Waving the White Flag...

[Striped_Kramer]

...right next to my red & gold one.

Hey y'all... non-obnoxious Niner fan here, not trying to run around yappin' about the Ike thing or kick y'all when you're down ('cause we have so much room to talk with our record over the last 5 years)... just need get away from the rampant homerism and talk some football.

[r8rh8rmike]

...right next to my red & gold one.

Hey y'all... non-obnoxious Niner fan here, not trying to run around yappin' about the Ike thing or kick y'all when you're down ('cause we have so much room to talk with our record over the last 5 years)... just need get away from the rampant homerism and talk some football.

The white flag might not save you this week, but welcome.

[Keenum]

welcome, I always enjoy hearing from an opposing fan who shows class and enjoys talking about football.

I guess I can get things started with a question: How do you 9ers fans feel about Alex Smith? Is this is last chance to prove himself, or is he on a very short leash this year?

[Striped_Kramer]

welcome, I always enjoy hearing from an opposing fan who shows class and enjoys talking about football.

I guess I can get things started with a question: How do you 9ers fans feel about Alex Smith? Is this is last chance to prove himself, or is he on a very short leash this year?

A big chunk of the fanbase has already given up on him (unfairly, IMO). For a franchise with the Montana-Young-Garcia lineage, there typically isn't a whole lot of patience with the QB position - but I don't think he's really been given a chance to succeed. Regardless, he'll definitely be on a short leash this year, assuming he wins the starting job in camp to begin with.

[Keenum]

Yeah, the Montana-Young-Garcia line was one of the best "passing of the torch" lines ever.
He's suppose to be very smart, and it takes a smart guy just to understand Martz's offense. If he can grasp it (and I bet Isaac Bruce helps him out with that some), then next year could be his breakout year.
Unless Shaun Hill just looks awesome in camp or something. I saw him play a little bit last year, and he looked really good for the most part.

[r8rh8rmike]

A big chunk of the fanbase has already given up on him (unfairly, IMO). For a franchise with the Montana-Young-Garcia lineage, there typically isn't a whole lot of patience with the QB position - but I don't think he's really been given a chance to succeed. Regardless, he'll definitely be on a short leash this year, assuming he wins the starting job in camp to begin with.

If that short leash is yanked, who's in position to fill the void?

[Brain Daddy]

If that short leash is yanked, who's in position to fill the void?

Shaun Hill

[r8rh8rmike]

Shaun Hill

Not good when your top two QB's are projects, trying to learn the complicated Martz system no less. Ike is probably in for a frustrating season.

[moklerman]

Don't forget about J.T. O'Sullivan. Being a year in Martz's system already will give him the early advantage over both Hill and Smith. I don't know if Martz brought him in to tutor or to actually give him a chance to play, but I always thought he had the physical tools to make it as an NFL QB.

Does waving the white flag mean that one is surrendering or coming in peace? Or both?

[Striped_Kramer]

Does waving the white flag mean that one is surrendering or coming in peace? Or both?

LOL... only coming in peace, mate - homerism and general nice-guyishness aside, I am still a Niner fan, after all!

[Striped_Kramer]

Not good when your top two QB's are projects, trying to learn the complicated Martz system no less. Ike is probably in for a frustrating season.

Little nervous on that front myself... I'm hoping that since at least the Coryell terminology is the same as what they've been using for two years already that we're not starting completely from scratch, and that maybe the brainiac Boy Wonder with the big 11 on his shirt can pick it up quickly.

[RamsFanSam]

LOL... only coming in peace, mate - homerism and general nice-guyishness aside, I am still a Niner fan, after all!

Well, I've often told Brain Daddy that being a whiner fan is his biggest fault....

I do have one question for you. Do you really think that Martz will be able to do anything about the offense THIS year?

[Striped_Kramer]

Well, I've often told Brain Daddy that being a whiner fan is his biggest fault....

I do have one question for you. Do you really think that Martz will be able to do anything about the offense THIS year?

Well, in all honesty, after last year's campaign, I don't think he could do much to hurt it. At the very least, I'm sure we can expect to be free from senselessly pounding Gore into the middle of the line three times before sending Andy Lee out to punt. Looking at what he was able to do in Detroit in the first year, where they were transitioning out of a West Coast system, gives me a little hope, and having Ike in town will help tremendously, as we don't have a Roy Williams-type in our receiving corps, so having someone around who understands the system inside and out will make up for that.

A major complaint from the players last year was that the offense had no rhythm, no flow to the game plan. The general consensus is that Martz makes our offense better simply because he's not Jim Hostler.

[Chris58]

...right next to my red & gold one.

Hey y'all... non-obnoxious Niner fan here, not trying to run around yappin' about the Ike thing or kick y'all when you're down ('cause we have so much room to talk with our record over the last 5 years)... just need get away from the rampant homerism and talk some football.

Hey Striped_Kramer, where in the Bay area are you? I have relatives in Pleasant Hill. My cousins and I get in very spirited debates as they are ****s and Giants fans. Since I grew up in So Cal, I am a Dodgers/Rams fan. Makes for fun rivalries.

:l

[Striped_Kramer]

I'm in Fremont, nestled about halfway between Oakland and San Jose, and the soon-to-be home of the Not-Quite-Oakland-Anymore A's.

I would definitely imagine that makes family gatherings quite fun! Even within the Bay Area, there's a pretty good cross-bay rivalry between the Oakland and SF teams. It's pretty hard to find fans of both the A's & Giants or Niners and Raiders. Still, there's nothing quite like the ol' NorCal-SoCal battles...