49ers: From 2nd Last to Superbowl

[Gorgoroth 12,950]

I hate the niners and hope they get smashed ??

[Dr. Gonzo 24,214]

3 hours ago, old dee said:

She must be a wonderful wife for you to put up with that lot Dr.

In 1983 ( Feb-March) I was working in the USA and went to a United States league game.

I think the league last 3 years and was played after the NFL finished in late Jan.

I think the game is best on TV, at the game it seems to go on forever with constant stops.

 

 

Donald Trump's USFL

Vince McMahon's XFL is making a comeback next week, lasted one year in the year 2001

I've never been to a live game but I agree, the game is made for TV. The thing I love is the investment they've made in their media, NFL Films have been doing their thing for over 59 years and like MCMahon they had the foresight to save every tape ever recorded. The VFL let theirs rot in channels 7s warehouses until they decided it was too expensive to store and sent it to the top and/or taped over it.

[Dr. Gonzo 24,214]

2 minutes ago, Gorgoroth said:

I hate the niners and hope they get smashed ??

I just hope they score more than 3 points! (Sorry, too soon? ?)

[Dr. Gonzo 24,214]

3 hours ago, Pennant St Dee said:

Patriots fan since getting #73 John Hannah Jersey in 78, so I have had a great run in my lifetime.

Would like to see the Chiefs win.

When you look at the 49ers last season whilst the win loss ratio looks bad, they lost a lot of close games and didn't have Jimmy G for a lot of the year.

So whilst they ended up with the second worst record they IMO were better than a lot of sides and suffered from playing in a strong division having to play the Seahawks and Rams twice.

Ive spoken before about getting lucky in the AFL and bottoming out in the right draft year like the Hawks when they got Roughie and Buddy, well the niners certainly got lucky with the Cardinals wanting a QB and leaving Bosa at pick 2.

I think the niners will defensively be two strong so think you'll be happy Monday lunchtime 

Plus you also have to consider the Andy Reid factor. NFL's answer to Ross Lyon, always the bridesmaid.

[Dr. Gonzo 24,214]

3 hours ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

American football!!!

FMD !!!

Am I alone in saying this is boring bullshite  and I couldn’t possibly ever get sufficiently [censored] enough to waste my time watching it?
 

Used to think that but I've grown to love it, only sport in the world that can compare to (or best) Aussie rules. It's like chess on grass the tactical game is absorbing. Throw in the physicality and the off-field/ list management aspects and it's got most bases covered in terms of interest from a fans perspective.

[Gorgoroth 12,950]

28 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

I just hope they score more than 3 points! (Sorry, too soon? ?)

Me too, last year was horrible. Neither side scoring TD’s for 3/4 didn’t lend itself to a good game.

 

ps, I have been on KC as my SB tip since pre season.

pps, stuff the niners! ?

Edited February 1, 2020 by Gorgoroth

[Caligula's cohort 1,014]

I've been Texans fan for the past decade. They are the team of the red and the blue, so I figured I'd jump on board with them. I'll be cheering on the 49ers and hoping the Dees can emulate their success in 2020. 

[Forest Demon 4,681]

American football is rubbish. Saw a graphic the other day that showed basically 1/20th of action with the rest split between nothing happening and commercials. I like basketball but their football is rubbish.

Edited February 1, 2020 by Forest Demon

[John Crow Batty 8,863]

The only sport where a play starts with the quarterback fiddling around with a bent over teammates bum and ends up with the ball. Weirder than those bum cheese sniffers from that other code. 

Edited February 1, 2020 by america de cali

[Diamond_Jim 12,578]

2 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Used to think that but I've grown to love it, only sport in the world that can compare to (or best) Aussie rules. It's like chess on grass the tactical game is absorbing. Throw in the physicality and the off-field/ list management aspects and it's got most bases covered in terms of interest from a fans perspective.

Slow I agree but it's the perfect TV game. The permutations are relatively limited and therefore the TV camera angles are second to none.

Best watched on replay with the ff button. Harder to do these days without knowing the scores in advance.

Go Skins

[Dr. Gonzo 24,214]

18 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Slow I agree but it's the perfect TV game. The permutations are relatively limited and therefore the TV camera angles are second to none.

Best watched on replay with the ff button. Harder to do these days without knowing the scores in advance.

Go Skins

I get the arguments about too much down time but when the play is in action it is frenetic. All 22 players involved in the play which means the breaks in play allow for replays of different angles to show you different players/positions you would never have picked up on first view. You could break down one play for 5 minutes if you had the time/inclination.

To be honest I prefer that to basketball where there is (relatively) constant play but just end to end scoring. Then you get to the last 2 minutes and it can last for 15 minutes or longer due to deliberate fouls/timeouts. I still like basketball but I don't love it like I do the NFL. It feels like you only really need to watch the last 5 minutes of each game. There are too many games which is another issue. 16 game season in the NFL which means pretty much every game counts.

NFL also has a majority of its games on a Sunday - for those who only want action you could give Red Zone Channel a try, skips around between the 8-10 games all being played at the same time depending on where the action is/who is about to score. Due to time constraints that's how I watch most of my American football.

[old dee 23,788]

4 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

I get the arguments about too much down time but when the play is in action it is frenetic. All 22 players involved in the play which means the breaks in play allow for replays of different angles to show you different players/positions you would never have picked up on first view. You could break down one play for 5 minutes if you had the time/inclination.

To be honest I prefer that to basketball where there is (relatively) constant play but just end to end scoring. Then you get to the last 2 minutes and it can last for 15 minutes or longer due to deliberate fouls/timeouts. I still like basketball but I don't love it like I do the NFL. It feels like you only really need to watch the last 5 minutes of each game. There are too many games which is another issue. 16 game season in the NFL which means pretty much every game counts.

NFL also has a majority of its games on a Sunday - for those who only want action you could give Red Zone Channel a try, skips around between the 8-10 games all being played at the same time depending on where the action is/who is about to score. Due to time constraints that's how I watch most of my American football.

Your wife lets you watch US. Sport! She is a definite keeper.

Some sports are better on TV and others better live at the ground / court.

US football way better on TV, Aussie rules is way better live, 

Basketball the sport I love is way way better live, tv shrinks the court too much and makes the ring look closer to the ground than it really is. I used to be a Tigers member and went to games for 25+ years then they took away my team and I now have little interest. For me it is at the games or a results highlight package.

[DemonDave 1,089]

Had no idea there were so many other Niners fans on here!

The turnaround this year has been fantastic to watch,  they've built this team from the ground up starting with the defensive line,  Bosa, Armstead, Thomas &  Buckner in the draft and adding Ford this year has been huge.

I'll be wearing my Jerry Rice jersey and heading to highpoint hotel

[old dee 23,788]

6 minutes ago, DemonDave said:

Had no idea there were so many other Niners fans on here!

The turnaround this year has been fantastic to watch,  they've built this team from the ground up starting with the defensive line,  Bosa, Armstead, Thomas &  Buckner in the draft and adding Ford this year has been huge.

I'll be wearing my Jerry Rice jersey and heading to highpoint hotel

They don't come much better than Mr Rice!

[Sideshow Bob 2,371]

Yep can add another Niners fan here.

Had the same letterman jacket as demonland since visiting in '84. Montana and Rice won me back then and haven't wavered since. 

Niners 76ers and Dees - good year for a trifecta ?

[Megatron 886]

Detroit Lions fan here and massive NFL fan. Love the game. Late last year I went to Detroit and Chicago Bears game on Thanksgiving Day. Man, Ford Field is an amazing stadium, 2 days later went to Michigan vs Ohio State at the Bighouse. Over 112,000 people and then A few weeks later went and saw the Pats play the Bills at Foxboro in week 16. In each game you don’t sit down for the entire game. The atmosphere is  unbelievable but it’s totally different to a game here. 
It’s unbelievable the turnaround the 49ers have achieved in the space of 12 months but they were ready to explode. Nick Bosa is an absolute animal and a generational talent. I just hope Chase Young falls to 3 for the Lions to grab him but I’m not holding much hope. 
I’m picking the 49ers to win but hoping the Chiefs get up as it’s been so long for them.

It’ll be a cracking game.

[bandicoot 1,395]

The real question is what did the niners do over the last 4 years to get them into this position? 
 

what were the coaching appointments? who was in charge of the front office? what list changes did they make and who did they recruit in the draft???

Back to the AFL I’m still in awe of Richmond. The club under hardwick was a basket case for the first 4 years and then they become unstoppable... who led this change? 

 

Edited February 2, 2020 by bandicoot

[Pennant St Dee 13,173]

1 hour ago, bandicoot said:

The real question is what did the niners do over the last 4 years to get them into this position? 
 

what were the coaching appointments? who was in charge of the front office? what list changes did they make and who did they recruit in the draft???

Back to the AFL I’m still in awe of Richmond. The club under hardwick was a basket case for the first 4 years and then they become unstoppable... who led this change? 

 

I heard a reporter say the other day only 3 players remained from the roster when they made their initial coaching change.

Their coach actually selected the General manager which is the opposite to what usually occurs 

 It would seem the off field chemistry has set the right environment 

Having said all that this is not unique in the NFL, both the Rams and Falcons have made Superbowls in the last decade after having poor seasons 2 to 3 years before. 

Very even competition which makes the Patriots achievements so much more impressive in the salary cap era

[hardtack 10,537]

17 hours ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

American football!!!

FMD !!!

Am I alone in saying this is boring bullshite  and I couldn’t possibly ever get sufficiently [censored] enough to waste my time watching it?
 

Couldn’t agree more! I’d rather watch paint dry.

[Watson11 2,240]

1 hour ago, bandicoot said:

The real question is what did the niners do over the last 4 years to get them into this position? 
 

what were the coaching appointments? who was in charge of the front office? what list changes did they make and who did they recruit in the draft???

Back to the AFL I’m still in awe of Richmond. The club under hardwick was a basket case for the first 4 years and then they become unstoppable... who led this change? 

 

They did a rebuild via the draft mainly and focussed on defenders first.  Shanahan has led the rebuild and had a good assistant coach record, but as an offensive assistant.  But every team at the bottom has tried rebuilding so doing it is not easy.  The 49ers used most of their high draft picks on defence which goes against the grain a bit.  This year it has really clicked and paid dividends and their defence is unbelievable.

Their offensive team is good without being great.  They run more than pass which is safer (less turnovers), whereas Kansas will pass more than run.  The 49ers really rely on getting the ball back in good positions on the field and have done it really well.  The turnaround has been faster than expected.  Most preseason pundits had them at 10 Wins best case, 4 worst, and 6-8 likely. Then they got off to a flying start and the confidence just grew.

[DeeSpencer 25,687]

1 hour ago, bandicoot said:

The real question is what did the niners do over the last 4 years to get them into this position? 
 

what were the coaching appointments? who was in charge of the front office? what list changes did they make and who did they recruit in the draft???

Back to the AFL I’m still in awe of Richmond. The club under hardwick was a basket case for the first 4 years and then they become unstoppable... who led this change? 

 

1. Hired a phenomenal coach in Kyle Shanahan who had done a long and varied apprenticeship in many spots but hadn't got the credit he deserved due to concerns about nepotism, youth and failure to see how well he did in bad circumstances.

2. Paired him up with a former player and TV broadcaster as GM in John Lynch who was Shanahan's preferred hire. Together they've made plenty of mistakes but they've also stuck fat to a proven philosophy - invest in the big bodies who move the trenches and in good culture guys. They've gone after the guys who fit the coaches system and vision.

3. Got lucky in a few ways. 
a) didn't rush in for a QB and instead traded for Jimmy G at quarterback when he became available and got him cheaply because the Pats wanted him to go to a good home
b) had Jimmy G miss most of last year and so without a starting QB they were very competitive but not winning, thus got the number 2 draft pick and took Nick Bosa who has made immediate impact.
c) picked up a gun ageing player in Richard Sherman when he was keen to be in the Bay Area

The lessons for an AFL side I think are:

1. Find a coach with a proven record and a vision
2. Stick to that vision - use it as a recruiting advantage and invest in the culture
3. Make your own luck!

The Chiefs are actually somewhat more like Richmond because they live and die based on speed and are taking the speed and spread to a new level. The 49ers are a power based team. Everything they do is based on dropping bodies, but not in a dumb run straight in to a wall way, but in using angles, motion, predictability etc to get guys out of position then sitting them on their backsides.

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,817]

Very interested in this super bowl as finally the Patriots aren’t participating. Kind of akin to 2016 when the AFL grand final didn’t involve Hawthorn which was a breath of fresh air.
 

Couldn’t care less who wins tomorrow, just hope it goes down to the wire.

I’ve been to a couple of Seattle Seahawks games in 2009/2010 and the atmosphere was electric. Fans spend most of the game standing. Cheapest seat was $50 in the nose bleeds. Contrast that to the next door neighbour Mariners (baseball) where you can score a seat for $10 and the product and recent record is more woeful than the Dees.

 

Edited February 2, 2020 by Bring-Back-Powell

[daisycutter 29,613]

29 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Very interested in this super bowl as finally the Patriots aren’t participating. Kind of akin to 2016 when the AFL grand final didn’t involve Hawthorn which was a breath of fresh air.
 

Couldn’t care less who wins tomorrow, just hope it goes down to the wire.

I’ve been to a couple of Seattle Seahawks games in 2009/2010 and the atmosphere was electric. Fans spend most of the game standing. Cheapest seat was $50 in the nose bleeds. Contrast that to the next door neighbour Mariners (baseball) where you can score a seat for $10 and the product and recent record is more woeful than the Dees.

 

not surprising really with 8 home games vs about 80 home games......supply and demand

[old dee 23,788]

14 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

not surprising really with 8 home games vs about 80 home games......supply and demand

For the vast majority of Americans it is a TV game dc.

[george_on_the_outer 7,590]

Best day of the year to go skiing is Superbowl day.  Everyone, and I mean everyone is inside in front of the TV, and the slopes are all to yourself...and the few disgruntled towies sitting in the cold!