The 49ers-Seahawks rivalry got a lot of press this offseason, what with Taylor Mays publicly miffed over Pete Carroll’s decision to draft Texas safety Earl Thomas in the first round, and assistant coaches like Mike Solari and Jeff Ulbrich switching their allegiances.
But according to 49ers president Jed York, one aspect of the “feud” has been overplayed. York said at the State of the Franchise event last night that he bears no hard feelings toward Scot McCloughan, the former GM who mysteriously parted ways with the 49ers on March 18 and resurfaced in Seattle as senior personnel executive on June 22.
“I wish Scot the best, and I’ve said that,” York noted. “I care about Scot a lot. I consider Scot a friend. I wish him the best of luck, and I think he’s gonna do a good job. I know what a good talent evaluator he is, and I wish him the best.”
York added that it makes no difference that McCloughan chose Seattle for his new office space.
“The fact that Scot is working doesn’t surprise me,” York said. “Coming from Seattle, I think it makes sense for him. He knows a lot of the people there. Whether he’s scouting against us or not scouting against us, that doesn’t bother me.”
Really, York is right. When you show someone the door, you can’t exactly expect him to show you charity after he moves on. And McCloughan’s ties to Seattle were strong. He spent five years there before coming to the 49ers, rising to the position of director of college scouting, and he and Seahawks GM John Schneider broke into the NFL together in the early 1990s.
Oh, well. At least Taylor Mays still has that chip on his shoulder.
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