49ers CEO’s comments hurting his own cause

This is my Wednesday column on Jed York.

On second thought, Jed, don’t talk.

Go ride a bike. Gardening is fine. There are so many things you can do. But, please, no more talking publicly. You’re making things worse with this Ray McDonald mess by making it all about you.

You probably didn’t want to talk about the issue in the first place. I acknowledge that. You stayed silent for nine days after McDonald was arrested and jailed overnight on suspicion of allegedly assaulting his pregnant fianceé at his birthday party. You let Trent Baalke and Jim Harbaugh talk for you. But they are football people. They are not qualified to talk about moral and legal issues. Owners are supposed to handle those.

But it turns out you’re no more qualified than they are to discuss those issues. You’re less qualified, actually. What life experience do you have to handle things like that? You’re only 34 years old. You’re a rich guy who was given an NFL team.

If only you were given a spokesman, too. You seem to hurt your cause when you open your mouth. Hire someone to do your talking for you — like Carmen Policy, who did most of the talking when your uncle, Eddie DeBartolo Jr., owned the team.

Since you don’t have someone to fill the Carmen Policy role, fans and media demanded that you speak for the organization about McDonald. You finally talked the day TMZ leaked the video of Ray Rice knocking out his wife in an elevator. You agreed to be interviewed from Levi’s Stadium on The Murph and Mac Show the following morning.

Mac asked why you let McDonald play against the Cowboys. Murph asked why you didn’t bench McDonald and pay him until he was exonerated. Murph pointed out that two former players on the 49ers Mt. Rushmore — Steve Young and Ronnie Lott — publicly said the team should not play McDonald until he’s exonerated.

Let’s look at what you said, Jed.

You started by saying “it’s very important to let due process take its course.” You were talking the day after the world saw how due process failed in the case of Ray Rice. We all witnessed in horror a video of Ray Rice committing a felony, but he will serve no jail time and his record will be completely expunged after he completes a diversionary program.

Bad time to invoke “due process,” Jed. Few people currently trust that due process will bring justice to women who were abused by NFL players unless someone leaks video evidence of the assault to the public.

Now, when you say, “We support due process,” it sounds like you’re really saying, “We won’t do anything unless an overwhelming amount of evidence forces our hand.”

You sound like the Ravens.

Let’s look at what you said next. This is the most revealing statement: “I’m comfortable if my character is going to take shots throughout this process.”

No, no, no, no and no. You don’t get the picture, Jed. It’s not about you or your reputation. It’s about the reputation of the franchise, the reputation of Young, Lott, Brent Jones, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, John McVay, Bobb McKittrick, George Seifert and Bill Walsh. Walsh gave the 49ers a conscience. I guarantee Walsh would not have played McDonald. (Eddie DeBartolo told the Mercury News he thinks Walsh would not have played McDonald.)

It’s your job to protect their legacy and the 49ers’ brand. They’ve entrusted you to do that. Forget your reputation. It doesn’t matter. I’ll tell you this, Jed. You tarnished the 49ers’ reputation for everyone I mentioned.

When you were a kid, the 49ers were the No.1 franchise in sports, not just the NFL. They won with class. They won their first championship when you were a year old. They won their fifth championship when you were 15.

You’re not part of that legacy. Your job is to protect that legacy and, if possible, add to it.

After going on about your character and how you look at yourself in the mirror and how you consulted with your mom and wife, you reiterated that the 49ers have a zero-tolerance policy on domestic violence. Are you serious?

Jed, do you know who’s on your team? You currently tolerate three players who were accused of assaulting women.

Ahmad Brooks allegedly punched a woman in the left eye on April 9, 2008. He accepted mediation and was not charged.

A woman accused Perrish Cox of raping her when she was passed out on Labor Day Weekend, 2010. Cox denied having slept with her. She became pregnant with his child that weekend. The two settled a civil suit out of court.

Chris Cook was arrested and jailed for assaulting his girlfriend on October 22, 2011. The Vikings suspended Cook indefinitely without pay four days later. He ended up missing 10 games. Cook said he was acting in self defense. He was acquitted in court. The 49ers signed him this offseason.

Counting Ray McDonald, four of the 49ers’ starting 11 defenders this Sunday will have been accused at one time or another for domestic violence.

That’s your legacy, Jed. How’s it going so far?

Grant Cohn writes sports columns and the “Inside the 49ers” blog for The Press Democrat’s website. You can reach him at grantcohn@gmail.com.

This article has 252 Comments

      1. Replying to yourself? Does it matter what any of the former greats say on the McDonald situation?
        York junior since taking over has put San Fran back on the map. Since the Nolan, Erickson, Donahue eras, he has ledvthe organization out of very trying times.

        1. It matters when Lott’s views on York are in direct contradiction with what was written.

          Who cares about facts? It’s become clear that the author of this blog finds them as insignificant.

  1. “What life experience do you have to handle things like that? You’re only 34 years old. You’re a rich guy who was given an NFL team.”

    To me, this was an extremely questionable take, Grant. You strongly dislike it when posters call you young (26 years old?) and say you only got your job because of your father’s influence. Calling Jed out on the same premise seems quite contradictory.

    For what it’s worth, Larry Kruegar (Garry and Larry show) said on KNBR this morning that he’s spoken with agents and front office folks who have commended how the 49ers are handling Ray McDonald’s situation. So despite the media groupthink, there is another constructive viewpoint out there.

    1. WOW!

      Where to begin with this GARBAGE of a Take by the other Jr.? (not Jed)

      Memo to Grant….

      This is America where people are “innocent” until proven guilty. That’s the beauty of our country which was the Point that Jed was making (“I’m comfortable if my character is going to take shots throughout this process.”)

      Secondly,

      You can’t compare the Rice situation with McDonalds because they’re COMPLETELY different situations. Unlike Rice’s situation there is no video of McD you could point to as Concrete Evidence. As Jed stated you have to take every issue like this as a Case By Case entity of itself.

      Unlike you Grant I appreciate the fact that Jed stepped up to the fire to answer all questions about his decision to let McD play against the Cowboys. It shows that Jed has Conviction of this decision. And let’s face it even if Jed didn’t speak up about this issue the Media would criticize him for that too! Because that’s what you people do.

      So take you & your dad’s Morality somewhere else.

  2. Also, what is the point of bringing up Cox, Cook, and Brooks? Are you seriously advocating the 49ers cut or punish them for domestic wrongdoing (or alleged domestic wrongdoing) from the past? If so, how far is this going to go?

  3. I do miss the years when the team was considered high character. But the reasons things are different isn’t just ownership or head coach. Our culture on the whole is coarser and cruder than in the past. On top of that the NFL is a much bigger business than in was the the 80’s. Athletes throughout NFL are much more pampered and entitled than ever. I think if the NFL really wants to clean things up, they shouldn’t expect teams to act unilaterally. Every guy a team passes over is a guy who isn’t contributing and is perhaps is helping a rival. Fans want a team that has a chance to win and only occasionally lament having guys with arrest records. It would be better if the NFL created stricter standards of conduct. Teams could live by them knowing that they aren’t hurting themselves competitively by living by those rules. All teams have abide by them.

    1. I kind of disagree that the world is much crueler now. Social media has made things different. A little boy growing up in western KY had no clue what was going on in the Bay Area unless it made national news or sportscenter. And at that time many things didn’t make national news because it could be covered up pretty quickly. I’m speaking just in the 90’s. Now when something happens it hits twitter before a news agency gets ahold to it. Many news agency get their news from social media.

  4. Grant,
    Your comments are edgy and even somewhat harsh, but I agree with most of it.
    There is a legacy of great players who have built this team over the years that deserve the class that they established to be continued and pass on to each new generation of players donning the 49ers Red & Gold.

    Let’s face it, in the wake of the Rice incident, McDonald’ timing couldn’t have come have at a worse time.
    The 49ers are starting to take on the image that winning trumps all off field issues.
    The NFL and the 49ers have been blemished (whether Mac is found guilty or not) and that is a sad legacy indeed.

  5. Oh, no. Another article about the Big Bad 49ers. Grant, I don’t need another conscience. Please get off your high horse, man.

  6. Grant:

    What life experience do you have to handle things like that? You’re only 34 years old. You’re a rich guy who was given an NFL team.

    Says the 20 something with even less life experience who was given his job as a columnist. And yet, somehow, you think you are qualified to judge York on how he is handling this matter. Wow. Are you really that self-unaware?

      1. Grant – If you want so bad to get Nationally noticed. Get a live video taped interview with Jed and tell him to his face to go ride a bike or do some gardening. Do what made Jim Rome popular nation wide…..He called Jim Everette “Chris Everette” one too many times and Everette choked him out like a rag doll…..Lets see if you or Jed end up being a rag doll…..Do either one of you have the courage to do something when your manhood is challenged? What are you gonna do?……I bet nothing…..Your article was really immature and in poor taste IMO……The bitterness is so obvious. Of what? I don’t know but it’s something.
        I hope you turn your life around…..I really do.

      2. Wow. I remember a time when Jack was buddy buddy with Grant. Now all of a sudden it’s attack after attack. I can disagree with yet another article, but I don’t need to resort to saying his father gave him his position Claude.
        That’s wrong on so many levels. As a parent, if I could give my child a position doing something they love, I’d damn well do it. We all would! Secondly, Grant, as much as I disagree with him, did all the work in college. He earned the degree he holds. He is doing a job he loves and if you think you or anyone else (jack) is going to bully him into writing something less TMZ, you’re obviously mistaken.
        I don’t mind the disagreeing, but badgering and abusing the writer because his family works for the same paper and he was afforded an opportunity through hard work- that’s pretty pathetic. Ray Rice pathetic to quote Ted Johnson.
        The difference between Grant and Jack here appears to be that while Grant’s father works for the Press Democrat which may have opened a door for an opportunity, Grant has never turned on his family with that opportunity. Now Jack, Grant gave you an opportunity to do what you love and you turn on him like a jaded 14 year old. Remember, you got your followers through his site and post your links under his titles. I like your articles, but I disagree with your behavior.
        Finally, I’m tired of these articles as well. I just don’t think it is appropriate to attack someone’s family or opportunity. Are any of us really any better than the article he’s writing about? We badger and abuse each other. I am certainly guilty of that. Let’s just keep it to football please.

        1. Matt,

          Actually my average page views jumped from the 100’s to 1000’s by moving to an established blog. It had very little to do with any “following” from here.

          As for my behavior, I get it. I just grew tired of reading stuff with made up “facts”.

        2. >>did all the work in college. He earned the degree he holds.

          Matt, I’d point you to all the recent English major grads, without a legacy, in minimum wage service jobs at this very moment.

          1. @ Jack Fair enough. Thank you.
            @ Ribico I understand what you’re saying and agree with you. I just don’t think it is fair to attack someone for the reasons I listed.

            1. Matt, it wouldn’t be such an obvious point of attack had it not been for Grant’s stunning obliviousness to the similarities in *his* grounds of attack.

              His take in this article is no different from those idiot posters here who used to call Jed “lucky sperm”.

        3. Matt:

          … but I don’t need to resort to saying his father gave him his position Claude.

          It’s a relevant fact when Grant criticizes Jed York for having a position that was given to him by his parents. My comment wasn’t about nepotism, it was about hypocrisy. I thought that was obvious.

        4. Matt,

          Grant has written about Jed’s good fortune to be who he is before, and in this article took it up a notch. For him to criticize somebody else’s stature due to nepotism is the epitome of hypocrisy.

          I agree with you on being tired of these types of articles though, and not just from Grant. Kawakami has resorted to sensationalism and drama, with every article calling for someone to be suspended or resign, then arguing with people who take offense on Twitter about it. Grant is obviously following his Father’s writing style right down to the wording of their opinions, but that isn’t the biggest issue. He is a young guy, still living at home with his parents, with little real world experience, and yet he feels he’s entitled to use this forum to lecture others on morality and criticize their character. It doesn’t work in that context, and that is a big reason why he takes so much abuse when he writes smug incendiary articles like this.

        5. So u tell jack not to attack grant and his ffamily, but its ok for grant to attack the york family! How bout you tell grant the same thing.

      1. I don’t know how he didn’t read that paragraph and immediately delete it. I’m trying to imagine the circumstances that would cause me to become so clueless that I would criticize someone else for having a juvenile screen name.

  7. Why are you piling on just Jed? Isn’t all what you just wrote valid about Jim Harbaugh and Trent Baalke too? Every time Jim has spoken on this matter he has said the same thing Jed has said so they are all in lock step with this whole “due process” stance.

  8. Grant, your latest article is a bit low. I normally understand the viewpoints the media takes and why? your attack of Jed York is disturbing on so many levels.
    Everyone, knows why they chose to play Ray.

    That said, get back to things related to the team. No articles on the up coming game?

    Run defense. Why was it so bad?

    Please ask G.Roman why the quater back is not distributing the ball to everyone. The offense must get all players involved.
    We look to for 3 player every pass play. That is poor offense.

  9. Terrible article…Ill-conceived, poorly written garbage…I do enjoy the unintended hypocrisy effect you created however…You should take a step back, take a deep breath, and know you’re true place Grant…

    Another F grade for you Grant…Just another day, another dollar…SMH

  10. I’ve got something else to do right now, but I noticed you have twice characterized McDonald’s arrest as “overnight”.

    “McDonald was arrested and jailed overnight”

    I he was arrested around 3:00 AM and released five hours later according to the only report that I’ve read. What you’re doing is puffing up your message with trivia intended to maximize it’s effect.

  11. Just sealing the deal on never having any cred with this organization aren’t you grant. I can’t see them ever respecting or even liking you. Does the villain role come from time reporting? Or change of pace…whatever gets me attention?
    Oakland…. Here I come.

  12. What a snide accusatory piece of crap Grant has written. There are so many other worthy football stories to uncover (e.g. Gore’s milestone?) and yet Grant continues to prop up this salacious straw man. Time to head over to Bleacher Report, at least they try.

      1. Of course I mean it ! If McDonald was a Seahawk I’d be tweeting Pete Carroll, Paul Allen and RogerG. Zero tolerance for violence of any kind, isn’t that what Harbaugh said.

        If I was Harbaugh I’d call McDonald into my office and tell him to get me copies of both police reports tomorrow and if need be I’d be speaking to the police officers personally . I’d get a list of which 49ers attended the birthday party and get a transcript of what went on that night. I’d want to know who called the police that night. I’d get to the bottom of this real quick. There would be a team meeting and the message would be loud and clear, no violence of any kind off the field would be tolerated. I don’t know what the CBA says, but I’d be in touch with union leaders.

        As a fan who loves this sport, I’m sickened by what has taken place the last few days.

        1. If you were a fan for more than 2 years ago like most Seahak fans. You like they would be burying the news they were making with the cheating and arrests. Who cares what you would do? He’s guilty in your mind anyways. Because he’s a man. Again. Why are you on a 49er page?

          1. ninermd: I’ve decided not to answer any more of your rude comments. Except I like men, just not those who are violent. So, spend your time communicating with people you enjoy.

            1. Mary,

              Your presence on this blog has run its course. Please dispatch your head from your neck forthright.

              If you fail to do the aforementioned deed to spare us all your presence in toto, then please think before you put finger to keyboard.

              If you cast judgment on a man against whom charges have not been filed, if you would have a man be guilty based on woman’s word alone, then you are not only Unamerican, but you are unabashedly stupid, and there is no need for your kind around here.

              Please, Mary, think before you cast judgment on a man, for that man may be your husband, your son, your father. Any sly and crafty she-vixen can levy charges, can hurl defamatory speech at any honest man, and if it be in Santa Clara, if it be in most U.S. jurisdictions, and it be a domestic violence charge, no matter how fallacious, it will land a man in custody, under arrest for no just cause.

              Had you researched for just a fraction of a minute, you would know this, and you would not appear her, so spurious, so full of ignorant, impotent venom.

              But here you are, and here we are, all the stupider for your existence.

              1. I believe I was on of the first on various sites that called for the facts to be in before judgement and even provided an alternative scenario for the bruises. I would ask Mary if she know that Harbaugh didn’t in fact do what she suggested. However ninermind and E no where in Mary’s post was their any suggestion of judgement on her part only that it should be proactively investigated by Harbaugh. What have you guys been reading.

                I think this site can handle divergent opinions with out getting our panties in a twist. I personally do consider Mary a troll. I don’t care for clickishness. You guys are being very childish.

              2. However ninermind and E no where in Mary’s post was their any suggestion of judgement on her part only that it should be proactively investigated by Harbaugh. What have you guys been reading.

                The totality of Mary’s posts on the subject. Apparently, you can’t say the same. And yet, even though you didn’t have all the facts, you were willing to pass judgment.

                http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypocrisy

              3. @ E
                If your rude churlish post was intended to show your high school mentality, and that you don’t have even a shred of common decency; congratulations….you accomplished it

            2. Mary you’re a big neon green Seahak troll on a 49er blog. In fact I’m calling bogus. Your answer sounds just like an old troll that once visited here. Anyways it doesn’t matter the less comments I have to read from you is perfect. Your stay on here will not be a nice one from me. Because you don’t belong on here. It’s pathetic that a so called Seahak fan has to troll on a 49er blog. Let that sink in a minute…………
              and as far as hating women beaters.. Go troll on a ravens blog then, because we don’t have a convicted or guilty one on this team at this time. DS… Eh emm I mean “Mary” you’ve trolled on here for a long time. And with the original name DS and the posts you use to put up with multiple personalities there’s no doubt in my mind who I’m dealing with again. Enjoy your time here as your fifth character. Again it won’t be an easy one you troll!

              1. 1. York should NOT talk anymore to any news or TV outlet; he needs a PR firm that can get out in front of all the bad press.

                The 49ers have not handled this well. (1) Aldon Smith, 3 yr. probation and many charges; (2) Ray McDonald investigation on domestic violence, DUI; (3) Miami investigation Kaepernick and others. How many are there in total? Did someone say 10.

                2. The NFL. There are two investigations going on (1) outside the NFL and internal).. Turn on #417 NFL is reporting on themselves. They’ve hired an ex-CIA agent to get to the bottom of this.The common belief is that there’s a cover-up going on in the Ray Rice case that RG lied about receiving the video (the one inside the elevator).

                Many coaches are coming out today and speaking about domestic violence and their feelings on it.

              2. Mary,
                I’ve been pretty good at ignoring folks that I don’t want to talk to. Having said that, I agree with MD. You’ve worn out your welcome. No reason for you to be here.
                For the rest of you that dialogue with “Mary”, you assume she’s a woman. Get over it. Mary is a troll.

            3. Wiltalk…. I don’t know where you’ve been, but this isn’t the only post this troll has posted on this subject. It’s stance has been made pretty clear. And secondly. There is nothing wrong with a different opinion or outlook on any subject matter. BUT there is a problem with it coming from a Seahak fan who just started watching football and isn’t on a national blog but a 49ER ONE!!!!!
              I don’t care how rude I am or sound to this troll. I don’t feed them, I don’t like them, and I will not tolerate them. Have at it Chief. It came on here to stir up some trash, so thats what it will get. DS can handle it.

        2. “If I was Harbaugh I’d call McDonald into my office and tell him to get me copies of both police reports tomorrow and if need be I’d be speaking to the police officers personally . I’d get a list of which 49ers attended the birthday party and get a transcript of what went on that night. I’d want to know who called the police that night. I’d get to the bottom of this real quick. There would be a team meeting and the message would be loud and clear, no violence of any kind off the field would be tolerated. I don’t know what the CBA says, but I’d be in touch with union leaders.”

          And how the hell do you know that this hasn’t transpired yet, Mary?

          1. And how the hell do you know that this hasn’t transpired yet, Mary?

            Because that wouldn’t fit the narrative she has created. Mary’s view on this matter is built entirely upon assumptions, false equivalencies (i.e., McDonald’s case is just like Rice’s case), fandom for a rival team and self-righteous indignation.

            1. Bingo! One or the other OR both….

              1 man hater
              2 49er hater.
              Either one equals a troll.
              Again what fan goes to other teams pages to post non sense? Seriously… Who does that? What do they get out of it. Heck I can even understand a fan coming on talking a little trash the week before our team plays theirs. But to be an everyday poster??? Lonely life!

        3. “Zero tolerance for violence of any kind, isn’t that what Harbaugh said.”

          There’s the problem. You missed the part where he believes in due process.

            1. “due process” didn’t work so well with Janay Rice or other women.

              There are so many things wrong with this assertion; I’m not sure where to begin.

              To what extent did the provision of due process to Ray Rice cause additional, or any, harm to Janay Rice? Ray Rice did not receive (1) a light sentence and (2) an inadequate suspension because he was afforded due process. He received them because (1) New Jersey law on aggravated assault provides for shockingly light punishments and pre-trial interventions and (2) the NFL and Baltimore Ravens did not adequately investigate the incident.

              As to (2), the Ravens and the league either didn’t try hard enough to see the recording from the elevator’s camera (a recording they knew existed) or they viewed the recording and disregarded it (as of now, this only applies to the NFL). Those failures had absolutely nothing to do with providing due process to Ray Rice. They had to do with the team and league failing to conduct a proper investigation and/or ignoring the evidence gained in the investigation.

              The fact that the Ravens and the NFL performed a shoddy investigation in the Ray Rice case, however, is no justification for denying due process to Ray McDonald. He absolutely is entitled to be judged only on the facts of his case, not on mere assumptions and most certainly not on the facts of another case. If the facts of his case demonstrate that he physically abused his fiancee, then the team should release him and the state should prosecute him to extent the law allows them.

              To the extent there is a lesson from the Ray Rice matter that should be applied to the Ray McDonald matter, it’s that teams don’t always conduct a proper investigation. If the media are going to press the 49ers about anything, they should press the team about the scope, thoroughness and results of the team’s investigation, not about whether the team should play McDonald in the absence of facts demonstrating his guilt. I have no problem with the media inquiring into the investigation and am disappointed that no one is doing so. I guess it’s easier to moralize indignantly than it is to actually attempt to find out the truth.

              Sorry for the long comment, but there is so much b/s flying around this thing that I couldn’t help myself.

              1. Claude, I’m sorry but I just can’t devote this must time to these long posts. No offense, but if you can’t make your point in 10 sentences, you’ve lost me. I like you just not the length of your posts.

              2. Claude, I used the wrong word. “I can’t devote that much time.” That was thoughtless and not what I meant at all. I think you’re one of the smartest and most articulate people in here — great sense of humor — you and Rocket — though Rocket’s more sensitive. You’d make a great friends IRL.

                I think I just have a short attention span. All those words — too many points to address, not enough time You get my point ;) KISS principal

              3. Mary,

                If you couldn’t follow Claude’s self described “long comment”, then how in the world are you able to get through all the long and boring articles that actually describe what is actually known in the RMcD case? I thought Claude’s response was actually pretty concise, you just gave him a ton of ground to cover.

              4. Claude, that is an excellent post.

                Mary, it would well be worth you taking the time to read his post, even if it is a bit long. Btw, it is significantly shorter than Grant’s article, but you were able to devote time to read that and thought it was good. Take the time to read Claude’s very considered (and shorter than Grant’s) post.

  13. IDK, that was kind of harsh. I listened to the interview and thought Jed handled himself well. I don’t necessarily agree with everything he said or what they’re doing, but I think he represented the team well given that he’s in somewhat of a no-win situation..

    1. 49erGirl I have learned like you to listen to the interviews as you stated. It puts everything into a better context than just reading what Jed or Jim had to say. Yes he handled himself well and stated unequivocally I am doing what I believe is right and you have the right to agree or disagree

  14. Wow…. I’m surprised this was posted but then again considering the source…

    The PD’s 49ers reporting has gone down the tubes ever since Maiocco left… A once credible post unfortunately given to Lowell’s young kid, Grant.

    Ciao.

  15. Wasn’t enough for you to be sanctimonious with previous entries Grant? Now you have to do your usual double down adding in an obnoxious and arrogant attack on the guy you and the high fiber bunch wanted to hear from?

    You don’t have enough experience or credibility to write stuff like this and be taken seriously Grant.

  16. You’re a rich guy who was given an NFL team.
    ——————————
    Ah sweet nepotism, where would this blog be without it?

  17. Ray McDonald is not Ray Rice.

    If a causal listener happened to turn on KNBR this morning, they would have heard Gary Radnich seamlessly juxtaposing the two. During a discussion about Ray McDonald, Radnich goes on about “the left hook” as if RayMac was in that elevator.

    Around the country, 100’s of news outlets have been making the same “lizard brain” association. It works just like well crafted propaganda… don’t tell an explicit lie, just affect dialog as if McDonald=Rice was a hard fact.

    The media is playing recklessly with a mans reputation, and don’t seem to give a rodents derriere about it. I’m sick to death of it.

    1. Doesn’t it bother people the timing of all this. Why was this video released on the first news day after the start of the season?

      Would it not had greater effectiveness if it had been released months ago?

      Who got the anonymous law enforcement officer to give acknowledgement of receipt of the tape? Why wasn’t that made available? This smacks of political assassination campaigns to me and the media are filled with hypocrites and enablers.

      Seth Rogan said that Rice should be banned forever and his “comedy” involves implied rape, pediophilia, animal abuse etc., talk about the pot…

      1. Here we are, in a column about the 49ers, talking about a Ravens player’s tape. That’s what bothers me.

        Ray McDonald the 49er is NOT Ray Rice the former Raven.

  18. He’s auditioning for his next job. Can you tell? He’s got one foot out the door. The nastiness, the lack of quality articles pertaining to the team, the lack of articles period….

    1. I’ll place bets that pops is getting ready to retire, and Grant is auditioning for a bump upstairs. There is less than an inch between the two Cohn’s writing styles.

  19. Grant,

    You had to know you would take some heat for this one, I commend you for sending it anyway. I’m well versed in posting things that rub people the wrong way and I have deleted far more then I’ve posted over the years, hard to believe I know. Sometimes I’ve been glad I deleted it realizing after some time passed that I was speaking with a heated heart and that I didn’t always have the same convictions once the pulse slowed down. Other times I felt I wuss’d out and gave into the fear of what the feed back would be like.

    I have no delusions about what your opinion is of my own but I still wanted you to know that I know it wasn’t easy to post this story or maybe it was and you’ll wish you could delete it when you’ve had more time to think about it but either way I know it took chutzpah to put it out and I give you credit for it.

  20. Innocent until proven guilty. There was a video of ray rice. We all knew what he did before the Monday video came out. Fact is NFL even had that video and I’m sure the ravens. Now everyone is running like crazy trying to cover it up. Big difference with McDonald, nothing was showed, very little details, and he’s been cooperating with the police. Let it play out and leave him be. If he’s guilty he’ll get his punishment. Simple as that.

  21. Oh my…. I think my eyes are BLEEDING…

    Grant Cohn, the 26 year old guy who only has this job because his father gave it to him is criticizing the guy 8 years his senior for being unqualified and a product of nepotism?!? WHAT?!? LOL- you got huge brass ones sir! (the sports articles here are embarrassing- as a UCLA alum, it pains me that you somehow got into the same school I attended)

    Bill Walsh would never do what? How would you know anything about Bill Walsh- like if i do the math, you were born in 1987?? So you were all of TWO YEARS OLD when walsh retired as a football coach??? You must have been one IMPRESSIVE 16 month old.

    You should wiki the name Lawrence Philips. Guy literally is serving over 26 years in prison- he beat SEVERAL women before, during, and after his time with the niners. The saint Bill Walsh brought him on the team as a GM and THAT was controversial- I remember the public being upset that the niners would employ such a guy. But apparently this same Walsh would bench a guy in Ray McDonald- who NEVER had legal problems before and still HAS NOT BEEN CHARGED WITH ANYTHING!

    Your view of morals seems to be that you would like those in charge to immediately come down hard with an arbitrary punishment in order to avoid bad press- with no consideration if the guy accused did ANYTHING at all.

    Ray McDonald should be punished!…. not necessarily because he did anything- but because, well, aldon smith got in trouble. And ray rice punched his girlfriend and didnt get punished enough. And Grant Cohn needs something to get self-righteous about. Ray McDonald should pay for all of these sins because people are just fed up! Is THAT Moral? Is THAT what is right? Please man…just stick to the cutting and pasting of interview transcripts – go with your strength-

    1. You just don’t get it dude. It’s not about what someone has been formally accused of. You have it all wrong. This is about morality, character, and culture. This is about these beaten women. Not about the rules of monopoly. If your kid was hanging out in the wrong crowd and accused of doing gangsta s@&t, you wouldn’t say “Well she hasn’t been charged with a crime — You keep it up honey”. No way. You’d step in, show some leadership and show your kids some tough love — teaching them right from wrong. Thats what people of character do. This is what top executives of organizations held in the highest regard do. Jed York is pimping the 9eds and he’s pimping you buddy. His comments show no concern for these women. There are bruises on the woman’s face for Christ’s sake. Why would you defend him?

      1. Brian

        “There are bruises on this woman’s face…”

        There are? Where do you get your information, sir, and from what high authority have you been endowed with the right to judge a man based on mere allegations?

        Please, do tell. And since you’re so omniscient, please tell me the winning Lotto numbers.

        1. E, go read any news story about why MacDonald was arrested. He was arrested when his girlfriend showed bruises on her arms and face. A private organization, like a parent, has the right to make ethical judgements that affect their business. “Due process” applies to the governments ability to incarcerate, and does not inhibit a private organization’s ability to make decions on perceived conduct. You obviously don’t care about these women either. What was your point about omnicienence and the lottery? I don’t follow.

          1. The bruising was reported to be on her neck and arms. Now you added the “face”. All on your own. That is how stories and facts grow legs Brian.

          2. The synopsis stated bruises on the neck and arms Brian; not the face. If you are going to contribute at least get the facts straight.

      2. Brian I agree mostly with what you said. Many of us have principles until they contradict our other principles.

      3. You are so wrong I don’t know where to start. I am more familiar with law than most on this board. And more familiar with real life situations. Getting arrested is common- especially in domestic situations-

        I will give everyone here a law lesson…. ok- so to have an arrest, one must have a thing called PROBABLE CAUSE. And for most crimes- an arrest cannot occur without police showing their evidence to a judge or magistrate to get a warrant for arrest (or they need to witness the event themselves). These facts have to prove to a reasonable person that an unlawful act probably occurred. And there are textbooks full of examples of what is and isnt probably cause, and which arrests are lawful and which ones that are not.

        OK- so this was our standard for many years, and it sticks with us now. There is a good threshold for arrest in place. We watch cop shows right?! And we know about how police need to crack the case to arrest the bad guy right! And usually the detective has some tricks up their sleeve and it takes an hour of tv time to finally get that perp.

        Well- in domestic situations, the law is different. In the 1990’s many womens lobbies decided women and families were not being protected enough. And they pushed for warrantless arrests. Jurisdictions started passing bills that made a MANDATORY arrest for all domestic calls. Literally if the police were called, one of the two people were getting arrested. This obviously caused many innocent people to be arrested for nearly nothing (and it is still used by 20 some states)

        California is a “pro-arrest state” It is a step down from the mandatory arrest states- but the threshold to get someone arrested here is much lower than about half the states of the nation. In cali- probable cause for arrest only requires “visible injuries.” Notice something there? Those are the exact words the press received from the police!

        The police saying there was “visible injuries” are the magic words for domestic arrests- they need to write that in paperwork for every arrest. And these visible injuries could be anything- if it is an old bruise, or a carpet burn, or anything- because in cali police are told it is preferred that they make an arrest.

        So you may wonder- how many times does a domestic arrest lead to an actual conviction. I was curious too- so I looked it up. “According to a comprehensive literature review, only 30.5% of persons arrested for domestic violence are actually convicted of the offense. Garner JH, Maxwell CD. Prosecution and conviction rates for intimate partner violence. Criminal Justice Review Vol. 34, No. 1, 2009. Table 2.

        So 70% of those arrested for domestic violence are never convicted- are wrongfully arrested. And THIS type of arrest is what the press wants to use as a threshold for being punished by employers???

        1. BigS, this was a brilliant post. Thank you very much. IMO, everyone on this blog should read this. Btw, no where in the media have I read this. Thanks again.

        2. BIG suede…..
          Absolutely brilliant.
          I tried to post the same meaning but couldn’t in such an informative way. Bravo for knowing facts and laws in this ex union state. But sadly most aren’t informed about this and don’t care to be. Laziness is common now a days. Therefore you have to expect the publics ignorance.
          Again well put. Bravo! Cheers! Give me a pound!
          Blow it up!!! Lol

        3. I see. In your world you wouldn’t step in unless someone has been arrested? Brilliant. You’d let the police raise your kids and you’d let players do whatever they want until they are arrested?? That’s just crazy. If Ray MacDonald applied for a job now at your kid’s day care would you hire him? Even though he hadn’t been charged? Would you hire a guy who is known to run with a gang — no charges yet — to clean your house??? What are you talking about?

          1. Brian,

            It seems you are becoming very emotional about this, for which I’m sure you have your reasons.

            Yes, if I had family involved in something like this, I’m sure I would become emotional too, and lose perspective, just like you, Grant and others have done.

            The thing is, the 49ers can’t afford to act on emotion. They have to make reasoned decisions. If, based on their investigation, it looks like there is a good chance RMcD is innocent, the 49ers would be foolish to suspend him.

            There is little practical downside to waiting until he is at least charged to suspend him (there will e plenty of time to hammer RMcD into the ground if he’s guilty), and there is tremendous downside to suspending him if he’s innocent. The trust the players have in the organization would seriously damaged if they felt an innocent teammate wasn’t supported.

        4. Right. And toddlers are only hit by cars 8% percent of the time when they run into the street. Why have I been stopping my kids from running in the street? How stupid of me. Again, you keep talking about process — X’s and O’s — im taking about doing the right thing. If the founding fathers thought like you, we’d still be English.

        5. Big, I imagine there are probably a lot of mitigating circumstances to that low conviction rate, not least the recanting or dropping of charges by the victim. We all know the reasons – economic, familial concerns, misplaced sense of devotion, etc – a spouse stays with an abusive partner.

              1. Wow! Mary suddenly knows bay well. Hmmm you’d have to be on here for awhile to make an assumption like that. Right DS? What the KC blog is upset with Alex’ week 1 so you bail out like you did here when he was benched? Lmao

  22. The 49er casualty list from Ray (NOT McDonald, NOT a 49er) Rice’s actions grows daily. We already lost Aldon Smith for far more games then was expected. RayMac’s reputation is in tatters no matter what happened on his birthday.

    I shudder to think what will happen to the 49ers if another Raven player commits a crime. More suspended 49ers? Loss of draft picks?

    The sad part is there is no practical utility to damaging a players reputation. The reckless radio blowhards have every opportunity to avoid confusing to two individuals by simply discussing their actions in separate segments. They can come down hard on Ray (NOT McDonald, NOT a 49er) Rice just fine without crushing a possibly innocent man.

    1. Perhaps JPN could clarify.

      Has anyone won a defamation suit not because of explicit fabrications intended to harm… but because of reckless (and constant) Rice=McDonald style juxtapositions with casual disregard for the harm it may cause?

      These media companies know full well that name associations can have the same affect as deliberate speech (sometimes even more so). Their own marketing people down the hall are experts at this very principle. There is no plausible deniability here. Harm is being done this very instant to the life of a possibly innocent man, while affording no protection or comfort to the alleged victim.

      1. “Harm is being done this very instant to the life of a possibly innocent man, while affording no protection or comfort to the alleged victim.”

        I agree, Brodie. Although I don’t wish ill-will to anyone, I really hope that these people will one day be in the same situation that McDonald is in right now. And I’ll be the first one to say, “karma is a b@#$*!”

      2. Brodie,

        The simple answer is that defamation actions are only possible where untruthful accusations are made. Opinion content, such as comparison between two instances, is unlikely to rise to this level as long as no untrue statements are alleged as fact. However, even if one could prove untrue statements alleged as facts, defamation actions are tricky, especially with respect to public figures.

        Under New York Times v. Sullivan decision a plaintiff that is a public official, and who is alleging defamation in the context of his official capacity, must show “actual malice” with respect the alleged defamation. “Actual malice” in this context means knowledge of falsity of the statements or a reckless disregard for the truth of the statements. The courts’ rationale was that First Amendment protections (speech and press) were at play in such cases, and that therefore it was constitutionally required that allegations of defamation against public figures must have a higher threshold than mere negligence (the normal defamation standard).

        Curtis Publishing Co. v. Butts, a subsequent case, found that defamation claims brought by public figures (the plaintiff was a college coach) also implicated First Amendment concerns and thus that more than negligence was required in a defamation claim brought by a public figure. However, the court did not, as many people think, apply the Sullivan “actual malice” standard to public figures who were not public officials. What the court held was, “a ‘public figure’ who is not a public official may also recover damages for a defamatory falsehood whose substance makes substantial danger to reputation apparent, on a showing of highly unreasonable conduct constituting an extreme departure from the standards of investigation and reporting ordinarily adhered to by responsible publishers.” This is often construed to mean that public figures must show that the allegedly defamatory material was recklessly gathered and/or unchecked.

        Coming back to the juxtaposition of the Rice and McDonald situations, comparing these two incidents, and drawing conclusions from such comparisons, does not, in my opinion, evince a reckless disregard for standards of investigation and reporting as they are opinion driven. So, even if in fact there are no actual similarities (say McDonald is exonerated), the comparison of the situations would not be reckless (for the purpose of a defamation action) unless such comparisons included untruths that were the result of recklessly gathered or uncheck information.

        1. JPN001 – Thanks for the clarification. As I feared, speech damaging to reputation could be actionable only when specific “untruthful accusations” are made.

          Perhaps this is one reason why “politics of personal destruction” prefers to affect opinion by context manipulation rather than old fashioned lies.

          It leaves many vulnerable. If a person of resources (media, financial, political) wants to wreck a reputation, all they have to do is interweave the victims name with some buzz phrase or event (that tests poorly in marketing focus groups)… without ever actually making a direct accusation.

          Some day law might catch up to PR firms and political consultants, but I’m not holding my breath.

          It raises a few questions… namely, what constitutes a public figure. If Ray McDonald wasn’t one two weeks ago, he certainly is one now.

          1. The public figure issue is interesting. Professional athletes have been found to be limited-purpose public figures – that is, public figures within the sports they play. Some professional athletes are public figures beyond their sports and would not be considered a limited-purpose public figure but rather full public figures (e.g. Tom Brady). It is also worth noting that someone may be a public figure in the context of his/her own community but not in a larger context.

            McDonald, as an NFL player, is at least a limited-purpose public figure. As such, the recklessness standard would apply when determining defamation claims related to his status as a professional football player. One might argue DV is not related to football, but given the current notoriety of these issues with respect to the NFL and its players, I doubt that flies. Further, even if he were not one before, I think one could successfully argue he is now a public figure rather than a limited-purpose public figure.

          1. Is that language PG — or even necessary? I’ve seen comments removed for less, but Grant will probably let it slide since you are his staunchest supporter, lol.

  23. This doesnt make any sense. You barely ever even write articles when you do its usually its an ask the audience question. You rarely ever report anything we do all your reporting for you, now you come out with this 20 paragraph onslaught of jed york. You dont know what bill walsh would have done because bill walsh isnt here to tell us ( may he r.i.p.) the law here in america grant is innocent until proven guilty, not the other way around. This article is wrong in so many ways. Rice was guilty we all knew that. Mcdonald we dont know yet and dont think for a second you know more than the 49ers. They have done their research you dont do anything but get everyone talking about how someone so ignorant gets a job like this… oh thats right I wouldn’t be talking about jed getting handed anything. Who is your daddy again??

  24. As Jim Harbaugh would say, I think we’ve ploughed this ground already.

    Is there really any value you’ve added from this article, Grant? You’ve made your opinion well known on the matter. Jed York had made his opinion on the matter known as well through Baalke and Harbaugh. He isn’t hurting himself at all by voicing the opinion everyone already knows he held.

    So, now that we’ve rehashed your thoughts on whether McDonald should be allowed to play or not, how about them Bears?

      1. That’s the greatest Australian sprinter of all time – Black Caviar! Undefeated in 25 starts, including 15 Group 1 wins. She won around $8M in prize money all up. An incredible mare.

  25. 49ers Mt. Rushmore DEFINITELY does not feature Steve Young, so your credibility is shot.

    On the Mountain:
    Joe Montana
    Bill Walsh
    Jerry Rice
    Ronnie Lott

    Reserves:
    Eddie DeBartolo
    Frank Gore
    Bobb McKittrick

    Your hero, Young, was an absolute chump in the postseason, and was forced to retire due to brain trauma inflicted on him by a true Hall of Famer, Aeneas Williams. Young is a goofy sycophant with the credibility of an adolescent cheerleader.

    1. E- What an asinine statement about Young’s career ending concussion. You reveal your lack of character. I take back my comment about your attitude in respect to Mary being childish it’s at an entirely other level, but right now I can not find the words to describe it.

  26. Wow. So many people here have already posted what I think of this article. I used to think I came here 80% for the comments, and 20% for what you wrote. From here on out i’m here for the trendous value your commenters add to your gutter level writing.

    Grant, this article just makes you look like a real nasty piece of work. Sad.

  27. I haven’t read his articles for quite awhile. It’s all about the commentators for me on this blog. Much better sports writers to read than the rubbish set out by the curb for pick up here…..

  28. The report I read on the RayMac incident … stated there were
    quite a few 49er players in attendance at the time ..

    I can’t believe any of them .. would have
    allowed something like this to take place…

    Grant .. the entire premise of this thread discounts
    the fact that …
    there are two sides to every coin … and if you honestly
    believe …. what you wrote, here …

    I sure hope you are never .. called in for ..
    jury duty

    1. That’s the problem I have with these situations. When a woman says rape, abuse, etc the world immediately vilifies the man. I’m not saying the man is not in the wrong but can we please wait until the facts come out. Many men all across America have had their entire lives thrown away because a woman lied but no one believed the men. Can we be patient and let the facts speak? I’m ready to be crucified for that comment as well.

  29. I read a little bit of the article before deciding it wasn’t worth reading. I’ve only been coming here for a little over a year. In that short amount of time I’ve learned that many of the people who post on this site should take over this site. It’s amazing how the bloggers topics are completely ignored and the people posting create topics and debate them. With that said hats off to everyone who has been coming here for years and posting great thoughts. You guys are truly what make this blog worth reading. So, it’s Thursday and I’m ready to discuss Sunday nights game. Will we get to see “The Duke” in our offense more this week?

    1. KY49ER,
      Harbaugh recently said that Ellington will start to work in some RB packages. Anything works for me as long as they find ways to get Ellington more touches.

  30. I love my niners. And there’s no greater feeling than associating with people who feel the same way. Just sucks living in KY.

    1. KY? I was born here in CA and grew up in KY. Princeton and Paducah. Beautiful country and good people, but glad to be back in CA.
      If you want to watch Niner games without direct tv or NFL package, use http://www.firstrowus.eu. As Mary posted before, turn your pop up blocker on because there are a lot of popups. It’s a free site and you can watch any sporting event anywhere.

      1. I’m very familiar with the Princeton and Paducah area. I lived in Madisonville, in between Hopkinsville and Henderson. Small world. Thanks for that site. That’s exactly what I need for game not on TV.

  31. I guess Grant really doesn’t like the 49ers huh? Lol..I thought it was biased based reporting on his articles on the team…but it’s turning into straight dislike..bordering on hatred now..I kinda feel sorry that u are a reporter for a team u apparently don’t like..

  32. I recommend that everyone who has not read Big Suede’s post above, should do so. From his post: “According to a comprehensive literature review, only 30.5% of persons arrested for domestic violence are actually convicted of the offense. Garner JH, Maxwell CD. Prosecution and conviction rates for intimate partner violence. Criminal Justice Review Vol. 34, No. 1, 2009. Table 2.”

    Grant, I hope you are reading this. The odds are 4:7 that you are going to look like a fool. Initially I suspected that RM abused his SO but still deserved the presumption of innocence. Now I see the odds are greater that he is a victim of a bad arrest plus slander from the so-called liberal media.

    1. You know the worst part of it all, all he gets if he is cleared, is an sorry @55 apology. A man spends a lifetime building his reputation only to have it smeared quickly.

      1. He won’t even get an apology from Grant. Grant has set himself up nicely here by never accusing Ray Mac of being guilty. Simply that the 49ers aren’t taking domestic violence as a serious enough issue by not suspending him, just in case he is guilty.

        Grant also suggests in this article that relying on due process is a farce. Funny thing is though, despite him ridiculing the Ray Rice situation (which it deserves), Rice has ended up suspended indefinitely and currently out of football. So even though due process in this instance was poorly executed (and potentially intentionally so), the right outcome was achieved. And given there is now an investigation being carried out, something tells me they won’t risk being accused of not taking the appropriate steps in similar cases from now on.

    2. That statistic is actually kind of sad – the low percentage rate does not necessarily translate back to the 70% arrested/not convicted being innocent.

      DV crimes are some of the hardest to prosecute and many offenders go unpunished (many go unreported). There are a number of factors that play into why the person arrested was not prosecuted or convicted – doesn’t always mean that person wasn’t guilty, it could just mean they just didn’t have enough evidence to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.

      I don’t know much about this persons credibility as a writer, but the information posted regarding NFL players conviction rates vs/ ordinary people is an interesting read if true. Most notable – it was written in 2012.

      http://www.slate.com/blogs/crime/2012/12/04/jovan_belcher_murder_suicide_no_seriously_the_nfl_really_does_have_a_domestic.html

  33. First game ever at Candlestick last Dr.York and Jed came by handing out 49ers pins. They stopped and talked to us and Jed is a real down to Earth guy.
    I think Jed has done a great job since being CEO with letting his coaches and management do their jobs. That’s what every fan wants their owner to do, stay out of the way.

  34. Let me ask y”all a question that I feel is VERY relevant:

    If y’all dislike Grant so much and criticize him all the time, why do you keep coming back here day after day and apparently year after year?

    And I think b/4 you judge me and why I’m here, you should look at your own motives

    1. Once again Mary, troll, DS, Pat,
      whatever else you go by. Many of us were here when it was Padecky, Matt Maiocco, Silver, Eric Branch and now Grant.
      We are here because for us it is “our” 49er hub. Where we come to discuss 49er team, game, player, strategy. Basically anything pertaining to the 49ers. We are not here for Grant. We are clear as to why we are here.
      Why are you here? Especially when the majority of the room wants you gone? Low self esteem much?

            1. Mary your first mistake was coming on here saying you are a Seahawks fan. The second was continuing to stay on here.
              You understand that the two fan bases don’t like each other right. Respect is one thing, but c’mon, you will always be known as a rival, nothing more. It’s a jungle in here so be ready!

        1. bay answered why we are here.

          Are we here to abuse Grant? Most of us abuse *anyone* who writes what we perceive as nonsense – Grant or forum posters, it matters not. Fans of Niner’s rival teams in particular get our ire.

        2. Mary, I’ve been on this blog as a reader and sometimes commentor since Matt Maiocco ran it in 2007. We villify or praise Grant based upon whether his takes are logical or clearly designed to rile everyone up in the name of clicks.

          Also, as explained above, people come to read the comments. There are multiple posters who bring knowledge and insights here. This crowd has some typical homerism that you would find on any fan blog, but you’ll find that most folks are willing to discuss the 49ers’ perceived strengths and weaknesses openly.

    2. The commenters. The comments section runs itself. A while back Grant took off for a week and the blog didn’t miss a beat.

    3. Mary,

      You confuse disagreement with dislike. Grant has strong opinions that are often written with an antagonistic tone, which invites comments of disagreement in this forum. Nobody here knows him personally that I’m aware of, so it’s all related to his opinions and the manner in which they are presented.

      I don’t dislike Grant; but I like the many knowledgeable people who contribute in this forum a lot more than the articles he writes. If it were just about information and meaningful content, there would be no one here.

    4. Mary….. i have to support both Jack Hammer and Bayarea here. I frequent this site to exchange conversation with the other commenters. If i’m looking for 9er news i go to MM or MB in fact there are a number of Grants posts that i now ignore. I have no plans on reading his latest post regarding Jed York but i did read the previous 3 posts. The commenters that regularly post here are bright, informed and for the most part knowledgable football fans. More than that they are a pretty interesting bunch. By the way if you are really DS in hiding i believe you were treated horribly here towards the end and would welcome you back to commenting as DS.

    5. Mary:

      To add to what others have said, I come here because I appreciate the ability to discuss 49ers issues with other 49ers fans, particularly those who are intelligent, well-informed, and rational. I’ve learned a lot from many of the other commenters. Although the foregoing description doesn’t describe everyone here, there are more such commenters here than at just about any 49ers blog. Niners Nation is the only other 49ers site that has as many such commenters.

      My reasons for coming here have little to do with Grant’s presence, although he used to contribute to the discussions.

      Now that I and others have answered your question, perhaps you could tell us why you keep coming here.

      1. “Now that I and others have answered your question, perhaps you could tell us why you keep coming here.”

        Mary, are you going to answer this or keep ignoring?

      2. Because DS missed us. Little Aliens shrink finally found the right balance of drugs to allow it to post again.

    6. I have commented here since 2006 when Matt Maiocco ran it. I think Grant is the 4th writer that there has been. The comment section is the draw here- especially on game days-

      1. But i have to add- i like the full transcripts of the press interviews. I find value in that. Kawakami also types out transcripts of warrior news- even though i dont care for his opinion, i still read it, the commenters are decent there too.

  35. “Rapoport: “Inside the 49ers sources believe writer Grant Cohn is already losing the blogger room.”

    1. As long there are 100+ replies to his provocative postings, the only thing we are doing is building his resume.

      Hey, maybe that’s a good thing.

        1. Good question, razor. I think a prospective publisher would look at eyeball potential fir$t, quality of content second.

  36. An acquaintance of mine is a pretty good friend of Jed, and he is great person, so by association, I would assume Jed is a decent person as well.

    I don’t agree with Grant per this article and his stance on the McD incident, and think the 49ers handled it appropriately. That said, as a parent and former teacher, I know better than to give attention to someone screaming for it and have learned that that in itself will lend itself to having them change their behavior/antics……. perhaps Grant will learn from it by not having an audience.

    Can we talk about the game tonight? I want to believe the Chargers can beat Seattle, really do…….. just can’t pull the trigger on my varied pools. 27-24 Seattle

    1. Good test for both teams. Seattle on the road. Let’s face it: They’re a handful. I do believe we will beat them, though, twice. Very impressed with Kaepernick’s play last week. He, Hyde, Johnson, Lloyd, and Ellington — man, what a combination. Convinced that either Iupati improves or he’ll be benched. My concern is for the secondary, though. Can’t afford any more injuries.

      1. George, didn’t you see Iupati pull and clear the pathway for Frank to salt the game away? Granted he’s not where he needs to be, but it will come sooner rather than later. Brooks would do well to remember that the bridge between thought and accomplishment, is discipline….

        1. You’re right about that, but I was thinking about his pass protection. If Kaep had a wall around him . .

          1. Talking about Iupati. I think Brooks will improve, but Mike’s never protected well, or has he? Willing to admit I’m wrong.

  37. I read an article about all of the restaurants in the new stadium. Let me just say I can’t wait for my next trip out to the Bay Area just to tailgate in the stadium after the game. Greatest idea ever.

    1. The prices aren’t bad for the basics, but they are really reaching with the all you can eat amusement park food at Great America and Mina tailgaiting, my $.02. But, if people go, so be it.

      Jerry’s stadium was phenomenal. The oddity of Levi’s Stadium being amongst corporate offices felt better than the retail strip malls surrounding AT&T though.

      I think the difference will be in the fans support for the team, which was clearly absent Sunday in Dallas. I am looking forward to Sunday and am curious to see if the new group of fans will remove the sting from leaving he debaucherous charm of The Stick and paying much more to see the same game.

      1. Yeah in the article I read they did mention the prices of some of the restaurants. Most of them were high end. When I do make that trip I will be mentally ready to leave the stadium with empty pockets. I also hope that the corporate atmosphere that many have mentioned about the new stadium does not take away from the real fan experience.

  38. Before we get apoplectic about whether Ray McDonald should or should not have been allowed to play, and assuming team resources have better information than that available to the public, perhaps we should review a couple or related Penal Code laws:

    13701(b) PC “…policies shall encourage the arrest of domestic violence offenders if there is probable cause that an offense has been committed.” Exactly what caused the alleged, visible bruising on the victim? Could it have been unrelated to supposed domestic violence?”

    836(d)(1) The peace officer has probable cause to believe that the person to be arrested has committed the assault or battery…” (Laws of arrest.) Being the fiancee or whatever the relationship would put McDonald, at least, as a person of interest.

    Just saying.

  39. This is my Thursday column on Grant Cohn.

    On second thought, Grant, don’t write.

    Go ride a bike. Gardening is fine. There are so many things you can do. But, please, no more writing. You’re making things worse with this Ray McDonald mess by making it all about your premature judgemental nature and ignoring truly important 49er news like Frank Gore surpassing 10k yards against your team, the Cowboys.

    You probably didn’t want to talk about Gore in the first place since you’ve been writing him off for years. I acknowledge that. You stayed silent for many days after Gore reached his milestone and only tried to fan the flames of the McDonald story.

    But it turns out you’re no more qualified to write this blog than any one of the fans who post here. You’re less qualified, actually. What life experience do you have to handle sports reporting? You’re only in your 20s. You’re a guy who was handed your job because of who your father is – just like Jed York.

    It’s your job to inform your readers of 49ers news and be a steward of this blog while you have the posters attention. They’ve entrusted you to do that. Forget your opinion. It doesn’t matter. I’ll tell you this, Grant. You tarnished your reputation and the reputation of the Press Democrat by grinding your ax and subjecting everyone to your sanctimonious opinions.

  40. I believe in the due process element of these incidents, that said, the Hardy legal filing is supposed to be pretty disturbing……… and the legal process can often times be very slow, which is unfortunate when it comes to these dilemmas as it was sad watching the owner Richardson so torn up as it tarnishes his reputation, and the whole Panthers organization, for not being able to address it.

  41. If you get a chance today, stop and say thank you to the police, firemen, and military personnel. #neverforget

  42. This terrible, uninformative, snide article reeks of conflict journalism, i.e., Grant is creating controversy by taking a position opposite to prevailing opinion in order to prop himself up and gain attention. The folks at Fox news make their living off of this. In doing so, Grant is revealing his narcissism – conflict journalists are usually writing about themselves rather than reporting anything. The good journalists covering the Niner beat (Matt Maioco, Matt Barrows, etc…) don’t have to resort to such stunts. Pathetic.

    1. Grant is just giving his opinion. That’s what you do in a column. Columns aren’t news stories they are commentary.

  43. Sorry- jumped the gun w Seattle at San Diego vs the Pit/Bal game tonight- which should be a very good one!

    Jus fyi, ordered jerseys on Alibaba for the kids and have been very pleased with the product for $25- we got some Raiders season tickets to take the kids to as I try and recoup some of the PSL $ from the 49ers while the new stadium buzz is hot- just hope fans of the opponent don’t get them……….

  44. Holly WOW!!! Grant, I once again completely disagree with your opinion and the way you try to manipulate the readers. First, we live in America and some of us our more fortunate than others so please do not play this status card.

    Yes, Jed York was very privileged to be given a team but you have no ground to question his morals or ability to handle a very tough situation as the CEO just because he has a different point of view.

    I am completely against violence, specially when it is directed to children, women and elderly. If anyone has been proven guilty they should be removed from the organization and receive treatment. However, we can not ruin peoples life by assuming every accusation is true or factual without understanding the whole picture. I hope to god 49ers organization has enough evidence to allow Ray M play last week or they will lose faith and the reputation of this great organization will be damaged. But I will hold judgement until all the facts has been reviewed before making any statements about Jed!

    Its interesting as a Columnist your writing is extremely one sided and always negative toward the team you supposedly cover. It must suck to right about a team you do not like or support since generating negativity may be taxing!

    If you are truly concern about domestic violence why not write an article about how common this issue is in our society behind closed doors and how that impacts our society (THE NFL). Also, propose solutions for reducing violence or engage the readers in a discussion about solutions! But no thats not going to generate hits for you is it?

  45. “But it turns out you’re no more qualified than they are to discuss those issues. You’re less qualified, actually. What life experience do you have to handle things like that? You’re only 34 years old. You’re a rich guy who was given an NFL team.”

    A lot of you have taken Grant to task over the nepotism issue, but what really gets me is the age issue: Grant’s what, 26? If he doesn’t think Jed has the life experience to “discuss these issues”, what makes him think he does? Jed’s got 8 years of life experience on him…

    1. Sorry CALI for getting technical here but age alone does not necessarily indicate the degree of someones life experience. Its the actual experiences in your life span! Yes, if you live longer you may experience more but some times people have more life experiences in a shorter amount of time. Just my take.

      1. Right Chicago
        But check it out. Look at where Jed is, his opportunities notwithstanding, and where Grant is; Jed has greater insights into the business than Grant. At 26 I didn’t know diddly about business, despite already having some intense unrelated life experiences. The trick is to understand what you don’t know; few 20 something’s do. Humble ones have a better chance.

      2. Chicago – I’ll agree with you wholeheartedly there. There are many people who have lived a “lifetime” and are younger than both Jed and Grant. However, Grant doesn’t seem to take that into account. Jed now has a few years of being the head of a major organization as part of his experience. Grant has a couple of years writing blogs and columns for a regional newspaper and I say: major difference in responsibility there.

        Also, in my experience, until you finish college your life experience as it relates to work, PR, etc as are the issues here, not much in those years leading to your college graduation means much. I’d imagine both of them finished college at or around the age of 22 (unless they did grad work) which gives Grant roughly 4 years of work experience if he’s 26. At 34 Jed, would potentially have 12 years experience – three times more than Grant. Just on that front alone it doesn’t seem Grant has a leg to stand on to call Jed out purely on the “life experience” issue is my overall point.

  46. Please, help us out here. Care to explain?
    A broadcaster named Ted Robinson
    is temporarily put on ice (2 games) for
    insensitive/inappropriate language, while
    another man, Niner Ray McDonald, takes
    the field despite actually putting hands on
    a female in a threatening/abusive manner.

    Does the team response seem a bit incongruous?

    Please advise Coach Harbaw that he will not win
    enough games this season so as to make us
    overlook these issues. The team image is suffering, ok?

  47. Grant …

    Isn’t it about time to put this thread to rest ?
    I mean .. consider the flack you’ve gotten for your views ?

    Think it’s time for another article .. like maybe one about
    Frank the Tank hitting that 10,000 yd milestone ..

    yeah.. that’ll do it …

    (trust me … you’ll feel much better about it, afterwards)

  48. Here’s what I have to say about Jed York. Jed saved us from having to deal with Dr. York. Jed has no ego, the best thing he did was to bring in operations from a football standpoint. Baalke, Harbaugh.

    Jed got us a brand new stadium. The team is relevant. Best team in football IMO. Anyone that attacks him right now this moment has an agenda period.

    Lets try to move on from Grants bitter posts. Lets try to move on from Mary the troll. We can take a moment to give our respects to the first responders that lost their lives on 9/11. Never forget.

    Then lets talk about new traditions since we are starting in a new stadium. No longer will be hit that long line on 101N just after Oyster Point. No longer will we park and tailgate in the dirt on the outskirts of the stadium. This first game will find me and a group of friends having breakfast at the Hyatt across the street. We’ll have to see how well they make bloodymarys.

    Then we will walk into the stadium for the first ever regular season game. They’ll be handing out Commemorative Inaugural Game tickets. To me this is really cool. I always loved the old timers that had stories about being at the first 49ers game at Kezar stadium. I get to do that with my son. I’m proud of that.

    Take a look at the York video. It’s pretty cool.

    http://www.49ers.com/news/article-2/49ers-Pregame-Show-Begins-at-501-PM/e5482a6a-84f9-45a8-ae18-a9d00ab593f4

      1. Razor,
        if there were a place where I could post pictures and link them here I would. Just to share the experience….. I guess I could on Youtube….

    1. I’m jealous, too!
      Bay, are you going to the Thanksgiving Day game? I found out this weekend that my family and I are going to the game. I cannot wait and hope to see some a$$ kicking of the Seahawks:)

            1. Man, that’s a great idea Razor! I will suggest to the group and hopefully everybody agrees with it. Thanks!

      1. Man Ricardo,
        I wish I was. My parents are going to the Seahawk game : ( But I am going to the Clink in December : )
        With a healthy Hyde we are going to crush the Hawks. Book it. Aldon will be a wild man. And hoping Navarro is healed enough to contribute physically and emotionally.
        Hyde is the key.

        1. That’s great Bay! I wish I could join you there but I’m glad you will be representing the red and gold!
          I agree, Hyde is the key (the whole running game) and stopping Lynch (their running game).

      2. I got my 2 tickets for the Thanksgiving game! Two less seats that will be occupied by some seahawk schmucks.

        I’m also going to the Niners – Giants game in NJ two weeks before (first game back for Aldon- whooooo! Duck Eli!). Funny thing, for similar locations in the stadium the Levi’s tickets were about 2x the cost as those at MetLife. I guess Giants scalpers are bailing early on that team.

        1. “I got my 2 tickets for the Thanksgiving game! Two less seats that will be occupied by some seahawk schmucks.”

          That’s great ribico! I don’t have my seat number yet but I’ll let you know before the game and maybe we could formally introduce ourselves to each other.

  49. Mike, what leads me to believe Harbaugh is taking no action on his own to determine what transpired at McDonald’s house the night McDonald was arrested is b/c both Baalke and Harbaugh have stated they are waiting for “due process” to take it’s course Due process is a legal term meaning they are waiting for the Court to decide if McDonald is guilty. This is an arduous undertaking and can take months (as the courts are jammed) as it did in the Rice case and it didn’t turn out so well for Janay Rice as evidenced in the elevator video.

    Look, all I’m saying is that there has to be a team mentality/culture that players don’t do anything to hurt the team’s ultimate goal = SB.

    1. Mary, there were rumors that Lynch assaulted someone in the offseason. Based on that allegation, should Lynch have been benched if it came up during the season?

      1. Mary … don’t take this the wrong way ..
        but, have you noticed that the regulars, here,
        are ready to move on from this topic ..
        and are ready to talk football, now … so-o-o ..
        … can we .. ?

        Bay … I’m so jealous !! … do.. have a great time
        making some memories with your son !!

        I made a bunch at “The Stick” with my son .. and have
        already informed him.. that it’s his turn to make some
        with his ‘old man, next year when we drive out there ..
        (meaning… this time he buys the tix)

        Bottom line is … your son will never forget these times ..ever !

        (who’s jerseys will you two be wearing ? )

      2. Annnnndddd……….*crickets*

        She’s trolling, gsixty. Clearly all these standards and the outrage disappears if the person accused wears Seattle green and blue. Then “it’s different.”

      3. gsixty: You bet I remember that incident. I addressed it right away. The first words out of my mouth in a post were: “that knucklehead! What is wrong with these guys — can’t they stay out of trouble. I remember Tuna saying don’t worry — it will just be something like the Miami investigation and will blow over.” And that’s what happened within two days.

        Lynch was not even involved. He was never charged or arrested. Seattle and 49ers are both lucky these “episodes” happened during off season. Would have been a huge distractions.

        Unfortunately for the 49ers, this McDonald case comes on the heels of Ray Rice and you’re going to experience “fall out.” What would I say to inquiring minds if I was a 49er fan: First, I wouldn’t get defensive and then I’d say “relax everyone — it will probably blow over.” Thanks Tuna:)

    2. Mary is it any different that Lynch’s DUI or the string of performance enhancing issues in Seattle? There were a lot of questions about Seattle’s culture with all those suspensions and issues and what was tolerable to win a SB. Its hard to say what JH is doing and not doing. I suspect that York and Baalke are making more of these player decisions that people realize. I can’t imagine JH is happy with it. Baalke brought in Cox, Wright, Braylon Edwards, Winston, C. Cook and drafted Aldon Smith. All guys who came at a discount because of their criminal pasts. There were a couple of reports that Baalke decided Aldon would play after his DUI. Who know’s what’s true and what’s not. I do know Baalke loves to find talent in injured and players with sketchy backgrounds. I also know some of those guys got reformed here in the 49ers organization and the culture. Some of them couldn’t hack it and left.

      Isn’t Lynch still playing while he’s on trial for a DUI? Is that cleared up, did he play during that time? You can’t get too righteous about Seattle here. Pete has the drive to win at all costs too. I personally have had to suspend some of my personal staff for accusations until we found out what happened. It only took a couple of days to investigate and get answers and then they were fired. I wouldn’t have played RMac but I am not in charge of the 49ers and I am not going to get overly self righteous about it either. I can’t believe they would be so stupid with the fire storm going on with R Rice to try and hide a guilty player. So either they know RMac is innocent or they are plain foolish to think they can get away playing someone who will be charged and tried. They surely know the truth either way with so many teammates at the party they know what happened. So I could be disappointed in their character and choices. Were you disappointed with Lynch’s DUI and the number of performance enhancing drugs violations and how Seattle handled it? I would have been.

  50. Last week it seemed that the defense struggled to stop the run – well, at least more than they have the last few years. Any thoughts on what they’re going to do to shore that up against Chicago? Also, wth is wrong with our non-existent pass rush (the Cowboy not included…).

    Due to work/life in general, I didn’t get a chance to watch many of the preseason games or follow off-season issues and am a little behind with how the team is looking this year…looking to you guys for insight!!

    1. I think it has to do with all the new faces out there on defense 49erGirl. In Pre-Season, they’re rotating in and out different guys, to get a gauge on what they do best, and that makes it difficult to develop chemistry. Going to take time for them to gel together. Also, the game plan changed with the larger than life deficit the Bears incurred, so the 49ers were more than happy to let the Cowboys “run” down the clock…..

    2. 49ergirl, good to have you back on this blog. Based on my assessment our D line had decent pressure on Romo however it was not consistent. It may be part of their defensive scheme! Also, It appeared this was their first game together and they just played rusty.

      keep in mind we are still missing several key players that helped our run defense from last season: My hero Bowman, Dorsey, Aldon Smith, Whitner and Ian Williams is just coming back from a major ankle injury that required 4 surgeries.

      I am very concern about our defense and hope they gel and play together as one until Bowman, Smith and Dorsey return.

      1. Yeah, missing Bowman is huge. My stomach still turns thinking about his injury. Can’t wait for him to get back.

        I think you’re right, they’ll gel more as a unit as the season progresses. I’ve been impressed with the depth- especially at LB, but I think that’s largely in part to the awesomeness that is Jim Tomsula :)

    3. With respect to the pass rush, Lynch looks promising. The INT by Willis was precipitated by the pressure and pursuit of Lynch. He also displayed discipline when he avoided a personal foul for unnecessary roughness, by pulling up after Romo threw the football. Brooks played the worst game of his career, even though he had a sack. Lemonier was MIA, and needs to execute that stunt off Justin Smith, because pressure all day, will leave Cutler dismayed….

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