Maybe after Sunday
’s virtuoso, six-TD performance people will lay off 49er
quarterback Jeff Garcia for a while. But don’t count on it.
Maybe after Sunday’s virtuoso, six-TD performance people will lay off 49er quarterback Jeff Garcia for a while. But don’t count on it.
Fans love to find fall-guys to blame for a disappointing season, especially when that poor season happens to a team as talented as the 49ers.
For weeks this season, Garcia, the pride of Gilroy, was absorbing more shots from fans and the media than he does on the field. And, given Garcia’s penchant for contact, that’s saying something.
A few weeks ago, it seemed like everybody was ready to toss Garcia out like old garlic husks and anoint back-up Tim Rattay the QB of the future.
Suddenly, Garcia had lost it and everybody had their favorite reason why.
One of the most nonsensical theories being bandied about was that Garcia is getting too old to be effective. At 33, Garcia is not that old even by NFL standards. Even the reckless scrambler Steve Young lasted well past his 33rd birthday and the Raiders‚ Rich Gannon didn’t really hit his stride until his mid-30s.
But if Garcia is to last much longer, he would do well to learn a lesson Young never really did ˆ scrambling hell-bent for leather down the field and taking on tacklers is not a recipe for longevity in the NFL. In fact, it was scrambling that caused him to miss all those games this season that gave rise to the quarterback controversy to begin with.
Garcia always runs like he has something to prove, hardly a surprise for a guy who was overlooked for much of his career, from high school to college to the pros.
But Garcia doesn’t have anything left to prove, though he’s been treated like he does lately, and he should become more familiar with sliding and running out-of-bounds.
On the other hand…
With all due respect to Garcia, who deserves a lot of it, complaining about the controversy just doesn’t hold much water. It’s not like he lost his starting job as a result, despite a miserable effort in his first game back.
After all, Garcia, and every other starting QB in the NFL, gets paid millions of dollars to be exposed to such high-profile speculation.
Make no mistake about it, you don’t get paid just for what you do on the field in any pro sport. Part of the deal is you have to endure endless media scrutiny and controversy, some of it contrived, much of it unfair and most of it eaten up by the fans.
There’s a reason you don’t see controversies about which aging offensive linemen deserve to retain their job over younger, stronger teammates. No one cares.
At least Garcia got a chance to respond publicly to the challenge. And, it may just have fired him up a little.
To be fair, Garcia was mostly as gracious as can be expected, even as his job was being yanked out from underneath him by fickle fans and the media. And, after Sunday, Garcia‚s job would seem to be pretty safe, for now.
Warriors wowing everyone…
Has there ever been more excitement about a .500 team than there is surrounding the Golden State Warriors these days?
A lot of it has to do with the fact that the Warriors have been so bad for so long and the fact that they’re not that bad this season after they lost, or got rid of, some of their top players from last season’s resurgent team.
It turns out that Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, Bobby Sura and the other ex-Warriors who left after last season weren’t that good after all.
Veterans Nick Van Exel, Calbert Cheaney, Cliff Robinson and Brian Cardinal have done just fine in their place, and players the Warriors kept, like Jason Richardson, Mike Dunleavy and Erick Dampier have blossomed.
Even more of a surprise has been the influence of Van Exel, who used to have a reputation as a selfish player and who made no bones about his lack of enthusiasm for playing in Oakland. Turns out Nick the Quick is a good guy to have in the locker room. Who knew?
Apparently Warriors GM Garry St. Jean did.
Hot stove hearsay…
See ya, Richie Aurilia. Just because you’re a loyal, team-first guy, and a great guy with the fans and the media, and reasonably priced apparently isn’t enough for the Giants. With the decision not to offer Aurilia arbitration, the Giants effectively let the popular shortstop go since they can’t negotiate with him until May 1 — a month into the season.
Far be it from me to question Giants GM Brian Sabean, who has pulled many a rabbit out of the hat and is more than likely to have another great move up his sleeve, but I’m certainly wondering what he’s thinking.
With Aurilia gone, word has it that Sabean is also shopping back-up shortstop Neifi Perez around, and Cody Ransom isn’t expected to be the answer, either.
So, who’s the Giants’ shortstop next season?
Maybe, just maybe, they’ll go after a big name like Nomar Garciaparra, who is said to be incensed by the Red Sox‚ pursuit of Alex Rodriguez, or Miguel Tejada, who would have to take less money to stay in the Bay Area with the cost-cutting Giants. But don’t count on that.
More likely, Sabean has a trade or two percolating. He did say he wanted to stay flexible going into baseball’s winter meetings to facilitate any possible moves.
As that famed baseball philosopher Joaquin Andujar used to say: “You can sum up baseball in one word — Youneverknow.“
Jim Johnson is the Sports Editor for the AMorgan Hill Times. Call him at (408) 779-4106 (ext. 203) or e-mail him at
ji**@mo*************.com
