Again, I am going to preface this by saying I do not dislike NFL Media analyst Adam Rank. He is not on any list of mine. If he comes to shake my hand after a pre-game coin toss, I will gladly do so.
That may not be the case with a very vocal segment of the San Francisco 49ers fanbase.
During the offseason, Rank predicted the 49ers would go 3-13 this year. Rank knew he was on the cusp of being proven wrong while speaking with Mark Willard of KNBR on September 25.
"I've seen it enough times to know that right at the last second, the hero can still win and save the day, so I'm still hopeful," Rank jokingly said.
Added Rank: "It's not looking good for me. You've got to do what you'd got to do, and have fun. Yes, I'm an idiot."
49ers cornerback Richard Sherman might agree with that statement.
"You want idiots to sound like idiots, but you want them to hold their position all year," Sherman said to a room full of reporters after Monday night's 31-3 win over the Cleveland Browns. "Don't flip flop with us. If you said we weren't going to make it, if you said we were some way early on, just stick with that position. Hold it. Don't try to give us credit now. Just stick (with) it.
"If you had us ranked 25, keep us ranked 25. If you had us going home early, if you had us going three-and-whatever, have us going three-and-whatever. At least stick by your word because I want you to sound like an idiot at the end."
The 49ers are now 4-0, and fans are relishing in their team already topping Rank's win total with 12 games left to play.
Rank responded to Sherman's comments with a YouTube video, once again, admitting that he was wrong about the 49ers but trying to stick with his prediction as best he could, per Sherman's request. The 49ers won't end up with just three wins, however, and several of those seemingly tough games down the stretch now seem winnable, but Rank heard Sherman loud and clear.
Here is what the analyst had to say as he faces the music of his initial prediction: