I did an interview with Ira miller, who, as you know, was the 49ers expert in the ’80s and ‘90s. He’s retired now, living in Illinois. What follows is the full transcript of our phone interview. A shorter version ran in the Press Democrat but did not get put on the web. If it gets posted later today, I also will put that on the blog so you can see what ran in the paper. In meantime, here’s Ira unedited.
Enjoy.
Q: What years did you cover the Niners?
IRA MILLER: “On a daily basis it was basically ’80 through ’98, but I covered them on and off through 2005. I also covered them in ’77, and then I covered the Raiders the next two years.”
Q: At what point did you know the ’81 Niners was a playoff team?
IRA MILLER: “It was one of those things that sort of built. They beat the Rams 20-17 about the middle of the season. They won a lot of close games. In a space of five weeks they won four games by two points or three points. But they beat the Rams 20-17, and I remember the headline in The Chronicle said, ‘This is Serious!’ with an exclamation mark.
“They started out by losing two of the first three games, and Bill Walsh in his paranoia was later quoted as saying I was preparing a series on his firing. But then they beat the Saints at home, and they won on the road in Washington which surprised all of us. And then they came home and beat the (crap) out of the Cowboys. And that was when it looked like something was different.
“The Rams were the team they had to get past in the division, and they’d beaten them like 18 times out of 20, or some ridiculous number, and they came home and they beat the Rams. The Rams had the ball in the 49ers half of the field five different times in fourth quarter and they couldn’t score.
“They started a drive at the 49ers 38 and went three and out. They started a drive on their own 49 and went three and out. They started a drive on the 49ers 45 – got down and missed a field goal. They started a drive at the 49ers 49 and got only to the 40. And then they started their last drive at their own 34 and got down and missed another field goal.
“The 49ers did not make a first down in the fourth quarter and the Rams kept having chances, but their defense stopped them.”
Q: At what point did you think they could go to the Super Bowl?
IRA MILLER: “Probably when the playoffs started. I mean, they were 13-3. The interesting thing was they played the Giants first and they beat them – I think they had already beaten them in the regular season – and then they played Dallas. It had rained like hell in the Bay Area so they went down to Anaheim to practice, and I remember sitting around the hotel one night, just sitting in the lobby and Sam Wyche came by and we started (shooting the breeze), and the coaches were supremely – even though that 45-14 score in the regular season was such a (large) shock – the coaches were supremely confident, and I specifically remember Sam was talking about the 49ers were just too fast for the Cowboys. They thought the Cowboys were an older, slower team, and the coaches just thought that their speed would kill them.
“And in a sense it did. People tend to forget – it was a 28-27 game, but the 49ers lost six turnovers in that game. I think there’s only been one playoff game in history that a team lost more than six turnovers and still won.”
Q: How surprised were you with the way that season unfolded?
IRA MILLER: “Very. Nobody saw it coming. They’d won a couple games at the end of the previous season, but Dallas was still good, the Rams were still the best team in the division allegedly. Nobody at all could have foreseen that coming.”
Q: What did Dwight Clark say in Pittsburgh about Joe Montana?
IRA MILLER: “It was – and I’m paraphrasing – they’d beaten the Steelers in the game where Carlton Williamson was knocking out the receivers, and I can’t remember why, but I was looking for something different, and I asked Clark, ‘What would you write about this game?’ And he said, ‘I’d write about Joe Montana, about how beat up he was.’ I think it was his ribs that were hurting, and how he was in such pain and helped them win the game.
“On the winning drive, Montana got them out of a first and 20. Montana to Solomon for 22. And then Montana ran for a first down on third and eight. They scored with 5:35 to go. I’m sorry, what was the question?”
Q: What did Dwight Clark say in Pittsburgh about Joe Montana?
IRA MILLER: “Oh, that was what he said, that he would write about how hurt and beat up he was. We didn’t know that.”
Q: The general thinking is that was an offense-oriented team, but you disagree.
IRA MILLER: “Yeah, that’s what people think. Like, ‘Oh! It was Joe Montana!’ He was good – he was on the cover of Time and he was on the cover of Newsweek and all that (stuff), but that team finished second in the league in defense and 13th in offense.”
Q: So you would characterize that team as a defensive team?
IRA MILLER: “Well, the defense was the strength of the team – the defense and a great quarterback. They couldn’t run the ball, although they did run it on that last drive against the Cowboys.”
Q: They were ranked 19th in rushing that season.
IRA MILLER: “That’s a (heck) of a lot better than they were the following year – they couldn’t run it across the room. The worst rushing since World War II as I recall – in that strike season. But yeah, once Fred Dean came along the defense carried the team. Look at all those close games they won.”
Q: What did the addition of Fred Dean and Hacksaw Reynolds mean for that team?
IRA MILLER: “Hacksaw taught them how to play, how to prepare. The great Hacksaw story Ronnie Lott tells – Hacksaw had all these pencils and he sharpened them all and he had all this preparation. He put on his uniform in the hotel. I mean Hacksaw was a character. But Ronnie Lott showed up for a meeting once and he didn’t have anything to write with and he asked Hacksaw if he could have one of his pencils, and Hacksaw said no. And Ronnie learned to be better prepared.
“And that was the thing about Hacksaw – he was not a great player but he was a really good player and he understood the game. He was a smart player. I don’t know if you’d characterize him as an overachiever, but the point was he worked at his craft. He was a no-nonsense, no-(b.s.) guy. He taught them how to practice and how to prepare.
“And Fred Dean, when he arrived, gave them that pass rush that Walsh always thought was so important – the pass rush in the fourth quarter.
“And the rookie DBs were out of this world, of course.”
Q: What did Ronnie Lott bring to that team?
IRA MILLER: “Talent! I mean I remember the first time I saw Ronnie Lott on the practice field up at Rocklin. I’d never seen anything like that. He didn’t look anything like what they’d had. I mean it was like a different world.”
Q: At what point did you realize that Joe was great?
IRA MILLER: “I think it just sort of built. I mean you go back – he started those games at the end of the 1980 season, and the big game there was against a New Orleans team that went 1-15. New Orleans had them 35-7 at the half and they came back won 38-35, and that’s still the biggest come-from-behind victory in league history in the regular season, coming from 28 points behind.
But he just seemed to be able to make plays. It wasn’t, ‘Joe Montana!’ – one word with an exclamation point at that point.”
Q: Did he get to that point in 1981 or was that later?
IRA MILLER: “That was later. That just sort of built. The thing about Joe Montana is he was a great quarterback for a number of years, but what ultimately made his reputation I think is the years he came back after the back surgery. That was the best stretch of his career in ’88, ’89 and ’90. You look at those numbers – he was otherworldly.”
Q: What made him so good in ’81, considering he didn’t have Jerry Rice or Roger Craig?
IRA MILLER: “Well he had Bill Walsh. Bill was great at not asking him to do things he couldn’t do. He put him in position. And again, to go back to ’80, he put him in in games in positions where he could call plays that gave him a chance to succeed. That built. And then when he struggled in ’80 he got him the (heck) out of there and put DeBerg back in there as the starter so he wouldn’t lose his confidence. And then later in the year he put him back him – he had that comeback against New Orleans.
“And then they beat New England late in the 1980 season. They were playing New England at home, and I can’t remember why DeBerg was in the game, if Montana had started. I just remember sitting in the press box and turning to somebody and saying, ‘This is about the time when DeBerg usually throws an interception.’ And he threw it and it was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. And that was the last pass he threw for the 49ers.”
Q: Would you say Montana was a game manager in ’81?
IRA MILLER: “Not really, no. They won all the close games in the fourth quarter. I don’t know if the word “game manager” had been invented yet. But he was also the league’s top-rated passer, and when he had to throw – they got into a shootout with the Rams for instance, down in L.A., and he brought them back to win that game on the last drive. Drove them down for a field goal. And as I said, he drove them down against the Steelers in the fourth quarter.”
Q: When did you realize Bill Walsh was great?
IRA MILLER: “Probably one of the times he told us. No, I’m kidding. I don’t know. That’s a good question. I can’t say it was one day where I realized, “This is pretty good.” Sometimes you hear coaches say that when you’re going through something you don’t really think about the whole thing. And I think that was part of it – we were just going through this and it was building week by week. And it’s not until you get to the end where you realize, ‘Hey, this is something pretty special.’
“But they had fourth quarter comeback victories that year against the Steelers on the road, against the Rams on the road and against New Orleans on the road. So that was pretty good. And then they also had that comeback victory in the championship game.
“Montana only got credit for two of those regular season comebacks. He didn’t finish the Saints game – that was the last game of the season. That was Guy Benjamin. Walsh took Montana out when he was sure he’d thrown enough passes and done enough to lead the league in passing. He had his P.R. guy on the phone checking his passer rating throughout the whole first half.”
Q: What was it like to cover that ’81 team?
IRA MILLER: “It was fun. It was new. It had never happened. The town was excited. And the guys were good to deal with – even Montana was pretty good to deal with then.”
Q: What was he like that season?
IRA MILLER: “He was a kid. I remember during the playoffs, they were still in Redwood City, and it’s getting dark at 5:00 because it’s late December and January, and he would stand there – there was a rec building next to where they were, a city building or a parks building – and he’d stay on that lawn until 5:30, 6:00, 6:30 in the dark talking to anybody that wanted to talk to him. And I remember thinking, ‘He’s never going to change.’ Boy, was I stupid.”
Q: Did he change as soon as they won the Super Bowl?
IRA MILLER: “No, it was kind of gradual. We didn’t really notice it until ’84 when it just sort of became obnoxious. He’d drive his car onto the practice field so he could get out without talking to anybody. That sort of thing.”
Q: Was the ’81 team a great team or a team that caught lightning in a bottle?
IRA MILLER: “I think it was a team that caught lightning in a bottle. I don’t think it was a great team. It had some players – Montana, Lott, Clark, some of those guys…Fred Dean. Well, Fred Dean was already a great player. But they had some other players who really became great players as they developed. But they were just kids. They didn’t know what they hell they were doing.
“And Walsh did a great job keeping them on an even keel, I remember Keith Fahnhorst talking about that, because with a young team you can get a little excited, and they never got to high and they never got too low. And of course Bill was really good at diverting the attention from the players onto himself with the things he would say.
“There was the time he took on Howard Cosell over the halftime highlights. They beat the Cowboys 45-14, and I think Dallas was going to be on Monday night the following week. My memory is they didn’t show the highlights of that game – that was when Cosell did the halftime highlights on the Monday night games. It was before ESPN got involved. I think they didn’t show the 49ers-Cowboys highlights if I remember right. But the point was Walsh went off in his Tuesday press conference about the New York media, the elite and all that. He went on that rant.
“And when they went to Cincinnati to play during the regular season – not the Super Bowl – he of course had coached at Cincinnati, and he was still angry at Paul Brown for passing him over for the head coaching job. In public it was never anything he would admit to. It was only afterwards that you would hear about it. The players would tell you how important that was to him.”
Q: Does the focus of the 2011 team seem similar or different than the focus of the 2011 team?
IRA MILLER: “I think the idea is probably the same. I mean, you win by keeping the other guys from scoring. I don’t think the current coach is as charming. And the era has changed so much that I don’t know about the fun part of it, if you follow what I mean. There’s all this baggage now around this team, with the stadium and the money issues and the Yorks, although certainly John being out of the picture has helped.”
Q: Both teams used the West Coast offenses. From what you’ve seen are the offenses similar?
IRA MILLER: “Yeah, one of the games I was at this year I remember looking at plays that I recognized. So yeah, there would be a lot of similarities.”
Q: Which team is better? ’81 or ’11?
IRA MILLER: “That’s a hard one. I would say that team was probably better relative to its competition, which is the only way I can judge – it’s a whole different era. This team could prove me wrong on that. I think this defense clearly has the best defense going into the playoffs, and getting New Orleans at home is a big help as opposed to having to go to New Orleans. I would give them no chance of beating the Saints in New Orleans. I wouldn’t be surprised if they beat them at home, particularly if the weather’s an issue.”
Q: Which team was more talented?
IRA MILLER: “That’s hard to say. With the ’81 team it all emerged at once. This current team, Frank Gore is already a known quantity, Willis is a known quantity. This team has players who have been around. That team all came out of the blue.”
Q: Would you say the 2011 Niners are a more surprising team than the 1981 Niners?
IRA MILLER: “What surprises me is that Harbaugh has been able to make Alex Smith a functional quarterback. The other thing that surprises me is we knew they had crappy coaching the last two years – we all knew that. But I also didn’t the talent level was all that good, and it clearly was better than anybody realized, so that means their personnel people had been doing a better job than most of us realized the last two years.”
Q: Now I have a question comparing Alex Smith and Joe Montana. Don’t laugh.
IRA MILLER: “They’re both right-handed.”
Q: Alex Smith’s 2011 regular season was comparable statistically to Joe Montana’s 1981 season. They both averaged 11.5 yards per completion. Smith had a slightly better QB rating – 90.7 as compared to Montana’s 88.4. Montana threw 19 TDs and 12 INTs while Smith threw 17 TDs and 5 INTs. And Montana had two fourth-quarter comebacks, Smith technically had five. What do you think of that?
IRA MILLER: “I think you can make almost any case you want out of statistics. Smith has Frank Gore. Joe didn’t have Frank Gore. Smith has the league’s No. 1 defense. Although Joe had the No. 2 defense, surprisingly. You can twist the numbers anyway you want – we know about Joe Montana. I think we’ve seen enough of Alex Smith to know – I don’t want to say this year’s an aberration and he’s going to revert – but I’m not convinced. This may be his career highlight.
“And let’s face it. His coaches came into this season not-to-sure about him. I still go back to the Dallas game when they took that 50-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to go up by 10 instead of the 15-yard penalty which would have given them a first down and a chance to try and go up by 14 because he didn’t want to put the ball back in Alex Smith’s hands. That’s all you need to know about what Jim Harbaugh thought about Alex Smith.”
Q: And it’s not like Bill Walsh ever pulled that move with Joe Montana.
IRA MILLER: “Yes. He got rid of DeBerg before the season, but he wasn’t worried about Montana’s psyche so he brought in a backup that he had coached at Stanford. My guess is Harbaugh has to worry about Alex Smith’s psyche too, and he doesn’t want a backup who could be perceived as any kind of a threat.
“Walsh built something that was lasting. Years after he was out of the organization they were still doing his thing. And for all of Walsh’s issues, he didn’t have this guy’s…I think this guy’s a little paranoid. He closes practices, does things like that. Walsh didn’t give a (crap) who was watching him practice.”
Q: Why not?
IRA MILLER: “Because he was supremely confident. Walsh was concerned with his things. He was worried about his team. He wasn’t worried about…he liked to screw with the writers –don’t get me wrong. He liked to throw out false things and get you chasing things and talking about things that didn’t matter. But deep down he didn’t worry about any of that (crap).”
Q: You alluded to Walsh’s charm. Could you describe it?
IRA MILLER: “With Walsh you could have a conversation. He never read the paper quote unquote, but he always knew what everybody wrote. He was great for starting off an answer, ‘Some people said we’re a finesse team,’ or, ‘Some people said we couldn’t win this game,’ but you never knew what you were going to get when you sat down to a press conference with Walsh.”
Q: You didn’t know the mood he was going to be in?
IRA MILLER: “No. He would never show that mood. You never knew where he was going to go with anything. The impression I get of Harbaugh is he is a bitter former player.”
Q: Mike Ditka threw him under the bus one too many times?
IRA MILLER: “Yeah. Ditka hated him, and it’s like he’s carried that with him.
“I think next year’s going to be very interesting. You’re going to be looking to see whether Alex Smith can improve. To use the cliché, can he take his game to the next level? Because he’s not an elite quarterback, and you look at the schedule they’ve got next year it’s going to get a little tougher.
“I think Seattle’s going to get better. St. Louis may get better. The division may get better. So it may not be quite the same cakewalk. Plus the expectations are going to be so different all of a sudden. Remember the 49ers went from winning that first Super Bowl to missing the playoffs.”
Q: How did Montana and Walsh handle those expectations in ’82?
IRA MILLER: “Not particularly well. They had a whole raft of drug problems on the team. It started in the offseason – Randy Cross broke his leg at an appearance at an amusement park. Things happen. As George Seifert was always fond of saying: ‘You don’t just pick up the next year from where the last year ended. Every year is new.’”
Q: Do you think Harbaugh would be able to handle losing like that?
IRA MILLER: “He should be able to – he’s lost before. From a distance, he just seems to me to be a very private person. I had very little dealings with him when he was a player, and I don’t remember him being particularly pleasant – although I know some of the Chicago writers liked him.
“I can’t tell if he gets any enjoyment out of this.”
Q: In ’81 you could tell Bill Walsh got a ton of enjoyment out of it?
IRA MILLER: “Yeah.”
Q: Harbaugh talks about the great thrill of victory but he doesn’t show it on his face.
IRA MILLER: “Harbaugh doesn’t seem like a joyful person.”
Q: Do you think that suggests he may not last a full ten years like Walsh did?
IRA MILLER: “Ten years is a long time for an NFL coach. He’s going to have to fix some things. I don’t think they’re going to be a consistent winner with this quarterback. Now, I might be wrong. I’ve never seen a guy who suddenly emerges in his seventh season.
“The thing that bothered me about Alex Smith last year – well, a lot of things bothered me about him other than the fact that I didn’t think he was the guy they should draft. Last year, that first game of the season when they had all that trouble getting the plays in. It was almost like he was pouting and blaming them for not getting the plays in. Here’s a guy who was the first pick in the draft in his sixth NFL season – you’re the freaking quarterback. Get up to the line of scrimmage and call a play. I had a real problem with that. But he seems to be a nice kid and he’s having a great year and good for him.”
Q: So you’re saying Montana would have called his own plays if they were coming in late?
IRA MILLER: “Yes. It looked to me like Alex missed out on the leadership gene. And again, it’s just an observation from a distance.”
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Ira knows a lot about the teams he covered, but it seems he knows almost squat about the current team.
This business about “taking the ball out of Alex Smith’s hands” is pathetic. Yet another person ignoring the fact that in 2009 and 2010 Smith was one of the best Red Zone QB’s in the league, and views everything through the “Smith isn’t good” prism. Any evidence that they don’t want to be aggressive offensively, and it’s “oh well Smith isn’t any good.” Somebody paying attention would realize the entire offense was new to most Red Zone installations because of the lockout, and obviously you had guys like Braylon Edwards who went out with his knee injury.
Also, Harbaugh has plenty of joy on his face after a win. For a stoic guy.
Yeah he was a little off in his comments about Harbaugh not being a joyful person. When you see Harbaugh ripping his shirt out and chest bumping players after a game, I don’t think there’s any HC who enjoys a win more. He does get stoic to a degree during the press conferences, but that’s what I see from most HC’s around the league. It seems to be in the Coaches handbook on decorum.
Agreed. Nostalgia for the team of 30 years ago is fun, but his thoughts on the contemporary team are off base.
Wow, has it been 30 years? 30??!!!?? I’m turning 36 in a couple weeks so I was too young to understand the first one, but remember the 2nd and onwards. But man 30 years ago seems like a long time!
Great idea to look up Ira and get his thoughts Grant. Well done! Some really nice insight there.
Always liked Ira when he was with the Chron.
Unfortunately, based on this interview another great football mind is going to be vilified and trashed.
It was good to hear Mr. Miller’s reference to Carlton Williamson. I always thought he was the most under rated DB. Of them all he was my favorite. A real monster player.
@Greyvet
I can’t remember for sure, but I think that Williamson came from Pitt. I do remember Lott saying that he was the biggest hitter he’d ever seen. Out of that ‘freshman class’, I believe that my favorite was Eric Wright. The quickest moves and the fastest back-peddle I had ever seen. None of them was someone that as a receiver I’d be wanting to look across the line at. Culliver and Brock will develop into two of them…next draft I expect a shut-down corner in the first two rounds, and then Receivers….big and fast, with attitude.
You wont get a shut down corner with our daft pick, and I dont believe there is even one in this draft. In truth I think this a vastly overused term. In my lifetime I have seen 2 corners that I would call shutdown corners. Sanders and Revis, they get the title because qb’s were scared to throw at them because there was a good chance it would go the other way. Nambdi (sp?) is great as was Champ Baily but qb’s still throw at them.
There was a time Williamson and Jeff Fuller played together. What a punishing pair they were. It still makes me sad thinking about that day in Palo Alto when Jeff was injured…..
Well said Wolf … I too remember that day with sad thoughts
I was there that day. Think it was against the Cardinals. Debartolo continued to take care of that guy well after his retirement.
It was against Patriots at Stanford. It was after the Earthquake. I remember that one well.
Eddie D. still pays money in to a fund for Fuller, the last I heard. There’s an annuity or a trust fund or something like that set up for Fuller.
I respect Ira Miller and his opinions, as well as for his lobbying that got Fred Dean into the Hall of Fame.
Reading his comments about Jim Harbaugh jolted me a bit, considering how excited Niners fans are about him and the fanfare he’s receiving nationally. However, it’s interesting that Ira admits he didn’t see the 49ers or Walsh’s greatness coming. I appreciate his honesty, and the ’81 49ers did come out of nowhere. But you would have expected, that as a writer about the 49ers and NFL expert, he would have perceived how Walsh was so ahead of the rest of the league. Maybe Ira is more of a ‘I will only believe it when I see it’ kind of guy. Hopefully his skepticism about Harbaugh and the current team proves unfound like his failure to perceive the 49ers’ greatness in the early 80s. Anyone else dismayed or encouraged by Ira’s comments?
his opinions are his.just wondering how another reporter saw the same time around walsh.remember history is made up of two words:his-story.
Interesting reminiscences, but any conversation with Ira Miller will inevitably contain an unprovoked trashing of John York and his family, no matter how subtle. The eternal meanness of Miller always makes me thankful for the presence of Matt Barrows and Matt Maiocco in our era.
Very, very well put, Dave. I resist commenting much on Miller because there is s little that is positive to say about his Niner coverage.
John York deserves every bit of trashing he receives and then more. He came into this franchise determined to ruin everything Eddie D. has built. His envy for Eddie has always been his primary motivation when it comes to the 49ers.
It wasn’t until John was shoved aside that the team finally started becoming respectable again.
Being a long time Niner fan, I’d have to say he’s always been a bit curmudgeonly but you could always trust in getting an objective observation from him. Always enjoyed his work and you notice he usually follows his “opinions” with some statement that he might not be right unlike some of the “experts” we get to read on a daily basis. LOL I believe he’s in the HOF as a football writer.
I personally have to say that it is “refreshing” to hear from someone who is “objective” on the subject of both the 1981, & 2011 49er teams. Ira Miller maybe retired, but he “still” has insight regarding the SF 49ers.
How could Alex have called a play on his own when Sing was very controlling over what plays where called?
Miller’s comment is from someone who has never played QB at any level.
I think it is great that few people really believe in the team in the playoffs or understand how they have been winning. They are going to be underestimated every step of the way. That’s an advantage.
great article
Great article Grant! It is always nice to go down memory lane. Whether Ira knows about this year’s team or not is irrelevant. You were not interviewing him to find out more about this year’s team. So all the people that are foaming at the mouth should take a chill pill. In my mind the whole idea behind this article is perspective. Comparing the 81 team to the 2011 team is just a fun topic and who better to do it than Ira. It may not be 100% accurate or a scientific comparison but that is not the point here. Thanks Grant…I am quickly beaching a fan. In this age of cookie cutter sports writers you bring a fresh perspective. A chip of the old block!! :)
Grant, good read.
Ira makes some good points. One aspect of AS game that he neglects or didn’t discuss was the number of OC’s and systems changes year to year. Who knows what JM’s career would have looked like if BW wasn’t his HC when he was drafted in 1979. JM ran one system with the 9ers. I don’t think BW ever threw JM under the bus or questioned his toughness like MN did to AS. He obviously didn’t help increase his confidence level. Gannon, Tollner, Gruden, Billick, Dilfer, SY, and a number of other former players/coaches have stated that AS can continue to improve and play at a winning level year over year with JH.
The only comparison I’ve made between 1981 JM and 2011 AS are the system and related statistics for those years. JM had been in BW’s system 2 years going into 1981 season and AS has been in JH’s system for a few months w/o OTA’s. The point is, AS can improve upon this years numbers and get better. No one can say unequivocally that AS has hit his ceiling in JH’s system. No other comparison is necessary or should be made with the best NFL QB ever.
Regarding Ira’s comparison of BW to JH, everyone handles things their own way. Key question is if their style is working? Seems to be for JH – short term anyway. BTW, what does Ira think of Belichick’s demeanor or how would he characterize him? His success?
Ira states, “It looked to me like Alex missed out on the leadership gene.”
This statement implies that a leader is *only* born and can’t be taught.
Hmmm.
Love to hear about the good old days but Ira didnot say one nice positive thing about the current Niners, last time I checked, their was only one Bill Walsh and one Joe Montana. Harbaugh LOVES WINNNG and you see a lot of joy into that, “Who has it better then us ” I hate to defend Alex Smith, but I can just imagine the Rev taking his head off, if he starts calling his own plays at the line of scrimmage. Last year we possibly had the worst coach and offensive coordinator in the history of the NFL.
I. Miller said, “… – you’re the freaking quarterback. Get up to the line of scrimmage and call a play.” And I am surprised and a tad disappointed. Surprised and disappointed that he does not know what he’s talking about if we are to believe things local beat writers have revealed in recent weeks. Specifically, Singletary would not allow (can you believe it) Alex Smith to change a play at the line of scrimmage. Gore has also stated this more than once. I don’t recall anyone ever stating Nolan’s stance on play calling – other than he stayed as far from it as he could.
Or what JM stated when watching the film with Keena, the 9ers had few options on offense before this year. Throw it 20-30 yds down field even if it wasn’t open – INT or take the sack.
OK- but that is just it- some QB’s in this league would just TAKE the control out of the coach’s hands. Farve did it with childress. Manning always did that with his OC’s. Cutler has done it. Brees.
Rodgers seems like he does it much more than many would assume. I watched an awkward interview with rogers and mccarthy where it was obvious that rogers overrules mccarthy quite a bit on what plays are called.
But that was the problem. Nolan didn’t want a dominant personality as a QB. He wanted someone “meek” that would be a coach pleaser.
I think that is where miller is coming from.
He certainly is consistent.
Every time someone hauls Ira Miller out of his retirement place, he says the same things about the current 49ers. All of this season he has said:
They win by only 2 or 3 points. (Implication: this is not a good team, just a lucky one.)
Alex Smith may revert, since this will be deer headlight time. (Implication: Smith is not a good quarterback and he will go back to what he did when he had all those incompetent heed coaches and offensive coordinators.)
Let’s haul out a couple of other folks, and paraphrase what they wrote. It’s applicable to the current 49ers.
Stein: A win is a win is a win.
Shakespeare: A win by any other name would be as sweet.
Ira sounds like many of the old fans still living in the past glory. Get over it. JH’s job is to win games, not coddle to the media or have a joyous personality. Interesting to note though that he said BW didn’t ask JM to do things he couldn’t do, he’d put him in position to succeed. Kind of sounds like what JH is doing with AS.
Very nice interview, Grant.
I can’t argue with most of this but I would take issue with the “bitter ex-player.” I don’t see that. I don’t think Ditka ‘hated’ Harbaugh. I think the proof there is some of the positive statements that have come from Ditka since Harbaugh took over as a coach.
Ditka’s problems, if you watch his biography, is that he didn’t necessarily care what his players thought, he was an old school guy. In some ways he was a lot like Tom Landry – the coach was the be-all, end-all. My way or the highway. Landry was a class act though, where Ditka wasn’t always.
Ira may have found Walsh to be charming but I remember a lot of writers thought Walsh was arrogant and not ‘supremely confident.’ All in the eye of the beholder, I suppose.
I think it’s fair to say that Alex Smith may be on the bubble and that he could fall flat next season and this is it for him. But, it’s also fair to say that he may also continue to grow under a system that works better for him – no one knows yet.
I don’t think it’s correct to say, “haven’t seen a player emerge after seven years.” He covered the Niners and should intimately know Steve Young’s story, John Brodie’s story and Jim Plunkett’s story. Bradshaw and a few others were on struggling teams for several years as well.
Great interview Grant, fun trip down memory lane. Thanks for the transcript.
Adam: you are correct about Alex Smith: nobody knows.
@Adam, I think the “bitter ex-player” refers more to Harbaugh’s dealings with the media than his coaching or demeanor away from the press.
Harbaugh got trashed by the Chicago and Indianapolis press when he was playing – I doubt he has a lot of love for the 4th estate.
Hmm… I don’t remember that. All I’ve ever seen about Harbaugh has always been pretty positive, beat the LA Rams with cracked ribs, taking teams to the AFC championship game, MVP, Captain Comeback and all that stuff.
But, he wasn’t a Niner, so I didn’t pay much attention to it but I remember some of those stories.
He doesn’t seem bitter to me. He doesn’t have his brother’s easy going personality in front of the cameras but I’m not sure I’d describe him as bitter. That seems a bit harsh.
Again Adam…
JH played QB in the NFL for a long time. He saw a part of the media from the position few have (starting QB 1st round pick bust turn pretty good QB) to become HC.
Don’t discount those crticisms he received as QB in addition to JH’s natural personality. lol
I tend to agree with Ira on Alex Smith. If Smith can take it up a notch, then the Niners will have something to build on, but if this is the best we’re going to see, then its time to recruit someone new. The playoffs are a huge determining factor, because we’re going up against elite teams that force you to throw more. Also, something tells me that Harbaugh knows what he has in Alex Smith – so perhaps, he will open up the offense a bit more next week. The bottom line is – things are looking good for the Niners.
The 81 defense had four INTs returned for touchdowns and a fumble recovery turned into 7 pts as well. Dwight Hicks and “the Hot Licks” featuring rookies Carlton “The Hammer” Williamson and Ronnie Lott and Eric Wright were phenomenal that season. This 2011 TEAM has rookies coming out of nowhere as well. Seeing Kendall Hunter leap all of his 5’7″ frame high into the azure sky to grab a TD would be sweet. We may only live once but to have these fantastic moments re lived again is awesome!
Grant, maybe far off in the future, say 2042, a young reporter will call you up and ask for your recollection of the 2011 season. You can tell him about Boobie, Harbaugh’s pickup truck and Alex’s five come from behind wins to start the second Dynasty!
I see most miss Ira’s thought of he doesnt enjoy the wins. Sure he loves wins..then later,its his paranoid hate to do it again. Something like that.
Yeah-I think we are missing a lot on the Harbaugh story..just the fluff of his brothers and who has it better. He is a bitter guy for no known reason. The media is the enemy–his presscons are filled with tension..just over last weeks game? THATS all it takes?
Even Luck-a Stanford kid,who you would think would never say anything close to ill of a coach..said Harbaugh was polarizing…Now,I wonder-of who? the players at Stanford?..or that Harbaugh loved Luck one day..and moody like gave him that Harbaugh brush off?
Its could be Ira’s on to something like Harbaugh might not be a HC for very long..long enough to win some big games…then move on or retire early.
You just KNOW..he’s moving to a ranch in Montana.
To call Ira Miller an “expert” is a reach. He covered the team…so what? all that qualifies him is to say he watched a lot of games…so did the fans… they aren’t experts either…Go back to his writings back then and show me where he was an “expert”. I was there..I read them at the time, not in retrospect like he is doing now. One last thought on this, Why is it that Alex Smith is compared to Montana/Brady/Brees? Do the writers really think he is a hall of famer or are they just trying to confirm their predictions that he is not good by comparing him to the greats?? why not compare him to all the other quarterbacks NOT in the playoffs? And if Ira Miller was honest, there is no way tht he was comparing Joe Montana in 1981 to Johnny Unitas or any of the other old greats, it is only now in retrospect, after they won the Super Bowl in 1981 that Alex Smith is compared to Montana. I would like to see the Miller articles in 1981 in the first month of the season and then compare those opinions of Montana to what we now know of Alex Smith this season. To compare Montana now to Smith is just not a fair comparison…apples to apples…
On another issue, I think the local sports writers get too caught up in predictions…I watched the Harbaugh press conference the day after the last game and I was shocked at how many questions were of the “were you surprised?” “did you extect?” Did Alex exceed your expectations?, and on and on…all about pregame predictions..I don’t think coaches operate that way, hence Harbaugh’s answers…Only sports writers make predictions then consistently ask questions to confirm those predictions…
You need a hug dude. He was asked the questions. If someone covered and worked with the forty niners for that many years. I would call them an expert. Take it easy man. Did he blow you off sometime in life? Focus that energy on the saints. And if your going to the game. Curse Ira out as loud as you can. At least it will be noise. :-)
From the American Heritage Dictionary: Expert 1. A person with a high degree of skill in or knowledge of a certain subject.
Ira Miller did not come close to that in his Niner coverage. One of the big disappointments of the Niner Dynasty of the ’80′s was incompetent coverage by the Chronicle.
@DrGrosse, I’m guessing if Ira said “Oh yeah, Alex is great!” you’d be proclaiming how awesome the Chron’s coverage was in the ’80s.
Despite your agenda, the Chron WAS the best NFL coverage in the bay area in the ’80s. They did a fantastic job and Ira Miller was president of the National Football Writers Association for a reason. Because he knew his stuff.
In the ’90s the Press Democrat took the lead though with Mike Silver and a host of great names. The PD still has that lead today IMO.
MSC you are exactly right.
hahaha. yea I do need a hug…
Excellent interview.
“there both right handed” that’s hilarious. Look I like what Alex is doing. And we don’t know his ceiling. We know Montana’s. And after a year and a half of starting games joe won a Super Bowl. This is smiths 6th actual year of playing. So to compare the two is ridiculous. Like a certain fan’ like to do.
7 days away and we see what destiny lies before our team. Again if they beat the saints. They are winning it all. Wheeew!
“they’re”
That’s two full football seasons under Walsh learning the WCO before the ’81 season. Quit distorting the facts to back up your opinion of Smith, md. Remember now… apples and oranges. You’re surely not thinking that Jim Hostler’s and Jimmy Raye’s coaching abilities and systems were even close to the same level as Walsh’s are you. Sacrilege!!! Now what will Smith be like with 2 years of Harbaugh’s coaching and system under his belt(starting the ’13 season), stay tuned you just might find out!!! LOL
It was 3 seasons, and he only played 8 games the first two. And yes who knows what smiths ceiling is. This could be it. It could get better. That’s my point. Until smith even comes close to
Montana’s career. Let’s just stop the comparison. It’s just foolish.
i agree that ira seemed a bit negative. but come on people you cannot compare alex smith in any way, shape, or form to joe montana. joe montana is arguably the best qb in the history of the nfl, and is in any conversation of the best players to ever play the game. alex smith for all his improvement can’t even be any where near that discussion. and don’t give me stats. the rules of the nfl have vastly changed since montana played. look at passing numbers league wide compared to what they were just a decade ago. the nfl made a conscious decision the change the game to make it more of a passing game. in any case, i think the 49ers have a real shot at it this year, they could take it. there’s no reason to make false comparisons to past teams.
I gotta disagree. Joe Montana isn’t arguably the greatest qb. He IS the greatest. That’s all. Well said.
Yep-the best at QB. At investing? Not so good.
An interesting discussion would be to talk about why you say Joe was the best ever. On what criteria do you make such a statement.
Just so you understand, Joe is by far my favorite QB and I told friends in week 6 of 1981 that he was the best I had ever seen.
No one has come close to him since, but I don’t think there is any objective criteria by which we can prove that he is the Greatest of All Time.
Grosse…. Im not even going to attempt to answer that ridiculous statement.
great piece, Grant. i had to stop reading at a couple of points because i was so pumped up reliving 1981, i wanted to run outside and tackle someone. which is a bad idea on the upper west side – everyone is 80 years old and pretty frail. Ira’s reporting was always very solid and fair.
i think Ira is pretty much spot on…in 81, we had a total stud defense, with players who were a revelation (Lott, Wright, Williamson, Dean) AND a QB who was clearly great. how does a qb win over the fans? complete a lot of 3rd and 8 and 3rd and 11 plays. not sure what the stat’s will show, but when you were watching, Joe was clearly the man. he often had to run for his life around and from the pocket, and he made stuff happen. the kind of athletic, predatory skills you just cant teach. if you’ve ever played with guys like that, you know what i mean. and some guys have the skills to go with it, and to go all the way.
as for his comments on the current team’s offense, i’m sure it will inspire an even more heated debate on Alex Smith. I for one would not quickly dismiss someone who has spent 30+ years reporting on/watching NFL football at a closeup level.
One thing about Harbaugh that rubs the writers-and I see some national writers don’t care for him either- the wrong way is,He pulls the “I dont suffer fools gladly” ‘tude. Only, he pulls it on people who aren’t fools.
Who would that be?
A Stanford educater for one…a Phd in writing. But,he’s spread it around to many. Watch those presscons. Like a school bully forced to talk to the class.
“Shut up, nerds!”
@Stan
You are aware that nerds attend Stanford, right?
AL..a total nerd.
And funny-just yesterday ‘morn on Bay Area Sports Guys blog,I mentioned Fred Dean as a REAL terror on defense…
I remember buying the SF Chronicle every morning on my way to work. I looked forward to reading Ratto, Cohn and Miller. Miller’ interview brought back some great memories and revelations.
This is the first time hearing that the great Bill Walsh was conteplating his being fired after the 3rd game.
I also remember watching the game against the Steelers and watching with unbelief as Carlton Williamson personally dismantled the
Steelers R’cvng corps (wow!).
Like Ira, I too watched the evolution of Montana and have watched Alex in college and as a 49er. Alex has improved under Harbaugh (no argument there), but I agree with Miller (i.e. “They’re both right handed”, he has a way to go before having his name mentioned in the same sentence as Montana. Ira Miller has no affiliation to anyone, so his comments are completey honest and true regarding AS.
I’ve said thoughout the season that our Defense and ST’ play has been hugely instrumental in our success. I won’t debate that contention, i’ll just say look at our recent All-Pro selections.
Speaking of All-Pros… where’s our All-Pro post Grant? *grumble*
Gotta love Bowman making the 1st team, eh AES?
love it!
You can only compare the single season numbers between the two and then whatever other circumstances are relevant – new coach, new system, new players, etc.
The totality of their careers – no.
Grant: I want tread lightly on this subject for an obvious reason, but you have already surpassed the skill of Miller et al who covered the 1981 Niners.
HEY BAYAREAFANATIC, NINERMD, ETC,
MATT MAIOCCO JUST NAMED ALEX SMITH HIS OFFENSIVE MVP!!!!!!!
@dr
Really?
Matt has spent a good part of his TV time blasting AS.
I never saw Maiocco blast Smith. He usually plays it right down the middle, here’s the news, here are the two sides, here’s what I think it might be, etc.
Matt’s a talented guy. Actually, both Matt’s are fantastic. We have some great Niners coverage with all these guys. Grant included! Lot’s of angles, lot’s of stuff. Love it!
@Adam
I don’t remember seeing him praise AS a lot on TV.
Note: Not counting his articles. Those seem to be slanted in a more positive light.
Matt, if you read this, you need an honorable mention for Tedd Ginn on Special Teams. Back-to-back returns (one KR, one PR) for touchdowns and also for the fantastic starting field position he gave our offense on many occasions.
Just throwing that out there.
Guess that shows how bad the offense was this year.
mslmon got it right. Like being QB on a 13-3 isnt EVER the o guy of the year?.
League MVP??? hahahaha!
And?
@craps
What is the subject you keep getting censored in?
I always have to read Ira with a filter on. He sounds like a caustic, bitter person. I remember in the mid-to-late 90s, his constant gripe was over the JJ Stokes trade in 1995. Whenever the 49ers started showing any weakness after a loss to the Packers or in general, Ira would trot out his tired refrain about how the front office had messed up that trade, and that it was the end of the team.
Now, I don’t think the JJ Stokes trade was a good one. Nor do I like what Vinny Cerrato and the niners’ late 90′s personnel department did with the draft. But I felt like, really Ira? The end of the 49ers dynasty is because of the JJ Stokes trade?
That aside, he makes some really interesting points. It’s neat to get his perspective on the 1981 team and what the attitude was like around the team. I was also surprised at his negative attitude about Joe but his description made sense.
I don’t think his description of the present state of the 49ers franchise is correct. He trudged out the same tired lines and a casual reader would think that Mike Nolan was still the coach and the team was still mired in sub-mediocrity. The team is not in a stadium struggle a la 2-3 years ago. They are not financially in trouble as his quote seems to say. The Yorks aren’t cheaping out on free agency or their draft picks. The Yorks made some stupid moves (John mostly), but Jed York seems to be channeling Eddie’s success and not his father. If Ira wanted to be fair, he’d give Jed some credit for his moves over the last year, but completely passed on the chance.
But, thanks for posting this Grant. Very interesting read for sure.
Agree that IM had an edginess to him. I favored reading LC, GD, BJ, and RR, even though I didn’t always agree with their articles. Regarding IM, there is a reason he is in the HOF for his writing.
Interesting. Montana referred to LC as the “master of the low blow” and GD as a “snake”. Joe liked Ira though.
I think this interview is coloring your memories, for obvious reasons.
“I think”
Who cares!
Inadvertently left off *lol*
I had a brain fart. I said I disliked Ira. It was actually Glen Dickey I didn’t like. Ira write some fantastic pieces in the 80′s.
Dickey made me mad sometimes and Lowell made me furious on a few occasions. But I *always* read their articles. A good writer can get you to read even if you disagree with him.
Dickey is one of my favorites – he even co-authored a book with the great BW. GD usually wrote the way it is and didn’t sugar coat anything. But he was fair with his opinion and column. IM seemed to take on an air of arrogance over time. I remember seeing the sports guys from the Chron on a local sports talk program. Was enjoyable hearing them banter back and forth but IM definitely had a certain edginess about him.
heheh Hofer. Dickey made me spit nails in ’88 when he was advocating replacing Montana with Young.
He was a damn fine writer though.
“was” a fine writer? Still with Examiner.com and has written some damn fine articles for them!
MSC, don’t be shocked that GD was in cahoots with BW when you read that article in 1988 regarding replacing JM and SY. BW often asked the writers to help him with his agenda. lol
I loved when Miller covered the Niners. However there are two former beat writers who will always be bitter about the Yorks and will never completely forgive this team regarding their ownership. I don’t know if Eddie did a favor for these guys or what, but it’s been total hate since that time. The two former beat writers are Ira Miller and Clark Judge. One word for these guys: Bitter.
I liked most of Ira Miller’s 49er coverage but he became a little too cynical and hard to get along with in his later years. He especially didn’t like it when I called him out for denying a previous statement (documented).
He is wrong about how Joe Montana would have just gone ahead and called the play himself if the coaches didn’t get it called in time. Joe was great but I used to get so frustrated with him for burning time-outs early, either because he didn’t get the play in time or because the play wasn’t right with that particular defensive alignment. That bothered me because just a few years prior to that QB’s called virtually all their own plays. Prior to the 80′s QB’s were expected to call virtually all their own plays.
Grant!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS INTERVIEW! Ira is one of my all time favorite sports writers. The guy is a hoot and is an expert on the 49ers of the past. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the flashback and the incredible job you did with you interview. Thank You
I guess Ira Miller will be officially an Alex Smith hater as well! I agree with everything he said in this article. However, anytime anyone criticizes Alex Smith, they instantly have no credibility. Funny how that happens.
Ira sounds like he thinks that “We’re a quarterback away as well!” lol.
“I don’t think they’re going to be a consistent winner with this quarterback. Now, I might be wrong.”
He doesn’t state his opinions as facts. Notice those last 5 words from a HOF expert, his ego will allow him to say them, will yours??? LOL
wow those Saints are real choir boys….look at those vocals
I didn’t take it as he thought we were a QB away. Jus stating facts that one good season doesn’t mean anything. If he can improve and play this way year in and year out I think ppl will look at AS differently. Come Saturday jan 14th is the biggest game for our team. And I hope they show up! And I hope alex plays well enough to win the game. But overall I am pleased with the way our team has played and things will only get better even if this year isn’t our year. Let’s go niners!
fumble!!
Saints stole the 49ers game plan on that drive – let the defensive tackles penetrate and run the back right by them
Sproles makes me nervous. The 9ers strength is the front seven and trying to run up the middle but the way Sproles cuts back he can be a game changer.
49ers are 32nd in the league against RBs in pass defense. Sproles scares the beejeesus out of me.
We have 2 all pro LB’s, we got this, sideline to side line.
@msc
I have never heard that.
Could mean that the secondary is holding the WR’s in check, so the RB’s get the ball a lot on check down passes.
I remember a few games where that happened (forget which ones though).
Stafford is going to cost this team the game.
?
2 TDs, no turnovers… what am I missing?
Are we really afraid of this Saints team? Thought they couldn’t be stopped.
Better go back and start watching that Falcon and Giants film some more. One of em is coming to SF next week.
What did I see before the half? I think it was a field goal.
I’ve heard all week (all season), field goals won’t be enough against these offensive juggernauts.
Both teams have no D.
If NO comes here, they are going to be in for a shock. And come out saying “So that is a defense.”
Anybody notice how well NO protects DB? How much time he has? And the 1 time he was not given protection, he fumbled.
Am I the only person here who wants to punch Bob Costas in the groin?
@msc
You may be the only person thinking about Bob’s groin. lol
love the fact that NO offense doesn’t seem so invincible right now
The few times DB has been pressured he looks no better than our AS under pressure.
Think a great OL helps a QB a lot?
If Detroits D can get to Brees what can our Smiths do
Detroit has done nothing right on D, except hold them back from scoring.
Yards are given away like candy, but yards don’t win you games.
Brees on his ass again, lol
WOW Calvin Johnson is a beast!
Ayup. Triple coverage = Wide open for Megatron.
I really hope the 49ers grab a guy like that in the draft this year. A big bodied guy would be a huge help.
Has any QB made something out of nothing tonight?
Anytime people get near the QB’s this game, the QB has not made any WOW play.
Lions do not tackle.
Maybe the Lions don’t know you can use your arms to tackle.
And jeez. DB should have 3TD/3 Int’s 1 fumble.
Jeez, the Lions had several plays where they could change the game – can you say INT?
Add to that the failure of Det HC to challenge the ball spot deep NO territory.
On that 4 th and 2, Saints player number 17 blocked in the back…. I don’t like these refs!
The lions should have 4 picks this game. Our DB’s don’t miss those.
Our LBs wrap up RBs too.
Ok , so now we have to hope for injuries, lol Graham, sproles, coltston
How can Meacham get so open? Ridiculous!!
Meachem
Ok so NO it is. Our defense will shut them down!!
Did Detroit play any defense tonight?
Not anything recognizable at the NFL level.
Never forced 1 punt.
New Orleans defense doesn’t look that great either. If Stafford didn’t throw that pick, this game would probably be a lot closer.
Can’t wait for next Saturday!!! Payback for week 1 of the preseason coming right up!!
Brees has all day to make big play long passes. 9ers have to get it done with 4 pass rushing.
How can anybody compare DB with AS?
A QB who threw it about 50 times, and was pretty much never touched given all day to throw the ball vs. a QB (AS) who counts himself lucky if he does not need to avoid the rush when he puts his back foot down.
Comparing stats is not fair. Very different situation.
Our secondary better be ready for this aerial attack, pray for rain faithful.
As a fan, I remember the ’81 season pretty much as Ira does. And that headline after the Rams game in the Sporting Green – Fred Dean really harassed the hell out of Pat Haden in the 4th quarter. The ’81 team had many more GREAT players than this team (Montana, Lott, Dean, Reynolds, Williamson, Wright, Clark, Solomon) and a very steady offensive line too. Heading into the playoffs though, this current team is facing much stiffer competition. The ’81 49ers had the best QB and the scariest defense going into the playoffs. They had already beaten all three of the teams they would face in the post season earlier in the regular season. I expected them to win. This 49er team has the Saints and Packers out there and if they should get through them, then there’s the Pats (and the Giants and Falcons are also better than any of those ’81 teams). Detroit lost today, but the ’81 team did not face anyone like Stafford and Johnson in the playoffs either.
I’ll probably mention this more than once this week in posts (hey, I live in Chiang Mai, Thailand and have no other 49er fans to talk to!). The way to beat Brees, Rodgers, Brady, etc is no secret to anyone (though much easier said than done). It’s the way the 49ers beat Marino in SB19. 1 – You have GOT to put intense pressure on and SACK/HIT the quarterback. Give Brees the time he had today and he will carve you up just like Montana and Stabler used to do when they had the time (as Brees and the great passers do today). And then 2 – Alex and the offense have to have an “A” game. We’re talking 24 for 33 for 330 yards, 3 TDs, a game like that. The offense has got to hold the ball a lot and SCORE a lot. We’re gonna see if Alex can have an “elite” game (I was gonna say in the playoffs, but Alex hasn’t really had a BIG game passing ever – even Mark Sanchez has had some “A” games and in the playoffs). No, I’m not anti-Alex or anything. i think he’s had a fine year and it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy and a real team guy as well. I’m just saying we’re gonna need a “step up” (as we say in retail – ha) for this team to be a playoff victor.
Off topic – massively cool to hear from a 49er fan in Thailand. Are you able to watch the games there?
Ira is consistent…..consistently negative. I have followed Ira from the start and while I respect his knowledge….his tendency to skew negative regarding the team he is following is troubling. I think he does it to show impartiality. But more often than not it shows ignorance. Willingly.
Dickey and Cohn…..Miller’s fellow columnists had the same tendencies to varying degrees. Their primary goal is to be provocative to be noticed and gain column space.
Most of Miller’s current information of the team comes from Cohn with his typical negative slant…..although Lowell has been warming up lately. Eying the bandwagon no doubt. He doesn’t have the clout or the profile to be the negative loose canon he once was.
I always found Ira the most readable of the three. He did mix in some left-handed compliments from time to time. Never gushing or effusive. Always snide and sarcastic.
And wrong more often than not. After reading this column….I see not much has changed…..
“I don’t think they’re going to be a consistent winner with this quarterback. Now, I might be wrong. I’ve never seen a guy who suddenly emerges in his seventh season.”
How long did it take for Steve Young to develop into a consistent quarterback? Steve became the starting quarterback in his 8th season as a professional football player…..won a Super Bowl in his 11th year.
I remember Ira not being sold on Young because he was not a pocket quarterback and had a tendency to make costly turnovers.
Like I said Ira has been wrong before. Many times…..
@wolf
Nice post!
Plus SY was pretty good after the Super Bowl, so people need to cool it when it when it comes to saying AS is done. He can easily play for another decade.
Now that he has a good team and great HC, I don’t know why he can’t win multiple Super Bowls.
I see a lot of similarities between Smith and Young. They both suffered from confidence letdowns in their careers. Steve was saved by Bill Walsh and allowed to sit behind Montana and learn from the best….but he also had to follow Joe….not an enviable task.
I have never seen a quarterback so mishandled as Smith has been. Miller says that Montana would have called his own play if they were slow coming in. Not if he had a new OC every year and the inept head coaches that Smith was saddled with. His confidence would have been no better.
Montana was allowed to flourish under Walsh who designed his system to fit Joe. Much like Harbaugh has done with Smith. Harbaugh has had to overcome years of mishandling and confidence eroding situations with Smith. The fact that Harbaugh could see that it was more of a confidence than talent problem with Smith allowed him to mold Smith as he has.
I would ask Miller to cite another quarterback that went through what Smith has gone through. I have been following football for a long time and I am not aware of another situation where the perfect storm of bad ownership…..rotating OCs and clearly inept coaching have been so evident as they are with Smith.
My only contention regarding Smith is….he may very well not realize his potential or make the most of his abilities…..but given his history….did he really have much of a chance to succeed prior to Harbaugh?
Walsh saved Young and Harbaugh appears to be accomplishing the same thing with Smith. It is clearly too early to mention Alex in the same breath as Steve….but for the first time in his career he finally has the opportunity to realize his potential.
I am sure that is all that Alex would want….
“I see a lot of similarities between Smith and Young.”
#smdh
@Wolf
I agree.
SY and AS do have a lot in common. We should not be shocked by this at all. Both QB’s were selected to play under the same basic offensive approach, so of course they have similarities.
What is so exciting is how he has lead the team to their 13-3 record, and has yet to master the playbook.
Coming out of college, everybody, including AS said that he only starts showing how good he really is until he masters the system.
Add a WR core who can catch, an OL who can block to this AS lead 13-3 team to that mastery, how can our fan-base be as upset as they are?
MSC,
there’s a crazy one in every bunch. He even wrote a book to strengthen the claim.
Steve Young who not only was an NFL MVP TWICE, but also Superbowl MVP. And some try to compare him to Alex Smith?
Yeah I’ll take your posts seriously from now on.
@bayareafanatic…..obviously your understanding of Steve Young’s career is limited to his Super Bowl run. The 49ers picked him up for a 3rd round draft pick from Tampa Bay….the worst team in the league at the time. The Niners were the only ones willing to give that much for Young….so it is fair to say that just about everyone in the NFL but Walsh gave up on him. All the accolades you cite came years later. My comparison to Smith was the fact people gave up on him early in his career. I never claimed he was equal to Young in talent. You must suffer from a reading comprehension problem.
Sorry to tax your limited capacities…..I will use crayons next time…..
Agreed Wolf, it took Steve a few years to win a SB. But until Alex gets his, the comparisions are a moot point. Winning a SB is the ultimate pennacle for a pro football player, there is no other goal (ask D.Marino/F.Tarkington/J.Kelly).
Now if Alex can win a SB with perhaps a 2nd level R’cving corps, he should receive huge ‘props’ because at least Steve had a 1st tier R’cving corps when he won the ‘big show.’
It took Steve 11 years to win a Super Bowl and I agree AES people should be judged on accomplishments and not potential. That is a good point about the team Steve inherited. It was a dynasty. The one Smith inherited was a shell of its former self.
@Wolf
The team AS inherited should have been dismantled and sold for scrap.
They were way worse than the Panther team, and at least expansion teams get bonus draft picks and are not in salary cap hell.
you can’t compare press conference demeanor from the 80′s to know. With the social media the way it is know everyone has to be more jaded…. it’s just the evolution of things……