This is why the lockout won’t matter

The minute it is settled, if you’re a Niner fan, you won’t care what percentage of the revenues the players receive, how much of a financial contribution will be directed to the retired players. You won’t care to read those stories about which side won, which side lost.

Rather, you’ll be thinking about how good this team could be in the NFC West. You’ll be stoked because you will have read stories like this from Matt Williamson of ESPN.

Williamson listed the top five players in the NFC West and three of them were 49ers: Linebacker Patrick Willis at 2, defensive tackle Justin Smith at 3, tight end Vernon Davis at 4.

No. 1 was Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. No. 5 was the only questionable selection, Seattle defensive end Chris Clemens.

If the Niners have the best talent in the division for years but have posted losing records, it’s on the coaches.

So any meaningful story line on the 2011 49ers begins and ends with new coach Jim Harbaugh. Once a good NFL quarterback, who likes Bill Walsh’s West Coast offense, who made Stanford a top five team, Harbaugh still doesn’t have all the pieces to make the 49ers a perennial.

But he has enough of them to make the 49ers a playoff team now. If he doesn’t, Harbaugh will be lumped with Singletary, Nolan et al. . even after one year. 49er fans are tired of waiting.

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