San Francisco 49ers: 5 Biggest Positives of the 2011-12 Season

After nine years of no winning seasons, after nine seasons without an appearance in the playoffs, the 2011 San Francisco 49er season re-lit the passion the Bay Area has for the West Coast’s first professional franchise.

Of late, the Niners swam in the NFL backwater. From 2002 on, through coaches like Dennis Erickson, Mike Noland and Mike Singletary, fans heard the excuses of not having enough talent and not having enough cap money to get the right talent.

After the 8-8 season of 2009, the 2010 season under Singletary was supposed to be that final step to the playoffs and NFL legitimacy. That Singletary and staff didn’t have the means to inspire the players past their 0-5 start and 6-10 finish suggested that the Niners had slid deeper into the backwater.

Then came January 2011. President Jed York, after naming Trent Baalke general manager, hired Jim Harbaugh for the princely sum of $25 million over five years. Twelve months later 49er fans have these five positives to embrace.

Identity

Montana, Rice, Young, Lott—the Niners were known for great players, but from about 1984 through 1994, they were known as a team that had a game plan that moved the ball and exceptional players who elevated the team’s efficiency to remarkable levels.

There were games in which the other team knew that they had no chance, and thus 49er fans got used to looking at the scoreboard in the third quarter and seeing 31-3 in their favor.

The Niner fans lost that feeling over the last 10 years. Many times they were the team that couldn’t compete.

Harbaugh and staff, though, have turned that around. Ironically, they did it with defense. But then, that’s the talent the team had. They made the most of the team and it performed well, so well it hid a deficient offense.

But Niner fans now know what their team is about—excellent defense—that serves as a foundation for winning games. It’s an identity contrary to the team’s tradition but one that obviously worked and appears to be capable of improving.

Competence

The fans yelled for Alex Smith to go. Harbaugh said no. And he was right.

The fans worried that not signing nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin would weaken the defense. It turned out to be the best defense against the run.

The fans wondered why a top-notch talent like Takeo Spikes was allowed to sign with the Chargers. NaVorro Bowman, now one of the game’s elite linebackers, was the reason why.

Niner fans wanted a big-name free agent. But Baalke waited and then signed David Akers, Carlos Rogers, Donte Whitner and Braylon Edwards. Three out of the four made the Pro Bowl.

It all adds up to a coaching staff and front office that know what they are doing.

Restored Confidence

Back in the glory days of the 1980s and 1990s, then-owner Eddie DeBartolo and the front office and coaching staff would find solutions. Of course, they were immensely talented and were counted on to compete for the NFC Championship and Super Bowl every year. For the most part, they did.

But when the Niners needed something, they got it. That was Eddie’s mode. Of course, if you were the coach, having Eddie load up the team with free-agent talent meant you had no excuses if you didn’t bring home a Lombardi Trophy.

In the end, though, Niner fans knew that every season meant a chance to compete and perhaps rise as the ultimate team. The 2011 team is missing a few components before it becomes a deep, complete team but at least Baalke-Harbaugh have given Niner fans the hope that every year they can compete with the league’s best.

Jewel

In the early 1990s the argument could be made that the Niners were the top sports franchise in the United States. Having won five Super Bowls in 14 years as well as losing in three NFC Championships proved their ability to compete for the highest honor.

With that came the cachet that they were among the best. Front office problems followed DeBartolo’s forced exit from the team, which then sank into mediocrity and worse.

The Niners, according to Forbes Magazine, now rank among the least-valuable franchises in the NFL. It’s been a deep plunge from 15 years ago. But the success of the 2011 season puts a little polish to the franchise. It was a big step to restoring the luster of one of the most storied NFL franchises.

Stadium Deal

As tied as the 49ers are to Candlestick Park, which was their second stadium after Kezar, it is time to move into a new era. If you look around at the best franchises, they all have new or fairly new stadiums. Teams like the Giants, Jets, Cowboys, Ravens, Panthers and Buccaneers all have modern facilities that seat more than 70,000, have easy ingress and egress and generally heighten the fans’ experience.

The 49er organization’s deal with the city of Santa Clara for a new stadium, one that is expected to feature the latest in terms of green technology and Internet connectedness, is, on top of the team’s success, another example for the fans to say the team is moving in the right direction.

Ironically, the seat licenses could be so expensive that many fans will be priced out of attending games. But if the team continues to compete at the highest levels during and then after the stadium is constructed, they will secure their future in the area for years and years to come.

It will help the team compete on the field and provide fans with an example of Bay Area innovation.