We all knew there was a good chance that Frank Gore and the San Francisco 49ers would part ways after the 2014 season. After all, Gore was going to be 32 years old and it made sense to possibly go with a younger option. But I think we expected that if the team did decide to move on from it's all-time leading rusher, it would have been done with class and dignity. Well, we are dealing with Trent Baalke and the York's here, so I guess that would have been expecting too much.
According to a story by Stephen Holder of the Indy Star, it sounds as if Gore's desires to meet with general manager Baalke after his contract expired fell on deaf ears.
"The only thing I was hurt by was that I thought we could have done it better," Gore said of his departure after 10 dedicated seasons. "Like, no bull----. Just straight up. I don't know if I even wanted to go back. But I would have felt better if we would have sat down and had a conversation. I mean, I was going to test the market no matter what. Me and the head coach (Jim Tomsula) talked and he basically told me I'd be in a certain situation. But I wanted to hear it from the GM (Trent Baalke).
"I mean, you could let us compete. You didn't have to say I was automatically going to take the back seat. Put it on me. I mean, bro, I finished last season with 1,100 yards. Every time I got opportunities, I did something with it. So, I felt like, 'Fine, if you want to go with the young guy, (make him) beat me out. It wasn't like I can't play anymore. If he beats me out, I can handle that. You can't play this game forever. I knew I couldn't be there forever. But I was there 10 years and I played every down the same whether we were winning or not."
The way I interpret this situation is that Gore wanted to speak with Baalke and it didn't happen that way. What disgusts me is that if anyone deserved a face-to-face it was Gore. This wasn't Perrish Cox, it was the franchise's all-time leading rusher. Sooner than later, there will be a Frank Gore day, and his number will be retired. When there are ceremonies honoring the greats in 49ers' history, he'll be there.
But really, should this situation surprise any of us? I give Jim Tomsula credit for talking with Gore and being front and center for the Aldon Smith situation, etc. But where has Baalke (and Jed York for that matter) been? In the shadows.
Look, I'm not saying San Francisco should have held on to Gore at age 32. In fact, I thought it was the right choice to move on and go with Carlos Hyde. But York talks about winning with class...how about handling your most important player over the last 10 years with some?
But again, is anyone really shocked by anything this organization does at this point?
Al Sacco has covered the 49ers for various sites over the years. He's been a guest on multiple podcasts and had his work used by ESPN NFL Insiders and USA TODAY. Follow Al on Twitter @AlSacco49