Think the 49ers were confident of victory in the Measure J vote?
They had a billboard printed up, all ready to be set in place at the site of the proposed 68,500-seat stadium off of Tasman Drive and bathed in light in the wee hours of election night. And they had a web site designed, one click away from reality as the votes were tallied.
The team unveiled 49ersnewstadium.com this morning.
LaBoy back in the hunt
Travis LaBoy brought 23½ career sacks with him when he signed with the 49ers on Apr. 20. But the sixth-year NFL veteran and Marin Catholic High graduate hasn’t been much of a factor on the practice field so far.
Still rehabbing the torn tendons in his left foot that cause him to miss the entire 2009 season while a member of the Arizona Cardinals, LaBoy has been taking part in position drills during offseason OTAs (voluntary practices), but has seen almost no time in 11-on-11 team period. That changed this morning, when he found himself in the mix at outside linebacker.
Notes and observations from today’s practice
Fourth-and-long, baseball draft picks and other notes from today’s voluntary practice in Santa Clara:
• The 49ers spent the first team period practicing fourth-and long plays, everything from fourth-and-4 to fourth-and-10.
• Alex Smith was feeling it today. The QB overthrew a few receivers, but he fired several touchdown passes, including two strikes to Vernon Davis and one to Delanie Walker.
Election day arrives for 49ers
Election day means different things to different people – even if you’re a member of the San Francisco 49ers, an organization with a lot on the line today. Specifically, a $937 million stadium that will require a debatable amount of public funding.
Measure J: 49ers watching closely
Only about 20,000 people are expected to vote in Santa Clara today, yet their verdict on one ballot item will affect hundreds of thousands of people, perhaps millions, in the greater Bay Area. Welcome to Measure J, which will authorize a degree of public funding for the 49ers’ proposed $937 million stadium adjacent to the Great America theme park, and to the team’s headquarters. Many of us will be watching…
Singletary on Atogwe, Raiders, Coffee and Willis
There was a lot going on in Santa Clara today, what with rookie offensive linemen getting first-team reps, Isaac Bruce getting “traded” to St. Louis, coach Mike Singletary waxing poetic about John Wooden and several prominent 49ers skipping the voluntary workout. Not to mention anxiety building over Tuesday’s vote a new stadium in Santa Clara.
Almost lost in the shuffle were these tidbits from the coach.
49ers already missing ‘Old Reverend Bruce’
One day it may look like a swindle. The 49ers traded a potential Hall of Fame wide receiver to a division rival and got absolutely nothing in return. But this was no ordinary deal. San Francisco traded Isaac Bruce to the Rams so that he could officially finish his career with the team that made him famous.
Coach Sing and The Wizard
Both were coaches, but the similarities seemingly ended there. They came from different generations and different sports. One was born in Texas and found his fame in the Midwest. The other was born in the Midwest and became a legend in sunny California. Any connection was unlikely.
And yet earlier today, Mike Singletary began his Q&A session with local media by paying homage to John Wooden, the inimitable UCLA basketball coach who passed away Friday.
“He’s a man to me, in this field of coaching, that deserves all of the credit in the world,” Singletary said. “I think he did a tremendous amount of mentoring at every level. He’s the kind of coach that what he did reached boundaries outside of basketball.”
Notes and observations from today’s practice
Notes and observations from today’s voluntary practice in Santa Clara…
• Absent from the festivities were RB Frank Gore (travel issues), DL Aubrayo Franklin (unhappy with franchise tender) and Kentwan Balmer (injury rehab), LBs Manny Lawson (possible holdout) and Keaton Kristick (college class hasn’t graduated yet), and CBs Shawntae Spencer and Nate Clements (both working out elsewhere).
Davis, Iupati get first-team reps
Tackle Anthony Davis and guard Mike Iupati reached a milestone today. Each took reps with the 49ers’ first-team offense, Davis on the right side and Iupati on the left.
That marked the first time the first-round draft choices had taken on the look of starters in 2010. But they weren’t limited to those reps. Davis and Iupati both got time with the second team as well, making for a very busy day for the No. 11 and No. 17 overall picks, respectively, in this year’s draft.
OTAs mean something to these young 49ers
The 49ers will hold seven days of voluntary practices over the next 10 days. During that time, we in the media will be filling your brains with the minutiae of practice, telling you every time Taylor Mays runs without tripping or Alex Smith tells a wide receiver “good job,” while you keep reminding yourself that it’s just June and perhaps none of this is as important and it’s sometimes made out to be.
For some young players, however, the OTAs will have real significance.
Another Dixon hoping to go pro
Sixth-round draft choice Anthony Dixon is trying to make the 49ers as a power halfback. One of his younger brothers, Rashun, is playing left field for the Kane County Cougars, the Oakland A’s Single-A affiliate. Monday, a third brother, Deshun, will be hoping to hear his name called in the 2010 MLB draft.
“When it comes on Monday, I will be in front of the TV watching every single round until I get drafted,” Deshun told the (Jackson) Clarion Ledger.
Will the 49ers be Brady’s Bunch in 2011?
My Twitter friend ED49ERS asked me an interesting question yesterday: Do I see Tom Brady coming to the Niners next season if the Patriots don’t extend his contract?
First reaction: Get outta here. We can’t assume that every Hall of Fame-bound player is headed to San Francisco. What, no trade for Adrian Peterson? Second reaction: Hmmm. This scenario doesn’t seem out of the question.
Will the 49ers’ be Brady’s Bunch in 2011?
My Twitter friend ED49ERS asked me an interesting question yesterday: Do I see Tom Brady coming to the Niners next season if the Patriots don’t extend his contract?
First reaction: Get outta here. We can’t assume that every Hall of Fame-bound player is headed to San Francisco. What, no trade for Adrian Peterson? Second reaction: Hmmm. This scenario doesn’t seem out of the question.
Goldson gets vote of confidence, and a challenge
Media outlets both local and national, starting with Comcast SportsNet Bay Area and bouncing all the way up to ESPN, have reported that the 49ers are not interested in pursuing safety Oshiomogho Atogwe, who became a free agent at midnight last night. Take that as a tacit endorsement of Dashon Goldson.
Roger Craig waving the green flag at Infineon
Roger Craig always was one of the most versatile guys on the field. Apparently, he still is. Craig already has been involved in a fishing show this spring, and today Infineon Raceway announced that the former running back and three-time Super Bowl champion will serve as Grand Marshall of the Toyota/SaveMart 350 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend in June.
Breaking down the 49ers, one year later
There is a lot of optimism in Santa Clara these days. Then again, that’s pretty much the definition of the NFL offseason. But have the 49ers really improved? To form answers, let’s look at how the roster has changed in the past year – since June 2, 2009. Here’s who has arrived and who has departed, position by position, and what it might mean for the coming season.
I invite you to weigh in.
Naming rights could be key to stadium financing
There are elements of the 49ers’ Silicon Valley stadium proposal that are fairly clear cut. The city of Santa Clara will be responsible for $79 million, a package of redevelopment funds/bonds and money to move an electrical substation, while local hotels will kick in $35 million. The team and the NFL have pledged $493 million to make the project happen.
It’s the other $330 million that are a little harder to decipher. You would have to assume naming rights are a major portion of it. So we’re here today to ask the question: Are the 49ers overly optimistic in their expectations of naming revenue?
Solari is “all business,” and the O-line benefits
In 21 seasons with the 49ers, legendary offensive line coach Bobb McKittrick was handed exactly one first-round draft choice to work with — tackle Harris Barton in 1987. Mike Solari has been with the team just a few months, but already is benefiting from two first-rounders. So there is pressure on Solari to build a strong line, but with it comes a lot of optimism.
The 49ers’ veteran offensive linemen are already appreciative of Solari’s no-nonsense approach.
Solari on O-line: ‘They’re gonna play with an attitude’
There is intense interest in the 49ers’ two first-round draft choices, tackle Anthony Davis and guard Mike Iupati. But just as vital to the team’s offensive success this season might be the ability of the 49ers’ new offensive line coach Mike Solari and his assistant, Ray Brown, to mold and whittle their current 12 guys into a powerful unit.
Face to face, Solari is a lot like the offensive lines he has produced: measured, consistent, quietly confident, a little vanilla. The guy is old school. I sat down with him in Santa Clara on Thursday, and here is what we talked about:
