This is an interesting fight. I can't pick a winner because I don't know Kessler but I know about him. And he should be Ward's toughest opponent. I can't cover the fight because I will be at Big Game. This is one time I wish I could be in two places at once.

I have one gripe about the weigh-in being today and the Cotto-Pacquiao weigh-in being a day before their fight and most weigh-ins taking place the day before the fight.

It used to be the weigh-in was on the morning of the fight. If a guy didn't make weight he had to sweat off pounds and that affected his performance that evening. There was a penalty for not making weight and that seemed proper.

Not now. A guy doesn't make weight. He sweats off the pounds and then get re-hydrated often from an IV the day before. No big deal.

Also bigger guys can make weight and then regain 10 to 15 pounds by fight night. This doesn't seem fair. They should have to make weight on fight morning.

Some readers say I'm a hack or untalented or stupid or unprofessional or I don't provide news. I'm prepared for all that and more. No problem.

Lately readers who don't like me and/or Ira Miller say we are old and should hang it up -- Ira is already retired.

Is being old a sin or a deficiency?

If I can't think logically or can't write a clear sentence, please tell me and I'll go away. But why is old or older or older than you a problem? Please inform me.

Both Red Smith and Jim Murray wrote until advanced ages -- and, no, I'm not comparing myself to them. Some cultures revere older people because through age you gain experience and sometimes wisdom. You have something to offer.

If you have criticized Ira or me for being older than you, understand that some day you will be old if you are lucky. Will you hate yourself then?

So sure criticize me all you want. But lay off the old stuff, if you don't want to come off silly. Being older than you is not a fault. It may even be a point of honor.

Everyone complied and no one asked about marijuana and Tim. The call was about to end and he didn't say anything about his legal problem. A Giants PR person jumped in and said Lincecum had a statement to read. Tim read it. He apoloized. He learned from his deed, the usual.

In the old days, no one would have respected boundaries in a Barry Bonds' call. They would have asked about BALCO and you name it. So why were they kinder to Lincecum?

1. People like Lincecum and they don't like Bonds.

2. Smoking marijuana is not perceived as nearly as heinous as taking whatever Bonds is alleged to have taken.

Do you agree?

That would make it two years in a row for him, not bad. The Giants will have a press conference at 2:00 if he wins.

If he does, he is the lone superb performer in the Bay Area. He is a gem in a fairly mediocre landscape. He is beginning to enter Sandy Koufax territory. If anyone currently performing in any sport in the Bay Area measures up to Lincecum, please tell me.

But I keep fixing on a minor point. After games he never says he did anything wrong. I stand there and listen to him in amazement. Last week when he stunk and Tom Cable yanked him he said he was surprised. He thought he played OK. Oh, there were a few bad passes. But he always had an excuse. On one he got his elbow tipped. Nothing is ever his fault. He lives in a world of denial.

This is bad for a quarterback who is supposed to be the leader, who is supposed to tell the truth. Joe Montana would admit when he had a bad game. That showed he could stand up to the truth and could get better. Russell doesn't seem able to stand up to anything. Now he can sit.

If there is any hope for him he will take this as a slap in the face and a wakeup call and devote himself to being a real QB. He is not that at the moment.

Big mistake. Ira does research and he's a football encyclopedia. Plus you don't want Ira angry at you.

Our first two years working together we couldn't stand each other, argued all the time. Some big rants, one in particular in the Candlestick Press Box at a 49er/Dallas game. Legendary fight.

Then we realized we like each other. I admire Ira's knowledge, judgment, feel for football. And I must tell you he is the most loyal friend in a profession where some people give you big smile to your face and stick the knife in your back.

Cohn: Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers play against each other Sunday. Did the 49ers make a mistake drafting Smith instead of Rodgers?

Miller: Yeah, but they would have made a mistake no matter who they drafted because they couldn't develop him. The big mistake wasn't which quarterback. It was not having a plan to get him developed. I thought at the time Rodgers was a much better choice for a number of reasons. He played in a pro-style offense so there was less to teach him and that was significant because he was coming to a crap team. His arrogance would have served him well because he would be better able handle the situation; he's tougher and thicker skinned than Smith. He's the fourth-ranked passer in league now but I'm not sure he could have survived the way Smith was handled. Obviously, the 49ers would have ruined whoever they had.

Cohn: Which is the better quarterback right now?

Miller: That's a silly question. Aaron Rodgers is a fine young quarterback and he really has only one major issue. He tends to hold the ball too long. He takes way too many sacks, not all the fault of his offensive line. He has a really good arm and a good head on his shoulders from playing the game.

Cohn: Compare him to Smith.

Miller: Rodgers has a better arm, better instincts. The issue with Smith remains - I know he's a bright guy; we heard all those stories when he came out of college how he graduated in 3 weeks. But he doesn't seem to have football instincts. He doesn't anticipate things as well as Rodgers. One excuse is that he hasn't been the No. 1 quarterback that long. I don't know. I just know he doesn't throw the ball soon enough. A receiver doesn't stay open in the NFL for long. You've got to trust he'll be open and where he'll be. If you wait to see him get open, by the time the ball gets there chances are he won't be open anymore. Windows open and close quickly. In fairness to Smith, he was handled all wrong. We know the issues with Nolan when he got hurt. The worst thing the 49ers did for him was he seemed to make progress his 2^nd season. Then Norv Turner leaves and instead of getting the very best coordinator for their $24 million investment, they went out on the street corner and said, "Who's the next guy?" It's like they went out and got someone looking for a bus. The biggest thing was not getting a decent replacement for Norv. It's like you buy a Renoir and put it in the driveway and it rains and the paint runs. Jim Hostler, was that his name?

Cohn: Who will win the game?

Miller: The Packers will win. They're the better team and they have the better quarterback.

Cohn: Will it be close?

Miller: It shouldn't be but the 49ers have played close games against better teams. It shouldn't be close.

Cohn: Are the Packers an elite team?

Miller: No. They're upper middle of the pack. They improved their defense tremendously with Dom Capers this year. They can't protect the passer. They're the worst in the league at giving up sacks. I think Rodgers is a little gun shy playing behind that line. I don't like how long he holds onto the ball sometimes. He's been sacked 41 times in 9 games. That's way a lot. The average is 21 sacks per team and he's been sacked 41 times himself. But he's accurate and he gets the ball downfield and he doesn't throw a lot of interceptions. I think holding the ball too long is something Mike McCarthy can coach out of him.

Cohn: Is there anything else to say about the game?

Miller: There's still the overall issue of the 49ers not being very good. Singletary made it clear he wants to be a running team. You take out those couple of 60-yard touchdown runs by Frank Gore and they haven't run very well. Their passing game is basically Vernon Davis. Their wide receivers have 3 TD catches among them. Their offensive line is not very good.

Cohn: I want to look back at last week. You said the Bears would beat the 49ers because Jay Cutler is better than Alex Smith.

Miller: I don't know if anyone is better, but Cutler certainly was worse, just awful. He never was that bad when he played for Shanahan. You've got to look at the coaching.

Cohn: Let's talk about the Raiders.

Miller: Lets' not. There's really nothing to talk about. It's the same story week after week, year after year. They will win the occasional game. It's like me. I broke 80 last week for the 5^th time in my life. That doesn't make me Tiger Woods. The Raiders will win the occasional game but that doesn't make them the 1984 49ers. There's no direction no plan no hope.

It is being written that Ellis' agent is coming to Oakland on Thursday to discuss Ellis' concerns with the crummy franchise and maybe to talk about an exit strategy -- as in a trade, as in getting the hell out.

It is possible GM Larry Riley already has talked to other teams about Ellis.

This whole situation is really sick.

Veterans on the team -- Stephen Jackson, Ellis -- were apparently upset when the W's kept Stephen Curry after drafting him. They wanted the W's to trade the 7th pick for a veteran to make the W's better immediately. When the team got and kept Curry it seemed clear the W's were rebuilding yet again.

Something sure flipped Jackson out -- and keeping Curry was probably part of it. He was clear in his comments until his trade that the team was not getting better and had regressed and he wanted out. It is likely Ellis feels the same way now.

Don Nelson never has known what to do with Ellis. Nelson does not believe he is a point guard but thinks he's too small to play 2 guard. There is something to this point of view. But Ellis is the W's best player and an explosive scorer. Why drive him out or make him feel sour on the organization?

It's also possible Ellis never got over the aftermath of his moped accident and the $3 million the W's took from him -- Chris Mullin opposed that hefty amount and you see where that got Mullin.

As I wrote earlier, Nelson seems detached and it's possible he wants his 21 victories so he can become the all time winningest coach and that's all he wants. Great. But he'll win his games at quite a cost to the team, especially the young players who he doesn't seem interested in developing.

In his wake the team will have lost Jackson and maybe Ellis. And that won't be the end. Wait until Anthony Randolph begins bellyaching too. Nelson needs to go. But no good coach would come to this team as long as Chris Cohan owns it.

It is being written that Ellis' agent is coming to Oakland on Thursday to discuss Ellis' concerns with the crummy franchise and maybe to talk about an exit strategy -- as in a trade, as in getting the hell out.

It is possible GM Larry Riley already has talked to other teams about Ellis.

This whole situation is really sick.

Veterans on the team -- Stephen Jackson, Ellis -- were apparently upset when the W's kept Stephen Curry after drafting him. They wanted the W's to trade the 7th pick for a veteran to make the W's better immediately. When the team got and kept Curry it seemed clear the W's were rebuilding yet again.

Something sure flipped Jackson out -- and keeping Curry was probably part of it. He was clear in his comments until his trade that the team was not getting better and had regressed and he wanted out. It is likely Ellis feels the same way now.

Don Nelson never has known what to do with Ellis. Nelson does not believe he is a point guard but thinks he's too small to play 2 guard. There is something to this point of view. But Ellis is the W's best player and an explosive scorer. Why drive him out or make him feel sour on the organization?

It's also possible Ellis never got over the aftermath of his moped accident and the $3 million the W's took from him -- Chris Mullin opposed that hefty amount and you see where that got Mullin.

As I wrote earlier, Nelson seems detached and it's possible he wants his 21 victories so he can become the all time winningest coach and that's all he wants. Great. But he'll win his games at quite a cost to the team, especially the young players who he doesn't seem interested in developing.

In his wake the team will have lost Jackson and maybe Ellis. And that won't be the end. Wait until Anthony Randolph begins bellyaching too. Nelson needs to go. But no good coach would come to this team as long as Chris Cohan owns it.

But let's play a game; let's pretend the Warriors can buy him out or just send him away. Would that be a good thing? Would the Warriors be a better team without Nelson?

I think they would. He seems tired, bored, detached. He doesn't coach the defense. He antagonizes old players and young players alike. He seems like someone merely hanging on for the money. I honestly can't think of any area in which he helps this team.

I believe an eager young coach with a new staff could do better and would want to do better. This club needs new blood in its head coach. It also needs new ownership but that's another issue.

Please share your thoughts on Nelson with Zohn readers.

At the beginning of the season Cal was a national player and Stanford was an afterthought. Now it's all reversed.

Stanford just whacked USC -- and yes it was cool that Jim Harbaugh went for that two-point conversion against the Trojans. Let Pete Carroll know what it feels like to get beaten really bad.

Anyway, at today's luncheon re: Big Game Harbaugh answered questions first from media. Everyone asked about his team.

Then Jeff Tedford went. Many minutes passed while reporters asked him about Stanford. So there were two coaches talking about how good the Cardinal is until someone finally asked Tedford about the Bears.

I expect Stanford to beat Cal handily. Most everyone does.

"There is no chance Jahvid will play," Tedford said.

For which we applaud him and the Cal doctors, even though the Bears need Best.

Best recently suffered two concussions -- the first may not have been a concussion but it was a serious knock to the head. This kid seems to be a lovely person with a great life ahead of him. That life may or may not include football. There is no way anyone should put him in harm's way of permanent brain damage.

Football concussions are serious. Regular hits that don't result in concussions also are serious. Good for Cal.