For 49ers’ owner Jed York, wrong move at wrong time

Maybe San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York thought he was getting a good deal on a linebacker.

Why else would he go to a scruffy trailer park in East Palestine, a less-than-desirable suburb near his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio?

What he ended up with was a jail sentence and a fine of $1,150, certainly affordable for an NFL executive, if somewhat embarrassing.  

York, 46, was caught in a prostitution sting Sunday morning, according to a report from TV Station WKBN in Youngstown. The report said, “York responded to an ad on a known prostitution website that, unbeknownst to him, was posted by an agent with the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force.”

Just another trick play in an area where football reigns supreme.

“York pleaded no contest Monday morning to misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools. Records state he was originally charged with engaging in prostitution, but they were amended to disorderly conduct as part of a plea agreement.”

One could only wish 49ers losses could be so easily amended.

If all this comes as a shock to Northern California sports fans, that’s understandable. The return of the 49ers each fall is supposed to bring good news after the Giants’ ineptitude in the summer—and was it ever this year—but here we are with an item that offers hardly encouraging news.

Of course, what matters more than poor choices of personal conduct is the game results. Halfway into their four-game pre-season schedule, the Niners had a win and a loss, not that the scores mean anything in what truly are exhibitions until the league season begins.  

That’s in two weeks against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia, not Florida, as the NFL continues its quest to dominate the world.

Presumably, Jed York will be down under. Despite the incident at the trailer park in Ohio, the Aussie tabloids surely will be kind to the Niners’ owner. Yet a team owner caught seeking sex is a story, particularly when the team is traveling halfway around the world to appear. Then again, the guys who are wealthy enough to own an NFL franchise seem to escape the consequences.

Asked by the Youngstown TV station, WKBN, about further discipline, the NFL provided the usual indirect response. “We are aware of the matter which will be reviewed under the personal conduct policy,” said the NFL. “As this is a legal matter, which has been resolved, we will not be providing any further comment at this time.”

Timing is everything in life as in football. What Jed York did was not only inappropriate but also took place when the focus should be on the new season.