Every once in a while, I will write up several stories into one post, to save time and get them out
of my over-stuffed thinking hat and out into the Internet. Think of these notes and buzzy topics as a one-stop round-up, with a dash of cheekiness!
Grab-bag Notes: In 49ers news, running back Christian McCaffery became the the NFL's top offensive player for 2023. McCaffery had 1,459 yards to gain the title. Overall, McCaffery for 2023 led the NFL in all purpose yards with 2,023 and tied with the top spot, with 21 total touchdowns.( just now noticed- Christian's scrimmage total equals that of the season he played in, 2023! Potential trivia question/stumper! You're welcome!) .
Congrats are in order to former Stanford and 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh, who led his current team, the Michigan Wolverines to a 34-13 victory over the Washington Huskies in the College Football Championship in Houston Monday night. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy was named the game's MVP, and a MVP case could also be made for the Wolverines defense, who held Heisman runner-up Michael Penix Jr. and the explosive Huskies offense in check for most of the game. What's next for Coach Harbaugh now that he has finally secured a national title for his alma mater?
More on that below!
In the NFL, the last game was barely finished when the chopping block of firing head coaches began. Black Monday, as some have nicknamed it, started with the Atlanta Falcons firing their head coach. Later in the day, we saw the Washington Commanders clean house, not only firing their head coach Ron Rivera, but several upper management key figures as well. A local and intriguing side-story has popped up here, as the Commander's owner has brought in former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers to lead in the talent search to fill those positions. As Warriors fans know very well, Myers does have an eye on finding the best talent for a team! Next on the chopping block was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans, Mike Vrabel. With the firing earlier this season of San Diego Chargers head coach Brandon Staley, that leaves us with four head coach vacancies. Who will be filling those positions? I have some buzz from the Locker Room below!
In tennis, after playing and winning his first three matches after his long-term absence from the game, Rafael Nadal had to withdraw from the Brisbane tournament due to a calf injury, which will keep him out of the Australian Open coming up. Heal quickly, Rafa!
Locker Room Buzz: A bit of a disclaimer here- I try to source any rumors, usually don't traffic in them, but when the buzz is so loud, I feel they should be noted. So here we go! Starting with the Golden State Warriors, as of last Saturday, the NBA has lifted Draymond Green's suspension, and on Green's podcast on Monday, he admitted that he was going to retire until he had a long conversation with NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who told Green that he was making a rash decision and to stay the course. Green said the long conversation was very helpful, and Dray was grateful of having a NBA commissioner who wants to help players, and not just punish them. With the team struggling to get to .500 and play a consistent game, and most importantly FINISH a game with a lead, and with the NBA trade deadline coming up, trade rumors are already swirling around. Two players who are getting the most chatter are Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga. Wiggins has been moved to the bench, only starting when injuries occur, and Kuminga has voiced his frustration about playing time and coach Steve Kerr's decision-making. The articles below fleshes out the buzz about both players: https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/jonathan-kuminga-trade-decision/1689250/?partner=sailthru https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/nba-rumors-andrew-wiggins-trade/1689605/?partner=sailthru (link will pop up when you hover over it). Moving on to football, the San Francisco 49ers, have the San Diego Chargers already sniffing around at poaching the 49ers defensive coordinator, Steve Wilks to be their new head coach! I, and other 49er fans are in a "get off my lawn" mood over this! I mentioned what the future holds for Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh. The Buzz here is that the Las Vegas Raiders are very interested in hiring him as their head coach, and reportedly, the interest may be mutual from Harbaugh as well! And some shocking news coming out of Seattle just as I was about to hit the "publish" button. The Seattle Seahawks have fired head coach Pete Carroll after 14 seasons being in that position! The Seahawks issued a statement about the firing and said that Carroll will remain with the team as an advisor. 49er fans will be happy to see Carroll go, as he has been the face of the 49ers-Seahawks rivalry for years. While not as big a surprise as the Carroll dismissal, New England Patriots long-time head coach Bill Belichick's resignation from the Patriots does feel like the end of an era. After twenty-four seasons and six Super Bowls under his belt, Belichick's legacy is firmly cemented in New England Patriots history. Breaking College Football News: This one is a stunner:
From ESPN:
Nick Saban, considered among the greatest college football coaches of all time who won seven national titles, six of them at Alabama, has informed the Crimson Tide that he is retiring, sources told ESPN's Chris Low on Wednesday.
Saban, 72, just completed his 17th season at Alabama, which ended in a loss to eventual national champion Michigan in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl. In 17 seasons, he won 201 games -- tied with Vince Dooley (Georgia) for the second-most wins at a single school in SEC history, behind only Bear Bryant, who won 232 games in his 25 seasons with Alabama.
In his 28 years as a college head coach -- a career that included seven national championships, 12 conference titles (11 SEC, 1 MAC) and 19 bowl game wins -- Saban never had a losing season. His worst seasons were in 1996 and 1998 at Michigan State (finished .500).
It will be fascinating to see what coach Alabama picks to roll with after such a long run with one of the best coaches in college football history.
Breaking F1 News: Guenther is OUT at Haas Formula One. Netflix must be drowning their sorrows, as he was a fan favorite on the Netflix series, "Drive to Survive" , which the new season (covering last years races) will be streaming soon. From Yahoo Finance: Guenther Steiner, the team principal of the Haas Formula 1 team since its founding, has been dropped by the organization. He will be replaced in the role by Haas director of engineering Ayao Komatsu.
The decision, announced Wednesday, marks the end of a decade at Haas for Steiner, who helped bring the team onto the grid and led it through all eight of its Formula 1 seasons. In that time, Haas has never scored a win or a podium finish. It was a notably long runway for Steiner to make Haas into a winner, but the team's patience has run out and his era is over. I knew this was probably going to happen, but with the new racing season set to start in late February, the timing of Guenther's firing is odd!
Comments