Q: Is this a make-or-break season for Alex Smith? How do you see the 49ers' quarterback situation playing out?
MM: Smith reworked his contract this offseason to pay him as a backup for the next two seasons. That's why I don't believe either side should feel great urgency to rush things along. He is 25 years old. Heck, he could still have a long, long career.
I think it works to everybody's advantage for Smith to begin this season as Shaun Hill's backup.
Hill has earned the starting job based on his play when he's gotten a chance. Personally, I think the sooner they make that announcement, the better for all sides.
Smith has always been placed in a situation where he's had to rush to learn the system so he could get ready to start Week 1. He's also had the added pressure and scrutiny that comes along with being the No. 1 pick. It might be advantageous for him to have the luxury of taking a step back while Hill takes the spotlight.
We haven't seen Smith for an extended period since the end of the 2006 season. If you'd asked me then, I would've told you that I thought he was well on his way to becoming a pretty good quarterback. All he needed was more experience, make the expected improvements, gain more comfort with the offense and the NFL, and be surrounded by a better supporting cast.
My opinion should not be any different now than it was in 2006 - unless my opinion now is that his shoulder will prevent him from reaching his potential. I'm no doctor, but I don't believe his shoulder is going to hold him back. It sure does not look that way when I've watched him throw this offseason. He looks just fine.
Hill has done everything right since he's come to the organization. The man produces, and coach Mike Singletary has to respect that. After all, Hill is the player who talked his way out of a second-half benching and helped the 49ers come back to defeat the Rams late last season.
Hill has been taking snaps with the first team this offseason, and he should be the starter.
And if a change is necessitated, Smith will be in a much better position to succeed coming off the bench. Smith fully recognizes being the backup to open the season is not the worst thing that could happen. He knows if he is not the starter from Day 1, he has to continue to study and work hard and be prepared to take advantage of any opportunity he might get in the future.
Q: If a player is signed to a four-year deal (such as draft picks Scott McKillop, Curtis Taylor and Ricky Jean-Francois) are they guaranteed a roster slot? If not, then is the money that he signed for guaranteed to him even if he's not playing?
MM: Nobody is guaranteed a roster spot. That goes for Frank Gore and Patrick Willis . . . well, you know what I mean. The only money that is guaranteed for the draft picks you mentioned are their signing bonuses. For instance, last year the club released linebacker Larry Grant, a seventh-round draft pick. He received $44,250 for his signing bonus. Even though he never played a down for the club, he kept that money. It's just the way the system works. The more money a player is guaranteed, the greater chance he is going to have to make the team.
Q: What do you think of Mike Singletary gathering the team around to lay down the law on the first day of OTAs?
MM: Last year after Singletary took over, there were many days at the end of practices that he gathered the team around for long speeches. You would see some of the assistant coaches looking at their watches and getting antsy.
After about the fourth day of those, I remember thinking, "I wonder if this is too much?" But the players never showed any outward signs of thinking all this was a bit over the top. Everybody on the team I spoke with - both on and off the record - raved about Singletary. And it showed with the kind of emotion the team displayed during games.
OK, so now I'm still wondering if that level of emotion and intensity and focus can be maintained, not only through the entire grind of a long season, but through the offseason program, training camp and the season.
Singletary is a very wise man. He's much more intelligent than me - I'll admit that. I think he knows what he's doing, but that is an issue that he is going to have to give a lot of thought. Coaches generally have to pick their spots.
Q: There's a "rumor" that the 49ers have interest in Plaxico Burress. What's the latest?
MM: You know the old saying, where there's smoke, there's fire? Well, there's not even a puff on this one. (And to be fair, as far as I can tell, no individual has reported anything about the 49ers being interested.)
The 49ers aren't in the market for another receiver, and they certainly have no reason to be interested in somebody whose future is so tenuous.
Here's a statement that I'm going to stand behind: This receiving corps is the deepest in 49ers history. Never have the 49ers had this many - mostly young -- receivers of this quality on their roster at the same time with Michael Crabtree, Isaac Bruce, Josh Morgan, Arnaz Battle, Jason Hill, Brandon Jones and Dominique Zeigler.
Sure, the 49ers had Jerry Rice and John Taylor for quite a run in the '80s and '90s, but this team goes seven deep with good receivers. Do the 49ers currently have a proven quote-unquote No. 1 receiver? Perhaps not. But I think strong, consistent play from the receiver position is a more important component to win a championship than having one All-Pro standout.
By the way, it's been asked a lot when Crabtree will be ready to practice. The team has no reason to try to rush things along. That is why they are going to wait until training camp to get him going full speed on the practice field. I think even if a doctor cleared him to practice today, they would still wait until training camp.
Q: Would the 49ers have selected Everette Brown had they not traded their second-round pick to the Panthers?
MM: No. The 49ers had Brown rated as a third-round talent. The 49ers did not have any players at that spot they really loved, so that's why they made the trade with the Panthers.
Yes, there was good depth at outside linebacker in this draft, but the 49ers did not select someone at that position because: a) There was somebody available at another position they liked better; and b) They did not think whomever they chose would be an upgrade over what they already have with Manny Lawson.
* * *
Trading out of the #2 spot of the draft is still something that others me. I hope Everett Brown does not prove the 9ers wrong.
And BTW, Matt, even in these quiet times ya gotta keep some news coming. It's apparent that some of us can't seem to play well with others what with this QB controversy that seems to exist only on this blog and in the mind of just ONE NINER fan.
Or is this a study in human behavior?
Trading the 2nd round pick didnt bother me at all, they ended up with a first rounder for next year. Last time they had two first rounders they ended up with Willis and Staley. I dont think you have to worry about Brown proving the 49ers wrong
Matt - Your Hill-Smith remarks are spot on. Another point re Burress: his skills are in serious decline. Why bother? Some fans are too worried about 50 yd bombs. The Niners' annual short yardage follies are a more serious problem - and I didn't see SF do much in the offseason to improve. Moran Norris lost his job in 2007, not because of Martz.
I believe S. Hill should definitely start over Smith at QB, since Hill has proven himself and has a solid winning record as the starter. More importantly though, Hill has the intangibles that make him the clear cut leader in the huddle and a good decision maker on the fly, as well as being a vocal leader who the players respond to positively... I would compare these traits to another young QB I had the fortune of playing with by the name of Joe.
As for our recieving corps being the deepest in our team history, I would personally have to agree, given that I played along side the likes of team icons such as Clark, Solomon, and Rice to name a few from '83-'86.
I personally like what I have seen so far from Josh Morgan in the limited time he has been on the field, due to injuries and also Jason Hill. With the addition of Crabtree, we should be very strong and also have depth from Bruce, Jones, and Battle / Zeigler - depending on if we keep Battle around.
The RB's should look as follows: Gore, Coffee, Sheets, Robinson (Special Teams / Wildcat QB/RB), and Norris as FB - Clayton to PS.
Matt, awesome as usual. The only thing I was hoping you would address is when you think we might hear about Crabtree running routes and catching balls from Hill and Smith with the offense
And how does Coffee look?
Matt did address the Crabtree timing...
By the way, it's been asked a lot when Crabtree will be ready to practice. The team has no reason to try to rush things along. That is why they are going to wait until training camp to get him going full speed on the practice field. I think even if a doctor cleared him to practice today, they would still wait until training camp.
Thanks Matt --
But I'm wondering....do you think this is a make-or-break year for Alex Smith? Also, are the rookies guaranteed a roster spot? Also, what do you make of Sing huddling the players around during practice? Also on my mind, are the Niners interested in Plax and lastly, do you think the Niners would have taken Everette Brown if they kept their pick?
Any insight on these burning questions would be great.
*whistles*
Matt --
Joking aside, great work as always. Thrilled to hear how the players feel about Singletary. He just might stick after all.
All reports have been very positive.
I'm hoping he gets 8-10 carries a game.
Hey Matt,
Since Walt Harris was hurt today in practice do you think Mark Roman has a more secure spot with this team now? Are the 2 positions so different?
Matt,
Thanks for answering all the questions. You're the best!!! Keep up the amazing work!
Let the church say A-MEN! Nice S-Dot-Hill/A.Smith breakdown. *passing the collection plate for the S-Dot-Hill bandwagon's gas money*
Matt - This may not be possible until later, but somewhere along the line can you give some initial reaction on how the new offensive system looks? Considering "JayRaye's" system is supposed to be one that compliments the personnel, not a square peg/round hole type of system Martz had with the Niners. I also remember reading last year that when Martz's system was being implemented, there were some noticeable learning curve issues. Maybe attributed to comfort with the system, I'm wondering if that's different this time around.
Yes, they are too different. They would sooner bump up Spencer or T. Brown before moving Roman.
Notes from Tuesdays practice: Smith 2 Int's and Hill is working with the ones.
Practice highlights: Goldson and rookie linebacker Scott McKillop came up with interceptions in team drills, both coming off Alex Smith. Dropping into coverage, McKillop picked off a pass and returned it to the end zone. Later, Goldson jumped to steal a long pass intended for Josh Morgan.
Briefly: ... Shaun Hill took most of the snaps with the first offense while Smith worked with the twos.
Thanks. Guess I missed it.
Hey Wendell, good to see you checking in here. You were a pretty good, hard running guy. I remember the fans here were wringing their hands when you came in fearing you'd fumble every other time you touched the ball. Didn't happen. Was your rep undeserved or did you just use a little stickum?
Why haven't we heard anything about V.Davis the last two days? I thought Jimmy was the tight end guru?
Steve Young was 29 years old when he became the starter for the 49ers. His Bucs record was 3-16 and he threw only 11 TDs to 21 INTs. He's now in the Hall of Fame.
Alex Smith is 25. I'm not saying he's Steve Young, but let's not toss the dirt on his grave just yet.
I totally agree. You could say the same for S.Hill.
I don't remember me or anyone else thinking back in 2006 that Smith was going to make a good NFL QB. The common thinking was that if he was going to be so good, how come we'd seen so little evidence ? First couple games in 2007 re-enforced that view.
As for best set of WR's ever. Oh puleeze. Right this minute, I'd swap the whole raft of them for Jerry Rice at his peak.
Wow!!! Good to see ya on here.
Question for ya... you in your prime vs. P.Willy. If you had to go up against him in the Oklahoma. Who'd win 3 out of 5???
For a 22 year old with an anemic offense, 16/16 and 2800 yds leaves some room for optimism.
RAH RAH? NOPE! -- Singletary will soon wear out the rah-rah stuff. Urging excellence of adults (or, for football players, semi-adults) gets old. They'll get as disinterested as the assistant coaches. Maybe Singletary is good as a motivational speaker, but as a repeated lecturer to the dullards he will bump up against reality. Speak to adults (or semi-adults) as though they can learn some simple lesson and let it go at that. Oh, and dump the big crucifix around the nect--Christianity never won a football game.
WOW................ I am so happy I'm not as negative as you are. Thanks for helping me to apreciate my own life and attitude. All opinions are welcome but please take it easy on the blasphemy, and wait till there are some results to throw in the towel.
You are completely out of touch. Really.
You wrote: Urging excellence of adults (or, for football players, semi-adults) gets old.
Really.
That's essentially how Vince Lombardi turned the worst team in the NFL into a dynasty. By demanding their best and not settling for anything less. By 'urging excellence.'
You have heard of Vince Lombardi, haven't you.
"Speak to adults (or semi-adults) as though they can learn some simple lesson and let it go at that."
Well, Raffaele, thats why they have those assistant coaches and position coaches- so the players can learn "some simple lesson(s)." Its not just the motivation Singletary is trying to preach but its also the passion he exhibits, based heavily on his hall of fame career/experience. The "repeated lecturer" may better describe the likes of Nolan (remember him?). And please, do not call the players dullards. You are being condescending and ignorant, for you haven't the slightest idea of what goes on in a football locker. I'd like to see you present your views to Singletary- do you think he could learn anything from you?
Your post is as weak as water!Singletary is going to tell the team what he sees and how he feels, apparently you call this rah-rah stuff. The players are here to win and if they have a coach who can give them vision they are going to embrace it, adults or not pal! Rather than dumping his crucifix we should dump your post. Its also uncalled for to make that comment on his religion.
Just saw some footage from todays OTA and Gore looks great! He really has gotten leaner. Im as excited as I have been in a long time about our skill positions. Gore and Coffe are going to do some serious damage on the ground, while teams will have to worry about multiple talented receivers. Then there is the tight end position which I believe Vernon, Delanie or Pascoe one of the three will emerge.
Matt,
ESPN insider had a headline of Burress to SF.
Lombardi was working in a different environment in the 60's NFL. I'm not so sure that message can continually work today. Maybe for a season or two(see Mike Ditka, et al). I've heard it mentioned in reference to coaches in every pro sport: now days, a coach's shelf life is limited because the message, whatever it is, gets old with the modern, generally spoiled, athlete. Not to say that Singletary's message is a bad one. Hell, I'm pretty old school and agree with him 100%. Just not sure that it can be continually effective in 2009. Hopefully, he will adapt like Coughlan did with the Giants.
"Singletary will soon wear out the rah-rah stuff." ???? Do you know anything about personality and what makes a man tick? The "rah-rah" comes from deep inside MS! It is who he is, dude! The only time that "rah-rah" will end is when MS is buried in the ground! He's that kind of man! And everybody around him better realize it! QUICK!
And that begins with you!
It's still the basis of great coaching. It's why Troy Aikman hated Barry Switzer when Barry replaced Jimmy. Great players want to win. And to win, for the most part in the NFL, a team needs a drill sergeant type of HC.
Coughlin and Dick Vermeil both rode their troops to death. And then both of them (Vermeil in his third year, Coughlin in his fourth) were directed by management to 'lighten up a little.'
Both did and won a SB that very year.
According to Coughlin, he really wasn't much less demanding than he was before. He just became a little more personable and did things like set-up a leadership council whereby a few select veterans could come to him with player concerns.
It's a whole lot easier to 'lighten up a little' after you have established yourself as a strict disciplinarian.
Ditka worked for at least four years, as they won the SB in his fourth year.
"Singletary will soon wear out the rah-rah stuff." ???? Do you know anything about what personality is? Do you know anything about what makes a man what he is? Your so called "rah-rah" IS MS! Everyone around him knows it's him right NOW! The only time the "rah-rah" will be gone from him will be when he's in the casket!!! So the team and everybody better get used to it!!
And you better get used to it too!
Let's relax on the expectations until we see them execute.
I once appreciated Mike Nolan for being an organizer in what had been a lax and underwhelming organization.
Following the listless rhetoric he spewed and the Win The West mantra that faded with his enthusiasm for Alex it became very clear that the team found him to be, well, an empty suit.
Nolan was overmatched, he, like many coordinators, was in over his head and it didn't take long for the cracks to develop.
Sing has a fire and a winners' mentality.
Until that translates into winning games and being successful on Sunday's, it's a battle cry.
There's nothing wrong with it, until the troops stop believing in the message.
A good leader won't make excuses, won't throw his players under the bus, and will work harder and longer on the details to see that the weaknesses are made stronger.
Did Nolan ever reprimand VD for his antics?
Sing wasted no words and grabbed the problem by the facemask and delivered the letter of the law.
Respect is earned, whether you wear a suit or carry a big stick, it comes down to having a plan and making it work.
Give it a chance, we're just starting.
Matt,
Very good take on the whole Hill/Smith situation. I totally agree that Hill should be the starter but I just want to remind everyone that it's very difficult for a QB to go 16 games without some sort of casualty happening. This is NOT negative thinking it's just reality in the NFL so at some point we're going to need Alex wether the Nay-sayers like it or not. If Hill should be fortunate enough to go the distance than that's fine with me as well but I think fans need to be prepared for that scenario (injury) to play out. That's my 2 cents.
Matt,
could you do a comparison between Sheets and Coffee. They both came from good programs and Sheets appears to be super fast but Coffee was taken in the third while Sheets was undrafted. I would really like to know how their skill sets compare. Was Sheets just left on the clothes line because his coaches didn't like him? Was that significant enough to justify him being hung out to dry? Thanks.
revised version.
Matt,
could you do a comparison between Sheets and Coffee. They both came from good programs and Sheets appears to be super fast but Coffee was taken in the third while Sheets was undrafted. I would really like to know how their skill sets compare. Was Sheets just left on the clothes line because his coaches didn't like him? Was that significant enough to justify him being hung out to dry? Thanks.
revised version.
"ESPN insider had a headline of Burress to SF."
ESPN wants to sell you a subscription! It's all BS.
Anyway, great points Matt! I agree. And having two #1's next year will be awesome. It gives them flexibility to go after a genuine QB prospect *if* neither Alex or Shaun prove anything this year and there are no real decent QBs available on the market after the season in free agency or trade.
But I'd rather they spend those two picks on some defensive studs, maybe a CB and a DE.
Don't forget Nate Davis. In 2 years, Hill's contract will be up and Nate will have digested the playbook and be ready to step in. Alex will be still only 27. But he'll be a great backup in the Rathmam led WCO. I can see us getting a stud OL and DL/OLB
Got this feeling the WR depth may still get tested down the line.
Crabtree should be ok but -- touch wood -- he'd suffered the Yao Ming injury (i.e. can recur).
Battle has noticeably yet to recover from a sprained ankle from last Oct. That's half a year already.
Morgan also damaged his groin around the same time, yet was mentioned as still rehabbing it in late-March. Jinxed, or slow healer?
Personally, I'm also curious to see whether J-Hill can thrive in a non-Martz system; Az-Zahir Hakim, Shaun McDonald & Mike Furrey all flopped playing in other systems.
Ditto Zeigler & his willowy build, once Raye trades spread sets for pro-style alignments.
Anyway, any update on Snyder? Barrows mentioned Toledo practicing at 2nd-string LG. I figure Adam would've slid inside by now with the additions of Marvel & Boone.
I was worried about Morgan's groin too, but Matt said he looked great running around.
Snyder is a good backup OT. They tried him at OG, but he couldn't do it. We have great depth at OG with Rachel, Wragge, Baas. Heitmann can play a little. That doesn't even count on de la Puente. Snyder is the MAIN OT backup. Boone is an UDFA that isn't even at OTA's. I think they know what they have in Snyder and figure that he just needs to settle into a position.
Spot on.
I agree with everything you said Matt except that Smith was well on his way to being a pretty good QB.
I will grant the inexperience and shoulder injury woes to some extent. What I cannot agree with is the one intangible that, IMO, QB's either have, or do not -- pocket presence.
Maybe, maybe, he can learn it. But I am sorry ( no, really!) that I have not seen it yet. That is why I refuse to get excited about Davis, or any QB until I have seen them in the pocket of an NFL game, with NFL speed, making the quick reads, the slight lateral or forward steps to buy that 1 second more to make the pass.
For all Hill's detractors, at least he does have that going for him.
just another reminder on Hill's performance....
7 wins vs 6 teams that have combined winning % .380
Win 1 vs Bengals who are 6-12 since that game.
Win 2 vs Buccaneers, TB out gained the 49ers 434 to 213, held the ball for nearly 35 minutes and lost by 2 points. They were already playoff bound and pulled their starters early.
Win 3 vs Rams, they are 5-23 over two seasons!
Win 4 vs Bills, Buf out gained them 350 to 195 and couldn't even kick a few FG's from 20 yards out that day. They finished 3-9 after starting out 4-0 vs Oak, Sea, Jac, and StL all bad teams.
Win 5 vs Jets, Farve's arm was a noodle at that point, the Jets finished the season 1-4 including the loss to SF and even lost to Seattle who was crap.
Win 6 vs Rams, 5-23 I repeat 5-23 the past two seasons and they still needed to come back at the end to win this game!
Win 7 vs Redskins, another bad team that finished 1-5, 2-6 over the last 8 games of the season.
Hill's 3 losses:
Loss 1 vs Cardinals, he turned the ball over twice late in that game, got it back both times on penalties and within a couple of plays he turned it over again both times! Those turnovers gave the Cardinals the ball inside the 49ers 20 both times and gave the Cardinals 10 points. He cost the 49ers that game and NO ONE talks about that. Instead they want to blame it on Martz, if it wasn't for Hill's turnovers the end of the game would have never been an issue!
Loss 2 vs Dallas, not even a close game. The 49ers had no chance to win this game, it was 32 to 9 at the start of the 4th. They got a couple of TD's in the 4th, but that was pretty much garbage time at that point.
Loss vs Miami, they scored 9 points, Gore was out where was Hill when the team needed someone to step up? Oh yeah the TD that Roman gave up in the 1st quarter was the excuse for this one. Right!
For as much as you pee pee and moan about how inadequate S-Dot-Hill is, you have yet to identify WHO exactly would be a better, realistic replacement.
And by the way, I'm not sure if you watch much football, but it's a team game. The team that scores the most points, wins. And do you know how you stop the other team from scoring? No, it's not the QB, its your defense. The Cards were just better than the 49ers last year, and the better team did, and will always win.
QB's will have bad games, and yes that game in AZ was one of his worst. But the body of work doesn't lie. His passer rating is over 90 for his career thus far. You have to widen your lens a little bit and not be so set on trying to roast him when he's proven, more than any other Niner QB in recent history, that he can get the job done. So again, I submit to you, WHO would be better? And if you say what I think you're gonna say, I'm gonna punch my screen.
The Hill stuff is becoming like spam. Im done sith it.
I also noticed that they moved Toledo inside for at least a practice. We signed Jacob Bender off the Pats PS to our 53 man roster late last year. My guess is that Bender, Snyder, and Sims are all ahead of Toledo at backup OT. Joe may have a better chance to stick either as a G (replacing Wragge, who turns 30 soon) or swing man (replacing Snyder). He's younger than both of them. I think he also has another year of PS eligibility.
It's worse than spam. We can't block it
I don't mind Oneniner's posts. He's a die hard fan, not a hater. And it takes a little hair to avidly support Smith when it seems most people not only don't, but actively like to spit on him. Most of niner's posts about Hill have validity, as do the posts of others in favor of Hill. The common thing is we don't really know. Hill has never started a game for the Niners when the season was still on the line. It's always been mop up after the season was lost. That's a whole different kind of pressure and we don't know how he will respond to it. I don't see any way other than injury that Smith will beat him out to open the season. But we should all be rooting for both QBs with equal passion.
I think labeling Sing as a Ra Rah guy is inaccurate. He is just a man that is passionate and committed 100% to his vision and has a plan that prioritizes his values of teamwork, preparation, and effort. He wants guys that buy into that vision and value system and is going to beat that to death until he weeds out the guys that don't fit the mold. Watch On any Sunday...Pachino's locker room speech about being a game of inches and those inches are all around you and its the guys on your team that will help you fight for that inch...we live as a team or we die as individuals. Stampede you have officially beat down Oneniner, give the man credit for taking his schooling but you can't argue with facts. I wonder how many losing teams Montana beat? If you discount all the sub 500 teams he probably is a total loser. Great logic huh?
Skeebers,
Good take & that's why I said that it will be very unrealistic for Hill to go ALL 16 games. He's never done that, as matter of fact he's never come close to playing 16 games in a row. I'm just saying....
Somewhere in here someone made a comment about Hill not yet having played in a meaningful game where the season was on the line. I think he did although we may not have realized it at the time. His first full game was against the Cards--this being the game that was lost at the very end, where Martz sent in Robinson instead of Gore. I have always blamed Martz for this loss, no one will convince me otherwise. The second was that miserable game in Miami, from what I remember it was a game that neither team seemed to want; one we could have, should have won. Had the outcome of these two games changed we would have won the NFC West; a really scary thought as I do believe we easily could have been embarressed with a first round loss--there was no way we deserved to be in the play-offs last year.
Chalk these up to experience for Hill. Maybe I make excuses, but again, I don't blame him for the losses, it is a team sport and he will never be the guy that can shoulder the burden of this entire organization.
I know, I know, shoulda, coulda, woulda.
"Hill has never started a game for the Niners when the season was still on the line"
Huh?? WTF do you think he was doing when he replaced JTO last season??
Mopping up in a blow out loss that put our record at 2-6. Mathematically alive? Sure. Realistically alive? Fuggedaboudit.
"But the body of work doesn't lie. His passer rating is over 90 for his career thus far."...
.....Eleven quarterbacks had higher passer ratings than Hill last season. Donovan McNabb, Eli Manning, Jay Cutler, Jake Delhomme, David Garrard, Brett Favre, Joe Flacco, Kerry Collins and Ben Roethlisberger were not among them....
....Yea the body of work does not lie...:)
All very good QB's. S-Dot-Hill's in the top 15 in the league.Your point?
A wise man once said, "a smart man shouldn't argue with fools, becuause from a distance you can't tell who's who."
I gotta stop endulging you in these debates.
there's also one about engaging in a battle of wits with an unarmed man.
Indeed. I tell ya Rick, kids these days.
I completely disagree with everything about this post ... except the cross comment. I don't think Coach Singletary should "lose it," but I personally would prefer it if he wore it under his shirt on Game Day.
I just don't like mixing religion and football.
Religion, to me -- be it Christian, Jew, Muslim or Buddhist -- is an incredibly personal thing, whereas football is a team/fan passion.
I love that Mike Singletary is our head coach and I'm excited for the upcoming season -- but I'd rather not be bombarded with church Sunday when I'm enjoying Football Sunday.
I know it is well past the time that I should reply, but I just have to--so you are in favor of banning the circle of prayer that takes place after many games and frequently when someone is seriously injured? It's part of the man, nothing in the rule book, if it were, it may have affected his decision to join as coach. It's not government.
No, I'm not in favor of banning the circle of prayer after games. I'm not even in favor of banning Singletary's cross. I just don't feel like it needs to be forced on us fans. I know Coach Singletary will keep the cross this season -- it's a very important part of his life and I respect that -- and seeing the cross every Sunday won't keep from watching Niner games as I have for three decades. I just don't see what the big deal would be about keeping it under his shirt.
Again, this is just a personal thing, but I like to think of the coach as a COACH, not a preacher. It's up to him and the league and I'll always support Singletary, cross or not. But no other coaches do it, and there are lots of other Christian coaches in the league. I just find it to be in poor taste a little -- not all Niner players and fans are Christian.
Matt,
I know this is off topic, but what happen to Mike Martz? I can’t find any news about his current employment, if any.
Matt,
I know this is off topic, but what happened to Mike Martz? I can’t find any news about his current status.