Interesting sight at the 49ers’ voluntary OTA this morning: the team’s new rookies, both drafted and undrafted, sitting around in T-shirts and shorts, watching the veterans practice. Mike Singletary wanted the young cats to see how an NFL practice is conducted – which explains why the team changed the original schedule and set up a veteran OTA on the same day as a rookie minicamp.
Baalke Film Festival: the reviews
My eyes are bloodshot. My skin is sallow. I can see visions of Navorro Bowman when the lights dim. Yes, I just got out of the inaugural Trent Baalke Film Festival, 80 minutes of nonstop football action, rewind, nonstop football action, rewind, nonstop football action. Here’s the rundown.
League supports Super Bowl in Santa Clara
The NFL just sent out its press release in the wake of today’s meeting with Silicon Valley business leaders, and it’s just the endorsement many were hoping for. The NFL Super Bowl Advisory Committee is now on the record stating that it supports the stadium measure and will encourage a future Super Bowl bid for the new stadium.
Goodell spoke with Silicon Valley big wigs
Just got some clarification from the 49ers. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was in town for a private meeting with Santa Clara Mayor Patricia Mahan and numerous Silicon Valley business leaders, including a senior VP from Cisco and a president at Sun Power. The businesspeople did their best to convince Goodell of the tremendous economic impact a new stadium would have on the region — and by extension, the importance of…
Singletary: 6 seasons, 10 Pro Bowls
And other wack answers from Michael Robinson’s “Know Your Coach” session with his 49ers teammates. See the film on Robinson’s web site: http://www.michaelrobinson24.com/
Goodell in Santa Clara today
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will be at the 49ers facilities today to meet with the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and the club’s stadium campaign division. Apparently, TE Vernon Davis will be there, too — he tweeted as much this morning. The Leadership Group recently endorsed Measure J, the stadium ballot measure. Not sure if the group will simply be updating the Commish on the project’s status, or whether it is…
Savaiigaea getting tryout
According to the Honolulu advertiser, former Hawaii defensive tackle Rocky Savaiigaea will get a tryout at this weekend’s minicamp. If he made the team, Savaiigaea could join Isaac Sopoaga and Travis LaBoy as a trio of Warriors. He’s a long shot, of course; then again, his name is Rocky.
Did 49ers say they were drafting Bulaga?
Did the 49ers tell Iowa’s Bryan Bulaga they were going to draft him before they traded up to snag another offensive tackle, Anthony Davis? That’s what it says in this Green Bay Press Gazette story. The assertion is unattributed, but you’d have to figure it came from Bulaga. Oh, and one other nugget from the article: Bulaga doesn’t like San Francisco. Enjoy your cheese curds.
Steve Bono’s son bringing the lumber
Look who’s batting .468 and hitting scoreboard-clearing home runs for Palo Alto High: Christoph Bono, son of former 49ers QB Steve Bono. No word yet on whether he has faced Elvis Grbac’s son.
Baalke meeting; bring ya popcorn
Director of player personnel Trent Baalke will offer a guided film session for the media tomorrow afternoon in Santa Clara. He’ll be dimming the lights and breaking down the 49ers’ draft picks, showing us what convinced the team to take these guys in the first place. Can’t wait. We should get to meet with some of the new guys later that day.
49ers on TV
Can’t wait until August? You can catch the 49ers’ 1998 season-opening overtime victory over the Jets on NFL Network next week. It runs Monday at 5 p.m. and again Tuesday at 8 a.m. And if you’re really jonesing for some ball, tune in for Iowa Barnstormers vs. Orlando Predators, on the Network this Friday at 5 p.m.
Free 49ers book!
I’m launching the (Not Particularly) Great “We Were Champions” Giveaway. I found a couple extra copies of the 49ers book I wrote in 2001 (published 2002), and am offering signed copies to the first two Niners fans who ask for one in a comment. Yes, it’s way past its sell-by date by now, but hey, those glory years are timeless, right?
Takeo Spikes disappointed on draft day
Takeo Spikes, the 49ers linebacker, likes what his team did over the three-day draft, with one exception: He was sort of hoping the Niners would select his cousin, Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes.
Spander on Franklin Mieuli
Want to get a better sense of former 49ers minority owner Franklin Mieuli, who died Sunday? Check out this story by someone who knew Mieuli well: Art Spander, who has been covering Bay Area sports since just after the 1906 earthquake. It’s a nice read.
Darryl Pollard talks charity
Here’s a quickie interview with former 49ers cornerback Darryl Pollard (1987-1990). Not sure I’d call him an “NFL legend” like the author, but he has some good things to say about charitable giving and personal responsibility.
Rob Rang breaks down Day 3
Here are the comments of NFLDraftScout.com’s Rob Rang on the 49ers’ late-round draft choices of 2010.
Rob Rang breaks down Day 2
Here are the comments of NFLDraftScout.com’s Rob Rang on the 49ers’ second- and third-round draft choices of 2010.
Rob Rang on Davis and Iupati
Here are the comments of NFLDraftScout.com’s Rob Rang on the 49ers’ first-round draft choices of 2010, Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati.
Scout Rob Rang breaks down 49ers’ draft
Before we let go of the draft completely, I wanted to solicit the opinion of a legitimate draft-watcher. Rob Rang, head evaluator for NFLDraftScout.com, is a guy I’ve relied on in the past for honest, insightful analysis. I talked to Rob today and checked off his opinions of the 49ers’ maneuvers.
Stadium score: YES 52, NO 36
In case you missed it, a recent poll conducted by San Jose State University’s Survey and Policy Research Institute shows that 52 percent of likely voters currently favor Measure J, which would construct a 68,500-seat stadium next to the Great America Theme Park in Santa Clara. Only 36 percent of respondents said they were opposed.
