Well, I lied. I've been drinking beer since 8am this morning. Call this an early tailgate, even though I'm in So-Cal. I'm already thinking food on the grill, and may try some different recipes before tonight's game. I dare not call this an Official Tailgate thread for the front page, for I will be very drunk by the time the game starts. This is why I love Sunday football. I get to hang out with my buddies here on Niners Nation, drink lot's of beer without having to drive anywhere, and watch my team in HD, despite it being a pre-season game. The simple things in life are free. Except beer, which I already have stocked, and may need more before the game.

Cheers to another 49er season to come. I've finally got past the Lakers winning another Championship, got past Paddy Harrington missing consecutive cuts in Majors, got past J-Lo being fired from American Idol before she was hired, and ready to dig into some pork chops and eggs. To hell with it. Make this Official. I'll be the dude who carries the flag to lead the charge. It's about the TEAM, as Mike Singletary says. Niners Nation is the Official Fan Team of the 49ers. Why?

Because we have the best beer.

Fooch's Note: Consider this our official tail-gate thread leading us into tonight's game. Our game thread will be up at 4pm.

I have a confession to make, so please bear with me. These past few weeks have been a challenge to me as a San Francisco 49er fan. In fact, I haven’t been interested in any news regarding the team at all. I used to post here a lot, even hanging out for a long time waiting for meager news about David Carr, and the presser that never happened. Now, part of my dilemma stems from the NBA post season, and the upcoming US Open golf championship. As a man in his 40’s who refuses to grow up, I may have to finally face the reality of age. The last time the 49ers won a championship was 15 years ago. Since then the team has gone up and down to down and out, to now just competing for respect, and hopefully winning a Division they once owned regularly. During this time I have managed to hang onto my fandom, not jumping off or on any bandwagons. But I fear a certain reality creeping in. That reality is life, and how the 49ers fit in it.

Now of course, a lot of this probably has to do with it being the off season. Competitive sports are more interesting when teams and players actually have to compete on the field of play. Once the season actually starts, I may be back in the thick of it as as a fan. Or maybe not. I didn’t watch as many Los Angeles Laker basketball games in the regular season like I used to. I watched maybe two San Francisco Giants games so far. Living in Southern California also can make it harder for a fan of Bay Area sports, but there are a lot of fans of the 49ers (shout out to LondonNiner and everyone else in the UK and abroad) who don’t even live in California. Even though I believe the 49ers should have a fine season, I feel less inclined to being tethered to my computer to watch a stream of a game on Sundays. I don’t haunt message boards like I used to anymore. I don’t listen to Bay Area media, or read the blogs as of late. Am I standing on the edge of a cliff, looking past the years of elation and frustration? Or am I just plain bored with it all?

After the jump, I will try to not only talk myself from the edge of the cliff, but also remind myself why I spent so much of my life as a 49er fan.

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One thing I love about Golf is that there are no referees that can change the outcome of a Tournament, unless the player themselves made a big mistake during the round, or in the scorers tent with a gaffe on the scorecard. There are a ton of rules in Golf, but what’s amazing is that they aren’t arbitrary as they are in other sports. Yes folks, Golf is a Sport, because the late Jim Murray wrote about it, as well as Horse Racing, Baseball, etc. In case you haven’t heard or read any Jim Murray, here are a few quotes from the Pulitzer Prize winning sports writer:

"Willie Mays' glove is where triples go to die"

"I don't know what it is, but I can't look at Hulk Hogan and believe that he's the end result of millions and millions of years of evolution."

"I never saw any of man's baser acts of inhumanity to man. I never saw screaming 'witches' burned at the stake, Christians tossed to starving lions, maidens pushed over the edge of active volcanoes. I never even saw a man going to the electric chair. But until I do, watching Ben Hogan walk up to a five-foot putt is my idea of cruel and inhuman punishment, only a Hitler would enjoy. You feel like saying 'Go home to your wife and kiddies and don't look upon this terrible thing!'"

"I'd like to borrow his body for just 48 hours. There are three guys I'd like to beat up and four women I'd like to make love to." - on Muhammad Ali

Heck, Jerry Rice got disqualified from a Nationwide event (which he was the host!) because his Caddie used a Range finder. Rice didn’t realize he was cheating. Listen Jerry, you are allowed up to 14 sanctioned clubs in your bag, one of which should not be a "chipper", and your Caddie should never have to use a range finder. Because if he or she has to, they aren’t a Caddie worth a damn. You’re better off betting $1000 Nassau’s with Michael Jordan at Pebble. Even Tony Romo knows not to use a Range Finder is his quest to qualify for the US Open. Romo is better than both of you, BTW.

Ok, enough about Golf. Let’s talk NBA. Well, let me rant about it for a few here. Now, being that the NFL at this moment is as boring as it can get, the one sport that should occupy a small part of my already shrinking brain - before the aforementioned US Open - is the NBA playoffs. As much as I love the San Francisco 49ers, this should be my mini vacation away from them, being that they aren’t playing competitive football at this moment. My focus now is one more chance at an NBA Championship for my basketball team, the Los Angeles Lakers who won it all last season. But even though I don’t like to blame a loss on officiating (face it fellow Laker fans - the bench sucks) when it comes to either the Lakers or the 49ers, I still can’t abide the debacle of officiating, even when it hurts a team I really hate in the Boston Celtics in a playoff game against the Orlando Magic last night. I give a lot of credit to the Magic for beating the Celtics in a tough, physical game (which aged the Celtics in a hurry). Yet at the same time, I really was hoping someone had pictures of David Stern taking money from a big time Vegas casino sports book to get finally get rid of him from the NBA for good.

Just why are there rules in any sport if they are easily manipulated?

After the jump, why I dream of Donald Sutherland meeting me at the steps of Lincoln’s Memorial, to explain to me why I’m not crazy...

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There is nothing compelling about the NFL as I write this. Of course, I usually write stuff that really isn’t compelling on it’s own, but really, this is the time where we all as fans of our respective NFL teams are reaching and trying to grasp anything tangible that would still hold us together. Personally, I am amidst in the playoffs. Who says the NFL off-season for any sports fan worth his or hers salt is the be all and end all these next two weeks? The San Jose Sharks are down two games in the Conference Finals, and the Los Angeles Lakers are up two before going into Phoenix. The MLB really doesn’t matter at this point - at least to me right now - and Jerry Rice’s being disqualified for his Caddy using a Range Finder, while not only hosting a Nationwide Tour event, but also to play into the weekend ….

I’m really dealing with a lot of crap. Nothing is Black and White. Everything, including all of my sports teams future at this moment is really all speculative. Kenny "The Jet" Smith on TNT’s excellent NBA coverage may provide me a pragmatic point of view based on playoff teams that has Veteran experience, yet it really comes down those said teams gelling as one. Lebron is not a factor in the NBA playoffs. The Chicago Blackhawks are on fire. Team identity in the playoffs, as the Boston Celtics will show, despite age, will ignite a bench player like Baby Davis to play better than if he would ever (and really would never) be a starter…

We, as fans, have nothing to do with the immediate future of who we cheer for. Professional Sports really is beyond our control. Could you imagine if you, as an individual had a semblance of an impact on the outcome of the sporting event? Even when, as fans, we have the clear advantage as a team, there are still referees involved. Rules become arbitrary. The idea of competition seems to be diminished.

After the jump, kick me in the ass. I don’t have a fat ass, so it should be easy.

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Lebron James has a bit of a problem right now. Well, he has a few problems in the big three of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett. Add a streaky Rajon Rondo, and all of the sudden the best, most dominant player in the NBA in James is now up against three all NBA players with a point guard who can slice a defense outside as well as drive the lane for layups. The best player in the NBA can’t do it all alone. Or can he? Scoring leads defense. The best, most effective scoring, as the Lakers have found out in the playoffs is in the inside. The Paint. Think of the Paint as the Red Zone in the NFL. Kenny "The Jet" Smith pointed this out while looking at the matchup between the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers on TNT. He explained on how the Suns would have an advantage if they were able to play "open" basketball between the Free Throw lines. Fast Break Basketball is all about exploiting the transition defense. It’s about speed. The basketball court has a lot of angles, and how you cut and pass will help predicate what looks you have, going baseline, or outside.

That being said, you still have to block. Picks, screens, etc. As awesome and creative as Jerry Sloan is coaching offense, it still came down to a half court game. The Western Conference Finals between the Suns and the Lakers  should be more fun to watch then than half court slug fest of the Big Men of the East. Yet, half court offense is still the most effective. When you can dominate the paint on both sides of the court, the streaky shooters can and will hit big shots, and the passing will open up to beat the transition defense of the opposition.

OK, you can see where I have been spending my time watching Pro Sports - sorry Silver Screen and Roll, you still are the worst Fan blog on SB Nation - and I am still gripping on the San Jose Sharks.

After the jump, well, it’s all about Frank Gore.

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I have to admit, I haven’t followed much football since, well, it’s been a while. I wasn’t around on Draft Day, but from what I have read so far, it seems the 49ers might be finally on the right track. Who knows what would have happened if Scot McCloughan was still GM. More BPA? The 49ers and Trent Baalke did something that seems different. Let’s see, is it drafting for need this time? I remember a time when the 49ers didn’t draft Offensive Lineman in the first round. Kwame "El Matador" Harris was the first I believe since Harris Barton. Jeremy Newberry was a second round pick, and Eric Heitmann was a seventh round pick. The 49ers are going with a full on youth movement with the offensive line. The 49ers might be one of the youngest offensive teams in the NFL at this moment. But youth still has growing pains. Just how much will youth play into success?

One thing that is encouraging is that the 49ers have a solid coaching staff that has finally addressed the one area that has been absolutely horrid recently: the offense. Mike Solari has to be salivating. He may be the best offensive line coach for the 49ers since the late, great Bob McKittrick. There has been plenty of discussion here at Niners Nation recently on just what kind of offensive style the 49ers will have in 2010. Whether it’s Air Coryell or Ground Chuck, you still need the horses to execute whatever play is called. For the 49ers to be successful on offense in the future, it will come down to two areas: the offensive line, and the quarterback. These two areas are part of the youth movement on offense. The 49er offensive line of recent has given up a ton of sacks, yet even David Carr should suffer way less sacks if he was behind center this season. For both Carr and Alex Smith, this could be potentially one of the best offensive lines they have ever played with.

Are we excited yet? After the jump, more thoughts on this, and a small funeral for Print Journalism, complete with a bugel and a shotgun salute.

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Well folks, the day we all have been waiting for has finally arrived! After months and months of mocks, 100 in 100, Tebow, Spiller, Clausen: we now can pencil in the final X on our Draft Day calendars. The site during these months has had a lot of great insight from the Front Page writers, as well the fans who have contributed in both Fanposts and comments. This has been an exciting offseason so far, and Draft Day washes away the disappointment of falling short of expectations from last season, while bringing in new hope and expectations going into camp, Pre-Season; and to where the money shot goes - the regular season ahead into hopefully a post season!

But wait! This Draft has something different than the past few drafts of recent years. The exit of Scot McCloughan over a month ago has added either more drama to Draft Day, or excitement. Hopefully, we will never, ever hear the word "trigger" when it comes to a 49er draft again, ever. One of the final key pieces of the former Nolan regime is not in the War Room anymore. It’s not that McCloughan was a major problem. It’s more like a fresh start for the 49ers with Trent Baalke. We could almost predict what McCloughan had in store on Draft Day as far as philosophy. Now the fun will be watching Baalke work this draft.

After the jump, some more thoughts on this monumental day, with even more reasons to get us fired up…

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Reggie Miller has become one of my favorite NBA broadcast analysts. While breaking down a play, with the shooter being guarded tight, he can illustrate the fundamentals and tendencies that the offensive player uses to break down the defense. Great offensive basketball has a lot of ball movement, body control and footwork; and balance is key. Great players like Lebron James and Kobe Bryant can take over and apply the pressure due to their offensive skills. If the shooter is successful scoring with a hand in his face, Reggie calls it "Good defense, better offense", and I’ve heard that phrase used often with other Basketball analysts also.

Although Miller probably didn’t coin that phrase, it’s a phrase that always sticks in my mind while watching sports. It isn’t just related to team sports either. Last weekend at The Masters, Phil Mickleson’s aggressive play put pressure on the rest of the field of players. Even when shooting for par with a lead, those putts put even more pressure against his opponents. All the opponents had to hear was the roar of the gallery on another green, with Lefty sticking it 6 feet from the pin with an iron shot. You may ask, "Where is the defense in Golf?" Well, the defense was Augusta itself, and Phil’s offense against it dictated the pressure and pace. Lefty had one heckuva weekend at Augusta, with a 5 shot swing on 3 holes on Saturday marking his charge.

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drummer’s note : I am feverishly writing this for the morning post. Seriously, I got a fever baby, and it needs more chicken soup.

Matt Maiocco’s article yesterday - while making a case for Alex Smith - also looked at the current state of the NFC West quarterbacks, from starter on down. After reading his article, it reminded me of the paucity of true, top tier QB’s in a division where offense once thrived. His article explains that by default, Smith is the better out of all of them, including the aged and oft-injured Matt Hasslebeck, based on his numbers he presents.

Of course, those numbers only qualify so much. The NFC West has become a Ghost Town for quarterbacks in just one off-season, after Kurt Warner hung up his holster for the last time to ride off into the Arizona sunset. Veteran gunslingers like Marc Bulger has become shell shocked and freezes up while aiming towards his targets, while another Veteran in Hasslebeck is running out of bullets in Seattle. It’s High Noon in the NFC West. Just who and where will the next gunslinger emerge?

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Leave it to the San Francisco 49ers Front Office to make the off-season even more interesting. The shocking sudden departure of Scot McCloughan has surpassed any drama that Al Davis and Co. staged before the draft. The 49ers sharing a stadium with the Raiders? They might as well share the same office space after what happened a couple of days ago. Exit, stage left? It’s more a clandestine "GET OFF THE STAGE" for Scot McCloughan. Sam Shepard should book a flight to SFO ASAP to get ideas for his next play.

What seemed for the first time in a long time for the 49ers Front Office was the promise of harmony and stability. We had our primary cast of Jed York as President, Scot McCloughan as GM, and the real star of the show, Head Coach Mike Singletary to bring the audience of 49er fans to a standing ovation during the run of the show into January and beyond. "Death of a GM", featuring Willy McLoman had it’s final curtain in San Francisco. But we’re not standing and cheering. We’re still waiting for the next act.

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Fooch's Note: I'm down in Las Vegas for the first week of NCAA tournament games.  Consider this an open thread for discussions of the NCAA tournament today, and if you feel like mixing in some Scot McCloughan insanity, have at it.  Don't forget to join our tourney bracket group.  Group name is Niners Nation; password is go49ers.

Is Scot McCloughan Irish? Hell, I dunno. In the spirit of the David Carr presser that never happened, I will present something that also didn't happen during Carr's presser, at least for the press, which was food. May I present you with a description of an Irish Breakfast, as experienced by myself having an epic one at Fiddler's Green in the Wharf in San Francisco. Do you love meat? Fiddler's has it for you by the pound. On a Carb free diet? Don't go there. The freshly baked bread and and few pints of Guinness is enough to soak up all of the booze from the night before, but the best thing is the meat. Lot's of it. Bacon. Canadian Bacon. Irish Bacon, along with sausage, eggs, potatoes, bacon, fried tomatoes, navy beans, and the final heart stopper: blood pudding, which is basically even more greasy sausage. Awesome. Dinner is great there too, and if you stick around long enough and has mad game like Ninjames, you may have dessert with a stewardess out of Chicago.

Rise and shine Niners Nation, and happy post St. Patricks Day!! I got some Hair of the Dawg for youse too, with a Jameson on the side, neat.

The 49ers 1997 draft should have been a perfect draft day for me. They only had three picks in that draft, which made it easy for me to sift through all of my NFL and college pre-season magazines. It also gave me an extra day to waste on other things, since all three picks were in rounds 1 through 3. Unfortunately, my day was ruined on the 49ers first pick, and I was left with the hope of Greg Clark becoming the next Brent Jones. Clark was eventually traded, and that draft was a total waste. Outside of Clark, the other two players only stayed with the team for two years. Usually players who are drafted with that much value are picked in the later rounds.

The 1997 draft was critical for 49ers, yet due to either arrogance or ignorance, they basically treated rounds 1-3 like they were rounds 4-7. At least I didn't have to wait around that day to see who they picked in later rounds, since they didn't have any late-round picks. Not only did the 49ers give me an extra day of my life back, they also saved me money because I stopped buying those football magazines. If I want to regain my interest in the draft I may have to use another resource for scouting- especially for the later rounds.

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Rise and shine fellow 49er fans. Top of the morning to youse. As we anticipate the epic Niners Nation mock day, I’m serving out Mimosas along with an epic Saturday brunch to get us started. I would make this a short Front Page shot if I knew how. Alas, I don’t, but let’s share a nice breakfast together. I have a fresh pot of coffee, toast (for my friends in the UK, scones and tea), eggs the way you like them, and I am here to listen. The Niners Nation Diner is now open, I am here to serve you. Let’s start our weekend together, and I have a special buffet layed out for all of us to sit around and converse with each other, shall we?

For the comments, describe to me your perfect breakfast. Even better, provide the recipe.

"Its the most, wonderful time of the year…."

Ah, the offseason. For us football fans who grew past leaving cookies out for Santa, these are the days counting up until the real Xmas day, where we draw up mock drafts like they were letters to Santa in hopes that he brings us our coveted gifts that we will enjoy for years to come. Forget a BB Gun that will only shoot my eye out. I want a missile out of the backfield to destroy my enemies. A bag of plastic Army men? Give me a defensive backfield instead. I’ll trade a Playstation for a future Hall of Fame quarterback to pWn the Raiderfan living next door. These are the days where we tune out our significant others despite we not getting any before we met them. Even though a down of football isn’t being played, we football fanatics are praying on our bedsides all night that our team doesn’t screw OUR Xmas day up instead of fighting for her for the covers, or her being pissed that she couldn’t sleep because she heard us scream "SPILLER!!" in our sleep. The NFL never ends for us. It never ends for them either. They are tortured every day and night due to our obsession, and are left hopeless while we dig through the trash bin, looking for our perfect mock that we wrote on a napkin during breakfast. Draft weekend is the weekend where housewives in Philly plan a small vacation. They still shudder at the name "Donovan McNabb". Divorce Lawyers have that weekend circled on their calendars. Yet, I was a young, single man working that NFL Xmas weekend, and one name ruined Xmas’ to come from that day forward.

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"This is the last time our season ends in December"

I gotta hand it Jed York. Even though technically he was correct with that statement, what he really meant was playoffs, and youth sometimes has a little bravado to go along with naivety. But boldness is a big part of leadership, and when you have big shoes to fill, the success of the franchise will be determined if the shoes you left behind will either be too tight for Shaquille O’Neal to wear, or the shoes being cast in bronze as baby’s first pair. Jed’s now famous words wasn’t a baby step into the future, but a Neil Armstrong step back to the Glory Days of "Super Bowl or Bust!!". Jed’s mini mission statement reminded us of a time where every year had the promise of a championship, and it helped erase years of mediocrity for just one moment. Head coaches, players, and GM’s come and go. While some people think that ownership really doesn't have much of an impact on the franchise, Jed York made it clear that day that they do. The thing is, now he has to back that statement up.

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A few weeks ago, I posted some thoughts about statistical analysis and their importance to fans of sports, as well as it’s application. One of my favorite writers about the NBA is David Friedman, whose blog, 20 Second Timeout, has some of the best comprehensive analysis and opinion out there on the Internet. Here are a couple of articles regarding statistical analysis, and it’s application to basketball.

After the jump I’ve posted a couple of quotes for preview and I highly suggest reading the linked articles. Enjoy. 

Economics is Not a Science, Nor is Basketball Statistical Analysis

Economics is Not a Science, Nor is Basketball Statistical Analysis, Part II

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The off-season always brings hope in one fashion or another. Be it the upcoming draft, free agent signings, etc, that goes along with the promise of a season anew full of excitement on what is to come, with a hopeful playoff berth as a payoff for the fans who hold steadfast in their allegiance to a team that they have no real control of outside of of what they take out of their wallets and purses to contribute to the cause. A fan in Bolton Landing, NY pays for NFL Sunday Ticket, buys jerseys online, and paints his basement mancave in Silver and Black (complete with a pool table, bar, and a brand new 55" LED display) because he doesn't own season tickets, and can only attend one game in Oakland, CA once every 3 years, if he is lucky and his wife allows it. He didn't care when they were the Los Angeles Raiders. He doesn't care if they go back to being the Los Angeles Raiders. He is a homegrown Upstate New Yawker who somehow became a Raider fan. His brother? A die hard Miami Dolphin fan, who has a rival basement painted in Dolphin colors. They both make a trip to Miami (winters are harsh in Bolton Landing) to go see both of their teams play each other. They, like a lot of us 49er fans at this moment, have no control of what lies ahead for their beloved teams.

Unless you live in Santa Clara....

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"I'm gonna take a (site decorum)" - Vincent Vega

"That's a little bit more information than I needed Vince, but go right ahead" - Mia Wallace

When I was a kid, I used to collect baseball cards. I would wash my Father's car to get some spare change in his pocket to go play Asteroids at the local convenience store, and while I was there, I bought a pack of cards that were easier to chew on than the stick of gum that was packaged with it. The back of those cards had a list of a bunch of numbers that I never considered relevant at the time. The only thing to me that had tangible value was the stick of gum. My gauge of the value of the pack of cards was based upon the chewabilty of the sugary goodness (there is nothing like the smell of a freshly opened pack of baseball cards) than the cards themselves. I never got into the obsession with baseball cards, and threw all of them away months later being that the only value to me at the time was the gum. Without realizing it, I was also throwing away information. That information was the player's statistics, which I didn't care much about at the time, and never thought I would use. That is, until I grew up and found the Internet. Now I can immerse myself into a whole quagmire of data, trying to make sense of it all. But the question is, is this more information than I need?

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"We're starting a season we're not even close to being ready for. We can't beat a single team on our schedule, not one. And, one thing for sure, somebody besides me is gonna have to start providing some leadership around here. Now personally, I don't think you could lead a whore into bed, but you're gonna have to...starting now." - Brian Dennehy as Bobby Knight in "A Season On The Brink"

"I believe this: I would rather play with 10 people and get penalized all the way until we’ve got to do something else. Rather than play with 11 when I know that right now that person is not sold out to be a part of this team. It is more about them than it is about the team. Cannot play with them. Cannot win with them. Cannot coach with them. Can’t do it. I want winners. I want people that want to win." - Mike Singletary as Mike Singletary in "A Mid-Season In The Drink"

John Madden was laughing at George Seifert during a broadcast. I forget which game it was and the team the 49ers were playing against, but the finely tuned Mike Shanahan offensive machine, led by Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young and freshly minted Hall of Fame wideout Jerry Rice, were on a drive. Seifert was the epitome of cool. With those dark shades, stoic presence, and a perfectly cut coiff, he really epitomized Bay Area cool, combined with Silicon Valley precision. He looked more like a CEO of Intel than an NFL coach, compared to say, a way too many Philly Cheese Steak Andy Reid. The reason why Madden was laughing was that the normally stoic Siefert made an awkward move with his knee on the sideline during the drive. It was almost like watching a guy who has no rhythm trying to dance to a beat. It was a forward motion with his right knee, like he was willing a play to happen, to which if I recall correctly didn't, and Madden laughed, "That's the most emotion you will see out of George Seifert".

Fast forward 15 years later, past the emotional "Rah Rah" of Steve Mariucci (the last branch of the Walsh tree, and true end of that era), past the laconic state of the legless and undermined Dennis Erickson, to the autocratic, inexperienced, and unfocused Mike Nolan regime, to now, a "General" leading the young troops to the charge of a hill. Hall of Fame linebacker "Samurai" Mike Singletary, who much like Bobby Knight, has a young team on the "Season On The Brink" whose will is predicated on they willing themselves as Champions towards a common goal as a team. But what does this really mean, how is this truly implemented, will it work, and how are they actually doing it?

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Even during a recession, sports swag is still big business. Drew Brees and Brett Favre are battling it out for the top spot at NFLShop.com in jersey sales (and my guess is that post Super Bowl, Brees will become the eventual winner), and Kobe Bryant tops the list on NBA jersey sales at the beginning of 2010.  Well, Kobe leads it until fans make a run at Lebron James’ Cleveland Cavalier jersey after he leaves for New York and the Knicks, who James will sell even more jerseys after he does (disclaimer: the previous sentence is purely tongue-in-cheek folks. I don’t want readers of the Cavs blog hatin’ on Niners Nation because of it). San Francisco Giants fans were clutching onto their Tim Lincecum jersey for dear life until yesterday. It isn’t limited to sportswear either. If you or a relative are avid golfers, you may have Gold lying somewhere due to a PGA loophole that could have Tiger Woods sexting your iPhone. By the way, anybody in the market for a used, oversized driver? I have about 10 of those collecting dust in the garage.

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drummer’s bio: Hello everybody. I’ve been a fan of the San Francisco 49ers for a few decades now. I live in Southern California after living in San Francisco most of my adult life. The only thing I missed from SoCal when I lived in SF was the Mexican food. Tell me where I can find a better bowl of Menudo in SF, and I may move back. Being that I can’t find good Pho soup down here, I may move back anyway.

Outside of Alex Smith, one of the more polarizing figures of the 49ers when it comes to debate amongst the fanbase is GM Scot McCloughan. One side of the camp thinks he is doing a credible job during the rebuild of the roster, while the other is firmly planted in the "meh" to "FIRE HIM NOW!" side. The media has also joined in, with KNBR post game host Damon Bruce tying McCloughan to the whipping post, and on the flipside, the once very cynical Mike Silver of Yahoo Sports being one of McCloughan's biggest fans. The primary focus of this article is to concentrate on McCloughan's years as GM, his second removed from the physical presence of his one time boss Mike Nolan. Rather than go into a comprehensive study of personnel decisions from 2005 and so forth (the illustrious Florida Danny has some great articles regarding the past drafts), this will be more of a look at the team philosophy from the Front Office on down, and how this offseason could be a critical one for the trio of Jed York, Scot McCloughan, and of course, Mike Singletary.

But first, after the jump, let's reflect a bit on how this all started.

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Greetings fellow 49ers fans. Once again, it's that time of the season where we break out our favorite BBQ sauce, fire up the grill, and feast of some tasty Seachicken freshly plucked out of the sky, using our trusty fishing pole with a piece of Sourdough bread as bait. Gullible little suckers, I tell youse. The 49ers are on the road this game, heading up to SEA to claim what once always theirs, total domination of the NFCW. The 49ers have beaten all 3 NFCW teams already this season, and look to repeat against the Seafowl. After beating the NFCW early, the 49ers looked like they were a team to beat in the NFC. But alas, reality had made us as limp as Shaun Hill's arm, a QB change and offensive philosophy came afterwards, and the 49ers finally got their 1st round draft pick onto the field. The O-line still sucks, the Defense is still good, Gore hasn't been Gore, and Singletary is running out of material in the Press Room. Before the JAX game, the 49ers had only won 2 out of their last 7 games, and the fans were getting frustrated. After beating JAX handily, 49er fans now breathe with new life, and the 49ers as a team need to start making a statement, and what an opportunity in SEA to make that statement. SEA is only one game behind the 49ers in the win column. This game means death to whoever loses. It's that big.

But let's not forget why this thread is here. The teams don't meet until Sunday. The fans are here all week. The Cage has been set, the Gauntlet has been thrown. I call out Fearless Frog once again for his chance at redemption, his shot at laying a Sig and Avatar on me. I won the last bet, yet the fans were the real winners on both sides, getting their smack on against our rivals. I encourage SEA fan to bring their best shot, come out swinging and firing, because we 49er fans can bring it harder.

Let the games begin, b**ches.

FOOCH'S NOTE: I updated the time-stamp so that this entertaining thread stays at the top.

"Oh where or where can he be?"

Hello fellow 49ers fans. drummer here. I'm looking for my beloved little Fearless Frog. I haven't seen him around lately. The reason why I'm looking for him is, well, this weekend looms a bit huge, and since FF is our resident amphibian whose team is Seattle, I kinda would like to have him croak in on this weekends game. Froggy has been tossing his toungue out at the numerous flies about here during the pre-season, trying to get fat on his daily meals. We've been kind and very hospitable, but now is the time for him to come back and led us feed on his fat fried frog legs. That is what I plan to serve for this upcoming weekend, along with some Seattle Squab.

Froggy, this is the day we've been waiting for. Please come back. We need you.

Sincerely

Chef drummer.