Who's to Blame for QB Controversy?

Jim Harbaugh came to the podium after the Niners handed the Saints a 31-21 loss and wanted all the attention to be on the physical football contest that the players won, not the quarterback controversy. There was agitation behind his voice when asked about Smith and Kaepernick. He repeated that the media should keep there attention on what was important; the game, the win. When he left the podium most Niner fans were to believe, according to Harbaugh, that the media was to blame for making a circus out of the QB situation. The question is; is that true? Is the media to blame for the controversy?

When Harbaugh insinuated that the media was concentrating on the wrong aspects of what is happening with the Niners he indirectly was also blaming the fans for doing the same thing. If you were to look at social media websites after the game all the fan's talk was on Kaepernick vs. Smith, peppered in with some talk about the win. The fact of the matter is that this is what everyone is talking about and thinking about, and it's not the media's fault; it's Jim Harbaughs fault.

Had Harbaugh not wanted this circus he could've had it. Had he not wanted the attention, it could've been avoided. Simply, had he not wanted the QB controversy, there wouldn't have been one. All Harbaugh had to do was tell the media Kaepernick was starting because Smith was still showing concussion symptoms, then he could have followed up with; as soon as Smith is healthy he'll be back starting. Harbaugh didn't say this because he was apparently looking for a "1% advantage" against his opponent, not knowing who would start. How valuable was that 1%? Let me ask this; How big of a percentage of distraction to the Niners is the QB controversy? 20%? 30%? More? It definitely has been a distraction for the players, because they keep commenting on it. Now this mess has to get cleaned up and ONLY Harbaugh has the broom.

Jim Harbaugh has no else to turn to or 

blame when it comes to the 49ers controversy.

Harbaugh has also created an uncomfortable situation for his QB's no matter who he declares the starter this week. Here's why;

If Alex Smith is the starter
This means Colin Kaepernick would be benched after playing really well (a common theme here). He goes back to the bench and has to wait to become the next Niners QB. Some players who have sided with Kaep and like his approach will be more critical of Smith. The media and fans will be more critical of Smith. The pressure mounts and becomes very strenuous for Smith. Once the season is over Smith now has to decide if he should walk or not, by asking for his release. Obviously the long term plan is to have Kaepernick so Smith is stuck between a rock and a hard place. And if the Niners win the super bowl then you may have the first team, since the Ravens with Trent Dilfer, to get rid of their super bowl winning QB the next season.

If Colin Kaepernick is the starter
This means Alex Smith would be benched after playing really well. Harbaugh's word on players becomes completely unreliable. Harbaugh has championed for Alex for the past 2 years, only to bench him when he's playing his best football. How does that work? Alex loses complete respect for Harbaugh and subconsiously tunes out (he's been a professional but something like this has to take a toll on a guy eventually). If Kaep goes down with an injury and Smith comes back in; how motivated will he be? What if he leads them to a super bowl (after a Kaep injury)?

Not great scenario's either way.

I do believe the 49ers will be really good with either QB at the helm, and that a super bowl is within reach with either guy. I don't even mind having Kaep start over Smith (even though I've been vocal about being on "team Smith" since this controversy started). My big problem is with how this situation has been handled. Harbaugh likes to be coy with the media, even to a fault (remember his unprovoked rant to the media about how they "never pursued Peyton Manning"), but this situation was blown out of proportion. Jim Harbaugh can't blame the media, he can't blame the fans, the only person he can turn to is the man in the mirror if he wants to figure out why there is such a big distraction on the team. If you think there isn't any distraction then you've never been in a locker room, this is a distraction. The bigger question is how will it effect the teams goal's? Can the Niners overcome this and still make the run we all know they're capable of?