electric cars

The other day, there was an article about a new electric car called the Triac. I love the idea of electric cars and anything that reduces our dependence on oil and reduces the pollution generated by combustion engines, although I am wary of whatever other problems and challenges may arise as a result. In the case of electric cars, I wonder: what becomes of the batteries after they have outlived their usefulness? is electricity easily enough generated to recharge these vehicles? But all in all, it seems to be the right direction in which to go.

In my case though, I'm afraid that I'd be too self-conscious to drive around in a vehicle as conspicuous as the Triac - it's awfully unique looking. Perhaps someday when there are many more on the road, I'd be comfortable being seen in one, but I know that for awhile, vehicles such as that would get many looks and nearly just as many people pointing. The Prius is unique enough; why can't hybrid/electric cars be designed to look more traditional?

Now in my Utopian vision, I'd be okay if everyone drove around in electric vehicles. Then I wouldn't stand out for driving something that looked so odd, and wouldn't it be nice if we all drove cars that didn't spew smog into the air and weren't such a big part of our dependence on foreign oil (and all the political and war-related conflicts that come with that?). As long as they are safe to drive around and aren't worse for our environment than cars already are... including after they are put out to junkyards, the aforementioned used and dead batteries, etc. the world could be a better place. Maybe someday, the technology will be such that electric vehicles will be large enough for practical uses such as moving trucks and cement mixers - I know a lot of people would take one look at an electric car and think, "What can you get done with that?" It's a good start though.

tears and sniffling

Last night was the annual Kennedy Center Honors - at least the broadcast on television was; they actually took place earlier this month. And just like every year, I found myself welling up with tears. I just love these kinds of tributes.

In one instance, a moment reminded me of something else entirely, but this show does that to me. During the tribute to Oprah Winfrey, her partner Stedman, who was sitting behind her, leaned forward and put his hands on her shoulders. I thought he was about to rest his head on her shoulder (well, realistically he wasn't going to) - and it brought me back to when my mom was in a wheelchair in her last year with us, after she had suffered a stroke and also had brain cancer. To prop her head straight up, I sometimes found myself sitting behind her tiny wheelchair and placing my head upon her shoulder; she would then lean her head next to mine. I was fearful of putting too much weight upon her shoulder and wouldn't do this for too long, but now that she has passed on, how I wish I could do so again. Anyway, this was a moment I found the tears welling up - in fact, they are welling up as I type this.

There were other moments I found myself getting emotional during last night's telecast, not so personal in nature, but still touched all the same. The tribute to Paul McCartney was quite special, and I really enjoyed the performances. They did a nice job with the video too - when so much has already been done to honor the Beatles, how can one possibly create something new? But they managed to.

I found myself wondering last night how much of the show was shown on television and whether the performances were actually longer at the time they occurred. Did Chris Rock's comedy bit for Oprah last longer but was edited for TV? He was funny, and it seemed to be too brief.

Week 16 - 49ers vs. Rams

Well, a loss isn't just a loss, but a new regime for the 49ers... Mike Singletary was let go as head coach of the team after yesterday's game. In losing to the St. Louis Rams, the Niners were officially eliminated from playoff contention which was tenuous at best anyway. Considering it was highly unlikely that even had the Niners made the playoffs that they would have gone very deep, it was probably for the best future-wise.

Will I be rooting for the 49ers to win next week's game? Of course I will! I rooted for them to win yesterday - it's instinctive. "You play to win the game" - Herm Edwards.

It will be an interesting time watching a new head coach on the sidelines and I wonder where the team's emotions are going to be. Will they play more loosely and driven? On the other hand, just like yesterday, there will be an easy fall-back going on in my mind... if they lose, I can't help but think, it could only help their draft status in next year's draft. And next year, there is likely to be a clear cut number one choice, Andrew Luck of Stanford (should he choose to leave school early). He is a prospect at quarterback, the likes of which isn't seen too often. For the 49ers to have even the remotest chance of drafting him, the stars would really have to align (Luck declaring this year, draft day trades, etc.). Then again, with the season yet to finish, any thoughts are wayyy too premature.

Strange how much things can change in just the course of one season. I can still picture in my mind a team function that was put on for the fans before the season began. It was team president Jed York, Coach Mike Singletary, newly appointed man in charge of the draft Trent Baalke, and one or two others on stage for a sort of team pep rally. And Coach Singletary got the most rousing ovation - I think many fans stood up and clapped for him (I watched on television). After an 8-8 season and expectations of even more improvement, it was such a time full of promise and visions of a team headed for greatness...

And then the team crashed and burned. And Singletary fired before the end of the season.

I watched today's press conference that featured Jed York making the formal announcement of Singletary's firing and the promotion of coach Jim Tomsula to interim head coach. And I remain impressed with Jed York as the leader of the team, his resolve and poise in the face of difficult circumstances. Throughout this tough season, many people have blamed him most of all for the team's difficulties. But I can see his desire to improve the team and make the right choices; he's still learning on the job himself. And most of all, for my own peace of mind at least, I can see a lot of his uncle Eddie DeBartolo, Jr. in him. As long as Jed doesn't go crazy and want to change the team logo, I am confident things will turn out all right!

commercialism

Well, okay, I actually mean too many commercials. Kind of both.

There are special edition DVD's of 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' out and I have wondered what scenes in the show I haven't seen in years. Because as the years have gone by, more and more time has been allotted to commercials whenever it's been broadcast on network television.

Which is just a bit ironic since the story is about how the Christmas holiday has gotten too commercial for Charlie Brown.

Week 15 - 49ers vs. Chargers

What can I say? The 49ers aren't good enough to beat teams with winning records - that's already been said. And yet it's also been mentioned time and again that the 49ers still have a chance to win the NFC West - only now, it will depend on division rivals losing some of their games... it's not up to the Niners themselves. And if the Niners were to win the NFC West, it would be with a losing record of 7-9. Heck, there's still a chance they finish the season at 5-11.

At this point, I wouldn't want them to go to the playoffs with a losing record, it's just not right. There are other, better, more deserving teams from more competitive devisions that should go instead. An 8-8 record I was okay with for the Niners making the playoffs, but not a losing record.

Eying the future and next year's NFL Draft, even if the Niners were to qualify for the playoffs, they would no longer select in reverse order of their finishing win-loss record, but would be tiered in with the group of teams that qualified for the playoffs and then in order of elimination. Does that make sense? It goes something like that from what I've heard.

Last night was a team loss. It wasn't all on the quarterback; it wasn't all on the lack of pass rush or the secondary. Key plays weren't made (whether it's a nicely thrown pass or a gift-wrapped interception opportunity: Catch The Ball!), and the team overall wasn't good enough to overcome them. The offensive line seemed out of sync. In fact, the entire team appears out of sync, coaching and game-planning included. One of the announcers said that San Diego head coach Norv Turner can find a way to get a player open on every pass play - with all their talent, why can't the 49ers do the same? Why can't a match-up nightmare like Vernon Davis get open? Are the Niners so easy to game-plan for and defend? If they can't beat any team with a winning record, how could they possibly beat a playoff team?

Some people have stated that this has been the worst stretch of seasons for the 49ers ever, precisely because their expectations are higher having won 5 Super Bowls... that it was easier to take their losing in the 1970's because they weren't expected to be good. I disagree. It's much easier for me to cope with the current downturn of the team because I can always look to the 5 Super Bowls (I had to mention that phrase again!) and all the great memories the team has given me. They're far better off than the teams that are struggling and have struggled for years and don't have multiple championships under their belts. Although I sure as heck am embarrassed by their level of play right now...

Week 14 - Seahawks vs. 49ers

The 49ers played like a dream yesterday... I sure hope that it was real and it's not still Sunday morning and I'm about to wake up with the game starting later today.

I know what I'm thinking (not what you're thinking, but it could well be the same thing): Why can't they play this well every game? Sometimes I watch other teams' games, just to watch some well-played football; well, yesterday the Niners were the ones playing good football. I feel like I'm rambling and that feels good too. The offense looked smooth, the game-planning looked diversified and creative, there was good blocking, if one player wasn't contributing (Crabtree) another one was picking up the slack (Morgan), the defense got a flurry of turnovers, and Alex Smith tantalized us with a glimpse as to why the 49ers drafted him in the first place.

Okay team, and this is a team game, let's see you play like this, say, for the next three games! Because as I understand it, if you win the next three games, you're going to the playoffs regardless of what else happens in the rest of the division. You can actually go 8-8, which is the win-loss record you had last season. And this time, you'll be going to the playoffs. Takeo Spikes is playing with such desire; now, let's see the whole team keep up this elevated level of play and DO IT!

(and to think I was one of those people who thought the Niners should just be playing for next season... while here they are still playing for this season - although ideally they'd be playing for this season and all seasons in the future too, but that's for the front office to worry about).

********

Now for a gripe session: what was up with the FOX Sports telecast of the game? It got so bad that I had to hit the mute button and listen to the radio broadcast. What was so bad about it? I'll tell you: that incessant background music they played over everything except active play between the whistles. That is, during replays, player substitutions, it seemed over everything. I've put up with less than perfect telecasts before, annoying announcers and what-not, but this is the FIRST time I've ever had to mute the game and turn on the radio. What were those producers thinking? As long as I can remember, I've appreciated FOX Sports over the CBS game telecasts for their use of sound, but if this keeps up, I guess I'll have to rely on the radio broadcasts from now on. Even though the radio was around 30 seconds ahead of the video from the TV. No exaggeration, it was close to half a minute ahead. When I first contemplated turning on the radio, I figured the time difference might be a few seconds, but not 25-30 seconds. It was amusing at first, especially since the 49ers were playing so well (I could enjoy what was happening twice), but I'd rather just listen to the TV broadcast. How annoying was it? It reminded me of why I refuse to watch another show altogether.

Moderation, folks, moderation.

football playing patriots

A couple of observations:

First, isn't the name Tedy Bruschi a perfect name? I can imagine that back when he was in college, people would say, "Hey, the party doesn't start until Brewski gets here!" Right? From what I've heard, that's how it's pronounced - like slang for beer. And the name Tedy sounds friendly, like a Teddy bear or something.

Second, actually it's not so much an observation but a memory. Several years ago, I was in Redwood City, eating at an Applebee's (I think). Redwood City is down the peninsula from San Francisco, what I would imagine to be 49er territory. It was once the location for their training camp. So, yes, firmly what should be a 49er fan base. Yet there I was eating at Applebee's in Redwood City and what do I see on the walls? Some sort of tribute to Tom Brady. Framed photographs taking up more and more wall space all dedicated to Tom Brady. Yes, he could and should have been drafted by the 49ers but why pay tribute to him? Then I finally remembered... he's from nearby San Mateo. Okay, okay, fine - go ahead and honor him. But that still doesn't make him a Niner. Mr. Even-Better-Than-Montana. After last night's game against the Jets, that's what people are saying. Blech.

Week 13 - 49ers vs. Packers

Okay, now how to stay positive about the season? It'd be easy to sound like the guy on the radio right now (KNBR) and get down on the team, they stink, blah, blah, blah... [the Niners lost badly] Sure, that'd be the sane, realistic thing to do, but I'm going to try to stay positive about the situation.

First, I think even as people studied the game schedule before the season started that they probably would have marked today's game as a loss. It was a road game against a team that was projected to be very good. So, it's not like today's outcome was a surprise or some sort of let down. Second, let's wait and see how today's other games end up - maybe the Seahawks and/or the Rams end up losing too (although they went into this weekend expected to win their games). But the key to the Niners season is to win each of their remaining games against their division opponents, i.e. they'll have to beat the Seahawks and Rams themselves, plus the Cardinals for good measure. That's a given on their to-do list. And as for their game coming up against the late-season hot San Diego Chargers, even the Raiders (whom the Niners beat earlier this season) are handling them well so far. Unfortunately, the 49ers fate rests largely on how their division rivals fare for the rest of the season, so it's not completely in their hands.

I also have mixed feelings about how good the winner of the NFC West will be heading into the playoffs. I agree that a 7-9 (for instance) win-loss record for a division winner is kind of screwy. The way I understand it is the division winners host the first week of the playoffs. If that's true, then not only will the winner of the NFC West make the playoffs over more deserving teams with better records, but they will be playing at home too. But oh well, I can't be worried about that. And besides, whether it's the 49ers or not, a win in the first week of the playoffs should just about atone for which team has the better record. Not likely though, especially for the 49ers. Still, you never know...

So what it comes down to, and taking it week by week, is the 49ers go into next week's game in a must-win situation; they lose that game and the season will absolutely be a lost cause. Will they mathematically be eliminated? I don't know. But it's been amazing having a 4-8 season so far and still hear talk that the Niners are still in it, that going into this weekend, they were still only one game out of the NFC West lead. It comes down to next week's game against the Seahawks to determine whether or not they've buried themselves too deep a hole to climb out of. Some would say they already have.

Post-game reaction: I was flipping channels between the Raiders game and the 49ers post-game show. And there was Singletary talking about 'looking at the (game) film' again. In one sense, Singletary is coaching in the right era, because there were many years long ago that there was no game film to depend on. Not like today. Maybe one would have to go back to the days of leather helmets, but there used to be no film to speak of. On the other hand, Singletary is idealizing a game plan that isn't contemporary. Maybe it's the coordinators he has chosen to work with, but it all starts and stops with him. Well, we'll see next week. It's about making adjustments and utilizing the talent on the team to the best of their ability.

I had been thinking about Troy Smith's lack of height being a liability during today's game, especially when he stayed in the pocket, but then I remembered that Michael Vick is roughly the same height, and he's been tearing up the league. But I still feel comfortable with Troy in there. And though today's television announcers harped about the lack of accuracy of Troy's throws, I'm under the impression that Troy throws very accurate passes. He was often off-target today, but I didn't think that that was one of Troy's weaknesses. Time (hopefully will tell), but I still really like the guy's calmness and resolve.

billions and billions? not even close!

I just wrote about this subject on this blog: so small and insignificant, but not really

In today's paper, there is an article called Beyond 'billions and billions' by Seth Borenstein and according to it, a new study says that the number of stars in the universe (give or take, what, tens of billions? - me) is 300 sextillion. That's a 3 followed by 23 zeros. Or, 300,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.

Another way of looking at it is illustrated by Harvard astro-physicist Charlie Conroy: the number of stars in the universe "is equal to all the cells in the humans on Earth."

How's that? Okay, there are about 6 billion people on Earth - now multiply that by the number of cells in the average human body: 50 trillion. And that equals 300 sextillion (according to the article - I didn't double-check this figure).

Which takes me back to the notion of 'little green men' and the idea of 'space aliens.' Now I've never been transported onto an alien ship, nor have I ever seen a UFO... as far as I know. But throughout time, people have been looked upon as certifiably crazy if they ever told anyone that they believed in extra-terrestrial life. Yet with 300,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars in the universe (is that in the 'known' or 'unknown' universe?) and even assuming that the tiniest fraction of those stars have planets that support any kind of life, wouldn't it make more sense to believe that other 'intelligent' life exists somewhere, elsewhere, anywhere out there?

Let's go back to the total number of cells in all the human beings on Earth: say that our sun is represented by a single person on the entire planet. And sifting through ALL the other people on Earth, she's the only person that supports a planet like our own, one that supports life forms. One in six billion people. Now take this one person that supports life forms and multiply her by 50 TRILLION. In our vast universe, isn't it easier to believe that there have to be other intelligent life forms out there? (I'm tempted to put the word intelligent in quotes - can we presume ourselves to be all that intelligent?).

And how does time figure into all this? How long have we humans been at it? Thank goodness we have yet to completely destroy ourselves or our planet - but how far advanced might these other alien beings be compared to us? Maybe space travel was solved by them long ago? Maybe, and I'm stealing a famous line here, "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..."

I've never been a voracious reader (had I been, my verbal score in the SAT would have been much higher), and more to the point, I've never read much science fiction (my verbal SAT score could well have been perfect) - but these concepts of space and time are probably 'old-hat' to the genre. Even as our understanding of space continues to expand.

Week 12 - 49ers vs. Cardinals

Well, the 49ers won! Bottom line - winning. Regardless of whom the opponent is. The Niners could well have lost had they not played a good game... and they played a good game. Bottom line.

Some fans predicted a Niner loss after last week's debacle. And remain unimpressed even with a victory this week. Ahhh... to be a sports fan. I certainly can fall victim to such a supersubjective, superbiased point of view of my favorite team. So here we stand: one game out of first place in the NFC West division. Who cares if our win-loss record is 4 - 7. It may not be nearly the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl, but simply making the playoffs is the fundamental goal. Just ask Takeo Spikes, who has yet to make a playoff appearance in all his years in the league. This is supposed to be his year to make the playoffs, with the 49ers. And it could still happen.

The next opponent? The Green Bay Packers, led by that could-have-been-drafted-by-the-49ers-back-in-2005 quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. At Lambaeu Field. Can the 49ers win? Well, they have shown themselves this season capable of coming close to defeating teams with winning records - but can they win? Not coming within a late-second field goal by the other team of winning (or at least overtime), but actually win? Well, that will be found out next game. Against a winning team and on the road - that's a test the Niners have yet to pass this season.

And this next game will be without heart-and-soul Frank Gore (fractured right hip and out for the rest of the season). Can the 49ers come up with an effective game plan that doesn't include him? Brian Westbrook finally got a chance to play extensively last night - will he be able to duplicate his stupendous level of play against the Packers? How will our beat-up offensive line do? Can the 49ers defense contain the Packers like they did the Cardinals? Okay Niners: don't tell me, show me.

********

Much to-do is now being made about Arizona quarterback Derek Anderson. Television coverage showed him smiling on the sidelines when his team was losing badly to the Niners. Then a reporter called him on it during the post-game news conference, and eventually Anderson blew up and left the room. My take? I'm on Anderson's side. Hey, it's an unduly stressful time for a player to be losing so badly; he and his teammate were probably just trying to relieve some of that stress. It was a 'moment' - they weren't joking around throughout the game. We're all human, and the camera caught him at an easy-to-misinterpret moment. I think it's terribly unfair to attribute a lack of caring to him, and then to badger him about it afterwards. His reaction showed more to me about his passion for the game than sharing what was probably a gallows type of humor on the sideline with a teammate. No one likes to lose and to intimate otherwise stinks.

four years already

Today is a tough day for my family - it is the fourth anniversary of our beloved mother's death. One thing that has been helping is the website that my brother set up for us several weeks ago (and all our relatives - it is set up for all the extended family) to contribute to - primarily photographs... at least those are the most important things to me. This has had me sorting through a vast collection of photographs of our family, mostly from when we were children, back to when our father was still with us too. I find it soothing. Still, I am aware that each person reacts differently to painful events in their lives. One of my siblings and one of my cousins (that I know of) do not like to look at photographs that might stir up thoughts of their loss. I find myself appreciative of anything that reminds me of my mom's presence.

I am reminded of when I was taking a computer class the year after my mother's death. The day came when it was the one-year of her passing and I decided to miss class that day; I came back the next day and described to my classmate why I had been gone. So there we were standing outside the building talking and he told me that his father had died that very morning. He wanted to go to class to take his mind off of the sadness. We all deal with things differently and as best we can.

Week 11 - Buccaneers vs. 49ers

Jingle Bells, Batman smells, the Niners laid an egg...

Yup, the 49ers were shutout at home for the first time in 33 years. Thirty-three years! That's a big zero, zilch, no points, none whatsoever in a 21-0 loss. They never made it into Tampa Bay's red zone. Just once did they get close enough to even consider going for a long field goal. They chose not to.

Going into half-time, I wasn't worried - the Niners were still just down a touchdown, and I told myself that they simply needed to make some half-time adjustments to what Tampa Bay was doing. But yesterday, the team was overwhelmingly overmatched... nothing was working. I couldn't even tell if there were any adjustments made; all I knew was the results were the same. Awful and ineffective.

I'm not an X's and O's guy, and as has been written time and again by the sports media, neither is head coach Mike Singletary. Whether defense or offense, most head coaches have experience as a 'guru' of one or the other; for example, Bill Walsh was an expert when it came to the offensive side of the ball, and George Seifert came from the defensive side. Maybe it's time for 49er ownership to realize that not having an X's and O's guy as head coach is too much of a disadvantage to overcome. As patient as I've tried to be, I can no longer listen to Coach Singletary say that they have to 'look at the film.' Because looking at the (game) film hasn't been doing much good lately, has it? Isn't he able to derive any useful information from watching the games 'live' as they happen from the sideline?

For awhile now, people have been questioning the talent the team has as far as the players go. I still think there are some very good players on the 49ers. They just have yet to be utilized to their full potential. I remain convinced that Michael Crabtree is a star in the making - he simply hasn't been put in the best situations to utilize all that talent. And I don't know what happened to the Troy Smith that we all got so excited about, but I think it had more to do with lackluster game-planning rather than his ability. Maybe he needs more experience looking over defensive sets. But I think the team owes him at least some of the same amount of time to adjust as it has given to Alex Smith. But all in all, it's looking like they're back to Square One and have to undergo yet another 'rebuilding process.'

'Buster' - easy to say and spell

It's no wonder that Buster Posey is so popular among younger fans - his name is so easy for kids to pronounce and also spell. I was thinking the other day, say for instance, that he swapped out his name with teammate Nate Schierholtz. Now that's a tough name even for us adults to spell (did I spell it correctly?); imagine what it would be like for an 8-year old. Compare it to the name Buster Posey.

Staying on the catcher theme, imagine how a generation of Little Leaguers back in the 1970's decided that they wanted to be catchers because of Johnny Bench. That's a name that rolls off the tongue too, it's so (pardon the term) catchy. Going back a little further, I can't imagine that someone with the name Joe Garagiola would capture a child's wonder nearly as much, only because his name is so darned complicated and decidedly not as 'kid-friendly.'

"Johnny Bench"... "Buster Posey"... another awesome name: "Willie Mays"...

Yeah, I know, players can hardly choose their own names, but isn't it something when things work out like that?

the kicker is like the seeker

From what I've read in Harry Potter books (I haven't read them all), I've always thought that the idea of having a seeker position in Quidditch was almost dismissive of the rest of the game; I mean, what about all the tussling and battling that is happening throughout a match... and then it can all be made moot by the capture of a snitch?

Which got me thinking - are there any other sports that are similar? And right away I thought of the field-goal kicker in football. A hard-fought game that goes back and forth for four quarters, endless battles in the trenches between the lineman, acrobatic plays by the skill players, bone-jarring hits by the defense, and it all comes down to... the kicker. All the blood, sweat, and tears being laid out for the better part of sixty minutes, and the game is decided by, yes, the kicker. In quidditch, so much being put on the line by the majority of the team, but oh, yes, 150 points for securing the snitch. Well... okay... I guess. If those are the rules, those are the rules.

The faithful reader(s) of this blog know that I am a 49ers fan. Isn't it time to admit that 'The Catch' is a play that is wayyy overrated? Sure, Joe Montana threw the ball, Dwight Clark caught the ball, but that only tied the game. It was Ray Wersching, the kicker, that actually won the game. Come on, folks, let's give credit where credit is due, the kicker won the game.

It's commonly acknowledged that quarterback Tom Brady is someday going to be a shoo-in for enshrinement into the NFL Hall of Fame. For what?? For him so-called "winning" Super Bowls for the New England Patriots? Well, who actually won those games? Tom Brady? I don't think so... it was Adam Vinatieri, the kicker, who won those games for the Patriots.

I can imagine taking my son to a football game and saying to him, "Look son, the kicker is warming up on the sidelines. See? Yeah, just pay attention to him and ignore what's going on on the field. It all comes down to what the kicker does - the rest of the game hardly matters. He's like the Harry Potter of football!"

And as I'm writing this, I am reminded that the 49ers kicker, Joe Nedney, is injured and will miss this weekend's game against Tampa Bay. Oh boy, let's hope that the outcome of this game doesn't come down to... the kicker.

Week 10 - Rams vs. 49ers

Even after a succession of 'three-and-outs' in yesterday's game against the Rams, I wasn't feeling all that frustrated; the defense was keeping the game close, and I felt that it was just a matter of time before the offense scored some more points.

There really is a comfort level in having Troy Smith play quarterback. Not only does he say the right things during interviews, but he backs it up with his play. I was listening to the radio this morning, and somebody brought up what I have been saying (to myself if not on this blog): with Troy Smith, broken plays are opportunities to make something great happen. He doesn't panic; he's got the elusiveness to avoid the pass rush, he keeps his eyes down the field, and he looks for what's opening up amidst all the mayhem.

And how wonderful is it to see our receivers getting opportunities to make plays deep down the field, or Frank Gore catching wide-open passes on plays that turn out not to have been scripted? When I saw those two critical late game completions I was thinking what a great play call from the booth and it turns out that they were ad-libbed as the offense broke out of the huddle, a matter of Frank and Troy both being on the same page and seeing the same things. And that's what... after only three weeks or so of practicing together? Haven't we been going through entire seasons and off-seasons waiting for such chemistry to develop between Alex Smith and his receivers?

Accuracy. Troy throws catchable balls, usually in stride. Not only were our receivers getting open, but he hits them - you wouldn't believe how far less stressful that is to watch. And even if he throws a 'prayer,' our guys somehow make the play. It's such a shame that his touchdown pass to Vernon Davis at the end of the game was called back, because Vernon made a truly highlight reel catch, leaping up and reaching over the back of the defender and pulling the ball in. It was an awesome play that will be forgotten because the play didn't count. But just in making the throw, Troy gave Vernon a chance to catch the ball, and catch it he did. Another 'catchable' ball from Troy, which only builds upon the confidence among teammates.

Now maybe it's just Coach Singletary being coy with the media as last night he still wouldn't declare Troy Smith the starter for next weekend's game against the Buccaneers, but whether or not Alex Smith is cleared to go health-wise, Troy Smith must be given the chance to start again. Awhile back I too had given up on this season and was stating the 49ers needed to look ahead to what's best for next season. Well, they can now do both - do what's best for next season and beyond, and still make a play for the playoffs this season... all by declaring Troy Smith the starting quarterback.

It's fun watching the Niners again!

the Earth is flat!

Yesterday's blog entry reminded me of one of my all-time favorite album covers - Point of Know Return by Kansas. Besides people getting used to the idea of our planet's place within a greater Universe only several hundred years ago, there was also the concept that the Earth is round... yes, round, like an orange or something. That must have been something to fathom when that idea was first posited - or even now: hmmm... if the Earth is round, then why aren't we leaning to the side, huh, tell me that! Why aren't the people in Australia upside down?

Ahhh... too much to process!

Anyway, the Point of Know Return album cover is a beautiful rendition of what people must have imagined the ends of the Earth looked like not all that long ago...

so small and insignificant, but not really

Okay, I've written about this before but I'll expound upon my thoughts. Because not too long ago I watched a program on television about space and they had graphics that depicted our galaxy and then zoomed further out from that and so on...

There are those whom believe our planet is roughly 4.5 billion years old - I tend towards being one of them. Such discoveries have been relatively recent due to modern science. I've grown up hearing such postulations as humans crossed the land bridge that once spanned the Bering Strait only about 10,000 years ago, and thus beginning the inhabitance of the Americas. And it was roughly 500 years ago that the idea that the earth wasn't actually the center of the universe was started (at least in Europe). It's not difficult to imagine that that's what people thought up until then: one look up at the sky and it was obvious that both the sun and the moon went around the Earth, right?

And now we all know (?) that the earth is just a relatively small planet of several that revolve around our sun, which is a relatively small star in our Milky Way galaxy, a star which is one of billions of stars in our galaxy. Whew! That's a tough one to wrap my mind around. The talk of the concept of being light-years away from something else, such as the nearest star. Which is one of billions... I can't do it, I can't wrap my mind around that.

But then there's more. It's said that the Milky Way galaxy is just one of billions of galaxies. Frankly, millions or billions, unlike money, the distinction is hard to make. Still, yes, that's with a 'b' instead of an 'm.' Have you seen some of those awe-inspiring photographs taken by the Hubble? They've reduced galaxies into clouds of dust, with those 'dust' particles ostensibly representing stars? Could that be right? No, I'm really asking, is that right? And I suppose if it were possible to go out far enough and take a picture, then it could look like the galaxies themselves are reduced to being the 'dust' particles in some large clouds in the universe. What??

And what is this about using the phrase 'known universe' as opposed to the 'unknown universe'? I guess it's science's way of admitting straight off that there could be much more out there that they haven't a clue about. Here's a thought: what if the 'known universe' is one of billions of universes? No, strike that - for now.

So here we are with our earthly mortalities. I've been wondering lately (and hoping it's actually true) that just like our somewhat recent (mere hundreds of years) understanding of our planet and it's minuscule place in the universe, what if our time here on earth is similarly related to our entire existence as spirits? What if our human understanding compared to our total knowledge is also a tiny fraction? We've tended to put a human twist into our attempts to make sense of the meaning of life and death (would God really have us choose sides so as to have winners and losers - an eternal consequence of a choice we make on what could be a very brief sojourn here on earth?).

In addition, I've read about how on 'the other side' there is no concept of time. That's a neat thought. And considering how small we are compared to the universe, who really knows where our time here stands in the entire cycle of life? What if our births here aren't even the beginning of our lives?

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It just occurred to me when I first started thinking like this. It was when our mother was dying that my brother planted this idea in my head - that maybe our lives here are just a small part of our entire existences. Because the thought that her 'life' was simply over was too unbearable for me. And the thought that she could be with our late father again is so comforting. I guess making the comparison to space makes the idea even more, well, awesome!

falling back

Funny how when 'falling back' an hour, I adjust instantaneously, but when 'springing forward' it takes me a week or more to get used to it.

quoting people and typos

When people are interviewed, some of them punctuate their speech with words and phrases such as "um" and the oh-so-common "you know." And whenever there are written words on the printed page, misspellings are most often be attributed to the writer, the editor, the proofreader, etc.

But I was wondering what happens when those words are set between quotation marks? If there are typos and lots of the ubiquitous "you know"s peppered in the text, who looks foolish then?

Firstly, I think that journalists more often than not remove the "you knows" and such from the quotes of whom they're interviewing, and if typos are left in, I think the natural tendency would be for the reader to think the speaker is somehow misspelling their words, and not anything that the writer has done. Does that make sense? For example, if John Q. Doe was quoted as saying "Beleeve me, those idiuts at sity hall don't no wut the heck there doing over they're, their so dum!" - isn't John Q. Doe the one looking language-challenged instead of whomever typed it?

Oh well, thought for the day.

I was too young to go??

My oldest sister sure picked a good year to get into Giants baseball (Tim 'The Freak' Lincecum sparked a little bit of interest last year and Buster Posey sealed it this year) - I've had to tell her it's not always this fun rooting for them. I mean, it's awesome that they've won the World Series and all but there have been a lot of heartaches too. Still, in answer to the question: "How 'bout them Giants?" we can now say, "They're the 'Freak'en World Champions!!!"

She also made the observation that until this year, the last time they won was the year she was born. How serendipitous! I have to wonder why she didn't start following them earlier?

And now I think she has finally begun to appreciate how special it was when she once had her photo taken standing next to Willie Mays...

Here are more details: many years ago, our late father was quite involved with our city's civic activities, and would take part in its 'days at' Candlestick Park. One year (this would be in the mid- to late '60s), he took my two oldest sisters with him to enjoy some time on the field and meeting the players. My oldest sister had no interest in baseball and my other sister had yet to really take an interest, but there they were, each under one of the great Willie Mays' arms, in a picture with him. I had to grow old enough to ask "Hey, why wasn't I there?" which actually answers my own question.

My second to oldest sister remembers seeing my eventual favorite ballplayer, Bobby Bonds, sitting in the dugout. There are certainly those times when it's not fun being the youngest and thinking to himself "Hey - I'm the one who's into baseball!"

I can still picture in my mind the photograph, but I have to find where it is. Wow - Willie Mays, and my oldest sister probably wondering at the time "what am I doing here, and who is this guy?"

The Giants Win the Pennant! The Giants Win the Pennant! The Giants WON the WORLD SERIES!

HOORAY!!! What a rush! The Giants not only put themselves on the verge of winning the World Series, but they went ahead and won it... PERIOD! After putting themselves and their fans through a variety of ways of getting close in past years, they went ahead and took care of finishing business last night.

That's what makes sports so fascinating... it's unpredictable. Underdogs do win. Expect the unexpected. Just prior to the game, two of the announcers predicted that there was no way that the Giants would wrap things up last night, and the series would be going back to San Francisco. Well, looks like they were wrong yet again. No, the Texas Rangers didn't win in five, they didn't win in six, in fact, they didn't win the Series at all - and the San Francisco misfits and castoffs won instead. Nothing against the Rangers - they look like a great group of guys, as do just about every other team in the league. But after over 50 years, it was the Giants' time at long last.

Good pitching beats good hitting. That's probably the point the Giants made most emphatically throughout this postseason. I can remember listening to the radio during the regular season and hearing people saying that the Giants needed to trade a pitcher to get a decent hitter, and the Giants' management steadfastly kept their starting rotation intact. Good thing, wasn't it? Can you imagine a staff without Matt Cain or Jonathan Sanchez?

Speaking of Jonathan Sanchez, much was made of how brilliantly Cliff Lee pitched last night (he did) only giving up a single three-run home run. Well, all told, Sanchez only gave up a three-run home run plus a solo shot himself in Game 3 before being taken out - not his best performance, but still not so bad considering. It wasn't as dominant as Cliff Lee's last night, but not as bad as people have made it out to be. When Sanchez is on, he's as on as the others on the Giants pitching staff, and I'm looking forward to next year - make that the next several years. And I heard another member of the media mention that it should be easier for the Giants to attract the best free agents with a World Series championship and their great pitching staff under their belt. Excellent... most excellent...

Week 8 - Broncos vs. 49ers (London)

Well, that felt good. The Niners second victory of the season! They're 2-6 now - Woo hoo! I'd still say though, that every game from now until the end of the season is a must-win game, especially given the 49ers' clinging aspirations to qualify for the playoffs. Depending on how the other teams in the division do, it's still a mathematical possibility (oh boy, there's that phrase again). Don't you just love math?

Really, though, what I'd really like to talk about is how impressed I was with the play of quarterback Troy Smith. Even when the Niners looked tame and weren't putting touchdown scoring drives together in the first half, I wasn't getting frustrated - I wasn't happy - but nothing too upsetting. Well, except the usual plain-vanilla playcalling. First play on offense: Gore between the tackles. Still, though, there was something assuring about the offense, a presence and feel I got from the play of the quarterback. A poise and assurance... an energy that I don't get when Alex Smith is in there.

Alex, too, is mobile, but Troy was quick and nimble (oh great, now I'm thinking about Jack Be Nimble) - whenever a pass rusher broke through and was bearing down on him, he deftly avoided him and looked to fix a broken play. In just one game, I felt like something good was about to happen out of a broken play. In contrast, when Alex is in there, a broken play means a lost play, a loss of down. With Troy, and especially on that late pass to Delanie Walker down to the 1-yard line... magic!

There's that old adage I've probably mentioned before on this blog that goes something like: "I'd rather be lucky than good." Not that I'm saying that Troy isn't good, but when a quarterback makes a throw like that, it's good to have that special 'whatever' on his side. Even Coach Mike Singletary brought up Brett Favre - whatever that 'whatever' is, he makes plays and on this particular throw, Troy made the play. Delanie made the play. The play was made and it changed the game. Thinking really positively, heck, it may even have changed the season.

Even though Troy stands only around 6-feet tall (height being relative, of course), and looking like Tiny Archibald next to his teammates, he's got an 'it' factor that's been missing from the quarterback position, maybe since Jeff Garcia left the team. Oh I know, I can't let myself get so giddy from one game, but like I mentioned earlier, even when the Niners looked 'blah' throughout the 1st half, things felt more relaxed and not forced.

And then watching the postgame interviews, I can see how the presence of Troy is that of a winner - he exudes trust and confidence. His pattern of speech is 'legato' whereas Alex's is more what I would describe as 'staccato.' I don't know if that makes sense, or even what difference that makes, but if smooth translates better to the field than over analytical, then I'd go with Troy as my new starter. With a bye week next week, we'll see where Coach Singletary stands on this colossal decision for the next game, or depending on whether Alex has recovered sufficiently from his injury.

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On to the Giants! I wholeheartedly agree that baseball is a sport of superstition. I grew up watching baseball as a Bay Area baseball fan, and have rooted for the Giants to win a World Series ever since I can remember. Over the course of a 162-game regular season, I don't write much about baseball, and hesitate to because I don't want to 'change' anything, the vibe and what-not. And with the Giants on the verge of winning their first ever World Series representing San Francisco, I'll avoid stepping on the foul territory lines, and simply say, "Go Giants!"

exciting (and heartwarming) debut

The Warriors just finished winning their second game of the season, over the Los Angeles Clippers. The announcers let us know that the Warriors haven't started a season 2-0 for fifteen years. Hey, it's a start (a Smart start! - sorry, 'Smart'-related puns will be playing out for as long as Keith Smart is the head coach).

In the last couple minutes of the game, I heard a roar from the crowd as one of the Clippers was shooting some free throws. I couldn't figure out why... until they showed who was about to enter the game: Jeremy Lin! It is so fantastic to see how Golden State fans (it was a home game) are supportive of him. And not only supportive, but he generates such buzz. Every time he touched the ball, the crowd cheered wildly. At one point, he went to the floor to fight for possession of the ball and ended up in a jump ball. Against a much, much taller player. And somehow, even though Lin didn't win the tip, the Warriors ended up with the ball. Super! Lin didn't end up scoring his career first points tonight, but I was glad I was able to watch his very first minutes in a regular season game as an NBA player.

On a troubling note, starting point guard Stephen Curry re-injured his right ankle by turning it - let's all hope that he can recover from it as well and quickly as possible. The team looks so smooth with him leading the way.

Week 7 - 49ers vs. Panthers

Paying it forward...

Last week, the 49ers broke out of the winless column and this week, they passed on the favor to the Carolina Panthers so now they have their first win. Another loss for the Niners on a late field goal; remember guys, being close doesn't cut it. There are no points for 2nd place (that's a line from 'Top Gun').

What to do with this team? After putting all their eggs into one basket with Alex Smith, and now he's injured? All the fans that screamed "We want Carr!" in recent home games - you got what you wanted... how was it? Still, in defense of David Carr, he hardly got any reps leading up to the game - should he expect to get the same patience in developing his game with the starters as Alex did? What now? Shaun Hill was passed over and then traded because of a weak throwing arm; is Carr's arm capable of stretching the field? Even if it was, would there be any plays to capitalize on it? Nate Davis has all the instincts and intangibles in the world (and a helluva strong arm), but hasn't yet gotten a grasp on the playbook and has a learning disability to boot - can he take over? What can Troy Smith bring to the table? "A fine mess you've gotten us into, Ollie... "

A regular reader of this blog would know that I like Mike Singletary and have been a supporter of his throughout his time with the team. But the one thing I don't like is the team's win-loss record. Whether or not he's not the one on the field making the plays, committing the penalties, etc. the old adage stands: The Buck Stops Here (as in the head coach). It's his imprint that is on the team, his philosophy. Whatever it is, this team's efforts just aren't doing it, they're not winning. It could be lack of focus, chemistry, preparation - I don't know but the bottom line is clear: they are 1-6 so it's time to start looking forward to next season and doing what's best for the team. Is it still possible to finish the season 10-6 or 9-7? Well, yes, mathematically it is. Can they still make the playoffs? Ugh, the prognosis isn't looking good. Even if the Niners finish with a respectable record, can they realistically expect the other teams in the division to not qualify for the playoffs? I'm sorry, but even I'm not that positive.

And one last thought: what's up with the playcalling? The 49ers are making it a habit of scoring a touchdown on their first drive of the game... so then the defense of the other team makes an adjustment and the 49ers are rendered ineffective for the rest of the game? Explanation, please!

dim stars

One of my routines when I get online is to check the Yahoo! homepage and scroll through their featured stories. Today one of the headlines read: 'How to best view dim stars.' Honestly, my first thought when I read it had to do with celebrity watching... the story was actually about stargazing, you know, looking up at the night sky.

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And a big CONGRATULATIONS to the San Francisco Giants! Bring your own unique brand of (self-inflicted) torture to the World Series and BEAT the Texas Rangers. I've watched the movie The Dirty Dozen enough to know what Bruce Bochy is talking about - you're an easy team to root for.

what's a degree?

Remember the game 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon?' It had to with connections, how far each of us really is from any other person in the world. With the celebrity Kevin Bacon (actor/singer) in particular, lines could be drawn from other actors with whom he has appeared in a particular movie, for example, then from those connections to more connections, and so on. As you can imagine, the process spreads really fast, and suddenly it seems as if the entire movie-making industry is involved. In the bigger picture, I think it's been said that every single person in the world is no more than six degrees from anybody else in the world.

That makes me wonder then about us average folk, the rest of us, oh let's say me for example: what actually qualifies as a 'degree'? How well does one have to know someone to be a degree? Is it mere acquaintance? A brush with somebody famous (such as getting their autograph)... does that count? Someone I haven't seen since college? It's gotta be more than walking by someone, or seeing them across the street or eating at the same restaurant, but maybe a brief encounter will do... hmmm...

The thing is, I may really, truly, be only three degrees from - Paul McCartney! Mick Jagger! Don Johnson and Cheech Marin! ABBA and the Bee Gees! Everyone on 'Dancing With the Stars'! How is that possible?

Let's start with Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger: I recently found out that one of my cousins was once the upstairs neighbor of former Rolling Stone magazine writer and journalist Ben Fong-Torres; I know my cousin (one degree), she knew Ben Fong-Torres (two degrees), and well, that makes me three degrees from practically the entire world of rock and roll! Including, probably, Nancy Wilson of Heart... yowza!

Another person I am rather vaguely acquainted with is a Hollywood writer and producer - I met him through a close relative but I'd still like to think I am one degree of him. He once worked on the television show Nash Bridges, and wait a minute, I guess that makes me just two degrees of Don Johnson and Cheech Marin (I assume he knows them personally), and countless other Hollywood types that my Hollywood writer/producer acquaintance knows. I'm certainly no more than three degrees of practically everyone in Hollywood. Could that be possible?

ABBA and the Bee Gees - this is cool too: back in college, I was a dorm-mate of someone that I am now friends with on Facebook. We were in the same major until we both switched, but for awhile there we took many of the same classes and were even in the same surveying group for a class in that subject. I haven't seen him for over 25 years. Well, he now works as a camera operator for the TV show 'Glee.' And on Facebook, he posted a picture of him standing next to Olivia Newton-John. Sounds like a 'degree' to me! So I knew Duane back in college, he met Olivia Newton-John, and that makes me three degrees from everyone she knows, including ABBA and the Bee Gees! And John Travolta, which makes me four degrees from all of the Sweathogs from Welcome Back, Kotter... how cool is that?

Then going back to the dorms, my actual roommate in the dorms, Mike, now teaches dance at a Southern California studio that belongs to Anna and Jonathan, two of the professional dancers on 'Dancing With the Stars.' So I know Mike (one degree), he knows Anna and Jonathan (I assume he knows them personally - if not, add a degree), and they know everyone else on the show.

I'm so close to fame, I'm practically famous myself... I'm almost famous!

Week 6 - Raiders vs. 49ers

Wow - a win! There's so much more to write (re: complain) about when they lose... I'm not sure what to say.

Here goes: sure, they could have played better but they won! It'd be easy to make excuses and say that they were playing the Raiders and should have won, but at least they won! I'm not so much focused on this play or that play, because they won! Doesn't Mike Singletary seem like a better coach and Alex Smith a better quarterback because the team won?

Next, the 49ers face the Carolina Panthers. Just like the Raiders played the winless 49ers yesterday, the 49ers will face the winless Panthers. The Panthers will fight tooth and claw (panthers, heh, heh) to get their first win, just like the Niners did yesterday. It's like fighting a cornered rat - I'd expect this coming game to be as tough as any other, and I hope the Niners approach it the same way. With the confidence that they are the superior team, yet with a killer instinct just the same. There are no gimmes in this league.

And I'm tired of hearing the Niners play in a weak division. The Seahawks beat the Chicago Bears yesterday, and the Rams beat the Chargers. That doesn't sound weak to me - the 49ers have a long way to go to dig out of the hole they're in - I'm sure they know that, but too many people keep blathering on about how weak the NFC West is... stifle it, Edith!

seeing too clearly

I remember how last year, San Francisco Giants fans were so terribly excited by their newest star player, Pablo Sandoval. He was very nearly an All-Star and had a batting average around .330. He has personality, charisma, and started a craze among fans as they began wearing Panda caps and hats in keeping with his nickname the 'Kung Fu Panda.'

It was with a bit of greed that I thought upon hearing the news that he was planning on having his eyesight improved through lasik surgery (or the like) during the last offseason: how much better can he be when his sight is even sharper? If he bats .330 now, imagine how much higher he can go? Batting title, here we come!

Unfortunately, his production has tailed off for the 2010 baseball season, where his lack of discipline at the plate has resulted in some disappointment - his batting average has hovered around .270.

Now flash back to a scene from Star Wars (I've found so much of life that I can compare to Star Wars!): our heroes are on the Millenium Falcon having escaped Mos Eisley and are on their way to (spoiler alert!) the soon to be destroyed Alderaan - during the journey, Obi-Wan Kenobi first begins to teach Luke Skywalker the ways of the force by having Luke don a helmet with a visor that is solid and opaque. Luke is to use his lightsaber to protect himself from a little droid shooting lasers at him that he can't see. Luke has to trust 'the force.'

I wonder if Pablo was able to trust the force more last year and this year is relying too much on his improved eyesight. While he can better see the rotation of the ball, its release from the pitcher's hand, etc., maybe he isn't trusting his instincts as much. A drop-off of 60 points in the batting average is pretty astounding. Not that he should close his eyes when he's batting (!), but maybe there's a 'feel' for what he's doing in the batter's box that's missing while he's seeing the ball better. Oh well, good thing I'm not the batting coach - I'm sure relying on the force doesn't work in baseball: "Trust your feelings, Pablo, trust your feelings!"

Alex the Aggressor

Coach Mike Singletary has stated that Alex Smith will remain the 49ers' starting quarterback for this Sunday's game against the Oakland Raiders. Whereas it would be oh-so-easy to jump on the bandwagon (or off of it, as it were) and pile more boos on to Alex, I agree with the decision.

The main reason being those two fantastic fourth-quarter touchdown drives against the Eagles, after the very public and televised tongue-lashing that Singletary gave to Smith (it reminded me of what happened to Vernon Davis a couple of years ago). Hey, whatever works - it was the motivator that turned Davis' awesome potential around... maybe Singletary needs to berate Smith before every game! (in the tunnel, maybe, before the team runs out onto the field). Those two drives were beautiful, the work of the NFL-caliber quarterback that Singletary has been telling us he sees in Smith. And in a recent appearance before the media, that's what Smith says he knows now, that he has to play with less caution and more of what I'm assuming is aggression.

For the past few weeks, I've compared Smith's turnovers to the numerous ones that Brett Favre has committed throughout his storied career, only Smith hasn't balanced all of those turnovers with the great threading-the-needle, how-did-he-do-that? type of plays that are sending Favre to the Hall of Fame. Favre is always going for the gusto, and therefore the mistakes are easier to swallow. With Smith, his mistakes seem to come from trying to avoid mistakes. It's very frustrating to watch. Yet in this last game, Smith threw a beautiful pass to Vernon Davis in the end zone, tightly covered by two defenders.

Realizing that there is much more to the game than I understand, that maybe defenses have been different during those great drives that Smith has led, I still can't help but wish that Smith would consistently produce a string of those superb drives that have led to touchdowns. And I don't even mean those touchdown drives to begin the last two games - those were nicely run, precise drives. What I'm referring to are the 'two-minute' kinds of drives that were run when the Niners tied the game late against the Saints, and those two late touchdown drives against the Eagles. Why can't he play that assuredly the entire game?

The idea I've been mulling around is to maybe let Alex run some no-huddle drives every now and then to keep defenses off balance. Let him call the plays during those times; I'm guessing he has called some of the plays himself for the two-minute or catch-up drives. He's a very bright quarterback, so I think he should be allowed to truly run the offense more often and see how that goes. And be more aggressive. If he leads the team with the same attitude he exhibits when he's playing catch-up, maybe that will be the turning point in his career. Because after he fumbled against the Eagles, which led to the touchdown for them, I thought that Alex's career might be over. He'd get pulled, a quarterback change would be made, and if he had any time left in the NFL, he'd have to start over with another team, probably as a backup. The two post-browbeating touchdown drives he led in the most recent game meant everything.

As for all the turnovers against the Eagles, yes, three were made by Alex. But only one I found egregious: the fumble. His first interception on the long attempt to Ted Ginn Jr. was really fine - at least he was making a long pass downfield. Interceptions happen to all quarterbacks, and it was attempting to stretch the field. Good teams overcome plays like that. The last interception was the result of a good pass rush by the Eagles. Sure, Alex could have taken the sack but the interception wasn't all on him; the 49ers offensive tackles pretty much whiffed on their blocks too.

Which leads to another important point: it's a TEAM GAME! Alex hasn't been good enough to overcome team mistakes, but he is still one player. The Niners could have beaten the Falcons if not for Nate Clements' fumble on his interception return. If the defense had stopped the Saints on their final drive for the game-winning field goal, the Niners would have had a chance to make it to overtime. This past Sunday, Frank Gore fumbled twice, on what were shaping up to be excellent drives. There have been missed blocks and tackles - how much can you really blame that on bad coaching, let alone the quarterback? The players have to make the plays.

What Coach Singletary has done with the team this season reminds me of the commander from long ago who burned his fleet of ships when they got to shore, ensuring that his army had no choice but to win the battle. Singletary has hitched the quarterback responsibilities entirely on Smith, and so it will go, sink or swim. I'm hoping that finally Smith had the epiphany we've been waiting for, and will play with that special winning edge that the Niners need. Because if they still intend to make the playoffs, they have to start winning. Not come close, certainly not get blown out, but plain and simple: WIN!!!

Week 5 - Eagles vs. 49ers

How 'bout them Giants?

my chips are too noisy... ???

There is an article in today's paper about how Frito-Lay has decided to heed the wishes of customers and revert back to their original plastic-based packaging for the majority of its Sun Chips flavors (one flavor, original plain, will retain the newer packaging).

You see, last year they converted to biodegradable and recyclable bags made of plant material, but the new bags turned out to be too noisy. And people complained, even forming groups on Facebook about how inconvenient and disruptive and blah, blah, blah and loud and crinkly the new bags were. Seriously?

If the bags are the larger size, what about pouring some in a bowl and eating the chips that way? If the bags are snack-size, empty the chips into a bowl (applying the same concept as with the larger bags). I know, I know, but what if someone wants to eat out of a bag of Sun Chips and doesn't have a bowl handy? I mean, really, really has to have some chips and life has to be convenient and the bag can't be too noisy or anything...

Sure, it's fair to complain to the company that the new bags are too noisy and please keep improving the process by which quieter bags are eventually made available, but why not make do with bags that break down and are better for the environment until then? As the world gets more and more populated with people, the sheer volume of pollutants are going to catch up with us. I think I've said it before and I'll say it again: we can't keep nickel and diming the environment. It'll catch up to the planet sooner or later, unless people only care about what happens during their own time on Earth. That's a tragic way of thinking, isn't it?

popular names

Okay, how about a break from football?

So, how about the name Emily? Way back when, I remember thinking how much I liked the name Emily, mostly because my favorite song by Simon & Garfunkel was (and still is) For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her, a live performance of which I grew up listening to from their album 'Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits.' Beautiful lyrics and exquisitely performed, a voice accompanied by a guitar; it was only later that I picked up the album 'Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme' which has the studio recording of the song - I much prefer the simpler, live version.

Ever since, I have loved the name Emily and thought it would be a nice name for a daughter if I ever had one, but then again, what an old-fashioned name! There was Emily Dickinson, the poet, and who else? Maybe it wouldn't be a good name for a little girl after all.

It's been pretty amusing, then, to see the name Emily become so popular over the years! I believe it was the number one name for awhile.

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For a long time, I'd also been thinking about naming a son Harry, the name of one of my late uncles (he was killed back in World War II, as a 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Force, many years before I was born). Again, a very old-fashioned name, but one that has since become quite popular too: Prince Harry, Harry Potter.

Week 4 - 49ers vs. Falcons

If this were only week two rather than week four, then yesterday's loss wouldn't be so wearisome. The 49ers were this close (holding forefinger and thumb close together) from victory - in fact, would the dejected comments people are making about the team be anything like they would have been had they won, say, if the late interception hadn't been fumbled back to the Falcons? The exact same game except for that one mistake?

Given that the Niners are starting over with a new offensive coordinator, will we as a fan base give him any time to improve, or will we assume that was the best he had to offer even though he had less than a week to assimilate into his new role with the team? Former OC Jimmy Raye had over a year; will fans give Mike Johnson the rest of the season? It was a tough game that few people gave the 49ers any chance of winning; that they teased us by keeping it close and even taking a two touchdown lead early on was an excruciating thing to go through - but at least they didn't get blown out like they did against the Seahawks and the Chiefs. I'm not ready to throw in the towel nor am I ready to call for an ownership change or firing this guy and that guy.

This isn't easy, but here are some of the positives: even though the Niners are 0-4, they are still only two games back in the division and the season is still young; Mike Johnson's game plan seemed more varied than before and I assume will keep improving; the defense played better than the previous week; Michael Crabtree was involved!; and the blocked punt for a touchdown was exhilarating (highlight reel play by Taylor Mays). Unfortunately, this latest loss gives the team no leeway now - although I hate to use the phrase "must-win," that's more or less where they've left themselves. Coming close against favorites the Saints and the Falcons is better then getting blown out against teams they were expected to beat, and is perhaps encouraging, but now they just have to plain 'win.' The winning teams make mistakes and still win; the Falcons were intercepted twice too, but won anyway.

Oh yeah... find a way to utilize Brian Westbrook and GO (San Francisco baseball) GIANTS!

the coordinator carousel

I wonder what new 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Johnson's career goals are? I realize I'm being way too premature about all this, seeing that he has yet to call a game for the Niners as head honcho of their offense and all, but I can't help but think about it...

The 49ers have had a series of offensive coordinators over the years, approximately one per year for awhile now (don't quote me on that, but I think that's about right), ever since the Yorks took over as owners of the team and fired Steve Mariucci (I was upset about that). While in many cases their coordinators just plain didn't work out, in others their coordinators left because they were sought after to be head coaches for other teams - a nice little promotion: Mike McCarthy with the Green Bay Packers and Norv Turner with the San Diego Chargers come to mind. Those are cases, I suppose, of the Niners choosing too well. I wonder how a team goes about choosing an awesome OC that will actually stay with the team and provide the continuity that is so important?

Which leads me back to Mike Johnson: what if he turns out to be really, really good (something I really, really hope)? What if the Niners turn their season around and actually make a run for the playoffs? What if the offense rises to the top of the league? What are his aspirations, because if he becomes a great success, let's hope he stays with the team for years to come. Maybe, just maybe, the 49ers have finally assembled the coaching staff that will lead the team to more Super Bowl championships!

better acting and football

I enjoy spending time reading articles and discussion boards about the 49ers, and not surprisingly there are many opinions about what they can do to improve their chances of winning. In recent entries of this blog, I've mentioned the need for more creativity; in fact, if I were a Chiefs fan, I would have absolutely loved watching not only their success against the Niners, but in how it was achieved, particularly the offensive game plan. There was so much variety and speed - it was a fun game... for them. As opposed to the stodginess and predictability of the 49ers offense. If a swing pass to Gore gains 30+ yards, why not run more plays like that?

One point I'd like to make is how a new weapon such as running back Brian Westbrook has been (under)utilized so far this season. Okay, I've listened to how he's new to the team and plays have to be designed and practiced with him in mind. But he's a veteran with a background of success, so it can't be that difficult to incorporate him into some more plays. And what really drives me crazy is putting him into the huddle only when he's going to be used. In other words, when he runs onto the field, the 49ers are practically telling the defense to key in on him because the play call is for him and him only. Not much to figure out there then; how conveeenient. Sometimes, why not set up the defense... put him out there for plays that don't involve him every now and then. Let him be a decoy. Like I've mentioned before, in order for an offense to be most effective, it has to keep defenses guessing and back on their heels. Force some uncertainty on them and for those times they guess and guess wrong... excellent!

Which brings me to another point: acting. It can be as simple as the quarterback looking safeties away with a turn of the head or the direction his eyes are pointing. Okay, I've never played the game and for the most part only watch it on TV, but I love good fakes... I love watching college games where I am so faked out that I'm looking the wrong way. Camera operators are fooled much more often during college games too. Why is that skill not as developed at the professional game? Play-action fakes are much better acted out at the college level. Effectively selling fakes doesn't appear to take any more time than those that are performed half-a$$ (pardon my language). Draw plays, screens, reverses, lots of plays would benefit by the subtleties of good acting, by the lineman and blockers as much as the players handling the ball.

Another point: It must be possible to be a so-called 'finesse-team' that is still capable of 'hitting people in the mouth.' It doesn't have to be one or the other. Use creative play-calling, keep the other team off balance but still play a physical brand of football.

And here's even more (again from a guy that's never played organized football) - I know that a style of play is to be a North and South running team, but it's frustrating in those instances when there aren't any holes opened up at all in between the tackles when there are wide open spaces off to the outside; it's all well and good if the best play is to hit a hole quickly with one cut, but it would also be good to have the flexibility to do something else if there is running room elsewhere on a given play. It's awful watching a running back trying to force his way into 'where they are' instead of 'where they aren't.' Offensive plays may have been designed a certain way, but defenses are unpredictable and if they flood one area, then by all means, go somewhere else! Maybe some dancing is appropriate. I think the best players know when to hit the hole and when to juke and jive, and the Niners have the players. Am I making it sound easier said than done?

new coach for Bay Area team!

Keith Smart is named new head coach of the Golden State Warriors...

If not for those pesky 49ers and their new offensive coordinator being all over the news yesterday, the Warriors and the formal announcement of their new head coach would have taken the headlines. But let's face it: the 49ers are in the midst of their regular season schedule and the Warriors are still in their off-season.

I've read people's critical opinions of the Don Nelson regime, but who else has so much as led the Warriors to the playoffs aside from his two tenures as coach? After the team's lone championship season in 1975, I can't even recall any team success until Nelson signed on, and in between his two stints, the fortunes of the team were quite abysmal. So let's keep in mind that finding winning coaches hasn't been an easy task for the Warriors.

Speaking of which, how wonderful would it be to be Don Nelson right now? He's getting paid 6.2 million dollars for the last year of his contract, and he gets to spend that last year retired to the shores of Maui! And he holds the record as the NBA's all-time winningest coach. Used to be that the six-million dollar man was someone who was almost killed in a horrific aircraft accident and built up again by an exorbitant amount of money as some sort of 'bionic man,' and now the six-dollar man is someone who is paid that much money to do nothing but sip mai-tai's on the beach... how times have changed.

Back to Keith Smart. I've seen him standing near and sitting on the Warriors bench for years now, as an assistant coach for the team. Similar to how I mentioned in a previous blog entry that Mike Johnson was being groomed as a successor to the position of offensive coordinator (or so I've read, and if so, for a much, much shorter time when the change was made), Keith Smart has been more pointedly groomed to be the next head coach for the Warriors. It's kind of neat to see that it has actually come to fruition. It makes sense too, considering that the Warriors have new ownership (pending league approval, which is almost certain) this year. New ownership, an overhauled roster, and now a new leader... lots of excitement and anticipation for Warriors fans!

Isn't it fun to have sports around to take our minds off of the real problems of our times? Go Warriors!

from trench warfare to modern warfare

Wow, that was sudden... Jimmy Raye was fired as 49ers offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Johnson was promoted to take over the job.

Though made just a day after a game, the decision had to be made right away if it was to be made at all - the new coordinator has to be given as much time as possible to settle into his new position and somehow game-plan for next week's opponents, the Atlanta Falcons. Not only that, but the Niners are playing an away game, which takes yet more time away from preparations. It's a long flight all the way across the country, and the team has to adjust to Eastern Standard Time.

Although Coach Singletary has been stalwart in his desire to impose his offensive philosophy on opposing teams (heavy on smashmouth, light on deception), I am excited to see what new wrinkles the new coach brings to the team. Last season, even Raye was flexible enough to utilize a spread-type offense to move the ball. Now with the team 0-3, and the bottom-line to win still being the ultimate goal, let's see what happens with Coach Johnson. I've read that he was supposedly even being groomed to be the successor (but not this soon).

Though Alex Smith is in effect playing under yet another offensive coordinator, maybe the adjustments will be seamless and hopefully all positive. I'm hoping that Coach Johnson will have the freedom to implement whatever means necessary to gain lots of yards and score plenty of points, even if it goes against Coach Singletary's vision of old-fashioned smash-mouth football. If the goal is to win, then let's make full use of a very talented 49ers roster and all of it's weapons: Crabtree, Morgan, Ziegler, Gore, Westbrook, Dixon, V. Davis, Walker, Byham, et al. Let's keep defenses guessing.

I remember when Bill Walsh first began coaching the 49ers. It was a rough first couple of years, but I recall really enjoying how well the offense moved the ball. It was fun to watch. I think the current team has the talent now to adjust the play-calling to whatever defenses are doing. If they're plugging up the holes North and South, then run East and West; if they're taking away the middle, then run or pass laterally. Let's make the game fun again.

Wouldn't it be a blast to score tons of points while defenses are running around in circles not knowing what hit them (admittedly, what the Chiefs did to the Niners yesterday)? I like reading the word 'creativity.' Okay, guys, let's turn this season around!

Week Three - 49ers vs. Chiefs

I can't believe I watched the whooole thing...
(said while clutching my stomach)

It was like watching the Seattle game all over again - but even then, there were key plays in that game that needed addressing and could have made a difference; against the Chiefs, the Niners simply looked overmatched in all phases of the game.

One thing that has been on my mind is the notion that even if you (or they) know what's coming, you still have to make the play. It could pertain to any sport - the thing is, it's the not-knowing, the misdirections and the guessing games that give the edge in the first place. For example, in baseball, sure, it can be said that even if the batter knows the kind of pitch and its location, he still has to hit the ball. But isn't it the not-knowing what's coming that's the real challenge at that level? And in football, it's all well and good to say that a team should be able to run the ball even if the other team knows it's coming, so even if the defense 'stacks the box' with eight players, the offense should still be able to make the blocks and gain the yards. So does that mean the defense can put all eleven players in between the tackles and the offense should still be able to run up the middle? Or if the defense knows a play-action is coming and doesn't bite on the fakes, the offense should still be able to complete a long pass?

In my opinion, the more you can keep the other team off-balance and guessing, the better chance you have at success. In the 49ers case, they have a very talented roster of players now, more so than in many years. They have legitimate threats at all positions of the offense: the running game and the passing game. They need to keep opposing defenses guarding against the threat that anything could happen, and not just runs up the middle. That's way too predictable a game plan. In a perfect world with perfectly executed blocking and everything going perfectly, I suppose a good offense should be able to make that work all the time, but defenses are too sophisticated nowadays. The possibility that an offense could direct itself to any part of the field (and again, I believe the Niners now have players that are just that talented) would spread opposing defenses thinner. I'd rather that the 49ers mix up their play calling more (they've done it occasionally, but not enough); I miss seeing medium and long range passes to the wide receivers. I remember seeing lots of quick slants once upon a time... lots of different plays.

Now I've read that the 49ers do call long pass plays and that's when the protection from the offensive line happens to break down. Still, something is amiss with the play calling - the Niners have the talent to break down defenses and gain some major yards. To use an analogy, it's like the 49ers are fighting 21st century battles using trench warfare. Trench warfare was the way battles were fought in their time, but not now. It's outdated.

I wouldn't want to be Jed York right now. It's a tough decision, but it's true: the Niners have to make the playoffs this season or else it's back to square one. Can it be done with the current coaching regime? i don't know. I've been a big supporter of Mike Singletary - I like his straightforward management style. I like him as a leader. But he is the one that chose to hire Jimmy Raye, whose offensive game plans don't appear to be current with the times, yet apparently reflect exactly what Coach Singletary wants. And although Alex Smith has been given a bad series of breaks ever since he came to the team, I'm afraid he lacks the intangibles that are necessary to find a way to make things work when they aren't going perfectly. As the 49ers quarterback, I've been a supporter of his but there's a sixth sense that other quarterbacks have that he lacks. There's a pluck and mettle to pull rabbits out of hats, that some how, some way, is missing with him. Yes, he has good games every now and then, but I wonder if it might be time to consider other options.

As for the 49er defense, they're proving themselves susceptible to fast, elusive barn-burning runners, and the screen pass. They may have matched up poorly to the Chiefs in particular, but there is reason to worry for future games. I wish I could be more positive right now - after a massacre like today's, it surely looks like it's going to be a long season. We'll see...

it's the ecology, stupid!

should carry as much weight as that other famous saying.

Week Two - Saints vs. 49ers

d-oh!

Notice I didn't capitalize that. The 49ers did play some competitive football last night, against the defending Super Bowl champs no less. Things are looking up for the 2010 season again, which is quite a relief. After last week's game, well, things could only get better, and they did. Then again, a loss is still a loss.

I'm not calling it a moral victory (because neither Coach Singletary nor I are 'moral victory' type of guys), but there were positives to be taken from the game. Is it okay to look for silver-linings? That the game had to be won on a last-second field goal shows how close the game was: the offense moved the ball really smoothly and effectively; Alex Smith played with poise; the offensive line play looked excellent giving Frank Gore a chance to shine, both running and receiving; the defense played pretty tight... if the team could only have eliminated the turnovers, they would have won quite handily. But there's the rub, isn't it? The 49ers turned the ball over multiple times, the Saints didn't, and that was the difference. The difference between a team that wins and a team that doesn't (last night, anyway).

At least after last week's debacle, the team showed how competitive they can be. Now they have to play consistently at yesterday's high level of play, while eliminating the tumultuous mistakes such as turnovers. There's an old saying that goes something like: "The more I practice, the luckier I get." I don't know if that explains why when the Saints muff a punt, they recover it, whereas if the 49ers muff a punt, the other team recovers it. Or when the 49ers tip a pass, it goes straight back to the guy who threw it, but when the Saints tip a pass, it goes for an interception. In any case, last night the Saints had the winning edge.

Next up are the Kansas City Chiefs, on the road. I trust that the Niners will have a better handle on how to play in a loud environment as they played in when they played Seattle. I liked how they adjusted their method of conveying the play calls to Alex for last night's game, utilizing a different system of using numbers that corresponded to the plays that were printed on something he could wear on his wrist. I don't know if it was as simple as that, but Alex sure seemed to have more time to work with! He played excellent.

Although the 49ers are only 1 game off of the division lead, they had better win this Sunday, lest they go 0-3 which would be unacceptable. Go Niners!

Heart-less at the Kennedy Center

I recently read that one of this year's honorees for the Kennedy Center Honors is Paul McCartney. He was scheduled to be celebrated back in 2002, but was unable to attend because of a prior commitment; as I recall, that was why Paul Simon was honored that year instead.

Now I'm not all that familiar with John Mellencamp, knowing only those songs of his that were hits on the radio, but not the rest of his catalogue. I never knew him necessarily to be a big fan of Paul Simon nor of Simon & Garfunkel. But he was one of the performers for Paul Simon's big night at the Kennedy Center Honors that year. He was okay I suppose, but in my mind, I'd much rather imagine that the sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart had performed instead. Among their many influences was definitely Paul Simon (the acoustic guitar intro to Heart's 'Crazy On You' is reminiscent of Simon & Garfunkel's instrumental 'Anji'; the lyrics 'Time, time, time, time, never ask what's become of us' on Heart's 'Soul of the Sea' are similar to 'Time, time, time, see what's become of me' on Simon & Garfunkel's 'A Hazy Shade of Winter'; and on Nancy's solo release 'Live at McCabes Guitar Shop' she performs a cover of S&G's 'Kathy's Song'). Yup, in my altered and preferred memory of that night, Ann and Nancy performed their moving tribute to Paul Simon.

In any case, I've always enjoyed watching the Kennedy Center Honors each year, usually broadcast between the Christmas and New Year's holidays, several weeks after they occur. I am greatly anticipating how they choose to honor Sir Paul, whom they select to perform, etc. Perhaps Cirque De Soleil (performing a number from their Vegas act 'LOVE') will be one of the acts? I'm looking forward to the festivities!

pop-up video

Today, I watched part of a show called 'Pop-Up Video' on VH-1. It's one I've watched before where music videos are shown, along with information bubbles of trivia that correspond to the particular video. One of the videos shown was one for one of my favorite songs, a song by Crowded House called Don't Dream It's Over. It also happens to be one of my all-time favorite videos. So I thought I'd share a brief list of my favorite music videos, which were more of a staple of the music business many years ago.


• South Central Rain (I'm Sorry) - R.E.M.

• Wild Horses - The Sundays (yes, it's a cover of the Rolling Stones song)

• Turn My Head (John Register version) - Live

• Don't Dream It's Over - Crowded House (as I mentioned above)

• The Unforgettable Fire - U2

• In Your Eyes - The Reivers


It's been quite awhile since I've been able to while away hours looking for things on YouTube, including songs by my favorite bands, but these are the ones that come to mind first. Check them out and see what you think!

Week One - 49ers vs. Seahawks

That was an awful game to watch. With all of the optimism for this season's team finally making the playoffs... just awful. I was even thinking it was possible for the Niners to go deep into the playoffs this year. Not after yesterday's game. And the next opponent? The Super Bowl defending champion New Orleans Saints. Well guys, show us some competitive football this time around. Play at a championship level. These rose-colored glasses of mine are starting to feel tight around the temples. Turn our collective "D-Oh!'s" into "Woo-Hoos!" a week from today.

a good eye

Sure, I'm like any guy that thinks they know a pretty girl when they see one. Even though beauty is in fact in the eye of the beholder, I pride myself in spotting a girl, let's say, while watching a television movie or show, watching for her name in the credits (or now, finding out who she is on the Internet), and then seeing if she later becomes famous.

Case in point: many years ago, I was watching a television movie and noticed how pretty a particular woman was at the very beginning. She was a blonde lass standing outside a car that was parked outside a house on a curb (I'm not clear on the details, but that's the picture I have in my mind); unfortunately, she was soon victimized by a crime and I didn't finish watching the movie. Now that I think about it, if I didn't finish watching the movie, how did I manage to find out the name of the actress? Well, in any case, I did find out her name and it was Cheryl Stoppelmoor.

Flash forward to sometime in the future after seeing that movie: one day, a relative newcomer named Cheryl Ladd became the newest of Charlie's Angels, playing the role of Jill Munroe's younger sister Kris. I was quite thrilled when I eventually found out that Cheryl Ladd's maiden name was... Cheryl Stoppelmoor! Have I got good taste or what?

Another example is when a spin-off of the Cosby Show, A Different World, came on the air. I couldn't help but notice that one of Denise Huxtable's roommates was awfully cute. Turned out that she was played by Marisa Tomei!

The next instance that comes to mind is an actress that appeared in one episode of Just Shoot Me. She was a cute (but clumsy) young woman that was being pulled in opposite directions regarding her career; should she pursue modeling or academia? Checking out the credits, I saw her name and it was unique and easy to remember: Ali Larter!

I just find it that much more fun when I can spot a girl before she really hits the big time of fame and accolades. Yeah, I seem to be at my best when I'm sitting at home, parked in front of the television. So, so sad... pathetic, really.

a boy named Sue

I don't really cook... I'm not a cook... but I sure like watching television. Among the shows I regularly watch are the reality TV cooking competitions, such as 'The Next Food Network Star' and 'Top Chef.' Some of you may remember an old song by Johnny Cash called 'A Boy Named Sue.' Personally, I have no idea what it sounded like but the title has stuck in my mind.

Putting the two things together [the song and the cooking shows], I came up with:

'A chef named Sue.' Get it?

Sue Chef.


Still don't get it? Sous chef, right? ha ha... ha...

********

Didn't like that one, did you? Okay, here's something else along those lines you might like better. Years ago (as in high school age), my brother and his friends would go to a diner and if the name of the waitress was Patty, one of them would order like this: "I'll have a melt... Patty." I wish I could have been there!