Meeting A Niner

At the recent SF PAL fund raising golf tournament, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting one of the celebrity participants, Donald Strickland, Niner defensive back.  It is always nice to report that one of the home town heroes is a nice guy.  Strickland has a shy demeanor and is a good sport.  He was playing in the event with his grandfather and it was easy to see that the two were truly the best of friends.  As the emcee of the event, I took several liberties to make fun of the hard hitting corner and he took it all in stride.  On the spur of the moment, he even offered an autographed jersey that fetched a handsome price.  As for Strickland’s golf game, he attacks the game the same way he attacks life on the gridiron: he hits hard!  Drives in the neighborhood of 275 to 300 yards are not uncommon for him.  However, as my old pal and former PGA Touring Pro, Moon Mullins, once told me, “There are only two things in golf; straight and distance.”  Take it from me,  Strickland is half way there. 

Toodles,

MJ

J.T. O’Sullivan?

Allright, I admit open competition is a good thing.  But according to what Iread in the paper today, J.T. O’Sullivan has an equal shot to be the Niners starting quarterback?  Please!  He played Division II, albeit well, it was still Division II.  The Niners are his eighth team.  If these credentials qualify him to have a shot as our opening day signal caller, we’re in trouble.  And since Shaun Hill didn’t take a snap in his first six years in the league, I think Alex Smith is in the saddle opening day.  The Niners have 49 million (about 25 guaranteed) invested in Smith.  How will it look if he doesn’t start.  I know if I was the owner I’d be asking questions if he didn’t.

MJ

Bad Niner Mojo………….

So, I open the paper this morning, and see two Niner stories that both are in the not so good category. First, David Baas, who FINALLY won a starting position in the second half of last year, tears a pectoral muscle pumping iron, and will miss the entire 2008 exhibition season. Hopefully for Baas, Tony Wragge, Jeb Terry, or some draft pick we don’t know about, won’t step up and put Baas back on the pine. Unlikely, perhaps, but Baas had to work much harder than anticipated to become a starter, and now unfortunately he’s become vulnerable. Then there’s San Francisco native Donald Strickland who got a nice Free Agent re-sign opportunity from the Niners. He’s been “summoned” to court for public intoxication and resisting arrest at a nightclub in San Jose a couple of weeks ago. Ah, Don……………………………..what are ya thinkin’? Strickland is far from a lock to make the ball club at the DB position, thus getting in trouble off the field isn’t exactly high on the judgment scale. Actually the Niners have been quite intolerant to this kind of behavior, so hopefully Mr. Strickland will have his day in court, do what he has to do, and get back to being a full time professional athlete.

MN

Is Larry Allen coming back?

I’m wondering if the great warrior is going to try and come back for year 16, in 2008? Do the Niners want him to? Maybe last year was indeed his swan song, and it’s time for him to stretch out on the couch, and wait for the call from Canton. 

So, if the Niners hit the field tomorrow without #71, I guess journeyman Tony Wragge, or newly acquired FA Jeb Terry from Tampa Bay would line up at left guard? Terry is a big dude at 6′5″, 311 lbs (the Niners have him listed on their website at 511 pounds, but I’m pretty sure that’s a typo).  He (Terry) has been an on and off starter for the Buccaneers after being drafted by them in the 5th round of the 2004 draft out of North Carolina. I think it would be just dandy if the Niners could find another Joe Staley in this draft, but it seems all the touted OT’s (Michigan’s Jake Long, Pitt’s Jeff Otah, Bosie State’s Ryan Clady, and Vandy’s Chris Williams) will be history when the Niners pick at number 29. 

My esteemed colleague Mitch Juricich likes OT Gosder Cherilus from Boston College, but is he a first rounder, and will he drop to the bottom of round one? Some mock drafts say yes. Personally, I would pick him just for his name! At some point in time it’s gonna be advisable to get Adam Sndyer at Guard, as this is where his skills are probably more aligned at the NFL level. Will this be the year? We’ll have to wait and see what happens to Mr. Allen, and what the upcoming draft holds in store.  

MN 

Addios Senor Jackson

The recent acquisitions of Isaac Bruce and Bryant Johnson was a clear sign that changes in the Niner WR corps were coming, and that happened when Darrell Jackson was released. Even though the Niner QB game wasn’t exactly “Brady-esque” last year, Jackson dropped way too many passes thrown his way, and seldom came up with a tough catch. Right now the Niners would probably line up with Bruce and Johnson as their starting wide outs. I think Mike Martz will find ways to get Bruce open, as was so often the case in St. Louis, even though he’s probably lost a step. I like Johnson a lot. He’s played under the shadow of Anquan Bolden and Larry Fitzgerald with the Cardinals, but this former 2003 number one draft pick (#17 overall), from Penn State, can catch the ball, and is a big target at 6′3″, 216 lbs.  If Martz can get Ashley Lelie’s attention, which is a big question mark to say the least (I was going to say question martz, but that would have been too easy), and Arnaz Battle can be an effective third receiver, who knows, maybe the Niners will  be able to put some pressure on opposing defenses in the passing game, something that was 100% non existant in 2007. Oh, but then there’s the issue of who is going to consistently get the ball short and deep to these guys? That’s another story altogether………….

MN 

Isaac Bruce will look good in any number . . .

I, for one, am glad Isaac Bruce will not be wearing No. 80 at “The Stick” this fall . . . Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled that he’ll be in a Niners uniform, but I’m just happy it won’t be No. 80 . . . No. 80 should be retired, just like the numbers of all those other great Niners of “yesteryear” are retired . . . San Fran has retired 10 numbers in all over the years — led by Nos. 16, 42 & 87 . . . now all the club has to do is add No. 80 . . . AND . . . No. 8 . . . and then they can put the brakes on retiring jersey numbers for awhile . . . just as Joe Montana made No. 19 his own when he moved on to Kansas City . . . I think just about any number will look good on Isaac this fall . . . just NOT Jerry’s!  

– JayDub