San Francisco 49ers Heart Breaking Defeat

The loss to New York Giants was heart breaking and it was not one person’s fault it was a team effort. Just because Kyle Williams touched the ball on a punt giving the Giants the ball down by the Giants 20 yard line causing a Giants touch down. The dropped ball in the end zone from a pass from Alex Smith for the San Francisco 49ers win in overtime. How many chances were San Francisco 49ers supposed to get, they could not capitalize on 3^rd down. Just think if they did. The score probably would have been higher with San Francisco coming out the victors. All you stupid idiots who are twitting death threats to Kyle Smith it Stop it!!. All you San Francisco 49ers fans hold your heads up, your team had a great season.

LM

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Take me out to the BRAWL-game, take me out to the CROWD!

I'm an Oakland Raider fan who found it painful enough watching on TV as the rival 49ers took apart my team during last Saturday night's pre-season game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco...having to remind myself this was just practice!

 

Little did I know the REAL pain came from what the FANS were practicing in the stands, the bathrooms, and the parking lots! 

 

More than a handful of violent brawls and a shooting left several folks injured, three very seriously, with one man still in life-threatening condition...all of which led to 39 justified arrests, and a good chance the NFL may cancel this annual pre-season game.

 

Like thousands of others, I checked out the internet replays on YouTube, watching two women punch each other out, an old gray-haired man shove a younger man back down three rows of seats, a few other sustained brawls between Raider and 49er fans flayling away clad in rival jerseys, with sparce security, and young children looking on!

 

"What in the hell is going on here?"  I mean, sure...this is nothing new! Violence has cast itself on most sports, and not just in America but world wide.

 

 Check out the international history of sports violence and you'll find it all...beating deaths, mass stampedes, riots and murdered soccer referees--making what happened in San Francisco look tame!

 

However, it should not sway the arguement that something has got to be done, right HERE and right NOW!!

 

These lastest incidents have sparked another huge fire of controversy, just as the Bay Area was starting to simmer down after the "Brian Stow" incident in April, where an upstanding Giants fan (a paramedic no less) was nearly beaten to death in Los Angeles on opening day at Dodger Stadium.

 

Perhaps we should look to the past for possible solutions. Did fans drink and party as much before and during games back then?  What was security like at stadiums 40 years ago?  Probably much the same as today, with no secret security measures, just less people to secure!

 

I do remember watching my first live pro football game on September 3rd, 1967 at the Oakland Coliseum as the upstart Raiders lost to John Brody and the 49ers 13-10 in their first EVER meeting to close out that pre-season.

 

I saw no fights, altlhough there were probably lots of security guards, lots of beer, and just as many rowdy fans in an environment similiar to all the other NFL and AFL stadiums back then, confronted with controlling violence between rival fans in the stands!

 

 It was interesting to remember who the big team bosses were 44-years ago!  John Rauch coached the Raiders, Jack Christianson coached the 49ers, and then ONLY part-owner and lowly general manager Al Davis had just celebrated his 38th birthday 2-months before.

 

I think even big Al, and thousands more would agree with me now that security should be stepped-UP significantly in a coordinated, well-thought out way....taking into account the realization (and I agree with this) that the majority of Bay Area fans are good people, and it is just the few ignorant, stupid, low-life, substance abusing, drunkard, socially crippled bullies out looking for trouble--THAT CAUSE IT!

 

Finally, here's one last security measure idea, and  I thought this up myself!  Let's call it the "sophisticated fan liazon screen" and place it at every stadium entrance gate, equipped with state-of-the-art, hygenically safe breathalizer testing hoses.

 

Every fan over the age of 12 MUST submit to a quick alcohol breath test,  and answer an eye-to-eye question by a designated security screener. Those failing either test...don't get in!  They can re-sell their ticket on the way out!

 

I know this may take time and big bucks to impliment, however, imagine adding this ENTRANCE SCREEN to already upgrated security, and decreased selling of alcohol...and I think parents would find it safe to take the kids to the big game again!

 

 

Thanks, and check out www.streetwisesd.com  for more blogs, and our very special "Streetwise Radio"

 

Sincerely,  PeteCam4

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRfpwP9ZZsw

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Singling out Singletary!

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As an avid pro football fan and former television sportscaster, I've followed the career of Mike Singletary with awe and respect....from his playing days as a Hall of Fame middle linebacker for the Chicago Bears, to his recent post as headcoach of the San Francisco 49ers.

His honest, no-nonsense style has added a positive swagger to the team, and in two short years he's reincarnated the 49ers back into playoff form, in my opinion!

However, last week Mike un-characteristically lost his cool during a tense T.V. interview in Santa Clara with KPIX-TV's sports director Dennis O'Donnell, after the head coach was asked about difficulty getting plays called during the team's first game...a blowout loss in Seattle.

For the first time ever, I questioned Singletary's integrity in handling this situation. Yes, it may have been bad timing!  Yes, Singletary looked tired and agitated from the outset! 

Yes, the team was preparing for an intense Monday night game against the defending world champion New Orleans Saints, and this was probably just his "pappa bear" style of watching over his cubs!.

Still,   there was no call for Singletary to snap at O'Donnell following a few reverently asked and fairly phrased questions about his expectations of quarterback Alex Smith regarding play calling and clock management!

"I don't want to talk about any of that", shouted Singletary. "I only want to talk about New Orleans if you want to talk about them. Next Question!"

O'Donnel looked stunned, Singletarly appeared vindicated, and the interview ended abruptly in embarrasing fashion. 

Frankly, I was more embarrased for Singletary, and ironically.... the 49ers ended up losing a heart breaker  to the Saints that night at Candlestick Park.(now called Bill Walsh Field) The story doesn't end there, however, as O'Donnell was immediately removed as host of this "Coaches Corner" interview segment, and replaced with field reporter Kim Coyle.  Question!  WHY does the reporter(interviewer) ALWAYS get the short end of the stick? In this instance,  the show is part of a contract partnership whereas the 49ers have editorial input power,  and spokesman Bob Lange claims the change in hosts was "a joint agreement to give future interviews a better dynamic". I think it was more the case of Singletary getting ticked off at O'Donnell, and wanting a new interviewer!  Either way, the move sparked many heated comments from fans around the Bay Area such as: "O'Donnell did nothing wrong. It was Singletarly who acted like an idiot!" "He's lucky he isn't in a more aggressive media market like Philly, Chicago, or New York....where Singletarly would never make it!'   "You get your ass handed to you by a team like Seattle with 15 new starters, and THAT is a situation where you have to be smarter. Get this guy out of here!"    "Singletary is now officially on the NUT LIST.  The reporter just asked him questions that any fan would want to know the answers to....and the coach says the interviewer baited him?  How stupid!" "We're talking post concussion syndrome here.  If this is how Singletary's handling things, he's un-prepared for the job, and ON the short list for goodbye coach land!" Ok. Ok! These comments may be a little "over the top",  because what happened to O'Donnell is just the way things often work!  When I was a TV sports reporter I saw the same thing happen to a few colleagues. While I always played fair, I was also careful to maintain healthy relationships with head coaches.  It was either that or start looking for another job! Five years ago,  'KNBR' sports radio host Larry Krueger was fired outright in San Francisco  for harsh, questionable, and boarderline racist comments directed at Giants baseball manager Felipe Alou, along with several Central American-born teammates. This time the coach was dead right to complain and DEMAND that  Krueger be fired!  However, O'Donnell didn't deserve his demotion! Fortunately, he's still the sports director and lead sports anchor at KPIX, and Singletary did express a little bit of  remorse following the incident.   "I say things that I feel, and I have to do a better job of not letting the media bait me the way they did in last week's incident.  I have to do a better job at that end, and I have to be smarter in that sort of situation". After the fact, I'm still pulling for Mike Singletary to succeed, and,  while Kim Coyle should fill in nicely as his new show host, O'Donnell is also still around, and will survive. Let's just hope for the 49ers, and their fans... that THEY are still around when playoff time arrives! After all,  this is the year Singletary's team is highley expected  to step up and take part in post season play--or else HE may very well be looking for another coaching job! Good luck to the 49ers, and, being fonder of their East Bay Area Rival in Oakland....GO RAIDERS!! Thanks, and stay logged on to www.Streetwisesd.com Sincerely, PeteCam4

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Bay Area Football

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Just how interested are Bay Area football fans in watching the NFL playoffs, since neither the San Francisco 49ers or the Oakland Raiders have taken part since the 2002-2003 season?

 

Despite what's become a frustrating, seven-year itch for the fans,  and  for two teams who've combined for eight Super Bowl titles....this weekend's games had some interesting national story lines.

 

Today, the Phoenix Cardinals scored an overtime defensive touchdown  to beat the Green Bay Packers 51-45, in the highest scoring offensive show in playoff history.

 

They move on to play the suprising Saints in New Orleans, while yesterdays victorious Dallas Cowboys round-out the National Conference line-up by battling the Vikings in Minneapolis next week.

 

In the American Conference, the Baltimore Ravins shocked the New England Patriots today 33-14, and will visit the heavily favored Indianapolis Colts.  Meanwhile, the New York Jets fly west to San Diego to play the Chargers....the closest to a hometeam that we have. 

 

So, what's happened to our local teams?  The 49ers glory days began precisely 28-years ago today, when Dwight Clark made "The Catch" against Dallas on January 10th, 1982. Five Super Bowl rings followed, however, the last one happened 15-years ago! 

 

Meanwhile, the Raiders won their first Super Bowl 33-years ago yesterday on January 9th, 1977....and on January 22nd will mark exactly 26-years since they won their third and final world championship at Super Bowl 18.

 

Although they did reach the big game 7-years ago, the Raiders lost badly in Super Bowl 37, and haven't come close  to recovering since..

 

The 49ers are probably closer to re-entering the playoffs under 2nd-year headcoach Mike Singletary, who improved the team by winning eight times....while the Raiders finished with an NFL leading 7th-strait season with 11 or more losses.

 

If  Oakland does what's expected,  and fires their 2nd-year headcoach Tom Cable, it would make nine  different  Raider headcoaches to lose their jobs over the past 20-years!

 

For the Raiders to really improve, Owner Al Davis needs to retain Tom Cable and fire himself, at least by way of hiring on a general manager who can cut loose of Quarterback JaMarcus Russell, and continue to develop the Raiders talented young players....as Al takes a back seat!

 

The 49ers just need to continue improving with quarterback Alex Smith, Pro Bowlers Vernon Davis and Patrick Willis....who,  like Nnamdi Asomugha of the Raiders, have become genuine team leaders.

 

A handful more players like these on both teams, would no doubt restore NFL playoff games to the Bay Area, and probably spice up interest for everyone....not only the hardcore fans. 

Thanks, and enjoy next weeks games. PeteCam4

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