SB Nation User Blog: Fooch

Favorite NFL Announcers

Fooch — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:13:56 -0000

I wanted to pull out one of today's Golden Nuggets for a little more discussion. Steve Young is joining the B crew of Monday Night Football, which includes Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg. The B crew is whipped out whenever there are two Monday Night Football games. The Mike & Mike crew used to be Mike cubed and included Mike Ditka. Young has appeared on plenty of pre-game shows, and whatever you may think of the Mikes, I think Young is a good addition.

Given that addition, I thought now was as good a time as any to open the floor to discussion about announcers throughout the NFL. Who are your favorites, who do you hate, who do you consider underrated, who do you consider overrated...that sort of thing. Madden has retired so we'll take him off the discussion list at this point.

So who do I like? Well, I have to admit I'm kind of excited for the 2009 Monday Night football crew. While I'm relatively indifferent to Mike Tirico, I'm a big Ron Jaworski fan and I think Jon Gruden could make for a very solid announcer. Jaws brings the type of analysis you really don't see often enough anymore. Obviously there are plenty of color guys out there providing analysis. However, most of those guys are cookie-cutter announcers shooting out cliches. Combine that with Jon Gruden's passion, which I think we saw quite well at the draft, and I think you've got a very solid MNF crew.

In looking through the announcing crews, I'm a big fan of Gus Johnson. He's better in college basketball, but the few times I get to hear him do NFL games, I'm usually sufficiently entertained. It's interesting that, looking at the Fox and CBS pairings from last season, there are a lot of groupings I really never cared for. Two in particular come to mind: 1) Jim Nantz and Phil Simms (can't stand Nantz) and 2) Joe Buck and Troy Aikman (although I certainly enjoy me some Pam Oliver). I realize they're the #1 crews on each network, but Buck and Nantz just drive me crazy. Simms is usually ok, but nothing special for me, and Troy Aikman doesn't really do it for me..maybe it's the Cowboys thing...

I have to say I'm rather excited for the Al Michaels, Chris Collinsworth grouping. I used to really not like Collinsworth, but he's grown on me and I think I'll be enjoying Sunday Night Football with those two.

My biggest sleeper, who actually is not doing NFL games at this point, is Jesse Palmer. The former Bachelor star and NFL QB (yes I did them in that order!) made his debut as an NFL announcer at a 49ers game and I was more than pleasantly surprised. The former players that move into the announcing booth often seem straight out of an assembly-line and really just aren't any good. But Palmer was unique. He brought great insight and timely comments. Amazing to see given some of the crap out there. He's doing college football announcing now, but I hope he makes it back to the NFL.

So, who do you like and dislike in the NFL announcer crews? If you want to discuss the studio shows feel free to, but given the volume of people in each of those shows, that could go on forever. And it's also possible you might find a crew solid that individually you don't enjoy. Feel free to come at this any way you want. While there are certain things I look for in an announcer, everybody sees something different in certain announcers.

49ers All-Time Running Back

Fooch — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:30:05 -0000

The re-vote on the #2 wide receiver has resulted in an even bigger percentage lead for John Taylor. The ballot will remain open, but I think we've reached a point where we can call it for JT. Today we move on to another offensive position, running back. Last go-around Roger Craig ran away with the race, even over a Hall of Famer like Hugh McElhenny. Given the apparent age of many of our readers, it's not too surprising that even Frank Gore finished with more votes than McElhenny.

When we had the first vote on running back I made a point to mention a couple of things: First, Joe Perry is in the fullback balloting, even though he is currently the franchise leader in career rushing yards. The offense ran a bit differently back in those days, but for simplicity's sake, I went with him at fullback. Second, Frank Gore is still a youngster, but I felt he has done enough in is brief career to merit recognition on the ballot. I have to admit, I was heartbroken though that I held off Kevan Barlow. I don't know if I'll ever forgive myself.

Roger Craig (1983-1990): Not a whole lot needs to be said about the man who is #2 in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, #3 in receptions and #9 in receiving yards. Before Marshall Faulk, there was Roger Craig. In 1985, Craig became the first running back to finished with 1,000 rushing AND receiving yards. The previous season he became the first player ever to score three touchdowns in a Super Bowl. Roger Craig went to 4 Pro Bowls and was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1988 as he finished with 2,036 total yards. Craig still stands as the only running back to ever lead the NFL in receptions in a season. He finished his career with 13,143 total yards and 73 total touchdowns.

Hugh McElhenny (1952-1960): McElhenny was the 49ers first round pick in 1952 and was immediately a hit on the field. He won Rookie of the Year, along with back to back Pro Bowl and 1st Team All Pro appearances his first two seasons. Over the course of his career, McElhenny went to six Pro Bowls and finished his 49ers career with 4,288 rushing yards, 2,666 receiving yards and 50 total touchdowns.

Garrison Hearst (1997-2003): I don't know of anybody who doesn't like Garrison Hearst. One big reason is this short little run. Hearst finished his time with the 49ers with 5,535 rushing yards. That number would have likely been quite a bit higher if not for the nasty broken ankle he suffered against Atlanta on the first play from scrimmage in the Divisional playoffs. He developed the necrosis condition that led to Bo Jackson's retirement and seemed finished, although the 49ers kept him on the roster. Two years later, Hearst came back and rushed for 1,206 yards, winning his second Comeback Player of the Year award. The next two years saw him slowly phased out of the offense, replaced by the immortal Kevan Barlow.

Frank Gore (2005-present): Gore has only been a 49er for four years, a starting running back for three of them. In that time he has set the 49ers single season rushing record and twice led the team in receptions. His most impressive stat might be the fact that he became the first 49ers running back with three straight 1,000 yard seasons. Gore currently stands #5 in the 49ers all-time rushing list. Considering he's 4,248 yards out of first place, Frank the tank is definitely getting within striking distance of the #1 spot. A decent season by Gore will move him past Garrison Hearst, while a 1,500 yard season would move him into third place all time. I'm guessing he won't reach Roger Craig's receptions by a running back number, but considering how active he has been in the passing game, Gore could easily finish his career challenging Roger Craig as the best running back in team history.

Poll

Who should be our All-Time Running Back?

Cowboys players replace fans missing memorabilia

Fooch — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:09:45 -0000

Cowboys players replace fans missing memorabilia

I'm sure somebody posted this somewhere and if they did, someone can feel free to delete this. I may hate the Cowboys, but it's always nice when athletes help people out. A mentally disabled person had a bunch of stuff stolen, including some Cowboys memorabilia. Cory Proctor and Bradie James went and visited the guy and gave him some updated Cowboys stuff. Anyways, sounds like a good story.

Televised NFL games: Maybe the XFL wasn't entirely wrong...

Fooch — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:02:27 -0000

Later today we'll have the next ballot for our NIners Nation all-time team. In the meantime, I thought we'd mix things up a little bit and discuss something outside the direct realm of the 49ers. I wanted to open the floor to discussion about how we view NFL games on tv, and more importantly, how we can improve that viewing experience. The changes people suggest might never happen, but it's always interesting to at least ponder them.

This post was actually inspired by a brief discussion in last Sunday's post about re-watching recorded games. I was asking for suggestions about what I should keep a close eye on this season when I re-watch 49ers games. Someone suggested looking into how our downfield blockers look during the game. Unfortunately the cameras we see on the networks miss out on a lot of important action by focusing on the ball carrier. It certainly makes sense to follow the ball carrier, but you'd think they could get more creative in their coverage.

And so, that inspired me to post this idea: multiple cameras shooting different parts of the field and you could have a sort of picture in picture any time you wanted, rather than just when the networks decide to show it. As I said in that post, I bet people would pay extra for that kind of option. I know I would. And I think this is a work-able option. The networks already have multiple cameras because on instant replay they'll show other parts of the field during a play. Why not provide some way for people to view what these cameras are shooting anytime during a game?

Beyond that, I think the title speaks for itself. The XFL had multiple ideas that I thought could be instituted in the NFL in some form or fashion. As I recall (and it's hard to find info on it), I believe the XFL set up microphones so viewers could hear the calling of plays from the offensive coordinator to the quarterback. I'm sure NFL coaches would have a big problem with that, but I would think something along those lines would be pretty cool to hear. Many fans might not care, but hard core fans would be intrigued.

My final suggestion is not exactly original, but something I've wanted to see for a long time. Remote controls have the ASP button for people to switch the broadcast from English to Spanish. I was thinking why not be able to switch between different broadcasting crews. For example, switching from the tv crew to the Westwood One radio announcers, or even your own home announcers. I realize I could turn on the radio while watching, but it'd be cool if it was all hooked up on the tv itself.

Anyways, I'm curious what other people think would improve the telecast of a football game. No idea is too crazy (I don't think) so feel free to get creative.

Golden Nuggets: Shaun Hill Football Camp anybody?

Fooch — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:06:34 -0000

Our man James is dealing with dentist issues so I'm whipping together a batch of Nuggets. I have to say, when I stumbled across the football camp info, I was rather intrigued. Any readers from around Parsons, Kansas out there? The camp is from July 13-15 and open to 1st through 8th graders.

Shaun Hill Football Camp to be held in July (Fort Scott Tribune)

Patrick Willis, the 49ers' inside man (Barrows)

How 49ers earn income in offseason (Maiocco)

Singletary embraces challenge of 49ers (Youngstown Vindicator)

11 new NFL head coaches means 11 different predictions for '09 (Sporting News)

Niner Insider : 49ers Rank 77th (SFGate.com)

2009 Opponent Breakdowns (49ers Examiner)

Make No Mistake: This QB Competition Should Terrify You (49ers Webzone)

Know Thy Enemy 2009: Atlanta Falcons - Sunday, October 11

Fooch — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:29:37 -0000

I've decided that I'll post these Know Thy Enemy posts each Wednesday. At that pace we'd wrap up the 11 non-divisional opponents the week of the final preseason game. I noticed we actually didn't finish our list last summer, so I think that's a reasonable goal this time around. I forgot to ask last time, but if you'd like certain additional bits of information in these posts let me know in the comments. These are meant as more broad overviews, but I'm certainly open to changes.

This week we move on to the Atlanta Falcons. The ~~Vikings~~ Falcons are represented at SB Nation by Dave the Falconer over at The Falcoholic. The Falcons have managed quite the on-field and PR turnaround in the wake of Michael Vick's departure from the team and I'd imagine Falcons fans are in quite the happy place at this point in time.

Overview
The Falcons put together quite a turnaround last season. The additions of Matt Ryan and Michael Turner completely turned the franchise around. They already had a potential franchise wide receiver in Roddy White, but the additions of Ryan and Turner turned this team from 4-12 to ~~12-4~~ 11-5. John Abraham's re-emergence as a sack machine definitely added to that and the Falcons had them rolling before running into an Arizona Cardinals team that was getting especially hot at the right time. The team will be looking to build on a monster 2008 and avoid a sophomore slump after an impressive Rookie of the Year campaign.

Additions
After a season in which their rushing and passing offense showed impressive improvements, the Falcons used the draft to address a defense ranked 23rd in the league. In fact, they used ~~all 8 picks~~ 7 of their 8 picks on the defense. If John Abraham can maintain last year's monster performance, Falcons are hopeful first round pick Peria Jerry will help turn their defensive linemen into the best in the NFC South. Another intriguing addition, at least in my mind, was the addition of Mizzou safety William Moore in the second round. There was a fair amount of buzz around him and Falcons fans seem convinced he'll be the starting strong safety this season.

The team did not ignore the offense, even as it rolled to 8th in the league. In fact, they went so far as to adding future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez. Gonzalez is coming off yet another monster season in Kansas City, finishing with 96 receptions, 1,058 yards and touchdowns. Although he just turned 33, Gonzalez has not yet lost a step. If Gonzalez continues at his current level of play, that Falcons offense could be mighty impressive (cue the complaining for the 49ers not acquiring him).

Subtractions
The team saw important cogs like LBs Keith Brooking and Michael Boley and CB Domonique Foxworth depart in free agency. Brooking was an older veteran who were replaced by the likes of Mike Peterson, also a veteran. A switch of veterans should not hurt them all that much. Boley and Foxworth were both still young. While they did make some secondary additions in the draft, it'll be interesting to see how they replace Boley. Right now it appears as though Coy Wire and Stephen Nicholas are competing for the job.

2009 Questions & Answers
The big question is whether Matt Ryan will put together a sophomore campaign like or better than his rookie season, or if he'll suffer the dreaded sophomore slump. I'd say the addition of Tony Gonzalez would likely help mitigate that given that he is awesome and all. While the team could certainly struggle in 2009, I really think this offense could be pretty filthy this season.

One question that could get in the way is Michael Turner. Turner finished 2008 with 394 total carries between the regular season and postseason. That is a dangerous load to carry and the Falcons will likely need to figure out a way to get Jerious Norwood more involved in the offense. He had 95 carries for 489 yards in 2008, but might need to add a decent chunk of carries to keep Turner fresh.

On defense, John Abraham has been rather up and down throughout his career. If he can maintain last season's pace that'd be great, but if not, the question becomes who picks up the slack.

@ San Francisco
The 49ers last faced the Falcons in 2007, a much different time that saw the Falcons quarterbacked by Joey Harrington. Joey Heisman didn't do much of anything in the game, but looked better than Alex Smith in a 20-16 Atlanta victory. Much has changed and this game will come just after the the quarter-pole of the season, with much on the line for both teams. In our second discussion post, ProfessorBigelow and I both saw this as a 49ers loss. If Matt Ryan doesn't have a sophomore slump and the Falcons defense shows some gradual improvement, I see this as potentially one of the toughest games all season.

Equally important, it will be a huge measuring stick. If the team is playing well the 49ers should be 2-2 at this point, and even then 3-2 is just so much better than 2-3. And, of course, heading into the bye week, the team has an opportunity at a 2-game winning streak given that they play the Rams at home the week before. Either way, this is a huge game early in the season.

49ers Power Rankings: The 10 most important players for 2009

Fooch — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 04:23:41 -0000

Last week I stumbled across an interesting article completely unrelated to the 49ers. A writer for the Seattle Times put together a ranking of the 15 most important Seahawks for the 2009 season. Matt Hasselbeck topped the list, followed by Patrick Kerney, Walter Jones and TJ Houshmandzadeh. I can see how those four might be your most important guys.

After reading the article, I thought, why not come up with our own list. I decided to go with just 10 guys because there will be plenty of consternation on just that short a list. When considering "importance," I look at these players as the guys the 49ers need to step up to a certain level for the 49ers to have success this year (we won't even begin to try and define "success").

I went back and forth on what to do with the offensive line: Do I list each guys individually, or go with the unit as a whole? I chose the latter. As great as Joe Staley might be, how useful is it if the entire right side of the line goes down in a heap? Fell free to argue counter to that.

No matter what, I would imagine it would be pretty unlikely anybody will agree 100% with my rankings. Looking at them, I already have my doubts. Each time I go through the list I move a man up or down.

1. Offensive line: There are plenty of important areas, but if the Jimmy Raye offense is what we think it might be, the offensive line will be key. They'll need to give Hill/Smith time to make plays, and they'll need to break up some daylight for Frank Gore.

2. Frank Gore: Frank the Tank has three straight thousand yard seasons, but the last two have been a bit of a struggle. If the offensive line steps up, maybe we'll see Frank get back to his 2006 form.

3. Manny Lawson: We know Parys Haralson is a player as a pass rusher. He needs to show consistency, but we know the pass rush ability is there in some sense. Man-Law? The 49ers need him to step up as a legit pass rushing threat if they're going to shake things up this season. He's been utilized in a variety of roles, but in 2009 he appears to be getting his chance to show his pass rushing skills.

4. 49ers QB: Given that Hill and Smith could both see starting snaps at some point this season, I'm considering them both together. I do think the QB will be important, but I think not quite on the level of Frank Gore in the Raye offense.

5. Vernon Davis: Why the Duke over any of the receivers? His combination of size and athleticism have people pondering the numerous possibilities. The 49ers receivers each have specific roles, but Vernon Davis' ability lends itself to virtually any type of route. He can burn a man deep, he can make use his speed and size on short passes, and of course he can even come flying out of the backfield on a swing pass or some such play. While the 49ers can be successful without a huge receiving contribution from Davis, a solid/strong year from Davis will do wonders for the offense.

The second half of the list, with some concluding thoughts is after the jump.

6. Dashon Goldson: Why so high for the injury-prone free safety? Because if he can stay healthy, this training camp playmaker could give them a ballhawk in centerfield, the likes which they haven't seen in yeeeeaaaarrrrssss. If the pass rush struggles, or if one of the two corners has a tough year, that kind of free safety would be huge.

7. Patrick Willis: I honestly had no idea where to put him on this list. We know he's a beast. However, even with all his success, the 49ers have still struggled. He's going to get his numbers and he's going to be a playmaker on defense. It makes him important, but definitely not the most important player on the team. Any thoughts on where Bamm Bamm belongs on this list?

8. Justin Smith: See Willis above. As long as Smith can continue drawing double and triple teams at times, the defense might actually be able to generate some consistent heat on the quarterback. However, like Bamm Bamm, he'll be solid whether the 49ers win or lose.

9. Josh Morgan: The young receiver was blowing things up in training camp before a staph infection started an injury plagued rookie regular season. When healthy (in pre AND regular season), Morgan showed some serious play-making skills, most notably on that game winning touchdown against the Rams. If one receiver is going to step up this season, I think Moran will be that guy.

10. Isaac Sopoaga: Why the guy who could reasonably be considered a relative disappointment? Well, at this point it sounds like Kentwan Balmer will be starting the season as his backup. I'd like to see Balmer break out in training camp and take the left defensive end starting spot, but I'd expect that later in the season, if at all this year. So, if Sopoaga is going to be manning the LDE, he needs to step up and give this team a viable defensive threat opposite Justin Smith. Whichever OLB is coming off the left side will need their defensive end occupying bodies. Initially, Sopoaga better be that guy.

There are obviously a lot of guys left off this list. Guys like Nate Clements and Dre Bly are going to be important. Moran Norris will be important to the success of Frank Gore. Aubrayo Franklin? Yea, he'll be an important cog in the defensive front. I had to make some judgment calls and these ten are what remain. One problem I did have is that my definition of "most important" probably changed for some of these guys. I'm thinking that at the end of training camp we'll come up with a revised top 10 list once we know the general starting lineup.

So, feel free to critique my rankings and offer your own suggestions. Any egregious misses on my part?

NN All-Time Team Part 2: 49ers All-Time Wide Receiver #2

Fooch — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:09:58 -0000

The headline is really awkward, but from here on out I'll be dropping the first half of it. This is just to get folks on the same page with the balloting.

In restarting the voting on our list of all-time 49ers, I thought we should start with a position that a year ago created quite a bit of controversy in the end result: the 49ers #2 wide receiver. The #1 wide receiver is as obvious as you're going to get with this team: Jerry Rice. Rather than replay the automatic selections, we're sticking with the ones where voting actually took place. Also, depending on how many votes we accumulate in the next couple days, I'd like to try and post two of these per week: one Monday and one Thursday. We'll give it a test run this week.

After a neck and neck race, John Taylor pulled away from Terrell Owens to win by 25 votes, or 7%. The comments went back and forth between those two drawing on both on and off the field issues. Two of the main schools of thought to emerge were: 1) TO was a phenomenally talented wide receiver and simply better than JT, and 2) even if he was talented, he was a jackass.

This is one of the positions that inspired me to bring back the all-time team ballot. We had 377 total votes for the #2 wide receiver position, which is a number I know we can surpass this time around. And more votes increases the sample size, hopefully providing a clearer answer. So, below I've copied over the brief write-ups on each of the receivers on the ballot.

Terrell Owens (1996-2003): Oh TO, TO, TO. If we were just considering stats and natural ability, I personally think Terrell Owens would be the hands down #2 guy in 49ers history. He's #2 in franchise history in receptions, yards and touchdowns behind Jerry Rice and made one of the more well known catches in team history against the Packers in the playoffs. He had issues with drops, but unlike a guy like Randy Moss, he didn't take plays off and busted his ass. Of course, there is that other part of TO. That would be the fact that when he left he was despised by many 49ers fans, including yours truly. My hatred has tempered with time and it's gotten to the point where I can separate the talented WR from the troubled individual. I'm not saying you have to in making this vote because this is somewhat a popularity contest. Rather, consider whatever you like in making your vote.

Dwight Clark (1979-1987): Clark made probably the most famous Catch in 49ers history, and in fact it probably ranks pretty high in NFL history. Clark was drafted the same year as Joe Montana and was a key part of the resurgence of the 49ers. He stands 4th in team in history in receptions, 3rd in yards and 6th in touchdowns.

John Taylor (1987-1995): Taylor made arguably the second most famous catch in 49ers history, the game-winner against the Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII. Taylor currently stands 8th or better in franchise history in receptions, yards and touchdowns. And, of course, he holds the pre-eminent spot as second banana to Jerry Rice.

Billy Wilson (1951-1960): Wilson stands 6th in receptions, 5th in yards and 5th in touchdowns. Wilson was a 6-time Pro Bowler waaaaay back in the day and stands as the first great receiver in 49ers history. In fact, a look at comparable NFL receivers in the NFL opens the argument that Wilson should in fact be a Hall of Famer.

Gene Washington (1969-1977): Today's fans might recognize Gene Washington as the man who introduces draft choices after the first round, as Director of Football Operations for the NFL. Before entering the league office, Washington was a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time All Pro with the 49ers. He finished his time with the 49ers 7th in team history in receptions, 4th in yards and 3rd in touchdowns.

Poll

Who should be our #2 all-time WR?

In-depth article on Alex Smith following the suicide of his best friend

Fooch — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:27:18 -0000

In-depth article on Alex Smith following the suicide of his best friend

This article was posted in the Nuggets by pwarren85 but I thought it was worth moving to the front for all to see. It's actually the front page article at ESPN.com.

US Supreme Court to hear NFL apparel licensing case

Fooch — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:31:16 -0000

A few days ago the NFL and American Needle Inc. both appealed to the United States Supreme Court for a decision regarding antitrust issues and the NFL's exclusive licensing deal with Reebok. Although the Supreme Court has gone into recess for the summer, ESPN is reporting that the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case next term. Oral arguments will be later this year or early in 2010.

This could be a huge antitrust case for the NFL and the other sports leagues. American Needle had an official license to manufacture NFL headwear, but lost the deal when the NFL reached an exclusive contract with Reebok in 2001. American Needle sued and the NFL won the case in the federal court of appeals. American Needle obviously appealed, but the NFL also appealed "asking the Supreme Court to hear the case in a quest for a more sweeping decision that could put an end to what the league considers costly, frivolous antitrust lawsuits."

I haven't had a chance to read the court of appeals decision, but as ESPN puts it:

The case concerns whether the league is essentially a "single entity" that can act collectively or 32 distinct businesses that must be careful about running afoul of antitrust laws by working too closely together.

The various professional sports leagues in the US have dealt with antitrust concerns for decades. MLB has an antitrust exemption, while I believe the NFL has a more limited exemption related to the television contract and their player draft (the player draft is technically an illegal restraint of trade).

While sports labor is the area of the law I am most interested in, antitrust law has a lot of intriguing nuances. I'd imagine the NFL will end up winning this case, but either way we'll keep an eye on it.