Originally posted by oldman9er:
Originally posted by mrgneissguy:
Originally posted by oldman9er:
Originally posted by mrgneissguy:
Here’s a question to the Alex Smith supporters who think anyone that doubts him is a hater secretly hoping the team fails to prove a point. What about the other players on the team? With your arguments in favor of Smith, you basically say that the WRs are not good enough (too many dropped balls), the offensive line is not good enough (don’t give him enough time), the coaches are not good enough (the play calling was too predictable and forced him into too many 3rd and long situations), and the front office isn’t good enough (haven’t given him any consistency to work with).
Your arguments are fair and valid when you disrespect the entire organization
- Any a$$ clown can see and know that the organization has failed on many fronts to develop this QB. That isn't being disloyal or disrespectful of the organization. That's just calling it like it is, and everybody knows it. They didn't mean for it to happen, but it went down that way all the same.
- We can regard our receivers as good and talented while at the same time acknowledging that they need to do a better job of catching the ball... especially at crucial game moments.
- It has taken the coaching and personnel upgrades quite some time to improve to an acceptable level... which is the same time period that the QB is improving to a level that can help generate a non-losing record. Coincidence? Me thinks not. A developing QB can not succeed without good players and coaching... consistent coaching... around him. That's just the way it is. It would be one thing if we were speaking about the lazy, unmotivated JaMarcus Russell.... but we are not. We are talking about a QB that does 100% to do his part. Finally, the offense around him seems to be able and willing to do theirs.
- There could very well be a double standard when a fan states absolutes about Nate Davis, yet then bitc*es because someone else says the same about Alex. That to me would be a double standard and therefore a no-no. I can only speak for myself to say I don't do that.
I'm not arguing the validity of the organization's failures. I'm not saying that those things didn't happen. I'm asking how those statements you just made are any different in regards to your loyalty to the team than statements by others who think that Alex Smith may not be a good enough QB to get the Niners to where we want them to be? I might say Alex Smith hasn't lived up to expectations and you say I want the team to fail. You say that the organization hasn't lived up to expectations...wouldn't it be reasonable for me to say you also want the team to fail? Personally I don't think you do want the team to fail, no more than I want the team to fail. I fail to see the difference between those two situations.
You do recognize that I make no such claim that every or even most fans that feel Smith is not good enough want him to fail.... right?
I do believe that there are a handful on each 49er site that DO hope he fails though. Nothing on Earth would convince me otherwise, after all I have read through the years. You are trying to correlate two very different things here.
One group thinks the reason Smith hasn’t lived up to expectations is his own failing, the other group thinks the reason Smith hasn’t lived up to expectations is the team’s failing. Yep, two completely different things. But the underlying idea or question is the same…why has Alex Smith not lived up to expectations? Yet anyone that questions Smith is a hater that falls into one of your derogatory categories.
I could argue that a Smith Hater is more loyal and more reasonable than the Smith Lover. The Smith Lover is hating on 5+ players on the offensive line, several wide receivers (if not the entire WR corps), the coaches, and the front office; and probably the defense for not getting enough 3 and outs and the special teams for giving Alex poor field position. How dare you!!! You must support all of those people no matter what. Otherwise you aren’t a true fan. Any a** clown can see that.
I apologize though, as this really is off topic from the thread. I am not trying to start any kind of argument. I am simply trying to point out that too many folks that strongly support Smith generalize anyone that doesn’t think he’s “the guy” as uneducated idiots with no football knowledge and no common sense. Honestly, I’ve seen a lot of “You must be hanging from Smith’s nuts” comments from the other side too, which I also find annoying. Both sides of the argument have their individuals of less than stellar IQ, I’m sure. But I also see a lot of well thought out and intelligent posts being castigated for no apparent reason other than they differ from what somebody else “knows”. Regardless of your intentions, your categories do just that.
To attempt to be on topic…I think Alex Smith is a fine quarterback. I think he can be a very good quarterback, but he isn’t there yet, I think he should be there by now, and I am worried about how long it will take him to get there. I think his lack of meeting expectations is a combination of his own shortcomings, and the team’s shortcomings over his career. I think a great quarterback can overcome a lot of the team’s shortcomings, though (but not all), and I think the QB you want is one that makes the players around him play better, and not one that needs the team to help him play better. I think that while Smith has shown improvements, I worry about the rate of improvement and wonder how long does an organization wait until they move on? I do not wish for Alex or the team to fail, and I do not think he will fail. I think Alex will improve again this year. I worry that the improvement will not be significant though, still leaving a lot of questions and doubt. I hope that he flips the switch and gets it this year, and goes out and plays very well, removing all doubt about whether or not the Niners should extend his contract. I think that based on his past performance, there is enough doubt that I would like to see the coaches and organization working on a contingency plan, whether that be keeping an eye on free agency (not what I’d prefer) or spending more time with Davis and Carr so the coaches have a better idea of their capabilities and readiness. And while I'm not calling for competition for the #1 QB spot, I strongly believe that the player that performs the best should be the player on the field come game day, even if that player is an undrafted free agent over a number one pick. Right now, I think the best player at QB is Alex Smith. I am not convinced yet, that he'll be the best QB on the roster this time next year, but that's a discussion for then and not now.
I think that what I have been reading in the snippets about the OTAs has me cautiously optimistic with our QB situation all the way around. Smith is taking charge, being a leader (which hopefully turns into making players around him better), and looks sharp. I’ve not seen a lot of info about Carr’s performance so far in OTAs, but it appears that Nate Davis is also looking sharp. So not only is there the possibility that Smith is finally making that leap, but we might have at least one other QB on the roster looking good in case something happens to Smith. This could be a very good year, which leads to a bright future.