This article has 136 Comments

  1. Nope. If Kelly is a zero, instead of a hero, then York will be thinking about firing Baalke. In his office, above his head, hangs the Sword of Damocles….

    1. Yes indeed. That’s how ownership operates regardless of how many generations are involved. There could be a mom and pop take a step back directive though.

    2. Neither Kelly or Baalke are going anywhere for the next couple of seasons.

            1. York, Baalke, Kelly. All of them will be together for a couple years regardless of the record in 2016.

              1. I beg to differ. If they go 2-14, heads will roll. If they win 6-8 games, they may be safe.

              2. Thats what everyone was saying about Tomsula, and look how long he lasted…….

              3. Kelly and Tomsula aren’t even in the same stratosphere when it comes to being a head coach.

                None of these guys will be going anywhere.

      1. Kelley, will leave & head back to college if he can’t get job done before he is fired.

    3. Razor, I believe your being rational. That line of thought wont work in the Jed world
      I’m not being sarcastic-I dont think Baalke is going anywhere, ever…….Jed relies on Baalke for things we cant even imagine. Mostly, his bank account. Getting “great” deals in the draft, like a buyer at Walmart……….I dont think logic applies with this front office at all.
      That stadium was not built just and only for football-point being, 9ers are not paramount to their cash flow.

  2. Grant, thanks for the breakdown of the 49ers total head coaching costs. Unless 2016 is a disaster, Kelly’s job is pretty safe.

    I think the 49ers will struggle internally with two conflicting forces…

    1) Management thinks they have a supreme ability to assemble great rosters, and any losing season is the result of poor coaching.

    2) The schedule isn’t hard, it’s downright sadistic. An improved team will struggle to win 5 games.

    Something will have to give at the end of the season.

    I’m sure the Yorks are unhappy about the coaching expenses. But the massive stadium revenue takes much of the stink away.

  3. http://www.csnbayarea.com/ Intersting article by Matt M. Concerning Grants Article, The Yorks are dysfunctional but Razor Eater is correct , It will always be every one else’s fault but never the Dorks! The only owner like Eddie D is Joe Lacob of the Warriors , He wants he Gets! The next time Jed Dork says he is only about championships I will attempt to slap him , I am sure he is protected and I will be hauled off, But he is the most hallow speaking dirt bag I have ever met and I work with attorneys all day! That is saying something!

  4. Grant

    You’ve been better, so here’s how you can be better:

    (1) Don’t speculate on Denise’s relationship with her baby boy. That relationship, even if it were to make sense, is boring for us fans to think about.

    (2) Instead, write us an in-depth piece about how terrible Baalke is (you already started that one), and then lay out how the relationship between Baalke and Jed might go this year.

    (3) (or) Write about how Jed might see everyone comparing Lacob to Eddie D. (his beloved uncle), and how that might drive Jed to strive to compete with Joe for that legacy.

    (4) Fix content: (a) “judgement” is not a word in the English language; and (b) the Eagles are said to be paying some of Chip Kelly’s salary over time, so your calculations are likely off.

    Keep up the good work. So many possibilities for you to go in during this downtime, I’d love to see you show some really original thinking.

  5. Tomsula was so much worse of a hire than Singletary. I think if last season were replayed 10 times, the Niners would never get 5 wins again. So many lucky (or unlucky if you think about the draft) wins last season. They were a 2-3 win team getting really terrible efforts from some of their opponents. But in the world of private businesses, we often see those at the top continue to hang onto their jobs running multi-billion dollar corporations despite their running the business into the ground. How many CEO’s continue to rake in 10’s or 100’s of millions all while the corporations sinks all around them. The sun may rise in the west before Jed is kicked to the curb, or the Yorks may grant everyone’s wish and sell the team first (not holding my breath).

  6. GRant,
    The Yorks will not fire Jed. Your father wouldn’t fire you. Regardless of what you write here your fathers love for you is unconditional. I’m curious what were the 49ers worth when Jed took over and what are they worth now? That’s the only bottom line that counts. Lastly I believe that Jed is taking his lead on how he is running the team from upstairs, all of the money they have left on the salary cap along with the NFL’s TV contract just adds to the millions and millions of dollars the Yorks are making each year. imho

  7. ok.. Grant …

    just supposin’ …Kelly fizzles …then ..
    who would be next in line …

    Larry Ellison .. ?

  8. I care very little who the owner is as long as they make every attempt to provide a consistent winner ala Eddie D.

    What I don’t want is a disingenuous owner who uses the media to pad his credibility. I’ll never forget watching Falcons owner Arthur Blank on a national TV football game pushing Michael Vick around on his wheelchair near the sidelines post knee surgery. Vick had a look of surprise on his face as the owner was pushing him along the sidelines. I knew MV could see right through Blank’ media hungry selfish motives.

    Young Jedi thought he could do this in Harbaugh’ last game when he came onto the field to hug Harbaugh. I’ll never forget the look on Harbaugh’ face as he almost forced a return hug. Jed would have saved face had he not used this platform to make a failed attempt to show sincerity.

    I’d prefer the owner to sign the checks and make sure that the front office is using every resource to ensure a good product on the field, again, ala Eddie D.
    Jed is still young but has now been an owner of one of the sports world most storied franchises. Hopefully he’s matured over the last two strained seasons to finally get a clear grasp of his responsibility as a 49ers owner.

    1. Jed is no young Jedi, and Uncle Eddie was the worst kind of meddler. But he did have the sense to hire people who could back him out of most of his attempted blunders.

      1. ht,
        Yes, Jed is still young and no doubt learned a lot from the debacle of the last two years. But in his early stages as an owner he has been more successful than most.
        He showed both his genius and his failure in the hiring and shady dismissal of Jim Harbaugh.

        His hiring of Tomsula was a failed attempt of working in a somewhat state of front office peace with a close friend as well as thinking he could hire a coach already vetted and familiar with the team.

        These two monumental failures can only be corrected by Kelly bringing the team back to relevance.
        If Kelly falters, Jed will be judged by his actions with Harbaugh and his ability to put a new stadium in Santa Clara. Perhaps Jed’ legacy will land somewhere in the middle of this.

      2. Htwaits

        Well stated…I’ve been waiting for someone to stand up and take the crown (halo) off Eddie D’s coiffe. Were it not for John MacVay and Carmen Policy Eddie would have been in the HOF …but not for the same reasons

        1. OREGON,
          Interesting you would see it that way, sometimes it’s best to listen to what the people who know Eddie D best have to say about him. And last time I heard from his former players they held Eddie D in very high regard and had great things to say about the former 49ers owner.

          If you could provide some links, I would be very interested in what Rice, Montana, Ronnie Lott, Bryant Young and the late (RIP) Freddie Solomon had to say about J.McVay, and C.Policy. Who btw, were hired by Eddie D, which adds another jewel to his crown.

          1. AES

            Terrible me…I have no thirty year old links as to when McVay or Carmen policy took Eddie aside and informed him that Walsh was the genius…not Eddie…after reading that I remember several articles of what a good owner he was in staying out of the personnel decisions. I’m sure that you heard the same…I never heard any of the players you mentioned ‘pop-off’ publicly anyway.

            1. OREGON,
              Your reply to ht put shade on Eddie D, and gave much credit to McVay and Policy.

              My question is find any (if not a link) story in which the said players in my original entry paid McVay and Policy any highly sincere comments.

              Let’s face it, this team has never found the success for almost 2 decades that it had under Eddie D.
              Some may not give him credit, but you can’t argue with the record, 5 rings, players, GM, and HC he had on the payroll.
              Therein lays the minutia that put him in the HOF.

              1. AES

                that success was shared to Eddie D, for those two decades, but the down-in- the-dirt work was done by Walsh, McVay , Policy, Siefert , nd the players….Oh I DO credit him, AES…just not as highly as you do…

          2. Uh, no. Walsh brought McVay in, but Eddie paid the check. Policy was the corporate lawyer for the DeBartolo Corp. Both of them were instrumental in the 49ers success. Walsh pretty much did everything, football wise, because he knew that he could do it better than anyone else. McVay was one of the few people that were competent enough to do what Walsh needed. He was also trusted by Walsh. He was able to be an administrator and take some of the weight off of Coach Walsh.

            1. Mcvay also was a foil against the wrath of Eddie. he was the calmer head when Eddie did not like what Walsh was doing, and losing the playoff games in between SBs, Eddie wanted to fire Walsh, but McVay talked him out of it.

  9. Grant:

    Good info on the coaching costs, but not sure if JC might be right about the Eagles picking up some of Kelly’s salary (I believe that is just rumor).

    I have no doubt that Baalke will go before Jed. But, I don’t necessarily believe that Jed will stay as long as he wants to just because of his parents. They could easily just say that Jed’s not cut out to run the 49ers and give him the top job in one of their other ventures. Perhaps with Marathe.

    1. More likely it would be some gibberish about how Jed’s tenure as CEO of the 49ers was successful and it is now time for him to move on to head a different York venture.

    2. No way. The Yorks don’t have any other significant ventures, and Jed is making money hand over fist with the 49ers. It’s Eddie who is the big diversified financial power in the clan.

      1. Don’t they? Isn’t Marathe supposedly working on some new venture in the Sacramento area. I forget what it is though.

          1. Right. The significant venture in Sacramento is as significant as the Yorks get outside the 49ers. Jed’s not going to Sacramento to build a minor league soccer dynasty. ;-}

            And, as you may recall, Paraag didn’t give up any of his significant responsibilities with the 49ers.

  10. Since Jed has been in charge, 3 NFC championship games 1 super bowl and one new stadium. That’s a resume a lot of CEO’s would love to have. Jed is not going to be fired by his parents.

  11. Good article Grant. I can see it generating a lot of debate.

    My take on the situation is that Jed is on the hot seat, but Baalke is the next fall guy. Jed can logically point out all the whiffs Baalke has made in the draft, but the main reason why Baalke will be fired if they do not win is because of his handling of Free Agency. Players are avoiding the Niners like the plague because Baalke is not only cheap, he lacks people skills. Niners will be doomed if they cannot attract talented FAs. Building through the draft sounds like a nice concept, but when Baalke whiffs on an entire draft class, he is in trouble.

    I do not doubt for a second that the Yorks love their son, so Jed is pretty much bulletproof. He can point to his uncle Eddie as an example of a person being pilloried in the press, but eventually getting things right.
    However, the wild card in this drama is Jed’s wife. She may be sick of her husband being excoriated in public, and will say that it is not worth the grief.

    1. Now, I’m not a Baalke apologist, but it seems to me that if Baalke is cheap it is because he needs to be rather than what he wants to be. Being a good company man he spins decisions like building through the draft out in public but I would bet you money he has been given a directive from on high.

      People don’t come to SF for a myriad of reasons to play: tough division, difficult schedule, perceived issues with coach, non-contention of post season play, not wanting to be part of a rebuild, and yes maybe because Baalke lacks some people skills. I guarantee you though if this team were the same as it were three years ago Baalke’s “cheapness” and his emotional unintelligence wouldn’t matter a whit in FA. I suspect you may counter with the AD argument but he may have some other issues and is blaming them on Baalke which have nothing to do with why he is out of the game. He may simply want out of his contract and the organization does not wish to grant this as they retain his rights.

      1. East, you may be right about Baalke being a puppet of the Yorks, but notwithstanding the AD situation, I think Baalke has his fingerprints all over the team. From the very first PC where he stated the Niners were going to run the ball. Forcing Boone to LG when he should have been RT. Throwing Hayne under the bus after he cut Hayne on the bus. Coaching up the DBs which meddled with the coaching. Forcing cut couch potatoes on the coaches when Hayne at least knew the playbook better. The keeping of his buddy Paraag.

        I concede that those things would be overlooked if the Niners were winning, but since they are 5-11, they are magnified.

        I do hope Baalke can get better, and the first thing he should do is listen to the criticism, accept it, not ignore it, learn from it, and act upon it. Resolving the AD fracas would be a step in the right direction, and it would show me that he will swallow his ego for the good of the team.

        1. Didn’t say Baalke was a puppet just a company man, not the same thing, at least to me. Regarding having his fingerprints on the team, one would hope that a GM would have considerable influence on team affairs in regard to players picked and overall direction of the team.

          As to your specific examples the PC you reference is probably the one time where we have clear meddlesome behavior by Baalke. He interrupted the coach to give that comment which undermined the very man he hired. He was not alone here as I remember Jed with him and I believe that last year is proof that the brain trust in Santa Clara is not better than the Coach. They erred, and it was a costly one. Jed made overtures about this being a mistake and we can see if this is merely posturing or a frank admission from the behavior of the FO going forward.

          I don’t see how Baalke “forced” Boone to play guard versus tackle. I think Boone wanted Tackle money and this FA period bears this evidence out. No issues with him pursuing better contracts but the team is not obligated to pay him if they don’t think he’s worth it. Boone’s play last two years has not been stellar and I bet that’s a trend that continues. Remember that positions played are decided by coaches not GMs (see Miller this year).

          I think others have addressed the Hayne issue before but I’m not sure that I would agree with the interpretation of events regarding him. Now, having said this I also would have liked to see a bit more creative use of this dynamic player by the coaching staff.

          Not sure what you are trying to state regarding P. Marath. It seems that his roe was higher or at least parallel to Baalke’s and that Baalke had little say on this side of the organization. Perhaps I am missing information but if you have additional information please share.

          Lastly your points on listening and learning to criticism is one that hard to swallow from just about anyone who has heard this before, though it is good advice.

          1. I will agree that puppet may have been too harsh a term.

            I do think that Baalke did micromanage the team, and Boone was a good example. Baalke was mad at him for holding out, and making Boone play LG was evidence that he did not want to pay him tackle money, even though Pears played poorly for most of the year.

            Marathe is speculation, but when Jed declared that he would part with anyone who he found out to be leaking, demoting Marathe, then having him stay, there had to be some protector. Baalke and Marathe attended a Sharks playoff game together, so they were pretty chummy. No hard proof, but it is just my take on the situation.

            I agree, it is hard to take criticism, but think Kelly has done that, learned from it, and has improved.

              1. TrollD, when you post ad nauseum, I just scroll past. Do not even want to read your comments, because I once tried, and found them hardly legible.

                The last thing I would ever do is click on one of your links. I do not want to risk being infected with a virus.

          2. Eastcoast 9er

            ‘a very good post….but the person you are addressing does’nt need facts to blather on about his suspicions and such…but the picture I get of TB attempting to ‘force’ Boone to play guard does engender a giggle…next frame please….

            1. Yet Boone left, with no kind words. Believe your perspective, mine has just as much legitimacy.

  12. Grant, good summary of the coaching costs to the organization. It would be helpful, too, if you could detail the other side of the ledger as well. If Kelly’s salary is being subsidized by the Iggles, that tells a slightly different story than “we’re paying our coaches more than the most successful coaches in the league”, to paraphrase. And knowing how much is coming in from the league’s profit-sharing scheme, ticket and jersey sales would give a more complete picture.

    1. The Niners pay Kelly $6 million per season and the Eagles pay him $500K the next two years because he had two years and $13 million left on his deal when he got fired.

  13. Slow season indeed…lol
    Rehashing the Harbaugh era..
    Singletary…I mean come on.lol

    Everyone benefits from Kelly succeeding.
    .49ers fans..49er players.Trent,Gamble,Paraag,Jed.Denise and John york..Tell us something we don’t know..lol
    I can tell ya who doesn’t benefit from Kelly succeeding….You..Tim Kawakami..other media naysayers..The Eagles..Nfc West..Harbaugh..and Harbaugh fans…
    As long as We’re terrible or a bad team..His ghost will remain..That same ole we never should have gotten rid of him story will never end.
    .
    We’ll be fine.
    If Chip improves this offense ..He’s already doin better than Harbs in my book..then go from there

    1. I mean ..people been sayin bad stuff on us taking shots for the last couple years…So that’s all they know.
      They got a story to run ..one way or the other..Us bein bad..or us being good again..Don’t matter to them…Im excited about this upcoming season!

    2. Deezy,
      Don “Air” Coryell had one of the most prolific offensive schemes in the history of the game, but I would venture that many people in San Diego don’t even know what has overall record was because he never won a Superbowl.

      Kelly may create an offensive juggernaut as a 49ers HC, but if he can’t get us to the Big Show he will also be forgotten 20 years from now.

      In my humble opinion, Harbaugh was and will always be a success as a 49ers HC. He took the team to heights that hadn’t been seen in almost 20 years.
      His legacy as a very good 49ers HC will always be safe with me.

      1. That’s the beauty of it..He doesn’t have to be Jim Harbaugh.he wasn’t known for offense..he played ball control.time of possession..keep away…let your defence win it.If teams hung with us in the fourth..they had a shot..that’s why alot of games came down to the wire..terrible in the red zone.David akers was our leading scorer one year.lol
        With Chip I sense an aggressive play caller..tryin to score..beat down an opponent..not go 12rounds with someone u can knock out in round 5 lol.
        That’s why I say if he improves this offense..that’s half the battle right there..
        Harbaugh will always be in Dick Nolan territory…He’ll be remembered in 20yrs for all the wrong reasons..The only Niners coach to lose a superbowl..and his firing…20years from now..his firing here wont matter as much..but if Niners get to the superbowl in that timespan..
        sportscaster:”The last time the san Francisco 49ers were in the superbowl”…they lost to the Baltimore Ravens”…fade to the endzone..that was with Jim Harbaugh as their head coach….
        Hopefully Coach Kelly can win number six..But I understand it’s a process..fix this offense..get “his quarterback”..sure up sum more areas on defense..oline…

      2. 49-22-1 Harbaugh’s overall record with Niners will not be sniffed around here for quite a while. Relax, enjoy the long rebuild

        1. U can have 44-19-1.
          I rather win a superbowl…
          I don’t think 44-19-1 got us that….Am I correct?

          1. Why don’t you wait till after Chippy’s first season before declaring him ahead of ole Harb’s? Chip’s a winner at the NCAA level, lets see what he’s got in his second NFL stop. He’s down on WR talent right now and our TE’s aren’t scaring anyone. I am way more excited about Chip than Tomsula.

            1. I said “If” he got this offense going he’d be doin better..You know the thing that the 49ers were known for in the 80’s and 90’s? ?? He’s got his work cut out..no doubt..
              But If he’s as smart as I think he is…He’ll get us goin again..

              1. Our offense could be better, no one is questioning that. Improvement will help but right now defensive teams have the edge on winning SB’s. Or as they say complementary football. If our defense is as bad on the road or even close to as bad as they were last year we’re still in trouble. I see improvement, we’ll a 6-8 win team next year. Until Chip gets to a NFCC or NFCW title I am not ready to crown him as better in any way. He can put up a ton of yards and points, but wins matter not stats.

    3. You are absolutely right. Kelly is already doing better than Harbaugh. He hasn’t lost a game. He is undefeated. His defense hasn’t been scored on, and special teams haven’t had to take the field. WoW!

  14. Please, do not compare Grant with TK. They are worlds apart. I think that ANY 5-11 team should be fair game to criticism, but TK was relentlessly negative even while they were winning and in 3 NFCC Games.

    Grant is pragmatic, and if you think that the Niners will breeze through next season that has Seattle and the Cards for 4 games, along with the Pats and Carolina, you may be whistling in the dark past the graveyard. I consider those extremely tough wins, and realistic losses since they are all playoff teams.

    Personally, I do not like to be rosily scenarioed, and if it were as simple as you think, they would be playing in the SB. However, realistically, the Niners plummeted to be ranked near the bottom of the league in both offense and defense. Chip will have to perform miracles (Kaep) if he can return the Niners to relevance.

    I will still root for them, and dream of the Niners acting like champions and returning class to a downtrodden organization, but like Randy Cross said, it may be a 4 year process.

    Like Grant says, Chip is the key.

    1. They are the same..taking shots every chance they get..and singing the praises of Harbaugh..
      It’s a year to year league..
      Yeah we gotta play them..cause they are in our division..They mite not be the same teams either..So neither u or I can say we’re gonna lose..cause nothing gets determined in July 7th.
      .
      You’re definitely entitled to your opinion..So If u wanna be gloomy and negative..without games bein played yet..that’s definitely your right..
      Me personally
      ..throwing in the towel in July is premature..
      .I actually think Randy said a longer time frame than 4yrs..but yeah..

      1. LOL, TK singing praises for JH? Thats a good one.

        Well Randy said it would be a 5 year process, but that was before last year.

      2. Dee, you obviously have not read this site before, because I am one of the more positive posters on this site.

        I was one who predicted 10 wins last season, and we all know how that turned out. This season, I am being more pragmatic.

        Of course, at least I am not like some Niner haters who want them to lose every game, and we have a few on this site, but you must admit that the Niners will not be favored against those 6 games I mentioned.

        I hope for the best and expect the worst. The Niners, even with a 5-11 record, has one of the hardest schedules in the league.

        The keys to this conundrum are Chip and Kaep. If Chip can stop his downward trending, and Kaep can revitalize his career, the Niners have a chance. If they have to rely on Gabbert to lead them, it may get ugly.

      3. Kelly IS the key. But the reason for profound skepticism is that the same people who have been making the decisions for the last 5 years are still making the decisions.
        I would love to be wrong, tho………………….

    2. If Grant’s right, then it it could happen after the season because:

      1. Kelly has power run blocking OL drafted by Baalke. Kelly’s zone blocking scheme requires lighter offensive linemen.

      2. All of the Fantasy football publications have no 49er WR’s listed higher than 56.
      Anquan Boldin (no longer with the club) is ranked 58; 49er TE’s are not even listed
      and Carlos Hyde is listed at # 19.

      Not great #’s if your Jed, hoping chip will right the ship.

      1. Its OK, I like to give praise when due, and the other sites just blather, so I am a fan of Grant and his writing. He is provocative, and gets to the nitty gritty.

        Jed is a focal point to this team, and his leadership, or lack there of, could dictate the course of this season. Hiring Chip was his best move, hands down.

  15. Thanks for the insight Grant. Wasn’t aware of this.

    An interesting continuum through most of the GM and coaching hires are the York’s insistence on the power run game vs. the remainder of the NFL team’s exploiting rule changes favoring the passing game.

    This is not coincidental and to the outsider appears to be the York’s stubbornness to their own legacy, rather than attaching themselves to anything Uncle Eddy.

    The power run game’s so ingrained that it will damage Chip Kelly’s offensive zone blocking philosophy, because he hasn’t had time to change out the offensive linemen required in his blocking scheme.

    Walsh had lighter offensive linemen who could pull on a sweep. Kelly’s scheme also requires lighter linemen to reach their zones. Either Kelly switches to Baalke’s power run, or Kelly fail.

    This is nothing earth shattering. The schizophrenic 49er philosophy has existed since hiring Trent Baalke. For example, paying Torrey Smith millions, and rarely throwing to him.
    Drafting Tight ends and WR’s who are mid to late rounders, or who have ACL injuries, and a history of dropping passes; drafting Bulldozer O-linemen w/o pass blocking skills when all can see Kap’s still in developmental stage so needs a stellar supporting cast to grow his confidence. Bill Walsh went to great lengths to acquire the most talented offensive cast possible for the QB, even w/o the current gargantuan rule changes

    Bottom line. The York’s are not football people so the 49ers will continue to lose as long as they favor Silicon Valley profits before people.

    1. I agree with you,TomD. The Yorks and Baalke would rather go down in fire than have anything that has anything to do with Walsh. They-not football people-know best.
      And this arrogance has made us the worst.

  16. *Concludes my above commentary:

    The following video demonstates what Kelly’s offensive currently looks like and their difficulty with zone blocking.

    1. Forgot to mention the fact that the York’s are paying more for coaches than the rest of the NFL goes more to billionaire disease than anything else. They got a stadium built Near San Francisco, Ca where the largest stadium hurdles in the NFL exist and give tours through the coaches locker rooms with the Silicon Valley suits who have no problems parking in the head coach’s parking space, knowing if the coach pulls his squad off the dangerous Levi Stadium practice turf while they sip wine, the coach is gone. Can everyone say: E G O !!!

      1. Forgot to add the York’s showed their Silicon Valley bias when they forced the coaches to accept Silicon Valley’s Paraag Marathe in the red flag thrower challenge booth rather than a real coach:

        ” source tells me that at least one respected 49ers football staffer–I won’t get any more specific than that–is infuriated by Marathe’s presence in the booth.”

        http://blogs.mercurynews.com/kawakami/2008/10/22/49ers-bits-unhappiness-with-marathe-do-the-yorks-think-they-bought-the-team-in-2005/

  17. You’re only looking at one side of the coin Grant. You did half of your homework and tracked down all of the money that has gone out but did you spend any time adding up how much money Jed has brought into the team? Spending $68M on 4 coaches sounds terrible if his job was based strictly on how much money he spends on head coaches then he’d have some explaining to do. However we know that isn’t the case and we also know that the team has a shiny new stadium and regardless of the attendance of TV the season tickets sales have been very strong.

    You can’t access the numbers you need but the bottom line is the bottom line, is the team more profitable overall before he took over or not? That’s what will determine Jeds future, not how much he spends on one single aspect.

    1. Good points and they are $49 million under the salary cap. Almost covers the coaching spending in one year, not including what they saved last year.

      1. From a purely economic standpoint you guys are right. But isn’t winning important to a sport team? Isn’t the “product” important? Doesn’t sustained losing eventually devalue the team both in capital value and income?

        Further, Jed has made it clear that the goal is about winning the Superbowl. He gave that as a reason for firing Harbaugh. So at some point if this continues on, imo, he’ll move on to another family venture. But it could take a very, very long time.

        1. If we don’t win, eventually losing catches up to ownership financially. I think Jed wants to win but I am not sure he really knows how. He’s really young to manage a franchise well and he’s made a couple egregious errors and succeeded wildly with JH. But then he got in the way again by firing JH. JH wasn’t the issue. I think of Jed like the person who wants to lose weight but can’t help but have another donut. He just can’t help himself sometimes.

          I think winning is huge AND making money is king in the NFL. Winning is key for GM’s, coaches and players not as much for owners. I think he’ll be tolerated if he’s making money, but if he’s losing and not making money there’s the deal breaker. He’ll be around for a while.

          The fans here in Denver bemoan the ownership of the Rockies and Nuggets. They suck and the fans don’t like them. It shows in game attendance and support. Not much changes though.

          1. Unfortunately, fans don’t generally have the kind of power that stockholders do. That makes me wonder about the Packers, though, where the team is owned by the fans and is supposedly non-profit. If the owners are well organized they should be able to enact change reasonably quickly.

    2. yeah, I was thinking about the bottom line too Coffee.

      Remember that the DeBartalos are rooted in Commercial Real Estate Development. They’re a business conglomerate like any other big multi-faceted business of which the 49ers are part of. So yeah, the bottom line is the primary litmus test for Jed’s success. And JED GOT A STADIUM BUILT. (yes it a poorly planned stadium in a bland suburb…BUT HE GOT A STADIUM BUILT). So there’s a lot of revenue in the future that Jed can claim he had a hand in obtaining.

      So Jed ain’t going anywhere…anytime soon. The only way he goes anywhere is if he becomes an incredible public relations nightmare that the DeBartalos need a new face to be the head of their business operations in Northern CA (notice I didn’t just say head of the Niners).

  18. Agree with Coffee. +1

    Grant, here’s a story. A different story, perhaps you can help the team. “Weight Down with Trent Brown.” Throw down the challenge to TB. Brown v. Cohn, one week. Chronicle your workouts together, the Sizzler buffet, I see you finding candy wrappers under his couch cushions…the whole thing. If you call him out, how can a professional athlete not accept it?

    Thank me later.

      1. Other analogies are people getting between Seb and his next post fruitlessly trying to express their own opionion–resigned that it won’t happen.

    1. Ya know, I was cautiously optimistic after Collin’s last press conference. He seemed upbeat, positive, and all about football. His attitude seemed significantly more mature. He deftly dodged the chance to get into it over the poor behavior of the front office. Now he’s back on social media, shooting his damn mouth off before ANYONE knows all the facts in the case. “This is what lynchings look like in 2016”. “We are under attack”.

      Come on, man.

      1. It is vital for our children to have star caliber players and those in a perceived or real leadership roles to speak loudly when immoral things happen to our brothers and sisters.

        I’m a white dude from Wisconsin who owns guns and I can see that the two shootings in question are proof of a sad state of affairs among the Law Enforcement Officers in this nation. The cops in my town are even shooting the white folk when they shouldn’t be.

        This article was so one of your worst Mr. Cohn so I’m here to talk about side topics apparently…..

      2. The problem is, that it is no longer a rare occurrence, just like mass shootings are all too frequent.

        This gun society is devouring itself. There is a Vietnam War sized casualty count every 2 years. They really need to re-enact the assault weapons ban and start holding the merchants of death accountable to the victims of gun violence.

        I hope Kaep tones it down. He did not need to say the L word. He should have just decried the injustice, and showed concern for the family of the victim. Then again, maybe if enough people get fed up with these tragedies, society will become more restrained and civil. The police, especially, should show more restraint, and practice non lethal interventions.

        Nowadays, it is like the wild west out there.

        OK, now back to football.

        1. What about the intended spirit behind the trigger finger? How do you make that go away?

          1. We are seeing that unfold before our eyes. What we are doing right now does not work. We need to change, or the carnage will continue.

        2. “This gun society is devouring itself. There is a Vietnam War sized casualty count every 2 years.”

          That’s some funny math…

          Total US casualties in vietnam – 211,454
          Total number of casualties from guns including suicides (2013) – 33,636
          Total number of casualties from guns not including suicides (2013) – 12,461

          I don’t really want to get into this debate but its important to have the facts on these things.

          1. correction on the Total US Casualites (deaths only) for proper comparison 153,303

          2. Total American deaths in Vietnam war -58,220

            Total American deaths due to guns, including suicides- 33,636.

            2 X 33,636 = 67,272

            I stand by my numbers.

            1. Total American deaths in Vietnam war -58,220
              rechecked and this is correct in terms of the death total.

              With that said I think its odd to include suicides in these figures considering there is no way to know if or by how much the suicide death total would go down even if guns were to be completely removed.

              1. Please Note – I am not making a stance against gun laws here. I was only attempting to add some information towards the discussion.

              2. Its OK, I said casualties, which could include non fatal injuries, but should have said deaths.

                However, around 75,000 Americans are non fatally injured by guns each year, so it is a blood soaked carnage no matter how you look at it.

                Contrast that with Japan. In 2006, 2 people were killed by guns. In 2012, 3 people were killed by guns, and that was solely due to the yakuza. In America, over 500 are killed accidentally. Sane gun laws do reduce the casualty count.

                Now we have cops being killed, so the violence will beget violence. It truly is like the Old Wild West.

        3. Ban all–Except for the AR-14, Luger, and Bangladesh Ordinance factories safely locked in your gun vault, Right Seb?

          1. TrollD, you are the one insinuating that I would break into gun vaults and create nightmares. Such obnoxious statements seem even worse after another gun massacre. Have you no shame?

            1. Another Seb specialty: His famous Misquote Strategy…

              When all else fails you misquote.

              1. TrollD, you can run, but you cannot hide. You were attacking me by joking about me breaking into gun vaults and creating nightmares. To bad this is such a serious problem, it is not a laughing matter.

                This was all started by me suggesting that the Niners stop shooting themselves in the foot. You went hyperbolic in your zeal to insult me, but now it is archived for all to see, so just take your medicine, because I will throw your own words back in your face. Keep engaging me, and you will rue the day you started, because I am going to keep bringing up your own words to show what a despicable human being you are.

                Have a nice day.

              2. Seb,

                Backing yourself into the corner of the chessboard–once again.

                I challenge you to bring up my quote accusing you of this. Otherwise, your Oz….All bluster with nothing behind it.

              3. I do not need to. it is archived for all to see. I will not waste my time researching it, because you are not worth the time to do it for.

                Just look at your recent post, implying that I have a gun vault that contains weapons of war. Attacking me at a time like this is beyond obnoxious, it is truly pathetic.

                Since you use straw man arguments and try to mislead people about my stance on guns, I will use this opportunity to state my exact position.

                To begin with, they should re-enact the assault weapons ban. Military styled and extremely lethal weapons have no place in civil society, and are poor weapons for self defense, but good weapons for massacres.

                The second amendment should be scrutinized. It states that- A WELL REGULATED militia, being necessary for the SECURITY of a free State, the right for people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. We need well regulated gun laws. Any person who wants an assault weapon, should have to join the National Guard, which is akin to being a militia, and ALL assault weapons should be secured in an armory.

                In the days of the writing of the second amendment, the guns were flintlocks, so maybe if a person wants to own a gun, it should be flintlock, which requires reloading after every firing. There is a ban on machine guns, so all the lawmakers need to do is change the definitions of a machine gun, and that would make the streets more safe and secure.

                In the Bill of Rights, people have the right to redress past wrongs. Who better to claim redress than the families of the victim of gun violence? The merchants of death make huge profits, and we all have to pay for the resulting carnage. Every gun dealer who sells a gun that is subsequently used in a crime, should lose his licence to sell. That way, gun dealers will be extra careful to sell only to responsible gun owners. Eventually, all irresponsible gun dealers will have to go out of business.We need to drop laws that protect gun dealers from responsibility.

                Now that we have a police massacre, maybe it is time to enact sane gun laws in a well regulated manner. One good way, is to change the definition of a bullet , and consider it an explosive device, which already has strict limitations.New ammunition should have expiration dates so it cannot be hoarded.

                The caliber of the ammunition should be well regulated. 38 caliber ammunition is a lot less lethal, so new regulations should be placed on ammunition, especially cop killer bullets.

                Right now, I feel less secure. It is becoming a war zone out there, so sane gun regulations will increase security. Any person who wants a gun for self defense should be allowed to purchase a double barreled shotgun. They are extremely lethal at close range, but require reloading after 2 shots. They also are way less lethal at greater distances, so they are less lethal to innocent bystanders, while an assault weapon can easily kill up to 500 yards.

                I am sorry to get off topic, and prefer to talk football, but I need to set the record straight. I am unilaterally opposed to more gun violence. I want this society to be more civil and peaceful. Sane gun regulations is a step in the right direction, otherwise, the carnage continues. Someday, and I really hope I am wrong, some terrorist will target a football game, because there are a lot of people crammed in a confined space. Hopefully we can prevent more nightmares, because frankly, I am sickened by the bloodshed.

        4. Why would the Gov’t do that…….. when they’re the ones responsible the guns being on the streets and availible for purchase in this country in THIS country in the first place!!!!!!!!!!!!

    1. Seb, seb ,seb………

      Brevity is the key to outstanding writing. Some of your emotional rants are right out of “war and peace”!!!

      Stick to football, por favor……..

      1. Do you watch the news? This is kinda big, and NN has a blog that has exceeded 1100 posts.

        I did apologize for going off topic, but when some one ascribes a straw man argument and misrepresents my opinion, I have to set the record straight.

  19. Well now just about every topic has been discussed and beat to death to include Baalkie ability or inability to draft. I have not read anything about last years 5th round draft pick that sent a lot of people into the wtf world – Pinion, Bradley – punter. Seems like that has smoothed over for the most part.

  20. I’ve posted the York Silicon Valley Business contracts above. Meanwhile, Paraag Maarathe has been busily applying his analytics on the tax write-off, AKA, York soccer team and receiving kudos for his legal counsel hire for the 49ers:

    Paraag Marathe, the 49ers’ chief operating officer, called Gordon in the midst of the lockout to gauge her interest in working for the team.

    That was last December. Hannah Gordon’s known as “Queen of the Lockout.”

    She worked for the Raiders twice, and Amy Trask (Raiders) remains one of her heroesNFL lockout helped lawyer score 49ers post

    http://archive.peninsulapress.com/2011/11/03/nfl-lockout-helped-lawyer-score-49ers-post/

  21. TRENT BAALKE’S PRIDE AND JOY—–The 49er 2015 Running Game NFL Ranks:

    We’ve said all along, we want to run the football and he’s, in our mind, he was the best run blocking offensive linemen, interior guy in the entire draft.”…Trent Baalke/SB Nation.

    Althon Sports 2016 (The NFL’s Premier Sports Publication):

    “We haven’t done a lot in free agency. We’re a draft and develop team.”

    2015 Running Game Stats:

    1. Yds/Rush……Rank #27; 2. Touchdown Runs….Rank # 26 3. Touchdown Run Percentage….# 26 4. yards/game…..Rank # 31 5. 1st down conversions/GM…#31 6. Time of possession….Rank # 31 7. Pts./game….Rank #32 8. 3rd down conversion percentage…Rank #31 9. Rushing Game as a whole (Based on Yards)…Rank #21.

    Good Luck Chip Kelly, basing your offense on Trent Baalke’s offensive draftees.

  22. Meanwhile,

    While Baalke’s anemic run game falters, so are some of his defensivie players:

    5 worst NFL safety contracts:

    # 3. Antoine Bethea, San Francisco 49ers

    Years remaining: Two

    Average remaining cap hit (per year): $6.5 million

    Years he can realistically be cut: 2017

    The former Colt can still hold his own in the box, but lacks the movement skills to track receivers in space. He gave up three touchdowns on just 12 receptions, ultimately allowing a league-worst 152.6 QB rating.

    https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-5-worst-nfl-safety-contracts/

  23. Breaking Down San Francisco 49ers Offensive Line in Advance of 2016 Season
    by Peter Panacy 22 hours ago Follow @peterpanacy

    This unit was 14th in pass-blocking efficiency and a lowly 30th in run-blocking capability.

    Marcus Martin wasn’t cut out to be an everyday starter, as he finished 2015 with a minus-45.6 overall grade, per PFF — among the lowest in the NFL out of qualifying linemen.

    But Garnett will need to improve his pass protection — something his former head coach at Stanford, David Shaw, even noted during NFL Network’s coverage of the NFL Draft last April.

    So that leaves the competition open, in all reality, to two linemen — Erik Pears and Trent Brown.

    Pears, at 34 years old, endured his fair share of struggles last year. According to PFF, Pears graded out with a minus-30.7 overall mark in 2015 and was responsible for 10 sacks and 37 quarterback pressures. That’s pretty bad…

    But just because Brown earned this role in a seemingly meaningless tail end of a lost season doesn’t mean he’ll do so again to begin 2016.

    According to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (h/t 49erswebzone.com), Brown didn’t appear to be in very good shape for the start of OTAs. Not surprisingly, Pears ended up getting first-team reps throughout most of the 49ers early preseason activities and drills.

    https://ninernoise.com/2016/07/07/breaking-down-san-francisco-49ers-offensive-line-in-advance-of-2016-season/

  24. Imagine how much it would be if the Niners were winning and in the playoffs. Jed, with his 5-11 team, is under performing.

    BTW, JH with his 3 NFCC Games and Super Bowl appearance had a huge impact on the rise in value, compared to the value of the team when it had two 2-14 seasons. So what did they do? they kicked him to the curb. In hindsight, that was not a smart move.

  25. >>BTW, JH with his 3 NFCC Games and Super Bowl appearance had a huge impact on the rise in value.

    Actually not. It is spanking new stadium that accounts for the rise in value.

    “In 2014 the 49ers moved out of antiquated Candlestick Park and into $1.2 billion Levi’s Stadium,” the magazine reported. “Presto! The team’s revenue from ticket sales, sponsors, concessions, luxury suites and non-football events jumped 160% versus the previous season.”

    -Forbes

    You can argue that a team that underperforms will see an eventual decrease in value, but that is not as critical to the bottom line as you might think it does. Example – The New York Knicks. They haven’t put a competitive team on the floor in decades yet continue to be the highest valued team in the Association. The Bay Area, demographically, has much in common with the New York metropolitan area.

    Like the stadium or not, like Jed or not, like the on field product or not, the 49ers are a HUGE cash cow to the York family and have been even more so while Jed has been CEO. This coaching salary that Grant writes about doesn’t even rise to small potatoes in the overall scheme of things.

    1. JH and his winning ways allowed the momentum for a stadium to be built. Santa Clara voters would not have approved of a stadium for a 2-14 team.

      Please, the NY teams have a huge advantage because of the population, marketing and all the moneyed interests in that area. Not a good example because of other factors.

      If the Niners start 0-5, which could easily happen due to the schedule, the seat license holders will start bailing en masse. That cash cow could easily turn into a white elephant, and the value will drop like a rock.

      1. >>JH and his winning ways allowed the momentum for a stadium to be built. Santa Clara voters would not have approved of a stadium for a 2-14 team.

        False. Measure J was approved June 8, 2010.

        All economic and fiscal impact studies, negotiations with Santa Clara, ballot measures, etc were completed before Harbaugh was even on the team’s horizon.

        You got to get it out of your head that sports business has anything to do with team success.

        1. It took until Dec 2011 for the Santa Clara City Council to approve the financing, and JH and his team turn around was a major factor in that process. Everything was positive and rosy, otherwise the SCCC would not have approved the financing.

          I also remember the various lawsuits that had to be dealt with, especially the one where they accused the Niners of bait and switch tactics. until those were resolved, nothing could happen.

          So I will concede that the early vote was a good first step, but many declared that JH and his winning ways, helped get the stadium built.

    2. Thanks for posting this information. Really interesting stuff. You didn’t even mention that the 49ers are 4th in operating income ($123.7 M), which further bolsters your point. The Cowboys, however, have more than twice the operating income of the 49ers ($270 M). Interestingly, the operating income of the 49ers was about three times that of the Seahags.

      I wonder how salary cap space in the form of cash actually not spent affects the operating income? I would think it would be a direct savings on an annual basis. But I don’t know if they would take a charge if they haven’t reached the 80% mandated spending on salaries.

      1. >>The Cowboys, however, have more than twice the operating income of the 49ers ($270 M).

        Most likely due to the 101,000 seat Jerrydome.

        >> Interestingly, the operating income of the 49ers was about three times that of the Seahags

        Seattle, despite their recent success, is still a small market team.

  26. 10 ways Chip Kelly can improve.

    1. Be less predictable. Set other teams up by looking like you will run, then pass, and vice versa. Be deceptive.

    2. Be balanced. Do not declare you will run the ball like Baalke does, but have both an effective run and pass strategy. Take what the defense gives you.

    3. Properly utilize the player’s skillsets. Accentuate their strengths and disguise their weaknesses. Be innovative.

    4. Do not force Kaep to be only a pocket passer. Roll him out more, and employ more naked bootlegs. Invite the defense to put a spy on Kaep, and get the spy out of position to help their defense.

    5. Like in a chess match, think at least 2 moves ahead. Set up the defense, then strike where they are weakest.

    6. Go for it. Be bold. Do not settle for field goals, especially within 10 yards of the goal line. Even if it fails, it will make their offense start deep in their own territory.

    7. Study the Niner- Bronco SB. Look how Walsh put Craig in motion a lot.
    Also, study the drive before ‘The Catch’. Emulate Bill Walsh, and quote him often.

    8. On defense, keep rotating players in a tag team manner, so they stay fresh. Maybe pair up players that play well together.

    9. Be adaptable, Make adjustments. Employ a whole different offensive scheme in the second half to counter their defense making adjustments. Be quick to change when situations dictate the need to change. Learn from your mistakes and act accordingly.

    10. Work with the media. Communicate well. Control the message by controlling the messenger. Maybe use Rod Brooks as a main conduit to the fans and general public.

  27. Chip should try to put a man in motion, for various reasons. The MIM could help Kaep read the defense’s reaction. If a player follows the MIM, that could mean they are in man to man coverage, and Kaep could exploit that fact by shifting to the correct play that has the best chance of success.

    A MIM could help over load a side, giving a numbers advantage. A MIM could be used to pinch in the DE so Kaep can roll out. A MIM could allow a WR to avoid the chuck at the line of scrimmage. A MIM could instigate a reverse, or a fake reverse, or even a flea flicker.

    Inherently, a MIM has an advantage over a player standing still. Usually, it takes a few steps before a player is at full speed from a standing still position. A MIM is at top speed at the snap of the ball.

    Even with the up tempo hurry up offense, Chip could put a MIM, and did so at times while at Oregon.

    The important thing is not to put a MIM, then have him stop, because that defeats the whole purpose of putting a MIM. Otherwise, it is just a time consuming shift.

    Putting a MIM does not have to be done every play, but when used judiciously, it can be a potent weapon in the arsenal.

  28. Grant… The topic of you’re piece is accurate. The content is good if not entirely truthful or comprehensive. I get you. You want (and need) to retain access to the 49ers, including management. I get it – you can’t write what I will, BUT fans are owed the facts and the “Whole Enchilada” so to speak. The Boy Wonder Jed is exactly what he appears – a spoiled, in over his head, fear-filled child who unfortunately came under the spell of an incompetent egomaniac – Trent Baalke. Let’s cut to the chase, Baalke’s meddling with the draft is what consistently failed to provide Coach H the talent needed to take the next step. Trent is also someone we all unfortunately encounter in life – a brown nosing incompetent who preserves his job by backstabbing his co-workers. Frankly, IMO, Harbaugh’s Super Bowl team was jobbed in the Kick Off TD, and the last three plays at the goal line – holding galore. NFL Commish R. Goodall tipped his hand on how that game would play out a full month before. Ray (the Murderer) Lewis rapped with the Players Union and got Roger out of another calamity he seems unable to prevent. Roger spoke highly on Ray’s “Legacy”. Then, he sent his VP to change the performance qualifiers used to vet refs for the SB, and, installed unqualified refs who’d do as they were told – call the game for Baltimore. Roger, like Trent, can flub a nocturnal emission. Baalke needed and wanted Harbaugh gone because Harbaugh was vocal about Trent’s serial draft fails and other meddling (press leaks-Sanders). The Boy Wonder listened intently to Trent and followed his advice to his detriment. Neither of the idiots considered many players would leave or choose to end their careers after watching what Baalke did to Trust and their winning coach. I submit Trent is much more tied to the 49ers wins this year than Jed. Balk has made his bed and the mess therein. It’s time he suffers a fate deserving his unethical and idiotic acts of self preservation.

Comments are closed.