RealClearSports: Finer Points of Coaching Elude Singletary

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By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

SAN FRANCISCO -- He wanted winners. He said as much. A billboard along the freeway near the Candlestick off-ramp with his image reiterated the proclamation. Mike Singletary was a man of little pretense.

Also, unfortunately, of little coaching experience.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2010

RealClearSports: Raiders Playing It by the (E-mail) Letters

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By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Jason Campbell is the quarterback the Washington Redskins traded to the Oakland Raiders so he wouldn't sit on the bench behind Donovan McNabb, who has been told to sit on the bench behind Rex Grossman, who was unwanted by the Chicago Bears even though he helped them get to a Super Bowl.

You still with us? Is McNabb still with the Skins? Campbell very much still is with the Raiders, who with two games left in the season still are in the chase for the playoffs.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2010

RealClearSports: Nevada's Kaepernick Battles Obscurity

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By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

SAN FRANCISCO -- One pro scouting report called him "intriguing,'' which after the numbers, fabulous, and the general lack of national recognition, irritating, is possibly the best way to describe Colin Kaepernick.

He's a quarterback as well known for running as passing. He plays in a town, Reno, as well known for its slogan -- "The Biggest Little City in the World'' -- divorces and gambling, as its sports.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2010

SF Examiner: A lot on the line for Niners personnel

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By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

It’s been decided. Alex Smith will not be playing for the 49ers next season unless he’s playing for the 49ers next season. Mike Singletary is going to be replaced as coach unless he’s retained as coach. Anything else you need?

“This is a game for madmen,” said the great Vince Lombardi. “In football, we’re all mad.” Are we ever.

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2010 SF Newspaper Company

RealClearSports: Favre Leaves Us Grasping for Perspective

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By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

Steve Young, as always, made the intelligent assessment. How, asked Young, a Hall of Fame quarterback himself, do we use the word "perspective" when analyzing what Brett Favre has accomplished?

"People ask me to put this in perspective,'' Young said on ESPN, talking about the end of Favre's consecutive starts streak at 297. "But there's no perspective. This is uncharted territory.''

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2010

RealClearSports: Last Hurrah for 49ers' Alex Smith?

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By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

Peyton Manning again looked like a quarterback who should have been the first pick in an NFL draft. Which he was, reassuring to those who believe teams know what they are doing.

Or, no less significantly, the quarterback they select knows what he is doing.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2010

RealClearSports: Meredith: Brilliant Star of a Bygone Era

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By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

There was a certain eeriness to the fact Don Meredith would die hours before a Monday Night Football contest. Also a certain poignancy.

Meredith better than anyone understood the contention of the late commissioner Pete Rozelle that at its essence the NFL is nothing but entertainment.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2010

SF Examiner: Singletary keeps 49ers fans guessing

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By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

The coach still is the coach, and why not? It wouldn’t do any good to get rid of Mike Singletary at this point. He has a sense of purpose, and at times a sense of humor. You go after him, and he’s right back at you, admirable even if his record is not.

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2010 SF Newspaper Company

RealClearSports: USC Wins But Doesn't Sell

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By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

PASADENA, Calif. -- This is Hollywood territory, been-there-done-that country. All they're interested in around here is box office.

Tradition is for Peoria. Or Lincoln. You better put something on the plate -- or, more specifically, on the field -- if you want to sell tickets.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2010

SF Examiner: Niners need to start over

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By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

The advice has become cliché: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. What if it is broken? What if it’s a football team? What if it’s the 49ers, who need a very large repair job?

What if it’s a franchise without direction or people who could locate that direction?

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2010 SF Newspaper Company

RealClearSports: Stanford's Luck 'Best Player in Country'

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By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

BERKELEY, Calif. -- It's always been a quarterback school. Way back, there was Frankie Albert, and later John Brodie. Along came Jim Plunkett to win a Heisman. Then John Elway on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Now Stanford has Andrew Luck.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2010

SF Examiner: Tedford has had Stanford's number in Big Game

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By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

SAN FRANCISCO — The other guy is getting the attention. A huge article on Jim Harbaugh in Sports Illustrated. Why not? Stanford has lost only one game. Stanford is ranked No. 7 in the nation.

“I have a lot of respect for coach Harbaugh,” said Jeff Tedford.

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2010 SF Newspaper Company

RealClearSports: Vick Not Wasting His Second Chance

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By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

We find satisfaction in realizing what Michael Vick can do. After finding revulsion in learning what he did.

He moves forward, with remarkable skill, a brilliant talent. We move on. And yet ...

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2010

RealClearSports: Nothing Shocking About Newton Scandal

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By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

A scandal in college sports? Impossible. We're shocked, shocked, to borrow from Inspector Renault in Casablanca. He was talking about illicit gambling, which in a way would put him in fine stead these days when dealing with undergraduate games.

© RealClearSports 2010

SF Examiner: Things are looking up in NorCal

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By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner


John Cook, who won the Charles Schwab Cup Championship on Sunday at Harding Park, was saying as a kid who grew up in Southern California — or “SoCal,” as he phrased it — how much he reveled in beating people and teams from Northern California.

Read the full story here.

C0pyright 2010 SF Newspaper Company

RealClearSports: Tom Cable Unleashes Emerging Raiders

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By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

ALAMEDA, Calif. - As of the moment, Tom Cable is the coach of the Oakland Raiders and Wade Phillips is no longer the coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

Or exactly the opposite of what we believed a few weeks ago might be the situation.

Read the full story here.
RealClearSports 2010

RealClearSports: NFL Properly Errs on Side of Caution

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By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

That was a chilling remark by the NFL's executive vice president for football operations. "We don't want to see another Darryl Stingley on our watch,'' said Ray Anderson.

How about on anybody's watch?

How about the league just making that determination after three decades?

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2010

RealClearSports: Chaos Reigns for Winless 49ers

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By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

SAN FRANCISCO -- So now the man in charge, using that word loosely for a football franchise which seems not to have anyone in charge - at least no one who understands football - makes a wild-hare prediction the San Francisco 49ers will win their division.

As a suggestion here from the peanut gallery, they might want to start by winning a game. Which they hadn't in their first five starts.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2010

SF Examiner: Luck to take stage at Notre Dame

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By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

Andrew Luck understands. Not only the subject matter of his architectural design major — that would be expected of someone from Stanford.

He understands what it means to play a football game at Notre Dame, which he will do Saturday.

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2010 SF Newspaper Company

RealClearSports: Error-Free Saints Have Mettle of Champs

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By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

SAN FRANCISCO -- The better team won. No, the best team won. The best team in the NFL. The Super Bowl champions. "They did what they had to do,'' said Mike Singletary, the coach of the team which didn't win.

Isn't that always the difference?

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2010