Golden Nuggets: 49ers Fantasy Harvest August 27, 2007
Posted by Paul in : Uncategorized , add a comment[Quick syndication note: this is the 1st of several weekly installments that I’m contributing to Fantasy Insights, throughout the NFL Season. A big thank you to Shawn McCullough for allowing us to syndicate to our site.]
When it comes to the San Francisco 49ers and their 2007-2008 NFL Campaign, one thing is certain: there have been plenty of changes leading up to it. What that will do exactly, many have guessed at, but few will get right…
Let’s first look at some of the key ingredients from the Niners; that may be of interest for your fantasy team: (I will then give you my prognostication on their overall future this coming season…)
QUARTERBACKS:
Alex Smith: Everyone that’s heard my radio show over the past couple of years knows my lack of admiration for the Niner QB. I have been lukewarm at best about the Utah graduate. Apart from his heroic effort in the Pacific Northwest last season, Smith didn’t quite show the flashes of brilliance I’d like to see from the future of the franchise. He lacks improvisation and natural football instincts. The change in offensive coordinators will end up hampering what could have been even faster growth this season. Expect Smith to continue his steady progress, without being spectacular.
2007 Projection: 2900 yards & 17 TDs passing, with 150 yards & 2 TDs rushing
RUNNING BACKS:
Frank Gore: Is there really a lot of insider information to give about this guy? Tough runner Frank Gore rushed for a team-record 1,695 yards last year, compiling an NFL-best 5.4 yards per carry. Everyone in the league knows that he’s a tip-top running back that will get more than his fair share of carries this season, with a young quarterback still manning the offense. What may be compelling to note, here, are the following things: after Norv Turner’s departure to San Diego, one of Mike Nolan’s top stated priorities was going to find ways to take some carries away from his workhorse running back, in order to keep his legs fresh. Second, and as importantly, former Quarterbacks Coach turned Offensive Coordinator Jim Hostler has been chomping at the bit (even publicly) to take this pass offense to the next level. With the arrival of new skilled receivers, you can expect the offensive distribution to shift slightly towards the pass; and thus away from Mr. Gore. Don’t get me wrong: he’s the right candidate to bid on for your 2007 Campaign. Just don’t expect him to put the astronomic numbers he was able to garner last season.
2007 Projection: 320 carries for 1600 yards rushing, with 50 receptions for 400 yards receiving.
WIDE RECEIVERS:
1) Darrell Jackson: although he may have been known as a complainer the Pacific Northwest with the ‘Hawks, Darrell will get his act together with San Francisco. If he understands anything that is good for him; he’ll catch Hostler’s drift and believe that he’ll gradually become one of Alex Smith’s top receiving options, right alongside Vernon Davis. He will most likely emerge as the team’s #1 wide receiver. The risk for anyone selecting him will be: can the man stay healthy throughout, considering his chronic knee problems?
2007 Projection: 85 receptions, 1200 yards
2) Arnaz Battle: With Jackson as the 49ers #1 receiving threat, and Vernon Davis looming as a very potent tight end, this converted college quarterback will get his share of receptions, this season.
2007 Projection: 50 receptions, 600 yards, 5 TDs
3) Ashley Lelie: My radio show’s inside NFL sources have told me that this guy lacks the competitive edge, that extra something special that could make him a winner and sizeable contributor. He has all the tools to succeed; but hasn’t quite put it together. He may be an okay pick later on in the draft; but don’t expect a significant point contribution from this guy every week.
2007 Projection: 40 receptions, 450 yards, 3 TDs
TIGHT ENDS:
When it comes to the tight ends, everyone on the West Coast knows that it’s going to be Vernon’s Show in San Francisco. Eric Johnson departure to the Crescent City can certainly attest to that fact. The front office saw him as more than expendable. Davis is going to be hungry to prove that he belongs, after an injury-plagued (broken leg) year, in 2006. Get ready for some numbers worthy of productive wide receivers…
2007 Projection: 55 receptions, 620 yards, and 6 TDs
PLACE KICKER:
Joe Nedney is a very reliable kicker; and ends up ranking in the middle of the pack, in my book. Expect the San Jose State graduate to put up good numbers without overdoing it. The Niners will be trying to re-establish themselves as a pre-eminent red zone squad, which may well take some opportunities away from Nedney.
2007 Projection: 28/33 with a long of 55 yds.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS:
Defense:
Despite the huge improvements on this side of the ball, on paper, I’d be careful to consider this young defense, even among top 15 in the NFL, before they prove it week-in, week-out. Let’s try to remember that this defense ranked near the bottom of the league last year. Defenses need to “gel” before they hit their stride and become highly effective. It’s going to take some time before they get to that point. I wouldn’t spend a valuable pick on this squad; expecting a high return. If you want points, you’ll have to be looking elsewhere. The best they can possibly do is surprise some people at the end of the season, when the unit starts to coalesce. Before then, expect some hair-pulling moments…
General 2007 49er Outlook:
You can expect this team to improve even more than it did last year. In 2006, the team from The Bay allowed a whopping 25.75 points per game. Their 3-4 scheme was ranked 26th in the league. In order bolster this unit, the team make Nate Clemens the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL. Notable upgrades include nose tackle Aubrayo Frankinlin (Baltimore), linebacker Tully Banta-Cain (New England), and safety Michael Lewis (Philadelphia).
Even with this revamped D, expect San Francisco to be a run first, pass second offense. Their signal caller, Alex Smith, despite recent improvements (passer rating upswing of 40.8 to 74.8 in 2006), is still a young quarterback trying to get the full grasp of a complex West Coast offense.
Earlier this off-season, Ronnie Lott claimed that this 49er team was certainly playoff-bound. As hard-hitting with his delivery of prognostications as he was in the Niner defensive backfield during his playing days… I couldn’t agree him more. The Niners are an 8 or 9 win team, despite what looks like a tough schedule. In a weak NFC, that may well be enough to lock themselves a wild card spot (see the Giants of a year ago).
The more interesting fantasy insight to take from their record and playoff positioning forecast is this: while some teams will either have fallen out of contention or others will have long-ago locked up a playoff birth, you can expect the Niners to be fighting hard for their playoff lives to the bitter end. The players you’ll be selecting from the 49ers will not be resting their legs on the bench for an upcoming deep playoff run. They won’t be dreaming of their next golf round at Pebble Beach or in Wailea. They’ll be dialed in; and trying to get the most out of themselves to even make the playoffs. While they’ll be doing that, you’ll either be in the latter stages of your regular season or more likely in your Fantasy playoffs. They’ll be playing at their best, when you need them most! Therefore picking a Niner more than likely will give you what Dicky V would term a “PTPer, baby”!
We’ll see you next week, as we continue to pan for gold within the 49ers roster…
Vick’s Moral Compass August 22, 2007
Posted by Todd in : Uncategorized , 2commentsMike Vick’s NFL career died today when he agreed to a plea bargain offered by federal authorities. To be more accurate, his career was hanged, electrocuted, and repeatedly slammed to the concrete. Between his jail time, NFL suspension, and public relations nightmare for any team that would sign him, the smart money is on Vick never suiting up again for an NFL team. Of course, that is assuming that he would ever have the aspirations of playing again on Sundays. Vick is assured of being the ringleader of a media circus whenever he sticks his head out in public again. I would imagine that once he gets out of jail, he is going to sit on the mountain of money he accumulated through contracts and endorsements and stay out of the limelight. However, adhering to conventional wisdom has never been one of Vick’s strengths.
A few weeks ago, I suggested I should form a company that would rent people with common sense and rational decision making abilities to celebrities who repeatedly screw up. I had mentioned Lohan, Pacman Jones, and Vick as three candidates who would benefit greatly from that service, and today I got to thinking about the advice Vick would have gotten had he hired such a person when he came into the NFL. The following is what I would have said to help Vick navigate through some of the rougher patches of his life and provide some advice during pivotal points of his career.
April 2001 – “Congratulations on being the #1 pick in the draft Mike. An incredible accomplishment, but it also comes with tons of responsibility. You are going to be scrutinized more than ever, so let’s make good decisions with that money. Maybe set up a charity once we get settled in Atlanta? How about donating some back to VTech? Let me know if you need any help organizing.”
January 2002 – “Mike, that was a solid first season in the NFL. You really showed some flashes of greatness. This offseason, let’s focus on learning the offense so you don’t have to improvise as much. Trust me, it’ll help you as a passer. You can only call ‘You guys block and I will run around and make something happen’ so many times.”
January 2003 – “Wow Mike! Your first Pro Bowl, a playoff win against the 
Packers in Green Bay, 173 yards rushing in one game…you were awesome.
I can do anything…except obey the law.
Nike just called and wants to give you your own shoe! Powerade has some commercials lined up! You are killing it! Let’s build on this and really work on being a better passer this next season. There were some throws that could’ve been the difference that I know you can make, and becoming that passer will get you to the Super Bowl. You’re what? Why are you buying a house in Virginia for your ‘cousin’? I’ve never heard of that guy. You should stay here and get ready for next season.”
April 2003 – “Mike, EA just called and they want you to be on the cover of Madden ’04. Damn, I don’t know. That thing is jinxed. I know it’s an honor, but you are rolling right now and we don’t need any bad karma. Just stay home and study that playbook and game tape. By the way, why are you going to North Carolina for the week?”
August 2003 – “I can’t believe you broke your leg against the Ravens last night in a stupid preseason game. I knew that Madden thing was jinxed.”
January 2004 – “OK, we need to get you back to 2002. Let’s really put in the time this offseason. You should really learn the offense. It’s been 3 years now. Also, your boys from Virginia keep asking about something called Bad Newz Kennels and when the next match is. Mike, you aren’t involved in dog fighting, are you? Listen to me, if you are, you need to immediately stop and break contact with anyone who is. This is serious stuff. You’re not? Phew.”
February 2005 – “THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT! 11-5 regular season record, another Pro Bowl, a trip to the NFC Championship, a new $130 million contract, the highest in NFL history…you are a Super Bowl win away from being mentioned as the best QB in the game. There’s one thing, though. I’m still getting calls about Bad Newz. Mike, listen to me very carefully. You cannot be involved in anything illegal, especially now. You could lose everything. If your friends are putting you in danger by associating anything illegal, they are not your friends and you need to stop talking to them. You are on a roll right now and you can’t risk anything getting in the way.”
March 2005 – “Uh Oh. I just got a call from a girl who said you gave her herpes. Haven’t I always told you to wrap up? Hold on, you used WHAT name as an alias at the treatment clinic? Ron Mexico? *slaps head* OK, just make sure you use a condom in the future and let’s hope this thing doesn’t get out.”
I know my eyes are red! I’m Ron Mexico, damnit!
March 2005 – “It got out. The NFL just banned its online store from using the word ‘Mexico’ on your jersey after over 10,000 were ordered.”
April 2005 – “Mike, please come study the playbook. Please? Also, I want you to cancel your subscription to Pit Bulls Illustrated. An issue came with the ‘rape stand’ you ordered from the internet. I don’t even want to know, but I suggest you return both.”
January 2006 – “OK, 8-8 wasn’t terrible, but you definitely took a step backward in your development. I know you made the Pro Bowl again, but Mike, you really need to focus on your passing mechanics. And you won’t be able to take that next step as a QB until you really learn the offense and what defenses are doing to attack your mobility. What are you talking about? No I don’t want 10 large on Growler. Mike, no more dog fighting. I am serious this time.”
December 2006 – “Oh boy. I know you’ve lost four in a row, but you cannot 
give your fans the middle finger. You need to apologize immediately. Mike, these fans love you and you can’t risk that by being immature. Own your actions and make sure you never do anything like that again.”
“I am going to spend THIS many years behind bars.”
January 2007 – “Jeez, Mike. This isn’t good. Bringing your stash bottle to the airport? You have pounds of weed at home…which by the way, is something we need to discuss later. Mike, please don’t do anything stupid for a while. Make some appearances at charity events because your image needs some help. Also, let’s commit that this offseason is going to be your best. Blank brought in Bobby Petrino and he knows how to put up some passing yards. Let’s ask him for a copy of the playbook and get crackin.”
April 2007 – “$10,000? Mike, one of the biggest tragedies in American educational history happens at VTech with 33 students getting shot and killed, and the best you can do is a $10,000 donation? Man, I am starting to get nervous about being your moral guide. I was going to suggest at least $100,000, and that is not even 1/100 of your annual income. You are really starting to act like a jerk.”
April 2007 – “Hey, someone called and said your cousin got pinched for weed and apparently he lives in that house you bought him in Virginia. Just in case, you don’t have anything illegal at his house, do you? If you do, get it out now.”
June 2007 – “Bold move telling Goodell and the Falcons that you are innocent and the truth will come out. I hope you are right, or that will come back and bite you in the ass big time.”
July 2007 – “Mike, I am really starting to get nervous. Feds have been at that house for over a week and they are doing some digging. If you know of ANYTHING that went on, you should hire a lawyer, come clean, and help yourself.”
July 2007 – “Oh crap. You are getting indicted by the federal courts. Those guys don’t mess around. Mike, hire an attorney today and cooperate immediately. This is not good, and the sooner you can get this behind you, the better. Tell the authorities everything. You have way too much to lose.”
August 2007 – “I can’t believe you waited so long to finally hire an attorney. Mike, cop a plea right away. You are already looking at some serious jail time and your friends might rat you out and then you will really be up Shit Creek without a paddle. Shit Creek…it’s just a saying…it’s not important right now…I will explain it later. Please, trust me, cooperate with the authorities and get as short a sentence as possible and we can start the damage control.”
August 17th 2007 – “Well, your boys all rolled on you. You’re screwed.”
August 20th 2007 – “Bring lube.”
In all seriousness, it has been a sad fall for one of the most physically talented players I have ever seen. His immaturity and stubborn loyalty cost him dearly because he was not able to make the right decisions. He had everything…money, fame, the adoration of millions of fans, starting QB for an NFL team poised to make a playoff push…and he threw it away because he failed to realize how his actions would jeopardize his future. In my opinion, he believed his hype so much that he thought he could do anything and get away with it. His arrogance even led him to lie to the man who wrote him that $130 million dollar check. That is the action of a man who is out of touch with reality. Hopefully future players can learn from the mistakes of a supremely gifted player who let his ego get the better of him because it would be a shame for someone else to lose so much when it could have easily been avoided. The game is bigger than everyone, so fly straight and enjoy it while it lasts, or it will end sooner than you would like. Ask Mike.
Duke Lacrosse Revisited August 15, 2007
Posted by Topher in : Uncategorized , 1 comment so far[Obligatory copyright reminder: this article first appeared in The Stanford Daily Thursday, 9 August 2007. It was subsequently linked by tireless commentator KC Johnson, who praised it as an example of the fine performance from campus media concerning the case.]
The debate continues at Stanford about how much of a split should be allowed between the college athlete pool and the student body at large. Duke University is just wrapping up a live-fire study of such an issue with the now-infamous Duke lacrosse rape case, and the results show there is a small but significant portion of the student body and faculty whose hatred of “athletic privilege” is impervious to fact, truth and justice.
As the travesty that was the Duke lacrosse rape case winds down, the average person can barely be expected to understand the myriad details of the year-long ordeal that inflamed the tensions in Durham, N.C. and almost sent three innocent men to prison.
It’s a complex case and a difficult timeline to follow, if only because it boggles the mind to think that one person with a handful of conspirators could be so nefarious in so many different ways. Having followed it from the start, let me try to shed some light on the case.
Following a March 2006 Duke lacrosse team party at which she was hired to perform, a black stripper falsely claimed she was raped. Embroiled in an election for his job, the county district attorney brazenly violated his profession’s ethics, law enforcement procedures and the law itself to indict three white men for sexual assault, rape and kidnapping.
Within a month the sham of the case was exposed, but the DA kept at it. And with increasing desperation, he and a small gang of accomplices tried to railroad three innocent people into 30-year prison terms, all the while playing up the racial angle of the case to his own political benefit.
On the side, a rainbow of critics and commentators declared the accused guilty on the basis of their race, gender and social status, disregarding the growing hill of exculpatory evidence. This posse included a portion of the Duke faculty and went as high as a journalist for The New York Times.
In April 2007, the state attorney general declared the case a hoax and dropped the charges, stating that “these three individuals are innocent.” The DA was disbarred in June, lifted from his post, and still faces contempt charges that could put him in jail. The players’ families reached a sizable settlement with Duke University.
That’s the short version. Make no mistake: every step of the way, there was even less reason to believe that the stripper, Crystal Mangum, had been violated, let alone that the indicted men had committed the crime. After what she described as a brutal gang rape, Mangum showed up at the hospital with only minor trauma to the legs. Her statements on the incident varied wildly, varying in number of assailants (from two to five) and the manner in which she had been violated. Her statements contradicted that of her co-worker and everyone interviewed at the party.
Meanwhile, behind in an electoral race for his job, District Attorney Mike Nifong pulled out all the stops to energize Duke’s black community, giving dozens of interviews and claiming he was sure a rape had occurred. Showing the disrespect for due process that was to mark the entire case, Nifong sneered that hiring counsel was proof of guilt, and railed against a code of silence from the players. This was a flat-out lie — in fact, team members had volunteered to give statements, DNA and polygraphs.
The first person Mangum identified with “100 percent certainty” as being at the party was a player who was miles away in Raleigh the entire time. Her identification (in a procedurally flawed, pick-anyone lineup) of three other men produced the indictments.
But one of them, Reade Seligmann, left the party before the alleged attack occurred — an alibi proved by a cab driver, an ATM camera, cell phone records and a dorm key-card manifest. Prior to the indictments, Seligmann’s attorney requested a meeting with Nifong to present this evidence. The DA refused to meet, however, and the family instead released the evidence to the world. Nifong, nonetheless, won his primary shortly after and was later re-elected.
After stating that DNA testing would rule out innocent players, Nifong changed his tune in April when no match was found between forensics and the players, save for one player who, along with two percent of all males, couldn’t be ruled out (a far cry from a match).
At this point, most reasoned observers concluded that the case was of null merit.
This didn’t stop the pattern of harassment that had emerged since the case began, especially from Duke itself. A gang of potbanging students (apparently with better things to do than get educated) and other protestors surrounded the house where the party had been held, with signs saying “castrate” and “Sunday morning, time to confess.” A group of 88 professors took out an ad condemning a campus “social disaster,” a thinly-disguised attack on a group of their own students.
Duke English Prof. Houston Baker issued a hysterical, racist and unsubstantiated letter demanding the dismissal of every player on the team and the abolishment of the lacrosse program. The campus priest told a parent he wouldn’t minister to the team until they “confessed their sins.”
This lynch mob was not quelled by Duke president Richard Brodhead, who stated “whatever they did was bad enough” and suggested the case go to trial so the players would have the opportunity to “prove their innocence.”
Openly stating “it’s not about the truth,” the Duke athletic director demanded the lacrosse coach’s resignation before indictments were even obtained. Duke was sued and later settled. The harassment continued at the classroom level, where a professor with an open anti-athlete bias failed two lacrosse players. (One whose graduation was almost blocked by the failing grade received a settlement.)
Few at Duke were willing to stand up against the tide, and the voices of reason didn’t come from the media. Indeed, some members of the media seemed content to slough off their guilt by rejoicing in the players’ suffering. These normally liberal commentators became reborn Puritans, screaming that these men deserved their Kafka-esque experience for having a tasteless spring break party.
Last I checked, it’s not against the law to pay someone to take her clothes off. And not to minimize the problem of criminal underage drinking, but it hardly stands to reason that having a few beers should get someone falsely accused of rape.
Among critics, much was made of the players’ middle-upper class roots, variously implying that they lived a life without consequences, could buy off the justice system or shouldn’t receive sympathy due to the comfort of their everyday lives. Too many media figures simply wanted them to be guilty, if only to satisfy their stereotypes of wealthy white jocks as over-privileged hooligans or to make the case into a racial allegory.
One of these figures was New York Times reporter Duff Wilson, whose laughably pro-Nifong coverage lapsed into all-out mendacity at times and earned him the nickname “witness for the prosecution” from Slate columnist Stuart Taylor.
No less a man than media satirist Jon Stewart took these fools to task, saying “those three Duke kids who spent the last year presumed guilty of assaulting a black woman because the issue had huge symbolic resonance with the media? Turns out they didn’t do anything.”
In December, another bomb dropped and the case collapsed. The defense discovered that in addition to not having lacrosse player DNA on her, the accuser carried the DNA of four other men — and Nifong and the DNA lab director had conspired to suppress DNA details helpful to the defense. Nifong was removed from the case at that point, and the attorney general put the case on a path toward proper resolution.
The case would not have seen the light of truth without its own gang of heroes. Among them were local reporters and bloggers dedicated to the simple principles of fact, logic and measured analysis. To name just one, Ed Bradley, the CBS reporter who died before the charges were dismissed, had the courage to openly question the case on national television after long-form interviews with the accused highlighted the holes for all to see.
Nifong’s absurdity is, paradoxically, the silver lining. Without his preposterous pursuit of the case as it collapsed around him, the world might see these charges as a he said-she said, not-enough-evidence incident that was squelched by slick lawyers.
In criminal justice, the tie goes to the accused. Instead, by continuing to go forward, Nifong disgraced himself and opened the door to the players’ exoneration.
Thanks to a minister of injustice, justice prevailed.
Voices at Duke and elsewhere pounced on the case to stump for a repeal of scholarship athletics. However, the destructive firestorm that ensued showed that it was a vocal minority of faculty members and administrative enablers, rather than an athletic team, that was out of control. The case certainly puts some of the more shrill voices opposing big-time sports in a different light.
Two Great Weeks in Review August 9, 2007
Posted by Todd in : Uncategorized , 1 comment so farIn the last two weeks I have attended a Yankees home game, a Giants home game, watched another seven Giants games on TV, played three rounds of golf and watched three more on TV, attended a 49ers practice, read two Sports Illustrated and two college football preview magazines, been a radio guest on Your Sports NightCap twice, read the sports section of the newspaper every day, listened to about 20 hours of sports talk radio, checked espn.com about four times a day, and I am currently flipping channels between Hard Knocks on HBO and a Giants game. All this shows me a couple of things: 1) I really love sports, and 2) I hope my boss doesn’t read this blog because I will be given a lot more work. Before I get into why sports are such a big part of my life, I will go over some of my highlights from the last two weeks.
- Being present for A-Rod’s 500th home run at Yankee stadium was one of the best sports moments of my life. That stadium is special to begin with, but an afternoon game with 500 on the line was incredible. The place was buzzing, and thanks to the pregame routine at the bar, so was I. My friends and I were in left field and A-Rod came to the plate and belted the first pitch right at us. It was awesome, everyone in Yankee Stadium on their feet, the curtain call, the crowd cheering for about 5 minutes, and then resuming when he came back out onto the field to take his position at 3rd base. It was a special moment and one I will remember for a long time.
- Not really sports related, but they have been in my head for the last two weeks, and misery loves company. “Chocolate Rain” and the Mayer “Remix”
- Tiger’s rain soaked performance last weekend was the most impressive ass-kicking I have seen in Ohio since Jeff Garcia’s wife beat down another girl in a club a few years ago (by the way, last weekend in Ohio the weather was miserable? Who knew?). It’s always amazing to see someone so dominant take his game to the next 
level, and Tiger did that at the Bridgestone after Rory Sabbatini had called him “beatable” back in May.
Hey Rory, I have 5 more exactly like this at home. How many do you have? And my wife is smokin hot.
I actually respected Rory for showing the courage to proclaim the desire to be the #1 player in the world, but a smarter thing to do would have been to provide Tiger with as little motivation to win as possible if you actually wanted to succeed.
My favorite quote of the week came from the Jim Rome show when someone emailed in: “Rory, don’t you know you shouldn’t mess with a Tiger.” – Roy Horn.
If you don’t know who Roy Horn is, Google him. As a sports fan, I usually love to see greatness, and Tiger at his best might be the most impressive thing in sports to watch. I say “usually” because…
- I was watching the Giants last night when Barry hit the home run to break Hank Aaron’s record. While happy I got to see it because of its historical impact on the game of baseball, I couldn’t help get turned off by un-paralleled self absorption. His speech was not very thoughtful as he started out by thanking the Washington Nationals (?) and I couldn’t help but sense the phoniness when he blathered on. It semmed to me like he wanted to thank himself for the entire 5 minutes, but maybe I am alone on that one.
I really don’t have a problem with him using steroids all of those years because the overwhelming majority of professional athletes would do the same thing if given the opportunity, but I do have a huge problem with him asking to be taken out of the game in the 7th inning to
receive another ovation, only to watch his team lose when he could have had another at bat.
I would like to thank MLB for not testing for steroids
He is a bad teammate, and that to any athlete should be the ultimate insult, but instead of him fighting that distinction, he chooses to embrace it. He is a great hitter, arguably the greatest of all time, but he would be the last guy I would want to have on my team.
- The passing of Bill Walsh was a sad day for many Bay Area football fans. Stanford fans owe him for turning around a bad program…twice. He also was a major force in the fund raising and politics of bringing a new stadium to Stanford in 2006. 49er fans owe him for not only reviving a struggling franchise, but for making them a dynasty. Walsh created an unequaled offensive scheme that was flawlessly run by numerous hall-of-famers who Walsh himself was responsible for bringing in and coaching. In my opinion, the previous sentence alone in makes him the greatest football coach of all time. Football fans everywhere owe him for recruiting top coaching talent and showing them the blueprint for running a successful team (15 current NFL head coaches are within 2 degrees of Walsh!).
I personally owe him thanks for developing an offense that was so easy I could learn it and thrive in it at 
Stanford. I also owe him for his efforts in getting minorities hired as coaches in football, because without his impact Tyrone Willingham might never have gotten the job at Stanford and I would have never gotten a scholarship. I also had the opportunity to play with the outstanding men he had recruited in the early 1990s and who helped laid the groundwork for our Rose Bowl season in 1999, and I still call many of those guys my close friends today.
So, thank you Bill Walsh, from me and so many others, thanks.
Goodbye Bill, we will all miss you
My girlfriend will often get annoyed with my love of sports and has a hard time understanding why I am so devoted. Let me help her understand, and maybe I can put it into a frame other sports-lovers can use to explain to their better halves. Looking at my life, I realize that so much of it is a result of my experience with football. Both of my degrees from Stanford are a result of my ability to play and coach football. Stanford and football allowed to me to live my dream of playing in the NFL. My degrees and connections with Stanford helped me get my current job. I live in the Bay Area because my job is located in San Jose. Those are all pretty big parts of my life, but there is something greater.
The overwhelming majority of my friends I have met through sports; my Long Beach friends who I played little league with, my Stanford friends who I met through school and many of whom I still consider my closest, and my friends around the country who I met through my travels with the NFL.
These friends continue to be such a big part of my life. For instance, I had three Stanford teammates join me at the last week’s Giants game to watch another former teammate suit up for the Marlins. My Long Beach friends and I made our annual baseball trip to a new stadium and will now have the memory of A-Rod’s 500th bomb to share for a long time. But more than that, I have taken part in weddings, traveled the world, and shared countless great times with my friends. The point is that many of my life’s best memories are directly tied to sports. When I watch games or events now, I am reminded of all of those great memories and experiences in the past. Every time I see A-Rod hit one, Tiger crush an opponent, Bonds be a jerk, I will think back to my trips to the ball park or the Bridgestone Invitational. So, much like Bill Walsh’s legacy had snowballed into something greater and beyond the game of football, sports has created opportunities for me that would have never been possible and continues to generate memories that will last a lifetime and beyond. So, thank you sports, from me and so many others, thanks.
And now, if you will excuse me, I need to check the football transactions list, see how my fantasy baseball team did tonight, browse the latest box scores, and check out tomorrow’s pitching probables before I go to bed.
