1998 Preseason Coverage

1998 Preseason is another failure for 49ers

(for the full season preview, see the latest NHS Newsletter)

September 1, 1998 -- The final bell has sounded, the eve of a new season is upon us, and the 1998 preseason can officially go down as a failure on just about every level for the 49ers.

The goals were simple: improve the offensive line, compensate for the loss of Dana Stubblefield on the defensive line, solidify the future of the franchise, and put together a winning product.

The results?

The heir-apparent to the left tackle position, Jamie Brown, is suspended indefinitely. The supposed big free agent find, Gabe Wilkins, is out for at least 4 or 5 games. The 49ers are still searching for a kicker and punter, and Jim Druckenmiller showed alternating flashes of mediocrity and ineptitude. The 49ers lost three of five games, including the one game they billed as "real".

Naturally, the last point is trivial; win/loss records in the preseason don't amount to much. However, as we pointed out in last year's preview issue of the NHS Newsletter, no 49er team with a losing record in the preseason has ever won a Super Bowl.

In addition, the 49ers declared the Miami game as a dress rehearsal for the season, the one real game of the preseason. They lost 21-20, at home. Take away the 72 yard TD pass that was simply blown coverage on the part of the Dolphins, and the 49ers starting offense fell far short of spectacular. On the day, the 49ers, who according to the media last year "successfully made the transition to a power running team", rushed for 50 yards on 2.1 yards per carry. Not very encouraging given it was the one preseason game they decided to take seriously.

The problems are clear to everyone. The offensive line is a shambles. Dave Fiore does not belong in the NFL, yet he is the opening day left tackle. The other starters aren't much better, and there's no depth whatsoever.

It's not much better on the flip side of the line. The lack of effectiveness of the undersized Junior Bryant means Bryant Young will see his share of double-teams. In the tradition of having horrible football names like Keena, Dexter and Dana, the 49ers have topped even themselves by having somebody named Brentson (Buckner) as their first reserve on the already thin defensive line.

But the highlight for lack of depth has to be in the kicking arena, where the 49ers inexplicably cut their only kicker invited to camp, John Becksvoort, and their only punter, Tommy Thompson. Sure, there are other kickers and punters hanging off the waiver wire, but let's remember -- there's a reason those guys are on waivers.

Finally, neanderthal Jim Druckenmiller has progressed backwards to the point of losing his number two spot on the depth chart. What did you expect from a guy that refers to himself in the third person as "Druck"? Grumbling continues to grow about passing up Jake Plummer for Druckenmiller. Add that to the lost second round pick for Jamie Brown, and fans are wondering where exactly new captain Dwight Clark is steering the franchise.

Sure, the preseason doesn't count, but it's not time to simply waste. The 49ers, by all accounts, pissed it away.

Cutting with Class (again)

49ers stick it to Barton; Schwantz goes from hero to zero

August 31, 1998 -- Ah, the joys of playing for the team that treats their veterans better than anybody else.

Yes, you've heard the myth, "The 49ers are a classy organization that treats their players like family, better than any other team." What you never hear is that the model this "family" follows is straight out of a movie, and the players are often discarded like a brother named Fredo.

On Sunday, the 49ers placed Harris Barton on injured reserve after he refused to take an injury settlement, meaning that he can no longer play for the 49ers this season. In essence, Barton was cut. But the 49ers didn't just cut Harris Barton. They gave him the football equivalent of a shot in the back of the head. He was lanced like an unwanted boil.

And the sweetest part? Not only was yet another example of how silly that "treat their veterans better" myth is, but also that Barton himself finally gets it. For years, the idiot strut under the bandwagon limelight, a benefactor of the 49er media that heaped love and adulation on him simply because he was a 49er. They called him great, classy, and intelligent. In return, he fully espoused the 49er myth, always spewing to the media about the greatness of the 49er organization and so on. Now, the facade has been removed from his sight; once blinded, now he can finally see the truth.

"I'm devastated," said Barton, "I feel like I've had the rug pulled out from under me."

Barton has vowed to return with another team, but given his supposed class and intelligence, guaranteed he'll sign again with the 49ers for the minimum wage..!

Naturally, the media humorously avoided placing any blame on the 49ers. The San Jose Mercury called the cut "[f]urther evidence that pro football can be a cold, cruel business..." No, heaven forbid, it's not that the 49ers were cold and cruel to their beloved 11-year veteran, it's just the evil business. Just more of the media spin that when the 49ers do something good, it's because they are a great organization, but when they do something bad, it's not their fault. Kind of like when they cut players as "casualties of the salary cap" then give Rice or Young the biggest contract in history the following day and are praised for "masterfully bending the salary cap."

Take all the credit and shift all the blame. And the 49er bandwagon simpleton fans eat it up.

Another sad sack who now sees the light is Jim Schwantz, who has gone from a Pro Bowl special teams standout with Dallas to a nobody after the 49ers cut him.

"Maybe Jim Schwantz was known as a Cowboy, but when I became a Niner it was like: 'Where did he go?'" said Schwantz, "I think free agency's probably hurt me ..."

Gee, Jim, ya think?

Just five days before the axe fell on Schwantz, the Mercury dedicated a story to him, calling him "one of the most honest, most regular and most downright decent guys in the NFL". Strange, five days later when the 49ers kicked him out on his fanny, there was no protest from the media despite mentioning that the hardest part of the cut would be informing his wife and 3-year-old daughter, who just moved into a Bay Area apartment, their fourth home in the last year.

Yes, sad. Sad that agents don't tell their clients these things before they sign with the 49ers. Schwantz had a great thing going in Dallas but bought into the 49er propaganda and left it, and possibly his career, behind. He thought he would play four years for $2 million, but instead he's thrown out on his can with his nomad family.

Those 49ers certainly know how to treat their veterans well.

Shocker: media acknowledging pathetic schedule

September 2, 1998 -- The preseason is supposed to bring plenty of surprises, and perhaps the biggest surprise is that the mainstream media is routinely acknowledging the 49ers' easy schedule.

In years past, most media outlets were content to pick the 49ers as a Super Bowl contender and easy winner of the NFC West simply, according to their rave reviews, because the 49ers were just "great" and "talented". Now, with regularity, reviews of the 49ers' chances -- while still containing the usual bravado -- are often accompanied by statements about their "bottom-feeding division" (as appeared in the San Jose Mercury).

Don't you worry: we have yet to see anyone in the mainstream put it all together and come out with the truth; that the 49ers are mediocre in talent and the only way in hell they can be picked as a contender is simply because their guaranteed 7 or 8 NFC West wins gifts them the home field advantage in the playoffs. No, most if not all still go on and on about "why" they will win and mention the weak schedule as an afterthought.

But it's all about baby steps. In the past, Average Joe Fan plopped down on the couch with his NFL preview magazine, turned on Chris Berman and was greeted with an endless stream of raves about "the best team ever" with no check or balance whatsoever. Now, at the very least we finally, finally get to see a glimmer of sanity in the little ink about the easy schedule.

Will it make a difference? Will that tiny crack of light lead Average Joe down the path of enlightenment, or is there still too much misinformation and spin out there preventing America from seeing the real 49ers?

One thing is for certain: the voice of NHS has been heard, and that's why we are at least seeing baby steps.

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