I’m very happy to report today that angst has left the building.
Wasn’t it just about a week ago that sport sections, online sites, and radio “content providers,” were busily prepping their respective audiences for the imminent downfall of the San Francisco 49ers?
“The New York Jets are picked to win the NFC East.” “Our team is still licking its wounds after another Super Bowl failure.” “Oh my God, we play the toughest schedule in the NFL.” “Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk must have forgotten how to put their pads on by now.” “Brock Purdy is sure to regress.” “The only good thing is that we’ve got Christian McCaffrey on our side.”
Well, it seems the Jets are not going to be the ’72 Dolphins; we’ll deal with the Super Bowl when we get there; the schedule might not be a huge problem; Purdy’s way closer to Joe Montana than he is to Jimmy Garoppolo; and who needs McCaffrey anyway?
The season is not going to be as easy as it appeared this past Monday for the 49ers, but here are a few indisputable facts that might possibly allow you to at least consider buying plane tickets to New Orleans for February 9 — with the proviso that you also buy the trip insurance.
I have every reason to expect that this year’s version of the 49ers is better than the one that lost in overtime in Las Vegas on Super Bowl Sunday back in February.
Both the offensive and defensive lines are improved. On the defensive side, Nick Bosa has got enough talented company that he might not be double- and triple-teamed nearly as much in 2024. They are infinitely more talented at defensive tackle than last year when they seemed to audition people all season and nobody ever really won the part.
They’re deeper at the safety positions and at the corners than in years past, and with Fred Warner at middle linebacker you’re never going to worse than OK. It’ll improve when Dre Greenlaw comes back.
On the offensive side, Trent Williams showed that just his presence makes the team better; and rookie Dominick Puni looks like he’ll be around for a decade. Yes, there are a couple of question marks on the offensive line but, with George Kittle and Eric Saubert both excellent in-line blockers, I think Brock Purdy’s jersey will remain relatively clean.
The wide receiver room is as talented as ever. Brandon Aiyuk’s game against the Jets was an aberration caused by fatigue from a training camp holdout. He was exhausted just carrying all those bags of money to the bank.
Finally, McCaffrey is unavailable in a game-time decision and Jordan Mason steps in and looks like the second coming of Walter Payton.
And, one more thing. They’ve got a coach whose game plans and execution are among the best I’ve ever seen.
How good can this team be? Ask me on February 10.
The rook in the booth
This past weekend was also the debut of the highest-priced broadcaster in the history sports blather.
Tom Brady, to whom Fox is paying more money than he ever made throwing a football and winning Super Bowls, made his broadcasting debut in the Dallas-Cleveland game on Sunday. I was shocked. I thought he did pretty well.
Not nearly as well as the man he replaced, Greg Olsen, but what he did do that can’t be said by many, is actually add something to the game.
I feel fairly confident bloviating about this because over the years I’ve worked with literally hundreds of color analysts. I’ve had very good ones. I’ve had ordinary ones. And, I’ve had a few who don’t care or understand what makes a good broadcast or have any idea whatsoever of what’s actually going on in the game.
I always made the analogy that I could never expect to suit up, get under center, and throw a pass in the NFL (or college, or high school – or even in kindergarten); so how can I expect a football player to put on a head set and make a cogent comment in thirty seconds or less with a producer talking in his ear?
The job of an analyst is to add something to what the play-by-play man had just described. If there’s a replay, the ideal is that he tells you what you’re going to be seeing before the replay runs. Very few can do this.
Brady worked with a real pro play-by-play guy, Kevin Burkhardt, who teed him up for a good explanation the whole game. Brady responded. He added something.
And, of course, he was taken to task by a reviewer whose qualifications as a critic are that he owns a TV set. He ripped Brady for not having the personality of Tony Romo or John Madden. Now here’s a big secret: He doesn’t.
With John Madden, they broke the mold. There won’t ever be a duplicate. He was naturally funny, and had a bigger-than-life personality. As to Tony Romo, he was entertaining when he first started, but this year the brass at CBS had to sternly remind him that you can’t get by on predicting every play – perhaps you might want to consider actually preparing for the game.
I was told by those who were there that the rehearsal games that Brady did were underwhelming. That it didn’t seem to feel comfortable for him. But, I thought that, as he did for so many years as a quarterback, he showed up on game day.
It’s not perfect. He’s not a big personality, and he’s not as good as his predecessor. But he is Tom Brady.
After all, what do you expect for a measly $375 million? A personality?