team player". I think he was just using him as an example of the things that go against that philosophy.

Given Vernon's mature response to what happened, my guess is that he and Mike will have good talk this week and be on the same page come their return in Week 10.

The call should have been taunting. But VD earned what he got from Singletary, and I, for one, am sick and tired of watching prima donna players on all teams who think because they make a good play they should be able to showboat around the field. People, this may be what everybody is doing, but it is bullshit and it is high time they took a lesson from someone who knows it. Can you imagine Montana or Rice dancing around
like neanderthals at a mating ritual every time they connected? Excitement is one thing; "In your face, Look at me! Look at me! Look at me!" is what first graders do. Three cheers for Singletary.

Matt,

No offense, but the local Bay Area media is way, way too liberal and politically correct. What Coach Sing did yesterday was everything our team needs right now. But what gets me, is you guys. The day he was hired so many of you criticized him for not being any "different", "Just exactly how are you going to change things around here?", his answer, "you watch and tell me".

Now that he has finally stood up for the "honor" of our 49ers, heck the honor of football, you sit there an openly question him? You wrote: "Today, I'm wondering if a coach can have any longevity with the approach he showed on Sunday" you have got to be kidding me. I can only hope as a 49ers die hard, that Coach Sing's actions are dictated by his heart and desire, not based around his desire to be a head coach for a long time!!

First you let Nolan feed you bull__t for 3 years, never forcing him to man up and give you real answers. Now you have a real man in front of you giving you more answers and truthfullness than you guys know what to do with. Let me help you out here Matt, because I realize as you say "you are not a fan"....that is EXACTLY what the 49ers need from there head coach, exactly!

Matt - you often posted that Nolan's big achievement is that he never lost the locker room. Silver writes the opposite - that Nolan did lose the locker room. Which is it?

Matt,
For the first time I find myself disagreeing with you. While I don't think it was wise to berate Davis inpublic after the game, he needed it. He has a superstar attitude and a journeyman's stats.
All in all, this team needs this. Everything was sugar coated over the past few years and made to look like nothing was really wrong. Well, it is. This team is in shambles, and the only person who can help is someone with accountability, passion and fearlessness. Someone has to tell it like it is and deliver the team from the pit of despair. Sing might not be the man to do it, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I'm cheering for him and hoping we keep him next year.

Man, Matt, you and Sando really seem down on Singletary's actions. What next, campaign for politics and vote no on X prop or elect X PResident? Come on, Matt, Singletary is a man that wants results. It's part of hello, a job! You don't get results, you get FIRED. See, Matt, no results, no job. In a game such as this, you don't want to do your job, take the bench. JT was throwing our game away as usual and Singletary benched him. Maybe this could help JT get better, maybe not, but I still want JT gone by 09 regardless. Any chance we may trade V Davis is he turns into TO?

I agree with everything the Mike Singletary did during the game and after the game. Does he need to publicly call out players after a bad game? Probably not.

But in this case, he needed to do it with VD. VD has all the physical attributes to make a great player. No one doudbt thats. The mental attribute isn't there though. And he needed a wide wake up call if VD wants to be a good player. He's never been around a winning team, so he doesn't know how to act like a winner.

Singletary did exactly what needed to be done. It is time for change. it is time to win. he's not interviewing for long term job security, he's doing what he has to do, with the fire that burns into him and every niner fan out there.

If a QB can't protect the ball after 8 games, then change the QB. If a PRO NFL player acts like a pee-wee player, then treat him like one publicly. Heck, VD made a complete fool out of Singletary with his bone headed penalty, lack of skills to catch balls, except in commercials.

There are many things wrong with this team. Overpaid secondaries that allow 30+ points a game, 1st round o-line draft pick (STaley) who lets anyone fly by to the QB, D-line that can't apply pressure without the help of DBs.

Anyway... i'm excited for the season now!

Matt, I agree with Singletary. I like VD, don't question his work ethic or desire to win, he never gives up on plays, he is a remarkable athlete. I think that its important to let a player know that as his coach, respect is neccessary. I hope that Vernon responds accordingly. Deion Sanders on NFL Network said that Singletary, as a hall of famer, has high expectations. With the talent on this team there is no reason the Niners can't win a lot of games. I'm just a fan, but to me it looks like we are a good Q.B. away from a great product on the field. Shaun Hill hasn't showed me that he does not deserve to start, and the way plays were called when he entered the game looked good to me. Low risk, but enough reward. Kind of reminds me of some really good coach/Q.B. combos i've seen before. It seems as though he had complete control of the game, and sustained really long drives. If it were close, or if they had started out that way they might have won. Does anybody agree?

If ever a player and a team needed to be called out it is this one. It doesn’t matter that the call was ticky-tacky, your getting you’re but kicked at home by a team you already beat and who has been since decimated with injuries and you pull something that dumb. Davis isn’t a rookie or even a second year player, it’s either grow-up or make room for somebody who is.

Singletary's wearing a t-shirt at his press conference. I love it.

We are not a charity. We do not give the game away. That should be a new coaches' rant SERIOUSLY! I liked how SIngletary said it. Be funny if he then says 'if you want to Crown Arizona the champions, then crown 'em!'

"I didn’t see it the end of it. I think I got turned around, so I’m not sure if it was behind him, I didn’t see a replay," said O'Sullivan. "I need to see it before I can tell you exactly what happened."

Are you serious JTO?? What happened was, you threw it right to the other team, again, the pass was waaaay tooo late. I thought the reason Smith didn't get the job was because he wasn't anticipating the routes?! lol and Smith is laughing too

Nolan was fired for not winning games. Yesterday Singletary oversaw the worst performance by the Niners all year and the worst loss. His grandstanding to the press is fun for us and fun for him but getting us a winning program? I doubt it. To me right now, he comes over as a guy way too fond of the sound of his own voice. And he'd better start putting in the hours his position coaches are working or he'll loose them completely.

Matt I think that was just the frosting on the cake. Davis pulled this stuff since He joind the team. Nolan just let Him march to His own tune. I know he wants to do good, but don't show off. Do we know what Davis said to Russell?

RealFan49

Was Singletary supposed to win his first game after taking over in the middle of the week and the season?

Michael Silver has been close to TBC from his days of playing at Cal. It doesn't take a genius to know that TBC didn't like Nolan one bit and made some pretty disparaging remarks late last season about Nolan needing to be fired. While his comments need to be taken with a grain of salt, there was a lot of revealing stuff in that article.

On another note – I like what Singletary did – but we will not know the extent of the impact it will have until a few weeks from now.

Matt, many of us predicted that the dirt on the locker room dysfunction would come out once Nolan got fired. Do you have any more info on the locker room dynamics? How does a national writer scoop you like this, our local hero? We may have to go all Singletary on you.

Mike Singletary "grandstanding"?? And "Too fond of his own voice"?? You don't have to like his approach, but perhaps you could at least get real.

Some players are quick to get attention for themselves when they make a first down or a tackle after the guy they tried to tackle got a first down. Well, guess what? now with singletary you are going to get called out when you don't do the right things. For singletary wanting winners or champions is not wrong. Is that not what we think of montana, young, rice, lott and walsh to be? Davis has done a lot of things that has hurt this team and in reality i don't think he's even the best TE in this team.I was ready to see singletary pull a Ditka and grab Davis by the jersey and yell at him.

Matt, I don't presume to know whether or not VD deserved it or what exactly went down. What I do feel is that for the first time in years it seems like the coach really cares whether we win or lose. I never really got that from Nolan (or Erickson, for that matter) and that, I hope at least, is something people will respond to and will be something positive for the rest of the season

Singletary did what he needed to do and I had no problem with it. It's hard to go wrong when you're taking over a 2-5 team, with no leadership... We'll see if his message got across when we face the Cards.

VD has been a near total disaster -- he IS a good blocker, but his miss allowed his man to cause JTO's first fumble yesterday -- from the get-go: bad patterns, bad hands, no ability to break a tackle, and -- worst of all -- a stupid tendency to lose control or show off after an unspectacular play. He see's no weakness in himself -- doesn't get what he did wrong yesterday -- and has shown no improvement in three years here. He still jumps offsides (did it again yesterday), he rarely creates space (even with his speed), and he's really a mediocre receiver -- yet it's always about HIM. Singletary properly took him down a big notch; now it's time for him to focus -- because he's fast becoming a laughingstock in this league. Let's see if he grows up now, and starts learning his craft.

Matt, you may be right in that Singletary's actions are not the best for the long-range plan. But I agree with what's done. This is his shot, whether he stays with the 9ers or not only time will tell. I think Sanders hit the nail on the head last nite on the nfl channel when he said that this reaction wasn't just for today that Singletary has been "watching this mess" for too long. The reaction 'not on my watch' is appropriate. Work ethic or not, VD's not as great as he makes himself out to be, at least T.O. when he was blowing up the team had demonstrated he was a capable player (Jeez, did I just say something nice about TO?...shudder). Anyway, I'm looking forward to what takes place.

jsl, nice thoughts. Unfortunately, as Gary Plummer said, "stupid is as stupid does." I'm not sure what that really means, but somehow it seems appropriate. Bottom line: VD has been put on notice. He can either respond or he will be gone next year. Like Alex Smith, his development has been hampered by a horrible team, mediocre to worse QBs, and bad coaching. Eventually the word "potential" does not apply and you are what you are. How many times have we seen someone make a huge attitude adjustment and become a great player? Not very often.

Good leaders do not need to be loved, they need to be respected. Singletary is obviously well aware of this fact, and by calling V. Davis out in public, he set the tone that he wanted to be set. The Niners needed this badly (as does the rest of our country). When Singletary was selected as the interim coach I had mixed feelings. His actions however, have made me respect him more and more as a hopeful long term coach!! The players need to play with some fire in their hearts, and a desire to win. If they can not take the pressure, then play for the Rams.

I read this article again, and I'm disappointed in you Matt. You guys gave Nolan an easy pass on everything and didn't ask him any hard questions, with the exception of Kawakami. Now, someone is finally telling the world the sad state the team is in and you call it grandstanding. I can't agree with that this time. A lot of the media in the area has been too soft on this team. No one has been accountable. Well, now the coach is going to hold the team accountable. That's a novel idea and I like it.

Matt, I usually agree with you but not this time. VD had this coming for a long time. I'm glad that someone put him in his place. This was necessary.

Questions: How does Silver know so much about the locker room talk when our Matt and Matt didn't. Or, did you guys know but didn't want to say anything?

Matt - It's easy to support Singletary because Vernon's subpar production hasn't lived up to his antics. Fighting with teammates, dancing after each catch, trying to jaw with opponents. T.O. usually produced. Yet Coach seemed to be talking about MANY players, not just Vernon. He referred to "cancers" - plural.

An implication from Singletary's remarks and Mike Silver's Yahoo column is that Nolan didn't have the unified locker room which the front office and the media often cited to justify his return.

Matt-I couldn't agree with you more. There is a very delicate balance between going Rambo to going Bill Walsh. Mike S went Rambo which I will give him the pass on. We all have emotions....maybe next time he just tells the player...take a seat you're done for the day. But it did happen so now we wait. VD can play..he plays hard. But immaturity is his middle name. In the future discussions about his immaturity are best left in the coach's office behind close doors. I work on a sales team of 18 guys/gals. We are not perfect so when 'things' go wrong The Boss does his talking behind close doors. The boss never raises his voice but you know exactly what is expected. Mike S. should have said...you sit you are hurting the team and we are losing.....enough of this chest pounding when we are losing. Look at the scoreboard VD. As for yanking JTO...it's about time. Imagine Walsh watching JTO. Mike S also will stand up to Martz. All he needs to say to Mike Mad Scientist Martz....I am the coach...period.

Matt-I couldn't agree with you more. There is a very delicate balance between going Rambo to going Bill Walsh. Mike S went Rambo which I will give him the pass on. We all have emotions....maybe next time he just tells the player...take a seat you're done for the day. But it did happen so now we wait. VD can play..he plays hard. But immaturity is his middle name. In the future discussions about his immaturity are best left in the coach's office behind close doors. I work on a sales team of 18 guys/gals. We are not perfect so when 'things' go wrong The Boss does his talking behind close doors. The boss never raises his voice but you know exactly what is expected. Mike S. should have said...you sit you are hurting the team and we are losing.....enough of this chest pounding when we are losing. Look at the scoreboard VD. As for yanking JTO...it's about time. Imagine Walsh watching JTO. Mike S also will stand up to Martz. All he needs to say to Mike Mad Scientist Martz....I am the coach...period.

Echoing what some other people have said, if it was just because he drew a personal foul call, yeah, it would have been too much. But if what Silver said is true, if Davis cut off his head coach, Singletary made the only right move.

You say you can't imagine the longevity of a head coach who would say that about a player, I contest that Nolan demonstrated the longevity of a player who puts up with being disrespected on the sideline by a player.

Matt, only time will tell.

Singletary's reaction to Davis yesterday was not an over reaction for yesterday's penalty. It was for three years of primadonna attitude by Davis. Nolan should have done this much earlier. All that being said, this means very little. The 49ers' problem begin and end with OWNERSHIP! Until the fans boycott this team, and STOP renewing thier season tickets, the dark cloud that is the Yorks, will continue hover over the 49ers. Twenty-seven year old Jed is the face of ownership, give us a break. The BEST thing that could happen is the Yorks moving the team to L.A.. Then, just like happened in Cleveland, the city of San Francisco will sue to keep the name, and our 49ers will be reborn under new OWNERSHIP! Stay away from the stadium! DO NOT renew season tickets! A curse on the house of York!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the kind blog I was waiting for today.
HEY MATT, YOUR A SCRIBE! That's it! Who cares what you think. You are part of the media who twist stuff around any way you want. Rich Eisen said it best last night "you know how the media is".
When did you start calling plays? Go see your shrink maybe he can help ya out. An advocate of the inmates for running the asylum.

Hey John from HB-- this is a blog. For entertainment. Now go away.

Matt:
If half of what is written re: VD's comments
to his Coach following his latest faux-pas
is true, then he should have been sent to the
showers.

Just prior to Seattle going up to 33 points, we
needed a stop and - wouldn't you know it, we
played our same old Nolan-type defense of just rushing
the down linemen to no avail and giving the opponent
the yardage they needed to kick our butt. Please ask
Matt, if we have the personnel to play better, why
don't they? Maybe us fans are looking for a pass
rush from folks who are incapable. The one really key
question I would really like answered is this: with
JTO at QB, and especially our defensive schemes,Why do we keep doing the same things over and over and
expecting a different outcome. I think that's called
insanity? I could be wrong.

Matt I have followed your work for a long time and I usually agree with you but I am very surpised by this article. I am really surpised you out of all people would have to question Mikes move on davis . This guy has done nothing but draw attention to himself From today to the fight in practice where he walked away from nolan . Every time this guy catches the ball he acts like he is the first man to catch a football. I never thought in a million years that after a loss i could be happy but after the post game I was. This man finally said what needed to be said . And after everbody in the media agrees this is what this team needs. But still I love ya matt lol but I am just very surpised you wonder if it was the right move ? Keep up the good work

learn to use the internet, ya inbred, heard of free speech?

Matt, I'm going to have to disagree with you on this point. Obviously Singletary was upset about the penalty and the selfish manner of which Davis was presenting. However, Sing has been the Assistant HC for the past few years so he knows Davis and what he represents, and quite simply Sing has seen enough. Those comments stem from three years of bonehead moves made by Davis, not the call that occured on the field yesterday.

Matt, I agree with the benching of JTO, but I disagree with the timing. By putting Hill in the game with seconds left in the half, he gave Seattle a chance to game plan a little during half time. I think he should have waited and started Hill in the second half. I'll let it slide this time and count it as a rookie mistake.

hmm... for real?

matt? i've read your articles for years but this post is "off." i'm not sure when you wrote this article but singletary qualified his remarks very carefully today with regards to davis. he disarms many of the points in your article.

michael silver's article today on the niners is more in line with what i believe; vernon needs to be held accountable for his actions. michael cited many unnamed team members that were tired of davis' immature actions.

i don't know if singletary is the long term answer. i do know that this team needed someone to take charge of an embarrassing situation. he's done that.

one more point, you and many of the local media members indicated that nolan never lost the locker room. a fact that i found incredibly hard to believe. michael silver's article today got to the truth. nolan had lost the locker room and he hasn't had it for a quite some time. that is completely plausible to me.

no offense matt but nolan danced with you and many of the local media members for quite some time and most of you never held him accountable. i can think of one reporter that has been saying it right for quite some time now; ann killion and other reporters at the mercury.

singletary is different, give him a chance. he might be what this team needs.

one more point, you and many of the local media members indicated that nolan never lost the locker room. a fact that i found incredibly hard to believe. michael silver's article today got to the truth. nolan had lost the locker room and he hasn't had it for a quite some time. that is completely plausible to me.

no offense matt but nolan danced with you and many of the local media members for quite some time and most of you never held him accountable. i can think of one reporter that has been saying it right for quite some time now; ann killion and other reporters at the mercury.

singletary is different, give him a chance. he might be what this team needs.

Honestly, respect is earned not given. VD clearly disrespected Singletary and he disciplined him for it. He not only nailed VD's feet to the ground, but also set an example (a very clear one in fact) for the rest of the team. Singletary knows he has to earn the full time job, and by keeping the same course set by Nolan he's not going to get it. The way I see it, all he said about Nolan was purely diplomatic. You can print Hill's name as a starter for the next game, as well as some changes in the Defesive philosophy. I don't know if this will get us to the playoffs this year or the next, but something is clear... SINGLETARY IS NOW IN CHARGE.

Matt, we know you liked Nolan, which must mean that you liked his style. Nolan was the most boring interview in the history of football. As someone who doesn't speak in cliches, it's hard to understand why you yourself are a fan of a coach who said nothing but cliches. It was great to see a real, live, fire-breathing man up there. Nolan was passionless, and the team played without passion. The leader of a team really can instill emotion into their play, and Singletary's smash-mouth approach is what a team absolutely has to have in order to get the most out of their players. I think you're seriously underestimating the power of passion for a team. It's much more important than the X's and O's.

Matt I have to disagree with you here. It's obvious we've adapted a culture of losing for the past 6 years and in order to change that, a different TONE and Expectation must be set with the players and coaches. They must be held accountable for their actions. This is not the first offence for Vernon....he either gets with the program or he can get gone. He has under perforrmed (not all his fault)sense being drafted the 6th overall pick.

Bottom line is I'm sick of losing and I believe we can use a kick in the arse from someone who's been there.

All that needs to be said is, Singletary is already backing off his comments less than 24 hours after making them. Ra-ra speeches are great; he's still going to be a laughing-stock if he can't put up 4 wins or more by the time the season ends. Call me silly, but that speech did not change my impression that this team is hanging by the thinnest of threads. I think Nolan gave them the best chance of winning, honestly, and that was a long-shot, too. I like Singletary, but he's in a no-win situation. This season is over except for a couple more fiery speeches, ninerfans. Get set for some more ugly football.

Matt, what I don't like about the Davis exit is that it focuses all the attention on him and not the lousy performance of the team. Since Singletary was assistant headcoach and he and Nolan such good friends, where was this passion before and why wasn't he ripping certain people new ones after other poor performances???

Actually what Singletary has done is focus all the attention on himself to the point most folks seem to ignore the fact that the team on Sunday performed worse under him than they have in any game this year for Nolan. I hope he turns it around but right now I am not in the least impressed. If a new boss started at my company and someone screwed up in a relatively minor fashion and the new boss reacting by humiliating that person in front of his team, in front of thousand of spectators and on live TV with an audience of millions, I would regard that boss as a total jerk. Yeah it sends a message. It says Singletary is far too much in love with himself and his legend.
By the way he also took the time to publicly humiliate Martz by making sure the whole world knows it was head coach decree that changed QBs. In other words,Martz was screwing up and needed to be told what to do. I wouldn't like that treatment and I'm betting most of you wouldn't either.
I know a bunch, if not all, of you will be fine with Singletary treating everyone to public humiliation because "they earned it". You might think its great man and team management. It's not.
Bottom line, Siletary is 0-1 as hc.

Actually what Singletary has done is focus all the attention on himself to the point most folks seem to ignore the fact that the team on Sunday performed worse under him than they have in any game this year for Nolan. I hope he turns it around but right now I am not in the least impressed. If a new boss started at my company and someone screwed up in a relatively minor fashion and the new boss reacting by humiliating that person in front of his team, in front of thousand of spectators and on live TV with an audience of millions, I would regard that boss as a total jerk. Yeah it sends a message. It says Singletary is far too much in love with himself and his legend.
I might forgive him if he won the game. He didn't.
By the way he also took the time to publicly humiliate Martz by making sure the whole world knows it was head coach decree that changed QBs. In other words,Martz was screwing up and needed to be told what to do. I wouldn't like that treatment and I'm betting most of you wouldn't either.
I know a bunch, if not all, of you will be fine with Singletary treating everyone to public humiliation because "they earned it". You might think its great man and team management. It's not.
Bottom line, Singletary is 0-1 as HC. That's not what he was hired to do.

Not sure why they came out twice. Sorry about that.

Mike Silver is a blow hard. That guy has been wrong about the niners going back to Eddie D being indicted.
Just stiring the pot with his so called "inside sources".
You don't get that kind of high school journalism when you read Matt's articles...not that I am blowing sunshine up Matt's backside. Just a huge difference in maturity in the way he writes compared to Silver.
We are very lucky to have Matt as the niner beat writer....even when we rip him. Silver's columns permeate his ego.

I read the silver article and found nothing in there that I felt truly resembled anything with substance. I have to say that I don't trust any reporter who only has information from anonymous sources. If you can't repeat the names of your sources in an entire article how can you be taken seriously. I mean come up with one name instea 49ers defender. Why not give one name. I heard Matt say many times it didn't look like Nolan lost the team, and the way they played under Nolan I have to agree with Matt. I don't think Nolan lost the team I think they just made critical errors that cost them the game. Yesterday they just played pathetically.

On coaching over the long haul, and coaching young players: "Red Sox manager Terry Francona had very interesting comments on coaches yelling at players. Francona said you might be able to do that in the NFL, like Mike Singletary did on Sunday, but it's much harder in baseball. You play every day and that style wouldn't work over the long haul. Francona said if he had tried to publicly to go after Manny Ramirez it would be a disaster. Francona said that teams try to switch managerial styles from laid-back to intense all the time. Look at the Phillies. They went from Francona to the fiery Larry Bowa to Charlie Manuel, a players coach. Francona admitted he made some mistakes with the Phillies. He said that he wasn't sure how to balance working with young players and winning immediately."

That was from a rundown of a Dan Patrick radio show, on ESPN. It's disappointing to me that Matt Maiocco is the only sane journalist in the entire region. It's disappointing to me that anybody would take Mike Silver's words, which are based on whispers from anonymous sources and Silver's own speculation (nothing else), would be mistaken for solid reporting over the long haul. It's also disappointing that it has not occurred to anybody that Singletary was punishing Davis for years of minor insubordination at just the wrong time, and for all the wrong reasons (suddenly, it's Singletary's butt on the line). Let's just be clear--Singletary is a phenomenal human being, and he's learning on-the-job to be a head coach. I'm hopeful, but doubt he'll succeed this year; I'm certain he'll be successful long-term. This fan-base that loves him right now will turn on him like a pack of wolves in just 3 weeks' time. Calling it right now.

Matt, you're wrong-over the top would be a
single incident out of character for that
individual. VD has been doing this kind of
thing ever since he arrived and Mike Singletary
has been observing it and tolerating it behind
Nolan. Not anymore!! Just think if Singletary
were the head coach when T.O. was here. I
mean this is the kind of no nonsense approach
we have needed for years and I for one am
thankful we have a guy who is a hall of famer
that commands respect and demands players
who will either do it the right way or pack
their bags.