Don't Be Silly - You Won't See Moss in San Francisco

Straight cash homey!  The man who popularized this brilliant catch phrase, Randy Moss, is reportedly considering his triumphant return to the football field.

Joel Segal, Moss's agent, told the Boston Herald about Randy's revelation.

"Randy and I have discussed [the options]," Segal said. "He still has his fire and he's looking forward to playing football.  He's excited."

Good for him.  Perhaps the 34 year old wide out does indeed have something left in the tank; something he could utilize to help a team bolster their offense.  But is that team the San Francisco 49ers? My answer - indefinitely, hell no.

Moss was certainly a prolific playmaker in his day.  His career stats speak for themselves: 954 catches, 14,858 yards, 153 touchdowns.  But if you take a closer look, Moss's performance on second tier football teams - or more specifically with second tier quarterbacks - leaves much to be desired.  In two years with the Oakland Raiders Moss had 1,558 yards and 11 touchdowns - numbers that were skewed by a more successful first year when his motivation was higher.  His second year in Oakland - 2006 - marked a significant drop in his production, correlating to the fact that the team was going nowhere fast.

More startling perhaps was the drop in production for 2010, the last year of Moss’s career.  He played for three (yes, THREE) teams in the 2010 season - the Patriots, the Vikings and the Titans.  The entire season amounted to 27 catches for 393 yards and 5 touchdowns.  Moss's greatest motivation to produce was probably in New England, but there had to be a reason that they didn't want him or they wouldn’t have handed him the pink slip.

Now the veteran wide receiver, after an entire year away from football, is making noise about wanting to return in true TO'esque fashion.  He has dropped bait in hopes that teams will give him a nibble, but if his fate is anything like Owens’, no one will bite.

Let's dispel the Moss to the 49ers talk now.  San Francisco doesn't like to take chances on problem children.  They took a risk with Braylon Edwards and it didn't end well.  For one reason or another, receivers with checkered pasts and attitude problems simply do not succeed in the Bay Area and Braylon was the most recent evidence of that.  Throw into the mix that Alex Smith would be the man playing catch with Moss and you have a recipe for one extremely disgruntled wide receiver.

Even if Moss did still have something in the tank - which I suspect he doesn't - this is not a move that Trent Baalke will make.  Baalke's formula for signing talent is a low risk one, and Randy Moss comes draped in red flags.  Baalke probably won't even field a phone call from Moss's agent.  Case closed.

What the future holds for Randy Moss is something we can only speculate, but San Francisco is definitely not a fate that Moss will realize, regardless of whether or not he wants to be here.  Most NFL GM's won't be willing to take the risk either. Yet and still, Moss wants to play and I suspect that he'll try.

My guess is that Moss's career future will be similar to Terrell Owens.  That is, the Allen Wranglers are calling:  I hear they're looking for a little more depth at the wide out spot.

Making sense of Matt Cain's Pants



Most of my writing gets done in the early hours of the morning, sitting on a frost covered bench at the dog park.  It's one of the few opportunities during the day when I can sit in complete silence and privacy to put together a story, pecking away at my iPhone while my dog digs for China in the distance.

It's also a time, though, where my thoughts don't always make sense.  The dog park is where I post Facebook status updates with little or no meaning; where I send out foolish tweets that I wish I could take back.  I am not fully awake at these times; my brain doesn't function properly.

So it would make sense that I'd try and draw a line between Matt Cain's pants and his career desires at this time.  More conceivable connections have probably been made off of two hits of acid.  And yet here I am, completely sober, and I will now attempt to make some sense of Cain's attire while at the same time delivering comfort to the Giants fans who follow me.

Much was made last year about the news that Matt Cain had put his house up on the market.  Media pundits speculated and Giants fans broke into a cold sweat over this tidbit.  A handful of different explanations were offered - Cain is going to be traded!  He's sick of San Francisco!  He's so tired of the lack of run support that he's already hunting for a flat in the greater New York area!

If you are all allowed to draw such conclusions, then I feel that I have the similar right to ponder his pants.

Matt Cain, usually flat and stoic in his demeanor, showed up to the 49ers-Giants charity shoot out at Pebble Beach in a pair of Loud Mouth slacks.  The most flair that we  have ever been exposed to from Cainer was probably his playoff 'fro - the white boy's answer to Dr. J's hair style.

And suddenly here we are, watching the Giants pitcher stroll the links wearing orange, black and white checkered pants, letting it all hang out.  What does it all mean?

I'll tell you what it means - Cain is finally letting his hair down!  Baseball season is on its way, and Cain is getting mentally prepared for 162 days of straight business.  This is one of his last opportunities to relax and have fun, because the real work will soon begin.

Cain usually shows little emotion, both on the mound and in the dugout. He never gets too high or too low.  He has a short memory - that's why it's possible for the guy to lose 2-1 and then come out the next outing with complete amnesia and again be lights out.

But when it comes to pitching, Cain has very little fun, or at least that's how he wants us to perceive it.  Pebble was an opportunity to show us, "hey, I can have fun too." The cherry on top of the cupcake was the orange, black and white diamonds, giving us all a reason to take a deep breath.  Cain loves the San Francisco Giants, and the pants are our reassurance.

Matt Cain is in no hurry to get a contract done: he is sure that in the next few months the Giants will come up with a fair contract extension.  It's not about money or run support or records with Matt - he's all about being loose and fancy free!  Just give him what's fair and he'll find a way to return the favor.  Not to worry, Giants fans, Matt Cain isn't going anywhere for a long, long time.

See?  If you want to connect two far-fetched dots, then I can do it too. The correlation between Matt Cain's real estate ventures is as indicative of his mind state as his choice of leg wear is.  Seeing Matt Cain let loose on the golf course through trousers was a window into his psyche, and by-golly, I'm going to milk that for all it's worth.  Call me crazy, but I see a deal getting done soon.  Let's hope that the next time Matt Cain is seen out on the town, he'll be wearing an orange and black argyle sweater vest, because that will truly be an indication of a contract in the books.

Why Dumb Athletes Don't Phase Me Anymore



             

                I was just emerging from a weekend of degenerate gambling when the news broke – Aldon Smith had been arrested for a DUI.  My phone started buzzing shortly after the news broke on Twitter, and on the way home from Reno I did a little reading up on the story.  It wasn’t pretty for the 49ers’ first year D-end – He was seen swerving all over the road and blew twice the legal limit when police brought him in. Less than two weeks later I was on my break at work and, yep, more bad news – Ray McDonald arrested for an outstanding warrant.  It turns out that McDonald’s arrest may have been a misunderstanding involving some misfiled paperwork, but it still stemmed from – you guessed it – suspicion of a DUI in 2010.

                So I got to wondering – with all of my rabid fanaticism regarding the 49ers, why was I so indifferent about finding out that half of the 49ers defensive line was getting put in handcuffs?  Shouldn’t I be outraged?  Shouldn’t I be either crying foul on authorities or calling into sports talk radio stations to rip these guys?  Why did I merely shrug this news off?  It stands to reason that I (as both a sports fan and a member of modern American society) am completely desensitized to athletes, celebrities, and legal trouble. 

I could even take it a step further and include “buffoonery” in my desensitization.  The days of athletes modestly handing a referee the ball after scoring a touchdown are long gone.  In fact some of my earliest memories as a sports fan include a certain ex-49ers wide receiver sprinting to the 50 yard line of Cowboys stadium and, well, you get the picture.

 We are experiencing an era of flashy-get your popcorn ready-look at me now superstars.  They’re getting paid more than ever, they’re getting pub’ more than ever and they’re acting a fool.

It came as no surprise that Rob Gronkowski was caught going all Jersey Shore by camera phones following the Super Bowl.  This just happens to be the lifestyle for 22-year-olds all over America, star athletes or not.  Whether he won the Super Bowl or lost it, Gronk was going to party, god dammit.  After all, it’s not like he’s the first athlete to ever go to a club and do something stupid – just ask Plaxico Burriss.

And then you have the matter of Raiders linebacker Rolando McClain pulling a gun on someone while back in his hometown - for his Grandfather's funeral.  Of course!  As long as you're back in your old haunt, you might as well settle some unfinished business.  Coach Jackson will never find out!

I feel like I’m the frog sitting in a pot of slowly boiling water – less and less of this stuff surprises me anymore.  There are certain “character” guys that I would be shocked to see get wrapped up with the law or do something outlandish.  People like Patrick Willis, Matt Cain, Alex Smith or Steph Curry all stick out as upstanding citizens.  We know about their character; however the character of most athletes goes unnoticed, unless of course we find out that they’ve gotten into legal trouble.

I have become numb to the idiotic actions of these dudes – I’ve even come to justify them.  I caught myself thinking this while driving home today:

 “If you’re Aldon, of course you’re going to drive to the club.  You just got paid, you’ve probably got a nice car - you can’t show up on the town in a Taxi!” 

Whether or not that was the reason behind the DUI is completely speculative, but it goes to show the mind state of the modern celebrity – stay lookin’ good until what you’ve done makes you look bad.

The next time an athlete gets caught drunk driving or hustling drugs I have an inkling I’ll be ready for it.  When I see it on Twitter, I’ll probably just shrug.  When it’s mention on SportsCenter, I’ll return to my bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch completely un-phased.  This is the attitude that I’ve decided to take with the athletes that I watch – nothing that they do can shock me anymore.  After all, I might as well prepare myself, because the next athlete that decides to accidentally shoot himself will NOT take me by surprise.

Grading the Bay Area Sports Arenas

Photo Credit: Sharkspage.Com

The votes are in, folks - I've taken to grading each sporting experience offered by the various venues here in the Bay Area.  After a methodical, strenuous period crunching numbers, I have the final results!

Okay, so it wasn't an exact science. I have been to several sporting events at each venue in the greater bay area (if you don't believe me take a gander at the background of this website) so I like to consider myself an expert.  I judged Candlestick Park, O.Co Coliseum, AT&T Park, Oracle Area and HP Pavilion.  Judgment was based under five categories:  accessibility, sell out/crowd enthusiasm, amenities (bathrooms, merch stands, food etc.), cleanliness, on field/court/rink product and overall fan experience.  I rated them on a scale from 5-1 and popped out a winner.  Here we go, from worst to first-

Photo Credit: Espn.Go.Com

5.  Pulling up the caboose in last place is Candlestick Park.  If you read my stuff you know I love this place, but based on the five criterion I had to be objective and honest.

The biggest mark against Candlestick's record is accessibility.  It's well documented that Candlestick is a black hole for automobilist delirium, and nothing is worse than watching your team lose and then having to suffer through an hour of standstill traffic in the parking lot.  Candlestick got the lowest mark here for sure.

Amenities and cleanliness also took a big hit - the place is a dump and the food is awful.  Last time I went I spent 5 dollars to eat a bratwurst served on a waterlogged bun - yuck.

I gave Candlestick a 3 on the "product on the field" scale because although the 49ers impressed this season, I'm not ready to grade them any higher due to the slop that I've witnessed in the previous several years.

Attendance was stellar this year as well, but tumbleweeds were a frequent sight in the last several seasons so I couldn't give it top marks in that category either.  Sorry, 49ers fans, but we all saw this one coming – Candlestick remains the worst.

4. O.co Coliseum - It should be noted that I only judged the coliseum based on Raiders games.  Had I included the Oakland A's in this contest, the coliseum would have plunged all the way to the bottom.

O.co is not much better than Candlestick in most categories - in fact it only beat out the Stick by 3 points, 2 of which amassed from the accessibility category.  The food is as bad if not worse than the Stick, it's scoreboard is the worst in the bay area and it's an overall filthy place. 

On a positive note, the place does seem to rock regardless of how many fans are in attendance and that counts for something.  I'm a sucker for a rocking crowd and an easy exit - that's why O.co slides in ahead of the 49ers cement palace.

Photo Credit: TheBasketballDiaries.Wordpress.Com

3. Oracle Arena - Okay, I promise I'll start spinning a positive angle here soon.  Oracle is a great place to enjoy a basketball game.  The stadium has a very clean, almost newish feel the moment you step inside.  If you've ever been there you've probably smelled that signature bar-b-que sauce odor - that's an Oracle Arena staple.  The food is quality, the bathrooms are clean, the breezeways are made up nicely.

The fan experience is definitely a notch on Oracle's belt - they offer those cool little Facebook check-ins that allow you extra fun after the game.  The commercial break entertainment is always worth a look.  And as far as on-court product?  The Warriors are usually fun to watch, even when they lose, so I gave 'em a middle of the road grade for on-court product.  As it turns out, Oracle Arena ended up in the middle of the road as well.

Photo Credit: Themindofjim.com

2.  The runner up for this contest is AT&T Park.  San Francisco's gem on China Basin always offers a good time for fans.  There's not many bad things to say about where the Giants play, so I don’t have much to rip on.

As far as settings go, you won't find one better than 3rd and King.  Before the game, you can explore the many restaurants and bars surrounding the park to have a few drinks and socialize.  Once inside the park, there isn’t a bad seat to be found.  No matter where you are there's a stunning view to enjoy.  If the game is a bore you can always stroll down the concourse and take in the bay front property.

AT&T offers some of the best food around and I'm not talking about the garlic fries.  I, for one, have never even purchased garlic fries - I fancy the Cha-Cha Bowl myself.  The bathrooms are clean, the stands are clean, the fans are clean.  All good things.

The stadium sells out every game (at least that's what the Giants want us to think) and the place gets electric when it wants to.  The product on the field is always nail-biting, if not downright exciting.  If you know you're way around the city at all you won't have trouble escaping when the game is over so accessibility is a non issue as well.  I don't think I've ever left a Giants game disappointed with my experience, and if it wasn't for this next place, AT&T park would be the king of this contest.

1.  That next place, your winner, is HP Pavilion.  The sad thing is that most people don't know what it's like to enjoy an NHL bout at this San Jose gem.  Truth be told I couldn't help but give HP perfect marks in every category - and I'm a tough grader. Let's go down the list.

Accessibility - Honestly, I could have taken HP down a point for being so far from the greater Bay Area, but that's not HP Pavilion's fault (they're not the San Francisco Sharks, after all).  If you're judging HP Pavilion for being in the South Bay, you're just being a curmudgeon. Get out and live a little.  San Jose is really a cool town - a truly fun place to visit.  It's easy to get to and from HP Pavilion once you’re in San Jose and there's plenty of cheap parking to choose from.  It's nearby good food and night life - enough said.

Sell out and enthusiasm - Every Sharks game is a sell out and they all rock.  Sharks fans are all about their team - they get loud, they're knowledgeable and they're nice people to be around.  Instead of 40,000 mostly disinterested fans, its 17,000 hardcore, passionate people. That's the way I like it.

Amenities - the bathrooms are clean, the breezeways are well dressed and the food is spectacular.  You can get everything from freshly cooked BBQ to popcorn or even a hand carved turkey sando on a fresh sourdough roll.  They even have Dippin’ Dots - I was thrilled with that discovery.  Love the eats at HP Pavilion.

On rink product - I don't need to say much here.  The Sharks dominate their division, they make the playoffs every year and they've been to back-to-back Western Conference Finals. The Sharks are ALWAYS competitive, if not downright dominant.  This is all without saying that hockey is one of the most exciting sports around when it comes to the live experience.  If you've never been to a live hockey game, you don't know what you’re missing.  I'll bet you fall in love with it.

Overall fan experience - Sharks fans feel like they belong to a special club .  They know and love a sport that many people overlook.  But when you come to HP Pavilion you enter a welcoming atmosphere.  There isn't a bad seat in the house and you're guaranteed to have a good time.  Perfect marks for fan experience here.

It was hard for me to rip Candlestick or dethrone what many consider to be the best ball park around, but ultimately HP Pavilion is the best kept secret in the bay.  Obviously you can't do wrong by hitting up any sporting event around here - take it from a guy who's blown tens of thousands of dollars going to games.  But if you haven't tasted Sharks hockey at The Tank, you just don't know what you’re missing.

Frank Gore - The Aging of an All Pro

Photo Credit: FoxSports.Com

I can still remember it like it was yesterday.  We returned to our seats from the halftime masses to watch the third quarter kick off sail into the end zone.  It was the first time I had ever been to a 49ers game with a fan of another team - a Seahawks fan - so we had been bouncing a little jawing off of each other.  The 49ers held a two point lead thanks to one heroic 79 yard touchdown run by Frank Gore, but Seattle was crawling back into it.  The lead was tenuous at best - I was nervous.  Serious bragging rights were on the line.

On first and ten from the 20, Shaun Hill took the snap from center and handed it to Frank, who disappeared momentarily into the offensive line.  Not two seconds later he reappeared on the other side.  A cut here, a cut there and he was gone - 80 yards to pay dirt.

This is what 49ers fans have been accustomed to seeing from Frank for the last six years.  The veteran tail back has always had a knack for slipping through impossible crevices and breaking tackles in open space.  He was an explosive running back with home run hitting capabilities - but he's not anymore.

Call him a work horse, call him a bell cow, but don't call the man soft - Frank Gore has been the heart and soul of the 49ers for the better part of a decade.  In an era of offensive ineptitude, Gore was the bright spot.  Through years of coaches who couldn't tell a slant route from a screen pass, he never spoke a word of protest.

Even when his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, urged Gore to hold out in hopes of getting one final contract, he couldn't keep himself off the field.  After three days of no showing, loyalty overcame greed and Gore was back.  He was awarded a three year 21 million dollar deal, but it should turn out to be more of a "thank you" than a payment for services rendered.

  Frank Gore has missed time with injuries in each of the last three seasons.  Albeit only a few times this season, Gore lost snaps to various knee and ankle issues this year.  In 2010 Frank missed the last several games of the season after suffering a hairline fracture in his hip.  In 2009, Gore missed starts due to a high ankle sprain.  Entire seasons of averaging 25 carries a game seem to have finally caught up to him.

 Frank just didn't exhibit the usual explosiveness in 2010.  Despite splitting carries with Kendall Hunter, Gore was still the centerpiece of the 49ers offense.  However physical deficiencies held him back from exhibiting the explosiveness he possessed in years past.

I was surprised to find out that Gore's second best year as a 49er was 2011.  Although Frank rushed for over 1200 yards this year, his longest run was 55 yards and he didn't seem to possess the same finishing ability that he did in years past.  It saddens me to say that Frank Gore has lost a little more than a step, and given the shelf life of running backs in the NFL, it won't get any better in 2012.

The 49ers all-time leading rusher isn't going anywhere for the next few years and you should expect to see 21 in the backfield for a good portion of next season.  But if I were Trent Baalke, I couldn't be doing any wrong by window shopping some of the running backs available in free agency.  Stud tailbacks like Ray Rice, Marshawn Lynch and Matt Forte will all be entertaining suitors, and although Rice will probably resign with Baltimore, Lynch and Forte will be open to exploring other team's offers.  Lynch's success may be the result of a contract year, but Matt Forte would add some nasty pop to the 49ers run game.  Forte, Gore and Hunter would be a deadly combination - and it would be worth every penny.

If that route isn’t pursued, a serious look should be taken at running backs in the draft.  After several years of running back whiffs (Glenn Coffee, anybody?), the 49ers have found a weapon in Kendall Hunter, but the scat back seems too small to be a feature tailback.  One way or another, the 49ers need a running back for the future.

As Frank Gore's health continues to deteriorate, the 49ers rushing prowess will become more of an illusion than an actual threat.  Even in 2011, the idea of Frank Gore burning you was more real than having him actually doing it.  As 49ers fans, we've reached that moment in a player’s career where it's time to consider moving on from that love affair that we've all enjoyed.  Gore's best years were wasted on terrible football teams, but it hasn't been for nothing.  How many seasons went by when Frank Gore was the only bright spot? How many seasons passed when Frank was the only 49er to crack ESPN's top ten plays?  Frank deserves some help now.  Adding one more sure thing at the running back position might just be the key to easing Frank Gore into retirement the way we all want it -with a Super Bowl ring on his finger.

By Kyle McLorg

@Ruthless_Sports on Twitter

Facebook.com/RuthlessSports

2/8/2012

Oh Baseball, Where Art Thou?

Photo Credit: Inc.Com

February is an awful month for Bay Area sports fans.  The adrenaline-packed NFL season has finally come to an end.  Hockey is in progress, slowly but surely making its march towards the playoffs.  Basketball season is stumbling along clumsily, still hung over from an extended lockout.  One big piece is missing.

Hurry up and get here, Giants baseball.

It's like the best soap opera for a stay at home mother - it's on nearly every day.  You fall in love with that same cast of characters and the drama that ensues.  After a long day of work (or even occasionally during the work day) you can count on Giants baseball to be that distraction from you're problems.  For at least three hours you can find temporary solace in the slow, steady action that baseball provides.

On a Tuesday night when there isn't much to do, you can jump out on a lark and take a trip to China Basin.  With your Giants hat on and a glove in your hand, you can head out to the yard and take it all in.  Even if the game is a snoozer you've spent an evening taking in the sunset on the gorgeous edge of San Francisco's port harbor.

Then there are those weekend day games, sitting in the center field bleachers with the sun beating down. You may have to spend 5 dollars on a watered down lemonade to quench your thirst, but at least you've wasted away another lazy weekend afternoon; one of those where there isn't much better to do.  Maybe you even play hooky from work to catch a Thursday matinee at the park, reminding you of those days as a kid when even your parents thought school was secondary.

There is something mentally soothing about baseball.  The plethora of statistical breakdowns, the methodical nature of scoring runs or collecting outs.  The familiar sounds of Kruk and Kuip or Miller and Flem.  The din of the chattering crowd hanging in the background.  The routine that gets deeply engrained by 162 games of Giants hardball.

In the process, Giants fans will hope for a return to the euphoria we felt in the Fall of 2010.  When the season began, it was just like all the others.  It slowly built to a crescendo and ended with madness.  A city was united - a World Series championship was the prize.

I've said it before - sports are a beautiful distraction - but there is no distraction more consistent, more comfortable, more nostalgic than baseball season.  I love the sensory burnout that football or playoff hockey provides, but sometimes sports should be relaxing.  However anything else, whether its regular season hockey or professional golf, just leaves me feeling empty inside, which explains why February seems to drag on forever.  I need baseball to hurry up and get here already.  I need baseball to save me.

Jim and Alex - Mighty Men, Humble Hearts

Photo Credit: Associated Press

There's no I in Harbaugh and he likes it that way.  The 49ers head coach is not a fan of the spotlight.  Aside from his introductory press conference there wasn't a lot of peacocking in his demeanor.  He always stressed the importance of "the team, the team, the team," and the 49ers played to that formula.  There was no man too big for the San Francisco 49ers - they succeeded and failed as a unit.

So it came as no surprise that Jim Harbaugh was a no show for his Coach of the Year award acceptance.  I imagine that the speech would have been brief and marginally awkward had he decided to make one.  Most of his time on stage would have been spent deflecting the praise and giving credit to his coaching staff and his guys - his "mighty men."

 There isn't a person in the world that thought he wouldn't win that award, and yet Harbaugh's absence was planned.  He had just the man for the job, and that man was Alex Smith.

If two things can be equally true, then Alex Smith is just as responsible for Harbaugh's success as Jim was for Alex's.  Colin Kaepernick has some serious natural abilities, but he was still too raw to start at quarterback for the 49ers in 2011.  The market for quarterbacks in free agency was thin, and yet Alex Smith, who already had his bags packed for a new beginning, decided to give it one more spin in San Francisco.  He worked hard with the team during the lockout, giving the 49ers a head start with Jim's playbook while the coaches were incommunicado.

Smith was efficient and smart in the passing game, making plays when he needed to and in the process leading the 49ers to an improbable season.  He never made that back breaking mistake that would make the 49ers - or Jim Harbaugh - look like fools for sticking with him.

And yet one hand washes the other.  Harbaugh never gave Alex more than he could handle.  The first several weeks of the season featured an extremely vanilla offense while Alex got comfortable in his role.  Harbaugh pushed all the right buttons - only asking Alex to be great when the occasion absolutely called for it.  Alex responded to the challenges when they presented themselves, feeling comfort in Harbaugh's allegiance.  It was a far cry from the days when Singletary's only words of encouragement were "good luck."

In many ways, Jim Harbaugh took no risk hitching his wagon to Alex Smith.  Should he fail, the world would acknowledge that Smith was never really a talented player and the 49ers would move on to something better.  But if Alex succeeded, as it turns out that he did, then Harbaugh is everything that he was advertised to be - a quarterback guru, a master motivator, an elite head coach.

I truly believe, however, that Harbaugh's faith in Alex was genuine.  Their careers as NFL quarterbacks were similar.  They had to overcome improbable odds.  Smith is Harbaugh, Harbaugh is Smith.

So it's fitting that the man who accepted Jim's Coach of the Year award was Alex Smith.  Though most fans will tell you that Alex's turn around couldn't have happened without Jim, Jim might tell you that this season wouldn't have been possible without Alex.  As fate would have it, these two men will now forever be connected. Even if the 49ers go on to eventual glory with a different quarterback at the helm, there will always be a place for Alex Smith in Jim Harbaugh's humble heart.