Posted By: JB (26/03/2008 8:13:52 PM)
Comment: How do the Bears gain better draft position and the Jets received no compensation for the Patriot scandal?

Posted By: Rob Wise (26/03/2008 12:07:25 PM)
Comment: So the question is. Are we going after Miami since they did the same thing? We may as well if it also applies to them. We would benefit in a better draft pick as well.

Posted By: riq roq (25/03/2008 7:05:12 PM)
Comment: the niners cheated and got caught. suck it up homers.

Posted By: drummer (25/03/2008 2:37:51 PM)
Comment: So far, Mike Martz Fan has shown that he hasn't seen a Martz draft, and that he can't count. Martz only has one SB ring, as an OC. It makes you wonder how a guy can be such a fan of someone he doesn't know much about.

Posted By: Kanishka Ray (25/03/2008 2:30:50 PM)
Comment: Things really couldn't get much worse for the Niners. Very sad and very depressing. The only positive I can get out of this is that Nolan is out after this season. Next maybe Yorkie and Denise can come their senses and the return the team to Eddie...the rightful and only owner of this once great franchise.

Posted By: Brandon (25/03/2008 12:10:15 PM)
Comment: Chris... you're saying that the Patriots cheated and they still went to the Super Bowl? And then? First of all how can you even begin to compare the Niners to the Patriots. As much as I hate to admit it, they're in a different league than us. And secondly... who cares that they went to the Super Bowl. Maybe you're from that poor town in Guatemala that received the donated goods from the NFL showing that Patriots won the Super Bowl. But let me go ahead and bring you back to reality, they lost.

Posted By: Chris (25/03/2008 10:50:21 AM)
Comment: Good job niners, way to lose picks for a player we don't even need. At least when the Patriots cheated they went to the superbowl, we cheat we are still an NFL doormat.

Posted By: ninermaniac (25/03/2008 9:21:13 AM)
Comment: Thats a little harsh. Why did Goodell make this so complicated. He couldve just gave the 5th round pick to them or a later round.

Posted By: Mike Martz Fan (25/03/2008 6:00:38 AM)
Comment: Hey Drummer...I haven't seen his drafts, but I've seen his Super Bowl rings...

Posted By: Pete in New Hampshire (25/03/2008 5:46:57 AM)
Comment: This situation stinks to high heaven. I hope it gets this team pissed off. Jerry Angelo and Goodell have created a PR stunt to cover up their own bad moves.

Posted By: PT Barnum (25/03/2008 4:26:21 AM)
Comment: Louie- "you're a clown"!

Posted By: Darren (25/03/2008 12:34:22 AM)
Comment: Hey Berger, put down your peace pipe and pay attention. WE ARE A STRUGGLING TEAM! wE'RE GOING TO GET OUR BUTTS HANDED TO US BY THE NFC EAST, AFC EAST, NEW ORLEANS, SEATTLE 2 TIMES. And if we're lucky, Goodell may send some crooked officiating to help us lose to Detroit, Rams/ Arizona so we either go 2 and 14, 3 and 13, or maybe 0 and 16 now. Then we'll fire Nolan (after we threaten to burn down 49er headquarters if they don't), move the team to Los Angeles after Santa Clara votes the stadium down. We don't have an Oline to protect our QB, We don't have WRs WE don't have a freaking Dline! how can you win without a Dline, or a no. 1 WR? we showed everybody by going 5 and 11 with no QB, for we had no Oline, No Wr, and our Dline was GASSED, but they were 32 rated anyway! So far this year: No Oline No Dline No WR, how is Bruce a good replacement for Jackson? He's old, and old means slow! Wow, what an improvement, drop the ball to old and slow, good going! This ruling is horse hockey! Obviously< i got another word for it, but this is obvious hatred by Goodell directed to the Bay Area and its teams. If you don't want the team to move to Los Angeles after the November election, petition the NFL to remove John York and get this team SOLD! Fire Nolan! I blame him for this too!

Posted By: dmatt (24/03/2008 10:47:21 PM)
Comment: Goodell should have just called it even for all of the times that the his refs have worked us in the last two years. Vernon Davis' foot was barely touching the ground. Yeah right.

Posted By: Mike in Sac (24/03/2008 10:20:27 PM)
Comment: Below is the address for NFL HQ. I suggest writing some letters and maybe a few phone calls describing your displeasure. I am writing. 280 Park Ave., 15th Fl. New York, NY 10017 (Map) Phone: 212-450-2000 Fax: 212-681-7599

Posted By: Marc - NJ49er (24/03/2008 10:16:05 PM)
Comment: Laugh at this too, Rd 3 - Atl 68, Pats 69, Bears 70. Hmmmmm?

Posted By: Marc - NJ49er (24/03/2008 10:10:17 PM)
Comment: Now Atlanta is even more important to my Draft board scenario. They sit at 68 in Rd 3. 2 in front of Da Bears, (in our previous spot). For all the right reasons, Jonas,pick positions, you name it, we need to speak to them and see what works for all concerned. Give them 29 if they need to leapfrog the Tuna and take it from there. Plus the Packers can get in front of Da Bears with our help too, and, don't dismiss the Vikes either, they hold 8 Day 2 picks themselves. So now that the gloves are off in the NFC North, we can help the Lions/Packs/Vikes lay a little smack on Da Bears if the right offers line up. PayBax a B*tch, have it at it Scot.

Posted By: Marc - NJ49er (24/03/2008 9:44:06 PM)
Comment: Let's remember we have the Bears best LB anyway, Mike Singletary. He's tutoring Patrick and could be in line to replace Nolan. Dream scenario? Mike returns to Soldier Field leading a SF Team that is poised to return to the grand stage. Yes, the ruling sucks, but I honestly feared this was gonna happen due to the timing of Pats-Cam and the crown jewel franchise being tarnished. Add tape disposal to the mix and here we are. We shall overcome. Keep the Faith. Scot has his Irish 'Up' now, proceed with caution Chi-Town.

Posted By: Berger (24/03/2008 9:34:59 PM)
Comment: Marc - Obviously, I was just kidding about roughing up the commish, but it should tell you how I feel right now. I wasn't kidding about calling Specter. The Bears are a declining team, we are a rising team. Nothing would give me more joy than to blow those bastards out the next time we play them, and then the next 10 times, too. Suddenly I feel good about the audible called by the back up QB in the blow out game, in the 90's, where he threw a TD in the last seconds. I think it was Bill Musgrave? My former boss was a Bears fan and he said that was running up the score. I'm feeling pretty good about that TD right now. I had a person tell me earlier that his "pissivity could not be measured". It was a great use of a new word.

Posted By: Marc - NJ49er (24/03/2008 9:20:24 PM)
Comment: Berger, the muscle out here is for Jets and Giants. 5th Ave won't shed an ounce of pity on our situation. I like the idea of emailing the NFL HQ mailbox and at least being heard. Pose the question of why a 5-11 team needs to be B*tchslapped for a phone conversation that takes place every minute in this league. If nothing else we could garner some leniency for a Comp Pick pay back next year. The game is usually punish and repay in this business. Trade and recoup the loss, we'll rebound. No other option now.

Posted By: Marco from Stockton (24/03/2008 9:19:15 PM)
Comment: What I said is Staley will be "at least" a good NFL journeyman. He may develop further, but there is one question mark with him moving to left tackle. He is not a natural big man but a product of weight training & weight gaining in college(70 lbs) moving him from tight end to tackle. He may have "maxed" out at 306 and great left tackles need to play at 325-340. Tight end was his natural position and you see it in his good speed. At the left tackle he will see the best pass rushers and he is not a real "big & strong" man (in the NFL it is all relative). He did 27 reps at 225 lbs. Staley played in the Mac. I am not sure he can play left tackle in the pros at a high level. It is why I consider him an over reach in the first round. I believe we could have had him or Ugoh in the second without trading. I just don't see him developing into an old pro at left tackle. Asd I said he is a bit light at 306 for left tackle which should be about 330-340 and thus at a disadvantage with bull rushes. His quickness is his biggest advantage. Time will tell.

Posted By: Marc - NJ49er (24/03/2008 9:12:05 PM)
Comment: Matt I'd like to hear what Drew Rosenhaus has to say regarding the contact? He is a man doing business on both sides of the fence so I'd venture to say he remains neutral, but someone has to account for phone call dialogue?? What was said on what timeline? Very peculiar. Diversionary without question.

Posted By: Berger (24/03/2008 9:05:44 PM)
Comment: louie-Quit being a Crab Louie!

Posted By: Berger (24/03/2008 9:03:08 PM)
Comment: Marc- You are from NJ right? We need you to get some of your boys and go rough this A-hole GodDell up!

Posted By: louie (24/03/2008 9:01:28 PM)
Comment: The penalty was too severe,but when you're a bottom dweller with a no-nothing owner and a lame-duck coach, the league shows off because the NFL world doesn't care unless you hurt an "important" franchise. Those of you no-nothing niner fans who think with your heart instead of your head, will continue to defend McNolan while they make many more blunders than real moves to build a winner. This was a bad mistake, one of many. Why some fans think their personnel moves (as a whole) have been great is beyond being a homer. It's dumb.

Posted By: Marc - NJ49er (24/03/2008 8:58:42 PM)
Comment: Precisely what I was afraid would happen, Goodell lashing out and letting people know who's boss. Best thing to do now is work some magic to obtain another pick by trading back or moving a player named Jonas. At this point Goodell owes us, Hoping a generous comp pick next year will help us all forget this unfortunate turn of the knife.

Posted By: Berger (24/03/2008 8:56:26 PM)
Comment: What is something we can do to get under the skin of GodDell? I think maybe Arlen Specter should get a little call to see if this is something else he can use against the NFL. A charge that looks to be bogus and nowhere to appeal.

Posted By: NinerfaninJapan (24/03/2008 8:52:37 PM)
Comment: Matt, first thanks for the news. I read your blog religiously but rarely post. Keeps me going in a town where there is no football and the home baseball team wears Dodger colors. Anyway, do you have any info regarding Randy's post and the information Kevin Lynch reported? I saw that article this morning too and was curious if the Niners might possibly try to appeal or something.

Posted By: Randy (24/03/2008 8:34:55 PM)
Comment: I hate to post someone else's blog on here, but Kevin Lynch of the SF Chronicle posted an intertesting blog on the bogus tampering charge. According to lynch 2 nfl sources stated that there wa no tampering on the Niners behalf, and that the Niners were the scapegoats, because of goodall's mishandling of spygate, and that he was out to punish any team even there was no cheating involved. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/ninerinsider/index?

Posted By: Sean (24/03/2008 8:28:59 PM)
Comment: Are you goddam kidding me!?!? The NFL is a complete joke, this is rediculous.

Posted By: mikelove49 (24/03/2008 7:36:10 PM)
Comment: A part of me is upset with the organization, a part of me is upset with the league. First we lose our 7th overall pick i n the draft, now this, it is getting utterly ridicolious. Having said that, i think that the league was a littloe too harsh on us for simply making a play for a top notch defensive player. it's not like we were trying on purpose to snatch away a player from chicago, i mean after all, lance briggs didn't wanty to stay in chicago anyway. The league should have let us keep our draft pick. We will recover from this, i hope!!!

Posted By: Da Niners (24/03/2008 7:30:45 PM)
Comment: It's funny Marco from Stockton sounds like he's a pretty knowledgeable source until he notes that Staley will be a good journeyman. Not only will Staley be a solid if not spectacular bookend LT for years to come (just remember he had one bad game against the Giants...oh, and so did Matt Light, an All-Pro LT for the Pats), but we got an excellent LT a year earlier than had we waited. Oh, and we didn't have to overspend like the Pats now do. I KNOW with certainty that the Pats wish they did not have the 7th pick in the draft...in fact, NO ONE wants a top 10 pick anymore because of the cost of signing them. Most of the folks that commment on these sites, do not get that part of it. Again, every team in the top 10 would LOVE to trade back. We are still like $30mm above the cap even with all our offseason moves. That is amazing...say what you wish about Nolan as a coach, but McNolan from a personnel standpoint are about good as you will find out there.

Posted By: drummer (24/03/2008 7:17:43 PM)
Comment: It also looks like thedriver has never read up on Martz's draft as well (*cough cough* Trung Candidate for $100 Alex), but he sure reads up on bad jokes. BTW, if you want to look up jokes, look at a Martz draft.

Posted By: Marco from Stockton (24/03/2008 6:46:47 PM)
Comment: Yes I would love to have that pick back and have our #2 we traded to Indy, but we can't. Unfortunately McNolan got suckered. We could have had Tony Ugho at the pick taken by Indy, who by the way was on the NFL Rookie of the year team and Staley wasn't. Kiper said it then & I say it now, we overreached. We paid Staley a #1 draft money and he should be #2 money. I am not going to knock Staley because he will be at least a good journeyman player but not worth a #7 overall pick nor the money. It is just another typical McNolan mistake and they all add up to this 32th Offense & 25th Defense after 3 years.

Posted By: IL49erfan (24/03/2008 6:45:17 PM)
Comment: I understand having to forfeit a pick for cheating but also having to trade picks? Does that mean that the Patriots should have to trade a pick with the Jets for cheating on top of forfeiting a pick?

Posted By: AXEGRINDER (24/03/2008 6:36:08 PM)
Comment: By the start of the season, this will all be forgotten. Hopefully, we won't have brand new things to complain about. But the Bears will still and always be a bunch of lousy, snitching bottomfeeders.

Posted By: Zed Rational (24/03/2008 6:28:35 PM)
Comment: Looks to me like a lot of people want to put the blame on everyone except the man who was in charge: Mike Nolan. And he wasn't even at the hearing! Typical Nolan, skirting the responsibility.

Posted By: tony (24/03/2008 6:20:04 PM)
Comment: Slease agent Drew Rosenhaus is the big mouth who caused this. If he didn't use the 49ers as a bargaining chip and blurted out the offer no one would've known. Boycott Rosenhaus! He handles problem guys like T.O. and Chad Johnson. If enough teams boycott him and maybe we can get his sleasy tail out of football. What a snake!

Posted By: Steve (24/03/2008 6:09:25 PM)
Comment: Guys, could we please stop crying about the #7 pick. Do you want to give NE Staley and take back that pick? Not me.

Posted By: Jason (24/03/2008 6:08:00 PM)
Comment: Matt - Question: How do we fans tell Godell are dis-like of his judgement and MORE DETAILS on what exactly hapened? I know he will never tell us but it's always good to try. Thanks!

Posted By: RayP (24/03/2008 6:04:44 PM)
Comment: Matt you pointed this out earlier, what about the 26 minute signing of Smiley by the Dolphins??? Or does the Tuna also get a free pass like the "Coach of The Year" Parcells did?

Posted By: bret Mitchell (24/03/2008 6:02:07 PM)
Comment: I can understand the Niners losing a 5th rounder, but an enforced trade of 3rd round picks benefits the Bears at the expense not just of the Niners, but of the rest of the league and especially the 6 teams they jump over in the 3rd round?! How can this be just? Is the message Goodell is trying to send: "we like snitches"?! On another note, why don't they inform the fans the particulars of the tampering. It's not a "private" matter. The fans "own" the league with their hard-earned salaries paying for this junk. And for that, we have the right to know. I'll withhold judgment on whether or not our front office was stupid, since we don't know he facts of the case.

Posted By: crouser49 (24/03/2008 5:59:45 PM)
Comment: this is b.s. every team indulges in such activities. for the niners to be penalized for such crap is ridiculous.

Posted By: thedriver (24/03/2008 5:57:28 PM)
Comment: The drummer.

Posted By: thedriver (24/03/2008 5:56:54 PM)
Comment: Yeah drummer, that whole Steven Jackson pick was really dumb of Martz, huh? Hey, that reminds me of a joke: what do you call the guy who travels around with a band but has no musical talent?

Posted By: drummer (24/03/2008 5:53:32 PM)
Comment: Looks like Mike Martz Fan hass never seen a Mike Martz draft.

Posted By: Cro_Niner (24/03/2008 5:40:50 PM)
Comment: But the punishment is far to harsh. They are punished worse than the Patriots. What a farse!

Posted By: Armchair T (24/03/2008 5:40:15 PM)
Comment: Wow! The Niners just blew their chance of drafting, perhaps, the next Ronald Fields. Rules are rules. The 49ers were caught this time, but the same practices could of led to the signings of Nate Clements and Justin Smith. Is the the risk of losing a 5th round draft choice worth getting a jump on prized free agents? One can argue whether Lance Briggs is worth tampering over, but overall, this punishment will have little impact on the outcome of next season and even less of an impact on the future of the franchise (unless it inhibits the team from aggressively pursuing future free agents).

Posted By: Cro_Niner (24/03/2008 5:35:39 PM)
Comment: Long live justice! Equal for every one! Were you are punished according to the severity of your crime.The pats have lost their first round pick for cheating in one game, while any oder possibly incrimating evidence has been destroyed. The niners have lost one pick and have to swap places in another round, for talks with a player whom they didn't even sign!Great job Goodell! Your idea of justice is brilliant!The niners have broken the rules and deserve to be punished.

Posted By: novaniner (24/03/2008 5:29:16 PM)
Comment: More evidence the 49er "braintrust" don't know what they're doing. It could have been some procedural technicality of failing to obtain permission from the Bears before calling Rosenhaus. Based on this front office's track record, I'm not giving the benefit of the doubt to the 9ers that they did everything by the book. This opinion is based on (lack of) performance not on a feeling they were intentionally trying to gain advantage (god knows they could use some advantage).

Posted By: Paul Tagliabue (24/03/2008 5:29:16 PM)
Comment: I bet this wouldn't happen if we're called San Franciso PATRIOTS!

Posted By: Mind of McCloughan (24/03/2008 5:25:43 PM)
Comment: Nothing to be too upset about here. The Niners may have violated the letter of the law here and they got a slap on the wrist. It was a hard slap, but it was only a slap. If you think this is bad for the Niners, I think it's actually worse for the Bears. I wouldn't want to be the Bears in the near future: think they're ever going to sign a free agent on the first day of free agency without risking tampering charges against themselves? The Bears have broken ranks by filing charges, and because of that teams won't be at all reluctant to file charges against them in the future. Every team does some degree of tampering, the Bears included. If the Bears want to play by different rules than everyone else, the rest of the league will oblige them. Front offices are petty (recall the situation with Steve Hutchinson to the Vikings, Nate Burleson to the Seahawks). Rest assured that what goes around will come around and the Bears will have to deal with their own consequences from "winning" this decision.

Posted By: Marco from Stockton (24/03/2008 5:24:00 PM)
Comment: Vindication for Ed in Irvine passing on the Steve Young comment. How's that strategy of not defending yourself with the NFL working out? The Yorks are the worst owners in Pro Sports and they have the most incompetent management team in the NFL. Considering the Bidwells that's hard to do! "Rollin with McNolan" right over the cliff!

Posted By: Ladale (24/03/2008 5:21:22 PM)
Comment: Seems to me that the league has effectively eliminated two jobs that would be filled by players entering the draft. New England's 1st and the 9ers 5th round pick. Where is the players union in all this. Why are those who are not even in the league yet being punished. Every player selected after New England's eliminated pick is being short a potential higher salary. Why is nobody saying anything!!!!

Posted By: Ladale (24/03/2008 5:21:18 PM)
Comment: Seems to me that the league has effectively eliminated two jobs that would be filled by players entering the draft. New England's 1st and the 9ers 5th round pick. Where is the players union in all this. Why are those who are not even in the league yet being punished. Every player selected after New England's eliminated pick is being short a potential higher salary. Why is nobody saying anything!!!!

Posted By: Greg (24/03/2008 5:05:46 PM)
Comment: Matt, I noticed your addition about in-season tampering. Makes sense, but in this case the Bears were the ones actively shopping Briggs. If there was a distraction, they are at least as responsible for that as the Niners are.

Posted By: AxlRose4QB (24/03/2008 5:03:59 PM)
Comment: Hey Matt! Great Blog. I was just wondering, is the 3rd round swap a result of the allusions we made earlier this year, and the fact it possibly raised Briggs price tag?

Posted By: Craig (24/03/2008 5:01:56 PM)
Comment: Nolan, McCloughan, Marathe, and Heneghan....... who exactly is responsible for this latest screw-up?! That person should be fired... in fact, all four of them should have been fired after the season they just turned in... problem is York can't make a correct decision if his life depended on it.... and all the sucker fans pay for it... season after season. This is pathetic that they cannot properly interpret the rules.... how hard is it? They would have blown the 5th round pick anyhow.... same thing with the higher 3rd rounder... pathetic how this team is run... can't do anything right. Good for the Bears going after the 49ers. 49ers are a joke, and I have been faithfully supporting the team for 35 years.

Posted By: tgflynn (24/03/2008 5:01:38 PM)
Comment: Could we stop the whining, it's embarassing. The way to not get penalized for tampering is not to tamper. If you can't do the time don't do the crime. Secondly be careful what you ask for, Miami may have signed Smiley pretty quickly but what about us and Clements last year. Let's let that can of worms lie. Finally New England getting our #7 pick has nothing to do with any of this it resulted in the trade up to get Staley. New England got penalized a #1 pick for their transgression,

Posted By: PRico9er (24/03/2008 4:58:18 PM)
Comment: Why did the Patriots get Slapped with Losing ONE pick for Taping Plays & probably Cementing a Win in Superbowls while we Get Slapped with Losing a 5th Round Pick & swapping Positions in the 3rd Round with our Accusers? Shouldn't we have gotten back our Pickwith the Patriots? They did much worse so why the Bias? "TheFins"enough said right?....But it won't happen why? Because Big Tuna commands Respect in this MONEY HUNGRY LEAGUE!!

Posted By: AC (24/03/2008 4:50:40 PM)
Comment: Goodell is a joke. If the 49ers violated a NFL rule, stripping them of a 5th rounder is arguably a justified penalty. But, the penalty includes the 49ers swapping 5 spots to the Bears in the 3rd round. Why do the Bears benefit when there was no harm done?

Posted By: Darth (24/03/2008 4:49:42 PM)
Comment: This is just stupid. Glad it is only a 5th but come on. Why take a pick away? Can't Goodell just take the team away from the Yorks? They couldn't run a hotdog stand let alone this NFL franchise.

Posted By: Andrew from Rishikesh (24/03/2008 4:48:12 PM)
Comment: I watch the good coaches on the sidelines and they're like poker players, you can't read them and you don't know what they'll do next. This organization from top to bottom are patsies. They fool themselves, and the sad thing is they aren't even awqare of it. If you can't play the game give the seat to someone who can. I've followed the NFL since 1955 and I've never heard of a team losing draft picks in this fashion. Please tell me if you have Matt.

Posted By: oneniner (24/03/2008 4:45:00 PM)
Comment: are u f...king kidding me......this is ridiculous. GODdell is out of his mind, what the f..kk....."What are u doing McNolan?" you couldn't get yourself out of this without paying this much?...are f...kin kiddin me.....dude, GODdell is getting booooed for LIFE. .......can we appeal before the draft ?

Posted By: Alameda Bill (24/03/2008 4:37:22 PM)
Comment: Let's put this behind us and try and figure out how to go forward. With only 6 picks now, I think there is no question the 49ers will try to trade out of the first and then down in the 2nd to generate more picks. Best scenario is that Miami passes on Ryan, but both he and Brohm are gone at #29. Hopefully someone will try and jump Miami for Henne or Flacco.

Posted By: Jason from Foster City (24/03/2008 4:34:34 PM)
Comment: Based on what I've read, I believe Goodell is trying to redeem himself from the fiasco regarding SpyGate and use the 49ers as an example moving forward. At least, the penalty isn't severe where it would significantly affect the Niners for the next several years. Just my two cents.

Posted By: Henry (24/03/2008 4:29:52 PM)
Comment: hey matt, how could this have happened? isn't this precise scenario why Lal Heneghan was brought into the 49ers front office, to wade through the tape in any involvement regarding league policies? this is a policy issue and Heneghan's role within the 49ers, no? secondly, why is it necessary to punish by swapping 3rd round draft picks? for the crime, losing a 5th rounder is more than enough. what's the precedent for swapping picks? shouldn't new england, therefore, swap their 2nd rounder with the jets, 3rd rounder with the rams, etc? goodell's choice of actions are inexplicable.

Posted By: SFO (24/03/2008 4:29:12 PM)
Comment: UNBELIEVABLE!!! An absolute disgrace. The blame for this lies nowhere else but with this organization. Sure the Bears should have let it go and Goodell is harsh but there is just no excuse for the 49ers to have done this. Risking pick(s) on a player we did not even pursue (probably why) and should not have been pursuing in the first place is inexcusable. The fact that the Pats have our 1st, we lost a 5th and moved down in the 3rd is driving me crazy. How are we supposed to be building our team up through the draft again? Considering the FA acquisitions we made this year (all old and / or for 1-2 year deals), this just contributed to setting us back even farther. I hope Matt and the rest of the community lets them have it. It will be a good day again in 49er land when this team finds new ownership, managers and coaches. Good grief I am so frustrated and hate that we have gone from one of the greatest organizations in football to one of the newest laughingstocks.

Posted By: nick (24/03/2008 4:28:58 PM)
Comment: you know, goofy idiot goodell should of gave sf back the 7th pick just to show the nfl he is not playing around, but destroying tapes and kissing the pats ass is a joke, now this, briggs sucks, he has always sucked. goodell should get his head out of his ass and try to be a commish, im goind to this years draft and i will tell him like it is, i'll probably het kicked out, but im a die hard niners fan

Posted By: StonerLab (24/03/2008 4:24:58 PM)
Comment: I have to agree with Mike Martz fan that Nolan is a bonehead! The fact that Briggs wasn't even a good fit to begin with is just baffling. No, Goodell did the right thing & from here on out he's sending a "new" message about tampering. The 5th round pick more than likely wasn't going to be a factor in sticking on the roster for this years team but there's no question the switching of 3rd round picks with the Bears hurts big time! Unbelievable!

Posted By: Bob (24/03/2008 4:21:42 PM)
Comment: What does Goodell lose for destroying Patriots' tapes and covering up that scandal? How the **** do you contend that this distracted Da Bears. If the rules were not so universally ignored then maybe I could see this but from everything we have heard, the 49ers were talking trade with the Bears and then had a conversation with Rosenhaus about long-term contracts. Why is this worth a punishment other than to cleanse Goodell's reputation that is so tarnished from his cover-up for the poster boy Patriots. If this is a violation worth punishment then why doesn't the Commissioner's statement explain what the 49ers did. We the fans don't deserve to know because then we would know that there is selective enforcement of the rules.

Posted By: Greg (24/03/2008 4:21:29 PM)
Comment: Matt, any chance you could find/pass on an address for Goodell? I was thinking about writing a letter asking what his intentions are regarding potential tampering in FA this year, and I'd imagine some others would as well. Thanks.

Posted By: Matt in SR (24/03/2008 4:18:45 PM)
Comment: Hi Matt. I just read McCloughan's comments. Unacceptable. We now have only six picks in the draft and two of them are out of our rightfully earned slot. They raised season ticket prices on us again this season. We want to hear more than "Going forward, we will take the necessary steps to ensure we are in compliance with the NFL's interpretation." I think most 49er fans are insulted by this comment. They tampered and they won't even admit fault. I think we need to hear from the York's on this.

Posted By: Slim (24/03/2008 4:16:32 PM)
Comment: For all you dunderheads, this was management (McCloughan) not Nolan who made this error.----- I like the idea of being aggressive and pushing the envelope, but it is still frustrating to get caught. I use the quote "it is better to do something with some faults than to do nothing at all perfectly." We need to get better, and to do that we need to gain any advantage we can. Debartalo was scolded for bending the rules, so was Grumpy. Hindsight will tell us whether the current regime is in over their heads, but a bunch of whiney ranters will not sway me at all. We will get 1st round talent with our first two picks. After that, our scouting department better make up for the current error.

Posted By: stampede (24/03/2008 4:15:57 PM)
Comment: How in the world do the Pat's get to pick 7th overall after being found guilty for cheating, and the niners loose a pick and slip in a round for "tampering". Did the niners gain any competitive advantage, or ANYTHING at all for that matter for tampering? Sheesh NFL, you wanna kick my dog while you're in the Bay???

Posted By: Rich, San Ramon (24/03/2008 4:15:06 PM)
Comment: Forfiting a pick due to shady practices? Well, now Scott McCloughan has something in common with Eddie D & Carmen. Didn't they cost SF 3rd and 5th rounders?

Posted By: TarHeel9er (24/03/2008 4:14:12 PM)
Comment: This is ridiculous. The 49ers had permission from the Bears to talk trade so why are they being penalized. Goodell has established that he is the sheriff now he is just power mad. This is a ludicrous decision but an out of control Commissioner.

Posted By: danvilledan (24/03/2008 4:11:37 PM)
Comment: More incompetence by this current 49er administration. For all of this we pay $97.00 a game. York and this whole current administration has got to go. York first.

Posted By: Mike Martz Fan (24/03/2008 4:09:14 PM)
Comment: Mind-boggling and par for the course for Nolan and Co. First, we try to trade for player at a position that's already a strength, then we tamper by trying to work out a new contract? Brutal...Hey Nolan, can we please try to add some players to our weakness...offense. Oh wait...just talked to Martz, he's already taken care of that. Bruce, Johnson, Foster, O'Sullivan, etc...Hey Nolan, why don't you try to get Ray Lewis or some other LB. Again, brutal...if only we had Martz a year ago...Now watch, we'll probably lose out on Ainge (3rd round swap).

Posted By: steveh (24/03/2008 4:06:56 PM)
Comment: If youre going to so something illegal at least be smart enough not to get caught. I hate the leadership for the niners. I hate you A holes!!!!!!

Posted By: Teddy (24/03/2008 4:02:29 PM)
Comment: So, how many draft picks do the 49ers have in this years draft now?

Posted By: john (24/03/2008 4:02:23 PM)
Comment: Can Nolan be fired now for cause and not get paid? This has his incompetence written all over it.

Posted By: Matt in SR (24/03/2008 4:02:18 PM)
Comment: Hi Matt. Please don't go easy on the Niners about this. This is so amatuerish of them. I expect them to try to spin this and use distraction tactics. Don't fall for that. This IS a big deal and such a waste of valuable draft positioning. My understanding is that the tampering rules are very clear. Who is at fault here? Nolan, McCloughan, Marathe? I think the fans deserve to know. Someone with the Niners needs to be accountable. Personally, I would demote someone for this. Clearly someone is in over their head.

Posted By: J (24/03/2008 3:59:07 PM)
Comment: the fact that the 49ers got a more severe punishment than the Patriots is a complete joke and shows Goodells mismanagement of this whole situation. I hope the 49ers are able to get the Bears back on this in someway or another

Posted By: Jon in SoCal (24/03/2008 3:58:34 PM)
Comment: Wow, I bet no one is held accountable in the 9ers organization. There better be a bunch of teams complaining about tampering now

Posted By: Global Nomad (24/03/2008 3:56:44 PM)
Comment: Lets trade Jennings to the Bears for to get our 5th rounder back...who's with me?

Posted By: SB from SF (24/03/2008 3:56:29 PM)
Comment: I guess this means we can add cheating to the list of things Nolan can't do well.

Posted By: Jake (24/03/2008 3:55:52 PM)
Comment: NICE WORK NOLAN! What is it with this guy and screwing up 3rd round picks. Brandon Williams and now this. Goodell is an A-Hole as well! I would love to see Congress come down on him hard for destroying those tapes. I bet a lot of recreational gamblers across the world would like to know what is on those tapes. The Patriots got off way easier than they should have and he is laying the wood on the 49ers. The NFL has hated the 49ers every since Tagliabue took over and ran DeBartolo out of the league for something that had nothing to do with the league.

Posted By: Niner Ted (24/03/2008 3:55:52 PM)
Comment: Crazy! Tampering is not something that should be enforceable because it will happen in season anyway. It will just be more discrete. The Commish is trying to be too hard and may be overstepping. On another note, can we dump Alex Smith and trade for Andrew Walter from the Raiders. He has a better skill set and will be much cheaper.

Posted By: Mike in SF (24/03/2008 3:53:35 PM)
Comment: Matt, will the 49ers now pursue tampering charges against the Dolphins? Didn't Smiley sign like an hour into Free Agency? That shouldn't be hard to prove.

Posted By: Randy in Santa Rosa (24/03/2008 3:53:31 PM)
Comment: What a freakin' joke! Maybe we can file against Miami (Smiley) and get our pick back =)

Posted By: road dog (24/03/2008 3:52:32 PM)
Comment: the blame game: I for one am looking backwards at this and seeing management as the problem. Sure we could say the league screwed us, but who bent us over? Trying to trade for a player that doesn't seem to fit into our scheme, and costing us a 5th and 5 slots in the third is brutal for us fans to take. I won't lie, the sting of having the Pat's picking with our former #7 pick makes this somewhat harder to stomach than it might have been any other year. All in all, it seems like a curious act of futility gone wrong.

Posted By: Robert M (24/03/2008 3:47:39 PM)
Comment: Seems odd that Mr. By the rules would come down like this on the Niners when its clear that every team in the league does this on the eve of Free Agency. For the most part I have agreed with what Goodell has done with players and teams in the league that legitimately violate league rules. However, I can't wrap my mind around this decision. Its very possible the Niners did something above and beyond what other teams normally do to warrant losing draft picks (See: New England)...As a Niner fan though...This is BS.

Posted By: PatB (24/03/2008 3:44:11 PM)
Comment: ridiculous

Posted By: Rich, DE (24/03/2008 3:44:11 PM)
Comment: This has been the only update that I haven't looked forward to.

Posted By: PatB (24/03/2008 3:44:07 PM)
Comment: ridiculous

Posted By: Greg (24/03/2008 3:42:40 PM)
Comment: incredible, simply incredible

Posted By: Global Nomad (24/03/2008 3:41:41 PM)
Comment: first