The San Francisco 49ers, also known as the 49ers SF, the Niners , The Red and Gold or Bay Bombers are a professional American football team based in California. The team is a part of the Western Division of the National Football Conference. The 49ers SF, who started playing as a charter team of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in 1946, became a member of the NFL with the merging of the AAFC into the NFL.

The team, which has had some of the best runs in football history, specially in the 1980s and 90s , has been going through a bad patch in its history since the year 2002, losing against weaker teams, having poor playing spells and being dogged by controversies both within and outside the club. However, the team still has a major fan following, owing to its past successes which include five Super Bowl victories, five NFC championships and seventeen Division championships wins. The San Francisco 49ers are the only NFL team, apart from the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers to have won the Super Bowl a record five times. On top of this, the Niners have also been responsible for giving American football some of its greatest heroes like Steve Young, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Ronnie Lott.

Ever since their inception in 1946, the San Francisco 49ers have been based in San Francisco, playing all their home matches in San Francisco while having their club and practice sessions in Santa Clara. Unlike most football teams, the team has retained its first and only name, which is reminiscent of the California gold rush of 1849.

The 49ers had always been a mediocre team from the 40s till the end of the 70s, winning some matches while losing even more and their exploits were nothing much to either inspire a great fan following or to write home about. However, all this changed in the 1980s, when the team managed to win four Super Balls in one decade. Not only this, they missed the playoffs only twice during these ten years. It was during these golden years that the team also threw up a number of superbly talented players like receiver and quarterback Joe Montana, receiver Dwight Clark and running back Earl Cooper.

As of late, apart from being mired in a number of controversies ranging from long drawn out battles over ownership to leaking out of non public training videos, the team also has not been making any great waves in the championships arena. The last and most recent brick in the wall has been the team’s proposed move to Santa Clara for playing their games also. Around the end of the year 2006, negotiations that were on between the 49ers SF and the city of San Francisco regarding the building of a privately funded stadium came to an end with the 49ers management pulling out of the deal due to undisclosed reasons and deciding to move to Santa Clara for good. Last heard, plans were afoot to build a state of the art playing facility in Santa Clara, to be completed by the year 2012. This decision of the team management has delivered a further blow to 49ers SF fans in San Francisco.

When it’s bad, college football can really suck. But when it’s good…oh boy.Last weekend, it was very, very good. I have two TVs in my living room, side-by-side, and in the span of about 15 minutes, Wisconsin won their ridiculous game over Minnesota thanks primarily to a blocked punt, Michigan topped Penn State’s gutsy drive with one of their own (aided by two phantom seconds added to the Big House clock) and Matt Leinart somehow got the clock stopped when he fumbled out of bounds (it’s not supposed to do that) and made his QB sneak into history, helping Southern Cal overcome a nation’s worth of Irish rooters in the best football game I remember seeing this century.

Wow.

Add to that Alabama’s clutch drive against Ole Miss leading to a game-winning field goal with no time left, West Virginia’s tackling of Louisville QB Brian Brohm just outside the goal line, stopping what would’ve been a tying two-point conversion in that game’s third overtime, and UCLA’s outrageous comeback on Washington State, including a third-and-three from the Wazzou nine with precious little time on the clock, whereupon the Bruins scored the tying TD and sent the game into OT. No, my crummy cable company didn’t let me see all those games (though I did get the Tide and some of the Mountaineers), but all I can tell you is this: whenever your know-it-all brainiac friend with the pocket protector and mounds of statistics about how big-time intercollegiate athletics are leeches on the forehead of American universities, think back to last Saturday, remember play after play of pulse-pounding excitement that only sports can consistently give, and offer your friend a winsome smile.

He just wouldn’t understand.

The White Sox are in their first World Series in 46 years. How does that play in the handicapping world? Are a lot of bettors (including you) on that bandwagon? What were the odds on them winning the AL before the season started? Do you find them to be an appealing team to root for?

Rob Gillespie, BoDog.ws: Not really. I think bettors were shocked to see the Yankees and Red Sox out so fast and were playing wait and see. On the year, the White Sox got no love from bettors. They opened at 35/1 last fall and moved as high as 50/1 in the offseason. Their fast start drew a couple of large bets but bettors never really showed support in any numbers. I don’t find the team itself particularly appealing, but its tough not to like Ozzie Guillen and the way he has his team play.

Assuming the Astros win one of the next three NLCS games, who do you like between them and the White Sox in the World Series? Do you expect the world to care, or will this be one of those Series that no one watches?

RG, BoDog.ws: Pujols hits a clutch monster Home Run Monday night, the Colts come back from 17 down early to destroy the hapless looking Rams and all anyone is talking about at the water cooler today is USC/Notre Dame. I think this will be the World Series time forgot if you live outside of Texas or Illinois. I’ll take the White Sox starters and rested bullpen and say Chicago in 5. Just guessing here of course!

How about that USC/Notre Dame game? Boy, was that an Instant Classic, or what? How did Vegas do on that one, and what were your impressions of the Trojans. Are they going to win the national championship?

RG, BoDog.ws: Action was so balanced on that one that we got to be true fans for a game, and what a game. I stood in front of my TV and applauded at the end. I wonder how the Houston Texans would fare against either team right now? That was an instant classic for sure. I would worry about a letdown next week if wasn’t Washington up next on their sched. USC has not played championship caliber ball in the first half of their last three games and they will give Cal and UCLA shots to beat them if they don’t get that sorted out quickly.

In the NFL, is New England in serious, serious trouble, or do you expect them to get healthy and make another run?

RG, BoDog.ws: I put my back out once. The most surprising thing was how much other muscles hurt from having to compensate. I think the same is true of the Pats right now. The more that bench gets stretched, the more guys are going to get banged up. They have the mental make-up to recover quickly but there may not be enough time left in the season to physically recover given how good the AFC looks this year. Bruschi’s return is likely to give a small emotional lift, but I don’t think he will make enough physical difference to stop the bleeding. The bye week will help as well. Buff/Ind/@Mia the next three games: winning two is a must if they want to get back to the Super Bowl; winning all three would show they are still the team to beat; losing two or more of those and it’s time to build for next year.

Your passing game starts with the ability of your football wide receivers to get separation from their defenders. It doesn’t matter if you have the greatest quarterback in the world if his receivers can’t give him a window to throw to.

The first step is to teach your wide receivers how to get off the line. If the defenders are pressing and bumping at the line, the receiver must know how to beat the pressure. Begin by teaching fakes. The most basic is the “head bob”. This is where the football wide receiver moves his head to one side while getting his body moving straight or to the other side. A good shoulder fake can spice this move up.

Since defensive backs will eventually pick up on a repeated fake, teach your receivers to mix things up with double-fakes (fake one way, then the other, then move beyond the defensive back).

Football wide receivers must also be taught how to use their hands to gain separation. Teach the “rip” and “swim” techniques. If cutting left, teach them to use the right arm to “rip” up through the cornerback’s arms. For the “swim” technique, teach your wide receivers to bring the inside arm up and over the corner’s arms to knock the arms downward.

Once off the line, good route running is obviously an important skill to develop. One way to help your football wide receivers get open is to have them run hard to a specific spot, get control (possibly use a fake here) and make the cut. Plant the foot away from the direction of the cut, make the cut and then accelerate into the cut. Teach your players the importance of getting the defensive back moving backwards and then cutting away from them.

Besides the straight line charge, you can also have your football receivers use an S-shape weave to get open. Have them run quickly at the defensive back to get close, then “curve” around him to gain separation.

Against man-to-man coverage, learning the art of good cuts and making those cuts at the right time will be extremely important to the success of your wide receivers. Against zone coverage, it’s a bit different. Since the defensive backs are defending an area, the football receivers won’t need to use their fakes quite as much since they just need to find the holes in the zone.

One often over-looked area where you can give your players an advantage is in your scouting of the opposition. Don’t underestimate the importance of exploiting how your players match up to the other guys. Figure out how you can game-plan how to get your best or fastest receiver matched up against the opposition’s weakest or slowest defensive back.

Teach your football wide receivers the correct fundamentals for getting open, game-plan your match ups effectively, then sit back and feel the satisfaction of watching a beautifully executed big play win the game for your players.

The Quarterback is undoubtedly the most important man on the team. He is the playing coach who directs the offense. Therefore, his selection becomes one of the most important decisions the head coach must make.In selecting a quarterback, these considerations are ranked in order of their importance. Perhaps this ranking may cause wonderment to many. Nevertheless, if they are possible, we select the quarterbacks with the following qualifications:

1. Quarterback must be respected

The first consideration must be that the quarterback be respected by his teammates. The quarterback need not be “popular” or well liked by his team, but it is essential that he have their respect if the offense is to be successful. If a quarterback has the respect of his teammates, his judgment will not likely be questioned in a clutch situation. Every individual will give his absolute maximum effort instead of “second guessing” in a crucial series on the goal line. With this respect the squad will develop a feeling of confidence and assurance in the quarterback to get the job done. Respect and confidence carry the ball together.

2. Playing ability

When selecting a quarterback, the requisite of ability is almost a carbon copy of respect; you can’t have one without the other. Yes, it is possible, but not likely. At one time, we made the error of selecting a signal caller who was proficient on offense, but weak on defense. As a result, the team did not completely respect this quarterback, so that they did not go all out for him.

In order for the quarterback to gain absolute respect he must be fairly proficient in other phases of team play. It would be ridiculous for a single-wing quarterback to attempt to lead his teammates on offense, if he were deficient in blocking himself. Yet, he might be a fine defensive man. The quarterback should be able to more than hold his own on both offense and defense. If he fails to have confidence in himself he cannot expect his teammates to respect his judgment. This has been one major area where T-formation quarterbacks could stand improvement. The best way to be a leader is through performance.

3. Football sense

The third quality we look for when selecting the quarterbacks is “football sense.” This is not necessarily found in the player who leads his classmates in scholastic standing. The “A” student many times does not have “football sense,” especially during the stress and pressure of a crucial situation. Normally, the quarterback is academically ranked in the upper one-third of his class and possibly in the top ten per cent of the squad.

It is mandatory that the quarterback know the strengths and weaknesses of his teammates, not just the backfield men, but the line as well. Some players are better in clutch situations than others; they are most reliable when the pressure is on. By way of illustration, some kickers are poised when kicking from their own end zones; certain centers are less excitable when snapping the ball into their own end zone than others.

4. Leadership

Actually, leadership may be the wrong term for this fourth qualification in selecting the quarterback. Perhaps a better definition would be “personality.” The quarterback must have a personality to lead his teammates and at the same time keep harmony. Usually a personality that is willing to “sacrifice everything for the benefit of the team” is one that will bring the desired type of harmony and leadership.

An ideal type of disposition is one that is cheerful. After all, football is a game and by having a cheerful leader there is a tendency for other men to be alert and happy. He must be above discouragement at all times. If he becomes discouraged all this is lost. Of course, there will be times when he will feel this way, but he must not reveal his feeling to the players around him.

5. Voice

It is our feeling that here is one quality that has not been drilled on enough.

By way of illustration, let’s pretend we have two men battling for the top quarterback position. Their names are Black and White. Black has leadership, confidence, football sense, and a good voice. White has intelligence and all the qualities that go with an alert mind. However, he is lacking somewhat in the other qualities, especially in voice. Which would you select?

The coach must choose Black because the team will follow him. White may select the correct play on every occasion, but because of a deficiency in other qualities and a poor voice they may not believe he is correct. As a result, they will not go all out for him. His personality will not lead them.

Actually, Black may have much less to offer mentally, but with his personality, confidence, and voice, will be a better general. He will drive the team and his voice will help give the team the precision necessary. His voice will be like a command to the team. It will be clear, snappy, and forceful. He will make tactical errors, but his team will go all out on every play, and to some extent overcome these mistakes. White may make no tactical mistakes and yet his team will lack the drive necessary on offense. It may not even score against a strong defense.

The finest axiom for any quarterback to remember regarding voice is … the wrong play called properly has more chance of success than the right play called improperly. Without question a team can be unconsciously stimulated to greater efforts by the quarterback’s voice. A good voice is a necessity.

6. Alligator skin

A quarterback must be alligator-skinned to criticism from fans, alumni, and press. A field general must expect to receive a high percentage of unjust comments from unqualified sources. He must not let this affect his thinking or worry him at any time. He will make mistakes, but he should try to profit from them and not make the same mistake twice. He must not worry or brood over past mistakes, but look forward to the next contest with optimism. Always preach to the quarterback that mistakes are a thing of the past. If a quarterback learns to become thick skinned he can take considerable criticism and still do a good job of directing the team.

7. Loyal representative

The final quality and one of the most important is that of loyalty to the coach. The quarterback is responsible only to the head coach. He is a personal representative of his coach on the field. The quarterback should be clearly informed of this so that there is no doubt.

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