Posted By: Brashero Bout (01/08/2008 3:15:50 PM)
Comment: Man, how can Nolan be in charge of an NFL, he can't even string a sentence together. Worst grammar I've heard in a while

Posted By: NinerInTexas (01/08/2008 12:09:39 PM)
Comment: This is classic coach speak by Nolan. He knows that the QB competition is between Smith and Hill, but wants to make it seem as if O'Sullivan has a chance to encourage competition. The premise is that the more competition you have, the better off your guys will be in the long run. This is a chance to challenge Hill and Smith physically and see how they react mentally to more competition. People are reading way too much into his comments. Does anyone really think Nolan would give the job to O'Sullivan, a guy who has never started an NFL game while he is on the hot seat?

Posted By: Chris in SLC (01/08/2008 10:13:26 AM)
Comment: I don't think I can stomach this anymore. Nolan is trying to cover his @ss by saying he doesn't expect the team to do that well in the first part of the season. How could they do well with Nolan's brilliant QB plan.

Posted By: Attn Nolan (01/08/2008 9:20:57 AM)
Comment: It's not that we don't like you as a person. It's just that you are not ready to be an NFL Head Coach. Some people have the talent. Others don't. It is simple. Good luck in your future endeavors after you fail again this year. And no, it is not going to be Alex Smith's fault that you lose your job. You did it to yourself. Starting, for Jon Gruden's Bucs, in 2009, QB Alex Smith.

Posted By: Dummy Police (01/08/2008 9:06:49 AM)
Comment: hey Dummy Dirk u truly are a complete embicile

Posted By: Dirk (01/08/2008 8:20:28 AM)
Comment: Alex Smith reminds me of Steve Young. Steve had a very disappointing career with his first NFL team. The Bucs fired him after a few years. He went to another team and straigt into the HOF. Alex has a disappointing career with his first NFL team. The 49ers may very well fire him after four years. Then Alex will go to another team and straight into the HOF.

Posted By: Houston 9er (01/08/2008 6:38:08 AM)
Comment: Matt, Since Nolan is offering you advice on your job can you offer him some media advice on his job. First can you tell him to defer all questions on the offense to Martz. Then tell him to keep all his answers very short. The more words he uses the more incoherent and idiotic he sounds.

Posted By: Houston 9er (01/08/2008 6:34:05 AM)
Comment: Matt, Does it bother you when a coach tells you how to do your job? Nolan: "I didn't say that. I said that J.T. has been in it, but the question would have been, 'Well how could he have been at the beginning if he really wasn't getting any reps?' That would have been the question, and legitimately so. I said at that time, you can only split it up so many ways. That guy has to stay ready."

Posted By: Indiana Jim (01/08/2008 6:27:38 AM)
Comment: I think Nolan just suffers from an inability to say exactly what he means.

Posted By: Matt Damon (01/08/2008 6:17:09 AM)
Comment: MATT DAMON!

Posted By: 5Niner (01/08/2008 5:22:51 AM)
Comment: Randy - you f'ing joke. Sometime you have to cut the cancer out of the body, so it can properly. You can hope that the person recovers, but if the cancer is still present you're never safe. That's what i was saying you idiot. I hope the niners do well, but it will suck if Nolan keeps his job, because clearly even in TC he's showing he doesn't know what he's doing. And that "troll" terminology is so lame, grow up.

Posted By: Graham (01/08/2008 4:45:16 AM)
Comment: I like having O'Sullivan push Smith. Everyone knows the job is Smith's to lose--better for him to have to win over O'Sullivan, who knows the system better now, commands the offense better now, looks better now, than Hill--another beginner slogging it out, whom Smith will beat easily.

Posted By: http:// (01/08/2008 3:48:09 AM)
Comment: Aaron's post 9:57:55 PM -- Hell yeah, You da man!

Posted By: http:// (01/08/2008 3:45:16 AM)
Comment: Nolan will never make the shortlist for White House spokesman. Then again he could be fast-tracked, the way he can talk out of both sides of his mouth.

Posted By: jgwindsor (01/08/2008 1:30:48 AM)
Comment: ps. thanks matt i appreciate the coverage since i have been living in china and now germany the past three seasons...this stuff brings me a bit closer back to home

Posted By: jgwindsor (01/08/2008 1:24:52 AM)
Comment: after reading through all the comments made by the fanatics here, what i sort of hear most everyone saying is that coach nolan really didn't learn much from the Ari Fleischer talk...nolan is not a spin master. OK, so we have proof of this shortcoming... beyond that we have little proof of anything else...because in my humble estimation the matt's have not really take a hard stance on what they have seen to date, and i suspect they are better evaluators of the situation than I am reading theirs and others comments on what they see... My take is it was OK to stick JT in the mix exactly where he was stuck in. This was probably martz's call. If Hill comes back he comes back, if not JT is in contention for the back up job pushing Hill to #3, which i always thought the plan was. The idea Smith should get all the snaps, i am not going to say are not without merit (i.e. famaliarize with the receiver's body mechanics and traits)..but, he has just come off shoulder injury and just before camp it was not 100%. Also taking measured breaks between sets may be allowing smith to internalize the system which by all counts he needs to do. So not taking 100% of snaps in my estimation is prudent action. Also about coach nolan losing the team...seams to me that the team is working together pretty well...from reading other articles like Simms etc. So i am not in the camp espousing coach nolan as an idiot, in fact I like the way things are proceeding in the early stages of camp. Pages of a book need to be turned, skipping chapters which still allows one to get the gist of the storyline, is not remaining true to the journey, making for gaps in a revisionist history. As i mentioned before...the schedule is way tough and more so this year than others i believe the west will be won by the team that wins the division internal battles straight up and on this front i have a belief the 9rs match up very well, even against the seahawks...

Posted By: cc (01/08/2008 1:02:45 AM)
Comment: Nolan makes me want to puke! He sounds just like Bush with his double-speak ly'in bullsh*t. He's a real piece of work.

Posted By: Nick Saban (31/07/2008 11:55:19 PM)
Comment: Even I wouldn't draft a qb, surround him with no talent his first year, allow him to grow in the second, restart from scratch the third year with an inexperienced coordinator, blame him for a missed block that took him out, force him to return early, and blame him because he can't overcome human biology. Makes my brief career look great in comparison. me too.....................whispers Petrino

Posted By: ninermaniac (31/07/2008 11:41:04 PM)
Comment: I guess the 9ers got a QBX3=SIT on their hands. Well, may the best man win. Nolan line because were going wireless, had good answers informing practice to us. The motto "We Believe" is all it takes, except were not hittin 3s were hitten 6. And 1.

Posted By: Medford (31/07/2008 11:30:58 PM)
Comment: Nolan should win some kind of an award for being able to weasle his way out of things. When the Niners hired Nolan I was very happy but now im starting to feel sick just by reading his comments. I should just say what he feels that he hates Alex Smith and he would give a homeless man on the street a shot at the Starting job.

Posted By: Medford (31/07/2008 11:25:30 PM)
Comment: Plain and simple Nolan is an idiot that will be fired by the years end. Ok if Hill is hurt wouldnt it make more sense to give more snaps to Alex Smith? It seems to be a very confusing place over there in Santa Clara.

Posted By: Jon in SoCal (31/07/2008 11:14:02 PM)
Comment: The OC's leaving are a function of Nolan letting them interview. I am pretty sure that he lets other teams interview his staff as long as it is a step up from their current position. I don't think you can talk to the staff of another team, when they are under contract, without their permission. Nolan lets them talk. So while it is technically his fault, I do think it is a bit classy that he allows his staff to further their career. That being said, BellyCheck is so paranoid, you can't look at his staff. All that guy does is win

Posted By: jj (31/07/2008 10:23:31 PM)
Comment: Mike in Sac, blaming Nolan for losing offensive coordinators isn't fair. The OC's have left for head coaching positions, he has no power to stop them. He got stuck with Hostler last year because Turner left so late in the off season. I think people are putting way to much stock into whether this is a two-man race or a three-man race etc. It's only the first week of TC. If this is still going on in the 3rd or 4th week it would be a problem. I fully expect Alex to be named the starter after the first or second pre-season game, and JT O'sully will be named the backup. Hill will be back to his usual spot, 3rd.

Posted By: George W Bush (31/07/2008 10:08:55 PM)
Comment: Nolan sounds like my kind of guy!

Posted By: KezarMike (31/07/2008 9:35:01 PM)
Comment: See my post on one of Mike's other reports today, re: how to judge Nolan. Though I couldn't help but commenting again after reading this. We now know why Nolan invited Ari Fleisher to speak to the team. Reading a Nolan interview in print is almost comical, if it wasn't so sad. I had to move to SoCal, so I don't hear Nolan on the radio, where he is at least better than in print (as he is a personable sort). One thing we do know about the coaching - Mike Martz has already proven he is a VERY fine NFL coach. As a head coach, he took one team to a few inches of a Super Bowl championship, and as an OC, he took a backup QB with no NFL game experience to a league and SB MVP. Those are REAL accomplishments. That gets RESPECT from me. Nolan was a competant assistant coach and is very personable (was Rich Kotite a nice guy too?) and so far.........that's about it. He has a last chance here, so he better push the right buttons. I remember his father very well from when he first came to the team in 1968 and he was DEFINATELY an accomplished NFL coach who got results. So...we wait and see.

Posted By: THA GRINCH (31/07/2008 9:20:38 PM)
Comment: Mike Martz knows Alex needs to get all the playing time in T.C to get the rythem of the offense,he knows what Nolan is doing is only going to hurt the offense,yet he just sits back and says nothing.Why you ask?Mike Martz is waiting in the shadows to be our next head coach.

Posted By: Mike in Sac (31/07/2008 9:02:53 PM)
Comment: Oh yeah, for all of you that keep saying its only the 7th day of camp. What about all the mini camps and OTAS? These guys have had ample time to not look like the bad news bears. F-up somebody this year....I doubt it. What is the over under on how many times we get shut out htis year? Yeah, for all of you saying some of us don't have anything positive to say, well get me a coach who quits sticking his foot in his mouth!

Posted By: JT from Jersey (31/07/2008 9:02:21 PM)
Comment: it was a mistake to let Jim Mora go when we fired Mooch. I say we bring back Mooch because the Niners were competitive and fun to watch in his era.

Posted By: Big M (31/07/2008 8:46:46 PM)
Comment: Okay... I read about all this earlier and I was pretty disappointed. I firmly believe Smith is the right guy for the job. Although the answer is obvious to all of us that Nolan should name the starter, I think he is doing this for the team. He seems to be pretty loyal to those who are loyal to him, and I think he feels he owes it to them to let the best man win, because I'm sure there are some Hill guys in the locker room. He said a lot of things to support Smith in the off-season, and after time passes and Smith begins to catch on, I think Nolan would expect Smith to be the obvious choice. Trust me, I didn't feel that way earlier today. If you could possibly give any insight on that, Matt, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Posted By: Mike in Sac (31/07/2008 8:40:52 PM)
Comment: Hey Ninerdallas, so you were ripping me about being a Nolan hater, no I am just a realist. Look at the events today, THIS IS COMICAL (now a 3 QB race). I think the evidence keeps piling up that Nolan is clueless. He should have been axed last year and then we would have better direction now because lets face it; this clueless band of idiots is not going to do anything this year, so one more wasted year is upon us. Nolan bungled the O-coaching situation the last three years, he bungled the Qb situation last year, and now it is a total JOKE! Lets make one-thing clear athletes play defense. You can put 11 pissed off talented guys on the defensive side of the ball, give them a basic defense to run, add a few decent backups, supply an offense that can actually score and maintain some time of possession and presto, even if the coordinators change occasionally they will be good. On the other had run a revolving door of offensive schemes by guys every year and after a few years the fellas are going to look like the keystone cops. Look, I like the fact that many folks are very positive this year. I also would love to see these guys win. I would be happy to eat crow, but lets face it, if you had to learn a brand new technical job EVERY year (see our offensive players) you would not be very effective AT ALL after the first coupe of years. Call me nuts, crazy or stupid, but this situation falls on the head coach. He sets the direction and picks the staff. Who else is there to blame? Other teams with good coordinators seem to keep their staffs together for more than one year at a time. Why can't we?

Posted By: Black Sheep (31/07/2008 8:27:39 PM)
Comment: Since when has Nolan been Cyrano de Bergerac? All that matters is what happens on the field. Let 'em play a few REAL games and then you can rail the guy if you must.

Posted By: Bill Walsh (31/07/2008 8:12:15 PM)
Comment: Nolan is not part of my tree.

Posted By: Art (31/07/2008 7:27:33 PM)
Comment: Aaron...HILARIOUS!!! That's a classic. I can see Nolan as Steve Buscemi's character.

Posted By: Mike Gundy (31/07/2008 7:23:31 PM)
Comment: Matt, Stop asking coach Nolan about QB competition. Can't you see he's getting irritated? He's a man, and he's in his 40's

Posted By: Denny Green (31/07/2008 7:20:46 PM)
Comment: Matt, Stop asking coach Nolan the same questions; The quarterbacks are who we thought they were, and we're letting them off the hook!

Posted By: Aaron (31/07/2008 6:57:55 PM)
Comment: What Matt should have said: Coach Nolan, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

Posted By: susweel (31/07/2008 6:35:15 PM)
Comment: Can't wait for the season to start in 09. New coach and qb.

Posted By: Amber Ale (31/07/2008 6:35:04 PM)
Comment: Seems to me that none of the potential QBs are being given enough field time and one on one coaching to really grasp a very complicated Martz system. Another issue I see is the lack of rapport and synergy a QB needs to have with his receiving core. All in all I think every QB in this little competition they are having is getting short changed. Alex more than anybody should have something to gripe about. 4 systems in 4 years and now he finds himself on the hot seat along with his head coach? Oh well at least he got paid.

Posted By: BOI49er (31/07/2008 6:33:09 PM)
Comment: Hi Matt. I agree, lets apply logic to this. How does it keep the competition fair between AS and SH to deny AS the reps with the ones when SH can't go, Other than by Impeding the progress AS could get with repetitions with his starting receivers and offense in general. Is there another possible explaination? So, lets keep last year's starter from progressing so that other's might be able to catch him? Nolan has such a hate on for AS, after he incompetently played him LY when he was physically incapable of throwing a ball and AS objected to Nolan's subsequent criticism, that he has become totally irrational. What, is he six? He is not doing the best thing for 49er football. Even if we are to believe that JT O'S has an equal chance to start, it would have done him just as much good on his first practice to work with the two's, while AS is now at the point that he needs to get his coordination and timing and body language down with the ones. Mr. Nolan is not objective. I loved his father, who was a class act and took us to three playoff years in the early '70's, but if MN can't make the priority of getting us as ready for the start of the season as possible, all because of a personal vendetta, then he does not have the character to be an NFL head coach. Scott Mc should give Mike Martz his shot. Mike Nolan does have the motivational skills and defensive knowledge to be a DC in this league (and I'd be quite content to have him be the 49ers DC), but he needs someone looking after him.

Posted By: Jesus (31/07/2008 6:19:36 PM)
Comment: Mike Nolan! You shouldn't be an NFL coach.

Posted By: southern9erfan (31/07/2008 6:18:46 PM)
Comment: Hey Matt, there is a name for Mike Nolan's cryptic messages and lies. They are called Nolanisms. We should petition Webster's to get this word added to the dictionary.

Posted By: Joe (31/07/2008 6:18:35 PM)
Comment: If the Jets are so stupid as to sign Favre, lets send a pick to the Jets for Clemens. The guy is just in the wrong place and has a great arm. He had no chance last year with no line. Martz and Clemens are a match made in heaven. I haven't given up on Smith, but if we want a Martz style backup, go for Clemens. Forget Hill or Sullivan. Steal him now while we can. Otherwise, the Seahawks might scoop him up as their backup to Hasselback and we will regret it within a couple years.

Posted By: Randy in Santa Rosa (31/07/2008 6:04:59 PM)
Comment: A lot of trolls on here today. Anyone wanting our team to do bad this season in order to oust Nolan is an idiot. I can't wait for the 9ers to take the weak-azz West this year, so these fickle hater (supposed) fans will disappear...

Posted By: Jon in SoCal (31/07/2008 6:01:16 PM)
Comment: If Hill is out, JT should still be throwing, it is waaaay to much work for Smith to take his reps AND Hill's reps...his shoulder would fall apart. If anything, Smith should stay with the ones, JT with the 2's and occasional 1's, Wright should run the scout team

Posted By: 5Niner (31/07/2008 5:53:08 PM)
Comment: I'm a diehard niner fan, but i'm almost incline to have them fail this year to get rid of Nolan. I'm mean seriously, if we win games despite of Nolan will he get an extension. I can't stomach that thought. What's even worse is that Nolan has made us cry out for Martz to be coach (and he was the worse game manager before Nolan and Herm Edwards), now that's sad. Why did we promise anything to "noodle arm" Hill when there were other QBs with more experience that we could have gotten (Simms, Pennington, etc.) to be a backup.

Posted By: Mike (31/07/2008 5:45:46 PM)
Comment: "Marbles"--classic. For those who don't know, Captain Queeg from "The Caine Mutiny." Nolan implies it's o.k. if the offense isn't first rate at the beginning of the season? Yeah, he should have been fired. He's just out of his depth!

Posted By: gw2 (31/07/2008 5:45:18 PM)
Comment: Wow, Nolan is cracking up. Even for him.

Posted By: mbniner (31/07/2008 5:42:26 PM)
Comment: Matt, You and Kevin Lynch both said that the Wed. practice was the worst that you'd ever seen. I think the coaches know that too and are startng to doubt whether Alex or Shaun is the answer. Thus the sudden reinjection of J.T. Nolan seems to be(rather clumsily) trying to imply that this was planned all along, probably in order to not bruise his QB's egos. I can't believe that Martz was not in agreement with the move. Nolan is on the hot seat and would be stupid to make unilateral decisions on the offense. We can only hope that someone steps up and acts like a QB! We better have a strong running game !!

Posted By: Samra (31/07/2008 5:35:17 PM)
Comment: hey matt does the first team offense go against the first team defense at camp and also do u think that the reason J.T. o'Sullivan has playing with the starters is so that the practices counld run more smoothly instead of having hill or smith screw up so much and put the offense behind

Posted By: Nick (31/07/2008 5:23:47 PM)
Comment: Man Nolan is really going out of his way to screw this team up on offense. If Martz was calling the shots, he'd have a clear #1 before training camp and would be playing these stupid games. Fire Nolan! Promote Martz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted By: papa (31/07/2008 5:07:53 PM)
Comment: I can hear the marbles rattling around in Nolan's pocket.

Posted By: lvtent (31/07/2008 5:07:49 PM)
Comment: Matt.... good questions.... but you're not rollin.... I'm thinking that coach Nolly might start throwing you under the bus if you continue to question his competency.... or his supremacy.... be prepared to get called in for a little one on one chat.... like our good friend Ann did back in January....

Posted By: ninernutt (31/07/2008 5:01:51 PM)
Comment: Sorry for taking up everyone's time - but I just had another sickening thought (Yea - I know, stop thinking and I won't get headaches) anyway, my thought is this: Every QB that's ever played has bad game or two in his system during a season - preseason, regular season, whatever. Its called life. What if he passes on a guy in preseason because of this - Wow!!

Posted By: Dave Daveofferson (31/07/2008 5:01:34 PM)
Comment: Damn. I'm already starting to look forward to a new coach next year. I've stayed positive during these 3+ years, but Nolan is a snake. BYE!

Posted By: http:// (31/07/2008 4:55:10 PM)
Comment: is kyle wright working with the 3rd stringers since o'sullivan is in with the 2's? if so does he look any good?

Posted By: THA GRINCH (31/07/2008 4:54:27 PM)
Comment: Matt Nolan seems to actually be highly regarded by his other coaches and you said it yourself,"he never lost the lockerroom last year".Is this the wolf in sheeps clothing?Is this team in worse chaos than it appears to be?Its only week one of training camp and Im starting to loose my excitement for this season already.Nolan seems to be already be making his terrible decisions again and how he ever got a head coaching job is a mystery to me.To be frank..He seems dumb as a box of rocks...Any of your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Posted By: ninernutt (31/07/2008 4:52:46 PM)
Comment: Of all the negative Nolan comments there have been maybe two I didn't agree with. But trying now again to give him the benefit of the doubt and cut him a little slack - I am having a problem. I think he is convinced he can: cover his hiney, hedge his bets, and get the team ready to compete with this hideous QB charade. True, none of the QB's have fired live bullets in this new system, and true his butt is on the line (along with everyone but Jeb and Scott Mc), and true he is out of his depth as a HC - but, Darn it all - he has got to Man-Up, pick just one of those three and get on with now. And what saddens and greatly troubles my heart for my team is that he really cannot see that - and its so clear. So very, very clear. Woe is us - again!!!

Posted By: RealFan49 (31/07/2008 4:51:13 PM)
Comment: I guarantee if Smith starts the season and has a bad game, every single whiner on this blog will be calling for Hill and if he's bad then it will be O'Sullivan. PS I thought Nolan's take on being called McNolan was funny, but then again I do have a sense of perspective.

Posted By: oneniner (31/07/2008 4:49:03 PM)
Comment: Good stuff...u really showed your questioning skills....anyone reading the answers will no doubt see Coach is playing games......which really does not make any sense,.......another good question from danny for nolan if you can plz get the answer - "Could it be that the reason the offense has been so sloppy is because no one QB has had enough reps with the first team to really grasp the offense and develop chemistry with the receivers?".....

Posted By: oneniner (31/07/2008 4:48:54 PM)
Comment: Good stuff...u really showed your questioning skills....anyone reading the answers will no doubt see Coach is playing games......which really does not make any sense,.......another good question from danny for nolan if you can plz get the answer - "Could it be that the reason the offense has been so sloppy is because no one QB has had enough reps with the first team to really grasp the offense and develop chemistry with the receivers?".....

Posted By: Mike in Glendale (31/07/2008 4:46:56 PM)
Comment: To clarify: "it's time to see what both are capable of doing this season - and the competition makes it less likely that we'll see that" should read as "it's time to see what both are capable of doing this season when each is given the tools to succeed. Staging a competition disrupts the ability of the offense to coalesce and develop chemistry - and both mens' jobs depend on a smoothly functioning Niner offense this season." The old line was too unclear.

Posted By: Razoreater (31/07/2008 4:46:41 PM)
Comment: Riiiiiiidiculous!! Smith should be getting all the reps with 1st team no question.

Posted By: MNM (31/07/2008 4:45:04 PM)
Comment: Nolan is an idiot and should be fired. It didn't take long for him to realize that Hill sucks (he's been a 3rd stringer for 7 years for a reason), but since he hates Smith's guts, he will not just hand him the job and instead will make him compete with another career 3rd stringer. What an idiot!

Posted By: Mike in Glendale (31/07/2008 4:44:34 PM)
Comment: That's all well and good - but if he's out with a sore shoulder, Smith, not O'Sullivan, should be taking his reps. I've voiced support for both Nolan and Smith when a lot of others didn't, but it's time to see what both are capable of doing this season - and the competition makes it less likely that we'll see that. Give Smith the job, let Martz tutor him exclusively, and ride with him.

Posted By: Phil (31/07/2008 4:36:15 PM)
Comment: LET ME TRANSLATE: We promised Hill that he would have a shot at the starting QB if he agreed to an extension. Even though we want Smith to win, we have to make it appear as though he has a chance. Next question?

Posted By: Lee (31/07/2008 4:32:08 PM)
Comment: Smith was sacked 1 of every 8 plays before his injury. Dilfer seemed to be sacked as often, if not only slightly less. I trust the personnel to tighten the squad up, and make them more consistent performers this season. That said, it was Smith's job before he was injured, it should be his job now that he's healthy. I cheered for Hill last season, but his early fatigue shows he's not used to being an NFL level quarterback. Smith is. Smith needs to be named the starter.

Posted By: FireNolan (31/07/2008 4:27:10 PM)
Comment: Nolan is an IDIOT. It doesn't matter who the QB is, they ALL suck. Nolan should have been fired.

Posted By: mv49ers (31/07/2008 4:21:53 PM)
Comment: hey matt thanks for asking the questions that we want to ask. As for nolan, what an idiot everytime he talks about the qb competition he makes it worse.

Posted By: Gene (31/07/2008 4:21:25 PM)
Comment: I echo the last comment. Alex Smith is the most talented qb on the team. He will be the starter but for a guy who needs all the practice he can get with the first stringers so he can get comfortable with them and the offense with them in it...he should get the reps. Not the guy who has never been more than a 3rd stringer. That goes for Shaun Hill too who somehow has arm fatigue after like 5 days of practice. Meanwhile the guy who had shoulder surgery is still practicing. What a joke. Let's delay the rate at which the best QB on the team can learn the offense. Why that certainly helps the team in the long run. Mike Nolan should've been canned and he's not making me think otherwise so far.

Posted By: Jason (31/07/2008 4:20:47 PM)
Comment: So let me get this straight, Alex Smith's surgically repaired shoulder is holding up better then Shaun Hill's healthy shoulder? I'm calling shenanigans at this point. Nolan needs to quit screwing around, name Smith the starter and allow the offense to build some confidence going into the season.

Posted By: oldman9er (31/07/2008 4:19:35 PM)
Comment: So Matt... would you be interested in revising your answer of how beneficial/toxic Nolan is to the 9er organization? j/k The masses have spoken, and Nolan is clearly a buffoon. Let us all just pray that we will win games in spite of him... as we will not win them because of him.

Posted By: meng (31/07/2008 4:16:11 PM)
Comment: Nolan's an idiot...plain and simple. He's simply obtuse when it comes to offense.

Posted By: wwrivers (31/07/2008 4:15:18 PM)
Comment: Matt, please help me out here. Is Nolan really as stupid as he sounds? How did he ever get to be the Head Coach? He seemed to manage the players pretty well for the first two years, but last year when things got tough he totally blew it. Now he seems to be picking up where he left off last year. He sounds content to let the offense stink for the beginning of the year. Does Nolan hate Smith and want to see him fail? Does he not realize how stupid this competition is? Does he really not want to keep his job? Any sense of how Martz feels about any of this?

Posted By: JT from Jersey (31/07/2008 4:14:00 PM)
Comment: i understood the logic of having competition for the starting job after the end of last season, but now it's starting to get a little concerning. With the struggles Alex is showing making the reads, I honestly believe Alex should stay with the first offense and be given every chance to learn not only the system, but relationship with the starting receivers. It's odd that he has difficulties with short routes, but Alex is the more talented of the bunch and does have big-play ability. I can't help but feel concerned that they're spending too much time trying to speculate and not devoting enough time getting ready their best player for the start of the season.

Posted By: Fathead (31/07/2008 4:13:25 PM)
Comment: If getting people lined up correctly is one of the primary factors in determining a starting QB, might as well name Martz the starting QB and be done with it. I bet Martz could handle at least six days of screen passes and check-downs before he goes to the ice pack. O'Sullivan is probably today's version of the "most prepared backup QB" in the league. That worked out nice with Dilfer last year.

Posted By: AF (31/07/2008 4:09:37 PM)
Comment: Gotta give props to Matt for attempting to ask the questions we're all dying to know the answer to. Its a shame the arrogance and condescension Nolan shows towards his QBs and offense extends to the treatment of reporters.

Posted By: Johnster (31/07/2008 4:08:21 PM)
Comment: From what I can read between the lines, Nolan is pissed off that Hill is resting his shoulder and is punishing him by taking his reps away(Nolan hates injuries and . That might spell trouble for Hill and good news for Smith. But Smith better make sure that he don't get injured and that his play improves, or else JT could end up our starting QB.

Posted By: Art (31/07/2008 3:57:16 PM)
Comment: I think the consensus is that Mike Nolan is a complete TOOL! BTW- I asked him last year what he thought of the term "McNolan" and said "What, am I selling hamburgers?" What a prick.

Posted By: Danny (31/07/2008 3:49:34 PM)
Comment: Could it be that the reason the offense has been so sloppy is because no one QB has had enough reps with the first team to really grasp the offense and develop chemistry with the receivers? He's sacrificing the first two to three games of the season to keep up this idiotic competition. Smith has clearly been better than the other two, hand him the reigns and let him get ready for the season properly.

Posted By: Jon in SoCal (31/07/2008 3:49:28 PM)
Comment: I was a HUGE Nolan supporter, even when he was under fire last year, I was willing to give him some slack. He has developed the talent on the team and was a bit unlucky with injuries and his staff. Now I think he is an idiot. Come on fella, it's a 3 way race, except there only is 2 players getting reps? Even an amateur can do the math. JT is supposed to stay ready? could have believed him if he said JT needs less reps because he has a year in the system. He should have seen this a mile away

Posted By: 49erinSC (31/07/2008 3:48:29 PM)
Comment: Matt - Help me out here. I'm starting to think this is turning into a circus. Splitting the reps all the way through camp and preseason seems dangerous given the complexity of this offense. Are we doomed here? What's your take on how this affects the team? Forget fairness, what's the team going to do?

Posted By: Holland (31/07/2008 3:42:48 PM)
Comment: This QB "competition" is starting to become a mess and Nolan isn't helping matters. The simple fact of the matter if Hill couldn't throw it should've been Smith absorbing all those 1st team snaps. Who cares about what's fair and do what's best for the team and that's not having our 3rd stringer taking 1st team snaps when we have two QBs that are trying to learn a completely new system. If this was a "fair" 3 way QB competition from the get go than why hasn't JT been getting equal snaps with the first team in the first place? I'm not a Nolan hater but what he's doing right now just makes no sense and just plain stupid. People really don't buy the 2 way competition does he honestly thing that everyone is going to buy a 3 way competition and does he realize by saying two career 3rd stringers have an equal shot at winning a starter job it's saying our QB situation must be terrible? Pencil Smith in as you're starter, give him the reps while making sure Hill does get some action with the 1st team in TC and Preseason so he could be ready if Smith is injured or plays poorly.

Posted By: DaveInDavis (31/07/2008 3:38:42 PM)
Comment: What a crock! Nolan seems to be more concerned about putting on a fair QB competition than getting his team up-to-speed on the totally new offensive system. No, we can't give Alex a few more snaps - that wouldn't be fair to Shawn. What about what's best for the team? Nolan needs to get this charade over with and designate a starting QB already!

Posted By: Frank (31/07/2008 3:36:20 PM)
Comment: uuuhh, so what you're saying is, there really were WMD in Iraq

Posted By: Mike in Glendale (31/07/2008 3:34:56 PM)
Comment: And yes, this is really me. I think the QB "battle" is stupid and pointless; had I been in charge, I would have named Smith the starter and given him every first-team rep possible - especially if we're taking Urban Meyer's assessment of Smith's stiffness while first learning a system at face value. You have a bunch invested in this guy - isn't it finally time you actually gave him the tools to succeed? Getting new receivers and a new coordinator is great; stripping him of the reps necessary to learn the system and develop chemistry is stupid. Nolan would take tons of flack for that decision, but it's not like he's getting excessively praised as it is; it's time to ride with Smith, for better or worse. Doing it this way is just asinine.

Posted By: Art (31/07/2008 3:32:47 PM)
Comment: Nolan is SOOOOO full of it. That guy has to be the most arogant S.O.B. on the planet. He might not be that bright either. I met him last year at training camp and he seemed like a prick. He should just stay as far away from the offense as possible. Let Martz decide, at least he has a clue! Nolan is over his head, and I could see Martz getting the coaching job next year.

Posted By: Mike in Glendale (31/07/2008 3:31:21 PM)
Comment: Man...Nolan just rambles on and on. Make a decision and stick with it - quit depriving the starting QB of first-team reps when they're already going to be struggling to learn Martz's offense. And don't give the new QB the job with the Sword of Damocles hanging over him - give him the reins, give him some slack, allow him to make a couple of mistakes, and be thankful that we'll have two competent backups (no matter who they are) if injuries strike the QBs again. This goes no matter who Nolan and Martz choose as the starter!

Posted By: NY9er (31/07/2008 3:27:13 PM)
Comment: I'm willing to be that Martz wouldn't do it this way. Nolan is really starting to bug me as you can tell he's defensive with the reporters. He just doesn't have any knowledge of how to coach offensive players.

Posted By: Felix (31/07/2008 3:25:42 PM)
Comment: Is it just me or do these comments on JTO sound like they're trying to light a fire under Hill? JT wasn't even an afterthought the past week, and now that Hill is showing some fatigue, they give his reps to JT and insist he's still in the mix?

Posted By: 49erJeff (31/07/2008 3:17:19 PM)
Comment: All I hear is bla bla bla bla. Just win baby!!