Re: Il Lato Giusto Della Baia - Nebbia fitta sulla baia. Ma fitta fitta eh!

[putrido]

e bevono un noto whiskey... :gazza:

...bevevano...con le nuove regole in occasioni pubbliche non si può più

...sorry KO...

[Jeremy]

Sempre più  per cecaro.
Intanto sembra che il suo amico abbia vinto la "battaglia della cravatta"!

Nolan Gets the Nod to Wear Suit 

On Wednesday, head coach Mike Nolan received long awaited news from the league office in New York. Commissioner Roger Goodell has agreed to Nolan's request to wear a jacket and tie in the team’s colors to honor the history of the NFL, the 49ers and past coaches during the club's regular season home games.

Nolan initially made his request to wear a suit on gamedays when he took over the reigns of the 49ers prior to the 2005 season. The NFL with Reebok determines the apparel worn on the sidelines on gameday by all coaches, players and club personnel, and in 2006, Nolan was granted special permission to wear the suit at two of the team’s home games.

“I would like to thank Commissioner Goodell and Reebok for allowing me to wear a suit at our home contests,” said Nolan. “As I mentioned before, I made this request out of the high amount of respect I have for the NFL, the San Francisco 49ers, my father and all of the former coaches who have worn suits.”

Jacksonville head coach Jack Del Rio, who also wore the jacket and tie at two home games last season, will also be able to wear the attire this year during the Jaguars regular season home games.

Quindi all'opening day (night) posso mettere la solita maglietta throwback col numero 80 ed il solito cappellino portafortuna.

[cecaro]

Sempre più  per cecaro.
Intanto sembra che il suo amico abbia vinto la "battaglia della cravatta"!
Commissioner Roger Goodell has agreed to Nolan's request to wear a jacket and tie in the team’s colors to honor the history of the NFL

La strategia che abbiamo concordato si è rivelata vincente: puntare sull' orgoglio di un commissioner semi-rookie, con Pete Rozelle o Tagliabue non ci sarebbe stato dialogo  :gazza:

Quindi all'opening day (night) posso mettere la solita maglietta throwback col numero 80 ed il solito cappellino portafortuna.

E anche stavolta posso evitare di comprarmi una cravatta

[cecaro]

Quando torno negli stati uniti, presto o tardi, vieni via con me. Destinazione Chicago. Mi servi perchè:
- memoria fotografica
- amante delle ora perse guardando quattro giocatori che fanno i fighetti e firmano autografi
- noto toccatore di culi delle cheerleaders
- estremamente fortunato
:gazza:

Verrò con piacere, e ti applicherò il tariffario alla sezione "amici e parenti" :gazza:
Non so se mi riesce di venire a Londra ad Ottobre, nel caso potrei mettere in azione tutte le mie doti di rompico*****i

[Jeremy]

Intanto altra buona prestazione di Maxwell nella NFL Europa lo scorso week end: 5 ricezioni, 95 yds ed il TD (da 50 yds) che ha dato la vittoria alla sua squadra. Due TD pass per la nostra vecchia conoscenza Cody Pickett.

[Angyair]

Brutte notizie dagli allenamenti, secondo grave infortunio per i niners che vedono il CB Tucker fuori per un inforunio ai pettorali, ancora non si sa per quanto tempo dovrà stare fuori ma le previsioni non sono buone, inoltre Jackson sente ancora dolore al ginocchio e il suo recupero procede a rilento:

The 49ers suffered their second significant injury of the spring this week when cornerback B.J. Tucker went down with what appears to be a torn pectoral muscle.

Coach Mike Nolan said Thursday that the two-year veteran has yet to have an MRI but that the situation "doesn't look that good." The injury occurred in Tuesday's practice when Tucker stuck out his arm to stop an opposing player.

The Wisconsin product, who was born in Sierra Leone, had been practicing as the team's third cornerback because two other players, Shawntae Spencer (bone spurs) and Donald Strickland (knee contusion) had been out with injuries. Tucker's injury opens the door for a couple of youngsters, rookie Tarell Brown and second-year player Marcus Hudson, to step into a more important role on the defense.

The 49ers previously had lost defensive end Melvin Oliver to a torn knee ligament.

The team's recent OTAs are supposed to be noncontact, but Thursday's session showed that when 22 large men are thrown into a confined space, they are anything but.

On one play, linebacker Tully Banta-Cain was dropping back into coverage when he was undercut by cornerback Walt Harris, who was moving forward. Banta-Cain got up slowly but did not appear to be injured. On another play, rookie defensive backs Dashon Goldson and Sammy Joseph collided in the back of the end zone while trying to break up a Shaun Hill pass.

Other observations:

• Banta-Cain might be tipping the scales at close to 280 pounds, but he showed Thursday he could move that weight around. On a third-and-goal play, he flushed quarterback Alex Smith - no slow poke - out of bounds, forcing Smith to throw away the ball.

• Maurice Hicks, Brandon Williams, Arnaz Battle, Bryan Gilmore and Jason Hill alternated kickoff returns. Hicks, last year's return-man, got the most repetitions.

• The 49ers went through some of their practice in a 4-3 defense. On one play, the defensive ends were rookie Ray McDonald and Ronnie Fields while Bryant Young and Aubrayo Franklin lined up at defensive tackle.

• Tight end Delanie Walker missed Thursday's session for what Nolan described as "personal issues off the field." The team did not specify what those issues were.

[Angyair]

Confermata, anzi peggiorata, la notizia del grave infortunio a Tucker: altro season-ending injury per i 49ers.

Cornerback B.J. Tucker, who played 10 games the past two seasons for the 49ers, will undergo season-ending surgery on a torn pectoral muscle, coach Mike Nolan said today.

Tucker is the second 49ers player to sustain a season-ending injury during the club's organized team activities. Last week, defensive end Melvin Oliver sustained a torn ACL in his right knee. He could undergo surgery as early as next week. (UPDATE: I just bumped into Oliver in the parking lot. He said he is scheduled to undergo surgery on Tuesday. Dr. James Andrews will perform the surgery in Birmingham, Ala.)

Tucker will undergo surgery. His rehab is expected to last 4 to 6 months.


Buone notizie: Nolan è fiducioso sul recupero di Jackson (che dopo l'operazione era stato lasciato solo dai Sehawks).

An update from yesterday's blog item about Darrell Jackson: Nolan said Jackson's rehab is going well. He ran some zig-zags, but nothing that would force his big toe to bend. Nolan said he expects Jackson to be ready for the first day of training camp.

Part of the problem with Jackson is that he was under no kind of rehabilitation schedule with the Seahawks. So from the end of the season until he was traded to the 49ers in April, he received no treatment for his "turf toe."



Altre brevi considerazioni da parte di Maiocco sugli allenamenti:

--It's probably stupid to read too much into "non-contact" practices, but running back Michael Robinson is getting a lot of work and looks very good. He appears to be hitting the holes quickly and with a lot more decisiveness.

--Cornerback Marcus Hudson made a nice interception at the goal line of a Trent Dilfer pass.

--Receiver Arnaz Battle is going to be difficult to remove from the starting lineup. He is Mr. Consistency. He went up to make a good grab between the coverage of cornerback Nate Clements and safety Michael Lewis.

--Tight end Vernon Davis looks more comfortable. He appears especially effective inside the red zone.

--Rookie Thomas Clayton catches the ball very well out of the backfield, but his attempt at a one-handed grab in the end zone on a perfectly thrown pass from Shaun Hill got away from him. He received a few reminders on his way back to the huddle to use two hands.

[Jeremy]

Manca più di un mese al training camp e già due giocatori out for the season... Mica male come inizio...

[Jeremy]

Questo il comportamento dei nostri giocatori nella NFL Europa; Maxwell e Syptak si incontreranno nel Pro Bowl.

S JERMAINE HARDY, Rhein Fire
Saw action in all 10 regular season games, recording 29 tackles, one forced fumble, five pass defenses and four special teams tackles.

WR MARCUS MAXWELL, Hamburg Sea Devils
Started nine games and caught 32 passes for 499 yards (51 long) and a league-leading 7 receiving touchdowns. Added two runs for 13 yards (10 long).

DE JOHN SYPTAK, Frankfurt Galaxy
Started five of 10 games and recorded 30 tackles, a team-leading 5.5 sacks, one pass defense and two forced fumbles.

S VICKIEL VAUGHN, Berlin Thunder
Played in the final six games of the 2007 campaign and recorded 16 tackles, one interception, five pass defenses and two special teams tackles.

T TAVARES WASHINGTON, Rhein Fire
Started at left guard in eight of nine games during 2007.

[Angyair]

Il giudizio di Maiocco sul comportamento negli OTA e sulle prospettive future delle nuove facce in casa 49ers:


The 49ers have added a lot of new faces who figure to play prominent roles this season. Now that the OTAs have concluded, let's take a look at some of the more notable offseason acquisitions and see how they might fit into the picture:

--Outside linebacker Tully Banta-Cain: He will start at outside linebacker, and he's expected to be the team's top pass-rush threat. You'll see him line up primarily on the right side, where he'll be coming after the QB from the blind side. In OTAs, he showed his quickness and speed. He has a strong chance to be the team's first double-digit sack man since Andre Carter in 2002.

--Strong safety Michael Lewis: Despite what you might have read in other places, the 49ers are not having any kind of buyer's remorse after devoting $9.8 million in guaranteed money for him. Lewis is a physical player who by definition is not going to show all he can bring to a team when he's taking part in non-contact practices.

"He's a great character person," coach Mike Nolan said at the conclusion of OTAs. "He brings a lot to the football team. What he's done in pads is very good. So what you see in shorts is all great. It's nice to see what you're looking for in a player and person in shorts because you know in pads he's got it. I'd expect an even better player once we get to training camp because he's proven that."

--Wide receiver Ashley Lelie: He pulled a quad muscle on one of the first routes he ran in minicamp the weekend after the draft. When he tried to return on the first day of OTAs, he aggravated the injury. The 49ers expect him to be ready to go on the first day of training camp. They certainly have to be patient. After all, the 49ers awarded him a $2 million signing bonus for a reason. Unless something dramatic happens, they are going to give him every chance to earn his money.

--Wide receiver Darrell Jackson: The 49ers knew what they were getting with Jackson. He missed four late-season starts, including one playoff game with the Seahawks, due to a badly hyperextended left big toe (turf toe). Then, he played against the Bears after having the toe shot up. That only made the injury worse, and set him back a while. He did not begin rehabbing the injury until after the draft-day trade sent him to the 49ers in late April. The 49ers expect him to be ready to go on the first day of training camp. They'll probably give him regular days off during camp. Don't be surprised if Jackson moves to split end, and Arnaz Battle holds onto the starting flanker job.

--Cornerback Nate Clements: He seems to have already become one of the more popular guys on the team. Heck, he's even had an impact on Alex Smith and his teammates on the practice field.

"To look across the way and you're throwing the ball against Nate Clements - you have to be on top of your game if you want to hit it," Smith said. "That makes you better. You know your receiver has to run the right route and run it well and you have to throw a good ball. It's nice from a quarterback's perspective to have that challenge."

--Inside linebacker Patrick Willis: The day they drafted him at No. 11, Nolan said he would be the "starter" in the team's third-down package. The question is whether Willis can become the real starter at the "mike" inside-linebacker position ahead of veteran Derek Smith. It won't be easy. Smith is healthy, and he has a firm grasp on the defense. The competition should be very interesting to follow.

--Inside linebacker Colby Bockwoldt: He's a good special teamer. On the surface, he appears to be in direct competition with Jeff Ulbrich for a roster spot because they both essentially play the same position. But I've been told that both can make the final roster.

--Right tackle Joe Staley: The rookie got tons of valuable experience during OTAs because of Kwame Harris' back spasms. Because of that experience and the way he appeared to develop quickly, Staley has a very good chance to land in the starting lineup for the regular-season opener.

--Wide receiver Jason Hill: He was moved to the flanker position during OTAs. As talented as he is, it might be difficult for him to make much of an impact as a rookie.

--Nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin: He was the key acquisition in the offseason that will enable the 49ers to run a 3-4 defense. At 320 pounds, he will be given his first chance to be a full-time starter in the NFL. The competition will come for the backup spots.

--Left defensive end Sam Rayburn: A defensive tackle during his four seasons with the Eagles, he looks as if he could be Bryant Young's top backup at left defensive end.

--Right defensive end Ray McDonald: His knees are holding up just fine. He has some solid competition for playing time at right defensive end, where Marques Douglas and Ronald Fields are lining up.

--Nose tackle Joe Cohen: Like McDonald comes from a winning program at Florida. He's in the mix to be the backup nose tackle. He'll be in direct competition with Isaac Sopoaga for that job.

Others: Outside linebacker Jay Moore, cornerback Tarell Brown, safety Dashon Goldson and running back Thomas Clayton should make the 53-man roster but might find it difficult to get on the field their rookie seasons. Undrafted rookie quarterback Luke Getsy will compete with Shaun Hill for the No. 3 job.

[Jeremy]

Marcus Maxwell protagonista anche al World Bowl; per lui 5 ricezioni, 127 yds e 2 td nella vittoria 37-28 dei Sea Devils sui Galaxy. Per Syptak, altro nostro giocatore impegnato, 4 placcaggi ed un sack. Per la cronaca sugli spalti c'erano quasi 50.000 perdone.

[Angyair]

Marcus Maxwell protagonista anche al World Bowl; per lui 5 ricezioni, 127 yds e 2 td nella vittoria 37-28 dei Sea Devils sui Galaxy. Per Syptak, altro nostro giocatore impegnato, 4 placcaggi ed un sack. Per la cronaca sugli spalti c'erano quasi 50.000 perdone.

L'ho visto giocare e mi è piaciuto: quando viene chiamato in causa si dimostra sempre pronto a fare il proprio lavoro. Ha fatto notevoli progressi e non mi stupirei di ritrovarlo a roster a settembre.

[Jeremy]

L'ho visto giocare e mi è piaciuto: quando viene chiamato in causa si dimostra sempre pronto a fare il proprio lavoro. Ha fatto notevoli progressi e non mi stupirei di ritrovarlo a roster a settembre.

Se la giocherà con Gilmore e Jacobs che francamente hanno fatto vedere davvero poco nella loro carriera in NFL; personalmente farò il tifo per Maxwell, mi sembra che abbia una gran voglia, buone dote fisiche e, cosa da non sottovalutare, un discreto feeling con la end zone.

[Angyair]

Iniziata l'analisi dei prossimi niners, reparto per reparto, da parte di Maiocco. Ecco la prima parte, gli special teams:

Don't expect daily updates on the competition battles at kicker and punter when training camp opens. Kicker Joe Nedney is in his second year of a four-year, $6.055 million contract. And punter Andy Lee just signed a six-year, $7.1 million deal with the 49ers, as the club matched the Steelers' offer sheet.

First-year guys Kenny Parrish (punter) and MacKenzie Hoambrecker (kicker) just hope they get a chance to appear in an exhibition game or two and impress some folks around the league.

Nedney has been a solid acquisition for the 49ers. He has made 55 of 63 FG attempts in his two seasons. But the 49ers spent a lot of time in the offseason working on ways to make Nedney obsolete. Actually, all they want to do is turn a lot of those FG attempts into PAT tries. One of the team's top priorities in the offseason was working on its red-zone offense.

* * *

Lee got a nice-sized deal this offseason. He has improved steadily in his three seasons. Last season, he had the best season of any 49ers punter since the club moved to Candlestick. He averaged 44.8 yards with a respectable 36.8 net average. In the offseason workouts I saw, he was booming his punts.

Long-snapper Brian Jennings might be a wee bit off-kilter, but he does his job extremely well. He had one bad snap last season, but it turns out it really wasn't his fault. His errant snap on a PAT attempt actually hit the thigh of guard Justin Smiley, who got back in the line of fire a little too quickly.

* * *

There was a time after the 49ers acquired Darrell Jackson and Ashley Lelie that I thought Arnaz Battle might be the favorite to become the punt returner. But after watching the offseason workouts, I think Battle will be back as a starting receiver.

Brandon Williams was not spectacular as a punt returner as a rookie, but he caught the ball very effectively. (And that's something that 49ers teams in the recent past could have used.) Williams has some elusiveness, but he didn't show much of it last year. I expect him to break a long one from time-to-time this season. He averaged just 6.7 yards a return with a long of 25. On the final day of OTAs, Williams Taylor Jacobs, Nate Clements and Battle were back catching punts. (Don't expect to see Clements back deep anytime in the next, oh, seven seasons.)

* * *

The 49ers ranked fourth in the league in kickoff return average. Maurice Hicks did a good job with a 25.1 average on 57 returns. Hicks could face some competition for a roster spot this season. The 49ers increased the competition for the backup jobs this year. Hicks is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the season, so the club wanted to make sure they build up the backup spots.

A couple rookies, running back Thomas Clayton and cornerback Tarell Brown, will likely get a chance to show what they can do returning kickoffs. Williams averaged 23.8 yards on 16 kickoff returns. And Michael Robinson and Delanie Walker might want to get in on the action, too.

* * *

One of the good things about the 49ers upgrades in talent across the board is that their special teams coverage units should continue to improve. The 49ers were good on kickoff coverage, but they were last in the league with a 13.2-yard average return on punts.

Hicks was the team's top tackler on special teams a year ago with 20 stops. But if Keith Lewis is needed less on defense, he is certain to be a stalwart on the coverage units. Robinson also proved to a dynamic special-teams performer as a rookie. Colby Bockwoldt, a three-year vet, led the Titans with 20 special-teams stops a year ago. He and Jeff Ulbrich can both make the team and really help out in this area.

[Angyair]

Si prosegue con i quarterbacks:

This offseason was a lot different for Alex Smith. His first two years in the league, he was told what to do. This year, he seems to be enjoying more of a partnership with offensive coordinator Jim Hostler.

Think about it. His first two seasons, Smith had to learn new offenses. There wasn't much room for him to form his own opinions about the offense because his focus was on learning from offensive coordinators Mike McCarthy and Norv Turner.

Now, he's able to talk more freely with Hostler about what he likes and what he does not. Smith is making strides in this area, but backup quarterback Trent Dilfer says he would still like to see Smith be even more assertive in expressing his preferences.

* * *

The plan this season is for the 49ers to keep intact most of the digit system that Turner installed last season. But some elements of the West Coast offense that McCarthy brought to the team will also be utilized.

Ideally, that means Smith's completion percentage will be better because they'll be throwing more high-percentage passes. (He ranked 20th in the league last season with a 58.1 percentage.) It should mean that the third-down and red-zone production will also be better than a year ago.

* * *

Do you want to know how the 49ers could have been a playoff team last year? If they would have been better on third downs and inside the red zone, they could have made the playoffs. They ranked 26th in the league in third-down efficiency at 34.4 percent, and they were 29th in the league in scoring touchdowns just 41.7 percent of the time they got inside the opponent's 20-yard line.

If the 49ers want to make the playoffs this season, they have to be a lot better in those two areas. That has been the main focus of the offense this offseason. The team set aside practice time each day to work on at least one of those areas.

* * *

Smith made huge strides last season after a disastrous rookie season. Smith played poorly in his first season, but he also had virtually no chance to succeed. The team had just installed a complex offense that did not suit his skills, and he was surrounded by the worst supporting cast in the league.

He showed some glimpses of becoming a pretty good player last season. And, this season, Smith should take another sizable step forward. The offensive line looks good, the receiving corps is much-improved, and the running game should be the focus of opposing defenses.

Smith, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft, has a long way to go but there are reasons to believe he is going to be a pretty good NFL quarterback. When you think about high draft picks who were busts, you can almost always point to reasons aside from physical skills. This is the main reason I think Smith is going to be pretty good. I think the club is giving him the tools he needs to do his job with the upgrade of his supporting cast. And I think Smith has a good head on his shoulders, the toughness and right mentality to succeed.

And, let's not forget, there is a very good chance that he will still be the youngest starting QB in the league when the season opens. He turned 23 in May.

* * *

In the recent OTAs, Smith threw the ball very well. He looked more fluid and accurate on his short and intermediate patterns. His deep ball is a little less consistent.

* * *

Backup Trent Dilfer did not get off the sideline a year ago, as Smith was one of the few QBs in the league to play every down. Dilfer is 35, and entering his 14th NFL season. He is not at the stage in his career where he could carry a team on his back for an extended period of time, if he were pressed into duty. But I don't believe he would kill the team, either.

After all, he knows what it's like to manage a game. The 49ers' run game will be the focal point. The threat of the run game should be enough to open up some things in the passing game, no matter who is playing QB.

Dilfer has experience in both the West Coast and digit systems, so he really likes the fact that Hostler is trying to merge both of them this season. If Dilfer gets a chance to play, there is the chance that he could initially be a little rusty after standing on the sideline all of last year. But with his experience, it shouldn't be a problem for him to get back in the swing of things relatively quickly.

* * *

A trend has been developing the past few seasons in which more and more teams are keeping two quarterbacks on their 53-man rosters. Last season, the Ravens, Cowboys, Broncos, Colts, Jaguars, Saints and Titans ended the season with two QBs. The Texans opened the season with two QBs.

The 49ers will surely be tempted to keep just two QBs on their roster, especially if undrafted rookie Luke Getsy of Akron beats out Shaun Hill for the No. 3 job.

The 49ers have the option of keeping Getsy on their practice squad, and then could promote him, if he's needed. This would open the door for the 49ers to retain one extra player on their roster, perhaps a linebacker, receiver or defensive back.

* * *

Coach Mike Nolan spoke highly of Getsy after the first minicamp. I'd love to give you some elaborate scouting report, but I didn't see Getsy taking too many snaps in practice during the OTAs. I'm assuming the 49ers wanted practices to move along at a fast tempo, so they wanted Getsy to get a better grip on the offense before throwing him onto the field.

Hill has been in the league for six seasons, though he has yet to attempt a pass in a regular-season game. He does not stand out for his physical skills on the practice field, but shows a good feel for the game. During last year's exhibition season, he kept drives alive with his legs, as much as his arm, and beat out Jesse Palmer for the No. 3 job.


Molto interessante il commento sulla nostra percentuale sui terzi down e nella red zone l'anno scorso e sull'obbligo di migliorare in questi due campi se si vuole combattere seriamente per arrivare ai PO.