Resolve Alex Smith/JT O’Sullivan stuff
Call me crazy, but I guess I was expecting some sort of a
resolution to the Alex Smith/JT O’Sullivan quarterback
controversy/carousel/conundrum after taking a week-long vacation. I
guess I was expecting, what with three preseason games under their
belt now, the 49ers would have made up their mind as to who is and
will be starting behind center come Week 1.
Resolve Alex Smith/JT O’Sullivan stuff
Call me crazy, but I guess I was expecting some sort of a resolution to the Alex Smith/JT O’Sullivan quarterback controversy/carousel/conundrum after taking a week-long vacation. I guess I was expecting, what with three preseason games under their belt now, the 49ers would have made up their mind as to who is and will be starting behind center come Week 1.
The Niners played Chicago on Thursday. O’Sullivan started for the third straight pre-season game. An announcement could come as soon as today, if it hasn’t already, that O’Sullivan, by all indications, is the man. But it should have come sooner.
The obvious discrepancy is that O’Sullivan, who’s getting paid a whopping league-minimum salary of $645,000, is playing “better” than Smith or Shaun Hill, but has not necessarily blown anyone away. Whereas Smith, who cashed in on a $24 million bonus in 2005, is being given every last chance to take the starting job, pretty much because of his massive contract, but has yet to have blown anyone away as well.
As for Hill, who some penned as the dark horse to steal the starting job away from Smith, well, he’s apparently running last in this race, and last on the depth chart.
To paraphrase Bill Simmons, ladies and gentleman, your 2008 San Francisco 49ers!
But let’s not harp on the Niners. We’ll have plenty of time later this season, I’m sure. As with any return from vacation, let’s do a little catch-up.
– Staying local, I said a couple of weeks ago that the Oakland Raiders might be a lot of analysts “sleeper” pick this season, which is traditionally not a good sign, but it’s something to get excited about, if that makes any sense at all.
They have the youthful but enticing JaMarcus Russell and Darren McFadden. They have a billion-dollar defense, and they own one of the easiest schedules in the NFL. They also have two players – tight end Zach Miller and running back Michael Bush – who I will be more than happy to scoop up in the later rounds for my fantasy team this year.
With that said, after two preseason games, they can also flat-out run the ball. On just 78 attempts, the four-running back strong Raiders have compiled 472 yards, which is a little more than six yards per carry.
It’s preseason, I know. But again, it’s certainly something to get excited about – at least it’s an alternative to the impending Al Davis-Lane Kiffin showdown. And if Oakland can escape the dreaded sleeper-team status, a doom-and-gloom term the Niners were blessed with last season, than all the better.
– Michael Phelps. Michael Phelps. Michael Phelps. Michael Phelps. Michael Phelps. Michael Phelps. Michael Phelps. Michael Phelps.
There really isn’t anything left to be said. He’s accomplished what no other Olympian has done – eight gold medals – and he’s set to clean up when he returns to the States to the tune of $50 million a year in expected endorsements.
He could be a possible running mate for Obama or McCain, depending on his affiliation, or he could very well run for office on his own ticket. After watching that still-unbelievable 100-meter butterfly race, where his one last-ditch stroke supplied him with victory by one one-hundredth of a second, I’m sure whatever Michael Phelps does next will involve a triple-take.
– Speaking of swimming, I did a column a few weeks back on the Speedo LZR Racer swimsuit, saying that it contributed to an uneven playing field in the pool for those who were allowed to wear it.
At The Pinnacle’s press time, 25 world records have been set at the Beijing Games, 23 of which were by swimmers in the Speedo swimsuit. For what it’s worth, in the last two Olympic Games combined, a total of 18 world records were set.
Go figure.
– And finally, we have another episode of Kent being Kent.
Dodger Jeff Kent took offense to a claim by announcer Vin Scully recently, when Scully made the connection that Kent’s batting has improved since Manny Ramirez is now slotted behind him.
L.A. Times columnist TJ Simers stirred the pot: “Vin Scully talks too much,” Kent said … “We all love you, Vin,” Kent added with a mischievous grin, “but you still talk too much…”
Well, at the very least, Simers’ job has gotten a lot easier ever since Ramirez began batting behind Jeff Kent.
