It's not uncommon to see writers make what they call "bold" predictions before a season starts in the sport they cover. I would like to make a habit out of it here for the Giants and 49ers. So here is my BOLD predictions for the 2012 Giants.
First the offense;
- 4 players will hit .300+; Pablo Sandoval, Buster Posey, Melky Cabrera, and Brandon Belt all reach the plateau.
- 5 players hit 20+ HR's. Sandoval, Posey, Cabrera, Belt, and Brett Pill are the power here. Pill is my wild card. I predict he gets more playing time than we expect because of his big bat and he mashes his way down the stretch to 20.
- 2 players hit 30+ HR's. I got Sandoval and Belt showing the big power. I know that Belt could possibly start the season in the minors, which would be a shame, but I think he gets recalled in time to show what all the hype has been about. Which leads me to...
- 3 players have 100+ RBI's. Sandoval, Posey, and Belt. Not hard here, I have them mashing all year long.
- Brandon Crawford more than holds his own hitting .270 BA, 15 HR, 65 RBI, and 15 SB.
- Aubrey Huff struggles and is a pinch-hitter most of 2012. Pilate's or not, Huff is on a decline. I know that he has had a trend his whole career of having a good year then a down year but I think now is the time that Huff stays down, and we are once again way over paying for a veteran who isn't contributing much on the field. That being said, Huff is a great personality and he is very valuable all year in the clubhouse.
- Freddy Sanchez retires. After finally making a brief comeback Sanchez gets hurt again and decides to announce his retirement do to continuing injury issues. This leads to...
- Prospect Joe Panik, who is once again tearing up the minors, is called up mid-season to take over the 2nd base role for good. He gets off to a slow start but holds his own, showing signs of line-drive gap placement and brief stints of power and speed along with solid defense.
- The Giants offense ends up in the top 3 of all major league baseball.
Obviously, I see a huge change on the offensive side of the ball, because of this the pitching is going to excel.
Now the pitching;
- With a ton of run support from the offense, finally, the pitching starts to rack up the wins. The Giants have three 20 game winners; Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner, and Matt Cain.
- The pitching continues to be dominant with four sub 3.00 ERA's; Lincecum, Bumgarner, Cain, and Ryan Vogelsong.
- 3 pitchers have 200+ strikeouts; Lincecum, Bumgarner, and Cain. Lincecum and Bumgarner are locks here but Cain has never reached the milestone in his career. However, this season Cain has been locked in during Spring Training and appears to already be prepared for a big year, add in that it's a contract season and I think he finds a little extra something here and there to finally reach the plateau. With 186 SO's being his former best he hits 203 total this year.
- The bullpen posts the lowest ERA in the majors.
- Brian Wilson is just raunchy with a big bounce back year and surpasses his former career high in saves (48) by recording 52 on the year.
The awards;
- This is a lock- Comeback Player of the Year- Buster Posey. Can Giants fans see anyone else winning this in 2012?
- Sandoval and Posey finish in the top 3 in NL MVP voting. Pablo is the big winner.
- Pablo Sandoval wins the batting title hitting .349, this is what propels him past teammate Posey for the MVP.
- Gold gloves galore for the Giants defense; Sandoval 3B, Crawford SS, Posey C, and Lincecum P all take home the honor.
- Tim Lincecum wins his 3rd Cy Young award! Madison Bumgarner finishes a close second and Matt Cain is able to finish 5th in the voting. Lincecum leads in SO's and Wins while Bum leads in ERA, which propels Lincecum. Plus, the voters lean towards the older player considering the younger will have many more opportunities.
- The Giants win 100 games. After finally establishing an offense the Giants show their true potential. They go on to take the NL West crown on their way to...
- The Giants win the 2012 World Series. The Tampa Bay Rays put up a hell of a pitching performance in 2012 themselves but are no match for the now dominant S.F. Giants. The Giants take the series 4-1 and talk starts to spread that we have a dynasty on our hands.
- Matt Cain signs a 5yr/$115million contract extension with the team.
Well that was fun! Obviously this would be a perfect season. In fact, I forgot to add that Lincecum adds his name to the "Perfect game club." I've always thought that Lincecum's ability to get a strikeout when he needs it can allow him to accomplish that. Bumgarner has that same potential. Like I said though, this is a perfect season which quite frankly doesn't happen. I do believe the offense will be much better than people think this season, but a lot of things need to go right in order for the Giants to reach the potential I think they have. The season is just around the corner, Play Ball!!!
Friday, March 30, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Buster Olney's Dodgers
The other day I had an interaction via twitter with Buster Olney. I do respect Olney as one of the few ESPN Insiders that you can trust in any of their sports departments. This was what transpired;
@Buster_ESPN I didn't get why you're so hung up on Hammels and Cain becoming Dodgers, NOW I do! #typicaldodgerfan
There are two different arguments here. To be fair to Olney I will start with his;
1. The "simple fact" that Olney is conveying is this; Cole Hammels and Matt Cain will make more money because of the deal the new Dodgers ownership (headed by Magic Johnson) just struck to buy the franchise (2.15 Billion).
-In this case Olney is right and is correct in saying this is a "simple fact" instead of just a "fact." (And, yes Buster, I caught the condescending tone). There's nothing more to say about that side of the argument, everyone from Philly to S.F. not only knows this but is writing about it 150 words per second. Case closed.
The view I was expressing and my issue with Olney is this;
2. Lately when Olney refers to the Dodgers he connects Hammels and Cain as if they've already signed a contract with them, and vise versa, when he mentions either Hammels or Cain he throws in the nugget that they'll probably end up being Dodgers next season. It also has been talked about on twitter that Olney was the BIGGEST Dodgers fan growing up in Virginia. In defense of Olney he says that's true but that in 1989 he stopped caring...
In 1989 he stopped caring. In 1989 he stopped caring. In 1989...
WAIT!
How do you stop caring?
He must have got a job and started working hard at his career... His career is in baseball!!!!!
Look, Olney is a good guy but you can't deny that there is a lingering bias. A die hard sports fan that just "stopped caring" yet continued a career in that sport, I DO NOT buy.
Bottom line is Olney is connecting Hammels and Cain with the Dodgers. He thinks that the Dodgers have the best shot at signing them next year. I have many thoughts on that, most importantly that they both probably resign with their current teams. But, why not mention the Yankees or Red Sox? They will most definitely be in the race for those guys if they even hit the market. I would guess that Olney would like to see Kershaw, Cain, and Hammels in the same rotation (as he's suggested) and as a Giants fan I take offense.
To be continued...
Interactions
Good morning, folks -- today's column is posted.http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/blog/_/name/olney_buster/id/7746195/los-angeles-dodgers-begin-new-era-next-ownership-group-coming-town-mlb Stuff about LAD new ownership; it's a good day to be Cain or Hamels.
There are two different arguments here. To be fair to Olney I will start with his;
1. The "simple fact" that Olney is conveying is this; Cole Hammels and Matt Cain will make more money because of the deal the new Dodgers ownership (headed by Magic Johnson) just struck to buy the franchise (2.15 Billion).
-In this case Olney is right and is correct in saying this is a "simple fact" instead of just a "fact." (And, yes Buster, I caught the condescending tone). There's nothing more to say about that side of the argument, everyone from Philly to S.F. not only knows this but is writing about it 150 words per second. Case closed.
The view I was expressing and my issue with Olney is this;
2. Lately when Olney refers to the Dodgers he connects Hammels and Cain as if they've already signed a contract with them, and vise versa, when he mentions either Hammels or Cain he throws in the nugget that they'll probably end up being Dodgers next season. It also has been talked about on twitter that Olney was the BIGGEST Dodgers fan growing up in Virginia. In defense of Olney he says that's true but that in 1989 he stopped caring...
In 1989 he stopped caring. In 1989 he stopped caring. In 1989...
WAIT!
How do you stop caring?
He must have got a job and started working hard at his career... His career is in baseball!!!!!
Look, Olney is a good guy but you can't deny that there is a lingering bias. A die hard sports fan that just "stopped caring" yet continued a career in that sport, I DO NOT buy.
Bottom line is Olney is connecting Hammels and Cain with the Dodgers. He thinks that the Dodgers have the best shot at signing them next year. I have many thoughts on that, most importantly that they both probably resign with their current teams. But, why not mention the Yankees or Red Sox? They will most definitely be in the race for those guys if they even hit the market. I would guess that Olney would like to see Kershaw, Cain, and Hammels in the same rotation (as he's suggested) and as a Giants fan I take offense.
To be continued...
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
What Now?: The 49ers move to the next phase with QB position
I said a few days ago that Alex Smith is a goner as a 49er. That still is in limbo, despite ridiculous reports that the 49ers are reeling and must "beg," "plea," and/or "up the dollar amount" to Alex Smith.
Personally I believe the 49ers are still in the drivers seat with Alex. It's obvious after Seattle and Miami signed QB's over the last couple days that he's out of options. Alex can do 1 of 3 things now;
-Go sign some minimal contract as a back-up.
-Sit out next year until someone gets hurt or until next season when a team comes calling for his services.
-Retire.
None of these options are good. In fact they're laughable. Niner fans please do not believe in the ESPN drama columnists who like to kick-up dust. The 49ers are in the drivers seat and the only reason why Alex Smith wouldn't come back is because of ego, end of story. The Niners have a value on Smith and as they've said time and time again, he can take it or leave it.
This doesn't mean I don't like Alex. I really like him actually, I think he's our best option next year, but NOT our ONLY option. I feel bad for Alex, this sucks. His job has been in jeopardy the past couple days and it's been national news, not an easy thing to cope with. I hope to see him back but to think Harbaugh, Baalke, and York have to go crawl on hands and knees to him is simply wrong.
I'd like to have a little fun now. We just flirted with Peyton Manning, and many of us know that that would have made us instant Super Bowl favorites. Well here is a new idea, NOT A RUMOR, just a thought;
There's a certain MVP over in New Orleans named Drew Brees who is currently pissed about being franchised. He has yet to come to terms with the Saints, but it is believed to be a foregone conclusion that the sides will work something out because he is "their guy." Sound familiar?
What if? Just, what if the 49ers went after Brees? Paid him the money and gave up the 2 first round picks to get him? Would it be worth it? I have to say, I'd rather see him than Manning. I'd also be willing to give up two first round picks in a heart beat (considering all the Giants gave up to get Eli, and the Redskins just gave up to get RGIII) if this were possible! Little candy for the sports brain.
I do believe if the Niners don't come to terms with Alex Smith then Josh Johnson is next up for them. Don't believe the hype on the Niners being interested in Tebow, period. If anything, it'll be interesting for them to give up a late-late-late draft pick for a guy like Brady Quinn or Jimmy Clausen and see if there's anything there before simply going with Kaepernick. But since I'm a Pisces I'm going to dream a little more about Brees...
Personally I believe the 49ers are still in the drivers seat with Alex. It's obvious after Seattle and Miami signed QB's over the last couple days that he's out of options. Alex can do 1 of 3 things now;
-Go sign some minimal contract as a back-up.
-Sit out next year until someone gets hurt or until next season when a team comes calling for his services.
-Retire.
None of these options are good. In fact they're laughable. Niner fans please do not believe in the ESPN drama columnists who like to kick-up dust. The 49ers are in the drivers seat and the only reason why Alex Smith wouldn't come back is because of ego, end of story. The Niners have a value on Smith and as they've said time and time again, he can take it or leave it.
This doesn't mean I don't like Alex. I really like him actually, I think he's our best option next year, but NOT our ONLY option. I feel bad for Alex, this sucks. His job has been in jeopardy the past couple days and it's been national news, not an easy thing to cope with. I hope to see him back but to think Harbaugh, Baalke, and York have to go crawl on hands and knees to him is simply wrong.
I'd like to have a little fun now. We just flirted with Peyton Manning, and many of us know that that would have made us instant Super Bowl favorites. Well here is a new idea, NOT A RUMOR, just a thought;
There's a certain MVP over in New Orleans named Drew Brees who is currently pissed about being franchised. He has yet to come to terms with the Saints, but it is believed to be a foregone conclusion that the sides will work something out because he is "their guy." Sound familiar?
What if? Just, what if the 49ers went after Brees? Paid him the money and gave up the 2 first round picks to get him? Would it be worth it? I have to say, I'd rather see him than Manning. I'd also be willing to give up two first round picks in a heart beat (considering all the Giants gave up to get Eli, and the Redskins just gave up to get RGIII) if this were possible! Little candy for the sports brain.
I do believe if the Niners don't come to terms with Alex Smith then Josh Johnson is next up for them. Don't believe the hype on the Niners being interested in Tebow, period. If anything, it'll be interesting for them to give up a late-late-late draft pick for a guy like Brady Quinn or Jimmy Clausen and see if there's anything there before simply going with Kaepernick. But since I'm a Pisces I'm going to dream a little more about Brees...
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Drama
How did it come to this? Now the World Wide Leader is reporting that Alex Smith is visiting with the Miami Dolphins today. So many implications can come from this, but there are two major assumptions I'm going to make;
First, Peyton Manning was the one who reached out to the 49ers, not the other way around. Although Harbaugh probably has the best poker face among all head coaches, I still believe that the organization was prepared to move forward with Alex as "their guy." Enter Tom Condon and Manning. Manning mentions to Condon that San Francisco would be an ideal landing spot for him to finish his career and BOOM, Condon stalls out the talks between Alex and the Niners to explore this new option.
Why would Condon do this? Manning is one of his prize clients, and lets face it, Alex is lower on the totem pole. It's this assumption that leads us to the reason why it was reported yesterday that Alex could possibly be firing Condon and switching to a new agent. Condon's only quote to that was "if a player fires his agent he must wait 5 days to hire a new one." Not the most confident rebuttal from an Agent defending a rumor that he's being fired.
Second, Alex Smith is done in San Francisco. Many Niner fans may pass this off as no big deal, or a blessing in disguise. Smith is moving on, his ego has been hurt and he believes that the Niners are getting Manning.
All these assumptions indicate strongly that the Niners are the front runners in the Peyton Manning sweepstakes, right? Wrong. Although, I do suspect I'm probably on the right track here, I still think both Denver and Tennessee still have a great shot at signing Manning. He has strong ties to both.
So, what the heck? Why would the Niners do this? Why risk losing Alex Smith after such a great year? What do they do if Alex takes off for Miami or Seattle or somewhere else and Peyton decides to go to Denver or Tennessee? Two words- Josh Johnson. Yup, Johnson played for Harabaugh at San Diego State and Harabaugh has been VERY complimentary about him in the past. I'm sure the Niners are taking a calculated gamble with Manning that is very strong, but don't forget that these guys are totally prepared, they don't just shoot from the hip. I guarantee this situation came up and Johnson was the back-up plan.
So gear up Niner fans. I'm guessing we're saying bye to Alex Smith and hello to either Peyton Manning or a QB controversy between Colin Kaepernick and Josh Johnson in training camp.
About 48hrs. and counting...
First, Peyton Manning was the one who reached out to the 49ers, not the other way around. Although Harbaugh probably has the best poker face among all head coaches, I still believe that the organization was prepared to move forward with Alex as "their guy." Enter Tom Condon and Manning. Manning mentions to Condon that San Francisco would be an ideal landing spot for him to finish his career and BOOM, Condon stalls out the talks between Alex and the Niners to explore this new option.
Why would Condon do this? Manning is one of his prize clients, and lets face it, Alex is lower on the totem pole. It's this assumption that leads us to the reason why it was reported yesterday that Alex could possibly be firing Condon and switching to a new agent. Condon's only quote to that was "if a player fires his agent he must wait 5 days to hire a new one." Not the most confident rebuttal from an Agent defending a rumor that he's being fired.
Second, Alex Smith is done in San Francisco. Many Niner fans may pass this off as no big deal, or a blessing in disguise. Smith is moving on, his ego has been hurt and he believes that the Niners are getting Manning.
All these assumptions indicate strongly that the Niners are the front runners in the Peyton Manning sweepstakes, right? Wrong. Although, I do suspect I'm probably on the right track here, I still think both Denver and Tennessee still have a great shot at signing Manning. He has strong ties to both.
So, what the heck? Why would the Niners do this? Why risk losing Alex Smith after such a great year? What do they do if Alex takes off for Miami or Seattle or somewhere else and Peyton decides to go to Denver or Tennessee? Two words- Josh Johnson. Yup, Johnson played for Harabaugh at San Diego State and Harabaugh has been VERY complimentary about him in the past. I'm sure the Niners are taking a calculated gamble with Manning that is very strong, but don't forget that these guys are totally prepared, they don't just shoot from the hip. I guarantee this situation came up and Johnson was the back-up plan.
So gear up Niner fans. I'm guessing we're saying bye to Alex Smith and hello to either Peyton Manning or a QB controversy between Colin Kaepernick and Josh Johnson in training camp.
About 48hrs. and counting...
Saturday, March 17, 2012
49ers and Free Agency in 2012 Part II
It's funny because I meant to write this blog months ago, days after I had written Part I, in which I made a bold suggestion that the Niners should pursue OLB/DE Mario Williams (who since has signed with Buffalo for the richest defense contract ever). The reason for not writing this article was that the Niners were starting a Play-off run and I didn't want to jinx the magic that we were all swept up in as fans. The problem was that I was going to make a BOLD, CRAZY, OUTLANDISH suggestion/prediction that the 49ers should pursue no other than QB Peyton Manning, if he were to be released after the season.
The plan was to point out how the 49ers had one of the top, if not the top, defense in the NFL along with many young offensive weapons. This equation was lacking only a strong variable that could pull it all together to equate the correct answer, a super bowl victory. That variable was to be Peyton Manning.
With Alex Smith we were waiting for the other shoe to drop. Come on Niner fans, admit it, you had your doubts about Alex throughout the play-offs. I'm not saying we weren't rooting for him or that we didn't believe he could win but we were skeptical whether he could LEAD us to the promised land.
We got all the way to the NFC Championship and lost. We heard time and time again, because it was "well documented," that Alex Smith was "our guy." Which brings me back to my point. I lost my mojo for writing my blog about the bold, crazy, idea I had for the Niners offense because Smith was a foregone conclusion.
Enter ESPN Breaking News yesterday, a dropped jaw, and Niner Nation turning upside down for what appears to be the next 72 hours until Manning makes his version of "the decision." Conveniently he'll be making his decision on my birthday, that'll be interesting.
Basically, Manning is a treasure, he makes the Niners an uber elite team, it actually is kind of unrealistic, yet it could be a reality. Weird right? I don't understand how this happened, there are rumors that both the Manning's contacted the Niners and that the Niners contacted the Manning's. However this came about it's pretty damn crazy, it also is the beginning of a crazy off-season for this franchise either way around. Consider the 2 ways this can go; Manning chooses the Niners and Santa Clara headquarters becomes the hot-spot of all NFL off-season news, or Manning goes elsewhere and the Niners are stuck with explaining to one Alex Smith and a crushed fan base (that was just largely re-energized) what their intentions were.
So what lesson is learned form this? When you have a hunch about a bold, crazy, outlandish idea for your team you should just blog about it anyways because it just may come true.
The plan was to point out how the 49ers had one of the top, if not the top, defense in the NFL along with many young offensive weapons. This equation was lacking only a strong variable that could pull it all together to equate the correct answer, a super bowl victory. That variable was to be Peyton Manning.
With Alex Smith we were waiting for the other shoe to drop. Come on Niner fans, admit it, you had your doubts about Alex throughout the play-offs. I'm not saying we weren't rooting for him or that we didn't believe he could win but we were skeptical whether he could LEAD us to the promised land.
We got all the way to the NFC Championship and lost. We heard time and time again, because it was "well documented," that Alex Smith was "our guy." Which brings me back to my point. I lost my mojo for writing my blog about the bold, crazy, idea I had for the Niners offense because Smith was a foregone conclusion.
Enter ESPN Breaking News yesterday, a dropped jaw, and Niner Nation turning upside down for what appears to be the next 72 hours until Manning makes his version of "the decision." Conveniently he'll be making his decision on my birthday, that'll be interesting.
Basically, Manning is a treasure, he makes the Niners an uber elite team, it actually is kind of unrealistic, yet it could be a reality. Weird right? I don't understand how this happened, there are rumors that both the Manning's contacted the Niners and that the Niners contacted the Manning's. However this came about it's pretty damn crazy, it also is the beginning of a crazy off-season for this franchise either way around. Consider the 2 ways this can go; Manning chooses the Niners and Santa Clara headquarters becomes the hot-spot of all NFL off-season news, or Manning goes elsewhere and the Niners are stuck with explaining to one Alex Smith and a crushed fan base (that was just largely re-energized) what their intentions were.
So what lesson is learned form this? When you have a hunch about a bold, crazy, outlandish idea for your team you should just blog about it anyways because it just may come true.
Friday, March 16, 2012
BREAKING NEWS; Peyton Manning!!!!
OK, so ESPN just broke the news that the 49ers are the "mystery" team that is in the running for QB Peyton Manning. Obviously Niner Nation has just erupted and people are going to be thinking and salivating about this until Manning signs with a team, thanks ESPN.
Niner fans, first keep in mind that Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter are the WORST sources for news on the 49ers. Remember that Schefter swore that Crabtree would sit out his whole rookie season and would NEVER wear a 49er uniform. Also, both suspects officially announced that Harbaugh WOULD NOT sign with the Niners a year and a half ago and that Miami simply needed to work out a contract with him. How did those situations turn out?
Lets also not forget that we could simply be talking about leverage here. Alex Smith and the 49ers are at a stand still while Smith and Manning have the same agent (Tom Condon). This could arguably be because the Niners are interested in Manning but I think the more likely scenario is that they are leveraging to drop the price on Smith.
The thing that 49er fans should be excited about is that our front office continues to show why they are now the best in the business. The fact that they are doing their due diligence on Manning is extremely smart. Manning is a future first ballot HOFer and he would immediately make the 49ers offense and team favorites to win the Super Bowl next year, yes, win the the Super Bowl. Not just make the play-offs but go all the way.
There could be blow-back from this. Alex Smith could lose his trust in the Niners confidence in him. I fully expect Harbaugh to laugh this rumor off if they don't sign Manning. He's going to say it got blown out of proportion and that Alex has always been his guy. Expect the quote "it's been well documented that Alex is our guy."
As exciting as this rumor could be, I think that it is just that; a rumor. I don't trust the ESPN insiders with news on my team and I think this will probably just turn out to reinforce my thoughts. But for now, go ahead and dream of clips of 49er HOF QB's showing Montana, Young and Manning winning Super Bowls for the 49ers, just know who to blame when you're let down...
Niner fans, first keep in mind that Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter are the WORST sources for news on the 49ers. Remember that Schefter swore that Crabtree would sit out his whole rookie season and would NEVER wear a 49er uniform. Also, both suspects officially announced that Harbaugh WOULD NOT sign with the Niners a year and a half ago and that Miami simply needed to work out a contract with him. How did those situations turn out?
Lets also not forget that we could simply be talking about leverage here. Alex Smith and the 49ers are at a stand still while Smith and Manning have the same agent (Tom Condon). This could arguably be because the Niners are interested in Manning but I think the more likely scenario is that they are leveraging to drop the price on Smith.
The thing that 49er fans should be excited about is that our front office continues to show why they are now the best in the business. The fact that they are doing their due diligence on Manning is extremely smart. Manning is a future first ballot HOFer and he would immediately make the 49ers offense and team favorites to win the Super Bowl next year, yes, win the the Super Bowl. Not just make the play-offs but go all the way.
There could be blow-back from this. Alex Smith could lose his trust in the Niners confidence in him. I fully expect Harbaugh to laugh this rumor off if they don't sign Manning. He's going to say it got blown out of proportion and that Alex has always been his guy. Expect the quote "it's been well documented that Alex is our guy."
As exciting as this rumor could be, I think that it is just that; a rumor. I don't trust the ESPN insiders with news on my team and I think this will probably just turn out to reinforce my thoughts. But for now, go ahead and dream of clips of 49er HOF QB's showing Montana, Young and Manning winning Super Bowls for the 49ers, just know who to blame when you're let down...
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Randy Moss
A few friends sent texts messages the other day to me wondering what a die hard Niner fan thought of the Randy Moss signing. There are a few reasons to view it as a negative when you consider how the Braylon Edwards experiment went last year, Moss's age and recent productivity, and the other available WR's in free agency. But over-all Baalke, Harbaugh, and Co. are taking a low-risk-high-reward option here and I like it.
Many people are going to turn to the Edwards debacle last year and claim that Moss will not fit either because he's even more of a diva and will in turn have a harder time adapting to the new 49er culture, which is team based. But keep in mind that Edwards suffered an injury early on and never quite recovered both mentally and physically, the timing never was right within the offense for him. Therefore we can quickly discard any notion that that situation should be any indicator for the one with Moss.
Another argument I've read on comments for different new sites and sports pages has been that Moss simply was not good in his last year. In 2010 Moss posted the following numbers; 28 rec., 393 yds., 14.0 ypr., and 5 td's. And he was retired all of 2011. This is grounds for spitting your tongue out to get rid of the nasty taste, but don't forget that Moss is arguably the second best WR to ever play the game and he still holds a career number line of; 73 rec., 1,142 yds., 15.5 ypr., and 12 td's per season. In fact Moss put up these numbers in 2009, just before his disastrous 2010 season and brief retirement; 83 rec., 1,264 yds., 15.2 ypr., and 13 td's. If anything the year off could have been a blessing for a guy who was on an emotional roller coaster in '10, he was dogged in New England then traded to Minnesota, hated by the coach there and cut from the team only to be picked up off waivers by a very mediocre Titans squad who was having troubles of their own. The numbers he put up that year were obviously outliers from the mean of his body of work. The bet is that the time off has allowed him to gather himself and have his mind right to give it his all again, not to mention that he now has a fire under his ass because of all the people that he could blame for his 2010 woes.
The argument has been raised that the free agent WR crop is deep this year and we just picked a guy up off the unemployment line. First of all, this isn't just some guy, it's future first ballot HOFer Randy Moss. Secondly, the free agent crop shrunk greatly before the start of free agency because of the franchise tag's being put on some of the premium talent. Thirdly Moss was cheap, some where around 2.5 million cheap. The Niners were going to have to pay too much more for another WR of the potential caliber that Moss brings.
The last issue I will comment on is the Terrell Owens comparison. I've actually heard some people say that if we were going to bring in Moss then we should have brought in Owens first. To this I suggest seeing a doctor of some kind because something just isn't right with you. Don't forget that T.O. was out of football all last year as well, he has pretty much burnt every bridge every where he's gone (including San Francisco), and he's coming off a torn knee from last year he injured while working out. T.O. is 38, Moss is 35 enough said I think...
I'm not delusional, I know Alex Smith has had his troubles getting the ball to his WR's over his career and I don't expect this to magically be fixed, but, if the Niners get 50 rec., 700 yds., 14.0 ypr., and 7 td's out of Moss then I think they can call this situation a win. Brent Jones #84 jersey hasn't been officially retired but I think Moss could take a huge first step by calling him up and asking to wear his number, it would show maturity, respect, and historical knowledge (of the game and franchise).
I'm all for this move. I think Baalke and Harbaugh deserve our trust as fans and keep in mind that they can cut this guy at any time. I will admit that my biggest concern is that no other offensive starter for the 49ers has tweeted about the signing to my knowledge, which can only mean that players may be suspect themselves as to what to expect.
To my friends who sent me those texts I answer; Would you want Randy Moss on your team?
Many people are going to turn to the Edwards debacle last year and claim that Moss will not fit either because he's even more of a diva and will in turn have a harder time adapting to the new 49er culture, which is team based. But keep in mind that Edwards suffered an injury early on and never quite recovered both mentally and physically, the timing never was right within the offense for him. Therefore we can quickly discard any notion that that situation should be any indicator for the one with Moss.
Another argument I've read on comments for different new sites and sports pages has been that Moss simply was not good in his last year. In 2010 Moss posted the following numbers; 28 rec., 393 yds., 14.0 ypr., and 5 td's. And he was retired all of 2011. This is grounds for spitting your tongue out to get rid of the nasty taste, but don't forget that Moss is arguably the second best WR to ever play the game and he still holds a career number line of; 73 rec., 1,142 yds., 15.5 ypr., and 12 td's per season. In fact Moss put up these numbers in 2009, just before his disastrous 2010 season and brief retirement; 83 rec., 1,264 yds., 15.2 ypr., and 13 td's. If anything the year off could have been a blessing for a guy who was on an emotional roller coaster in '10, he was dogged in New England then traded to Minnesota, hated by the coach there and cut from the team only to be picked up off waivers by a very mediocre Titans squad who was having troubles of their own. The numbers he put up that year were obviously outliers from the mean of his body of work. The bet is that the time off has allowed him to gather himself and have his mind right to give it his all again, not to mention that he now has a fire under his ass because of all the people that he could blame for his 2010 woes.
The argument has been raised that the free agent WR crop is deep this year and we just picked a guy up off the unemployment line. First of all, this isn't just some guy, it's future first ballot HOFer Randy Moss. Secondly, the free agent crop shrunk greatly before the start of free agency because of the franchise tag's being put on some of the premium talent. Thirdly Moss was cheap, some where around 2.5 million cheap. The Niners were going to have to pay too much more for another WR of the potential caliber that Moss brings.
The last issue I will comment on is the Terrell Owens comparison. I've actually heard some people say that if we were going to bring in Moss then we should have brought in Owens first. To this I suggest seeing a doctor of some kind because something just isn't right with you. Don't forget that T.O. was out of football all last year as well, he has pretty much burnt every bridge every where he's gone (including San Francisco), and he's coming off a torn knee from last year he injured while working out. T.O. is 38, Moss is 35 enough said I think...
I'm not delusional, I know Alex Smith has had his troubles getting the ball to his WR's over his career and I don't expect this to magically be fixed, but, if the Niners get 50 rec., 700 yds., 14.0 ypr., and 7 td's out of Moss then I think they can call this situation a win. Brent Jones #84 jersey hasn't been officially retired but I think Moss could take a huge first step by calling him up and asking to wear his number, it would show maturity, respect, and historical knowledge (of the game and franchise).
I'm all for this move. I think Baalke and Harbaugh deserve our trust as fans and keep in mind that they can cut this guy at any time. I will admit that my biggest concern is that no other offensive starter for the 49ers has tweeted about the signing to my knowledge, which can only mean that players may be suspect themselves as to what to expect.
To my friends who sent me those texts I answer; Would you want Randy Moss on your team?
49ers Special Teams Not So Special Now.
This may seem a bit extreme but the 49ers had their biggest loss of Free Agency yesterday (with respect to WR Joshua Morgan and potentially OG Adam Snyder) when Special Teamer #51 Blake Costanzo agreed to terms with the Chicago Bears on a 2 year deal.
I think I speak for many 49er fans when I say Costanzo held a special place in our hearts. He played with fire and loads of energy on the field as the captain of the Special Teams unit, a unit that finished among the top in the league. Costanzo was an all-pro alternate and the enthusiasm that he showed on the field seeped into his off the field life, where he tweeted with the same amount of vigor to fans with his calling card to just "livvvvvv" life.
The positivity that we lost, from a fans point of view, is massive. We loved watching this guy play on Sundays in red and gold, even if it was only for 10 to 15 plays a game. He had that type of impact. Surely his fellow teammates will miss his energy and commitment as well.
In defense of the organization, it sounds like the 49ers wanted to go with guys that could not only play special teams but also make bigger contributions on defense (or offense for that matter). This is not something Costanzo did, although the opportunity never really came about either.
The 49ers still have their Special Teams Coach Guru Brad Seely and I am confident they will fill the void, but none-the-less the man will have huge shoes to fill not only on the field but in the fans hearts.
From a forty Niner Faithful, good luck #51, livvvvvvvv big in the windy city!
I think I speak for many 49er fans when I say Costanzo held a special place in our hearts. He played with fire and loads of energy on the field as the captain of the Special Teams unit, a unit that finished among the top in the league. Costanzo was an all-pro alternate and the enthusiasm that he showed on the field seeped into his off the field life, where he tweeted with the same amount of vigor to fans with his calling card to just "livvvvvv" life.
The positivity that we lost, from a fans point of view, is massive. We loved watching this guy play on Sundays in red and gold, even if it was only for 10 to 15 plays a game. He had that type of impact. Surely his fellow teammates will miss his energy and commitment as well.
In defense of the organization, it sounds like the 49ers wanted to go with guys that could not only play special teams but also make bigger contributions on defense (or offense for that matter). This is not something Costanzo did, although the opportunity never really came about either.
The 49ers still have their Special Teams Coach Guru Brad Seely and I am confident they will fill the void, but none-the-less the man will have huge shoes to fill not only on the field but in the fans hearts.
From a forty Niner Faithful, good luck #51, livvvvvvvv big in the windy city!
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