What a weird game that was. Usually I am elated after a 49ers win, but today, while I’m of course thrilled SF pulled off the 32-20 win, I’m also feeling more disillusioned about attending games than ever before. I used to look forward to spending my entire Sunday at Candlestick Park—being there in person to feel the electricity of the game, watching the big hits and plays happen right in front of me, high-fiving strangers and friends. It was magical. Now I’m constantly on edge, wondering who’s going to pick a fight, surrounded by drunk fans yelling nonsensical things at the players even when we’re doing well, and kind of wondering if it might not be more fun to just be watching it all unfold on a high-def flat screen in the comfort of my home where the beer is cheap and I don’t have to worry about getting punched in the head.

I never thought I’d say that. Ever. But after watching the Niners fan do The Wave while an Arizona player was injured on the field, it made me sick to my stomach, embarrassed to be a part of that crowd, and wondering if I can get my money back for my seats in Santa Clara. I don't feel like I belong there anymore. The curtain’s been pulled back and it turns out the Wizard is just a drunken thug who wants to fight.

"I never thought I’d say that. Ever. But after watching the Niners fan do The Wave while an Arizona player was injured on the field, it made me sick to my stomach, embarrassed to be a part of that crowd."

But I guess that’s not really important. What’s important is: WE WON. The Niners are 4-2 and on a three game winning streak. We’re still behind the 5-1 Seattle in the NFC West, but we stand alone in second place and we’re definitely in the race.

The truth, however, is that it’s not just my feelings about the fans at The ‘Stick that’s keeping me from fully celebrating yesterday’s victory. The game was just… weird. I felt like we were 100% the better team. And yet, we also struggled. Our defense was amazing—two interceptions, a momentum-changing forced fumble by Willis, and a safety (which I totally called, for the record)—but they also gave up big passing plays. Our offense was good—thank God for Vernon Davis who caught touchdown passes of 61 and 35 yards and finished with 180 receiving yards—but they were far from spectacular, especially since Davis seemed to be the only legit target. Special Teams had some great punt and kickoff coverage, but the return game is lackluster.

The good news? Our next two games are at Tennessee and Jacksonville and we can totally win those.

The bad news? INJURIES. Nose tackle Glenn Dorsey left the game with a hamstring injury in the first quarter. We already lost Ian Williams to a broken ankle at the beginning of the season. That means Tony Jerod-Eddie who was the third-string NT had to take Dorsey’s place. No disrespect to Tony, but…yikes.

Patrick Willis admitted he is struggling after his groin injury saying he felt like a rookie again. Of course that didn’t stop him from preventing a likely go-ahead score by the Cardinals by hitting WR Fitzgerald from behind and forcing the fumble (Fitzgerald’s first lost fumble since 2007, by the way), but with the way we’re losing guys left and right, we need him at full speed.

And where injuries have hit us the hardest is that Kaepernick just doesn’t have anyone to throw to these days. It’s great that our tight ends and running backs are stepping up and making big plays, but he needs to have WRs he can target. I mean, a WR didn’t even make a catch until the last minute and twenty seconds of the first half. Manningham is supposed to be back in practice this week, thank god, and fingers crossed that Crabtree returns next month.

And sorry to harp on this, but while Jed York did the right thing by tweeting his displeasure about fans doing The Wave—“To say I’m disappointed some fans did the wave this afternoon while @Campbell93 was down is understatement. Hope you get well soon Calais.”—the truth is, he is ignoring real problems at the stadium. I don’t need him to send me flowers just because I was assaulted there a few weeks ago, but it would be nice if he at least acknowledged the issue of fan violence issue. He needs to address it.


Someone on Twitter asked me what I propose the 49ers organization do about the fans and their unruly behavior. First of all, let me be clear. It’s a football game. I think people should be on their feet, making noise, getting crazy, and celebrating big plays. Of course. What bothers me is that so many of the fans don’t seem to have a sense of decorum. They don’t even know that you’re not supposed to be loud when we’re on offense. I mean, come on.

I think instead of giving us another stupid towel when we enter through the gates, they should hand out a flyer that outlines the basic elements of being a good fan. Of course, that assumes these drunken idiots can and would read it, but you’ve got to start somewhere, right? I’ll even write it for them, if they want. For free. (I’m such a giver.)

It’s a real problem and it just sucks that it’s not being addressed. Fans are spending way too much money to go to these games only to have other people ruin it for them. If I’m going to leave a game depressed, it should be because we lost. Not because half of the stadium was doing The Wave while a guy lay motionless on the field.

Sigh.

Go Niners.