SANTA CLARA – We were sitting in little school chairs facing each other, alone in the media tent, elbows resting on our wooden foldout desks.
I asked the coach, “If I say Frank Gore is a player with a great heart, do you know what I mean by that?”
The coach sat up in his chair, elbows off the desk now. He said, “Great heart?” as if he hadn’t heard me correctly. “Yeah, I know what great heart is. I only played the game for 9 years.”
Tom Rathman used to be a fullback in the ‘80s and ‘90s. He played 8 of his 9 seasons for the 49ers under legendary head coaches Bill Walsh and George Seifert. Now, Rathman is the 49ers’ running backs coach. He got the job in January, 2009, which means he’s worked with Gore for almost four years.
“He does have great heart,” Rathman said, getting back to Gore. “It means a lot to him. And that’s what you talk about when you talk about ‘great heart.’ It’s about what does the game mean to you? He puts everything that he has into those football games. You talk to him after the game and you know that he’s spilled it. He’s not going to have anything left in the tank when it’s all said and done. Those are the type of guys you love to coach.”
Gore is 29 years old, elderly for a running back, but he’s off to the best start of his professional career, averaging 6.1 yards per carry – third-best in the NFL. To put that in perspective, he averaged 2.5 yards per carry over the first two games last season.
I asked Rathman why Frank is having such a strong start this season. What factors go into that?
Rathman: “I think he’s got a better understanding of what we’re trying to do on the offensive side of the ball. With the new system in last year, I think players were trying to identify what it was. Now we’ve got one year under our belts and the players do understand what we’re trying to get accomplished.”
Flashback 15 minutes. I’m in the locker room. Here comes Gore, walking through slowly. Frank, why are you playing so well this season?
Before I could get the words out of my mouth, Gore said, “My O line’s doing a great job. Our coordinator puts us in great situations to have us be successful. I think that’s the reason.”
Gore, eager to pass praise onto his teammates.
Back to Rathman in the media tent. I asked him what skills does Frank have that are special?
Rathman said, “You talk about – and it’s really shown up this year – being able to set up a run and make a defender miss in space. He’s still got that creativity as a runner. You talk about his pass blocking. I don’t think there’s a better guy doing that. Frank does not have any weaknesses. Everything he does, he does it well.”
Is Gore still improving?
Gore thinks he is: “Yeah, I feel that. As long as you’re playing this game, you’ve got to keep improving. When you feel like you’re not getting better anymore, you shouldn’t play the game anymore.”
Rathman disagrees. He said: “I don’t think he’s improving, but I still think he’s got a lot left in the tank. When you’ve played in the league six, seven years, hopefully you’ve reached your peak. That was Bill Walsh’s big emphasis. I don’t think Frank’s an ascending player. I think he’s a consistent player, and that’s really all you ask for. Consistency.”
Would Bill Walsh have wanted the current Frank, the 29-year-old Frank, on his football team?
Rathman: “Sure he would have. You look at his performances, his consistency, what he brings to the table not only on the field but off the field – Frank has really grown up over the last four years. A very mature player now. Understands the game, understands big picture.”
Rathman had to go. I thanked him for his time and shook his hand. He lingered a beat and said, “Ask your dad if I know what heart is,” and then he left.
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Good stuff, Grant.
How you prove the NFL is just too big to manage and is ridiculous:
If I’m reading this correctly, it would have been cool if AS had worn a NY Giant cap since they are an NFL sponsored gear. Gee guys. Work on getting the refs back in before thinking about enforcing any BS rules like this.
Article is at SFGATE.
“Smith said today the league issued him a since-retracted $15,000 fine for wearing his Giants cap to his press conference Sunday night after the win over the Lions. NFL fine czar and former 49ers cornerback Merton Hanks eventually gave Smith and Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker warnings.
The crime? Smith said he was fined for wearing non-NFL-sponsored gear of a competing league, a no-no for players in the 90 minutes after a game.”
This happened last year during the playoffs. This is old news rehashed because Smith brought it up on KNBR this morning. Rules are rules.
hof
If you are choosing to ignore my comments (or anybody really) it is nice to let the person know so that they don’t waste time writing to people who aren’t reading their replies.
So, just tell me if you are or not.
Thanks either way.
Where in this article does it mention Alex smith once? I truly believe that if it’s not about smith you can’t function. Thus the reason you are NOT in any way, shape or form a 49er fan. It’s pathetic. You just can’t have someone else being talked about or interviewed. Did you ever stop to think these people you call “haters” don’t actually hate Alex? Instead they hate you? Think about that. Sheeeeesh
md
Didn’t ask you. Stop being yourself. You’ll be a better man for it.
DS,
You put it out there for public consumption without addressing anyone in particular, and even still you screwed up the quote.
You can hear the interview for yourself on the KNBR web page under the Murph and Mac show.
And nobody asked you about your obsession filled rant on Alex smith on a GORE topic. And you can’t be a better man than I am. Now get a job. You’ll be a better citizen for it.
I think its ok for DS to discuss whatever and whenever. The problem is not being able to bypass the comment. Ever heard of IGNORE? :)
If this was a crime, then please go citation every person who brings up an article that doesn’t directly relate to Grant’s.
Until you do, I’ll take all advice quite seriously.
Thank you.
Good for you Hoff. Still doesn’t change the fact that the 49ers consist of Alex smith only in its world. And you can always skip on by also.
And ds. Once in awhile off topic comments are made. Every topic is an Alex smith topic for you. It’s a daily thing. Shall I pull up some proof? I can’t stand fake fans.
md
Why do you have the need to reply negatively to a post that wasn’t about you or negative about your team so often?
Grow up man. I don’t know where you live or grew up, but all you do is look for fights from stuff that didn’t involve you at all. If I address you, have at it. If not, why the urge to be such an as*?
The same reason you do that to J23. You dish out trash talk but can’t take it. I have a problem with hypocrites who talk big and do something else. You and I were cool for a minute. Until I had one FACTUAL critique on Alex smith. I understand you are a smith fan, and take it personally when someone has a negative comment about him. Well I feel the same when the topic is about something else and you have to turn it into a smith topic. Everytime! That’s why. You all can say you were right about Alex smith. That’s fine. I’ve always said I’ll wait for him to prove me wrong. I stated last season that he has finally arrived. Maybe J23 isn’t a smith fan. And I’m positive you weren’t a fan of certain 49er players or coaches. So I have to call you out on your hypocrisy. And your 49er fanhood. That’s all!
And Hoff. Don’t you think J23 has the same right? You and others say its the same old thing every post and have to chime in with an insult or comment. Well ds does the same thing except in another light. The day you all let EVERYONE just be EVERYONE without insult. I’ll do the same.
md
Yo dude. Find me 10 posts where I direct them at 23J. How far back will you have to go? Not counting the exchange where he told me he won’t do what you have continued to do following the last preseason game.
I don’t direct anything at him if he isn’t talking to/about me. You should try it. See what happens. When he wasn’t here, how often did I bring him up? I ignore his posts. You need to do the same to mine. I can take it. Don’t worry.
Besides, a few other people toss a lot worse things his way than I do. You’re not on their backs.
PS. The articles point as I even stated it very clearly above had zilch to do with AS. It was about some stupid rule of wearing NFL hats. Anybody who isn’t obsessed with hate could see that. And count the posts I have today with AS as a main focal point in them vs. not. You won’t because you know damn well that you’re lying. Look at the last blog. Go on now. Prove you’re right. If you dare.
And I had copied/pasted an article about MC from Ray Ratto earlier this week. And one about JH and the team from John Madden. And yes. 1 about AS from Rich Gannon. So 1/4 = 4/4 to you. No wonder why stats confound you so.
If you actually take up the challenge to PROVE you are right, I’ll reply. If not, I will proceed to follow hofs advice and ignore you now.
md
And to make it really fun. Count 10 posts where I just reply to him without him cussing at me, and such. Ones where he doesn’t bring me up at all. That will take you back till middle of last year I bet.
Sooo ds… You posted something that is about Alex smith but it doesn’t mention him? Oooo K.
And it doesn’t matter how far I have to go back. You want to out a restriction on it so you look good. Defeated right there.
And speaking of cussing. Who was? Oh and was that you right here above calling me an As$???
Steererike 3 ds. Hypocrisy and 1000 posts a week don’t bid well for your kind. You want to be the poster you want to be? Fine. Let everyone else do the same and you won’t get called out. Good day!
Md,
The problem I’ve had before and still today with DS is that it will speak negatively in reference to you in apost to someone else. I got tired of waking up, or getting off work and looking at how DS would be hammering me to someone else that has never exchanged a message with me. Ididn’t understand nor like that. No, its not done it in a while. I try and steer clear like it does because it doesn’t speak on me very often anymore. As for the rest of the clowns that do. They don’t bother me one it. I’m gonna speak my opinion whether they like it or not.
You’re right about this. Make a negative comment about Smith and they try and shout you into the ground with insults. I got tired of giving them back, making myself look as childish as they do. So now I just let them know that my opinions will keep coming and I don’t give a damn whether they like them or not.
DS,
My apologies, you have done that less and less, that why I don’t respond to your posts even though I dont agree with them. You post so damn much, I couldn’t keep up with them. LOL!
Exactly J23… I’ve called ds out on that tons of times. Ds thinks because it doesn’t mention your name it doesn’t count. It’s like a snake that hides in the same place expecting to bite the same human over and over again. Ds loves to play the victim card. While doing backhand slaps at the same people it says it doesn’t read on. Some things never change. Be the fan they want you to be or else!!! Lol
MD,
I guess all we have to do to have a perfect peaceful blog is to go 19-0. What would there be to complain about? I’m good with that!
So
You wussed on proving your points that I only discuss AS. And I only link AS articles. And you won’t bother finding even 10 posts among all these posts that I attack 23J on. Maybe because you are full of crap. You know I don’t, so you wussed out. Just like wussy bullies. I knew that before I started posting.
Only victim here is you. How the education system passed you from grade to grade. Not really earning it.
“The problem I’ve had before and still today with DS is that it will speak negatively in reference to you in apost to someone else.”
Agreed. That is the way that cowards work, and you are the ultimate coward and hypocrite of this blog DS. Instead of running around and talking about others, say it directly to them if you have a problem with them. There are an almost endless number of comments from you referencing other commentors in a negative way.
Jack seriously why do you care so much about what DS is doing or saying on this blog? You can’t control any of it anyway, and whinning about it makes you look like the fool.
Prime
I gave a challenge. Find 10 posts where I bring up 23J where he doesn’t bring me up or insult me. How long back do you have to go?
If Jack is whining about me, maybe he should try not replying to me and referencing me all the time. Like I asked him to do. I see my name in his posts all the time. He replies when I don’t bring him up. He replies when I do. He loves me.
:- )
He refuses to ignore me. So, things won’t change. He has 100% power over me discussing him ever again. It’s all on him. The fact you won’t find 10 posts where 23J came up out of the blue without him saying anything to/about me unless you go REALLY FAR BACK.
Facts are facts. Fact is, Jack can’t stay away.
Thanks for proving my point DS : )
They are the same DS, big talkers, Betty Crockers! Go read 23welcher defense of Singletary, it’s comical!
And Jack can’t say “Ok. I’ll stop it.”
Every single time, he fails. I bet he has difficulty going down a 1 way street. A simple direction confuses him so. In all seriousness, I wonder if he is showing symptoms of a brain disorder. Alzheimers maybe. He keeps forgetting what he was just told.
And I don’t read 23J’s posts. From what I gathered from ex/you though it seems like MS was great. Whatever. The guy had 2 or 3 guys turn him down for the OC job! How often has that happened. Multiple guys say no to being an OC on an NFL team. Not a lot.
Ignore everything else for a bit prime. That alone shows MS didn’t put a good coaching staff together. Go read Gannon’s quote of AS with having JH as HC, and the argument is over. Coaching matters more than any other single facet. Especially if the guy was a #1overall draft pick. That means he must have skill.
See. I didn’t have to read his post. I can figure out the gist of it just fine. I know he won’t agree with me, nor I with him. So, why bother?
Jack
I’ve told you I hate you and to stay away. That is as direct not evading as it gets.
I still do. And you still don’t get it. Haters don’t.
Lol like I have or want to make time to roll back and pick out 10 times you’ve bashed j23. Didn’t know it took TEN times to save you hypocrisy. Lol what a joke. If I murdered 1 person does that make it ok because I didn’t kill 10? Then at the bottom you tell jack you hate him and to leave you alone, them follow with calling HIM a hater. I don’t have to go back, I know, you know and everyone else knows they are there. Even if I have to go WAAAY back. Your outlook? Prove me wrong with restrictions. Get real ds. You aren’t fooling anyone with your elementary games. Once again. YOU LOSE!
Translation:
You are a WUSS
1. You have time to reply to my comments. But not to prove your point
2. You have time to scour the internet and find pathetic links of things you hope are me/describe me. But not to prove your point.
3. It would take a REALLY, REALLY,REALLY long time for you to find 10 posts where I bashed 23J without him slinging the first shot. You know it. So you come back to “I don’t have to prove it’ BS. Like you are the most trustoworthy person on earth.
4. Prove any of the crap about me you ever dish out. You really can’t. So, when challenged you wuss out.
5. You wuss out because you are wuss.
Good bye wuss
DS,
Please give that topic a rest. I don’t like my name in your posts much like you don’t like your name in mine. Let it go please. Once again, I wake up and you’re posting with regards to me. You’ve made your point. Please let it go. Talk about Niner football.
23J
I didn’t bring you up. md did. Please tell him to leave you out of any issues he has with me. I can tell you I don’t like it when others bring me up out of the blue when discussing (really fighting with) others.
I don’t think you told md that. Please do so, and I won’t discuss you in discussions with md. I’ll keep them to md only. If md is really your pal, he should respect your request.
The topic isn’t really about you. It is about md saying I do something which I rarely do. He brought up your name. Not me. You can sub in other names and my request is the same. Find the proof. How far back do you go?
I hope you have a nice day on/off the blog.
A wuss???? Ha ha haaaa. 10 instead of just 1? Keep trying ds. And I don’t care if grant deletes this. But I invite you to personally call me that to my face. Instead of over a computer like…. Well a wuss. Your rules don’t apply here. Normally everyone that calls someone out for a quote asks for 1. You want ten? And I’d have to sift through 1000′s of your daily comments? No thx like I said. I know and you and everyone else knows what I’m talking about. You lose. Now beat it
Cool gesture by Bruce Bochy.
https://mobile.twitter.com/SFGiants/status/248852356278673408?photo=1
Just saw that on Twitter – very, very cool!!
Magic number down to 5!!
(For the record, I am not a twit who tweets, just a twit who follows professional tweeters, lol!)
I loved Wrathman in the backfield. He was money. I’m always for more Gore, but if there was a chink in his armor, it would be pass catching. Great interview. Welcome back Eric Bakhtiari. After 3 games will he be released?
Grant
Do you think Frank Gore interviews well? If not, what aspects as a reporter do you see in a player who interviews better that FG lacks?
Man I hope we can keep our coaches after this season. The AZ Defensive corr Ray Horton I believe to be his name is the hot coach now and I don’t care if they raid there staff, I hope GRo, Jim Tomsula, Lord Vic, Brad Seely, and of coarse Rathman stay next season even if we win the superbowl.
Great piece Grant. Keep ‘em coming.
Good piece Grant.
Nice post, Grant.
Were you trying to get a rise out of Rathman with the way you phrased the “does FG have heart” question? It seems asking that question of Rathman is like someone asking you if you know what a verb is. I found it an interesting choice.
That’s not exactly how it was phrased, ex. The question was “If I say Frank Gore is a player with a great heart, do you know what I mean by that?”
A little different than asking him if Gore has heart – everyone knows the answer to that one (“Hell, yes”)!!
49er Girl,
I can’t agree with you here.
It’s the asking Rathman if he understands what it means if someone asks him if a player has great heart is what would be upsetting. He’s a coach. How could a coach, especially a football coach, not understand a question about having heart? Understanding having heart is basic to Rathman’s profession.
Simply asking if FG has heart is the kind of question that Harbaugh and his staff would love, because the answer is so obvious and unchallenging.
In Grant’s article he conveyed that the question got a rise out of Rathman. From Grant’s article: “He said, “Great heart?” as if he hadn’t heard me correctly. “Yeah, I know what great heart is. I only played the game for 9 years.”” To me, that sounds like Rathman was slightly annoyed by the suggestion that he migh not understand what Grant meant by asking if FG had great heart.
Rathman then went on to go out of his way to call it back at the end of their conversation when he suggested to Grant that Grant ask Lowell if Lowell thought Rathman knew what heart is.
In other words, “Listen, if had seen me play, as your dad did, you’d never ask me if I understood a question about understanding heart.”
49erGirl,
I should’ve been more precise in my phrasing of my intial post. I should’ve said, “would you understand what I mean if I say FG plays with great heart”, instead of a “does FG have heart”. Maybe my second post is more clear.
I wasn’t disagreeing with you that Rathman was annoyed with the question (it looked that way to me, too), only the way you had paraphrased Grant’s question that appeared to change the context.
I get what you were trying to say, now!
ex
I wouldn’t worry too much about it. All we get here are the words. Not the facial expressions or body language, etc.
Going out on a limb here and saying Tom wasn’t angered/disappointed/(insert other negative emotional feeling) by the question. If he was, I don’t think he sits and talks with Grant, nor do they exchange some pleasantries at the end.
49erGirl,
Cool, I didn’t do a very good job of expressing myself in the first post.
DS,
Well, to me, it’s pretty clear that the question got under Rathman’s skin in some way. Obviously, not to the point where he would end the interview, but when Rathman said, “I only played for nine years” it’s pretty clear he wasn’t crazy about the question.
ex
I can say “You jerk”, and have it be meant one way (mean) or a friendly way.
If I write that down though, its context is lost. Then it is all on the reader (me/you) to intrepret what that meant.
What Tom said wasn’t so clear a negative comment as “You jerk”. Which as I’ve shown has 1 meaning and another that is 180 from tthe first.
@ Ex/49erGirl
I saw it like 49erGirl. I saw in Grant’s description that Rathman seemed to have a problem with the question, so I went back to read how Grant phrased it. The phrasing is fine and could have pulled a few adjectives from TR that give his definition of a pretty vague term. Now Tom didn’t have a cow about it, but I thought he took it wrong. He seems to be a good coach, a good communicator, as well as a Niner Hero.
Thanks for the piece. I found it insightful and well developed, not just fluff. I’ll take all of that kind of writing you have and be thankful.
Arizona….. Are you going to the game this season? It might be a very important and good game.
I bet Rathmans still got some left in the tank, maybe he can fill in for Jacobs until he gets healthy, LOL!!
Frank is still the man, and he is the epitome of heart and dedication, when it comes to Football. Even when he held out last year, you know he was crying to his agent everyday to get him back on the field, Football is all he knows and loves! I hope he breaks the TD record this year, so he can retire a SuperBowl champ with all significant rushing records for the Niners, then if anyone asks if he has heart, well that would be an insult!!
+1
I loved Rathman – he was a freakin’ beast as a blocker and a brutal runner when he had the ball! So glad he’s still part of the 49ers and mentoring guys like Gore, Hunter, Miller, and James – they couldn’t ask for a better role model!
Does anyone remember when Rathman and Vaughn Johnson [Saints#53] slammed each other at the goal line? That was one of my favorite Rathman memories, it was a total WOOOOO hit as Ronnie used to say.
Steve Young says for the Niners to lose to anybody, they would have to play poorly.
Steve had us #1 after week 1 because not only did they win, but how the won. They mauled GB, and GB never got up. It was how they beat the Pack that was impressive.
Now your talking. And not one mention of Alex smith. Is there hope???????
Lol great read grant. Did your eyes get big and did you gulp the last piece of moisture in your mouth when he stood up and answered that question with a question? Rathman was and still seems to be an intense guy. Did you think oh *hit I’m in trouble? Lol
Rathman seemed kinda chippy. maybe a Lions hangover
He wasn’t chippy. We spoke for over 10 minutes. He gave long, thoughtful answers to all of my questions.
Whenever they show him on the sidelines you can see he has a great admiration and repoire with Gore. I’d like to see Rathman move up and become a coordinator somewhere. With all his experience with Walsh and now Harbaugh, add his passion, he could become a great coach. Hopefully he gets his chance soon.
Prime
Most OC’s I bet are/were former QB coaches. And most HC’s now/were OC’s. Or at least the trend is towards that direction. How many young rookie NFL HC’s are from the Defensive side vs. the offensive side? Not talking vet HC’s like Fisher.
I’m leaning on the offensive side.
@ DS:
You’re leaning the wrong way.
New head coaches in 2012:
1. Romeo Crennel, Chiefs: Defense, but a vet
2. Joe Philbin, Dolphins: Offense
3. Jeff Fisher, Rams: Defense, but a vet
4. Chuck Pagano, Colts: Defense
5. Mike Mularkey, Jaguars: Offense, but a vet
6. Dennis Allen, Raiders: Defense
7. Greg Schiano, Buccaneers: Defense
That’s 2 head coaches from the offensive side and 5 from the defensive side. If we exclude the “vets,” it’s 3-1 in favor of the defensive head coaches, and the lone offensive guy isn’t exactly young.
claude
You are including a Raider coach. Do they count? Are they coached? Because they don’t look like it. Hue was an offensive guy, and he stank there as well. I think it is the Raiders that suck. HC carousel there.
And that Bucs HC is in the headlights. That decision of his is to charge the QB in the victory formation is a sign he doesn’t get it at this level. Other teams will retaliate, and his team will suffer.
I don’t expect these 2 to be around in a few years.
claude
Last year:
Hue hired (offense) but does he count? – new
Titans hired Mike Munchak (an OL guy!) offense – new HC
Denver hired a DC in Fox – vet
Cleveland hired Shurmur (DC in GB, QB coach in Philly) so how to classify him new HC
Dolphins hired Joe Philbin (offense)
Niners hire The Man JH (offense)
Cowboys hire Jason Garrett (offense)
That includes 5 flat out offense guys. 1 guy who did both, and a single vet DC in Fox
My point is really about the number of young/new Offense vs. Defense guys becoming HC’s. I think the NFL is still selecting offense. The rule changes have made it so that a QB is just so important (more than before). And you need a guy who can really mentor that QB. OC’s on your team come and go, so it is a safer bet to hire a HC who is offensive minded. That way, there is guarantee stability in the offense.
Here is the link I used for my post above if you choose to look it over yourself to see if I missed any/made mistake.
http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/feed/2011-01/nfl-coaches
Claude,
Someone else made the same “offensive coaches” argument a while back, and you are correct, it is a myth.
DS was Pat Shurmur not the Rams OC 2 years ago?
Prime
Yes. He seems to have done everything but special teams from what I gathered.
http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/feed/2011-01/nfl-coaches/story/browns-name-pat-shurmur-head-coach
@ DS:
Re 2011: You forgot Leslie Frazier, a defensive guy, in Minnesota. Joe Philbin was hired by Miami in this year (see my chart), not 2011. Shurmur’s coaching background is purely offensive. His uncle Fritz was a DC.
The real point is that there is no identifiable trend. In 2011, owners hired more offensive guys; in 2012, they hired more defensive guys. In 2010, they hired nothing but vets because a lot of recent young hires weren’t doing so well (McDaniels, Del Rio, Haley, Morris).
You make valid points about why teams should look to offensive-minded head coaches, particularly if the team has a young QB. The evidence, however, doesn’t reflect that NFL owners are following your advice.
@ Jack:
Thanks.
Thanks for the corrections claude.
I think we are nearing a turning point in terms of what kind of HCs the NFL hires. Right now, there are certainly a lot of good vet defensive minded HC’s in the NFL. But they are getting older. The young guys seem to be primarily offensive minded.
So, while these good vet Defensive minded guys are still around, the total number of offense/defense HC’s will stay relatively the same. When they retire though, I think that void is going to be filled with a lot more offensive minded HC’s than defensive minded HC’s.
Claude,
In your opinion, what is it about Harbaugh that makes him so successful?
@DS:
You are free to believe what you want, but the numbers don’t support that belief. Both the “vet” HCs and the new, young HCs are pretty much evenly split between offensive and defensive backgrounds. For every Bill Belichik, there’s an Andy Reid. For every Jason Garret, there’s a Dennis Allen. The numbers for new head coaches may be weighted in one direction in a given year, but the overall balance seems to stay the same.
That said, the numbers clearly aren’t going to change your mind, so let’s just drop it and move on.
@ Jack:
In no particular order: he works hard; he’s creative; he’s focused; he’s always prepared – for all eventualities; he does a lot of research to find out what works (he doesn’t guess or simply accept conventional wisdom); he’s detail-oriented; he’s willing to try anything that might help the team get better; he’s constantly looking out for ways to make the team better; he’s willing to consider and actively seeks out ideas not of his own creation; he is not afraid to surround himself with ambitious, smart people and give them real responsibility; he doesn’t let his own or anyone else’s ego get in the way of team success; he loves what he is doing; he’s sincere; he’s a straight-shooter with the team; he’s charismatic; he’s inspirational; he identifies with his players; he loves his players and lets them know; he is loyal; he’s both a tactician and a strategist …
I am sure I have forgotten something, and I probably could have organized those thoughts, but didn’t feel like making the effort. Is that sufficient?
You nailed it Claude. The only thing I would add is that he keeps all issues in-house.
All great points guys regarding JH and not to put a downer on things as his tenure is going exceptionally well, what do you think will be his down fall if any?
Will he be a Belichick and end his career in SF or will he burn out and or get fired?
FDM,
To put it in his words, he will go out when he dies.
He has said that his life’s ambition is to coach football, then die, or something to that effect.
I don’t see him getting burned out. He is way too balanced in his life for that to happen. Heck, even when the guy was the best coach in college football he still found time to watch 24, fix his roof, and go out to dinner with dignitaries. If you don’t believe me, go check out his Twitter account. That thing could be turned into a book.
Claude,
Outstanding list on Harbaugh!
One of my favorite qualities about him is that he is the most driven, competitive SOB on the planet (but in a good way), lol!
Grant, excellent read. The last paragraph was just perfect. It was great bringing LC into the convo.
I know your focus was FGore and his passion/heart, but it would have been great to ask TRathman the differences in the nuances of the BW WCO versus the JH nuances of the WCO. I’m not sure he could answer based on JH’s guidelines for not talking scheme but it would be very interesting.
Maybe next time?
Great idea. I’ll ask him next time.
i think Frank Gore is the heart and soul of this team. and when he’s ripping off 5-6 yard gains at the start, everyone breathes easier, and it allows the passing game to find its footing. Alex is doing a great job, and this year he will be the team’s offensive mvp (touch wood), but i think its largely made possible by a Frank Gore, still studly after all these years.
Kids will be kids, I guess, so I usually just let this nonsense go, but this set of posts is amazing. A posted comment and 32 responses that have nothing whatsoever to do with the subject at hand, bring nothing new in terms of ideas, and are obsessing about something that doesn’t matter.
I apologize brotha
But I actually read one of md’s posts by accident. He made a claim, I wanted him to prove. If this was a typical post from md, which he directs at me, we can all be glad I don’t read all of his posts.
Thank you, DS. I really didn’t need or expect an apology. I think I was whining because I got into that thread as the first post of the day for me.. …overwhelming. Reminded me of kids in a big family squabbling! ; >)
Grant,
Feel free to delete that whole thread if it doesn’t screw up all the posts afterwards.
I got what I needed from it. And it likely isn’t a nice start to the blog page as a reader.
By the way Grant, I meant to get that on the last blog, leaving this one free. That is why the subsequent links/quotes I did later yesterday were placed in the last blog.
If we (users) could edit/remove our own posts, that would be a nice addition. Can you ask your IT guy about it?
DS94everXev says:
September 20, 2012 at 9:31 am
I apologize brotha
But I actually read one of md’s posts by accident. He made a claim, I wanted him to prove. If this was a typical post from md, which he directs at me, we can all be glad I don’t read all of his posts.
Accident….. Lmao. You call Jordan a welcher, but you welch on your word every week. “md just skip my
Posts like I do yours” lol you are burying yourself futher and further. Don’t get mad because I call you out on your bs. Those who have to call names like a$$ and wuss….. Are losing and losing big. Keep them coming. Ds the I never call names alien. Wheeew
You have kids, MD – you must be familiar with the term “Accidentally On Purpose”, lol!
Yep why not? The actuall first post had nothing to do with the topic. My point made
I’m a Brit living in Bangkok, but a big NINERS fan from a period of my life living in The Bay Area and supporting the NINERS up close.
Rathman is without a doubt my favorite Niner of all time, tough and uncompromising and the sort of player all winning teams need. Superstars need a certain cement to hold it all together and that’s what Rathman was, toughest cement on the market. Great to have him involved in this team!
Did Singletary hire him? if so, it shows that even that disastrous period left something pod!
Bangkok Niner – Welcome to the blog. Yes, Rathman was a stud! I forgot who’s idea it was to hire him, Singletary was hired a year before Rathman though.
A dude in here called Hoferfan might know the answer.
Have you seen the movie Hangover Part 2? Be careful out there. ;-)
After 20+ years I think I know every pitfall there is out here. Luckily I’ve learned through other people’s mistakes. I know several people in the movie, but it’ll be more fun if I don’t tell you which ones…….