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Jed York must hit the reset button on the 49ers

Al Sacco
Oct 23, 2015 at 7:06 AM • 58


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The San Francisco 49ers will take the field nine more times this season. During those games, there will inevitably be some bright spots that will have you wondering if things are finally starting to click. The team may even be able to put enough of these magic moments together to get them back into the win column one, two...maybe even three more times. When this exemplary display of football happens, please promise me you'll think rationally and take it for what it is: Fool's gold.

The 49ers are an awful organization right now. Notice I didn't say an awful team, that's giving them too much credit. This is a total disgrace from the highest peak right down to the lowest valley. Their utter lack of competence start's at the top with the owner and his cronies, drips down to the general manager, seeps into the coaching staff, and plops down right in-between the lines on game day.

There's no fixing it either, at least not with what's currently in place. The only way to right this ship is to tear it all down and start from scratch. Yes, the situation is that dire.

To the dismay of many fans, Jed York isn't going anywhere. It's his team, for better or worse, and we can only hope he begins to put his ego aside and see what he really has to do, which is admit he made a mistake.

I'm not even talking about Jim Harbaugh here. Maybe that situation was too toxic to move forward with. Maybe it was time to part ways. Sometimes that happens in life, and Harbaugh is notorious for being difficult and wearing out his welcome. But it wasn't the fact that Harbaugh was let go, but more the way the organization moved forward without him.

York's first mistake, and the one he has to immediately rectify, was putting too much faith in general manager Trent Baalke. You see, Baalke is another example of fool's gold, largely living off of a roster that was built by his predecessor, not him. Sure, he hit on players like Aldon Smith, Chris Culliver, Bruce Miller and Colin Kaepernick (to an extent) in 2011, but his draft's have been a dumpster fire ever since, and are a large reason why the team is so devoid of talent right now. He did have the right idea in selecting the likes of A.J. Jenkins, Tank Carradine, Vance McDonald, Marcus Martin, etc. to eventually take over for aging veterans, he just took the wrong players.

While Baalke has drafted a number of current "starters," he hasn't hit on many impact performers. You can make an argument for Eric Reid (although he seems to be regressing) and both Aaron Lynch and Carlos Hyde do look like cornerstone pieces. After that?

Well look at this way, as bad as the offense has been, it could get worse because there's no one to come in and take the place of Anquan Boldin, Vernon Davis, Alex Boone, etc. all of whom will probably be elsewhere next season.

York's second mistake was thinking that Jim Tomsula's reputation as a solid defense line coach and overall good guy could somehow translate into a winning head coach. It hasn't, and I don't think it ever will. Tomsula looks like he's drowning, and has no idea how to get himself back to the surface. His coaching staff, while filled with familiar names, appears to be a who's who of has beens and never-will-bes. For examples of this, look no further than defensive coordinator Eric Mangini, who's unit looks lost and confused, and offensive coordinator Geep Cryst, who's actually made what was already a sputtering attack worse. Proof? The 49ers have three games this season with 10 or fewer first downs. The rest of the NFL combined has ONE.

So what should our friend Jed do here? What's the only answer to get the 49ers out of this lowly state? Clean house. Fire them. All of them. Start from scratch. I know it's scary to use that R-word, but there's no other way around it. York has to hit the reset button and start rebuilding. Baalke, Tomsula, Mangini, Cryst...all of them...gone.

While it's not common to fire a head coach after one season, it's not unheard of either. Also, it's not like the York's will have to eat a massive contract, as Tomsula is the lowest paid head coach in the NFL. Seriously, I think he makes like $18.00 per hour or something like that. The guy's lived in his car before, he'll be fine.

The new general manager, whoever that may be, would obviously have a hand in selecting the replacement, but in an offensive era of football, it's about time the 49ers got with the times. Harbaugh was a terrific all-around coach, but some of his offensive philosophies were prehistoric. The Niners need a bright, young, forward thinking offensive-minded head man, who can mold the most important position on the team: The quarterback.

Personally, I would love to see San Francisco go all in on someone like Sean Payton, but the odds him being let go by the New Orleans Saints AND actually wanting any part of the dumpster fire that is the 49ers are slim. The latter might be said for any big time coach actually, so York may have to hope someone's looking for a challenge.

While this process won't be easy, make no mistake, it HAS to happen. This is the defining moment in York's legacy. Will he be the type of owner who sees the writing on the wall and takes swift action to fix things, or will he continue to be a perceived egomaniac, shrouded in denial and seeing his team through Baalke-colored glasses?

It's your move, Jed. Do the right thing. Push the button.

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
The opinions within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.


58 Comments

  • Frank M
    Al, I'm among the more optimistic posters in the forum, but I have to admit I hate what I'm seeing on the field. Things aren't getting better...toss in some key injuries and the result is uninspired play. Kap's missing too many opportunities, but it's far from all on him. His OL is horrible, with Hyde & Bush out there's no impact RB. His TE's stink and no one among the WR corps has stepped up, either. The defense is giving up too many big plays and no help from the offense. IMHO, Jed needs to make a clean sweep after the season...new GM, HC and staff and a TON of new/better players. Jed must ask mother may I or whatever it takes, but the York's can't allow this debacle to continue.
    Nov 1, 2015 at 5:25 PM
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  • rep
    I am very close to someone who works for Jed Yourkin the 49er organization. He tells me that York is controlled by his mother and father and they are the ones who are actually calling the shots for the 49ers. They are very cheap and are only concerned with the bottom line. Face it the 49ers are a billion business without doing anything! the Yorks don't care about winning, would you if you had that kind of an asset?
    Oct 31, 2015 at 7:47 PM
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  • SactoJ
    Good article. It caught my interest because I used the same reset expression a week ago. I recommend we reset by bringing in Holmgren as an "advisor" with a lot of authority. He will advise Chryst; in actuality, he will replace him and try to salvage the offense. Down the line, if York wants to replace Tomsula, he has the man in place. Next year Mike can continue as HC or replace Baalke. He will be able to attract good assistants regardless.
    Oct 30, 2015 at 1:29 PM
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  • Tonybglorius
    Jed York is like Al Davis, except hes too young to simply die off so the professionals can revive the franchise.
    Oct 28, 2015 at 12:27 AM
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  • vic
    It seems that the Ravens are worse off than the 49ers and they have crashed as well with a Harbaugh. ..let the media crucify them for awhile
    Oct 27, 2015 at 11:11 AM
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  • The Team
    Can everyone agree lets stop f%$3ing Nessa Diab! She is a black hole and your careers will end in this dark place. Aldon Smith and Kaps careers are over. Lets move on as a team and learn from this experience. Bro's without Ho's! should be on the team t-shirt this year.
    Oct 27, 2015 at 10:07 AM
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  • Dallas Niner Fan
    Yea, until we get rid of the Dorks who don't give a crap about winning, where ego and money are more important we will never have a winning team.
    Oct 27, 2015 at 10:07 AM
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  • Terry B.
    "It's your move, Jed"? "The Niners need a bright, young, forward thinking offensive-minded head man"? You don't get it, Al. Jed already MADE his move. He had the brightest, youngest, most forward-thinking offensive-minded head man right there in front of him (Gase), and his move was to go with a mouth-breathing idiot instead. You really think he's going to admit he was wrong after seven weeks? And go "all in" with a big-name coach who's going to accept working for a meddling doofus like Jed just because he's "looking for a challenge"? Give me a break. And your best line of all: Jed HAS to do this, because "this is the defining moment in York's legacy." Wake up, won't you? The only legacy Jed cares about is that piece-of-shit stadium, which will line his family's pockets for generations. He won just enough games to get it, and now he doesn't care anymore. After all we've seen, you really think he gives one hot damn about winning? Of course he doesn't. And yet here you are, wasting your time, speaking to him as if he does. As I said, you just don't get it.
    Oct 27, 2015 at 9:14 AM
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  • Lucky Phil
    Here's what we need to do now. #1 Keep Tomsula as coach, we need to lose every remaining game this season. And he's the perfect man for the job. #2 Play Kap every game this season, we need to pump this QB's value up. We are going to trade him, not cut him. His contract is very team friendly and their are at least five teams that we should be able to get interested him. I want a first rd. pick, and if I have to throw in a conditional 2nd rd pick in 2017, I would do that. Based on whether the team that trades for him wants to trade him back to us after one yr. / one month before his 2017 salary vests, so we can trade him again. There are hand full of desperate teams every season looking for a QB. #3 Fire Baalke this week, ownership needs a fall guy. This team needs to show the rest of the NFL we made a big mistake letting JH go. And further more we made a bigger mistake trying to destroy the man's reputation. Baalke needs to go so when we try recruit a new Coach and Players after this season, we can show talent we have turned the corner and learned from our mistakes.
    Oct 26, 2015 at 6:16 PM
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  • Kevin
    York! U and dallke hafta end your marriage! YOU and only YOU have fkd.this organization up so bad I get sick even talking about it! How can u just sit back and be all bout $$$! You SUCK!!!!! Sell this team to someone that loves football and not have an asshole like dallke!!:York.get off your lazy ass and FIX IT!!!..Oh yeah,look who I'm asking..
    Oct 26, 2015 at 4:33 PM
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  • mike
    thank you for your thoughtful piece... I still have a hard time talking about the Harbaugh situation without reaching for an Tums.... I have many long term concerns and they all start with Jed and team York... Stuck has it.. the team needs a president of Football operations then a GM.... ( Carmen Policy, Bill Walsh, john McVey, .. Eddie leaned when he took over the niners and messed them up the first time) aside from football operations the ownership needs to be committed to winning on the field. No winning with Class, No money ball, the results on the fiend are everything... Eddie got this .. he was a fan that wanted to win... I am concerned that team York is not...
    Oct 26, 2015 at 2:15 PM
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  • Stuck
    Unfortunately for 49er fans, Jed York now realizes the big mistake he made in getting rid of Jim Harbaugh. That along with replacing him with Tomsula have made the 49ers an embarrassment. Not only will the 49ers not play in the Super Bowl this year at Levi Stadium, but he will have to endure watching the hated Seahawks play there on SB Sunday. Replace Baalke with Mike Holmgren and don't interfere with any NFL related football decisions. What if any was the last team decision Jed York made that actually benefited the 49ers on the field? Can't think of any....
    Oct 26, 2015 at 4:25 AM
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  • ttime1
    Reset Button? Or did you mean EJECT button?
    Oct 25, 2015 at 3:54 PM
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  • mooseman
    We will have a Harbaugh type coach without the edge. And he is in our backyard.Kap stays. And its in the works. Any idea who it is?
    Oct 25, 2015 at 3:39 PM
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  • PJC83
    While this isn't as bad as the Joe Thomas situation, there's still a bit of that. Despite Thomas dragging the 49ers into the NFL cesspool, Eddie D still extended his contract another 4 years before he realized his mistake and hired Bill Walsh. Baalke hasn't been as bad as Thomas, but he hasn't been that great either, and despite all the time spent hyping up his recent draft picks, those picks aren't looking so great. Like Al wrote, maybe the Harbaugh situation was too toxic to make right, but the fact that Rob Chudzinski, who by all accounts seemed like the perfect person to create an offense that would elevate Kap's play, dissed the Niners to stay with Indy was telling. The difference is, though, is that while by all accounts Eddie D was, for all his bluster, determined to create a winning organization, while Jed just seems content to focus on the bottom line. I think that was the vibe Chudzinski and Adam Gase got, which is what ultimately made them go elsewhere.
    Oct 25, 2015 at 3:18 PM
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  • mooseman
    If anybody would like to know who the next Niner coach will be I can tell you. Change will be after the season. Also, Kap will stay.
    Oct 25, 2015 at 1:52 AM
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  • Balke Bumsula
    Dear Dork What happened? We all like JT but ..you were so sure Jim Tomsula was as good as Harbs. NO he is not and not too many coaches are if any. What makes you think a defensive line coach who never coached beyond a position coach in the NFL is going to be as good as Jim Harbaugh??. You were so sure, you said hold me accountable, so how exactly do we do that now?? Jed York, John York & Denise York……YOU SUCK. Go back to OHIO losers Please bring back Eddie D
    Oct 24, 2015 at 10:44 PM
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  • marty
    The problem is not only with the head coach. I think Tomsula is a great defensive line coach, just not head coach material. But the real problem is York and Baalke. What can you say about a GM who has a draft where 3 years later, when the players you draft are supposed to become a force, there is no one left on the team from that draft. I don’t believe anyone from that 49er draft is still in the NFL. That’s 0 for the whole draft. That’s an air-ball for the 2012 draft! 2013 was terrible too. It’s not like there were no good players those years. Baalke just couldn’t find them! A team with a terrible GM goes into the toilet fast. Look at what Terry Donahue did to the franchise. Belichick couldn’t field a winning team with the players Baalke drafted. But look on the bright side. the 49ers front office won’t have to put up with that irritating JH. He was only a winner.
    Oct 24, 2015 at 6:27 PM
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  • Ant Con
    The root of the problem; is the condescending decision, primarily by the Dorks to let go of a winning head coach. Its not hard to notice the big difference, Balkes roster is exposed and clearly not as good with Tomsula and his coaching staff. Colin Kap was a much better QB with JH. Even the Yorks looked like competent owners. With Harbaugh, the Niner’s had an identity, were always in the hunt and winning most games. When you have someone like Pete Carrol, Bill Bilecheck, a coach with a high winning percentage you don’t just fire them just because you’re the owner and are insecure that your a weenie. Jed York you know better by now, you f*cked yourself and this team.. I’ve heard suggestions about bringing Eddie D back or someone from the glory years to help Jed and John, not a bad idea if they will do it. Jed, just go into politics or something. Good luck Dorks
    Oct 24, 2015 at 4:14 PM
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  • Pinkie
    Know one is mentioning a structure where Jed is removed from football operations too. We need a President that knows football which would have both the gm and coach reports to. If they had that structure then the issues between Baalke and Harbaugh may have been resolved.
    Oct 24, 2015 at 3:53 PM
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  • Dallas Niner Fan
    Great article, should be no surprise, we all knew this was going to happen since they got rid of Harbaugh.
    Oct 24, 2015 at 3:33 PM
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  • Mike C
    This whole season is easily going down the tubes. Again, it starts at the O-Line. The defense is holding up pretty well since they spend the most time on the field. At this point, its time to know that we as fans have to be realistic and look forward to the draft.
    Oct 24, 2015 at 1:26 PM
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  • JC
    I wonder if jed dork is reading any of this. This is what happens when you fire a winning head coach and replace him with a DL coach. Dumb, like the dad.
    Oct 24, 2015 at 12:52 PM
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  • Evalerio
    This is sad, I love this team, and I don't see many good days ahead. It's gotten to the point where it's embarrassing to be a fan. The saddest thing is I don't see it changing any time soon. I feel for 49ers fans we had an amazing team that teams feared playing, now they are laughing at how simple our gamplans are. York is not going anywhere, the only way he sells the team if people stop going to the stadium and stop buying merchandise, which I don't see people doing. The fastest way to reset is to cut ties with balkee who I blame the most out this, tomosula who does look lost and hate how he answers every f@cking question, chryst for having the simplest gameplan ever since 1960 and mangini who clueless defense gets beat by a deep pass every game. Best replacements, Payton is far reach, holomgram would need to be begged but could turn it around, maybe Harbaugh if he was offered an apology, a raise and GM position as well. Parcels but might be too old, or a college coach who is X's and O's guy but also tough, but respected coach. I don't everyone wants to be GM for this team, I think any body in their right mind is better than what we have now, so yea push the reset button Jed!
    Oct 24, 2015 at 12:43 AM
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  • Scott
    This article seems to offer an either or situation. But does Jed have the ability to choose the right new people? Who knows? Maybe he'll just sort of incognito hand the rebuilding effort, secretly, to Uncle Eddie. :) But, more likely, Jed and John and Denise will stick to old patterns. The product produced will continue to be bad, and Denise will eventually reach the conclusion that the only way to minimize the damage to a major family investment is to sell the team and get whatever they can for it. I'm just hoping they sell to a new owner who keeps the team in the bay area and also knows how to build a winning organization.
    Oct 23, 2015 at 11:20 PM
    ♡ 1
  • Kerry
    Thought about going to the new stadium, but I won't spend another dime to support this horrible leadership.
    Oct 23, 2015 at 10:23 PM
    ♡ 0
  • K Wells
    I would like to put a rest to Lynch being good. he get's the whiteboy discount like ulbrich and old #50 ( i forgot his name) used to get. point is he is hella slow. He is the first to show up on a pass rush. he should be, he is unblocked. he is twice as slow as last year. i'm sick of the media creating these fake media darlings. Lose them all and start over.
    Oct 23, 2015 at 8:43 PM
    ♡ 0
  • Alex
    Thank you so much for your elaborate analysis. I got banned for stating as much over at the Niners "official" forum as early as last January. Or actually, I got banned for being censored, and then complaining about being censored, for "calling out" the mods. Go figure.
    Oct 23, 2015 at 7:44 PM
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  • Zach Amin
    He is worst owner than his DAD. He is a dork and have no clue how to run this organization. He doesn't care about 49ers. He only cares about money that he making from different events at Levi's stadium. I hate him. He is a disgrace to 49ers fans. Operation Dorky drop
    Oct 23, 2015 at 6:37 PM
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  • Jed York
    Winning With Stupidity!!!! Whose Got It Better Than Us?
    Oct 23, 2015 at 5:31 PM
    ♡ 0
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