Watch Steve Young explain why the 49ers should not have played Ray McDonald

Here’s what Steve Young said Monday about the way the 49ers have handled Ray McDonald.

If you can’t view the video, here’s a transcript.

YOUNG: “Fundamentally, if the league is going to have a no-tolerance policy for domestic abuse, if we’re going to be a global organization that’s going to have this as a perspective, we’ve got to back it up. We can’t be backed into it with a video with more coming out. We’ve got to take an affirmative stance about it.

“I saw what we did with the policy a couple weeks ago, but then Ray McDonald gets arrested and has physical bruising with his wife and felony domestic abuse, violence. Any company in this country, any big company, if that happens, they send you home. They might pay you, but you don’t play, you don’t come to work until we figure this out.

“You can see how this can get where you need to have, you need to take an affirmative position on it. You’ve got to have no tolerance about it and mean it. And then say, look, if something happens, if it’s faulty, if it’s a fraudulent assertion, then they’ll work it out over a few days or weeks and miss a couple games, OK. But we have got to have a policy that, if you get arrested for this, we’ll call you when we figure it out. But we’re going to call you from home. It just has to be that way our you’re not serious about it.

“I understand due process — that goes on. But every owner has abdicated in many ways the ability to discipline players to the commissioner. And I think in many ways you saw the team unilaterally work today. The Baltimore Ravens decided something. Every owner can decide this for themselves.”

This article has 253 Comments

  1. Idk what companies steve young is thinking about here. There are actually very few companies who would put a employee on paid leave for a domestic violence thing. Police and schoolteachers because they carry a greater duty of care to the community and liability concerns are there.

    But other than that- it really doesnt take place. In the entertainment world especially (which is probably closest to the football world) ANY arrest really means nothing compared to the end product. I remember on the show lost- so many cast members got DUI’s and there was a domestic assualt and another bar fight assault- none of it prompted discipline from the show- they just worked around it.

    1. Also think it is HILARIOUS that steve young says this with a straight face sitting beside a MURDERER. Ray lewis’s info, unlike mcdonalds, is actually known- the guy murdered someone. Straight up murdered someone. THAT is the guy who should be sent home permanently.

      1. You’re an idiot. Lewis was there but he didn’t murder anyone. Get your facts straight. Most corporations lay people off with pay, then investigate. By the way, you are one ugly dude.

    2. Steve Young is an attorney. I think I defer to him in regards to understanding due process. Let’s not beat that horse again.
      It probably helps that I back his stance.

    3. Good point. NFL should be embarrassed to have Ray Lewis representing anything close to morality. Read his record and how he got off.

  2. Love Steve Young but I don’t agree with him. You can’t base a decision off of an accusation. You just can’t do it. There are too many examples of wrongful accusations against innocent people to take a broad approach like that. If there is enough evidence to charge the individual then you can take this position, but not before.

    1. If some girl at your work accused someone of hitting her, let’s say they worked in same building, you think it would be right to let them both still come to work?
      All Young is saying is if the NFL wants to be this global entity, it has to follow the rules and morals of all the others in the world.

        1. No but like Young said, suspend him with pay, figure it out like any other business organization in the world would do. Why should sports be different?

          1. Because I could accuse you of a number of things and have you arrested . Bet you would change your tune pretty fast . Let’s wait for an actual charge there Turbo. Geeze.

      1. The rules of others says innocent until proven guilty. He shouldn’t sit because not only has he not been found guilty, he hasn’t even been charged with a crime. Remind me what we would sit him for?

        1. Public relations and public awareness that shows we do not condone this behaviour. If he’s found innocent we apologize, and reinstate him.
          How does it look if new evidence. One to light like the Rice incident? Does not the NFL look like a donkey now? How about the authorities? They look like a bigger donkey.

          1. That’s not new evidence. We ALL knew he knocked her out, what did that video show us that we didn’t already know

              1. That he lied. Rice might actually still be with the Ravens if he had been truthful. You can be contrite, but if you lie while being contrite, then you have no chance.

              2. Scooter,

                Maybe some of those not privy to the investigation bought the “I was defending myself” story, but do you really think the NFL and the Ravens didn’t get some kind of indication what was actually on the tape from law enforcement?

              3. No, not really ex. I’d be surprised if they didn’t have access to this video. Which is very concerning.

              4. It was clear from the original video (from the camera outside the elevator) that Rice had knocked her out cold, and his self-defense claim was suspicious, at best. As a result, I wasn’t overly surprised to see that it went down the way it did.

                But what bothered me the most about the new video was Rice’s apparent lack of remorse. There was no “Oh my God, what have I done?” reaction from him. He gave no appearance of being upset for having punched his girlfriend so hard that her head bounced off the handrail.

                I hope to God that the 49ers’ investigation of McDonald’s incident is a legitimate investigation and not a willfully ignorant charade like the NFL’s investigation of Rice’s incident.

      2. “All Young is saying is if the NFL wants to be this global entity, it has to follow the rules and morals of all the others in the world.”

        Steve is wrong about the standards in most of the world. Maybe he means in the US, Canada, Great Britain and parts of Europe.

      3. So then ray rice should be reinstated and resigned. Most of the world sees women as bellow men

      4. If the accusation is verified by evidence then the offender should be punished. There are accusations made by people every day some true and some not. You can’t just assume the accuser is telling the truth and punish the subject of the complaint. You keep them apart until you figure out what happened and base your response on that.

        As I said in a post farther down, there is nothing to be gained by sitting Ray McDonald without proof of innocence or guilt. All that does is tell the player you think there’s a good chance he’s guilty and don’t want to be associated with him representing the team, while also sending a message to the locker room that the team will presume you are guilty until evidence says you’re not.

        This team will not cater to opinions that believe they are the voice of morality and the views of the majority. They will do it their way and imo that is the only way to approach this.

    2. @Rocket,

      Totally agree 100% for the Millionth Time,

      Everybody keeps beating the Dead Horse & I keep taking the bait!

    3. The injuries I heard about are pretty consistent with being held back from being able to inflict your own punishment on some one. If that ends up being the case how do you go about making it right with that person for prejudgment ? Due process is there for a very good reason Mr. Young.

  3. I’m about tired of Steve young. This dude says a bunch of nonsense. You can’t just sit players because of accusations. Kaep would be finished.

    1. Yes he’s blowing rancid smoke catering to the “guilty until proven innocent” crowd. Some attorney.

      1. Phil, The whole innocent until proven guilty line is getting old. The right pertains to bail, a trial, an opportunity to confront the evidence. It refers to the fact that you can’t be put in jail indefinitely because of an accusation but that if has to be proven that an individual has in fact committed the crime accused of.
        At no point does this protect you from being suspended from work for being involved in an investigation. It means that you can be “detained” while evidence is collected. You can spend 72 hours in jail while evidence is collected.
        Businesses today depending on the state, mostly hire at will. That means they can terminate for any reason. Be accused of beating your pregnant fiancée would be enough for many businesses to let an individual go. This is a serious accusation which warrants a leave while facts are gathered.
        If I were accused of such a heinous crime, I’d want them to do the most thorough investigation possible. I would welcome it. I wouldn’t want to jeopardize my company until it was proven I was innocent. I’d want to focus all my attention on clearing my name, not doing my job.

        1. Well Matt how long will it take for Jay Cutlers 16 year old neighbor to cry “Rape, beatings, see the bruises?” Maybe this week huh? Then Cutler can sit while we and every team every week deals with the backup. Count on it.

          Legalisms aside concerning innocence vs guilt- a policy I think should be extended- where is the justice in presuming guilt based on little or no evidence and reacting based on allegations?

  4. I agree with Steve. Suspend the guy until the facts are revealed. The take action.
    If i’ts like Ray Rice, he should be banned from the game. There is NO justification for hitting a women.

        1. I’ll be surprised if I get an answer, but its a valid question. Its easy to say there is no justification for hitting a woman. But many of the same people will come up with plenty of excuses for hitting another guy, in the right circumstances. But assault is assault, doesn’t matter who it is against.

            1. I agree Jack. There should be no justification for hitting a woman, but nor should there be justification for hitting anyone (though as Willtalk outlines below, there will always be certain circumstances where the lines are blurred).

              There is a social taboo about hitting a woman, which I completely agree with. I think any guy that hits a woman isn’t much of a man. But when it comes to dishing up punishment, whether it is a man or woman should be immaterial.

              1. Scooter,

                Thanks for that. I’ve been meaning to raise this issue. Why is it apparently so much worse for a guy to hit a defenseless woman than a defenseless man?

                I doesn’t take much of a man to beat up someone weaker.

            2. Btw Jack, when you refer to the answer being no, I have assumed you are referring to my initial comment…?

          1. There is a difference between assault and a justifiable action. There is also justifiable homicide. I think it depends on the degree of threat a person thinks they are under. Women generally do not constitute the same level of threat as a man does so it would be reasonable to assume that the level of what would constitute justifiable in respect to men would be broader.

            1. Ive rough housed with my girlfriend where she doesnt get hurt at all but she will bruise. I don’t want to ignore facts. The fact is he was arrested. The police decided there was not enough evidence to charge him. End of story. The process has taken place already. This isnt ray rice. He knocked his fiance out everybody knew what happened they just tried to ignore it. This is a completely different situation. If they sit everyone who is accused ill just go around accusing the best players my team is playing against.

          2. And what if the bruising is a result of holding her back from smacking and scratching Ray’s eye’s out ? I have seen some really serious injuries result for crazed women. I’m curious as to what he should of done if this is the case ? Pregnancy and hormonal imbalances can make females pretty unstable.

      1. There’s only two ways that I can see as justification for hitting someone regardless of their gender: if you’re defending yourself against that person with no chance of getting away from them and if you’re protecting someone (a loved one maybe) from an assailant.

        1. I think I need to add this to the assailant part:
          And fighting them is the only option available to you.

        2. Mid, you might want to rewrite your statement because, Rice was in an enclosed elevator ( can’t get away) and he was defending himself ( she came at him, and she had hit him before outside the elevator).

      1. Correct.There is no justification for hitting a woman. How does Grant Cohn know for sure that McDonald did what he’s accused of?

        Perhaps during your zest to post Rapoport’s tweets you missed the one about the NFLPA and due process.

      2. I totally support that there is no instance when hitting a woman is justified. On paper or even as a hard and fast rule to live life by, I couldn’t agree more. However, as you go through life and depending on the women you come into contact with, there ARE instances when they might attack you and you cannot get away or just walk away. It’s happened to me at least twice with two different women. Each time while driving a car. If you are being attacked and cannot remove yourself from the situation, you sometimes must defend yourself. It’s sad that it could come to that but it can.

      3. Grant- Making a statement like ” No justification ever” is far too broad. I could give a list of scenarios that would make my fingers fall off from typing that you or at least most people would more than likely agree with. Remember justification is linked to the level of threat presented. There are many instances where women are very capable of being a lethal threat to not only ourselves but a vast number of others.

      4. OK Grant, so you are getting your eyes gouged out by a crazed crack head woman , you are gonna just let her have your eyeballs because she is female. I don’t think so.

        1. Oh by the way I only have one eye from protecting my sister so that example sits close to home with me.

    1. Hello!!! There is no tape showing McDonald hitting his girlfriend, and that is the whole point. No evidence has been presented that shows RM did anything. Put yourself in his shoes, please. That’s what this is about. The principle of being innocent before proven guilty protects ALL OF US. If there were a credible tape, I don’t think anyone here would object from his benching.

        1. George–Exactly- Would not have written my first paragraph in my following post had I seen your post first..

      1. You forgot to mention he was arrested and is out on $25,000 bail. Either the police were incompetent or something happened. I’ve thought about it and while an accusation doesn’t mean anything being taken to jail does mean something. He should be suspended with pay until they charge him or drop the charges. The NFL should come up with some rules about this sort of thing.

        Some of you guys are wrong about this. A football player beating a woman is like 2 or 3 ordinary men beating a women. Those guys are monsters and could make mincemeat out of ordinary men.

        They shouldn’t be allowed to beat up anyone. Man or woman, they are capable of too much damage and the NFL should come down hard if they do. Maybe this way someone won’t get maimed someday.

        1. It’s my understanding that once a domestic violence report is made and there are visible injuries the cops don’t have any choice but to make an arrest.

          The thing to notice is that here we are, over a week later, and McDonald hasn’t been charged.

          Why do you think that is? Maybe the DA is getting his/her ducks in a row before charging McD, or maybe there really isn’t merit to the case, after all.

    2. Raid: First of all there is no evidence as yet that MacD hit his girlfriend/wife. There is a big difference between the two incidents. With Rice the video made the facts indisputable. With Mac we don’t know for sure how she even got the bruises. We haven’t even seen the bruises in order to be even able to speculate how they could have come about.

      Young states that the owners have abdicated their disciplinary responsibilities to the league, which is true. What is not being considered is that the owners are limited by league rules from taking those types of actions. They can not just backtrack and pretend that the league rules and contract with the players association do not exist.

      I think the existence of the Rice video puts that in an entirely different catagory because of it having gone public. Much like the Clippers audio tape impacted the leagues public image.

      I don’t think Steve has really thought out the precedence that suspending a player even if paid would have. I have found that just because someone is a lawyer does not necessarily make them experts on law. Besides Steve hasn’t practiced ( if he even ever did) in years. He is just speaking from his own opinion. I stated when the issue first came up that suspending a player with little evidence to go on could be used to influence the out comes of games in the future. You just set someone up. Don’t think that organized crime couldn’t do that sort of thing very easily. Duh Steve! Your smarter than that.

    3. Really? No excuse for hitting a women? What about if she comes at you with a knife or has a gun to your head?

      Or what if you are a midget and she is a big samoan mama?

    4. Just read your post… “Suspend the guy until the facts are revealed” Really?

      The cops have already deemed there wasn’t enough FACTS to charge him with anything. Arrest doesn’t always=guilty, in fact many times it doesn’t, especially with the laws for domestic violence.

    5. “There is NO justification for hitting a women.”

      Really? What if a woman was holding a machete and about to chop off the head of a small child? Isn’t that a justification for hitting a woman?

  5. So why was my comment deleted? I said nothing but positive things about Frank Gore. I ignored all the negativity with Ray McDonald and posted a positive comment about Gore’s great career. Not sure why that would get deleted.

    1. Houston
      Funny that a guy who spends 24/7 criticizing people is so sensitive to criticism that he resorts to censorship. Insecure.

  6. Understand that there is more than mere accusations at play here. His fiancee had bruises to her arm and neck. The neck bruises, in particular, make it very hard to believe that this was a completely fabricated accusation. It’s quite possible McDonald didn’t intend to hurt his fiancee; very plausible, too, that his fiancee may have initiated the physicality. But unless McDonald literally did nothing, and she bruised herself, the likelihood that McDonald, at the very least, used force to grab/shove his fiancee around the neck is rather high, and it’s that possibility that Steve Young, Brent Jones, and countless others are talking about.

    This isn’t just some random accusation with no physical evidence. There is physical evidence, and, at this point, no actual denial that nothing happened. Only a brief sound bit that “things got crazy” (per McDonald). In the end, if he’s placed on the ‘inactive list’ (just as Tank Carradine and Quentin Dial was placed on this past week) while they wait to get all the details, it would have said a lot more about their supposed no tolerance policy on domestic abuse. As it is, that policy was simply lip service, and, in fact, they will tolerate it, as long as their is some doubt to the severity of it.

    1. Please consider the fact that there are other possible causes of her bruises. For example, maybe her father beat her up because he learned she was pregnant. Maybe she had been mugged. Maybe she got it from working out. Maybe they have rough sex.

  7. The bruises are suspicious but there are literally a million ways that could have happened that don’t include McDonald even touching her. A fight with another person that he broke up perhaps? She gets mad thinking he’s taking the other persons side and bam, there you have it. He grabbed her arms to stop her from hurting him or others and they got bruised as well. That’s just one. Evidence only works if you know the story, otherwise it’s just a bunch of endless facts pointing nowhere. You’re not the cops. If it’s so cut and dried why haven’t they charged him? And until they do you can’t expect him to be held from work.

    1. If there were only bruises on her arms, then I think the siuation would be less concerning. The bruises on the neck are what make this a little more difficult to dismiss as any number of things. I’m not saying it’s impossible that the woman could have done that to herself somehow, but the information available doesn’t suggest that’s the case.

      Look. If the 49ers have evidence at their ready that exonerates Ray McDonald, and they are fully confident that all charges will be dismissed, then they’ve made the right decision. However, they have not said that, and if they were positive, why wouldn’t they say so to eliminate any doubt? To me, they’re largely saying “we trust Ray entirely,” which is not, in itself, a bad thing, but is certainly a risky proposition if they are not truly certain of the outcome.

      Ultimately, they risk losing a ton of credibility in many ways if this turns up to be worse than they apparently believe. Even if McDonald merely pushed her away with his hand at the neck, how do you think it plays out to a jury with a man of his size and strength ‘pushing’ around his fiancee?

      The smart move would have been to sit him, even if just to quiet the masses while the investigation is completed. Meaning, they would have been waiting until Sept. 15th, most likely. How hard would that have been?

      1. Difference between extending your hand to keep someone at distance and pushing someone around. If she was enraged enough his hand could have slipped into the neck area from the chest and it could have been her pushing against his hand to get at him that created the bruising around the neck. It is not that simple to find a stationary spot in order keep a person who wants to get at you. They are moving around so the neck contact could have been inadvertent. Not saying this is what happened only presenting a scenario that might fit his version. It’s not a lock by any means that he did what he was accused of doing based on the evidence we are presented with for now.

      2. “However, they have not said that, and if they were positive, why wouldn’t they say so to eliminate any doubt?”

        Because they can’t legally do that.

      3. So we should of sat Crabtree for the Super Bowl? He was accused of rape. And Kaep should be sitting out the season right? There’s still a legal case against him from the “victim” in Florida.

    2. Who made the 911 call? If it was McDonald’s girlfriend, why would she say he did it and have bruises to show for it if it was another man? Obviously she was aware of the severity of her charges when she made the phone call. No way that she would invent something this severe if it were not real. Also, cannot believe that some of the other 49ers in attendance did not see something. The league just cannot stand by and do nothing, and the girlfriend cannot just turn up tomorrow and say that nothing redally happened. Can’t put the tothpaste back in the tube. Something did happen. Now, it has to be sorted out as to whom did what and to what degree. I doubt the league is going to let this drag out for a whole season.

    3. So they booked him on $25,000 bail for no good reason? Come on, you think the cops are so dumb they will book a “person that matters” over nothing? Believe me, the police crossed their “t’s” and dotted their “I’s” before they went to the next step. Messing up this one was sure trouble, better believe they were careful.

      McDonald should be suspended with pay until this plays out. Sorry

      1. In many places, if there are multiple domestic disturbance calls, the police will arrest SOMEONE (most likely the male) even if there’s no evidence of ANYTHING happening. I witness this firsthand with my brother. He did absolutely nothing but his girlfriend, who usually went nuts when he pissed her off, used that tactic on more than one occasion. The police – on the 1st call got to the house and found that nothing had happened except an argument. He told them both that, because these kinds of situations happen ALL THE TIME, if they get called back an 2nd time, somebody HAS to go to jail. Otherwise they’ll be running all over town chasing false alarms rang by pissed off women.

      2. I suspect you haven’t dealt with many police lol many times it’s captain save a chick and ask questions later. And them knowing McDonald means they know bail ain’t a big deal to him

  8. I dont agree with Young. He should not be judged until the investigation is complete. There have been allegations made is the past which have turned out to be hoaxes- Crabtree just before the super bowl, Kap this summer, there was a false accusation made against Carlos Hyde at OSU …

    Then there is the brian banks incident which ended a young athletes career.

    Let the investigation dictate what happens to Ray Mcdonald. If guilty he should be suspended and the niners should release him. until then let’s reserve judgment and let the guy play.

    1. And in those cases, there was no credible physical evidence tying them to the situations. They were quickly dismissed. Here, there’s a fiancee with bruises on her arms and neck. That’s not as easily dismissed as a hoax.

      1. You must not be familiar with the Brian Banks story. His life was ruined over a false accusation.

        1. First off, Brian Banks life was ruined by an incompetent public defender that advised him to take a plea deal, even though there was a lack of physical evidence to convict him. Horrific story, but not at all a good analogy. Ray McDonald can afford good lawyers, is not, at this time, facing any serious jail time, but has actual physical evidence that he has to account for in his defense.

          Second, I’m not advocating a demonizing of Ray McDonald or of not allowing him due process in the legal court. I’m talking about (as many others are) having the 49ers recognize that, by using the legal process as an excuse for not taking an action, they are essentially erring in favor of a player that helps them. By inactivating them, they aren’t determining him to be ‘guilty.’ Is Tank Carradine guilty of anything? No. Yet he is inactive. No harm.. no ruination of his life. McDonald’s life will not be ruined by sitting a couple weeks while his name is cleared.

          However the 49ers credibility could be adversely affected if McDonald is charged of something. That’s why, when there is actual evidence that could tie him to, at the very least, using unnecessary force against his fiancee (still legally assault), they should take some caution.

          1. You analogy is not fair either tank is not a started, ray is by sitting him youre saying he is guilty or simply taking the accusation for its word. That is not the law it would take ” kommon senze” to realize that im all for punishing ray if guilty but let us figure out everything before putting someone in a corner

            1. When you work in a public sector or in a spot light like these NFL players do, you must make sure you live your life above reproach. You give up certain extracurricular activities and rights to privacy when you pursue that career.
              As I said before, the large majority of us would be more insistent on proving our innocence rather than focusing on work. I am not carving the wood to crucify Ray McDonald. I merely saying give him the time to focus on defending himself and proving his innocence. It’s not a punishment, but rather an opportunity.

          2. Tank isn’t a starter. Ray is. By sitting him, your telling every player in the league (and soon to be in the league), that this organization will side with the accuser even if you’re innocent. Knowing that, as a player, I would avoid signing with the 49ers. As a young man with money, women will say and do anything to take your money. And accusations run all over NFL players

    2. The Brian Banks story is apples and oranges compared to this one. That was just her word vs his (he got such a raw deal). This story is her bruises on her body and her word vs his word. Sort of a you gonna believe “me? or your lying eyes”

      Football players are huge and can beat up several ordinary men. This is a pregnant woman. Give me a break.

      1. Yeah but some girl bruise very easily. Especially when they’re pregnant, so in reality who can really tell when those bruises were made. And let’s not forget, they had a house full of people at 2 am. I believe some one said 75% of the team was still there plus their guests

  9. You guys are entirely missing the point. It was 2:00 am when they received a call from the fiancee to 911. I think you can immediately eliminate the ‘millions’ of ways that she could get bruises on her arms and neck and reduce it to a few. Rough sex? Working out? C’mon.

    Again, Tank Carradine did nothing to anybody, and he was ‘inactive’ this past week. Why is it so difficult for the 49ers to inactivate Ray McDonald while this situation clear itself up? He’s not being punished merely on an accusation. He’s being held out, which they do with seven players every week, giving the 49ers an opportunity to vet his story.

    As for why the Cops haven’t charged him. They are still investigating. He was arrested and had to post bail. That doesn’t just happen on spurious charges. He’s going to be arrainged on September 15th. We’ll find out if charges are filed at that time. Until then (the entire point) the 49ers, unless they are absolutely sure that nothing untoward happened, would be far better off taking caution.

    As stated before, the worst that happens if he’s innocent is that he sits a couple games. The worst that happens, now, if he’s actually guilty is that the 49ers lose a ton of credibility for a totally empty ‘policy’ that shows absolutely no regard for victims of domestic violence. Is it inconvenient for McDonald having to sit out a couple games? Of course it is. But it’s far more inconvenient for domestic violence victims to have their injuries trivialized by ‘fans’ who want so much for their team players to be innocent that they’ll use faulty, poorly thought out logic to explain why their rights shouldn’t be considered.

    I’m not saying McDonald should be demonized. I’m saying, the 49ers should be showing greater precaution on a very sensitive and serious issue such as this.

    1. Has it been established that the fiancee’s bruises occurred that evening/morning? You seem to be assuming several facts that have not been established.

      He was arrested and had to post bail. That doesn’t just happen on spurious charges.

      You might want to check the policies in place in Santa Clara regarding domestic violence calls before making such a definitive statement.

      1. I’m aware of the policies in Santa Clara. There was physical evidence presented at the scene, which is a grounds for immediate arrest. Could the bruises been caused by something other than a physical confrontation? Sure. But are you literally arguing that you believe his fiancee bruised herself earlier in the day. Got into an argument with Ray, then decided to call 911 and claim those bruises were caused by him?

        I’m not disputing that it’s possible, but you clearly have never heard of Occam’s Razor. You’re attempting to create a highly unlikely scenario to explain what a more likely (or range of more likely) explanations would. I think it’s quite likely that the bruises happened through some type of physical altercation around the time of the call. I don’t think any reasonable person would dispute that. The question is, how did they occur? Was it completely accidental and not the result of an actual confrontation? Was it incidental, and not the result of malicious force, but still the result of force?

        Given the sensitive and serious nature of domestic abuse, my point (the one you and everyone else, thus far, is missing) is that you have to be more careful about how you address it. By making McDonald inactive, you’re not ruining his life or even falsely rendering a verdict on his guilt. You’re simply taking a precaution that is justified by the arrest and the questions around the physical marks on his finacee. If it turns out he’s innocent, you’ve sat him for a couple games (just like you may have sat Tank Carradine for a couple games instead). That’s not a violation of his rights. That’s not jumping to conclusions. It’s being mindful of the importance of not just giving lip service on a “no tolerance” policy on domestic violence.

        1. I’m not making any assertions about what happened because I don’t know the facts. I don’t think you know them either. Pretty much all we know is that police were called to the house, the fiancee had bruises, and McDonald was arrested. You keep inserting details into the narrative that appear to be mere assumptions.

          I didn’t miss your point; I just don’t agree with it. I don’t elevate public relations above basic fairness. You don’t punish someone without first gathering the relevant facts and determining whether he actually did something wrong.

          1. It’s not a punishment I’m advocating. It’s a pre-cautionary, pre-emptive step. It’s not merely about PR. It’s about common sense. You can believe what you want; I’m saying, the lack of their forthrightness on the issue (hiding behind the legal “due process”) has been a piss poor management and mis-reading of the seriousness of this situation. Hopefully their faith is vindicated, but, if not, it doesn’t say a lot about their supposed ‘No tolerance’ policy on domestic violence.

            1. Its a precautionary, pre-emptive step that infers guilt. To suspend him, they are pre-empting him being guilty, not being innocent. They can’t take back any games they deactivate him for.

            2. It’s not a punishment I’m advocating. It’s a pre-cautionary, pre-emptive step.

              What exactly is it that you want to pre-empt?

              It’s not merely about PR. It’s about common sense.

              How so?

              You can believe what you want

              I think I have made it clear that I don’t believe anything about the incident in question because I don’t have sufficient information. You, on the other hand, seem to have some firm beliefs about what happened, and those beliefs seem to be based on nothing more than assumptions.

            3. “it doesn’t say a lot about their supposed ‘No tolerance’ policy on domestic violence.”

              How so? If he’s proven guilty, they can release him immediately. Exactly where would there have been tolerance for the crime in that scenario?

        2. Kommon senze — irrefutable— You use the moniker yet your posts are devoid of common sense. You attempt to shore up your argument using Occam’s Razor a silly tool needed by individuals who lack “common sense”. First of all it is not irrefutable and would be least applicable in a venue such as law even if it were ever to be properly utilized at all. Law already quantifies common sense in the aspect of “Reasonable doubt”.

          Interesting how people will go for years oblivious to the injustice’s they allow and then when their noses are rubbed into it they tend to overreact. You can not fix past injustice through over compensation in the present. It’s very hypocritical and easy to fix past injustice and ease our conscience’s at someone else’s expense. Your use or the term “sensitive”in part of a statement ” Given the sensitive and serious nature of spousal abuse” pretty much defines intent and objective. If we define it as sensitive it implies guilt based on past inaction so the intent requires over compensation. The over compensation comes at someone elses expense and just continues the cycle of injustice.

          When there is true justice and concern no one has to walk around on eggs. Justice starts every day anew. It must not fall victim to our attempt to enervate perceived guilt.

        3. 1) there were still 30+ people at the party at 2 am
          2) pregnant women bruise easy
          3) when were the bruises made?
          4)with a house full of people, I’m sure there are witnesses
          5) benching Ray, tells everyone in SF you are guilty until proven innocent, which makes it less appealing to sign with SF
          6) you didn’t bench/suspend Kaep (there was evidence of drugs as well as rape charges brought up)
          7) you didn’t suspend Crabtree even though everyone assumed he was guilty
          8) sitting ray would show favoritism

  10. From Ian Rapoport on Sunday morning via Twitter on the new drug policy.

    “Sticking point may be how to handle DUI suspensions. Would it be automatic discipline? Union won’t give up due process. ”

    How hard is it for people to understand that no team in the NFL can just suspend players? The process must play out.

  11. In messes like this one, the best thing the 49ers can do is take the following steps…

    Step 1) The entire world is screaming for you to act. Ignore them (for now). Assure the public that important issues take more time to investigate then trivial ones. Domestic Violence is a very important issue.

    Step 2) Collect as many facts as possible, from as many parties as possible.

    Step 3) Take decisive action.

    Step 4) If you are still unsure what to do, continue step 2.

    – Do not to put step 3 ahead of step 2 no matter how angry people are.

    – “Important” is not always “urgent.” The urgent time the night of the party. Now is time for the important (but no longer urgent) personnel decisions. It should not be made in haste.

    The sticky part… benching Ray McDonald, and playing Ray McDonald, are both actions. From a personnel standpoint, benching is more of an action.

    If the facts so far lean (heavily) toward Ray being innocent, keep playing him. Don’t stop gathering facts.

    If it turns out he was guilty, he can be fired at that time.

  12. I love how everyone wants to Hang McDonald just because Ray rice knocked his girlfriend out. This is a completely different case and he hasn’t been charged with anything yet. Any normal person knows that most woman are crazy to begin with and at two in the morning she was probably drunk and decided to throw a fit about something stupid and attacked him and instead of just getting beat on by the crazy broad he grabbed her arms to stop her from hitting him. She obviously didn’t like that and called the cops and threw an even bigger fit, they show up and they have to arrest him because the accuser is a woman and wanted him arrested and by law they have to arrest him. Reports say Half the team was at the party, maybe they made pleas to the 49ers and told them the true story and that Ray was completely innocent and don’t rush to judgement. Maybe the cops are having a hard time finding ways to press charges because Ray was actually the victim.

    1. Uh. No. I seem to be the only person in this discussion who has even said anything but “f*$#ck Steve Young” or something of that level, and I’m not at all saying “hang Ray McDonald.” I’m saying, be smart. In fact, I’ve said that, if the 49ers have evidence that exonerates McDonald (or are convinced he will be exonerated), then what they’ve done, despite the vitriol, is fair. However, I have questions as to if they do have that info. To me, it seems like they are either trusting Ray implicitly or they are using the ambiguity of the current state of the investigation to allow them to play him. I could be wrong there, but I feel if they truly felt he was completely innocent, they’d be far more firm in their statements than they have been.

      Sitting Ray for a couple games while this is figured out would be akin to sitting Culliver a couple games if he still has concussion symptoms. It’s taking a precuation. It’s being smart and waiting until the player is cleared.

      1. Sitting Ray for a couple games while this is figured out would be akin to sitting Culliver a couple games if he still has concussion symptoms.

        Yes, in the same way that a crate of apples is akin to a crate of oranges.

    2. “Any normal person knows that most woman are crazy to begin with and at two in the morning she was probably drunk and decided to throw a fit about something stupid and attacked him and instead of just getting beat on by the crazy broad he grabbed her arms to stop her from hitting him.”

      Really?? All women are bat-$hit crazy and we should blame the “drunk broad” who happens to be pregnant? Nice. What else – were you thinking he must have grabbed her neck by mistake before getting to her arms.

      Personally, I agree that a “suspension pending investigation” is not out of the normal for a large corporation – especially one that is getting this much media attention. It’s something my company would do without hesitation. It doesn’t make him guilty, nor does it accuse him of being guilty, but it gives the team time to gather facts and determine the best course of action for the team.

      I realize I’m in the minority here about imposing a pre-emptive suspension and agree that there needs to be due process before vilifying McDonald or assuming his guilt. I just think better safe than sorry.

      For those of you who want to let him play, let me ask you this – would you think any differently about this if the supposed victim was your pregnant sister or daughter?

      1. Better safe than sorry? I think what’s happening here is people are giving credibility to reacting to 20/20 hindsight. In other words, you’re validating the idea that, IF Ray is found guilty, the 49ers should be held liable for not being able to predict the future.

        While it’s true that many in the public would most definitely criticize them for not being psychic after the fact, that doesn’t mean they should play into it.

      2. “Would you think any differently about this if the supposed victim was your pregnant sister or daughter?”

        A fair question, and yes, if it was my sister or daughter and they told me they had been a victim of domestic violence I would believe them and want to see the offender punished.

        But a question for you – would you think any differently about this if the supposed offender was your brother or son and they said it wasn’t what it seemed?

        1. Fair enough, Scooter – If I saw bruises on my prego sister-in-law or daughter-in-law first I would have to question the integrity of my brother or son. If there was no evidence of a physical assault, then I would be more inclined to question her side of the story.

      3. If it was my sister, I’d take it with a grain of salt. Not only has my sister thrown out domestic violence accusations before. But she’s also thrown out sexual accusations at people. And every time so far, she has done it to get the upper hand. So in other words, she was full of sh@+. So if my sister can do it, and she seems 100% normal to anyone who doesn’t know her, then any one can do it. And I know plenty of women who have done these things to spite their exs.

      4. If this victim was my sister or daughter, I would be more worried about getting her to leave him and him getting counseling.

        Getting her to leave gets her out of immediate danger. Getting him counseling hopefully gets him back on track. I would not want to cripple the man for life in the public eye because he is still the father of her child. He still has to go out and earn a living.
        IF he beat her, then the focus should be on women getting stronger, getting a voice and LEAVING. The NFL is a business and should NOT get involved if there is not an arrest. The NFL is not judge and jury.

  13. When has Steve Young worked in a normal workplace environment? Yeah, he’s got a law degree, but where has he worked? USFL. NFL.
    Network TV. What experience does he have with HR policies as an employee or manager or employer? Zilch.
    Sitting McDonald with pay preserves his income but is a method of public shaming that is, until confirmation, without merit. The employer is saying that he’s not fit to work, without knowing if that’s true,or not.
    I like Steve as the player he was and as the locker room guy he was. I’m fine with him as a TV analyst; he’s thoughtful and very well spoken, but not infrequently wrong. Remember how it was a “lock” that Hasselbeck was coming to the Niners?
    A lock.
    Not withstanding his law degree, I don’t think he has a clue about modern day Human Resources policies and practices. “Any big company..blah, blah, blah”. Nonsense. Not one company I ever worked for would suspend for an unconvicted charge for fear of litigation by the exonerated employee.

    1. Public shaming? You’ve got to be kidding. First off, do you see how vilified McDonald has been while playing? The public sentiment towards him is not exactly favorable, and that’s because he was arrested after his fiancee called 911, not because anything the 49ers have done. Sitting him, in fact, would simply quiet those people. I doubt that the die-hard fans would feel any less friendly towards him, and, if he’s exonerated, that ‘shaming’ as you call it would end rather quickly.

      Second, how shameful is it for Tank Carradine to be inactive? Or Quinton Dial? Or the other five players on the roster who didn’t get to suit up? Being inactive is not a judgment, per se. It’s a precaution. Player has a concussion, they sit out.. as a precuation.. until they are cleared to play. This would be the same type of thing, except, instead of a head trauma, it’s a criminal investigation.

      Sitting a player does not equal conviction. That’s the ridiculous assumption you’re making, however.

      1. Kommon
        You’re obviously on a mission and hope to overwhelm all arguements with your verbosity. We get your opinion. We here don’t even know you and you’re sucking up all the oxygen on the blog.
        Oh, by the way. I disagree. And I disagree with your next nine posts too, but go ahead, have at it.

          1. Kommon Senze,

            Firstly, do you know that “Common Sense” is spelled “Common Sense”? At first, I thought that “Kommon Senze” was an, um, clever screen name, but after reading your comments…

            Secondly, there is a huge difference between putting McD on the inactive list and putting Carradine on the inactive list. One is, and has been, a starting player, while the other is a second year player who has never played a single down in the NFL. One has been arrested, yet still not charged with domestic violence and the other is coming off knee surgery.

            Hmm, let’s see, would either one feel differently about not being on the active roster? YES!

            Would the team feel differently? YES!

            If, and I realize it’s a big if, McD is exonerated, would he and many of his teammates ever forgive the organization for not supporting him, before all the facts are in? NO, a thousand times, NO!

            There will be plenty of time to punish McDonald once all of the facts are known, if he’s guilty.

      2. Guys that don’t suit up aren’t suiting up due to performance or medical issues. To sit McDonald would have nothing to do with either of those reasons – it would be because of his legal issues. To sit him can only be seen as a form of punishment, intentional or not, as if not for his legal issues he would suit up.

        If they sat him they may not intentionally be shaming him, or passing judgement on him, but they are implicitly saying that regardless of whether he is guilty or not, the accusation is worthy of being punished. That is a dangerous road to go down. What happens next time someone gets accused of something, regardless of how true it is or not? Do they always have to punish players whenever there is an accusation against them?

        1. Yes and I nominate Jay Cutler to be accused of beating his 16 year old neighbor today so he can sit for a good long time starting immediately.

          Hey we must preempt this kind of thing by sitting that man

          1. It’s a pretty lame attempt at humor. There isn’t anything funny about someone being falsely accused and there certainly isn’t anything funny about a child being victimized.

  14. Don’t players have incentives written into their contracts? If McDonald were suspended pending investigation that could affect the clauses in his contract. That’s why the union guys don’t want the players suspended on whim.

    I really hate this sanctimonious posturing by the media. ESPN has Ray Lewis on staff and NBC had Marv Albert back after some pretty incriminating acts.

    We should wait and let the facts dictate the actions. Not some lynch mob.

    1. I don’t know that there is an easy answer here. If you inactivate him and he turns out totally innocent, then you judged someone prematurely and perhaps cost him some money with incentives. He forever will be labelled as someone who got “suspended for domestic violence” even though he was not guilty. Some of you guys saying you know he did it should review the stories of guys being in jail for years, only to be finally exonerated when definite DNA evidence became available. If you don’t suspend him then TV commentators will fill their empty time with long segments on how you didn’t do the right thing. Really a no-win for the team.

  15. No one that I know of has a time line for what went on at the party. I know that on my body bruises take a significant amount of time to show up. Then they get worse over the first three or four days before starting to recede.

    It would also be interested if the neck bruises are more consistent with chocking or with restraint.

    There is so little information available, but I thought I read that McDonald’s fiance refused medical treatment. Also, I don’t recall any information about her making a formal statement to the police. The police report that I read just said the officers “observed” bruising on her arms and neck.

    As for Steve Young, he seems to have a strange idea about what constitutes “most of the rest of the world” and how our giant corporations behave in “most” of those areas.

  16. I love Steve Young, but he’s 100% wrong on this! Punishing Ray is wrong and it sets a bad precedent to suspend a player in any manner without proof of guilt. There are only 4 reasons that a player should miss playing time 1) Injury/illness, 2) Personal Reasons, 3) Violation of league or team rules. Each of these requires proof and a certain level of patience and privacy.

    I get that everyone in society wants some kind of “revenge justice” (which by the way is simply revenge and NOT justice), but this kind of “punish-him-now-just–in-case” mentality is anti-American. It’s exactly the kind of thing that is ruining our legal system. That’s why people are now suing the legal system after wasting years of their life in prison after being wrongfully punished.

    Now this “horse” has been dead for a while now since no new information has come out. Until some new and damning information comes out against McDonald to resuscitate this thing, let it RIP. My last comments on it.

  17. I agree with the principal of due process, but as I mentioned last week sitting McDonald while all facts are in should not be construed as a semblance of guilt or a conviction.

    McDonald retains all the privileges of a paid employee sans playing.
    I was not in favor of the 49ers playing Aldon after his DUI and subsequent accident last year because there were tangible facts surrounding the incident.

    I suppose the organization is waiting for the final police investigation to be completed before making a conclusive decision.
    But this case needs closure whether it favors McDonald or not.

    1. I agree with the principal of due process, but as I mentioned last week sitting McDonald while all facts are in should not be construed as a semblance of guilt or a conviction.

      The problem is that the media will spin it that way and those that believe the media is the Gospel will swallow it hook line and sinker AES.

      1. MWN,

        The problem is that’s exactly how it would be construed by McD and his teammates (many, most, all?).

    1. Mid,
      The 49ers missed a great opportunity to install a precedent that I believe could have been adopted by the rest of the league and that is to essentially put a player on administrative leave until all the facts are in.
      There is no presumption of guilt or punishment in doing this. This protects all parties involved.

      The Ray Rice incident is going to explode in Goodell face if its found that the league and the Ravens knew of the TMZ video and only handed Rice a two game suspension.
      If this turns out to be the case, it would have been wise in hindsight for the Ravens to put Rice on administrative leave.

      1. AES; That video makes an administrative leave unnecessary. It is evidence enough. What more could be added. I believe they saw the video or if by chance they didn’t see it they should have made an effort in order to remove doubt and make a proper ruling. All this shows is that Goodell is a incompetent *ss. He has shown this constantly through his inconsistent interpretation and enforcement of league rules. I also suspect that that inconsistency is a reflection of the favoritism the league shows to certain teams and players. Either way someone who needs public opinion to dictate ethical actions to them is not suited for the position that Goodell now holds.

    2. MID,
      Who is saying that McDonald is guilty? Why are people getting confused with sitting McDonald until the facts are in is a verdict of guilt?

      I brought up the idea when the story first surfaced that the team should sit RayMac out until (like an administrative leave) there is enough evidence to conclude one way or another in the case. He would be paid and still be on the team – verses dismissing him after the initial reports which would have been a clear violation of his constitutional right of due process.

      Sitting him does not violate his constitutional rights if he is still on the team payroll. That is what is being missed or dismissed by many who want him to play.

  18. I’m sorry, but the NFL and Grant can’t take the word either half of a probably drunk couple as to what happened. There has to be time for the two sides to cool off, the authorities to investigate and get to the facts.

    Of course, if there hadn’t been video, Ray Rice would be sitting fat/happy right now and in most cases, there isn’t a video of the incident (but there may be other witnesses, other physical evidence, with who called 911, etc).

    None of us know what happened with McDonald – but what we didn’t hear can also be taken into account. I haven’t seen any reports of McDonald acting like an idiot, being stupid, refusing police instructions, being belligerent, etc (Alex, for $500, things that Aldon Smith does at LAX).

    So yes, theoretically, there could be an instance where McDonald may have actually caused bruising to his fiance’ and not in a bad or illegal way. I’ve been there. I had a GF who was drunk, acting bat sh!t crazy, went bonkers and wanted to drive away – she had to be restrained and it did cause some bruising to her arms and legs. We went to the ground and wrestled until I could pry the keys from her hands. Once I got her keys, she was free to walk where ever she wanted or I’d call a cab or let anyone else (sober) drive her where ever she wanted to go. Was that assault or protecting a drunk person from injuring themselves and possibly others? Fortunately for me, while there were several witnesses – no one called the cops and a mutual sober friend drove her home to sleep off the Tequilla. Ok, if McDonald’s fiance’ had neck bruises – that’s a little harder to explain but you get my drift here – we don’t know the full story and there’s no way that an employer or Steve Young should empower themselves as judge/jury pro-temp.

      1. As compared to the assumption that no pregnant women drink?

        Or are you pointing out that pregnant women and their hormones make them equally as unstable as being drunk? (just a joke)

      2. Unfortunately there is a sad percentage of women that drink, smoke, and even do drugs when they are pregnant 49erGirl. I’m not say that McDonald’s fiancee did any of that, just that there are women out there who do.

      3. Watch drugs inc. Boston
        There you will see a fine citizen 7 months prego with a heroin needle in her arm, a cigarette in her mouth right after getting her dope money from a john. Almost every girl that has talked about this issue has him guilty right off the bat. Same thing with the ck “rape” case.

    1. jsrider,
      I agree in part with your scenario.
      But if something to that effect would have taken place in the McDonald case, don’t you believe that at least one of the 50+ people at the party would have stepped forward to corroborate such a story?

      To many unanswered questions have made this whole issue a focal point to the season thus far and that is why I would have sat McDonald out.
      As I mentioned earlier, this case needs to be resolved sooner than later for the team and all parties involved to move forward.
      Until it does, there is a big elephant in the room that can’t be ignored no matter how hard we try avoid it.

      1. Hi AES,

        I don’t know if others at the party necessarily would’ve known. Maybe McDonald caught her sneaking out for a cigarette, sneaking a drink, taking medication or recreational drugs that she shouldn’t be consuming … they took it outside for a private conversation and it escalated. This is pure hypothetical because I don’t know what happened. I don’t think you do and I doubt Steve Young has more insight than 49er management.

        I understand your perspective as well as Steve Young’s. The problem I have is that these cases can take a LONG time to clear up. I hate to bring up examples because I’m sure they are not representative of McDonald or his fiance’. Duke lacrosse team – how long did it take to clear that up? What if it is a year – would both you and SY would have McDonald inactive or suspended with pay until then? Unlike SY’s reference to the corporate world – our careers are usually not measured in a decade or less.

        It is a very difficult decision for the 49ers but I think the Raven’s really blew it. There was never any question about whether or not Ray Rice knocked her out. In seeing the video – what did they expect? He did realize she was behind him and he accidentally caught her with an elbow? She threw her head forward as he was reaching for the elevator button and she put her head in the way of his fist? There was no reason to expect anything less than RR hitting her hard enough to knock her unconscious for ~ 30 seconds.

        We don’t have that with McDonald. I’m sure he gave his story to 49ers management and he may well be misleading them, just as RR did, to save his own a$$. I just find it hard for us, SY or others on the outside looking in to make this decision for the 49ers. Much harder than RR’s case because he admitted to knocking her out and the criminal punishment shouldn’t have had any bearing on the NFL punishment. As was the case with Aldon Smith, relatively light criminal punishment but the NFL hit him with 9 games suspension … the dude in Dallas killed a teammate while DUI and only got a 10 game suspension.

        While a part of me says it’s a long shot – the only justification McDonald could have for physically putting his hands on her and possibly injuring her is if he was doing it for her own safety or the safety of the child. Without knowing his side of the story – I’ll defer to those that do and let the story play out.

  19. leaving aside the question of why it took a video
    (instead of a village) to cope with an NFL player
    named Ray McDonald who is charged with domestic abuse
    of a pregnant woman….here is a message for Niner
    Head Coach Jim Harbaw:

    … now your big brother has two things you do not:
    a Super Bowl ring + some integrity when dealing with
    “misguided” and emotionally out of control athletes.

    1. + some integrity when dealing with
      “misguided” and emotionally out of control athletes.

      Are you a @$#/ing idiot?! Rice is out because the video clearly shows that he lied to the Ravens organization. If he hadn’t, then there’s a strong chance that Rice would still have a job. Where the the @$#/ would’ve the the integrity been then? This is a new level of stupid even for you!

    2. It took a video being released to public before he released the player. If that video was never leaked Ray Rice would still be a Raven. Come on your smarter than this. Everybody knew that Rice hit his girlfriend unconscious and he was still on the team.

  20. Love ya Mr Young…. But you’re wrong on this one. He speaks for the nfl and of course he’s going to do what he’s told and bring up the so called moral thing to do to protect the shield. So much propaganda on this story it’s actually degrating to the women who do get abused. Goddell screwed up and now it’s a firestorm and the ACCUSED has to be punished. I really wonder if any of these holier than thou ex players were still playing and was accused of this would like being benched while it goes to court. I’d bet my money they wouldn’t and would be screaming for due process. I just hope the 49ers don’t crack to this tabloid crap that is the nfl now.

  21. I love Steve Young, but he is wrong, anyone can lay an accusation on another and get arrested. The key word here is being charged with assult. Which correct if I am wrong, has Ray been charged. I believe not. When you do things, a person’s can be forever scared. Look at how many people said $hit about Kaep, turns out the person was a lunatic, people accused him about doing drugs just cause she said they were doing some toking and people believed her.

    Here is the thing, betters want to change the game? Get someone to accuse a player of a crime, so that he is taken out of the game becuae of what steve and some people here are saying. Steve is talking about the image of the game, what about a person’s image? Oh that’s okay, his image is insignificant compared to the NFL, even if he is innocent.

    I tell you what Steve somebody accuses me and I am innocent, I am suing that person’s butt, the police, the DA, etc, you think an apology is enough? Hell, I’d sue steve, for telling prejudicing people that I am guilty just cause of someone accuses me, most people however can’t afford it though (lawyers), that is when the system tramples on people’s rights.

  22. So what if a woman you are having a verbal argument with in your kitchen and loses it picking up a up a knife out of the set on the counter and comes at you; is it ok to knock her out then? What if she drunk and driving out of her mind and wont stop the car so you can drive; can you twist her arm and choke her a bit to make her slow down and stop before you both die in a high speed crash? What if you girlfriend is an athlete, and a big one and gets pissed at you for something, then blind sides you and tries to follow up with any avaible environmental weapon, ok to knock her out or restrain her with whatever force that requires?

    This whole BS most of you are spewing is total BS, what a buch of kitties..

  23. 49erGirl ..

    While I understand your position on the Ray McDonald
    incident .. I’ll have to slightly
    disagree …

    Pregnant women can be a handful at times ..
    (been through this kind of thing three times) ..
    When the wife was in that tender condition .. there were times
    she had to call the Serramonte Pacific Stereo store .. to
    tell me to come back home ..
    All because sometimes … she’d go a little nuts..
    and the stereo store was my place of refuge ..

    just sayin’

    1. Having been one a couple times, I know that hormones make us do strange things and we aren’t always reasonable in that delicate condition (OK, that happens when we aren’t prego, too).

      But did you ever feel it necessary put your hands around your wife’s neck at any point in her pregnancy -or any other time? Staying away, drinking a little too much, hitting walls, yelling, etc. are all OK options that even the best of men choose to do when at the mercy of a woman’s “imbalances”. :-)

      Just like when we are uber pissed off at the seat being left up for the umpteenth time, most of us don’t start throwing punches, or run to the knife drawer or gun safe…there are other ways to handle the frustration/anger that don’t involve an act of physical aggression.

      Most of us are somewhat normal…most of us haven’t been arrested for felony domestic abuse because we don’t put ourselves in a position where we could be accused of it.

      1. My last post on this subject, for whatever reason I feel the need to put this out there – my apologies if I offend anyone.

        Ask yourself this question – would you have a different stance if McDonald was a Seahawk?

        Here’s my woman’s perspective and my best stab at what could have happened and what might happen going forward. BTW, know you are dealing with a former victim of abuse here, so I’m keenly aware that my feelings about this are pretty strong, very biased, and not likely to change.

        Unfortunately when these types of situations happen, more often than not the abused person drops the charges and rescinds the accusations and no charges are ever filed. The reasons are usually emotionally charged (but I love him, it’ll never happen again, he’s not like that, he’s really a good guy, I can’t afford to live on my own, what about my kids/baby – they need a father, etc.) It’s all part of a vicious cycle – and a much more common scenario than some crazy drug-addicted / whacked out pregnant female hurling false accusations at an innocent man.

        If this is truly a case of domestic violence and McDonald is brought up on charges SHE will feel responsible for sending him to jail and ruining his career. Even though she may have been the one victimized, she will feel guilty – it’s what abused women do – feel guilty about their situation and responsible for the impact they have on the abuser’s life. She will also have to consider the loss of income and how it will affect the father of her unborn child should McDonald be forced out of the NFL. Makes the decision to prosecute more difficult than you could ever imagine.

        Sadly, if she decides to say nothing, this will get swept under the rug just like it had with the Ray Rice incident….until there was indisputable video evidence proving otherwise. (I’m sure his explanation was that his fiance’s bruises were from her falling in the elevator – she was drunk and attacked him – he had to defend himself against her and didn’t mean to push her so hard. He was a stand-up guy and totally innocent until proven guilty?)

        The facts that we know are that McDonald was arrested on felony domestic abuse charges, and the alleged victim was a pregnant woman who was visibly bruised from some type of altercation. We also know that he was previously arrested for felony DUI. Furthermore – can anyone give me a good reason for an NFL defensive lineman to put his hands around a pregnant woman’s neck? Restraining her arms, maybe…but her neck??

        For the record, yes, I believe he’s guilty and yes I’m fully aware that I’m jumping to conclusions without having all the facts and should presume he’s innocent until proven otherwise. However, past experience and my gut tells me where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Honestly, if I was asked to be on the jury I would stand up and tell the judge that I was incapable of being impartial regardless of what the law states.

        Past examples of how this is handled in the NFL (and most other major sporting leagues) also tell me that no charges will be filed and that he will continue to play as if nothing ever happened – no matter if he’s guilty or not and they will run with the excuse of “he was never convicted”.

        Sorry for the rant..I’ll leave it alone now – you know where I stand :-)

        1. 49ergirl,

          First off it’s nice to have you back. Secondly, I’m sorry you had to experience this first hand.

          I respect your opinion on this, but having seen examples of things not always being what they appear in my own personal history, I think the team is proceeding correctly. They are not saying they support McDonald no matter what. They are saying we will support due process and the player until a factual investigation is completed. At that time if the investigation leads to charges against McDonald, they’ll likely suspend him and if the evidence clearly indicts him, he’ll probably be released. Sitting him with pay solves nothing. All it does is place questions in every players head about whether they will supported by the organization if they are ever in a bad situation. Whether anyone agrees or not, the team has to look out for the players best interests and make decisions to insure that they are treated fairly and feel the team has their back.

          Charges will be laid if they are warranted with or without McDonald’s fiancee’s blessing, so if McDonald is guilty, he’ll be prosecuted.

          1. Rocket – “…so if McDonald is guilty, he’ll be prosecuted.”

            Not necessarily. Refer to Ray Rice example – due process ran its course. He plead “not guilty” and was not prosecuted because they offered him a deal as a first time offender without forcing him to accept “guilt”. All of this was done with the DA having seen the video evidence of him knocking her out – they weren’t relying on a he-said/she-said situation.

            There’s no way McDonald ever makes it to the prosecution/conviction stage of this process – guilty or innocent. It’s just now how things work – especially when dealing with a celebrity or well known professional athlete.

            1. Oh I’m not saying he won’t have a good lawyer that may get him a deal, but he will pay the consequences with the team and like Rice his career will likely be over.

            2. Well then maybe there is a problem with the whole judicial system and its not an NFL problem, but a moral/law issue.

              In any event, maybe this is something Grant that we should park in the mean time and get back to football issues. I think its been played too much and as a football fan its clouding the best time of year and we should be talking about the Bears, not legal implications.

            3. It is erroneous to claim Rice was not prosecuted. He was, and for a serious offense at that. The prosecutor charged third degree assault, a felony which in NJ is punishable with prison term of 3 to 5 years. The decision to enroll him in a diversion program came at the court level – the prosecution had offered reduction to misdemeanor assault and a one-year probation, which Rice rejected.

              After rejecting the plea deal that would have included a conviction and one year probation, Rice asked the court for enrollment in a diversion program. The court agreed, and if he completes the program successfully, the court will dismiss charges. This is common practice in modern problem solving courts with regard to first time offenders. The prosecutor does not have to agree, nor does the court review all the evidence.

              But, often the court will listen if the prosecutor provides information (possibly including description of evidence that would be brought) that indicates the suspect is not a good candidate for diversion. My curiosity focusses on to what extent the prosecutor may have objected to the diversion program for Rice.

              1. After a little bit more reading, I see that it is being reported that the prosecutor’s office signed off on the diversion program, which makes me even more curious. After bringing the case, increasing the charges to a felony, and moving forward to the point of offering a plea deal, it is odd the district attorney’s office, when the deal was rejected and the defendant evinced a willingness to go to trial, would sign off on the diversion when compelling evidence was available. I would understand it more if they undercharged or decided not to charge due to celebrity status of the accused, but to prosecute as a felony and then just give up is strange.

              2. Very nice read on legal ramifications (and lack thee of) regarding Ray Rice’s increased suspension and release bythe Ravens:

                http://www.si.com/nfl/2014/09/08/ray-rice-video-legal-fallout-roger-goodell-baltimore-ravens

                I mainly agree with the author except for a couple of points.First, he suggests that extending the suspension could be considered punishing for the same offense twice, whereas I disagree with this point as the original suspension had not run. If it had, I would have a different view. Second, the author mentions a possible antitrust issues with the new DV policy promulgated by the commissioner as it is unilaterally imposed, but I disagree. This would only be the case if the new policy was inconsistent with collectively bargained agreements, and it is not given the discretion the personal conduct policy allows.

        2. 49erGirl:

          Thank you for sharing your story and giving us a much needed perspective. I am sorry you had to go through what you went through and admire your courage in mentioning it here.

          I hope your comment will convince some of the what-are-you-gonna-do-when-a-crazy-chick-gets-drunk a**holes who have been posting on this topic to tone it down. Unfortunately, it’s the internet, and trolls are going to troll.

      2. “…..But did you ever feel it necessary put your hands around your wife’s neck at any point in her pregnancy -or any other time? …”

        To be honest … there were a couple times I was tempted ..
        but then .. that’s the reason I used to spend so much time
        at Pacific Stereo …

        Playing with the high-end equipment, there, did wonders for
        my disposition .. and .. I knew she would call .. after
        the “hormonal thing” ran its course …
        (and I was reasonably sure it was safe for me to go home)

        “….Staying away, drinking a little too much, hitting walls, yelling, etc. are all OK options that even the best of men choose to do when at the mercy of a woman’s “imbalances”. :-) …..”

        Well .. during those times she .. did most of the yelling ..
        and since I don’t drink … no worries there .. and as for hitting the
        walls … well… I’d be the one who would have had to do the patching..
        and since.. I’m lazy by nature … I never even thought of doing
        that, either …

        I musta done something right, cuz .. she’s put up with me for the
        last 44 years !

  24. Bears Center and Left Guard suffered what has been reported as high ankle sprains. Cutler better have 911 on speed dial….

  25. 18 years ago a friend of mine was accused of rape. He was immediately kicked out of school and fired from his job that he was using as his lone income to pay for his schooling. Turns out his ex-GF didn’t realize he was in another state the day she claimed the raped occurred. Yep he was reinstated by the school – and given his job back – 3 months later. At that point he was wrought with debt and couldn’t afford to go back. However, his face made it on the local news 3 days straight and in the paper – saying he was “accused” of rape. But when the accusations were proven false one 30 second blurb on one station cleared his name. Everybody else still remembers him as a rapist. It’s called due process for a reason – quit being ignorant to why we wait until facts are gathered.

    1. Since we have no idea why the police were called, we probably want to refrain from once again jumping to conclusions.

      Please tell me again; why are you here? You don’t seem particularly interested in the 49ers fan viewpoint (to the extent that there is a single viewpoint) and your comments have been trending towards the provocative (not in a good way). Are you trolling? Have you worn out your welcome on the Seahawks fan sites?

      1. That’s a pretty lame argument, Balls. Sooner or later 2+2 does equal 4. So two disturbances at McDonald’s house within a year involving the police. That’s why he was charged with domestic violence, second offense. And don’t forget the poster on BR who has a friend who was beat up by McDonald and said it was “just a matter of time.”

        Wow, you saw that video on the dog being kicked and choked and employed everyone to become an activist and I was a supporter of your cause. Little did I know that women were lower on your list than dogs. Shame on you!

        This is a very defining moment for Harbaugh and the 49ers.

        1. Mary,
          go litter your own sites with this garbage. The process is playing itself out. In the mean time, you are trolling.

          1. I’m not trolling and you know it! if Harbaugh wanted the truth from McDonald, he’d have both of those police reports yesterday. Thing is everyone including the NFL is hoping girlfriend drops the charges on 9/15, and as I said earlier she probably will — doesn’t mean it didn’t happen and she could be dead in a year.

            1. Mary –

              There’s no way you can be taken seriously when one of your sources is an unknown commenter on an untrusted site that is the bleacher report. You lose all credibility instantly.

              Let me guess….you’ve heard they can’t put it on the internet if it isn’t true.

              1. Leo, I didn’t say the BR comment was the truth. I can’t verify it. BUT add that to the two police reports for disturbances at the McDonald household within 4 months and a charge for domestic violence and a hearing on 9/15? My god, you don’t have to be a brain surgeon to come to reasonable conclusions.

              2. There’s no way a random, unknown, comment should even be in this conversation. It makes absolutely no sense to add it to anything. It kills your argument.

            2. if Harbaugh wanted the truth from McDonald, he’d have both of those police reports yesterday.

              Let’s count the assumptions.

              1. McDonald has access to the reports even though he has not yet been charged with anything.
              2. Assuming he has access, McDonald hasn’t already turned them over to the 49ers.
              3. Assuming that McDonald has access to the reports and has turned them over to the 49ers, Harbaugh is the person who would review them.

              1. Also, I’m pretty sure those police reports are directed to the DA’s office, not the suspect’s employer.

            3. Mary you need to stop with the assumptions and look at this from the viewpoint we actually have.

              Police getting called happens quite often, and most of the time it happens when arguments get out of control. The first call you are referring too didn’t result in an arrest so I’m not sure how you think that furthers the narrative that McDonald is a violent wife beater. If he had been arrested at that time, sure I can see the link, but he wasn’t so how does that paint him badly in regards to this incident? His relationship with his fiancee appears to be volatile, but that doesn’t mean he’s guilty.

              There is a simple reason why rational people look at this and preach patience: you need factual information to make an educated decision. Right now we have you, Grant and writers like Tim Kawakami calling for the team to sit Ray McDonald based on the fact you feel it’s somehow the right and morally correct thing to do. Meanwhile none of you have any pertinent information to form that opinion other than the fact a man was arrested because the police were called and bruising was observed on his pregnant fiance. Meanwhile the team has McDonald’s side of the story, whatever the police have told McDonald and may have even talked to his fiancee and got her side of it. In other words, they are coming from a much more informed point of view than any of you are and are acting accordingly.

              There is absolutely nothing to be gained in the court of public opinion by sitting McDonald with pay, and in fact you alienate the player and his teammates who look at the move as a form of punishment and an indication the team believes he’s guilty. He is either guilty or he’s not and there is no gray area here. He will continue on as a member of the team in good standing, or he will be released.

              I doubt there is a 49er fan on this site that will not support Ray McDonald being released if evidence is found to show he is guilty. I doubt there will be any uproar if he’s charged and the team decides to take the route of suspending him with pay. The fact is people like you and the writers mentioned want action without information and that is a bad precedent the team won’t set. They will let the investigation dictate what their actions are going forward and that is how it should be.

              1. The best article I’ve read on this, other than my own, was from Matt Barrows last week.

                The 49ers have a real problem with their players and alcohol. It has been involved with very issue that in which police have been called into.

              2. Yeah I agree Jack. Alcohol always seems to be at the route of most of the off field issues this team has and others around the league have for that matter. That’s one of the reasons why I applauded the team for helping Smith get into rehab instead of just punishing him. They made a mistake in letting him play in the game and I’m pretty sure they would admit that if forced to tell the truth, but ultimately the right action was taken by getting him help and focusing on that instead of football.

              3. Well Rocket – I’ve got two police reports within a 4-month period and one is definitely for domestic violence with bruising on the neck and wrists and an arrest to back up my logic.

                What have you got to back up your assertions??? Wishful thinking and prayers appears.

                +5 Mary

              4. No Mary, you have reports from the media about an arrest. You have no detailed information; only assumptions and preconceived bias.

                I choose to wait until pertinent information is gathered and an educated decision can be made.

              5. Marty:

                Definition of Logic:

                Sensible argument and thought: sensible rational thought and argument rather than ideas that are influenced by emotion or whim.

                *Notice the absence of assumption in this definition.

              6. Mary

                I’ve got two police reports within a 4-month period and one is definitely for domestic violence with bruising on the neck and wrists and an arrest to back up my logic.

                You have no idea what the call in May was about. As Jack noted, it was logged under a catch-all number, not under the DV number. As for more recent call, nothing in the materials that the police have made available concludes that McDonald caused the bruising.

                As for your challenge to rocket, you’ll note that he has hasn’t made any assertions about what happened that night, other than to mention the facts reported in the synopsis released by the San Jose police department. Unlike you, he hasn’t engaged in speculation and is responsibly delaying judgment until he has the relevant facts.

                + 5 rocket
                -10 Mary

        2. Little did I know that women were lower on your list than dogs. Shame on you!

          If that’s what you took from my comment, then I don’t see how we can ever have a conversation.

          Yes, I saw the video of the Centerplate CEO kicking and choking the dog, and that’s what differentiates it from the McDonald incident (not the woman < dog b/s you are trying to spin). There was a video showing the abuse.

          With regard to Ray McDonald, however, we have no information from which we can make an informed decision about whether or not Ray McDonald was physically abusive towards his fiancee. All we know at this time is that the police were called to his house in late August, they observed bruises on his fiancee's neck and arms, and they arrested McDonald. Those are the only facts we know. Everything else that you, kommon senze and others have presented as "facts" are nothing more than assumptions on your part. Assumptions are not facts and should not form the basis for punitive action.

          Just because I don't want to lynch someone without some evidence that he did what he has been accused of doing doesn't mean that women are lower than dogs in my eyes. Shame on you for deliberately misreading my comment and suggesting otherwise.

          1. Guys, I made my points. Let’s pick it up tomorrow when I’m less emotional, illogical and whimsical.

      2. Barrows reported about that May 25 call as well. His report showed the police call to be a catch-all. It could have been for a variety of reasons.

        We all know what happens when you assume and Mary’s doing a good job of it here.

    2. Give a Seahawk fan an inch and they take a mile. This chick has no life to be on a 49er page every damn day. Just another Seahak fan est 2012!!!

        1. Yeah, but you have to take the bad with the good, and, when considered in his entirety as a player, Vernon is very, very good.

          1. No argument there Claude, however as a professional who should be looking to improve, one has to wonder why he continues to do it….

    1. I noticed he doesn’t do it when the pass has a touch on it, like in his second touchdown. So maybe it means he judges the ball is coming to him fast and a little high, and he’s concerned about it going through his fingers, so he jumps to get a slightly better angle? Just a guess.

  26. most of these domestic conflicts never make the news
    until… it is way, way, way too late.
    Meaning someone is dead.
    In the vast majority of cases, notwithstanding the
    presence of female MMA fighters in our world, …
    the dead body is that of the woman.
    In California, the perp in such instances is frequently
    a boyfriend or a husband….a family member of some sort.
    We may have forgotten the name of the NFL linebacker who
    committed suicide a few years ago, but we all remember what
    he did first: put a bullet in his ‘fiance’….Same league.Same problem.

    1. You should read up on the Wikipedia article on female to male domestic violence (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_violence_against_men). It is enlightening and it disputes a little of what you are stating.

      I think this issue is very complex, and like rape, is hard to prosecute and it is often one word vs. another. I had a buddy of mine accused of rape by a girl in college, which was totally bogus, and I had a friend (woman) who was in an abusive relationship. I am sensitive to both positions.

      What I am most concerned about is the moralizing by the media, in regards to the Ray Rice issue, which is sickening. Why did they not release the video prior to yesterday? What is the agenda here, because there is one. If they knew the contents weren’t they as complicit as the Ravens and the NFL in the cover up? The media act as if they have no guilt, when their hands are extremely soiled and the posturing is absolutely ridiculous.

      The NFL should take the lead on an issue like domestic violence, but there should also be a tempered response to these cases and not a rush to judgement, by anyone. That is dangerous for all of us.

      I really hope we can move on to football soon. Sigh….

  27. When Brock re-entered the football game, I’m guessing he had a steel plate inserted in his shoe to keep the toe immobilized. The mildest version of Turf Toe is two weeks, but for a cornerback, it’s a big issue that could linger. Thankfully they have Donatell and talent….

  28. Two weeks in a row I come to read about football, and instead I am reading TMZ type headline stuff.
    I go to NinerNation and the top five articles read:

    Week one in the NFL is a wrap
    49ers versus Cowboys: Likes and dislikes
    Golden Nuggests: Ist home games
    Eric Reid isn’t please with the penalties
    5 words to describe Niners vs Cowboys

    I for one just want to get back to football. The issue was addressed. Sad for all involved. Hopefully Ray Rice takes this moment to get some counseling and becomes a spokes person for spousal abuse.

    On to football.
    AT&T stadium was an awesome football experience. Great tailgates. All the surrounding sports bars had shuttles to drop you at the stadium if you chose to go that route.
    There are DJ’s with dance floors right outside the stadium. Sort of like a daytime nightclub. There is a stage with a band that played. ( New Orleans and Seattle both do this as well ) Jerry creates an experience. Too bad he didn’t invest half the time in creating a good football team.

    Inside the stadium it’s architecturally beautiful. Lots of video, girls dancing in cages, the giant screen. Sort of like the NFL meets Vegas. Gotta watch the replay of the game. Unfortunately with so much going on I didn’t get to see all the bad calls. I am interested in seeing how our d line played. Murry really did seem to chew us up for chunks at a time.

    Also wondering how we all feel about Hyde getting 50% of the reps at this point. Do any of us question him being the best back on the team at this point? No negative yardage runs that I remember…… I salivate a little just thinking about him running at Sherman just saying….

    1. I said Mr. Hyde would reinvigorate the read option for the 49ers, and that was just a toe dipper…..

        1. The combination of Kaepernick/Hyde is like a two headed Hydra from that pistol formation, along with shotgun too…..

    2. I think Ray Rice getting half of the carries is a brilliant idea. No need to run Gore into the ground. Hyde gets experience, Gore’s legs stay fresh, bc I’m sure once we start playing teams in the NFC both of those guys will become more valuable.

    3. Nice Bay…. I would like to go check out ATT sometime. Had a friend of mine that wen to the arizona game last year and said it was a nice place.
      By your discription it sounds like the Vegas strip. Lol
      Must have been comfortable to be with so many niner fans. Some friends that went told me cowboy fans were leaving at halftime. Lol
      I can’t wait to get my first crack at Levi on Sunday. It will be the first new stadium I’ve been to since the staples center. Glad you had a blast.

  29. Seems to me the game plan against the Bears will be very similar to the Cowboys game plan. Cutler will not be as “rusty” as Romo, but he’s made out of aluminum. Forte is the difference. You can’t let him run and catch, which brings me to the question, will Fangio rotate the human wrecking ball Borland in on running downs, and Wilhoite in passing situations after looking at the tape?

    1. Our d-line was getting tossed around all game, I’m not sure how much help he could be. I would rather see Tank and Dial get a shot.

      1. The Bears offensive line is not in possession of three 1st Round draft picks like the Cowboys. Borland may provide an upgrade during running downs over Wilhoite. Better instincts….

  30. “Not happy with the pass rush…”
    “The 4 take aways cleaned up our (pass rush) mess…”

    Fangio on KNBR when asked about the pass rush. I’m inclined to agree.

    Will this mean activating Tank or Dial?

    1. He darn well better be. Why wouldn’t you activate your former 2nd round, fully recovered, beast d-lineman. It just doesn’t make sense. I’ve always like Dobbs, he’s got a great motor, but there’s no way he comes close to offering what Tank or Dial offer.

      1. It could be the usual preseason game optical illusion. A player shines against backups or makes splashy plays, but in practice isn’t the best when it comes to fundamentals. Fangio mentioned how Tank showed flashes but needed to be more disciplined… but Dial was said to have had great practices.

        I was toying the the idea of Fangio rotating pairs… with Dobbs/TJE one Sunday, Tank/Dail the following week. The Bears wouldn’t have any recent tape on Tank/Dail. It’s unlikely, but an interesting scenario.

        One thing is certain… the edge rush was lacking, and Tank was a college 4-3 DE. Tank on the edge in passing situations makes total sense.

    2. Fangio doesn’t play anybody who is isn’t sound on their role in the system. My guess is Carradine and Dial are not reliable to the level JE and Dobbs, are and will remain inactive until they gain his trust.

      While I wasn’t thrilled with the lack of consistent pressure and the rushing yards given up, we need to keep in mind that the Cowboys have one of the best Olines in the game. That is a tough group to deal with in their stadium. We’ll get a good indication of where the front 7 is this week at home against a pretty good offensive team.

      1. Yup. That Dallas line kicks. One of the finest in the league.

        A little ball security would make Dallas 8-8, even with the poor defense. Its tough when a franchise is bound to an inconsistent QB. Makes me appreciate Kaepernick’s team friendly contract structure.

      2. I agree Rocket, at least in most cases. But it doesn’t seem like he has a problem using certain inexperienced players as situational pass rusher. We’ve seen it in Aldon’s rookie year and Lynch on Sunday. It just seems like Tank could provide that edge rush we were lacking on Sunday. Maybe he’s saving them for later in the season, I don’t know.

        And I also agree about Cowboy’s O-line. That line is stacked from left to right. They’ve done a great job rebuilding it, too bad that can’t do that with their defense. We really don’t play many O-lines of that caliber this season. One good thing about the run D is that no huge plays were given up, so at least no ones completely blowing assignments.

        1. Good point Leo, but there is not a lot responsibility in being a situational pass rusher. Tank has to learn gap responsibility and containment along with his natural talent to rush the QB. He looked like he was getting there in preseason but he may not be at a level Fangio is comfortable with yet. There’s also the fact Dobbs is a key ST’s contributor to consider as well.

          1. Rocket-Leo you are right on the money about Fangio’s experience and gap discipline principle.

            His one exception is OLB in obvious pass situations. That was rookie Aldon Smith’s role in 2011. That was Lynch’s role Sunday. Though a DE, I think Tank would be fine in clear passing situations.

  31. I heard Ashon Jeffery hurt his hamstring. I only know that because he was on my fantasy team. This could be even better news for an ailing secondary.

  32. The 49ers have enough information to know exactly what happened and have obviously decided that McDonald did nothing wrong. Also McDonald is not the only one being punished here. This team is trying to win a championship, This is a game of inches and a close loss or two can have huge ramifications later in the season and impact how difficult it would be to accomplish the team goals. Difficulty means putting players at risk by needing to win games at the end of the season to accomplish team goals. If it turns out that McDonald is guilty then and only then would the 49er stance be wrong. McDonald will be found innocent. There simply were a lot of witnesses. I sure hope that all 49er players realize how their irresponsible actions can impact a season from here on out.

  33. Grant…. Are trying to be the Perez Hilton of football journalism? Where’s the football news? Do us a favor post up something team related if you’re going to post this tmz garbage. That way WE who want to hear about our team can choose to. C’mon man!

    1. It was my opinion the NFLPA would come down on the team like a ton of bricks had they done something unilaterally to a union member not charged with anything.

  34. Whelp!!! Here are some of my thoughts I’ve conjured up in my crazy head.

    Who’s with me in thinking that although ck looked good through his reads and accuracy it was expected because of the competition level? I really don’t think we will get a true test until week 3. I don’t know of arizona blitzes a lot normally or if it was the plan vs rivers. But if they do blitz that much it will be the true test for our o-line and ck. I’m intrigued to the point that I want them to go blitz heavy vs us to see where our qb is.

    On the Bears game. Someone else is thinking the same way I am (forgot who it is) but I don’t see our game plan offensively changing much from the Dallas one. The bears could be the second worse secondary in the league. What a break for us. I just hope our defense can ( romo) Cutler. He’s a spitting image of Romo. I’m a little worried about our defense. And the pass rush. Hopefully the amped up crowd will give our front a boost.

    1. With respect to the secondary, Jennings is a ball hawk and Kaepernick would do well to make sure he knows where he is anytime he goes to throw the football….

    2. MD,

      It isn’t really about the competition imo. The process of learning how to play the position is about the individual more than who they are facing across the LOS. Coming into this season Kap needed to improve as a pocket passer both in his progression reading and his ability move within the pocket, and he showed a measured improvement in both areas on Sunday.

      I’ll have to look it up to verify, but I believe Kap has been very good against the blitz for the most part. Where he struggles at times is when teams play zone and force him to move off his point in the pocket. His natural instinct is to run which plays directly into what that type of defense wants. That is why his willingness to stay in the pocket and climb the ladder instead of bailing completely, is so important in his development.

      1. Good read Rocket, but if it isn’t so much about the team across the LOS.. Then why does he struggle vs Seattle. I have to disagree and agree. I think the defense he is playing at the time disrupts his pocket passing like Seattle, I also agree it is on him. And the O-line. It is great that he looked good against the cowboys but I also remember him looking good last season vs a bad defense also. And struggled in the pocket vs the better defensive teams. The Bears have nobody who really scares the qb, so I’m at least hoping to see the same from him as last week. Arizona is one of the toughest defenses in re league and it will be hostile there. I would really like to measure (for my own security) his pocket presence and calmness in a tough game. I just can’t escape the turnovers vs Seattle in Seattle. That’s mine and other fans knock on him. It’s the toughest defense and venue to play in. Just want to have some hope come December vs our only true obsticle for #6

        1. MD,

          The crux of my point is that it’s on Kap to improve the areas he needed to, and it appears he’s done that. You are correct that he could regress when he faces a better defense, but for me it’s as much about seeing him do it as much as it is who he does it against, because if he can do it at all, then it’s only a matter of time until he can do it against everybody.

          Arizona will be a good test but then again he played pretty well against them in AZ last year. The defenses that gave him the most trouble last season were Carolina and Seattle imo. He did much better against the Panthers in the playoffs when he had Crabtree back to pair with Boldin. Seattle is the one team that he has yet to play well against, at least for 4 quarters. As we have seen in the SB and last Thursday, they seem to have that affect on most QB’s.

          The funny thing is, I think the way to beat Seattle is the way the Niners played the first 3 quarters of that game. The QB has to be able to scramble for first downs against that team and Kap did. Ultimately a fumble and two picks derailed them along with the defense allowing a TD on 4th down. After all that they still only lost by one score. They are close to being able to beat that team in Seattle. It’s all about not making the key mistakes that give them an opening.

          1. Exactly…. The team played very well last year. I’m putting that loss on ck and the turnovers. But I still think for us to beat them up there ck has to play in the pocket as well as outside of it. Gotta bring the whole arsenal up there, and the most important thing is run on them, and keep running on them. They are not the best running defense in the league. They make you one dimensional and that masks the run defense. With the weapons SF has in receiving and their right side being weak I can’t see them stopping SF if ck can make the throws from anywhere one the field. And doesn’t turn it over doing so.

  35. Football Season is September to February. A time when fans can view actual football play, develop conclusions based on what they saw, then use those observations to analyze how the team will play the following week.

    Football Season is fun.

    Speculation Season is March to August. There is much more guessing during speculation season. Since teams are secretive by policy, the guessing is often based on rumors… and few actual facts.

    Speculation Season is not nearly as much fun.

    The Ray McDonald arrest has extended Speculation Season well into September.

    In the absence of hard facts, (some of) the dialog during this extended Speculation Season leans towards what advertisers call “lizard brain.” The lizard brain is more affected by associations then facts. The constant Ray Rice = Ray McDonald juxtaposition has affected a frenzy on what to do about Ray McDonald.

    Until the facts are gathered, there is nothing to do about Ray McDonald.

  36. Any chance we can get a STFU on all the gossip? As the Brodster said, this should be the fun part of NFL football.

    Chicago might be tough, just sayin’…

  37. Kap has a problem throwing passes directly into defensive linemen and linebackers. Not enough air under the ball. But he looked great against the Stars…

  38. Steve Young just had a brain fart – which we’re all entitled to having once in a while.

    What he’s saying is to suspend Ray McDonald and use him a scapegoat for the all the other off field issues (i.e. Aldon Smith, Culiver, Brooks, etc) in order to clean up the public image of the organization. What kind of BS world is he living in?

    1. I agree Nick, but a lot of people live in that world, where image and what people think of you is THE most important thing.

  39. Hi there! This is kind of off topic but I need some help from an established blog.
    Is it tough to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal
    but I can figure things out pretty quick. I’m thinking about creating my own but I’m not sure where to start.
    Do you have any points or suggestions? Thank you

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