49ers/Fan Relationship

Is it just me or is this the most I have ever felt in terms of being detached from the teams' player personalities or overall Fan access to the team?

In the Jim Harbaugh era, I see the 49ers more as a corporation end results rather than seeing the personality of the players who make up the team. This team has gotten more and more distant from the fans in the last 20 years.

It all started out with moving TC from Rocklin to Santa Clara. Then, of course, having a terrible product during the Nolan era but there was still a little semblance of player access.

With Jim Harbaugh, it seems like the fans get absolutely nothing. Players have no personalities or do not display their personalities much. Honestly, I would love to have a guy like Richard Sherman on the 49ers mainly because he speaks his mind and isn't a robot.

k

Blah Blah Blah, "I hate our QB..." Blah Blah Blah

Originally posted by Joecool:
Is it just me or is this the most I have ever felt in terms of being detached from the teams' player personalities or overall Fan access to the team?

In the Jim Harbaugh era, I see the 49ers more as a corporation end results rather than seeing the personality of the players who make up the team. This team has gotten more and more distant from the fans in the last 20 years.

It all started out with moving TC from Rocklin to Santa Clara. Then, of course, having a terrible product during the Nolan era but there was still a little semblance of player access.

With Jim Harbaugh, it seems like the fans get absolutely nothing. Players have no personalities or do not display their personalities much. Honestly, I would love to have a guy like Richard Sherman on the 49ers mainly because he speaks his mind and isn't a robot.

I think I know what your trying to say Joe. I don't think you can single the 49ers out on this though. I think its the direction that the league in general has been going. It mean seem magnified because we went over a decade before we got back to the playoffs and 18 years before going back to the superbowl. The last guy that I can remember that shows any kind of personality,was Clinton Portis and his characters and Chad Johnson with his TD celebrations but that- is something the league has governed out of the game.. The game has become more business then game but honestly I'll take it that way rather than have Dick Sherman on my team.

we're no 12s that's for sure.

I'm with you Joe. I love winning, but this regime is incredibly secretive. I hate not hearing about practice and stuff behind the scense. It feels like we just show up on Sundays and watch the team play, but I miss all the stuff leading up to those Sundays. Of course, I would rather win than be on Hard Knocks type of soap-operah, but it would be nice to have a little more access.

Originally posted by E-49er:

I think I know what your trying to say Joe. I don't think you can single the 49ers out on this though. I think its the direction that the league in general has been going. It mean seem magnified because we went over a decade before we got back to the playoffs and 18 years before going back to the superbowl. The last guy that I can remember that shows any kind of personality,was Clinton Portis and his characters and Chad Johnson with his TD celebrations but that- is something the league has governed out of the game.. The game has become more business then game but honestly I'll take it that way rather than have Dick Sherman on my team.

It's simple...

Harbaugh HATES media, as did Bill Walsh
The Media is dangerous, unstable, and has no rooting interest in the team (see Tim Kawakami)
Harbaugh / Baalke know that Winning is the most important thing, much more important than fan access or team information.
Harbaugh / Baalke coach their entire organization to circle the wagons, give the media as little as possibl
WINNING is what matters, not the media. Remember how good Nolan was with the media? Sheesh

Originally posted by E-49er:

Originally posted by Joecool:
Is it just me or is this the most I have ever felt in terms of being detached from the teams' player personalities or overall Fan access to the team?

In the Jim Harbaugh era, I see the 49ers more as a corporation end results rather than seeing the personality of the players who make up the team. This team has gotten more and more distant from the fans in the last 20 years.

It all started out with moving TC from Rocklin to Santa Clara. Then, of course, having a terrible product during the Nolan era but there was still a little semblance of player access.

With Jim Harbaugh, it seems like the fans get absolutely nothing. Players have no personalities or do not display their personalities much. Honestly, I would love to have a guy like Richard Sherman on the 49ers mainly because he speaks his mind and isn't a robot.

I think I know what your trying to say Joe. I don't think you can single the 49ers out on this though. I think its the direction that the league in general has been going. It mean seem magnified because we went over a decade before we got back to the playoffs and 18 years before going back to the superbowl. The last guy that I can remember that shows any kind of personality,was Clinton Portis and his characters and Chad Johnson with his TD celebrations but that- is something the league has governed out of the game.. The game has become more business then game but honestly I'll take it that way rather than have Dick Sherman on my team.

I think it is still here. Look at the Raiders in Napa. If Harbaugh is going to want the players tight-lipped and like robots during the season, then why not do something different for both players and fans in the offseason.

What did they do? They went to BAL so those fans can watch them.

Are there any other teams that are accessible to the fans? GB but that's a little different.

Originally posted by Oakland-Niner:
I'm with you Joe. I love winning, but this regime is incredibly secretive. I hate not hearing about practice and stuff behind the scense. It feels like we just show up on Sundays and watch the team play, but I miss all the stuff leading up to those Sundays. Of course, I would rather win than be on Hard Knocks type of soap-operah, but it would be nice to have a little more access.

Exactly. It just feels like we watch them play on Sunday's and that's it. Back when they were in Rocklin, man, you can get access to a lot of players and the team overall. After that, it wasn't like you watched the logo on Sunday's, it felt like, "Man, that's Jerry! I saw him practice from just a few feet away and had a quick chat while he signed my hat during the summer!" Go Rice!

Now, it's just a logo.

It also makes fans back the players more when they are struggling rather than jumping on them like the media does. Hell, even the media plays a lot nicer when they get more access.

It's disconnected now.

lol, this dude never heard of twitter or instagram.

Right now, we have WAY MORE access inside a players life and thoughts than we've ever had before.

Originally posted by TheRambler:
lol, this dude never heard of twitter or instagram.

Right now, we have WAY MORE access inside a players life and thoughts than we've ever had before.

ya, it's fkn crazy. I mean, I have Anthony Davis as my friend on PS4.

Originally posted by ChazBoner:

Originally posted by TheRambler:
lol, this dude never heard of twitter or instagram.

Right now, we have WAY MORE access inside a players life and thoughts than we've ever had before.

ya, it's fkn crazy. I mean, I have Anthony Davis as my friend on PS4.

Seriously? Do you play against him online?

Originally posted by TheRambler:
lol, this dude never heard of twitter or instagram.

Right now, we have WAY MORE access inside a players life and thoughts than we've ever had before.

No kiddin! Go look at Kap Twitter and Instagram. If I was a player you wouldn't catch me on either one. The hate mail! SMH. Come to think of it, I'm not on them or Facebook because of all the drama BS.

Originally posted by Joecool:
Is it just me or is this the most I have ever felt in terms of being detached from the teams' player personalities or overall Fan access to the team?

In the Jim Harbaugh era, I see the 49ers more as a corporation end results rather than seeing the personality of the players who make up the team. This team has gotten more and more distant from the fans in the last 20 years.

It all started out with moving TC from Rocklin to Santa Clara. Then, of course, having a terrible product during the Nolan era but there was still a little semblance of player access.

With Jim Harbaugh, it seems like the fans get absolutely nothing. Players have no personalities or do not display their personalities much. Honestly, I would love to have a guy like Richard Sherman on the 49ers mainly because he speaks his mind and isn't a robot.

I think it started before the Nolan era. If you think about it, guys like Montana, Dwight Clark, Ronnie Lott...these were all neighborhood guys. Players were intimately attached to their teams, cause chances were that they'd finish their careers there. Fans got to know the players as family, as they'd be available outside the media to chat, etc.

I won't use the Niners as an example, but I remember back in 1996 they did a piece on ESPN about GB -- they showed Brett Favre and a couple other players clowning around GB on Halloween, even went trick or treating at Mike Holmgren's as a joke.

With those kinds of relationships, how could you as a fan not be attached ?

Now, it's a different environment. Teams churn players in and out bc of salary cap restrictions. Players aren't about loyalty anymore, they're about money. The NFL has become a corporate brand; look no further than our own Vernon Davis who has invested in himself and is making money off it. If thats where the NFL is headed, then how can you attach yourself to a given player(s).

When I was a youngster, I was a fan of Joe Montana, Steve Young, Jerry Rice, John Taylor, Roger Craig, Ricky Watters, etc. NOW Im just a fan of the 49ers. Period. I couldn't care less who dons the jersey, as long as we win.

It sucks, but that's how its become, and thats how it's gonna be.