Bayless Babbles: San Francisco 49ers Guide to Preseason Week 3

by Justin Cheng

AJ Jenkins (left) was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday.

49ers management started the Week 3 of the preseason with a huge bang, cutting the cord with last year's first-round pick, AJ Jenkins, trading him to the Kansas City Chiefs for wide receiver Jon Baldwin. This comes a day after Jim Harbaugh said Jenkins would likely expand his role as kick returner. Jenkins, who couldn't catch a common cold, let alone footballs, was expected to give the 49ers a much needed deep threat, coming off a loss in the 2011 NFC championship game. Jenkins was only active in three games in 2012, costing the 49ers  $1.2 million, which by Johnny Manziel standards, is two weeks worth of signing his own jersey.

The 49ers defense was suffocating.

With two weeks until the start of the regular season, the 49ers are still one of the clear favorites to win the Super Bowl. The defensive line absolutely dominated the line of scrimmage and terrorized Alex Smith like lions on a piece of meat or walkers on Rick Grimes. While Colin Kaepernick was given one series of playtime, B.J. Daniels, as predicted in our guide to Preseason Week 2, got some valuable minutes and orchestrated a final scoring drive to beat the Chiefs 15-13.



Now that we got the battle of the prodigal quarterback over with, we can refocus for Week 3. With August 27 as the date when teams have to trim their rosters from 90 to 75, this is the time when players really need to start making good impressions on their coaches. Practice reps are a weeklong audition for playing time, which will be sparse compared to the first two games of the preseason.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ers vs. MINNESOTA VIKINGS      - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -



1) Done Capping Kap

As much as I hate looking at this picture, red zone offense is a huge question mark for the reigning NFC champions. There is no question that Kaepernick has a rocket arm, but the progression he has made in that aspect of his game is yet to be determined. Harbaugh is bound to unleash the beast -- at least for the first quarter -- for Sunday's game, then we can make judgments if body shots, GQ covers, and oddly coordinated outfits have deterred any progress from being made.



2) QB Carousel

With the addition of Seneca Wallace into the mix, this makes for one crowded neapolitan quarterback competition. 49ers Insider Matt Maiocco reported that after his performance against the Chiefs, B.J. Daniels would start getting some more looks at quarterback with the second team offense. So far in the preaseason, Scott Tolzien and Colt McCoy's performances have been laughable, throwing a combined whopping zero touchdowns, three interceptions, and 264 yards. 



--Recommendation--
Don't put too much stock into Daniels' latest performance against the Chiefs. Daniels entered late in the third quarter, and most of the players that he was facing are more than likely to be out of the league in two weeks. 


--Depth Chart Prediction--

Starter: Colin Kaepernick
Second String: Seneca Wallace
Third String: Colt McCoy

Seneca Wallace has been a backup in this league for ten years. Such experience is indispensable, and he looks to be slotted to make the team as Kaepernick's backup. 

Colt McCoy still hasn't shown much in two outings, and this week will be pretty critical if he wants be the second string back up. He has shown good mobility, rushing for 37 yards against the Chiefs. McCoy has the ability to be a solid backup in this league but will probably be the third string.

B.J. Daniels will not be on the quarterback depth chart . Last week's guide noted how Daniels lined up at running back and tight end, so he will make the team because of his versatility. If not, he will probably be stashed away for development on the practice squad.

Tolzein is the odd man out. Dating back to last year, he has completed 47 percent of his passes (26 of 55) with a 46.7 passer rating. Sorry buddy, BYE BYE BYE.







3) Seattle Stomp Job

The Seattle Seahawks' 40-10 beatdown of the Denver Broncos, another favorite to win the Super Bowl this year, should have bandwagon 49ers fans quaking in their new #7 jerseys. The Seahawks absolutely dismantled the Broncos, a beat down that had not been seen since Dwayne Johnson was The Rock and not chasing Dominic Toretto in his rice rocket.






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The Bayless Babbles is a sports blog is co-authored by UC Merced/ USC alumnus Justin Cheng and UC San Diego alumnus Brent Lee.

For EVERYTHING about The Bayless Babbles, check out our blog page (HERE!)

Curry Got Bunnies

By Justin Cheng


It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Stephen Curry(?!) 

For those of you who think Curry can only shoot beyond the arc, you might want to take a look at what the Golden State Warriors star is doing in the offseason.







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The Bayless Babbles is a sports blog is co-authored by UC Merced/ USC alumnus Justin Cheng and UC San Diego alumnus Brent Lee.

For EVERYTHING about The Bayless Babbles, check out our blog page (HERE!)

Bayless Babbles: San Francisco 49ers Guide to Preseason Week 2

By Justin Cheng

Before there can be a #QuestForSeven, #QuestForEight, #QuestForNine, or #QuestForTen, there needs to be sixth championship (Yes, Lebron nuthuggers. That is directed at you). For every team that has Superbowl aspirations, the long journey starts with offseason workouts, rookie minicamps, training camp, capped off with four tortuous games that mean almost nothing to fans. 

However, the preseason schedule serves as a validation for the work done at the practice facility and is an intricate part of shaping how the roster will look like come the regular season. Here, players can make a name for themselves and gain what their heart desires, which predictably revolves around the stratospheres of women and money.

One such success story happened in our own backyard. A skinny 6'1", 195 pound, unheralded quarterback from San Jose State University, Jeff Garcia was deemed "too small for the NFL" and no team selected him in the 1994 NFL Draft. Four years in the lesser-watched Canadian Football League, Garcia finally earned his chance to play for his hometown team, while earning $39 million over a nine-year NFL career and scoring a Playboy playmate wife (two things that personality can't buy).



Preseason has the ability to change an organization's fate and an individual's attractability, and here is a quick guide to Preseason Week 2 for the San Francisco 49ers.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ers vs. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 
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1) Facing the Prodigal Quarterback

"It's personal with Alex. It probably is different in that way. And, (I) feel like there's a great friendship there and a lot of history. He's a unique person -- very good, in all ways, a good friend."
-- Jim Harbaugh on Alex Smith

Friends don't let friends skip leg day. Friends also don't bench their healthy starting quarterback after an injury.

It was well-documented how Harbaugh stuck with Colin Kaepernick's "hot hand" after Smith suffered a concussion against the St. Louis Rams. Up to that point, Smith had led the 49ers to the NFC Championship game the previous season, jumpstarted the 2012 season with a 6-2-1 record as a starter, and was ranked third in the NFL in QB rating (104.1). Despite his steady performance, Smith was left to sulk in disappointment along with every girl that Jason from The Hills has dated. 

It's a new season now, and Smith has Jamaal Charles, Dwayne Bowe, Donnie Avery, and Anthony Fassano at his disposal. Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson took a chapter out of Harbaugh's book by blowing up Smith claiming, "I think we have the best (quarterback) in the league." Smith has always been a tough-skinned competitor --albeit, not very good at times-- and look for him to make a statement against his former coach and team.


2) More Moore?

It remains to be seen whether there are valuable diamonds in a rough of subpar wide receivers. Marlon Moore, who was recently acquired from the Miami Dolphins, got the start opposite of Anquan Boldin. Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman downplayed the significance of the starter during Week 1, and stated that status belongs to the best practice performer. Moore had a good outing, but if he doesn't start against the Chiefs, there could be chaotic carousel like arguing which Pretty Little Liar has the most issues. 

3) QB Option #2

Who the hell is Scott Tolzien?
— _MarkGT_ (@EstradaAMark) August 9, 2013

Many people won't care about who our backup quarterback is unless Kaepernick gets hurt. In all honesty, we don't even want to see another other than Kap. However, this will be Tolzien's third season as a 49er, and expect to watch a lot of him, Colt McCoy, and B.J. Daniels in this game.

4) B.J. Daniels
One of the most intriguing players after Week 1 was B.J. Daniels. A seventh-round draft pick from South Florida, Daniels is listed as a quarterback but lined up once as a running back and was on special teams against the Broncos. Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman has been very innovative in his offensive formations, and perhaps Daniels can be serve as a do-it all guy.







With thousands and potentially millions of dollars on the line, these players will put forth their best effort for fame. With that being said, there's only one thing left to do...


BRING ON THE GOLD DIGGERS!

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The Bayless Babbles is a sports blog is co-authored by UC Merced/ USC alumnus Justin Cheng and UC San Diego alumnus Brent Lee.

For EVERYTHING about The Bayless Babbles, check out our blog page (HERE!)

The Tim Tebow Show

by Brent Lee

 

The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner debuted with the New England Patriots last Friday night, which resulted in a familiar smelling stench: absolute stinkage. Belichick has been coy with the media regarding Tebow's playing time and also with the player himself. Tim ended the game with a dismal 4 of 12 for 55 yards, demonstrating throughout the game that his pocket passing is still in dire need of development. The reunion with former Broncos coach and current Patriots offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels, and Tim Tebow has not been a happy one yet so far. 

Watching Patriots offense go from Brady to Mallett to Tebow was like the Majors to Double A to Junior High
— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) August 10, 2013

Tebow's first pass of the game is thrown short to the wide open receiver.

The Patriots management started pushing Tebow gear early in the off-season, and it makes total sense. With the cult of followers Tebow has, I'd do the exact same thing. From his improbable playoff comeback as a Denver Bronco to his unwavering Christian faith, it is obvious why he has some of the most undying support from his cult of followers.

Belichick asked if he plans to keep Tebow on the 53 man roster. "That's not anything we're ready to talk about right now."
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) August 13, 2013

Bill Belichick may be a football mastermind, but has he finally met his greatest challenge? Tebow came cheap at the base salary of $630,000, but is he worth all the trouble? Sure, he'll increase revenue by boosting ticket and jersey sales from those crazed Gators fans, but at the end of the day, his presence on the field and in the locker room will serve as more of a distraction than a benefit to this Superbowl hopeful team.


Belichick does not need to prove to anyone that he can make Tim Tebow into a NFL quarterback or a NFL player for that matter. Tebow's contract is NOT guaranteed. If Tebow does not make the 53 man roster before regular season starts, he can kiss that base salary goodbye and any chances of becoming besties with Tom Brady will be forever squandered. But there may be more than to Tim Tebow that meets the eye.


With the Aaron Hernandez hoopla, the Pats are in dire need of a positive locker room presence. Tebow's former Gator teammate has been involved in a murder case and has brought a lot of negative media attention to New England. Though Tebow Mania commands the attention of a plethora of sports and news media, he in fact is a positive influence on a locker room. The New England Patriots' expectations of Tebow may more likely come behind the scenes than on the field. His work ethic and his game approach are two intangibles that cannot be coached. It is easy to overlook Tebow and his unorthodox throwing mechanics, but one thing is for sure, the man is determined and has great potential to grow. His ability to play the read-option offense can be an absolute nightmare for defenses (think RGIII, Russell Wilson, and Colin Kaepernick). He can be a valuable asset to McDaniel's offense. Don't be surprised to see Tebow lineup for special teams and possibly tight end.

Tebow seems to be more interested in talking to media than "playing football".

Maybe the most important thing to note is that second string quarterback, Ryan Mallett, will be a free agent in 2014. It is almost certain that Mallett will leave via free agency or will be traded mid-season. All eyes will be focused on Tebow this preseason. With the media scrutiny off the field and the coaches hawking his every move on the field, Tebow will have his hands full this upcoming season, wherever he dons a uniform. Chances are that Tebow will remain on the team for the duration of his two year contract. He is more marketable than the Geico gecko and the Aflac duck combined. Tebow could end up being one of the most profitable bench players in the history of the sport. Moving forward, it is hard to see that the Pats will release this precious cash-cow in Tim Tebow.


Tim Tebow is his own worst enemy. Tebow claims he just "wants to play football". He maintains that he wants to develop into a NFL quarter rather than switching to another position. Well this third-string "quarterback" better get used to riding the pine all season. This may be his last opportunity to prove that he can play; otherwise, his next stop will be Tebow-ing in church while preaching the Gospel. Instead of saying Tebow Time, people will be chanting "Tebow, TIME TO GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"

The girl at chipotle ripped two straight tortillas while making my burrito. Time to bring in the backup. #tebowtime
— My name is Chris. (@cjwill21) August 10, 2013

Bayless Babbles: San Francisco Giants Guide to August & September

by Justin Cheng

With under two months left in the 2013 schedule, the reigning world champions are currently dead last in the NL West. Only the most hardcore of fans realize that August and September will be the biggest test of loyalty since MTV aired 30 episodes of the X Effect. 

For the Facebook bandwagoners that will reappear next October, 13 games under .500 and 15 games from first place doesn't mean that these last games mean nothing. The last two months of the season serves as an evaluation tool, where potential free-agent veterans can prove being worthy of landing a multi-million dollar contract and young stars will try to make a name for themselves to begin a career in the big leagues. 

In the City by the Bay, you will more than likely hear the fair share of baseball talk, whether its at a dive establishment like Chug Pub or during a casual stroll down the Financial District. Don't oust yourself from a fruitful Giant debate or else you'll find yourself conversing about your job, which is probably something that you don't have, considering that you're reading this blog. Here is a quick guide to understanding the last two months of the Giants' season.

For the lady bandwagoners: The only thing that turns on a guy more than knowing great deal about sports is....well, nothing really. This will assuredly score you the man of your dreams, like so...













For the male bandwagoners: You need this. Badly. The Giants are the most popular team in the Bay Area --sorry, Oakland fans-- and being completely oblivious about them will be met with a reaction similar to seeing one with leprosy.

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1) Goodbye Pitching Rotation

With Barry Zito, Tim Lincecum, and Chad Gaudin set to be free agents at the end of this year, the future of Giants' starting pitching is starting to look bleak. Zito will be a long gone memory in 2014, as has fallen out of the rotation with a 5.40 ERA and has not pitched well in two relief appearances. 

Lincecum (of late) and Gaudin (all season) have been pitching well and will command large contracts in the open market if their August and September performances remain steady. Giants loyalists should hope that these two will not price themselves out of the Giants' pay range, or else we will be seeing a lot more of Mike Kickham and Eric Surkamp. 



2) Empty Farm

For those of you hopeful that the Giants have prospects bursting out of their farm system, well, we don't. Each one of our high prospects has been shot down (figuratively...well, not really). San Jose and Fresno have yet to send up a valuable player since Buster Posey. Players such as Gary Brown (OF) , Heath Hembree (RHP), Kyle Crick (RHP), Chris Stratton (RHP), and Joe Panik (SS) have been mentioned being the highest rated prospects within the organization, but considering that they haven't been called up when the Giants have been hit with injuries, do not appear to be major league-ready.


3) No Giancarlo

Sorry ladies, but Giancarlo Stanton will not be a San Francisco Giant anytime soon. The Miami Marlins have been known to conduct a Black Friday sale or two. However, they have always demanded promising prospects in return for their stars. Considering the last point, the Giants may not have enough firepower to even please Jeffrey Loria, the penny-pinching owner of the Marlins. 




4) 99 Free Agency Problems But Hov Ain't One

Don't get any crazy ideas that we will get the best player on the market, Robinson Cano. Jay-Z has recently gotten into the agent game and will be looking to make a huge splash with his first big client and will command a contract upwards of $100 million. Jay-Z has the potential to be a Daniel Hardman in a firm ruled by Harvey Specter a.k.a. General Manager Brian Sabean. Sabean likes to get the biggest bang for his buck. Look for him to sign players like Corey Hart, Matt Garza, Phil Hughes, and Shin Soo-Choo.



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The Bayless Babbles is a sports blog is co-authored by UC Merced/ USC alumnus Justin Cheng and UC San Diego alumnus Brent Lee.

For EVERYTHING about The Bayless Babbles, check out our blog page (HERE!)

Celebrate! Football Season is Back... kinda

By Brent Lee

Are you looking for a reason to cheer up during a lackluster summer of sports? With the NFL preseason kicking off this week, teams will be rolling out their potential opening day starters onto the field. One notable game of the preseason will occur in week 2 of the preseason with Alex Smith and his Kansas City Chiefs facing off against his former team, the 2014 Super Bowl favorites, San Francisco 49ers. Last night was a preview of a likely Superbowl 2014 showdown between the 49ers and the Denver Broncos. The reigning NFC Champions played mediocre at best. After a clock killing, ground-and-pound opening sequence by Colin Kaepernick and the Niner offense resulting in a Phil Dawson field goal, the Niners committed 4 turnovers. Thankfully, the Broncos were not able to capitalize on any of San Francisco's errors (2 interceptions and 2 fumbles). If this is any indication of the upcoming season, the Niner Faithful are in for a bumpy ride this season. Thank god this is preseason football!

Few positive things to take away from tonight's game: LaMichael James is a beast, Aldon Smith HULKED up, the Colin to Anquan connection is already developing, AND Vance McDonald and Eric Reid are transitioning nicely into the red and white. 

With that being said, let's look forward to the watching Alex Smith throw the ball out of bounds next week. Look for Alex Smith to be fired up for this pseudo-homecoming. Meanwhile, enjoy this compilation of sports celebrations. HAPPY FRIDAY!

Kent Bazemore doing his thang on the bench.Classic Baze.

Made it nasty.

Oh hello, TEMPER-PEDIC TEMPER-Cloud Collection, my name is DeShaun Jackson.

Insult to injury.

Real Madrid manager, Jose Mourinho, trying to relive his heydays.

Matt Cassel is playing Twister with his teammates. Right hand on red, right foot on green. Nastia Liukin approves.

There's just so many things wrong with this celebration. This must be why dinosaurs went extinct.

Oklahoma bench air guitar-ing its way to the lead against Texas.

Mama forgot to teach him that he's not supposed to celebrate with opposing team.

Chad Qualls is just too smooth.

Villanova's all star bench: Legolas, Christopher Columbus, and white MC Hammer

David Akers is just as surprised as we are that you are reading this blog.

 I mean come on, who isn't happy when a ice cream truck drops by.

Alright, you can get back to work now. Celebrate! It's Friday!

The Bayless Babbles is a sports blog is co-authored by UC Merced/ USC alumnus Justin Cheng and UC San Diego alumnus Brent Lee. 



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Johnny Football Turns Johnny Cash

Should Texas A&M's Star be Penalized for Selling Authographs?
by Justin Cheng

Much has been made of Johnny Manziel's post-Heisman offseason, which is nothing compared to the mountain of shit he is facing even Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus would not be able to move. According to a report by ESPN, the NCAA will be investigating whether Manziel agreed to sign memorabilia in exchange for a five-figure flat fee.

If substantial evidence is found linking Manziel to these reported charges, his sophomore eligibility -- and most likely, his collegiate career as well -- will be in jeopardy. The accusations against Manziel are a direct violation of the NCAA 12.5.2.1 bylaw, stipulating that student-athletes may not receive "any remuneration for or permits the use of his or her name or picture to advertise, recommend or promote directly the sale or use of a commercial product or service of any kind."

While the rule, as it currently stands, should still be enforced, there is a huge Pablo Sandoval in the room that needs to be addressed.

Here's for you math majors. This is where the bomb drops.

Everyone has cashed in on Texas A&M's historical season, with the credit due to Manziel. According to a 2012 USA Today report, Texas A&M made $119,702,222 in revenue. A study by Joyce Julius & Associates found that Manziel's success in 2012 generated $37 million of free money for the school. Head coach, Kevin Sumlin, cashed in, recently signing a big raise through 2017, with a base salary of $3.1 million. An independent merchandiser recently auctioned six helmets signed by Manziel and John David Crow (Texas A&M's other Heisman trophy winner) for $81,000. Even a local Ebay dealer was selling Johnny Football t-shirts for $20.

And guess what?

Manziel gets to see absolutely none of that.

While Manziel gets to deal with the junk that comes with being famous, school administrators and bloodsuckers printing t-shirts in the back his van are living lavish lives on his success (well, maybe not so much the bloodsucker with the van). Manziel takes online classes because so many students want to take pictures with him. ESPN calls him out-of-control for leaving a football camp early. For the promise of zero dollars and more Instagram likes, that sounds like a crap deal.

It is beyond comprehension how the NCAA could fathom running a business on a 20 year-old kid and compensate him with just a scholarship. The NCAA should reconsider their stance on letting student-athletes independently market themselves. Maybe then, more players would reconsider bolting for the NFL if they feel that their school isn't ripping them off. 

--Prediction--
Even with this saga, the NCAA and money-generating schools will always have the upper hand, and proposals for further student-athlete compensation will be met with a resounding...