Seahawks 24 Niners 0 -In light of the news of the death of Dick Nolan, we feel a little icky about being negative and snarky about the Niners. Poor Mike Nolan. So, instead, we'll put a positive light on this game, mainly that it could have been worse. We watched part of the first half and it looked like the Seahawks were going get all New England Patriots on the Niners and crush them. But somehow, the Niners made enough defensive adjustments to slow the 'Hawks down and as a result, this was merely just your standard issue blowout, not a monstrous blowout. Of course, we could mention an offense that managed only six first downs the entire game (just one the entire first half), but in keeping with our spirit of generosity, we won't mention that.

-The fine folks at Say Hey (welcome back guys) point out that if you take away the Sharks, the Bay Area's sports teams haven't won anything since September. Not one darn thing-- the 49ers, Raiders, and Warriors have yet to win anything in around half a month. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

-You know what our dream is? That every owner in Major League Baseball will take one look at the greedy shenanigans of A-Rod and Scott Boras and say "screw 'em" and not sign him. Wouldn't that be awesome? So he'd either have to take a major pay cut to play on a team or sit out a season stewing like the little bitch that he is because he didn't get his money. Of course, it'll never happen-- the people who run baseball are some of the stupidest people on earth-- but it's still nice to dream about.

We heard some far off rumor that the Red Sox are going to the World Series (God, help us) but we're not so sure because OH MY GOD, JOE TORRE QUIT THE NEW YORK YANKEES!!!!!!!!! We can't wait for the Series to start so we can constantly hear about what A-Rod will do.

Anyways, we're rooting for neither team to win.

Giants 35 49ers 13- Well, that was about as ugly as pretty much everyone expected. The main problem for the 49ers, other than Trent Dilfer being the QB, is that the Giants fearsome D pretty much had their way with the Niners, stuffing the run and harassing Dilfer all afternoon. Also not a help-- thirteen penalties. The big news out of the game was that beleaguered offensive coordinator Jeff Hostler actually sat up in the booth to call plays. For some reason, that was a matter of issue with the team. He also opened up the playbook and tried to actually throw the ball, although a lot of that could be because they were behind for most of the game. Still, the big issue for Niners fans is that this team is regressing. Big time. Remember 2005 when the offense was one of the worst offenses of all-time and the team didn't win any games? Well, '07 is looking like the new '05.

Chiefs 12 Raiders 10- Both teams didn't do much but in a battle between nothing and not-much, the Chiefs got a little more of the not-much than the Raiders to win, their ninth straight over the Silver & Black. All of which means that the murmuring that soon will become a shout is for JaMarcus Russell to take over as the Raiders offense once again fell on hard times. Culpepper wasn't bad, 18-for-29 for 228 yards but did throw an interception when it counted most, during the last drive. Much worse was the running game that did pretty much nothing. Frankly, this game was boring as hell and the less said the better.

And finally, Scott Ostler brings up, the point that in two weeks, the Raiders will play the Texans at home at the exact same time the Colts are playing the Patriots in what just might be the Biggest. Game. Ever. Seriously—that game looks awesome. But if the Raiders actually sell out their joint, the Colts/Pats game will inexplicably not be shown here. So, either the NFL has to break some sort of rule so we can all see that game or, those of us who would rather watch good football, implore all you Raiders fans to NOT go to that game.

Apparently, Moss wanted out because he was miserable on the team. Moss took a lot of heat over the past couple of years for being kind of a malinger and lollygagger, but we sort of felt sympathetic to him-- he was a great player trapped on a totally shite team. You try caring when your offensive coordinator was last seen manning a bed & breakfast, the head coach was still stuck in the 90's, the QB was continuously on his back, and your WR compadre was suspended for an entire season for ranting about all of that. We wouldn't go throwing our body around to catch passes down the middle either. On the other hand, nobody asked us to.

Now the move is interesting for plenty of reasons, not the least of which is that the Raiders have themselves a shiny new QB playing (JaMarcus Russell). You would think that having Russell throwing to Moss during a season would be kind of a good thing, n'est pas? And if you were going to lose your #1 receiver like that, why not go for Calvin Johnson instead to replace him? It's not like there weren't any QBs to be had later in the draft. Or why draft a TE in the second round when you have seven TEs on your roster already? One TE does not equal a WR.

Finally, there's the issue of whom Moss was traded to. All decade, the Pats have been notorious for winning with a completely self-less, team-first automatons all under the whip of Bill Belichik and the Golden Boy. Now the team has traded for possible the anti-thesis of everything the franchise has stood for, a selfish me-first ego driven star. Considering a not very spectacular Pats team almost made it to the Superbowl and were probably a WR or two away from going, the fact they now have one of the best in the business has to be making a lot of GMs nervous. They've already signed Donte Stallworth, Wes Walker, and Kelley Washington too. In other words, the Pats are looking scary.

Stumbled across two ideas while walking through the Powell cable car area.

First up, no. Just no.

Yes, Jeff was good. He is good. It is hard to watch him now making the same sort of gutty on-the-run improvisational plays in a green jersey for Philly.

As we recall, T.O. did make a huge difference on the field when he was a Niner. He was good. He was a rising star.

Then he soured, and became a relentless douche. Began believing his own wacky logic. He believed that regular sorts of contracts and common sense and rules didn't apply to him. Now that he's a Dallas Cowboy, it makes him all the more reprehensible. Enjoy the rest of the playoffs from home, jerk.

And J.J. Stokes. Oh, J.J. -- your level of bust-ed-ness is one of the few things that make the current hapless RT Kwame Harris look like a good draft day decision. In the textbook under "squandered potential," there is a photo of Stokes sporting #83 for the 49ers.

Dear sweet baby Jesus, how many times were we galvanized into shouting towards the television screen because of the lackadaisical #83?

"Fight for the ball! Fight for the ball!" would be a common refrain. Timid fool, you weren't worth trading up the draft ladder for.

(Of course, an added irony is that Stokes obtained a Super Bowl ring for riding the bench for the 2003 New England Patriots. Expletive.)

"Big Three," hmm? Naw. More like a Scrappy One. And a coupla negatives.

The National Football League's Week Nine of the 2006 regular season is upon us here in the Bay Area, as well as the first tinge of wet weather. Curl up on the couch with a mug o' soup and a blanket: it's time for American football.

* Minnesota vs. San Francisco
Sunday, November 5, 2006. 1:00 PM, PST.
Week 09
The Battle Of The Exposed

Despite that, these Vikes are so far the turnaround story of this NFL season, with hard-nosed football and good execution. Boring, competent and grim-visaged, like The Spurs' Tim Duncan. No one will want to play them in the last month of this NFL season.

Which brings us to this week here in SF. Our Niners had Chicago run 'em over last week. Now, against a team with middling talent, plenty of personnel holes, and a focus on fundamentals, how will the 49ers fare?

San Diego Chargers at the Kansas City Chiefs, Saturday, 12/24/2005, 10:00 AM PST

Wild Card playoff football is nothing compared to the atmosphere for two teams clawing for that last playoff spot at the end of the regular season. Truly, when it is said that "this is what it's all about;" then is what it is all about, son. Redemption. To overcome a season's worth of missed opportunities, to feel that sweet week of optimism between Week 17 and the Wild Card week, to slough off the looming disappointment of a season near-lost -- that chance is what these two teams will be fighting for. Hope. They're fighting to make the sun rise on their season one last time. And they'll be going at it like rats trapped in a corner to get at that fleeting opportunity. If you watch no other game this wknd, for sheer distractive entertainment value, this is the one to catch.

The Chiefs and Bolts have been traveling their path to this sort of a game all year long, neither franchise able to rise into the safely playoff-bound echelon of the AFC despite both being able to defeat the defending NFL champion New England Patriots. KC's power running game will go headlong into the Chargers' #1 rated rushing defense. San Diego's defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has been been one of the National Football League's deans of the 3-4 set for years, and what he's been able to do with his defensive personnel has been quite a stirring tale this season. Seriously, outside of vaunted rookie LB/DE Shawne "Lights Out" Merriman and crafty veteran LB Donnie Edwards, can you name any of San Diego's front seven? Can you name any of their defensive lineman? Some great work you done there, Wade.

So, for each of these franchises, they must have this game to see the sun rise on their season for one more week. Even if their playoff chances would be described with the phrase "and-get-some-help," any chance is better than knowing that you'll be home for the Wild Card wknd, and that your season was all for naught. We all want to see the sun rise on our own chances, to feel as though we will find the happiness that we seek at the end of our path.

By SFist Christopher Rogers, contributing

You sitting down? OK. Listen, we've gotta talk. Such is your Oakland Raiders' schedule in the forthcoming three weeks before their bye week, that when October 9 comes, OAK could be 0 - 4. Don't think that we like saying this. Oh to-the-no! This ain't fun at all! It's a rough thing to think about, but it needs to be talked over. It's the road that's before us, and we've got to deal with it proactively, right? Alright, so, let's look.

2005, WEEK 01, SEP 09, OAK @ NE = Raiders 20, Patriots 30
2005, WEEK 02, SEP 18, KC @ OAK
2005, WEEK 03, SEP 25, OAK @ PHI
2005, WEEK 04, OCT 02, DAL @ OAK
2005, WEEK 05, OCT 09, bye week

2005, WEEK 02, SEP 18, KC @ OAK: Not good. This matchup against those Chiefs plays directly against OAK's weakness against the run. Even with the 10-time Pro Bowl O-lineman Willie Roaf injured, Kansas City still has its powerful O-line in its favor, and lurking behind that line are KC's fearsome twosome of running backs, Priest Holmes, and "Mr. Diaper's Off," Larry Johnson. We fear that to see this squad levied against the Raiders' D is going to be an exercise in flattening. Will Oakland's offense be able to keep pace?

[O! But here's some Breaking News! Tuesday, Larry Johnson was arrested for an altercation! Will this affect his gametime status? We're gonna have to see how that pans out.]

SFist Christopher Rogers contributing

It was time. Your Oakland Raiders meant to contend with the two-time defending NFL Champion New England Patriots in the marquee 2005 NFL Kickoff game.

No, let us begin again, the Raiders did not go Eastward just to contend. There was talk within the Nation of cold revenge, of making a statement, of something that had occurred here just a few seasons past that can not be spoken about directly.
Fresh arrows there were in the quiver; by name there was LaMont, and Randy, and the fleet-footed flotilla of rookie defensive backs, all of them hailing to Al's word. His word was to make for the village of Foxborough by Thursday, and there, to put the home team to the sword.

It is our duty to tell you what then came next. This is what happened there on that day.