49ers: Feeling Sorry For Alex Smith

Thursday seemed to be "Feel Sorry For Alex Smith Day" not just in the Bay Area, but across the country. The prim and proper quarterback that overcame such hardships in his first few seasons finally came around once he was given a chance to succeed ......... then was replaced by the better quarterback, Colin Kaepernick.


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

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Report: Dodgers Are Brian Wilson's First Choice in Free Agency

The San Francisco Giants have shown no indication they would like to re-sign former closer and two-time Tommy John surgery victim Brian Wilson to a contract by the Friday deadline. It sounds like Wilson has no intention, either.

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.

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Golden State Warriors: Andrew Bogut on 'Indefinite Leave'

The Andrew Bogut injury saga continues to get worse for the Golden State Warriors. On Wednesday, Bogut answered questions from the media regarding a timetable for his return, and it most definitely will not be Saturday.


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."

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Report: Bogut Will Not Return to Warriors on Saturday

Despite last week's report stating that Andrew Bogut would return to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, the fact is he will not be ready by then -- this according to the man, himself.

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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49ers Looking For New Kicker To Replace Akers

It did not seem like long ago that David Akers was deemed the 49ers' best offseason pick-up on their way to a NFC Championship appearance. Now, the 49ers are in the market for a new kicker to replace Akers, after his reliability took another major hit on Sunday in New Orleans with a missed field goal from 50 yards and a blocked field goal from 33 yards.


On Tuesday, the 49ers tried out two well-known kickers in the NFL -- Billy Cundiff and Nate Kaeding.

49ers tried out kickers Billy Cundiff and Nate Kaeding
— Aaron Wilson (@RavensInsider) November 28, 2012

Cundiff is best known for playing with the Ravens, and Kaeding was a young and reliable kicker with the Chargers at one point.  Cundiff has already been released this season, after getting off to a slow start with the Redskins, and Kaeding is a notoriously bad kicker in the playoffs.

Kaeding, who would be the more reliable option, was released by the Chargers in late-October in an attempt to escape the $2 million salary owed to him.

The try outs are either a wake-up call to Akers, or a serious gamble on two kickers with well-known flaws.

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Report: Brian Wilson Headed For MLB Free Agency

San Francisco Giants' former closer Brian Wilson will be headed for free agency if the teams does not tender his contract by Friday, the deadline to tender all unsigned players on the roster.

According to the SF Chronicle's Henry Schulman, the Giants and Wilson are not seeing eye-to-eye on the mandatory $6.8 million that would have to come Wilson's way.

"Friday is the deadline for teams to tender contracts to all unsigned players. Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, any contract offer must be at least 80 percent of what a player made the year before. Wilson earned $8.5 million, so any offer for 2013 would have to be at least $6.8 million."

"The Giants do not intend to offer Wilson a $6.8 million guarantee after he missed the 2012 season (save for two games in April) with an elbow injury that required his second Tommy John surgery. Wilson has done a lot for the organization, particularly his shutdown work in the 2010 regular season and postseason. He’s made them a lot of money in beard merchandising, too. But the Giants believe that’s a lot of money for a pitcher whose future is so clouded by health."

"If the Giants do not tender Wilson a contract by Friday he becomes a free agent. Again, that seems likely to happen. The Giants still could sign Wilson and want to sign Wilson. At that point the 80 percent rule does not apply anymore. The Giants even are willing to give Wilson a major-league contract, but at a low base salary — several million dollars below $6.8 million — with incentives that would pay him a much bigger check if he is able to pitch."

"But I’ve been told Wilson is not keen on that idea, partly because he has given so much to the organization, including the health of his arm in the pursuit of a championship, and feels he should be paid accordingly. That’s completely understandable."

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49ers' Vernon Davis: 'Alex Is Still the Man'

Clearly, the 49ers have found something in changing quarterback at 6-2-1 on the season. With Colin Kaepernick at the helm, they are now 2-0 and now among the favorites to win the Super Bowl.

However, not everyone agrees. Vernon Davis told reporters this after Sunday's gritty win over the Saints on the road.

"It's difficult, but I think Alex is still the man. In my heart I strongly believe that and you'll know next week. I'm sure Harbaugh will make a nice decision who he wants to go with but right now we have two outstanding playmakers. I'm sure Alex is still our guy."

The quarterback controversy is alive and well in San Francisco.

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