In praise of Stephen Curry the man

Posted By on May 15, 2019

Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, left, lays up a shot past Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard during the first half of Game 1 of the NBA basketball playoffs Western Conference finals Tuesday, May 14, 2019, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Stephen Curry is normal.

Normal is the highest praise you can give a professional athlete. Normal is hard to find in the NBA.

Greatness is not. Greatness is easy to spot. We know how great Curry is. But his on-court dominance isn’t the only thing that makes him unique in his world. Other players take over games — you know who they are. Very few act like Curry.

Normal.

After practice, Curry sits on a stool next to the court as dozens of media members cluster around him. He never puts himself above anyone, literally and figuratively. He carries himself like a maitre d’ at Chez Panisse who kneels next to you out of respect when he takes your drink order.

Curry answers questions until reporters run out of them. His press conferences typically last longer than 10 minutes. And he answers all types of questions — good ones, bad ones, pointed ones, softball ones, informed ones, insane ones — and he answers with the same level of generosity and thoughtfulness every time.

He looks you in the eye, thinks before he responds and takes pride in his answers. Never seems stingy or rude. Never takes a tough question personally. Never acts like a celebrity. He acts like your favorite neighbor who’ll lend you the electric drill in a heartbeat.

Curry should not be this normal. He grew up the wealthy son of a former NBA player, Dell Curry. Steph had every advantage as a child. You and I cannot relate to his upbringing, and neither can most of his millionaire teammates who grew up poor or working class. And yet, Curry is the most down-to-earth star in American sports.

Click here to read the rest of my column.

This article has 182 Comments

  1. You know why Steph is the man he is? His mother. She raised him right.
    .
    First game of one season, Steph was not allowed to play. Why? Because he did not do his chores. From then on, Steph did his chores.
    .
    Doing an interview, and being a total professional, is just another chore for Steph.

    1. Yeah his dad has nothing to do with his upbringing.
      With more than half of the black population living without fathers in their homes it doesn’t do the problem any justice when people like you ignore the importance of BOTH parents playing an active roll in their child’s life.
      Way to go Seb. Two days in a row you have put your foot in your mouth.

      I usually ignore your banter, but the last two days you’ve gone above and beyond ignorant.
      Smh

      1. MD, I was just relating what Sonya Curry said in her interview. She was the one who kept Steph from playing, and she fully admits she was strict with her kids. She also ran a school and they went with her every school day, so she was the one who mainly cared and helped teach them during the school day. She was proud of that, and said it was hard juggling work and taking care of her kids.
        .
        However, this also did not mean that Del Curry was totally absent. Where in the world did you derive the thinking that Sonya was a single mother? Del did actively participate in helping raise their children, so maybe you should not jump to conclusions that I was denigrating his role in the family. I did not state that his mother was the sole reason he was raised right. I did not say that she raised him right all by herself.
        .
        I swear, you guys are so infantile. Trying to make a mountain out of a molehill, just to push back on my post. Did I say Del neglected his children, or that Sonya was claiming all the credit? I just related a story she told, to emphasize that she wanted her kids to do their chores. She said she was the one who prevented him from playing. She did not mention Del, but that did not mean that he did not support her decision.
        .
        She also related a story when Steph cursed on court, and she told him to wash his mouth with soap. Del did not do that. He probably is used to swearing on the court. She was the one who reprimanded Steph, but that does not mean that Del disapproved of her actions., or that he was not parenting. He probably kept quiet, let her speak, and supported her reaction.
        .
        Parenting does not mean they both have to speak in unison.

      2. Talking about your foot in your mouth.

        @ ninermd – you just couldn’t resist bringing your racist views into the subject……….

        Many studies of fatherlessness also mistakenly use housing as their sole determinant. This is why fatherlessness statistics in general are inflated. Many children of divorced parents don’t share a legal address with their fathers but still see their fathers often. They’re not fatherless.

        Your view of the world and people of color has always been very narrow…….

        1. Lmaoooo. Onelame.
          And who am I racist against?
          Since I’m Puerto Rican, you clown.
          And you’re saying someone has their foot in their mouth?
          Strike two on jumping on my *uts without knowing what the hell youte talking about.
          And I said FATHERLESS HOMES you idiot! Not fatherless!
          Again you’re trying to speak for races that you’re not. You’re so jaded you can’t think straight.
          I hope to god I meet you one day.

          You have no idea where and what I’ve lived through. But I can bet you I have way more knowledge on this matter than you will read in your books or your race baiting websites.
          Here’s the facts… my homies who are predominantly black Americans agree with me. And where I’m from clowns like you who are the real racist that want the minority to depend on people like you, would get curb stomped!
          That’s fact!
          I’ve lived it you clown.
          Typical lib. Racist card first.
          Sorry white guilt boy. I’m not that white guy you like to call a racist. I am a minority!
          Beat it you clown.

          And Seb….. sorry if I was to “literal”
          Maybe you should phrase your comments better.
          You flat out said he is the man he is because of his mother!
          Nothing else on the job his dad did to make him the man he is.
          That’s on you.
          And you have onelame “trying” to get your back.
          That’s a loss already. ?

          1. I said he was a man because of his strict upbringing of his mother, but I did not say ONLY his mother.
            .
            Being the son of an NBA player, of course his father helped him in so many other ways, but she was the one who kept him out of a game because he did not do his chores. Guess you cannot handle a strong woman helping Steph become a man.

            1. As a kid who grew up with his mother raising him.
              You’re wrong. And like onelame the typical lib. You match his garbage with typical insults with no base.
              I’ve gotten the fem and race card pulled. I’m shocked!
              You are an idiot!

              1. Maybe you forget that just a few days ago, it was Mother’s Day. People can extol the virtues of Mothers, without denigrating their fathers.
                .
                Guess I hit too close to home.

              2. Oh, and BTW, Hispanic people can be very racist towards other minorities. I have seen it happen, even against their own people. A Mexican with a drop of Castilian blood will look down on the native campesino Indios.
                .
                Calling people ignorant, racist, idiots and libs just define you.

              3. Look up Puerto Rican’s
                Difference between Mexican and Puerto Rican’s and with the topic your idiot “savior” brought up was that I was racist towards black people.
                So you two geniuses tell me how being of Puerto Rican decent I can be racist towards black people.
                And again you in your little liberal world are looping all Latinos in the same category.
                So now who’s racist?
                This race and sexiest card was brought up by you two SJW wanna be’s. Not me.
                I’m smart enough to know not to judge the character of another without ever meeting them.
                Something a non racist does.
                Real racists and sexists use those tactics.

                Hell that idiot onelame can’t comprehend a post without getting thirsty and jumping the gun.
                And someone like you who was called out for your post and it’s meaning (you used the sexist card later, it shows your true intent of the post btw) have to use this card when you’re losing a disagreement.
                And you wonder why I call you a typical liberal?
                Dude you still believe there is collusion and interference.
                Get real my man. And you amd onelame stop trying to speak for minorities and calling us all the same like you just did.
                Leave it alone it’s more demeaning when you try to talk for what we have going on and think we are idiots who can’t think or speak for ourselves.
                Read on what Malolm X thought of your way of being and thinking!

                And again…. his mom wasn’t the only one that made him the man he is, especially when his dad was a basketball player himself!
                And in your post that’s exactly what you eluded too!
                Give me a break.
                Deuces!

              4. MD, You sure seem hypersensitive. I was calling you out because you implied that since you are Puerto Rican, you cannot be racist.
                .
                Yet you support a racist who dissed your whole island and its people.
                .
                Guess you like paper towels being thrown at you.
                .
                So, by pointing out racism, that makes me racist? I used the Mexican example because it is more pronounced here in California, You also must be blissfully unaware about the Bloods and the Crips. Of course, the vast majority of Hispanic people are hard workers and solid citizens, but then you have gang warfare that pits Blacks and Hispanics against each other.
                .
                Once again, by extolling the virtues of his mother, I was not intending to denigrate his father. I am sorry you took it that way.

              5. Sorry Niner, I actually agree with Seb on this.

                He only gave an antidotal story about the mother and said she did a good job. He didn’t degenerate or discredit the father or make it a bigger social issue.

                In this particular post I think you were a bit hypersensitive not unlike the SJW’s that you disparage so much, in looking for something to be outraged over when it really wasn’t there.

              7. Shoup..
                you’re entitled to your opinion.
                Seb lost as soon as he pulled the sexist card.

                And onelame again!
                Stick the the matter at hand.
                This is the second time you’ve been so thirsty you jumped the gun and showed your true idiot self.
                And BTW…
                I’m not the one who was kicked three times from a blog for being socially awkward.
                In fact you were the original Seb on here when Maiccoi was running it.
                Except Seb never got booted multiple times.
                Let that sink in Dummy

              8. Thank you, Shoup.
                .
                I will say this. I think Del Curry has done a good job raising his children, too.
                .
                I hope no one is slighting me for not mentioning Sonya.

    2. Seb, as one who respects your right of free speech, I recommend you start to limit your postings. The rest of us have rights too, including the right to be free of incessant postings.

      I don’t mean this in a caustic way. Just consider this thought: If you were outside on a street corner, for example, we’d all have the right to walk away. But on a blog no one can. We’re all stuck with each other, so to speak. I’m sure that if I began posting as frequently as you, guys would soon despise me, and they’d be right to do so. They’d certainly stop reading anything I wrote, which would mean I’d be posting just to see my words in print, which in turn would be ridiculous.

      And to you guys who bait Seb — and you all know who you are, there are a bunch of you — please cut that out too. The rest of us have the right not to have to read through that.

      1. Good attempt, George, and respectfully presented, but I think you’re bailing against the tide.

      2. George, I post here because I love the 49ers. I also like Grant’s writing.
        .
        I also invite everyone to ignore my posts, and just scroll past. All it takes is one finger, and they can use the middle one if they want to.
        .
        I also consider it polite to respond when addressed. How can I help it if posters address me all the time?
        .
        Sure, the lunatic fringe seems to delight in engaging me, so I am glad you acknowledge their culpability. I cannot even post praise for a mother without being harangued and insulted.
        .
        Thank you for being so calm and civil, and even polite in your post. Believe it or not, I do plan to post less, since the draft is over. This is the off season, and I do have projects that will take my time.
        .
        If you do look at my postings, I do not troll away, inciting others like Cassie. I do post about the team, and football in general. I am as guilty as the next guy about some of the political posting, but you should at least praise me for not bringing up Kaep, these past weeks, because that really sets them off.
        .
        I do post about the Niner shortcomings, because I am not going to be Pollyannish, and root for the team as if they are 12-4 instead of 4-12. The Niners need to learn from their mistakes, or they will just keep repeating them. When they say they do not read social media, they are talking through their hat. Eddie himself admitted that, and KS whined about it negatively affecting his players. In 2017, when JL went out of his way to praise Paraag, I thought he was speaking directly to me. This past draft was a hoot, when I heard them wanting to run back to wrest the phone away from Paraag. No wonder that vicious leak ensued about friction. Miller just confirmed it by denying he was a FO Mole.
        .
        I hope you noticed that I have generally left you alone, and most others, until addressed. I am trying hard to be polite and civil, and respect others. Since you asked so nicely, I promise to tone it down.
        .
        I still have a couple 10 point plans to post, but have been waiting for Grant to start a post asking for suggestions to help the team.
        .
        Hope your ticker is humming along, and look forward to your posts. You bring a lot to this site. Thanks again for being non caustic, we sure need more of that.

        3. Seb you’ll say or doing anything to brown nose to Grant because this blog is your life.
          You are scared to get banned like you did on Niner Nation isn’t that right Niner Poe?

          1. My exact statement that led to the ban was- ‘True fans do not want the Niners to lose.’
            .
            Pretty innocuous. No Expletives, no sexual innuendo or vicious hate. Just commenting that tanking is not the best strategy, and true fans want wins, not losses.
            .
            I rarely go to the NN site, because it is just the usual suspects, twittering among themselves, saying little. Posey seems to be going OK, but he writes a little too formulaic. Yet, he is prolific, and can string sentences together in a cogent manner.
            .
            Gosh, I sure hope Grant does not ban me. I think he likes clicks. Remember, he was the first to call me a legend. He sure has never called you a legend. You are more like a sore boil that needs to be popped.
            .
            Prime, I hope you are sleeping on your back.
            .
            Brown nose Grant? But I just disagreed with him. A sycophant would always agree with him.

            1. Keep pretending your special and that you don’t wash Grants back. Now using his words.

              Fact remains you were banned because no one liked you there and everyone just ridicules you here.
              That’s legendary!

              2. You clearly don’t like people calling out your BS.
                You can ask George and the Lord above for advice. It won’t matter. You’ll always be the loser of the blog!

            2. My exact statement that led to the ban was- ‘True fans do not want the Niners to lose.’

              That sounds like pure BS.

              But totally consistent with the narcissistic personality. “I never did anything wrong.”

              1. Donald, I did not lie. You seem to take lying to a new art form. They just used that as an excuse to ban me.
                .
                Looks like your malignant narcissistic personality is showing. It is all archived. I was poniner back then.

              2. No site admin would ever ban over such a standalone innocuous statement. On its own. You obviously had worked long and hard with your usual antics to wear out a welcome.

                Looks like your malignant narcissistic personality is showing.

                Projection. Another classic symptom.

              3. Donald, you are the epitome of that term. You think hurling insults and labeling people to be free speech, and obviously think you are superior to me, so you attack non stop.
                .
                Meanwhile, I almost never resort to expletives, and just use their own words against them. Just look at your own behavior. You are so full of your own self importance, you do not see the narcissistic tendencies you display. You think you are so omniscient, you can judge me, but it does have the opposite effect.
                .
                BTW, the NN mods whined that the Seagull site banned posters very quickly, with only a hint of negativity, yet they have done the same, and have admitted it.
                Yes, you do project, but it is more like projectile vomiting.

              4. Yes, my constant postings of what the professionals running the team or players are doing wrong, my 100s of draft mocks, 10 point plans, annoyance that the team is reading but not following my advice. Sticking my nose into every thread. Yes, all that is obvious that ribico is the complete narcissist here (see, I even referred to myself in the third person). And poor poor poor me, banned just because I want the team to win.

                Seb, you are so obvious it’s barely worth pointing it out.

            2. In no way am I not convinced that Seb isnt DS.
              It disappeared and all of a sudden the same rhetoric except Seahawks love is back.
              Same ego, same blubbering books written as posts and the same lame defense.
              It’s DS.

              1. Pshaw, MD, I am a die hard faithful Niner fan.
                .
                DS was a Seahawk loving troll.

      3. Grant,

        I know I’m the best commenter on here, but how does it shake out by volume of comments? Say over the last 12 months?

        2. Cohn says he gets million(s) of blog hits every year, which works out to a little less then 3000 a day just for one million, someone must comment a whole lot Jack. :)

          1. Well, there are hits (page views), and then there are posted comments. We know there are many who visit (view the blog), but don’t post.

            Grant… What’s the average number of posts per day?

          2. UC,

            Three quarters of these are from our frequent poster. Wins with number and length.

            1. I don’t think it’s anywhere close to that far apart from at least one other regular.

              Come on Grant! Enquiring minds want to know. I want to know.

      4. Also matters if your posts have valid, coherent points or are tin-foil hat nonsense.

  2. Steph is a Christian who has the love of Christ in his heart. That consciousness is horizontal as much as it’s vertical. He’s not perfect, but he’s grounded and very real.

    1. Cap,
      You make a good point regarding Curry’ strong Christian beliefs.
      Also, it’s easy to see that his parents have had a great influence in his and Seth’ upbringing. I would never underestimate the importance of parents setting examples and a strong foundation for their children’s growth.
      Kudos to his parents for a great job.

      1. I knew it would t take long for idiots to group people into the same category of others who claim to be a certain faith.

        It’s the world we live in now. Group up and slander the beliefs.
        Not shocked at all.

        So I’m guessing you two believe Muslims are all terrorists with bombs strapped to themselves too???

        1. Some of the worlds greatest sins have been done because of “Christian beliefs”.

          GTFO with that non-sense. The amount of hypocrisy I see in the name of Christ is disgusting.

          Steph is a good man because his parents raised him right, his religion has no factor in that.

  4. The W’s seem like a pretty good group of guys, all a bit different, but all able to work together.

    To see them win these last 2 games without Durant is really terrific. The media likes to make it out like the Warriors have bought their success when that’s completely false. Their top 3, Curry, Thompson, Green were all draft picks. Same with Looney who plays a lot, Bogut was here when they were bad. Iggy was a nice trade. Livingston a free agent no one else wanted because of his injury history and on and on.

    1. This exemplifies how important good drafting is, towards building a championship team. The Giants, too, with Posey, Lincecum, Belt and Crawford.
      .
      That is why I may be critical towards the Niners, wasting opportunities to leverage valuable picks, reaching and drafting a punter in the 4th round. The Niner draft could have been so much better. They could have hit a home run, but just bunted.

  5. Grant,
    Reporters come in different varieties as well.

    There are reporters that simply present facts, and those who in Durant’ case keep asking him about free agency even after he made it clear at the beginning of the season that he will not comment on the subject until after the season is over.

    And to make matters worse, many of the same reporters have created their own phantom story that KD will go to the Knicks.

    Is it any wonder why many athletes would rather avoid reporters?
    And it’s not just players that would rather avoid reporters. How about Bill Belichick, Gregg Popovich, Bill Walsh (had some moments with your dad) and the great Vince Lombardi and Paul Brown, just to name a handful.

    When reporters start to believe that their style includes badgering just to get a rise from the person being interviewed, it’s understandably clear why they would prefer not speak and be short when they do.
    But unfortunately, the player is obligated.

    Btw, try getting interviews with athletes in the off season, pretty sure that even the nicest guys will brush you off – in a nice way of course.

  6. I just can’t do the NBA anymore. I watch the playoffs if the game interests me but that’s about it. NBA officiating is a huge turnoff for me. The transparent favoritism to the home teams always irks me. Of all the major sports, I think NBA officiating has more to do with the outcome of games than any other sport. Saints fans will probably disagree with that but overall NBA officiating clearly is bias and subjective. One of the worst displays of officiating I’ve ever seen was in Kobe’s last game. It was a meaningless game but the officials obviously threw the rule book out and made that entire game all about Kobe. He could have pulled a unicycle off the bench and played the entire 4th qtr on it without so much as dribbling the ball once and the officials would have responded with, “I didnt’ see anything wrong with that.” I understand perhaps slanting the calls to favor a great player in his last game but IMO that game was a stain on the integrity of the NBA.

    Having said that, the Warriors are one of the top 5 teams ever assembled in the NBA. They are a true pleasure to watch. I like the Rockets ok but their brand of basketball is boring to me. Clear outs to set up 1v1’s in the NBA are about as boring as it gets. I’m not a fan of James Harden at all. I went to Game 6 against the Spurs a couple of years ago when the Rockets got routed to end the series. The Spurs had a definite plan to get physical with Harden early and Harden just quit that game. I lost a ton of respect for Harden after that game and haven’t been a fan since then. No heart. The Warriors play as a team which is how I prefer to see every team sport played. Every player except Draymond and maybe Bogut appears to be really good guys who are easy to cheer. Anywho, that’s enough basketball for the next year.

    2. Harden has a better chance of winning a Oscar then a NBA Championship. I can’t stand the way he plays with all of the dribbling and one on one isolation and with rolling back his head after he shoots to get fouls. The guy not clutch, he could not hit his free throws on Game 6.

    1. Grant,

      Curry should not be this normal. He grew up the wealthy son of a former NBA player, Dell Curry. Steph had every advantage as a child. You and I cannot relate to his upbringing, and neither can most of his millionaire teammates who grew up poor or working class. And yet, Curry is the most down-to-earth star in American sports.

      You’ve heard the maxim, “act like you’ve been there before”. I suggest Curry’s background is also instrumental in shaping his adult behavior. He didn’t have the pressure to become his family’s financial savior. He had first hand experience in seeing how his father handled the fish bowl night after night (as did Klay). At the same time nothing was handed to him, he’s had a humbling trek to the top. Heavily recruited? No. Big exposure in the NCAA? No. (Little Davidson did have that run to the elite eight, but no one is going to confuse that 2,000 strong student body college with those other athlete pampering powerhouses). He has a spiritual faith, and a dwindling one of those of that faith who practices treat others as you’d want to be treated. There’s a lot of factors that went into Stephs maturity. I think he should be this normal.

        1. Thanks. I think….. :/

          When Glen Rice was with the Knicks, playing against Del’s Hornets led to the predictable NY Post back cover headline “Curry On Rice” ;)

          1. Ha! NY Post is the best.

            I really did like your comment. Thought-provoking and persuasive.

          2. @Ribico = confirmed old school

            nice comment……bringing back memories of Glenn was a +

  8. Don’t forget that Steph is one of the mentally toughest athletes in the NBA, maybe in all of sports. His belief in his abilities even in the face of adversity (note the horrible start to the playoffs for him and still he never lost confidence in this game) cannot be underestimated. This accounts for why he is one of the best leaders in the league, a small Tim Duncan, as Steve Kerr calls him. He is the calm in the middle of the storm and that cannot be underestimated in a league with very big bodies but oftentimes extremely fragile egos. There was a big deal made of the poor mental health in the NBA this season. Steph is recognized as one of the mentally toughest out there. And a previous post mentioned his mother Sonya. His father Dell played a huge role in teaching him the Xs and Os of the game and how to be a man and an NBA player. That cannot be underestimated. But Marcus Thompson, who wrote the Curry biography Golden, said he came into the project thinking Dell was the major influence in shaping who Steph is. By the end of the book, he realized it was Sonya more than anyone else.

  9. Nice Article Grant.

    One suggestion – your focus on this article is Steph. So don’t put down the other NBA stars so much. Just some friendly advice…….keeping it real that’s all.

  10. Grant,
    I couldn’t agree with you more regarding Curry and Thompson they are good men especially Curry. Its easy to forget how incredible a player Curry is. He was back to back MVP’s. Ever since Durant has come to the team he has willingly taken a backseat to Durant in order to win championships, very few players would be willing to do that. 4 years ago you heard conversations about Curry being one of the greatest of all time but not since Durant has arrived. The last 2 games should be a reminder to all of us as to how dominant he can be. As to the rest of your article, many athletes feel attacked by reporters in a personal way and of course they aren’t helpful. I had the pleasure of getting to know an ex 49er superstar (I coached against his children) and he openly talked about his disdain for sports reporters and he is someone I bet you would think had a good relationship with the press.

  11. While I don’t disagree with what you wrote about Steph and Klay’s good natures. I will say that I think Curry’s interactions with the media are a well crafted image. Again, I do think he is generally very good natured and easy going but to the degree he gets along with people and the media is likely polishing on an already squeaky clean object.

    When my little boys get into whatever various (and frequent) trouble, my wife often says that she never got into trouble as a kid (implying that our sons’ behavior is my fault). By all account through conversations with her parents and friends, she’s pretty much telling the truth…she never got into any trouble. So I tell my wife that NOT getting into any trouble as a kid is a problem all of it’s own.

    Even Klay does not have a perfect record, he caused some eyebrows to be raised a few weeks (a month?) ago when he criticized Warriors fans for not cheering enough or being into the game enough in regards to some of the Warriors less than perfect performances this season at home.

    Think about it….all of you think of your time at work…when you’re supposed to be if not friendly in the very least professional. How many of you had at least once or twice (if not regularly) told off somebody or at least been borderline rude or abrupt with them because for whatever reason at work or in your life you weren’t in the mood to keep up your professional image 100% of the time.

    So I contend that while Curry may be the kind of easy going, likable and accommodating person that he portrays. His near spotless image is definitely a well polished professional job.

  12. Grant,
    Very nice column and I like the ending when you bring it back from the top topic, I asked your father is there a name to that type of writing a few years ago but he was not sure if there is a name or style to it. I am a huge Warrior Fan and I watch about 70 games a year. Love the Warriors and Steph is the man. He does get a little cocky on the Court after a big bucket, but I don’t care because he is truly a nice person and a great player

    1. leitmotif — repeated phrases and themes in music — the concept eventually crossed over to literature: Thomas Mann, Herman Hesse, etc. In Grant’s case, the last use of “normal” tied the essay up in a bow — excellent writing.

  13. Not a warriors fan. They don’t bother me either.
    But this is a classy organization.
    Unlike my Lakers who MUST have trashy gossip going on around them constantly!

    It doesn’t surprise me that they have class acts like Curry and Thompson.
    Maybe their fathers eh emm also showed them how to handle success and to be humble since they both treaded the same water.

    I can’t wait for Thompson to be a laker. ??
    Good article Grant. You hit the nail on the head with this one.

  15. More roster moves…
    https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/125527-49ers-sign-undrafted-agent-brown-south-carolina-state/

    “The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of former South Carolina State defensive back Alex Brown. To make room on the roster, the team has waived defensive end Damontre Moore.

    Brown registered 90 tackles, 26 passes defensed, seven interceptions, and one sack in 31 games with 25 starts during five seasons with the Bulldogs. He started all 11 games in 2018 while recording 42 tackles, eight passes defensed, four interceptions, and one sack.

    Explosive, fast athlete with the size of a nickel cornerback but lacking the play traits for a smooth transition inside. Brown has decent ball production and his monster workout numbers will have teams scrambling for additional tape, but he needs plenty of additional work with his patience, footwork and route recognition. His length and recovery speed are major check marks in his favor, but a practice squad spot could be the goal as he continues to work on the fundamentals of the position.”

  16. ESPN’S Adam Schefter on Jets’ interest in Hiring NFL Network’s draft expert Daniel Jeremiah as GM (or other senior exec)…
    https://youtu.be/LyEPjsWX3J4

    Looks like Sebbie may not get the job after all.

    1. I do not want that job. I do not even want JL’s job.
      .
      Maybe OC, but they would have to beg. ;p
      .
      Just kidding, I do not want that job, either. I have too many projects stacking up.

      3. Looking up the numbers Peterson has been below average against the 49ers

        In 16 games:
        35 tackles
        3 forced fumbles
        no return td’s
        no int

        1. Ahhhh, but context is soooo important! How often was his man (or zone) targeted? Most teams throw away from him.

  19. Grant…

    Scott Pioli just left the Falcons. Check with your sources…any chance he comes to the 9ers?

  20. TomD says:
    May 14, 2019 at 9:57 am
    I’ll say what Seb’s afraid to. Niner’s make the playoffs.

    sebnynah says:
    May 14, 2019 at 11:47 am
    I sure want them to make the playoffs, but I want them more to avoid the cellar in their division.
    .
    Sure must be nice to live in fantasy land like TrollD, but I am a grizzled veteran fan, and am just being realistic.

    Catfish says:
    May 14, 2019 at 5:20 pm
    Ha! If Sub isn’t a Raider fan, I don’t know what is!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply: Seb obviously loves his flea flickers where he said “the tight end falls down on purpose gets back up, sprints 50 yards downfield to catch the game winning bomb. ..”

    Moron, time elapsed for that play would be at least 10 seconds, meanwhile the QB gets killed by the pass rush.

    In my 2019 49er playoff prediction, Seb has failed to read the article I posted about the 49ers averaging 27 pts /gm in Jimmy G quarterbacked games or the new defensive coordinator’s wide nine concepts.

    Although this article hasn’t been posted I will spell it out for Sebraidah. The reason the Niners drafted Dre Greenlaw is because with Warner and Kwon Alexander they will take advantage of the wider splits in the wide nine to linebacker blitz the fook out of the QB….These LB’s are fully capapble of chasing down Russell Wilson because they all have Navarrow Bowman awareness and speed…In addition Solomon Thomas was noted as a playmaker who can rush the inside shoulder, gap penetration—The wide 9 + Jimmy G’s 27 pts/ game will be plenty enough for the Rams to handle.

    Did I forget to mention that Jimmy’s 27 pts/game came without Deebo or Hurd–my bad…While all are on board the myth that Shanny’s offense requires a full season for WR’s to learn, all have forgotten that TomD played football at a high level—Not Sebraidah!

    TomD’s inside infor for all Niner fans regarding our new receivers: Shanny will have them on the field for game one, and here’s why….

    Any good coach worth his salt will have a handfull of plays—around 10—specifically designed for Hurd or Deebo so the DB’s can’t just sit on one play when they substitute in. These plays could be an slant, out, square in, dig, sluggo, pick plays, designed for YAC yards.

    Adding the new players—talented WR’s Shanny has not had to this point to Jimmy G’s 27 pts / gm plus our new, aggressive wide nine concept = playoffs.

    Note: For the poster who stated when we come across the Rams O-Line with Gurley or Dallas with Zeke in the playoffs the 49ers will get blown off the ball it’s a myth. Shanny will make adjustments and with Hurd , Kittle and Deebo as redzone weapons we lacked in 2018——P–L–A–O–F–F–S
    BABY !!!****

        1. Kocurek’s defensive linemen accumulated 250 sacks while he was Detroit’s defensive line coach from 2010-17, the fourth-most by a team’s defensive linemen in the NFL during that span. His defensive linemen also ranked No. 5 in forced fumbles with 57 and No. 10 in passes defensed with 82 since 2010. His rush defenses have ranked in the NFL’s top 20 in each of the past six seasons and his teams have been among the league’s top 10 in sacks in four of his nine years. Since his promotion to defensive line coach in 2010, he helped the Lions rank in the top half of the league in both rush defense and total team sacks. The Lions were 10th in the NFL in rush defense, limiting opponents to 109.0 rushing yards per game, and 14th in total team sacks with 298 during that span.

          https://www.reddit.com/r/49ers/comments/ag17u5/veteran_dl_coach_kris_kocurek_who_coached_the/

    2. TrollD, glad you admitted you played, because that would explain why your posting looks like you took too many blows to the head.
      .
      Obsessing about me is not a good look.

  22. Looks like the Warriors are doing their jobs, but it was kinda close.
    .
    I hope they win at least one in Portland.

  23. Grant nearly jinxes Warriors, but they overcome. A partial list of athletes who are “normal” who had pro athlete fathers : Manning Bros, Ken Griffey, Klay Thompson, Grant Hill, Chris Long/Kyle Long,

  24. Grant…

    I’m sure you’re aware. More robo-style spam is raining across your blog, as indicated in Links to Comments.

  26. NN has Garrett Celek, Joshua Garnett, Ronald Blair, K’Waun Williams, and Malcolm Smith as vulnerable players on the roster.
    .
    I would add CJB, Raheem Mostert, Kendrick Bourne, Trent Taylor, Jimmie Ward and Mark Nzeocha as 5 more players with roster worries.

    1. And that means that the quality of the depth has improved!……………….and there aint nothing you can do about it! That’s the REAL pisser for you!………….straight out of the “Black Hole”, for cryin out loud………………

      1. Saw, you cannot even discuss football in a calm, civil manner. You must really hate yourself to try and tear down people to feel good about yourself.

    2. Seb, why Ward? He’s better than Colbert of Exum or Reed. He can’t stay healthy. Our FS’s stink.

      1. Wilson, Jimmie Ward is a walking hospital Ward.
        .
        Sure, I wanted Juanhunglo Thornhill, but they also have DJ Reed and Marcell Harris as other possible candidates.
        .
        I wonder if Joe Woods will determine that Sherman might be best suited as a Safety, too, since he has lost a step.

        1. The Niners may make Ward be the slot CB, since K’Waun Williams made several total whiffs defending. Glad he is versatile, but they just cannot rely on him being healthy.

        2. Seb, Harris, Reed and Harris are awful. I would rather see Ward at FS than slot. At some point you’ll see all those other guys because he’ll get hurt and so will they. Ward for a few games is better than any of those guys.

          I wonder when Lynch/Shanahan will figure out they don’t have the personnel for single high safety or cover three?

          Did you guys see Reuben Foster left practice with an air cast on his knee? Sad

          1. I would also say Malcom Smith isn’t expendable until Kwon is fully healthy.

            1. I think Elijah Lee did an admirable job filling in as ILB in the later part of last season.

          2. 73,

            You’re right about Ward being the best option at FS.

            Regarding Cover 3, I think they feel pretty good there because of Sherman and Ward. The problem is that Sherman isn’t anywhere close to the guy he was in Seattle, Ward can’t stay healthy and Witherspoon hasn’t shown the ability to get the job done.

            1. Feeling good and being good are totally different things. I think of everything worked out perfect they could be right. That’s a lot of if’s though.

              I like the potential of Verrett, Alexander and Ward on the field. It will be interesting to see if the new training staff makes a difference in players staying healthy.

              1. “Feeling good and being good are totally different things.”

                Yep, that’s what I was getting at with the last sentence.

                They’ve chosen to go the route of signing injured FA’s to fill holes. That strategy is boom or bust. It could be an ugly Fall.

            2. JH, I expect to see Ward as the slot corner, replacing K’Waun Williams.
              .
              I wonder what Joe Woods will do, and how he is assessing the DBs.

              1. Sorry to repeat myself, just scrolled up to look at yesterday’s posts.
                .
                However, if you look at the depth chart from Ourlads, they have assigned Ward as the NB.

              2. Ourlads also has Warner playing SAM which he’s never played in SF, so their current charts are about as useful as the paper they are written on.

              3. The official 49er site does not even have a depth chart posted yet, so Ourlads is the one most closely aligned to my assessment. The CBS depth chart has Mark Nzeocha as a starter.
                .
                You seem to agree with the ESPN depth chart, but they have Joshua Garnett lined up at RG with the 3 WR set, and Zane Beadles as a backup.

              4. I’m going off what we already know. The coaching staff isn’t going to move Warner to a spot that he didn’t take a snap from as a rookie.

              5. Yes, but if Kwon is healthy, where does Warner play? They will not put Warner on the bench as a backup. I think Kwon was listed as the MLB at TB. Warner was assigned the SAM LB position while Foster was here, I believe.
                .
                I also think that Colbert is going to be penciled in at FS, since he only sustained a high ankle sprain. Thank goodness it was not a knee injury.

              6. “Warner was assigned the SAM LB position while Foster was here, I believe.”

                That’s incorrect.

                If Kwon is healthy Smith would play SAM just like he did last year at times or he’d be a backup.

          3. Wilson, you may be right, but Ward just cannot be counted on due to his durability issues. I expect Harris will be better, because he was recovering from an Achilles, so, like Sherman, they take a couple seasons to fully recover from.
            .
            I hope they are flexible enough to morph from single high safety to cover 3.
            .
            I did see the RF news. So sad.

      2. I think the health card is being overplayed a bit, because I think they’re counting on a half season out of Ward and Colbert each at FS. Verrett is valuable depth insurance, and will have time to get to 100% as long as Witherspoon stays healthy. Meanwhile the upgraded pass rush will help the secondaries production. I think we’ll be fine and win a lot of games if the defense can hold ’em to no more than 21 points a game….

    1. Baring a string of injuries like the last couple of years anything less then 8 wins is not acceptable. With that being said 19 -0 baby 19 – 0. :)

        1. I don’t expect that but what the heck its May wild speculation seems to run rampant around here so why not 19 – 0.

    2. I was hoping someone would post and react to this. I thought it was interesting that most losses were 3pts or less. It’s a taste of reality. We have so many if’s needed to make this season a winner. Everything will have to go perfect including all the injured players performing at near pre injury form. Could we be 10-6? Yes but it’s not probable.

      1. I thought that it was interesting too Wilson. Most games are fairly close in the NFL. Our beloved team, despite almost winning games, have lost. Nothing I have seen so far gives me great confidence that we will get a substantially more wins (the exception in my mind is the pass rush, which has been upgraded-this will have an impact on D – unfortunately our secondary still stinks which may make these gains futile).

        1. Harbaugh won a lot of close games. I would love for us to pull off a season like that. But I agree we’re not quite there yet.

          2. Some day, I hope the Niners learn to stop snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

  28. Food for thought: Le’Veon Bell trade?

    I’ve been reading Niners Nation more than ever, and this idea comes from one of their comments sections. Apparently, Gase would have preferred signing Coleman for his scheme. Kyle Posey also commented, and I’ve put his comments in bold:

    “Maybe Jet Mckinnon to the Jets straight up for leVeon Bell? If the 49ers ever truly wanted him, now’s the time. The Jets would eat a huge portion of that awful contract, and Jet seems like a decent feature back for the Jets.

    Posted by Mertons_merkin on May 17, 2019 | 2:22 PM
    Just gonna go on record here though to say that I never really thought Bell was a great fit for outside zone.
    Yadda yadda, that’s what he ran in college… I realize. But that’s not what he excels at. He’s a patient runner, and the outside zone doesn’t typically reward patience.

    Posted by christopher.burns on May 17, 2019 | 3:22 PM
    I’d still try to see if the Jets want to swap him out for McKinnon though.
    Because it’s not like Mckinnon has been a devastatingly good runner of the ball in his career either.

    Posted by Mertons_merkin on May 17, 2019 | 5:00 PM
    How much do you think Shanahan would have adapted what he does to fit Bell?
    I bet he looked at Bell and thought he had a star as a threat out of the backfield in the passing game more than anything.

    Posted by Kyle Posey on May 17, 2019 | 5:13 PM
    It’s a good question.
    I have a hard time seeing Kyle (the guy that gave the Cleveland Browns a list of reasons to fire him) Shanahan abandoning the outside zone for just about anybody.

    But, let’s say, just for the sake of argument, that he did trade out Mckinnon for Bell. From a cap perspective, that kind of move wouldn’t hurt too much with the Jets eating that signing bonus. You still have Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida to run the outside zone. But now you also have a guy you can run power with. We did that some with Alfred Morris. Give the guy a little more power and a littler more inside zone to give the defense something different, and feature the dude more when you’re playing a team that is better equipped to stop the outside zone.

    And you still have the best receiving back in the league. Plus you have Tevin Coleman too.

    And it’s not like Mckinnon has put up numbers as a runner in the stretch zone, which Minnesota featured the last two seasons with him… Don’t tell the Jets that though”.

    1. I would trade McKinnon and Coleman for Bell, and sweeten the deal by adding a couple O linemen.
      .
      Bell would greatly improve the Niners, and maybe even make them a Wild Card competitor.

      2. I’d trade McKinnon and a second player but not Coleman. You need one or the other for the stretch zone, and imo Coleman’s in a league of his own. Breida’s workable but injury prone. As for adding a couple of olinemen, that position group isn’t a strength. Actually, if Gase thinks he’s going to have a problem fitting in Bell — that’s the supposition here, and it might be erroneous — we might not have to give up much more than McKinnon. Maybe a mid-round draft pick. Idk, it’s just wild speculation at this point.

        1. I respectfully disagree. Coleman has only had limited carries, but Bell is a game changer. He is a 3 time Pro Bowler and 2 time All Pro.
          .
          Also, they could then keep Raheem Mostert, for STs. Breida is a good backup as a change of pace back. Walter Austin may out compete Jeff Wilson for the last RB spot. Or they may only carry 3 RBs so they can keep another WR.
          .
          Fortunately, this might work out for the Niners, because JL tried hard to sign Bell, and Gase preferred Coleman over Bell.
          .
          Yes, I threw in Wesley Johnson who used to play for the Jets and Willie Beavers, so they are recent FAs and expendable.Jets were ripped in the draft for not selecting better O line help for Darnold.

        2. Bell’s running style is too patient for the stretch oz. He’d be more of a receiving back, which is why the Jet is on our runway. You’d need to use Bell in some power and iz running plays like they did with Morris….

          1. i think Breida is more productive than either McKinnon and Coleman, and with the Bell Cow taking the majority of snaps, Breida should be less injury prone.

    1. Not really a quote from Aristotle. He stated this in the Nichomachean Ethics: “…we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then is not an act but a habit.”

      Certainly in the vein of what was stated but not exactly what was written.

      And yes, Curry exemplifies this saying. I have liked him since his days at Davidson and heard great things about him from the student body. He deserves all the accolades he receives.

  31. Wow. Warriors were down 17 points and got their first lead at 1:31 left in the third.
    .
    Portland’s lead evaporated, and Draymond led the charge.
    .
    Another masterful job of coaching by Kerr.
    .
    Only the Warriors could lose 2 starters, be down 17 points in the third, and be 3-0 in the WCF.

  32. I hope the Warriors sweep, but have the Eastern Conference finals go to 7 games. Maybe KD can come back, but it sounds like his injury is more debilitating than they thought.

  34. What do I want to see in the OTAs?
    .
    First, I want some in depth reporting from Grant.
    .
    I want to see Bosa on the field with full participation.
    .
    I want to hear about JG being fully recovered from his ACL, and throwing dimes.
    .
    I hope the Niner receivers are high pointing the ball
    .
    I hope to hear that McKinnon and Street are practicing well, and all the other injured players are participating.
    .
    Most importantly, I hope their are no injuries.

      1. I like my waffles crispy on the outside, and light n fluffy inside. Real butter over the top, followed by filling up the holes with Mrs. Butterworth’s, and a shot of real whipped cream with a sprinkling of real crumbled bacon. I wash it down with glasses of milk and oj that I had stashed in the freezer so it has a micro thin frozen crust on top….

        1. My wife whips the egg whites, and lightly folds them into the batter.
          .
          I like crunchy peanut butter with real maple syrup on my waffles, and if I go all out, strawberries and whipped cream, with the strawberries done the night before, covered in sugar.
          .
          Bacon? i guess everything tastes good with bacon. Yum. ;p

          1. Sebber, that sounds good too. I might have to give it a go next time I have waffles!

  35. Rueben Foster suffers a bad injury at Redskins OTAs. Carted off the field. A cast placed on his leg. Season looks to be over for him.

  37. George says:
    May 16, 2019 at 9:34 am
    Seb, as one who respects your right of free speech, I recommend you start to limit your postings. The rest of us have rights too, including the right to be free of incessant postings.

    sebnynah says:
    May 16, 2019 at 10:41 am
    George, I post here because I love the 49ers. I also like Grant’s writing.
    .
    I also invite everyone to ignore my posts, and just scroll past. All it takes is one finger, and they can use the middle one if they want to.

    Reply: You make me wish I had more middle fingers.

    More Seb, ‘the pigeon ‘ episodes—
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpM5wysCcT4

  38. 45 of the 47 Super Bowl champions have totaled at least 30 sacks in a season, and Buckner/Bosa/Armstead/Thomas cumulatively should produce that by themselves….

    1. That number of sacks isn’t impressive when you consider last season the 49ers put up 37.

      1. Yea, just a fun fact to toast beer bottles to, but you seem to have a propensity for pooping on the party.?

        1. New Niners front seven will put heat on the opposing QB. Chiefs scored 4 TD in the first half because Mahommes had all day to sit back in the pocket and let plays develop and find open receivers down field. That wont be the case in 2019.

      2. In this case Captain Contrarian is correct.

        It’s even less impressive when you consider that the only team that didn’t have at least 30 sacks last year was Oakland.In todays nfl with teams throwing as much as they do, 30 is a very low bar.

    2. With Thomas’ 2 sacks I wouldn’t count on him being very productive…

  41. Grant,
    Why didn’t you add a new blog post for your video breakdown of Jimmy Garoppolo?
    Or is this going to be another case where no new articles are posted and then you drop multiple within a day?

    Sorry to complain about this but I believe this would help the activity levels on the blog.

  42. Looks like the Warriors get some days off before the finals. No Iggy and they still win. Niners are so talented and so well coached, they swept the Trailblazers.

    1. Niners? Might help their record if they are allowed to schedule the trailblazzers! Seb, I know you like all Bay Area teams but easy to see the niners are your number one priority!

      1. Oops, my bad.
        .
        Hey Reb, hope these new rains are not washing you away.
        .
        I sure hope the Niners can look at the Warrior coaching staff and front office, and try to emulate them.

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