SB Nation User Blog: sven406

Bring the Fro Back to the Bay

sven406 — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:59:18 -0000

I think it's about time the Bay Area reacquainted itself with Joshua Malik Childress. He's got the size & quickness to defend multiple positions, and he's only his current team's second favorite restricted free agent. The Hawks say they'll match any offers for him, but I'm not so sure they will if they have to match a huge Philadelphia offer to Josh Smith first.I understand why Nellie may like Corey Maggette, but adding a one-dimensional scorer to a team that is already as defensively deficient as the Dubs makes me nervous. Childress, on the other hand, can help at both ends of the floor. Of course, we've got the money: I wouldn't be opposed to signing them both. Isn't the offseason fun?

Observations from the Philly Bleachers

sven406 — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:05:49 -0000

Sunday was my first time at a Philadelphia sporting event since moving to the east coast, and I wore my Giants gear despite a nagging fear that I might end up dead in a gutter somewhere by the fifth inning. Turns out they weren't as bad as Dodgers fans (especially the Dodgers fans that dug up red outfits for the '02 World Series) -- I guess I shouldn't be all that surprised. A few thoughts on the game from the nosebleed section:

- Phillies fans think the Giants are in last place, and no matter how many times you tell them that's just not true, this assumption does not change. To be fair, this roster out-performing Colorado & San Diego does defy logic, so I'll assume that the bleacher bums were merely making predictions for how the season will turn out.

- Two guys in the row in front of us seemed to think that Rowand is worth the money we are paying him, although that might have been the $8 beers talking. I also saw a guy wearing a t-shirt declaring "Aaron Rowand ran into a fence for me".

- When our starting lineup was announced, I couldn't help but notice that Tim Lincecum had the best batting average of the bunch.

- Those of you who watched the game on TV may have had a better look at this, but it certainly appeared to me that defensive hustle is not a requirement to be a Gamer. Velez may burn up the basepaths, but did he even try to get in front of the routine ground ball that ended the game? Haven't seen a replay, but from the bleachers it looked more like lack of effort than lack of skill (though perhaps it was a combination of the two).

- I have never seen fewer visiting team jerseys at a baseball game, but I did see one poor bastard sporting a Zito shirt. It took every ounce of compassion I could muster not to join the locals in mocking him. Only six more years...

- On an unrelated note, what place does Lincecum get in the Cy Young voting if he finishes the season with a losing record and a sub-2.00 ERA?

Niners to sign DeShaun Foster?

sven406 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 01:52:35 -0000

John Clayton says so. Foster has always been injury-prone but would definitely be an upgrade over Michael Robinson. As much as I love watching Gore run, I am constantly nervous that one of his knees will explode again, so acquiring a high-quality backup is a good move. At age 28, Foster still has big-play ability and is a good receiver out of the backfield. He needs to recover from the fumbling problems that popped up this past season, but if he comes at the right price he will be a good addition.

Acquiring WRs for Martz' system

sven406 — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 22:54:32 -0000

EDITOR'S NOTE 2:55PM - I saw this diary by Sven and am intrigued by the new angle it takes on potential wide receivers for the 49ers. As far as some of the names mentioned, I'm definitely not a fan of Donte Stallworth. He has been too inconsistent and too injury prone. I'm not sure what to expect out of the draft now in terms of potential wide receivers. My personal preference is to go some combination of DL and OL with those first two picks, but I would be a little surprised if they didn't go WR with one of the picks. Either way it's definitely worth discussion

Mike Martz has been calling the shots for NFL offenses for 9 years now. During that time, he has utilized 10 wide receivers:

Torry Holt - 6'0, 190 lbs
Isaac Bruce - 6'0, 190
Mike Furrey - 6'0, 195
Shaun McDonald - 5'10, 185
Az-Zahir Hakim - 5'10, 190
Kevin Curtis - 6'0, 185
Dane Looker - 6'0, 195
Ricky Proehl - 6'0, 190
Roy Williams - 6'3, 210
Calvin Johnson - 6'4, 240

Does everyone see the pattern? Johnson and Williams are immensely talented, but even when Martz had weapons like them, his QB targeted the little guys (Furrey & McDonald) far more often. Martz has always looked to build his scheme around a RB who can catch the ball out of the backfield (which we have) and small, quick receivers who can stretch the field (which we don't). At this point, the most Martz-ian WR the Niners can offer is Jason Hill.

Bernard Berrian would certainly fit the bill but might be overpriced considering Martz' ability to get decent production out of no-name guys who fit his system (Furrey, McDonald, Looker, Hakim). Other free agent options: Drew Carter and the recently released Donte Stallworth.

This also means that the taller, jump-ball chasing prospects at the top of most draft boards (Malcolm Kelly, James Hardy, Limas Sweed) are out. DeSean Jackson will almost certainly be gone by pick #29, but there should be some speed guys available in rounds 2, 3, and beyond. Florida's Andre Caldwell and Houston's Donnie Avery come immediately to mind. I could also see the Niners taking a chance on Appalachian St's Dexter Jackson, who ran the combine's fastest 40 yd dash, in the 4th or 5th round.

As I've written before, I don't like taking WRs too early in the draft, but there's no harm tossing ideas around. Since Martz has now been given the keys to the offense, he'd better also get the personnel he needs to make his plan work.

Thoughts from the Nation?

Mercury News catfight

sven406 — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:07:46 -0000

If you need a good laugh, take a look at Mark Purdy & Tim Kawakami's columns from Tuesday, each addressing the possibility of the 49ers moving to Santa Clara. Kawakami guarantees that the Yorks won't be able to accomplish the stadium deal. Purdy, on the other hand, calls upon Niner fans need to pray the Santa Clara deal goes through, claiming that if it doesn't work out the Yorks will end up moving the team to Los Angeles.

Each columnist finds the other's position ridiculous, and each makes it a point to insult his colleague in print. It's the mediocre sports journalism equivalent of the out-of-the-blue insults being thrown back and forth by Hillary & Barack.

You can find links to the two articles on my blog from yesterday:

http://www.sfbaywatching.com/2008/01/around-bay-tues-115.html

While you're at it, drop a comment on whether you think either of them are on to something & where instinct tells you this might be headed. Any Santa Clara residents out there who can tell me which direction city voters would lean on public financing of a stadium? Where will the Niners be playing in ten years -- Candlestick, a new stadium in San Fran or Santa Clara, or (shudder) LA...

Martz?

sven406 — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 16:00:19 -0000

As the announcers won't have much interesting to say during the game this morning, I'm sure they will bring this up at some point: the Mercury News is reporting that once the Lions fire Mike Martz as offensive coordinator, the 49ers will pursue him. I have been as frustrated by our offense this year as the next guy, but this just makes me nervous. Does it concern anyone else that Martz hasn't led an above-average offense in several years now? Does he still have it? These were Bill Simmons' words on the Lions this preseason:

"Mike Martz hasn't had a top-10 offense since 2001. Last season, he gave us a Detroit attack that tallied 63 sacks allowed, 17 fumbles and 22 picks. Why didn't I realize either of these things until I read the 2007 Pro Football Prospectus? I don't know. But I'm going cold turkey on the "(Fill in the player) should thrive in a Mike Martz offense ..." references until he realizes his manifest destiny and lands in the Arena League."

The pattern has continued this season, as the Lions' offense is 16th in scoring and 19th in total yardage. I realize that's light years ahead of the 49ers, but I just don't think that Martz is the offensive guru that people say he is. Either he's lost a step, opponents have figured him out, or he isn't good unless he has exactly the right personnel. If personnel has been Martz's problem (best case scenario), then there is no reason to believe he can turn around this Niners' team with a pass-happy approach. Smith/Hill/Dilfer are not Kurt Warner cerca 1999, and Frank Gore's strengths are not the same as Marshall Faulk's.

Are people with me here, or am I letting the fact that Martz bugs the hell out of me cloud my judgment?

Poll

Would Mike Martz be a good fit to run the Niners' offense?

Yes

7 votes

No

17 votes

24 votes | Poll has closed

Thank You Bryant Young

sven406 — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:04:05 -0000

EDITOR'S NOTE: 11:00AM - Thanks to svens for putting something like this up. BY hasn't officially come out and said this is it, but in his blog, Maiocco had a quote from BY:

Respected veteran defensive lineman Bryant Young today said he did not want to shift the attention from the 49ers' game Sunday against the Buccaneers, but he acknowledged: "More than likely, this is my last home game." Young added, "We still have two games remaining and I don't want to take any focus off that." BY has certainly ALWAYS been the consummate pro, even when this team has gone down the toilet more often than not in in his last years. This quotation certainly proves it. Feel free to share your favorite BY memories.

-------------------------------------------------------------

The reports of Bryant Young's impending retirement have stirred up two different (but equally bad) responses in my mind --

1) Sadness.

It makes me sick to my stomach that BY is ending his career on this note when the Niners seemed so promising in the off-season. Such a classy, hard-working guy who has anchored the defense for 14 years deserved better. Young has easily been one of the most admirable character guys among star Bay Area athletes that we have seen. The Stubblefield-Young pair was dominant in the mid-90s, and who knows if he would have been even harder for O-lines to handle had he never shattered his leg. We'll miss you, BY. Thanks for the show.

2) Terror.

We've got plenty of linebackers and an improved secondary, but pass rush remains a problem. Improving the D-line could make the Niners' defense dominant, while allowing it to regress will dampen the considerable progress of other parts of the defense. With our sacks leader retiring, our best defensive end a free agent, and our first round draft pick traded to the Hoodie, where do we go from here? I suppose it depends in large part on who is coaching next season. If Nolan goes, do we keep the 3-4? If we switch back to 4-3, does Lawson play DE instead of OLB? Too many questions. Head hurts. I'll think more later.