Ive been a 49ers fan all my life. During the Mike Nolan and Mike Singletary days, I was in the stands at Candlestick for several games when Alex Smith was literally booed off the field. At times it felt like a soap opera unfolding right before my eyes. With an inept head coach and a new offensive coordinator almost every year, I dont think many quarterbacks could have done any better than Alex did under the circumstances. But once Harbaugh arrived, everything changed. I was in the stands when Alex led my team back to the playoffs after a 10 year absence. I was there when Alex ran for a 25 yard touchdown then hit Vernon Davis for a touchdown (the Catch III) to lead us to a home playoff victory over the Saints -- the game that won an Espy. And I was there a week later when we narrowly lost the NFC championship game to the Giants due to a Kyle Williams fumble. I felt Alex had earned the right to finish what he started a year later, and I did not agree when Harbaugh decided to leave Alex on the bench following a concussion in favor of Colin Kaepernick. They say hindsight is 20/20, and two years later without hesitation I can say that I agree with the decision to go with Colin. While Alex is a good quarterback, Kaep definitely has more upside. I was in the stands for Colins first ever NFL start against the Bears and for his first playoff start against the Packers. And I was there in New Orleans for the Harbaugh Bowl, and watched him lead us back from a 30 point deficit to nearly win the game. And Alex was still our captain at the time. He came out for the coin toss. He was there to cheer on his teammates and not once did he put his personal feelings ahead of the team. He was never a distraction. He was the very definition of a professional and a leader. I was happy to see Alex enjoy the success he had last season with Kansas City. He deserves to be a starter in the NFL. On Sunday I will be in the stands at Levis Stadium to watch Colin lead my Niners to a victory over the Chiefs. As always, I will be cheering hard for a Niners victory. But I dont think Alex gets enough credit for what he endured during his time in SF. And while I do believe Kaep is the better quarterback, out of respect I will be rocking my #11 Alex Smith jersey at Levis Stadium. Go Niners! Our Quest for Six continues on Sunday.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 05:32:54 +0000