Saturday, 29 December 2012
Friday, 28 December 2012
The 49ers are injury-ridden and in desperate need of healthy bodies on the field if they want to continue with their Super Bowl aspirations.
In the past four weeks, Kyle Williams, Kendall Hunter, Mario Manningham and Justin Smith have all had their seasons end due to injury. The 49ers have gone 2-2 in that span of games, and now must win the final game of the season to secure the NFC West title. They must also get some help from the Vikings, who need to beat the Packers in order for the 49ers to have a shot at the No. 2 seed in the NFC, as well as the coveted first round bye.
Davis' news is good, as the concussion's impact does not appear too serious, but Smith's injury (partially torn triceps tendon) may be far worse than many first imagined. It would appear to be up in the air as to if he will be able to play at all in the playoffs.
Here is the situation the 49ers have found themselves in with Smith's injury, per CSN Bay Area's Matt Maiocco.
Defensive tackle Justin Smith remains out -- officially listed as "doubtful" -- with a partially torn triceps tendon in his left arm. Smith runs the risk of causing more damage to his arm if he tries to return for the playoffs, Harbaugh confirmed.
"Yes, I think there's a higher risk," Harbaugh said. "It's something he'll have to have repaired, surgically repaired, at the end of the season either way."
With Smith out for Sunday's game and defensive tackle Will Tukuafu questionable with a neck injury, the 49ers expect immediate contributions from defensive lineman Tony Jerod-Eddie, who was promoted from the practice squad on Friday.
The addition to Warriors games was announced Friday, with Tolbert doing the color commentary alongside Roye for 10 home games this season. He is set to make his debut January 2, 2013 when the Warriors take on the Los Angeles Clippers in what will be a "white out" game at Oracle Arena.
Tolbert played seven seasons in the NBA, and three of them with the Warriors.
He has been the afternoon host of the "Mr. T Show" (formerly the "Razor and Mr. T Show" from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on KNBR 680 for the last 16 years.
Sunday, 23 December 2012
ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting that Smith will be out the rest of the regular season and hopes to be ready for the 49ers' first playoff game.
With a win, the 49ers can clinch the NFC West, as well as provide a huge boost towards their chances of landing the No. 2 seed in the NFC and a first round bye in the playoffs.
SF DE Justin Smith will not play tonight vs. Seattle due to elbow injury, 49ers hoping he will be recovered enough to return for postseason.Back-up DT Ricky Jean Francois, who had added a sack last week in Smith's absence, will be called upon to fill the hole left by Smith this week against the upstart Seahawks.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 23, 2012
With a win, the 49ers can clinch the NFC West, as well as provide a huge boost towards their chances of landing the No. 2 seed in the NFC and a first round bye in the playoffs.
Wednesday, 19 December 2012
You can't blame Lincecum for changing up some parts of his baseball repertoire during the offseason -- his wind-up, his mindset on the mound, HIS HAIR?!?!?!
Check it out.......
Bigfoot pic was clearer. MT @felixisbacki'm surprised there hasn't been a story on this, lol. R.I.P. Lincecum Hair. twitter.com/felixisback/st…
— Andrew Baggarly (@CSNBaggs) December 19, 2012
Harbaugh on Tuesday:
"Everybody affectionately refers to Justin Smith around here as 'The Cowboy,' " Harbaugh said. "I expect we'll see The Cowboy. Knowing what I know of Justin Smith and the situation, I think The Cowboy will be around, saddled up ... roping and riding. If it's humanly possible, The Cowboy will be out there, roping and riding."Harbaugh on Wednesday:
“We’ll see,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll see how he feels today and tomorrow.”There's a difference, folks.......
Smith has a consecutive games played streak of 185 games, and that could be in jeopardy this week.
That is except for the fact that JUSTIN SMITH DOESN'T MISS GAMES............
He'll be out there Sunday. Harbaugh knows it, Smith knows it and Pete Carroll knows it.
Tuesday, 18 December 2012
Davis has flip-flopped in his stance over who he feels deserves to be the 49ers' quarterback -- Smith or Kaepernick -- but now with Kaepernick as the regular at the helm for San Francisco, Davis now must adjust to the new man throwing him the ball.
He said as much Tuesday, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
"The 11-85 connection was established several years ago as a tried and trusted coordidor. The 7-85 connection? It's still under construction, said tight end Vernon Davis, who said he's having to start from scratch as far as building chemistry with a new quarterback.
"'That's something me and Kap don't have right now,' said Davis, who was held to one catch Sunday in New England. 'We don't have it. You have to expect (that because) he just stepped in. Me and Alex - we've been there. It takes time. It took time for me and Alex to get like that.'
"'In the beginning, he'd underthrow me, he'd overthrow me because we had to build that chemistry that I would be in that spot right when I need to be,' Davis said of Smith. 'And that's something that me and Kap don't have right now. But we're working on it. We started working on it the moment he walked in.'"
After years of having to climb out of the proverbial ditch his career was in, he finally found the top in the 2012 NFC Championship.
His career might have jumped right back in that ditch now that he is the back-up to Colin Kaepernick. However, Smith showed no signs of that in Harbaugh's postgame speech after the 49ers defeated the Patriots on Sunday night.
All class, Alex Smith .......
WATCH HERE
Monday, 17 December 2012
The San Francisco 49ers drafted Smith with the No. 1 overall pick in 2005 instead of taking Rodgers out of UC-Berkeley. The Packers went on to select Rodgers with the 24th overall pick. Smith was widely considered the safer pick, but fast forward seven years and Rodgers has a Super Bowl ring and is a bonafide elite quarterback in the NFL.
Smith, however, has had his ups-and-downs in his career. The most recent debacle -- and there are many -- was suffering a concussion in Week 8 against the Rams. It enabled back-up Colin Kaepernick to fill-in and eventually take the starting job from Smith. The decision to start Kaepernick over Smith was justified even further after the 49ers knocked off the New England Patriots on the road in sloppy conditions, while Kaepernick threw for four touchdowns.
The quarterback controversy that was in San Francisco, and now is no more, seemed to take a toll on Rodgers, who has his Packers team vying for the No. 2 seed in the NFC against the now Kaepernick-led 49ers.
Rodgers went on NFL Total Access and seemed to vent his frustrations with the entire way Smith's injury was handled by Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers.
"Alex and I are buddies, we both got drafted in 2005 NFL Draft, and he's been through a lot," Rodgers said in the 'NFL Total Access' interview. "I can't imagine to have to go through that many offensive coordinators and the turnover in coaches has been tough for him.
"He comes in, he's 70 percent completion, he's 100-plus quarterback rating last year, he's like barely over one percent interception percentage," Rodgers went on. "He's a great quarterback, he just needs to go somewhere he gets appreciated for the skills he has and hopefully he gets a chance next year."Credit Smith, who has handled his benching due to injury with absolute class since the news spread throughout the sports world. Smith has all the right to be frustrated, but has barely spoken a word about it.
However, it is pretty clear that Kaepernick is the present and future of the 49ers under center. Smith no longer has a place in San Francisco, and the only option would be for him and the 49ers to part ways after the season.
Smith and the 49ers agreed to a three-year deal worth roughly $8 million per year shortly after the Denver Broncos landed Peyton Manning. Smith likely wants to play for a team that will give him a chance to start, and the 49ers do not have an opening for a starting quarterback any longer.
That leaves the 49ers with two options, where they can either trade or release him. Either way, it is likely Smith will not be in a 49ers uniform next season.
Smith still has a lot to offer. His last full game as a 49er came in a 24-3 beat-down of the Arizona Cardinals, where Smith was 18-of-19 for 232 yards and three touchdowns.
Smith will surely be coveted by NFL teams once the new league year begins on March 12, 2013, and the 49ers will be listening to any and all inquiries.
Smith hurt his elbow during the game and did not return. Luckily, the 49ers were able to stave off a 28-point comeback by the Patriots that tied the game at 31-31 at one point.
Smith was scheduled to have an MRI on Monday, and while Jim Harbaugh offered no word on Smith's status, the Sacramento Bee's Matt Barrows is reporting that the injury does not appear long-term.
"49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said today the status of defensive tackle Justin Smith likely won't be known until later in the week, but he doesn't think Smith's is a long-term injury. Smith, the anchor of the 49ers' defensive line, injured his elbow in the third quarter of the 49ers' 41-34 win over the Patriots on Sunday night and did not return.
"Harbaugh said Smith underwent an MRI on Monday and that the injury does not appear similar to that of linebacker Parys Haralson, who was placed on season-ending injured reserve after surgery to repair a torn left triceps suffered Aug. 26."
"'But it's really going to be how he is today, tomorrow, Wednesday, before we know anything' about how long Smith might be out, Harbaugh said."
The 49ers worked out free agent kickers Nate Kaeding and Billy Cundiff last month after Akers went through yet another rough patch in his up-and-down season. Harbaugh said the team was just preparing for the worst after Akers' injury that week.
Harbaugh kept it brief on the topic of Akers on Monday.
“The specialists, sometimes they only get four or five opportunities a game. You’ve got to make the play,” Harbaugh said. “We’ve got to see him do it. We’ve got to see him make those plays."
Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Colin Kaepernick's arm can dislocate fingers -- true story.
In November 19th's game against the Chicago Bears, Kaepernick threw a dart to Randy Moss so hard it dislocated Moss's finger, according to the future Hall of Famer, himself.
Moss went to the sideline and the 49ers' staff popped it back into place, but Moss took it more as an impressive feat than anything else.
Moss and Kaepernick have gotten along really well since the second-year quarterback took over for Alex Smith, with Moss having nothing but praise for the young flamethrower in recent weeks.
Read Matt Maiocco's full story at CSNBayArea.com.
"Man, he dislocated my finger," Moss said Wednesday after the 49ers' first practice of the week to prepare for the New England Patriots on Sunday night in Foxboro, Mass.
...
"Really, the play was designed for the ball to be thrown in the first hole," Moss said of the pass that he could only deflect in the 49ers' game Nov. 19 against the Chicago Bears.
"And I think I got to the second hole -- or we call them windows as a wide receiver -- and when he found me in the second hole it was kind of too late to throw it, but he threw it anyway. So he had to put one them Randy Johnson fastballs on me. When it hit my finger, I felt my finger pop -- dislocated it. So I had to come back to the sideline and the doctor had to pop it back in."
...
"I try to take pride in taking care of my body and finessing the balls as they come to me," Moss said. "But Kap throws hard. He's very strong and he works out every day. And I didn't really say anything to him other than, 'Keep doing what he's doing.' My finger will heal up.
"It hurt. It hurt. It really did. I tried not to show any tears. I don't know if they caught me crying or not. But it did hurt, but like I said, it's not the time of the year to be crying because it's late in the season. Everybody's hurting. Everybody's ailing. Everybody's feeling a little bit of pain. Some go home and some keep moving. And we want to be the team that keeps moving."
The San Francisco 49ers are not messing around when it comes to their new stadium, the franchise's first brand new venue in its existence.
The team has announced that Sony will be the official electronics partner of the stadium that 49ers CEO Jed York said will be "software-driven."
The stadium in Santa Clara is expected to be ready for the 2014 NFL season, and is a candidate for upcoming Super Bowls.
Here is an excerpt from CBS San Francisco's story:
The team has announced Sony will be its official electronics partner. So instead of installing video monitors at every seat, the stadium will be software driven.
...
“You look at some stadiums that build a $50 million scoreboard that’s going to be obsolete in five years,” he said. “Our fans are going to be spending a thousand dollars every 12-18 months on their personal electronic gear.”
As part of the multi-year agreement, Sony also becomes the presenting partner of the 49ers Hall of Fame, which will be an integral part of the fan experience at the new stadium.
The 20,000 square-foot educational and innovative Hall of Fame will consist of multiple galleries and exhibits and include cutting-edge technologies, which will be used in many of the interactive exhibits.
Tuesday, 11 December 2012
Jacobs was suspended for the final three games of the regular season, after posting messages detrimental to the team via social media on Saturday. The players did not mind, though. In fact, the reaction in the locker room seems to be in favor of penalizing a player for not being on-
board with the team mindset.
CSN Bay Area's Kevin Kurz is reporting that Ray McDonald was one of those players.
“From the coaching standpoint, they don't want any distractions on the team. He was being a distraction, they felt he was being a distraction, so they felt they needed to do something about it,” McDonald said.
“I guess, if he’s not about the team. And the coaches feel that he’s not trying to help the team. They made the right decision.”
According to the Huffington Post, Giants president Larry Baer and the team's organization are concerned over the traffic that will increase substantially with the addition of another high-profile venue within blocks of
each other.
Here is an excerpt from the article:
"It was inevitable that the Golden State Warriors' plan to construct an arena along the San Francisco waterfront would draw complaints from neighbors worried about bread-and-butter issues like traffic congestion.
Less expected are complaints increasingly coming from the management of the San Francisco Giants, whose home at AT&T Parks sits only a few blocks away from the Pier 30-32 site targeted by the Warriors.
In recent weeks, the Giants have increasingly raised concerns about the gridlock caused by the influx of traffic brought in by the over 200 events likely to be held at the arena each year. These transit issues could become particularly thorny when said events overlap with Giants games, bringing up to 60,000 visitors into the area at any given time.
'You need for traffic to work for 41,000 people at our games,' Giants President Larry Baer said in an interview with KCBS radio. 'You have to make sure traffic works, the parking works, you have to have the transit supply work,' Baer said. 'So you can't overtax Muni, you can't overtax Caltrain, you can't overtax BART. You have to be able to move people around in the right way or you're going to have gridlock.'
Instead of the Piers 30-32 site along The Embarcadero, the Giants have been pushing for an arena at Pier 50, south of Mission Bay, on the other side of AT&T Park."
Monday, 10 December 2012
Harbaugh did his best impression of a guilty man taking the stand in court at the presser.
Q -- Is Brandon Jacobs a problem? He’s made some comments on social media that he hates it here, that he’s rotting. What’s your feeling about that? Is he a part of this team?
Harbaugh: I really don’t have a comment on that for you. No comment.
Q -- Have you spoken to him about his comments?
Harbaugh: No comment.
Q -- Is he still part of the team?
Harbaugh: I’ll go with the fifth amendment. I have no comment about that.
Q -- He had some of these same issues in New York. When you acquired him, did you know this was a part of who he is?
Harbaugh: Yeah, just at this time, at this hour I choose to have no comment on that.
The 49ers did play the Jacobs situation as knowledgable and thought out as ever, though, as per usual of a Harbaugh-coached team.
San Francisco could have easily released Jacobs, which would be the most hurtful punishment a player can receive as a professional. Instead, San Francisco suspended him, so as to not allow a team -- say, the New York Giants -- scoop in, pick him up and use him for a playoff run.
Jacobs was not going to be used anyways, so really no harm, no foul for the 49ers as they look ahead to a backfield led by Frank Gore and LaMichael James for the rest of the season.
Saturday, 8 December 2012
Jacobs, who has had just five carries for seven yards in two games played since being signed by the 49ers in the offseason, took to social media on Saturday to vent to the world about his dissatisfaction with the way he is being treated in San Francisco.
The best one:
“I am on this team rotting away so why would I wanna put any pics up of anything that say niners this is by far the worst year I ever had, I’ll tell you like I told plenty others,” Jacobs wrote on Instagram.If we didn't know any better, we could probably surmise that the premise for the rants, which can be found by Jacobs either on Twitter or Instagram, is a result of his presumed playing time on Sunday. LaMichael James and Jacobs were set to be competing for carries behind Frank Gore, now that Kendall Hunter has been lost for the year.
Looks like James will see some extended action on Sunday vs. the Dolphins.
Earlier this season, Jacobs tweeted about hating his boss, although he later denied it had anything to do with head coach Jim Harbaugh.
After Saturday's antics, we can probably assume it did.
Never work in a place where you hate your boss so much, you should always be happy at work.#YouLiveAndYouLearn
— Brandon Jacobs (@gatorboy45) November 15, 2012
Thursday, 6 December 2012
One thing York has pushed is his intention to make the new Santa Clara stadium one with a vast amount of technology influenced throughout it.
In an interview with CNN Money, York said he has already spoken to several companies that have expressed interest in teaming with the 49ers in producing one of the most technologically-forward venues sports has ever seen. The companies include local companies Brocade and Violin Memory, among others.
"What i really want to do is build a software-driven stadium, as opposed to a hardware-driven stadium. So when you're talking about you're scoreboards and things like that, you watch teams spend forty, fifty, sixty million dollars on a scoreboard that is something that is going to be obsolete in five years. I would much rather leverage the great companies that we have in Silicon Valley that are creating the smart phones, creating tablets, that our fan base and the majority of folks in Northern California use on a daily basis -- figure out how to build that tech stack so you can have a ticketless, cashless building and so you can watch different camera angles, you can get inside the game, so you can have that sort of home-viewing experience on your own personal device. It might not be something that's really causing heartache today in the NFL and in other sports leagues, but in 10 years i don't think fans are going to accept going to a game and not being able to connect like they would in their normal life."
Wednesday, 5 December 2012
The Giants were not active on Wednesday at the winter meetings in Nashville, Tennessee, snapping a streak of two straight days of re-signing key parts of their 2012 World Series team. But interesting reports were flying around to make up for the relatively down day on the transaction front.
Brian Wilson seems to be the prime topic swirling around the team for the time being, as the two sides have not seen eye-to-eye since the Giants did not tender his contract on Friday, but president of baseball operations Bobby Evans told CSN Bay Area's Andrew Baggarly that there is an understanding to "stay in touch."
#SFGiants VP Bobby Evans hasn't talked to Lozano group about Brian Wilson at these meetings but there is understanding to stay in touch.Reading between the lines -- if Wilson is not receiving interest from other teams, or simply does not like the situation with the team willing to sign him, the Giants would gladly re-sign Wilson for less years, less money and a whole lot less dignity.
— Andrew Baggarly (@CSNBaggs) December 6, 2012
The San Francisco Chronicle's John Shea is reporting that Wilson has seven teams interested in Wilson, though.
In the meantime, the Giants are looking for a little insurance for their closer role, just in case Romo cannot handle the entire 162-game load of a season, which seems to be everyone's best prediction considering his height, weight, arsenal of pitches, etc.
Shea is reporting that super agent Scott Boras has had talks with Giants president Larry Baer about the team's closer role. Boras has two clients that happen to be closers -- Rafael Soriano and Jose Valverde.
Scott Boras told SF Chron he spoke with Larry Baer about #SFGiants' closer role. Boras clients: Rafael Soriano, Jose Valverde.
— John Shea (@JohnSheaHey) December 6, 2012
Bochy said closer is Romo but plans "to give him some help" with Affeldt/Lopez/Casilla. Boras suggested a more experienced closer #SFGiantsNeither closer is a sure bet, by any means, but both have closer experience and the Giants simply need insurance for Romo just in case, as well as a need for another right-handed arm in the bullpen.
— John Shea (@JohnSheaHey) December 6, 2012
Tuesday, 4 December 2012
One loss into the Colin Kaepernick era in San Francisco and blame is spread around like the 8-3-1 team just lost an actual meaningful game.
The blame for the 49ers’ 16-13 overtime loss to the Rams on Sunday can be found placed on offensive coordinator Greg Roman for the less than creative play-calling, Jim Harbaugh for allowing the poor option play call that eventually led to the defeat, Delanie Walker’s dropped guarantee on a touchdown and Kaepernick himself. Suddenly, the 49ers have problems, and potentially even bigger ones if things continue to go wrong in the coming weeks.
However, the issue that will continue to chip away at the 49ers is the one that may currently be the most sensitive. The blame on Kaepernick is a topic the 49ers cannot get away from, and it will potentially lead to a divided locker room, if it has not already.
Every loss under Kaepernick is another second guess from the fans and the team in the locker room. Alex Smith and the quarterback controversy is alive and well in San Francisco until Kaepernick and the 49ers book their flights for the Super Bowl.
Smith and the 49ers advanced to the NFC Championship last season, and only a trip to the Super Bowl with Kaepernick makes Harbaugh’s midseason change under center a success.
The first inklings of a divided locker room have already emerged. Before Kaepernick’s start against the Rams, Vernon Davis came forward and said he still felt like Smith was the starting quarterback. But after Sunday’s loss to the Rams, a report of Joe Staley’s reaction to the quarterback situation may have been speaking for the entire 49ers locker room.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that Staley is not too happy with Harbaugh’s decision at who is currently playing quarterback for the 49ers.
“It’s not just 49ers fans who have gotten emotional about the decision to bench Alex Smith and start Colin Kaepernick.
“It turns out that offensive tackle Joe Staley has as well. One day during practice last week when 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh noticed Staley seemed down, he pulled him aside, and the two had a discussion about it.
“Staley explained that Alex Smith is his best friend, somebody he had blocked for throughout his entire career and he was disappointed to see Smith treated the way he was.
“Harbaugh explained why he made the decision that he did to Staley. It’s not that Staley didn’t believe that Kaepernick could do the job, but he felt that strongly about his friendship for Smith and the job that he has done.
“It just goes to show you that there is more emotion involved in a simple decision than to just go with Colin Kaepernick at this point in time.”
Staley has the right to be unhappy with the way Smith was demoted. Staley and Smith are known to be good friends, and Smith lost his job because he had a concussion. Judging by Staley’s role in the locker room, it is safe to assume he is not the only player feeling this way.
It does not negate the fact that Kaepernick is the better option at quarterback, though. Opposing coaches would rather prepare for a safe passer that does not take chances down field than a mobile quarterback with a shotgun for an arm.
However, the 49ers are still in the midst of a quarterback controversy, despite Harbaugh already naming Kaepernick the starter for next week’s game against the Dolphins.
When asked Monday whether Smith still has a chance to regain his starting job with the team, Harbaugh was not so quick to shut the door on the idea, per the San Jose Mercury News’ Tim Kawakami.
"Alex is not out of this. We feel like Alex, we’ve said it before, he is one of our guys.
"He’s won us a lot of football games. He’s preparing himself to play in each of these games every single week. That’s what his mindset has to be, as if he was the starting quarterback. So, that’s what we expect and knowing Alex that’s what he is going to do."
For now, which quarterback will play under center remains decided on a week-by-week basis, whether Harbaugh admits that or not. Another loss for Kaepernick is another second-guessing of Harbaugh’s decision -- Harbaugh knows this and the players know this.
It was a risky decision for Harbaugh to name Kaepernick the starter after Smith came off a concussion. If all goes well and the 49ers march into the playoffs with high marks, then it may be Harbaugh’s best decision to date. But if the 49ers stumble into the playoffs with Kaepernick at the helm and things get worse, then Harbaugh’s credibility and reliability may have taken a serious hit with the team on the field and in the locker room.
Just one day after the team signed Angel Pagan to a deal worth a reported $40 million over the next four years, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman is reporting that the Giants have peaked the interest of another coveted outfielder, Nick Swisher.
nick swisher will wait for hamilton deal, said @scottmcbs. word is, he'd like to go to the #SFGiants. #redsox also in playSwisher will wait for Josh Hamilton's deal to surface, but odds are Swisher should collect somewhere in the ballpark of four years for $52 million, or around $13 million per year. The Giants reportedly have also shown interest in Swisher in recent weeks.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 4, 2012
The Giants are obviously looking for an outfielder during these winter meetings, after reportedly showing interest in Scott Hairston and Swisher. While Gregor Blanco can play left field for the time being, as well as during a 2012 World Series run, the Giants would like a little insurance for the long hall of a full regular season. Adding Swisher would allow the Giants to use Blanco for his true fourth outfielder position, as well as have a formidable middle of the lineup with Swisher starting in left field.
Of course, Swisher does come with a large price tag, and that should be the ultimate decision regarding the Giants' acquisition of him.
Swisher hit .272 with 93 RBI and 24 home runs in 2012 in the hitter-friendly new Yankee Stadium.
He played for the Oakland Athletics from 2004-2007.
Monday, 3 December 2012
That is not what Scott Hairston is saying these days, but it is what the San Francisco Giants have admitted by reportedly showing interest in the "Giant Killer".
CSN Bay Area's Andrew Baggarly is reporting that the Giants have inquired about Hairston, who has grown a large reputation for being a real hamper to
the Giants on nearly every team he has played for. In fact, the entire Hairston family is much the same way.
#SFGiants are looking at Scott Hairston as RH bat to platoon with Gregor Blanco. (Good idea to sign him just so he can't face them.)ESPN's Adam Rubin is also reporting that the Giants, among other teams, have "real interest" in Hairston.
— Andrew Baggarly (@CSNBaggs) December 3, 2012
At best, the Giants are looking at Hairston being a fourth outfielder to back up Angel Pagan, Hunter Pence and Gregor Blanco in the outfield. Obviously, the Giants are not keen on going with Blanco in left fielder for the entirety of the season, which is why the team is reportedly in search of another outfielder just in case. Hairston fits that build.
On a side note, the Giants being in search of another outfielder hints at the fact that prospect Gary Brown may not be in the immediate plans for this team.
Harbaugh did announce who his starter would be, announcing it would be Colin Kaepernick for next week's game at home against the Dolphins, but he did not waver when asked if Alex Smith had a chance of regaining the job of starting quarterback this season.
"Alex is not out of this. We feel like Alex, we’ve said it before, he is one of our guys.
"He’s won us a lot of football games. He’s preparing himself to play in each of these games every single week. That’s what his mindset has to be, as if he was the starting quarterback. So, that’s what we expect and knowing Alex that’s what he is going to do."It is safe to assume that Kaepernick is the starter for the 49ers until he proves to Harbaugh and his teammates that he is simply too young to hold the job and lead a team to the Super Bowl. So far, he has yet to show even a glimpse of that being a possibility.
However, Harbaugh did leave a little opening for the discussion of Smith being starter once again.
So you're saying there's a chance .......
Sunday, 2 December 2012
49ers offensive tackle Joe Staley is supposedly upset with Jim Harbaugh's decision to start Kaepernick's "hot hand" instead of returning to Alex Smith post-concussion. Staley and Smith are known to be good friends, and reports within the last week say that Smith is not taking the demotion too well. Staley is not, either.
ESPN's Adam Schefter said this on SportsCenter:
“It’s not just 49ers fans fans who have gotten emotional about the decision to bench Alex Smith and start Colin Kaepernick.
“It turns out that offensive tackle Joe Staley has as well. One day during practice last week when 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh noticed Staley seemed down, he pulled him aside, and the two had a discussion about it.
“Staley explained that Alex Smith is his best friend, somebody he had blocked for throughout his entire career and he was disappointed to see Smith treated the way he was.
“Harbaugh explained why he made the decision that he did to Staley. It’s not that Staley didn’t believe that Kaepernick could do the job, but he felt that strongly about his friendship for Smith and the job that he has done.
“It just goes to show you that there is more emotion involved in a simple decision than to just go with Colin Kaepernick at this point in time.”A divide in the locker room was what everyone feared would happen if Harbaugh chose Kaepernick over Smith. It reportedly only took one loss for reports to surface supporting that situation, as Staley is a giant influence among 49ers players.
If the reports are true, there is no one else to blame but Harbaugh. He got greedy with what he had, and instead of starting a safe quarterback that got them to the NFC Championship one year ago, he took a gamble on a young up-and-coming star yet to prove himself in the NFL.
Harbaugh toyed with the team's emotions, and now there is reportedly a full-fledged divide in the locker room with a 8-3-1 team with one-time Super Bowl aspirations.
The L.A. Times' Dylan Hernandez is reporting that the Los Angeles Dodgers have never had interest in the bearded closer of two Tommy John surgeries. In fact, the
main reason is that the team is stocked with relievers, none of which they would let go for a sideshow like Wilson.
"Though the Dodgers won't publicly comment on free agents, people familiar with team officials' thinking say they aren't looking to sign Wilson."
...
"With Brandon League, Kenley Jansen and Ronald Belisario under club control, the back of the Dodgers' bullpen appears to be close to set. The Dodgers continue to look for bullpen help, but are primarily focused on adding a left-hander. They have also talked to the Pittsburgh Pirates about Joel Hanrahan, but a trade appears unlikely, according to a person familiar with the situation."Wilson reportedly wants to sign with the Dodgers because of the location close to his home in L.A.
Thursday, 29 November 2012
Those feeling sorry for Smith must have missed the first five seasons of his career, coming off being the No. 1 overall pick and hitting "bust" status in no time.
The 49ers are now an elite team, and having a mediocre quarterback is simply irresponsible. Harbaugh gets it, and the team gets it (not publicly). The concussion just sped up the 49ers' natural selection process.
In honor of one of the saddest stories ever told that was bound to eventually happen but no one ever saw coming, I give you a list of literature to dry your tears on.
Alex Smith: 'I don't know what else to say' -- CSN Bay Area
For 49ers' Smith, season took cruel turn -- SF Chronicle
Alex Smith: 'It sucks. I don't know what else to say' -- SF Chronicle
Alex Smith wondering how he lost his job -- San Jose Mercury News
Don't feel sorry for Alex Smith.He makes 9 million dollars a year, he'll be fine.
— David Michael(@KingDavid_88) November 28, 2012
#5ThingsOnMyChristmasList An Alex Smith home jersey :) feel sorry for the guy.
— It`s Me Bruh (@MadeinusBreh) November 30, 2012
I sincerely feel sorry for Alex Smith. He looked angry, dejected, depressed and defeated talking to the press this afternoon. #49ers
— Fabio Panetta (@FabioPanetta) November 30, 2012
I do feel sorry for Alex Smith. The guy got hurt and lost his job all in less than two weeks. #rough
— Hannah H (@hannah_bean02) November 29, 2012
Why should I feel sorry for Alex Smith? An NFL QB making millions of dollars who can't throw the ball deep? STFU #49ers
— Johnny Cables (@JohnnyCables) November 29, 2012
Feel sorry for Alex Smith. Last full game he played on Monday night he went 18/19 with a perfect passer rating.
— Blake Washington (@Bee_Dot_Wash) November 28, 2012
What’s next for Alex Smith? He’s been through everything, which might be a large part of his free-agent appeal: ... bit.ly/114epeW
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) November 29, 2012
@mattbarrows You may have been with him longer but I have the "hot hands" of the relationship;)
— elizabeth smith (@lizbsmith11) November 29, 2012
Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Yahoo! Sports' Tim Brown tweeted Wednesday that Wilson's first choice for a new team would be with the Los Angeles Dodgers because of the team's
location near his home.
Whether Wilson actually has "choices" coming off two Tommy John surgeries is a bit suspect, but it sounds like the Giants and The Beard are parting ways for good.
Hearing Brian Wilson's first choice to pitch in 2012 -- outside of SF -- is for the Dodgers. He lives in LA during offseason.
— Tim Brown (@TBrownYahoo) November 28, 2012
I'm sorry. Make that Brian Wilson's preference for 2013 -- not 2012 -- is Dodgers. #timemachineissues
— Tim Brown (@TBrownYahoo) November 28, 2012
ESPN's Buster Olney also threw this bit of speculation to the famished Twitter world Wednesday:
One very interesting possibility for the Red Sox: Brian Wilson, a N.H. native who likely will be non-tendered by the Giants later this week.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) November 28, 2012
Scraggly beards and the Boston Red Sox do go together. Good insight, Buster.
A Yahoo! Sports report stated that Bogut was targeting Saturday vs. the Pacers as the day he would like to return to the team. But after he missed practice on Monday and only participated in a brief shoot-around Tuesday, the likelihood of it was glum at best.
Here is what Bogut had to say on Wednesday, per the San Jose Mercury News' Carl Steward:
"The season's five, six months before the playoffs, which we have a great chance of making," he said. "I don't think it's going to be five, six months. I hope it won't be. It would be a massive setback if it was. I'm not going to say a month or two months or three months, but I definitely think I'll be back."
...
In speaking with team officials Wednesday, Bogut said he requested that the team say he is on "indefinite leave" until he is ready to play and added he would have no more comment about timelines for his return.
...
"Did I rush back a little bit? Maybe," he said. "But I needed to test it out to see how it responded in an NBA environment, and obviously it didn't respond well. So we're not going to set any more timelines. Right now, when it's ready, it's ready."
Bogut sat out Monday's practice, but participated in a limited practice on Tuesday after rehabbing in L.A. since he was shut down by coach Mark Jackson for the now lengthened 7-10 days.
Warriors center Andrew Bogut said there is no way he's playing Saturday. There's still way too much swelling in his left ankle.
— Rusty Simmons (@Rusty_SFChron) November 27, 2012
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