The NFL announced Sunday that legendary East Bay band Green Day is scheduled to open Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium with a performance celebrating the game’s 60th anniversary and honoring the past generations of Most Valuable Players.

In a press release, the National Football League announced that Green Day will perform their most high-energy rock anthems as the Super Bowl MVPs take center stage on the field in a special 60th anniversary opening ceremony. Per the Associated Press, Green Day’s performance is scheduled to air live at 3 pm Pacific on NBC, Telemundo, Peacock, and Universo on February 8. The ceremony will be followed by the pregame entertainment, including Charlie Puth performing the national anthem and performances by Brandi Carlile and Coco Jones.

“We are super hyped to open Super Bowl 60 right in our backyard!” lead singer  Billie Joe Armstrong said, per the press release. “We are honored to welcome the MVPs who’ve shaped the game and open the night for fans all over the world. Let’s have fun! Let’s get loud!”

“Celebrating 60 years of Super Bowl history with Green Day as a hometown  band, while honoring the NFL Legends who've helped define this sport is  an incredibly powerful way to kick off Super Bowl LX,” said Tim Tubito, NFL senior director, event and game presentation. “As we work alongside NBC Sports for this opening ceremony, we look forward to creating  a collective celebration for fans in the stadium and around the world.”

According to the below KGO video segment, Green Day is also scheduled to play a show at Pier 29 on February 6, per the Chronicle, with the Counting Crows also headlining. The show is apparently invite-only, sponsored by FanDuel and Spotify, per the Chronicle.

Green Day lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong frequently attends local events, including making surprise cameos at two of Duo Lipa's shows last October, when the two performed Green Day's "Wake Me When September Ends" one night and a cover of Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart" the next, as SFist reported at the time. Armstrong is also an investor for local independent baseball team the Oakland Ballers, per SFist, along with another East Bay legend, Too Short.

Per NBC Bay Area's informational video, Super Bowl 50 was also held at Levi’s Stadium in 2016, two years after the stadium opened. As SFist reported at the time, the city netted $2 million off Super Bowl 50.

Per Wikipedia, the Most Valuable Player award has been granted annually since the Super Bowl began. The winner is chosen by a panel of football writers and broadcasters who make up 80 percent of the vote, and the other 20 percent is made up of fans voting electronically.

Per Sports Illustrated and Sportsbook Review, the top predictions for Super Bowl 60 MVP appear to be Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams and Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks.

Image: INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 17: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) (L-R) Billie Joe Armstrong and Tré Cool of Green Day performs onstage at the 2026 iHeartRadio ALTer EGO presented by Capital One at The Kia Forum on January 17, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)

See all Super Bowl 60 Coverage

Previously: Hitmaker Dua Lipa Delights Chase Center Audience, Pays Tribute to Janis Joplin and Green Day

Local Legends Too Short And Billie Joe Armstrong Are Now Oakland Ballers Investors

Family, friends, former students, local leaders, and the greater Oakland community attended a memorial Saturday honoring revered Laney College and former Skyline High School coach John Beam, who was allegedly killed by a former Laney student in November.

As the Chronicle reports, about 2,200 people were in attendance at Saturday's memorial for longtime coach and mentor John Beam at Oakland’s Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts. Per the Chronicle, Sunday would’ve been Beam’s 67th birthday.

As KPIX reports, Beam helped mentor over 30 NFL players, seven of which were Super Bowl participants, and many were in attendance Saturday.

“He was the embodiment of tough love, though I didn’t realize it at 14 or 15,” said Marvel Smith, who played for Beam at Skyline, per the Chronicle, and went on to play in the Super Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006 and 2009. “He was setting a structure in place to help us long term, and I fully appreciate it now. It molded me into who I am today.”

“You were so much more than a football coach, you were my hero, my mentor and the most important person in my life,” said Kevin Parker, a former player, per KPIX. “You believed in me before I believed in myself and that belief changed who I am.”

Per NBC Bay Area, Beam also mentored students who weren’t football players. “I know that there’s been a lot of challenges in our city, but there’s still a lot of good, and John Beam brought a lot of that goodness out of community members, especially through young people and the rising generation,” said Feke Lauti, a 1997 Skyline High graduate whose older brothers played football.

“This is what a life well lived looks like,” said Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, per the Chronicle. “This is 45 years of love returned. Coach Beam believed in Oakland’s young people when the world told them what they were not. He saw potential where others saw problems.”

“I was born in the middle of football season,” said Beam’s daughter Sonjha, per KPIX. “And if you ask my dad, that was no coincidence. He always said it was perfect timing, early enough in the morning so he could be there with my mom, hold me and then still make it back up the hill to Skyline in time for practice.”

As SFist reported in November, Cedric Irving, Jr., who took one of Beam’s classes at Laney College in 2022, is suspected of fatally shooting Beam. Irving reportedly told police he believed Beam was practicing witchcraft on him. Per SFist, Beam was featured in the 2020 Netflix series, Last Chance U.

In the below video clip, Beam delivers an inspiring speech to athletes during a luncheon.

Image: Laney College

Previously: Alleged Shooter of Laney College Football Coach Reportedly Claimed Coach Used Witchcraft on Him

• The East Bay’s Antioch High School football team forfeited its game Thursday night due to code of conduct violations by a large portion of its varsity players. The violations are reportedly from an incident caught on video that’s since been deleted of students kicking another student in the locker room, as well as pouring water on him and throwing football equipment at him. [KTVU]
• Alameda County is providing $10 million in emergency funding to support local food banks and SNAP recipients during the federal government’s pausing of November payments. Santa Clara County has approved $4.5 million, and Marin County plans to provide $800,000 — as the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank food finder website has seen a 250% increase in traffic. [KQED]
• Additionally, Contra Costa County is set to vote Tuesday on allocating $20 million in emergency funding for SNAP recipients. [NBC Bay Area]

• The Bay Area tech industry saw 1,400 layoffs this week with Amazon accounting for over half; 1,451 more Bay Area Amazon workers are expected to be laid off in 2026. [Bay Area News Group]
• Berkeley Police arrested a 14-year-old Pinole boy for his alleged involvement in numerous auto thefts over the span of four days. [KRON4]

National:

• Federal judges from Massachusetts and Rhode Island ruled Friday that the Trump administration must continue paying SNAP benefits using emergency reserve funds during the shutdown, calling the freeze “unlawful.” [Associated Press]
• Prince Andrew’s biographer said he spoke to several employees of the queen who claim she was well aware of the Prince’s predatory behavior. [Bay Area News Group]
• A community in West Chicago came together to bring trick-or-treating directly to kids in neighborhoods whose families have been impacted by ongoing ICE raids, delivering nearly $900 worth of candy. [Chicago Tribune]

Video of the Day:

Possibly the most clever and functional Halloween costume we’ve ever seen! Well done.

Image: Leanne Maxwell/SFist

• The San Francisco 49ers have locked in Brock Purdy with a five-year, $265 million contract, including $181 million guaranteed as the team’s franchise quarterback. ESPN points out that Purdy has come a long way since being called “Mr. Irrelevant” as the last pick in the 2022 NFL draft. [ESPN]
• Advocates plan to rally at San Francisco City Hall on May 19 to demand action on street safety after 42 traffic deaths in 2024 and six more pedestrian fatalities so far this year. The protest comes as the city’s Vision Zero plan has expired with no new policy in place. [WalkSF]

#49ers QB Brock Purdy’s 5-year, $265 million extension is the largest raise in NFL history and makes him highest paid Niner of all time at an average annual salary of $53 million.

Niners and Purdy always hoped to have this done before on field portion of OTAs. Mission…

— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) May 16, 2025

• During a commencement speech at University of San Francisco on Friday, Dr. Anthony Fauci urged graduates to reject conspiracy theories and misinformation, warning that anti-science sentiments—amplified on social media—threaten public health and the foundation of society. [SFGate]
• Here’s how to watch Giants’ games via kayak. [KQED]

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• A bit of satire aimed at Newsom’s podcast guests: “So what do you think Democrats can learn from somebody who, like you, targets the most vulnerable among us?” [The Onion]

National:

• Wash your rice: A new report found arsenic in 100% of 145 rice samples sold in U.S. stores, with one in four exceeding the FDA's limit for infant cereal. The study also revealed that other toxic metals like cadmium, lead, and mercury were present, with brown rice and rice grown in the Southeast showing the highest levels. [CBS News]
• A federal judge dismissed trespassing charges against 98 people arrested in a military buffer zone along the Southwest border, ruling the government failed to prove they knew they were entering restricted land—highlighting the questionable legality of the Trump administration’s aggressive border policies. Despite the administration’s efforts to militarize public lands and detain migrants, unclear signage and rugged terrain made it impossible for many to know they were trespassing on a controversial “National Defense Area.” [ABC News]
• Microsoft is laying off 6,000 employees — including 122 in the Bay Area — just days after its CEO said AI now writes up to 30% of the company’s code. [SFGate]
• Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen was among a group of people arrested on Wednesday during a Senate hearing in which they denounced Congress’s role in funding the starvation of children in Gaza while slashing healthcare for poor kids in the U.S. [Guardian]

Video of the Day:

• Scenes from a 1980s-era lowrider meet-up in the East Bay:

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A post shared by Retro Bay Area (@retrobayarea)

The San Francisco 49ers clinched a 23-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this afternoon, thanks to a clutch field goal from second-year kicker Jake Moody in the game's closing seconds.

All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey put up a solid effort in his return from injury, rushing for 39 yards and gaining another 68 yards as a pass-catcher. Brock Purdy threw for 365 yards and two touchdowns, one of which was a 46-yard throw to Ricky Pearsall, marking the rookie receiver's first-ever trip to the endzone.

The game was close throughout, with the 49ers either tied or holding only a small lead for the whole game. Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield even led his team on a drive that tied the game at 20 with just 41 seconds left on the clock, before the 49ers offense stormed back to set up Moody's 44-yard game-winning kick.

Moody, who missed the previous three games with an ankle sprain, ended the day three-of-six overall. 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel was one of the few teammates not seen congratulating Moody after his successful go-ahead attempt. Late into the 4th quarter, Samuel was caught on video taking a swing at Moody after his third missed field goal.

"It’s heat of the moment. It happens. I do have to make those kicks at the end of the day. That’s all I’m focused on," said Moody after the game, in reference to the incident.

The 49ers improved their record to 5-4 after this win, amid a season defined by injuries and ugly, uncharacteristic losses. Next Sunday, they host the Seattle Seahawks, a crucial rivalry game that will leave the winner leading the NFC West.

Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

The San Francisco 49ers will be less concerned with going through game film Monday as they are with what doctors have to say about newly sustained injuries to even more essential Niners players. The team entered Sunday’s game against the New York Jets with a handful of core players on both sides of the ball listed on the injury report, including star tight end George Kittle and defensive anchor Richard Sherman, among others, but were eager to put Week 1’s performance behind them as they got set to take on a perennially lackluster Jets team.

The Niners wasted no time Sunday, scoring on their first play from scrimmage. Raheem Mostert took a pitch from Jimmy Garoppolo 80 yards untouched to the house, and the 49ers would not look back. Garoppolo was 14 of 16 with two touchdowns on the day, however did not play in the second half after suffering a high ankle sprain on the second drive of the game and deciding he could not continue.

Injuries underscored the day, as the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year Nick Bosa was forced off the field on a cart with a feared ACL tear. Defensive lineman Solomon Thomas followed him to the locker room two plays later with similar trepidation. Both will receive an MRI Monday to determine the full extent of their injuries.

Mostert finished the day with 92 yards on eight carries and two receptions for 15 yards, but he too left the game early with a potential MCL sprain. The Niners were already without Kittle, Sherman, WR Deebo Samuel, DL Dee Ford, and will now have to contend with more critical losses.

The final score: 31-13.

The 49ers are playing without their starting QB, RB, WR, TE, C, DEs, DT, CB, backup C.

— TheSFNiners (@TheSFNiners) September 20, 2020

The focus in the postgame presser was less on the quality of the performance and more the condition of the turf, which was called into question as so many key players fell to injury.

Head Coach Kyle Shanahan believes the turf played a big role, telling reporters in the Zoom press conference, “I don’t know exactly why it happened. As far as the feeling that was on the sidelines, that’s as many knee injuries and ankle stuff and people getting caught on the turf as I’ve ever been a part of.”

Shanahan said concerns were raised by players throughout. “I know our players talked about it the entire game, just how sticky the turf was, and I think that was the first time people played on it,” Shanahan stated. “But yeah, it was something our guys were concerned about right away.”

Niner legend Frank Gore, who was signed to a one-year deal by the Jets in May, rushed 21 times for 63 yards, but the Jets were unable to get anything going all day, even with a depleted Niners defense.

Jets Head Coach Adam Gase was not pleased with his team after the final whistle blew. “I’m pissed right now,” Gase told reporters. “We need to get better fast.”

Arik Armstead registered his first sack of the season and 20th of his career in the first quarter, and Fred Warner stuffed Gore on a 4th and 1 deep in 49er territory that led to a Jordan Reed reception touchdown to close out the half. Reed, who came in at tight end as Kittle’s replacement for Week 2, registered two touchdowns on the day, and was a bright spot in the offense. Reed will have to work hard to remain healthy, as he is no stranger to the IR himself, with 7 documented career concussions.

Jerick McKinnon took three carries for 77 yards and his first rushing touchdown of the season. ‘Jet’ gained an impressive 55 yard pickup on a 3rd and 31 with Niners deep in their own half. He will look for his role to increase in the coming weeks if Mostert is sidelined with a knee sprain and Tevin Coleman, who was removed in the 4th quarter with an apparent knee injury, is unable to go next week.

While crushing injuries have dampened The Faithful’s hopes of a return to the super bowl this year, the 49ers will have to rely on their depth as they play in the same stadium on the same turf for their Week 3 matchup against the New York Giants.

The team, however, is not much looking forward to it. “Unfortunately this is a place we’ve got to go back to next week,” Shanahan said. With all of the new injuries on the MetLife turf, can you really even blame them?

Previously: 49ers Immediately Slip To Last In Their Division As Sloppy Play and Costly Coaching Marks Season Opener

As their 2020 NFL season gears up to kick off this Sunday at Levi’s Stadium against the Arizona Cardinals, the San Francisco 49ers look set to build on their strong history and champion a new loyalty to the Bay with the loss of the Raiders to Sin City. On Tuesday, the 49ers unveiled a new campaign, "Faithful to the Bay," to celebrate the steadfast commitment of the teams’ fans as well as mark the next chapter in the franchise’s storied history.

The new campaign is a unifying idea that embodies the shared commitment between fans, the team, and the Bay Area community. It features new branding for the 49ers and Levi’s Stadium as well as opportunities for fans to send user generated content to be displayed during games.

The 49ers have partnered with Mitchell & Ness to bring exclusive "Faithful to the Bay" merchandise to Niner fans and will collaborate with local music legends E-40 and P-Lo, among others, to maintain a "Faithful to the Bay" playlist on Spotify.

In an attempt to reach youth across the Bay Area and beyond, the 49ers will continue to expand community impact through programs such as 49ers EDU and 49ers PREP, offering everything from virtual flag football camps to STEAM education video series for at-home and distance learning. All programs are free to the end user, and you can head to 49ers.com/community to learn more about specific initiatives.

The 49ers are also committing $1M in social justice grants to local and national organizations, distributed to the organizations over the next two years in an effort to provide both immediate and long term support to their work. “In order to qualify for the grant,” the 49ers said in a statement to SFist, “nonprofit organizations had to be focused in one of three areas: racial equality in policing, ending mass incarceration, or educational and economic advancement for young Black people.”

More specific announcements regarding the campaign are coming, and fans can expect to find news and original content geared directly towards them at www.49ers.com.

The launch day Tuesday was the culmination of more than a year of hard work and planning, and with it the 49ers have released a video commemorating the evolving legacy they intend to build upon. Get out your best Niners gear and take a look at the video below as it offers a glimpse into what is to come as the season gets underway Sunday. Football is back, baby.

“Hundreds” of players from across the Pac-12 say they will not take the field unless college football cleans up its safety protocols and gives them health insurance.

Live sports have come back in the last couple weeks, and we’ve gotten a look at which coronavirus safety protocols work, and which definitely don’t work. NBA players have been contained in their Orlando, Florida “bubble” for more than three weeks, and knock on wood, have not suffered any outbreaks or notable positive tests (though they did have one embarrassing visit to a strip club scandal). Major League Baseball, on the other hand, has not utilized a bubble, has players flying all over the country for games, and now has at least 30 positive COVID-19 cases, is postponing games like mad, and might cancel the entire damned season any day now. It seems like other sports could draw conclusions from this?

The infection risks are probably even higher in college football, which is asking players to travel for away games, plus it is college so people will have sex and do drugs to create additional virus threat vectors. Some college football players seem aware of the dangers they’re facing, and of course, they don’t get paid while their coaches and administrators rake in millions. That’s why KTVU is reporting an absolutely unprecedented move, where players in the Pac-12 athletic conference are threatening to refuse to play in college football this year, and multiple players from Cal and Stanford are involved with organizing what would essentially be a player’s strike.

“NCAA sports exploit college athletes physically, economically and academically, and also disproportionately harm Black college athletes,” a group of Pac-12 players said in an open letter posted online Sunday. “We are being asked to play college sports in a pandemic in a system without enforced health and safety standards, and without transparency about COVID cases on our teams, the risks to ourselves, our families, and our communities.”

The kids made this announcement on a website called the Players Tribune, which is sort of like Medium, except mostly only athletes and sports-adjacent celebrities post on it. Their post also calls for prohibition of COVID-19 liability waivers, pay cuts for coaches and administrators (nice!), investment in Black student initiatives, and for full medical insurance for six years after their college playing careers.  

The open letter itself is not signed, though some players have come forward and tweeted that they were part of the effort. An ESPN report this morning claims that “400 players” were on a conference call on the matter over the weekend. The KTVU article does not name which Cal and Stanford players signed the letter, but a Los Angeles Times report informs us that the letter was signed by Stanford defensive back Treyjohn Butler, and Cal offensive linemen Jake Curhan and Valentino Daltoso, and defensive back Joshua Drayden.

As seen above, some players say they’ve already been kicked off their teams for their involvement in the effort.

Pac-12 conference officials have basically blown the letter off, saying an open letter on the internet is not a negotiation. “Neither the Conference nor our university athletics departments have been contacted by this group regarding these topics," the conference said in a statement to ESPN. "We support our student-athletes using their voice and have regular communications with our student-athletes at many different levels on a range of topics. As we have clearly stated with respect to our fall competition plans, we are, and always will be, directed by medical experts, with the health, safety and well being of our student athletes, coaches and staff always the first priority.”

And it didn’t get much attention on Friday, but the conference released its revised and abbreviated football game schedule, according to the Chronicle. There are some thoughtful gestures and neat novelties in the mix; it’s conference games only, the season wouldn’t start until September 26, Cal and Stanford would play the Big Game on the extremely early date of October 24, the regular season wraps up December 5, with a simple conference championship game on December 18 or 19, and no mention of whether a qualifying team could accept an invite to the College Football Playoffs.

But the notion of college football still happening in December, during the feared flu-season winter outbreak of COVID-19, seems aspirational at best, and completely out to lunch from a realistic perspective. College football is embracing President Trump’s wishful-thinking strategy with coronavirus. These players will hopefully convince their well-paid administrators to employ intelligent thinking, even if they don’t get their full wishlist of transformational demands.

Related: Op-Ed: Let's Play Ball? When Profit In Professional Sports Outweighs Life

Stanford Announces Elimination of 11 Varsity Sports Programs, Citing Pandemic [SFist]

Image: John Martinez Pavliga via Wikimedia Commons

Marshawn "Beast Mode" Lynch is officially a Seattle Seahawk, once again, signing with the team on Monday and setting the former star running back on course to return to action this Sunday night in the team's showdown with the San Francisco 49ers.

Lynch, who has not played since Week 6 in 2018, inked a deal that reportedly only covers this Sunday's regular season finale and the 2019 playoffs. The Seahawks came calling following the loss of their top two running backs, Chris Carson and C.J. Prosise, to season-ending injuries.

Carson, for his part, was having a career year with 1,230 rushing yards (5th in NFL) and seven touchdowns (t-10th). The former seventh-round draft pick from Oklahoma State rushed for a hard-fought 89 yards on 25 carries against San Francisco, factoring heavily in the Hawks' victory at Levi's Stadium back in early November.

For Lynch, this will mark his second return from retirement. Although, this time he had not formally filed retirement paperwork with the NFL. Bay Area fans will remember that the Oakland-native came out of his one-year hiatus from professional football, back in 2017, to play for his hometown Raiders.

Now at what is very much considered "old age" for an NFL running back, the 33-year-old Beast Mode most likely won't be the formidable force fans remember from his famous "earthquake run" versus the New Orleans Saints.

It is anyone's best guess how ready Marshawn will be to handle the intense load that is carrying the ball against the Niner defense, but, if Seattle coach Pete Carroll has anything to say about it, Lynch will most likely not be put into position to do anything except succeed in helping his team remain competitive.

While Beast Mode undoubtedly has lost a step (or two), he is still a hulking human being and has the perfect instincts necessary for a downhill runner to knife through opposing defenses.

In 2018, his final season across the Bay, Lynch tallied 376 yards on 90 carries (4.2 yards per carry) through just six games of regular season action. Oakland coach Jon Gruden had settled on utilizing Marshawn in select situations with plays designed to get the most out of his tackle-breaking, smash-mouth running style. Carroll, having coached him for six seasons, will likely take a similar approach to deploying the aging veteran RB.

Regardless of how ready or "fit" for duty Lynch is, come Sunday, the Seahawks will have their hands full with the division-leading San Francisco 49ers, as they welcome the NFC's current no. 1 overall seed to CenturyLink Field in Seattle. The clash is set to begin at 5:20 p.m. Pacific Time, the 'Sunday Night Football' slot and the NFL's final game of the 2019 regular season. For the Niners, winning would mean retaining the top seed in the NFC, earning a first-round bye, and securing home field advantage for both the Divisional and Championship rounds of the playoffs.

Photo of Lynch playing for the Seahawks in 2014: Keith Allison/Flickr

Here's @MattBreida's first @nfl touchdown! #SFvsPHI pic.twitter.com/9HLtMZi0n0

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) October 29, 2017

by Daisy Barringer

Congratulations to Jed York, Coach Kyle Shanahan, General Manager John Lynch, and everyone else who is a part of this 49ers organization: The San Francisco 49ers are now the first team in franchise history to start a season with eight straight losses. YOU DID IT. You ensured that this 49ers team is not only a total laughingstock in the NFL, but also that fans have little reason to hope or watch.

Because for fans who did waste three hours of their Sunday watching the Philadelphia Eagles crush the 49ers 33-10, here’s what they got to see:

C.J. Beathard getting sacked four times, hit another 12, and throwing two interceptions in the second quarter, one of which was a pick six that gave the Eagles a 17-0 lead.

Carlos Hyde rushing for just 25 yards on 12 carries.

A blocked field goal attempt by Robbie Gould when the Niners should have just been going for it on 4th and goal. (No, but seriously: why wouldn’t Shanahan just go for it?! We were down 27-7 with less than a quarter left to play. The only thing that would have even pretended to get us back in the game was a touchdown. And it’s not like Robbie Gould needs more practice kicking field goals. He’s the one guy on the team who’s actually good at his job. Most of the time.)

A pathetic three of 15 on third-down attempts.

Zero 49ers points scored in the first 40 minutes.

Six players exiting the game with injuries, including LT Joe Staley who sustained a fractured orbital bone thanks to a cheap shot by DT Fletcher Cox and FS Jimmy Ward who suffered a fractured forearm. Both will be out indefinitely.

To be fair, the abysmal performance was mostly by the offense. The defense deserves recognition for limiting Eagles QB Carson Wentz to a season-low 211 yards and sacking him three times, including two by Leger Douzable, which is a last name I really enjoy speaking aloud.

What’s even more impressive is that, like the rest of the team, the defense has been ravaged by injuries and yet still played hard. It’s one area where I feel like fans can legitimately see some hope for the future. Plus, it’s just always nice to see an Eagles quarterback get sacked because ugh, THE EAGLES ARE THE WORST.

It’s well known by now that I am rooting for the Niners to lose every game this season. Not only would it be completely fitting, it would secure us a first round draft pick, assuming the Browns don’t do the same. But damn is it hard to root for your team to lose when they’re playing a team that’s so fun to hate. Interestingly, while the owners, players, and rivalry cause my hatred of the Cowboys, my loathing of the Philadelphia Eagles stems almost entirely from the despicable fan base.

It’s no secret that Eagles fans are The Worst. There’s the time one purposely vomited on an 11-year old girl, the time another fan spit on a Saints fan, and of course, the time they threw snowballs at Santa. They’re also just loud, obnoxious, and always looking for a fight.

I personally experienced this during a Monday Night Football game at The Vet in 1997 when I was sporting a Jerry Rice jersey. (I didn’t know then how awful these people were and that doing so was risking my life.) Towards the end of the game, I went to the ladies room, and was followed in by five girls who were anything but ladies. The bathroom was empty except for the six of us and they formed a semi-circle around me while cussing at me and threatening to kick my ass. My back was literally up against a wall, so I did the only thing I could do: I Red Rovered right through them and sprinted to the door but not before turning back around and yelling, “CHECK THE SCOREBOARD.” The 49ers won that game 24-12.

Okay, so I can be a jerk too sometimes. Still, they started it.

Luckily, yesterday my only interaction with obnoxious fans was when I had to hear them sing that stupid “Fly, Eagles, Fly” fight song on the television after every touchdown. I hate that song with a passion. I took to Twitter to bitch about it, as one does when she is watching the game on her couch with only her dog to keep her company, and even though no Eagles fans actually follow me on Twitter, they were all apparently searching key words just looking for a fight. Which, I’ll admit, entertained me far more than anything that was happening on the field.

I think my biggest takeaway from the game actually was that, despite the fact that the Eagles are 7-1, first in the NFC East, and have the best record of any team in the league, I don’t think they’re good enough to go all the way. And that’s something to smile about because nothing makes me happier than the fact that the team with the most insufferable fans in the NFL has yet to win a single Super Bowl.

When your team is as awful as the 49ers, you have to find your happiness elsewhere, ya know?

But back to the 49ers for one more minute. My friend reminded me yesterday that in December of 2014, right after Jed York fired Jim Harbaugh, Trent Baalke said, “This isn’t a rebuild situation. This is a reload situation.” Since then, the 49ers have won seven games, five in 2015 under Jim Tomsula, two in 2016 under Chip Kelly, and zero in 2017 under Kyle Shanahan.

I wish the 49ers could have just admitted then and there that we were tearing everything down and rebuilding. Instead, they wasted two years of fans time and money just to get to this point: the first true year of the rebuild.

Unfortunately, I’m worried that we’re going to spend this entire year digging the hole for the foundation, and that it might be a many more seasons before it’s even laid. Which I think is how foundation works based on what I read in Tracy Kidder’s House, which is a great book you should read now that you have so much free time because you’re not watching football.

Anyway, the Niners suck. And the best thing that can happen for us is to lose out. Unfortunately, we have a couple of potentially winnable games coming up, particularly against the Cardinals and the Giants. The thing is, winning those games would be pointless. Is there really a moral victory if you beat a team that’s only slightly less terrible than you? Even worse: the Browns play teams that will be harder for them to beat for the rest of the season. This one’s going to come down to the wire.

It sucks to root for a loss, but at this point it’s the only thing worth rooting for. Fun times.

Next Week: The (3-4) Arizona Cardinals come to Levi’s Stadium well rested after a bye week. It’s a game the 49ers could win. Hopefully they don’t.

Here's CJ Beathard's first career rushing touchdown #DALvsSF pic.twitter.com/c0D6ng7ugm

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) October 22, 2017

by Daisy Barringer

The 49ers may have lost five straight games this season by three points or fewer, but with yesterday’s 40-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, this team reminded us that they’re exactly who we thought they were. Undeveloped, uninspired, and completely inept.

What a shame they had to remind fans of that fact on the day that former wide receiver and 49ers icon Dwight Clark, who is battling ALS, came to Levi’s Stadium for what may very well be the last time. What a shame that he had to see this team go 0-7, matching the worst start in franchise history. And what a shame that it had to happen against one of our biggest rivals, and the team the 49ers were playing when Clark made his famous 6-yard grab, better known as simply “The Catch.” The only good news is that the only other time the 49ers lost their first seven games, it was in 1979, Clark’s rookie year. So at least we know that he gets it.

I’ve been rooting for the 49ers to lose every game this season because intellectually, I understand that’s what is better for this team in the long run. But I made one exception, and that was yesterday’s game against the Cowboys. I don’t care how much you want a first round draft pick; if you’re gold blooded, there’s no way you can root for Dallas to come into your house and decimate you. Unfortunately, it turns out it doesn’t actually matter what I want because when a team is as bad as this 2017 squad, losing is the only option.

There’s really not much more to say. If I tried to call everyone out for his abysmal play, this column would be longer and more tedious than Infinite Jest. Literally, every single person played like the steaming piles of the poop that come out of my enormous Saint Bernard.

The defense allowed 501 yards of total offense, including 265 rushing yards, 147 of which came from alleged girlfriend-beater Ezekiel Elliott. (It’s worth noting that even though watching Ezekiel Elliott run all over the 49ers defense was probably the most painful part of the game, if he had been serving his six-game suspension, it likely would have affected the final score, but not the win.)

The offensive line also allowed C.J. Beathard (who does not appear to be the answer, though it’s still early yet) to be sacked five times, two times during which he fumbled the ball.

And lest special teams think they’re off the hook from my wrath, I’ll take this opportunity to point out that Trent Taylor fumbled a punt return that set up the Cowboy’s first touchdown and set the tone for the game.

Regarding the coaching, I feel confident that if Shanahan had better personnel on the field, he wouldn’t look so incompetent at his job, but unfortunately, I also feel confident that he may not have that better personnel for years to come. So there’s that.

Sadly, the “best” part of the day was that Dwight Clark was there to be honored by the 49ers organization and fans. And that 37 members of his 1981 squad were there to stand on the field during halftime wearing No. 87 and show him their love.

Of course, it’s hard to say that moment was great when the truth is that, as Clark said himself, “I just wanted to see my teammates. And the 49ers heard that and flew all of the players in so I could see them one more time.”

One more time.

Because, as anyone could see from his debilitated state, Dwight Clark probably doesn’t have much more time. The 60-year-old man who was once so tall and strong and handsome (okay, he’s definitely still handsome) was only diagnosed with ALS a year ago, but he already requires a wheelchair. His speech is already slowed. His body has already rapidly weakened.

ALS is a heart-wrenching disease. It will eventually take away Clark’s ability to walk, speak, swallow, and breathe. And while there is no definitive proof that ALS can be caused by playing football, Dwight Clark said he certainly suspects it did.

All of which brings us back to the conversation about what the NFL is doing (or not doing, as it were) to prevent brain injuries in its players. Because maybe there’s not proof that ALS is caused by hard hits to the head, but there is proof that CTE is common in ALS sufferers. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did release a report in 2012 that says NFL players are four times more likely to die from ALS disease than the rest of the U.S. population. And yet, what is the NFL doing about it? Not much.

I sat in bed last night trying to think of what it is that I actually want to see from the NFL to address these concerns. But I also questioned how I can love a sport that asks men to destroy their bodies for my entertainment. And finally, I wondered how it is so many people say, “The players know what they’re getting into and they get paid millions of dollars” as an excuse to not think about any of it.

I don’t have answers. But I will say this: I think I’ll see the demise of NFL football in my lifetime. And I think by the time it finally fades away, we’ll all know that it ending was the only choice. Because we can’t continue to say we care about human life and simultaneously pay people large sums of money to wreak havoc on themsleves purely for our enjoyment.

Dwight Clark’s legacy will always be that leaping grab in the end zone to set the 49ers up for a 28-27 win against the Cowboys in the NFC Championship game, but perhaps there’s something more we should take away from his time on earth. Perhaps his real legacy is bigger than one magnificent touchdown.

At the very least, he’s got me thinking.

Next Week: The (0-7) 49ers travel to Philadelphia to play the (5-1) Eagles. It’s going to be brutal to watch. And it won’t help that Eagles fans are some of the most insufferable people on earth. The Niners will definitely lose and be the first team in franchise history to go 0-8. Good times people. Good times.

‘Calm, cool and collected’: C.J. Beathard nearly delivers 49ers’ first win https://t.co/zU1WZDQrGl

— The Sacramento Bee (@sacbee_news) October 16, 2017

by Daisy Barringer

After yesterday's 26-24 loss to the Washington team with the racist name, the San Francisco 49ers became the first team in NFL history to lose five straight games by three points or fewer. They are also the only team other than the Cleveland Browns to be 0-6 on the season.

While in years past those two statements may have been reason for 49ers fans to stay in bed on Monday morning, this season those somber facts are actually great news. The close scores mean that anyone who is still watching actually gets to enjoy decent (enough) games, while the losses help set the organization up for a high pick in next year’s draft.

Of course, yesterday’s close score would not have even happened had Brian Hoyer, who seriously should never had a job as a starting QB in the NFL in the first place, had not been replaced by rookie C.J. Beathard in the second quarter when the Niners were down 14-0.

I’ll admit that I was simultaneously pleased and furious that the third-round draft pick came into the game and started throwing passes that were being caught and putting together drives that were resulting in touchdowns. Did someone forget to tell him the plan? We’re not supposed to actually win games this year! We are sacrificing this season so that we can have better seasons in the coming years.

But there Beathard was, actually connecting with guys and putting together drives that resulted in points. If not for a desperate throw on fourth-and-20 in the final seconds of the game that resulted in an interception, his passer rating would have been above 90. As it stands, he finished 19-of-36 for 245 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception for a passer rating of 72.1.

Was it all super pretty? Absolutely not. There were tipped passes, near interceptions, and plenty of drops. But there was also a spark that I hadn’t seen in the previous five games. A feeling like this offense could actually make something happen. And truthfully, if not for a terrible offensive pass interference call on Pierre Garcon, the 49ers most likely would have won the game.

Thank god they didn’t. And while I totally mean that, I have to say, it did break my heart to see Pierre Garcon’s reaction after that call. Because it was clear that he really wanted the W and that it broke his heart to know that a shitty call by the refs meant he and his teammates weren’t going to get it.

That’s the hard thing about rooting for your team to lose. You have to put feelings aside and ignore the fact that the majority of these guys are going out there every single week and giving it their all. Yes, we’ve seen dumb penalties, dropped passes, and stupid mistakes like a delay of game after an injury time out, but ultimately, these guys want that feeling of victory. Even if it’s ultimately meaningless.
And I totally get that. So, for a second, when I saw Pierre Garcon’s reaction to the call… when, even without being able to see his eyes, his body language made it clear that he needed this win—really, really needed it—I felt terrible.

But not terrible enough to hope we’d come out victorious. I’ll save that for the end of the season if and when we’ve secured that first round pick. We can get as many moral victories as we want then. Which, yes, means that for the next 10 weeks, I’m a Browns fan and I’m a Giants fan. (Okay, I’m not really a Giants fan because: gross. But I do hope they win at least a few games.) Because, as I’ve said before, and I will keep saying for the rest of the season, while a win feels good in the moment, in the long run it’s a detriment to the future of this team. And in my old age, I am able to put aside immediate gratification for a better chance at happiness down the road. Or, at least I am when it comes to football anyway.

Before I let you return to real life and all of the disheartening things it has to offer, let me just dwell on one more depressing piece of football news: the release of veteran linebacker NaVorro Bowman.

Of course, Bowman’s release was incredibly upsetting news during a week in the world where it seemed like nothing was going right. But I understand that Bowman was frustrated with his current role, and I appreciate the 49ers cut him and gave him the chance to find his own team instead of trading him to the Saints.

It’s crystal clear that the 49ers plan for the future is to chase youth. (I mean, it’s America; that’s basically everyone’s plan. Sigh.) Part of me gets it. Young guys are much more cost effective than experienced veterans. But when a team gets rid of its veterans in lieu of guys who don’t make as much money and have more years left to play, they’re doing themselves a disservice. Everyone talks about how rookie Reuben Foster is just waiting in the wings behind Bowman. But do you know what would make Reuben Foster a much better player in the long run? Being on a team with Bowman. Being mentored by Bowman. Learning from Bowman.

The NFL has a huge problem as of late. Football just isn’t as fun to watch. The level of play isn’t what it used to be. And I’m pretty convinced that is largely in part to the fact that rookies are no longer allowed to sit on the bench during games and slowly develop over time. Just look at Steve Young. Though he says he didn’t enjoy it, he did have to sit on the bench behind Joe Montana for four years. Four years where he was certainly the best back-up in the league, but four years that also allowed him to mature and grow as a player.

Listen, in this day and age, I wouldn’t want any player as talented as Steve Young to sit on the bench for four years. But I do believe there is something to be gained by allowing players to learn the game instead of throwing them into the fire. Alas, that’s the exact opposite direction the NFL is going these days, and, as a result, NaVorro Bowman is no longer a San Francisco 49er. Except in my heart where he’ll always be one.

Next Week: The (0-6) 49ers return home after three weeks on the road to play the (2-3) Dallas Cowboys who are coming off of a bye week. I don’t see how I’m possibly going to root for the Niners to win because the Cowboys, and Jerry Jones in particular, can kiss my 49ers-loving, anthem-kneeling ass. So I actually hope we win. Except, I know we probably won’t.

In the time since Colin Kaepernick first took a knee during the national anthem in protest of police brutality and violence against people of color, other teams and players have voiced their support of Kaepernick and taken up their own demonstrations. But the limit to that support is evident when it comes to actually giving Kaepernick a contract with a team. According to a report from the Washington Post, Kaepernick has now filed an official grievance against the NFL, accusing team owners of colluding to keep him from playing.

The SF Examiner says that Kaepernick has turned to criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos, who issued a statement explaining the grievance. He wrote:

If the NFL (as well as all professional sports leagues) is to remain a meritocracy, then principled and peaceful political protest — which the owners themselves made great theater imitating weeks ago — should not be punished and athletes should not be denied employment based on partisan political provocation by the Executive Branch of our government … Protecting all athletes from such collusive conduct is what compelled Mr. Kaepernick to file his grievance.

WaPo brings up one example in the Tennessee Titans, who signed on Brandon Weeden to add depth to their quarterback position behind Matt Cassel. As USA Today pointed out in a story about the fan response to Weeden's signing, there were more than enough NFL enthusiasts who decrying the move on Twitter. There were even quite a few fans upholding the idea that Kaepernick has essentially been blackballed from playing in the NFL. CBS Sports pointed out that even Weeden chimed in with an opinion on Kaepernick's ability to play, telling the Tennesseean: "He's had a heck of a career. He played in a Super Bowl. Obviously, he's done a lot of really good things. I think us as players, we all kind of firmly believe that he's a good enough player to play in this league."

But if Kaepernick and Garagos are trying to prove collusion, they may have an uphill battle ahead of them. In order to prove collusion in court, there has to be hard, verifiable evidence that at least two people engaged in a conspiracy against a person. WaPo spoke with Gabriel Feldman, director of Tulane University's sports law program, who told them: "Disagreement over personnel decisions, as obvious as it may seem to someone looking at this, does not provide evidence of collusion. There has to be some evidence of an explicit or implied agreement. There has to be proof of a conspiracy."

Related: Sports Reporter Retracts Incorrect Report Saying Kaepernick Would Stand For National Anthem Again

A CBS reporter is walking back some comments he made about Colin Kaepernick, correcting a prior report where he said Kaepernick would stand for the national anthem.

Appearing on The NFL Today, Jason La Canfora, an NFL reporter for CBS, was asked whether Kaepernick would stop kneeling during the anthem if he made it back into the NFL. According to KRON 4, La Canfora told James Brown, "He’s not planning on kneeling. He’s going to donate all his jersey sales and he’s planning on standing for the anthem if given the opportunity, J.B."

La Canfora posted his retraction in a pair of tweets, where he revealed that he hadn't actually spoken with Kaepernick about his demonstrations.

Though La Canfora did meet with Kaepernick, his girlfriend, and his trainer on Saturday, they never spoke about whether Kaepernick would continue with his on-field demonstrations against police brutality, i.e., the kneeling. They did speak about his commitment to becoming a better quarterback, though, so there's that. CBS didn't air any direct quotes from Kaepernick at the time, either.

Kaepernick had a pretty great response to the initial report and took a shot at how quickly it spread.

Of course, KRON 4 goes to the trouble of pointing out that there are scholars who say that this quote is misattributed, but then again... maybe that's the joke?

Related: Daisy Does The Niners: 49ers Lose to Colts In Overtime As Mike Pence Protests Players' Protest, Walks Out

by Daisy Barringer

Yesterday was a perfectly glorious San Francisco day, so I hope you did anything other than watch the torture that was — for the second week in a row — nearly four hours of 49ers football.

It was never going to be an exciting game. Going in, the 49ers had zero wins and the Colts had one. Neither team is playing great football. And for three excruciating quarters, neither team did. Things heated up in the fourth quarter when the 49ers managed to erase a 14-point deficit and tie the game, but ultimately, the offense as unable to make anything happen in overtime, and the Colts won 26-23 thanks to a 51-yard field goal by Adam Vinateiri.

Unlike previous weeks where at least one half of the team showed up, this week both our offense AND our defense seriously struggled. The Colts entered the game last in the league in scoring defense, which you’d think would help us out, but… no. I mean, it’s not Brian Hoyer’s fault he’s a terrible quarterback who has been asked to lead this team, something he’s clearly totally incapable of doing, but it is painful to watch. Of course, rookie backup C.J. Beathard would probably be no better, but at least he’d get some valuable experience. Why not give him that when we’re clearly playing for a first round draft pick at this point?

Speaking of, I want to say that I don’t enjoy that I am not rooting for the Niners to win (it sounds nicer that way; saying I’m rooting for them to lose is… more than I’m willing to do at this moment). It doesn’t feel good to see us driving down the field in an attempt to tie the game and hoping that we fail because overtime feels like a punishment. I don’t want to root for missed extra points and sigh in exasperation when Ray-Ray Armstrong has a goal-line interception in overtime. I want to want to root for my boys. But right now, when we suck so badly, I just can’t.

And maybe that makes me a bad fan in the moment, but it makes me a smart fan — a fan who understands that draft picks matter — in the long run. The more we lose now, the better we might be in upcoming seasons. Any win at this point just keeps us from that goal. So we may as well not get any.

I understand that must be frustrating for the players who are giving it their all and doing a good job. Like Pierre Garcon who had eight catches for 94 yards, Marquise Goodwin who had five catches for 116 yards, and, uh… Robbie Gould who has had to kick an awful lot of field goals this year and has yet to miss one (thanks to a poor decision by the Colts to try to ice him on a kick he actually missed).

But you guys: This is who we are now. We are a really, really terrible football team. And all we can do is rebuild. Unfortunately, rebuilding takes times. So for now, all I can root for is more interesting games—that still end with an L.

Because this is 2017 and the world is a dumpster fire, what actually made yesterday’s game the most interesting was the theatrical display put on by Vice President Mike Pence. Because people need to leave politics out of sports, Pence spent an estimated $200,000 to $250,000 of taxpayer dollars to fly to Indianapolis just so he could walk out of the game after the National Anthem.

Listen, I respect Pence’s right to peacefully protest people who are peacefully protesting. What I don’t respect is that he flew to that game using taxpayer money knowing full well he was going to walk out of it. The Colts were playing the SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS. You know, the team who has had at least one guy kneeling during the anthem since the beginning of the 2016 season, and 30 of them were kneeling last week. Pence knew exactly what was going to happen and he knew all along he was going to walk out.

In case you need further proof: He also had the press pool wait in vans and had a carefully crafted prepared statement about how he and Trump “will not dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our flag, or our national anthem.”

Nevermind that last week the 49ers released a statement explaining how much respect they have for “our military and veterans who have sacrificed so much for our right to express ourselves freely” and that they made it very clear this is about protesting racial oppression and social injustice. Pence (and so many other Americans) will only see what they want. But by showing us what they see, it shines a light on who they are.

With his planned walkout, Mike Pence made it clear that his goal is to divide, not unite the American people. He made it clear that the only people he cares about are the white voters who have misread the players' protest and been misinformed about it on Fox News. He made it clear that he respects the flag — a piece of cloth — more than the people who are suffering as a result of systemic oppression.

Again, that’s his right. It makes him a despicable human, but it’s his right. But what he needs to do is own it. Don’t lie to the American people. But don’t pretend like the walkout wasn't planned all along. Don’t pretend like it wasn’t a publicity stunt intended to distract and divide even further.

If Mike Pence wants to grandstand, that’s his choice. But I want him to own it. And I definitely don’t want him to do it on my dime.

Next Week: The (0-5) 49ers play their third road game in a row against the (2-2) Washington team whose name people like Mike Pence like to pretend isn’t racist. We’re exhausted. We’re going to lose. And probably there will be more politics to discuss because that is also who we are now. It’s the one thing about this team we can be proud of this year.