John Edward,
You’re like the rich kid who takes over his family’s
thriving, super successful business and runs it into bankruptcy and irrelevance
simply because you can’t see passed your own ego. Wait, no, you’re not like
that kid at all, you ARE that kid. Congratulations. You have managed to single
handedly take one of the NFL’s proudest franchises and turn it into a laughing
stock. You must be so proud. No, seriously, you must sit back and marvel at
your craft. There is no other explanation for the choices you have made during
your tenure as inherited owner of the San Francisco 49ers other than pure,
unabashed, intention.
I was fortunate (or whatever) enough to hear you speak at a
small political function soon after you took over at the Niner ownership helm.
Rumors had just begun swirling about the team moving to a new stadium in Santa
Clara – the San Francisco 49ers moving to a new stadium in Santa Clara (read:
not San Francisco, as the name would suggest). You spoke so well and seemed to
really get it. You addressed the rumors head on, said the team would be moving,
but would always be a San Francisco team. You spoke about your uncle (Eddie, if
you’re reading this- we LOVE you, please come back. PLEASE!), the legacy he
left and how much he taught you. You spoke of learning from him and wanting to
be, and run the organization, just like him. K… well… fail.
First rule of professional sports ownership – It is not
about you. I’m going to pause briefly to allow you to read that aloud to
yourself a few dozen times. You didn’t like Harbaugh, he didn’t do whatever you
said, fine. That is no reason to run him out of town. You mean to tell me that
Eddie, Carmen and Bill always saw eye to eye? Please. However, like divorced parents
putting the kids before themselves, Eddie, Carmen and Bill put the team first. The
result – 3 super bowls and one of the proudest franchises in all of sports. I
suppose it’s not entirely your fault, you didn’t build this organization, or
anything really, so you don’t have the same pride or responsibility to it.
The jig is up. As I type this, the team, OUR team, is 2 and
6. We’re 2 and 6 with a head coach who resembles a deer in the headlights week
after week on that sideline, a quarterback who has less and less confidence in
himself as each week passes, and a team so depleted that even the most die-hard
of fans has to Google half of the names on the backs of the jerseys your
coaching staff sends out on to the field each week. All of this coming off of
the worst off season, arguably, in league history where about 50% of the team
voluntarily either left or retired. You’re kidding yourself if you think that isn’t
directly your fault. You publicly ripped out their head coach, you undermined
and embarrassed their Defensive Coordinator, and you promoted to head coach a
defensive line coach with no discernible qualification, aside from jumping when
you say go. You provide no stability, no loyalty, and have instilled the fear
that if someone speaks against you, they’ll be tarred and feathered in a public
square, and then fired. This is not a dictatorship, bro, the proof is in your
record.
Come out of hiding. Apologize. Call your uncle. Apologize, again, to
the faithful. Atone for your sins. Actually, just call your uncle and give him
his job back. I’m sure Guggenheim would love to have you back.
C
P.S. Bowman, Staley and Boldin. Thanks for being the badass
ballers that you are. We love you.
