49ers Football Fever

Former Wolf Pack star Ezra Butler is negotiating a contract with the San Francisco 49ers.Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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Three former Oklahoma football players have signed free-agent deals with NFL teams.Cornerback Marcus Walker has agreed to terms with the Minnesota Vikings, while kicker Garrett Hartley has signed with the Denver Broncos and tight end Joe Jon Finley has signed with the San Francisco 49ers.Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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The Dallas Cowboys get an A. So do New England, the New York Giants and San Diego. For the 2005 draft.Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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The mad scamble to land undrafted free agents has begun, and the 49ers have hauled in a receiver, Cal’s Robert Jordan, and a linebacker, the University of Nevada’s Ezra Butler, according to agent Jeff Sperbeck.Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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Florida State University and ISP Sports announced Wednesday that William Floyd, who won a national championship as a fullback for the Seminoles in 1993 and a Super Bowl ring as a San Francisco 49er in 1995, will join Gene Deckerhoff as color analyst on the Seminole ISP Sports Network next season.Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead […]

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Entering the NFL draft, the 49ers hoped they could grab at least one player at what they considered the draft’s deepest positions: offensive tackle, cornerback and wide receiver. They found their cornerback right away Sunday, selecting Oklahoma’s Reggie Smith in the third round with the 75th overall pick. 49ers blog: Team signs […]

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ASHLAND — Flamboyant “Dancing With The Stars” judge Bruno Tonioli and Ashland University football coach Lee Owens have something in common.Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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Linebacker Manny Lawson will swap his cleats and shoulder pads for a pair of running shoes and orange shoelaces on Thursday, May 15, as he partners with ING to support the “Run for Something Better” program in advance of the ING Bay to Breakers 12K, held on May 18.Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full […]

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It’s fair to say Kentwan Balmer was born, not made, to be a defensive football player. While his 49ers-fan father was watching San Francisco rack up 49 points against the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX, it was a defensive sequence that the 8-year-old… […]

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Follow the second day of the NFL Draft on Matt Barrows’ blog. http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/49ers/ Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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SANTA CLARA Nearly five hours into the NFL draft today, the 49ers’ spot at No. 29 will be up for grabs.A lot can happen with the first 28 selections, so it only stands to reason there are a lot of possibilities in the first round for the 49ers.Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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Holli Carpenter can’t wait to step onto the basketball court at Yuba College. Carpenter accepted an offer Thursday night to coach the 49ers’ women’s team, after spending the past two seasons as a graduate assistant at California State University, Chico.Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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In search of a big body to bolster their defense, the 49ers selected lineman Kentwan Balmer with the No. 29 pick of the NFL draft Saturday. Picks, analysis and more Forums: What do you think about the 49ers pick? […]

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SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers spent draft day in the trenches, replenishing their depth on the lines that too often got dominated last season.Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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SANTA CLARA — There are two sets of questions about the work ethic of Kentwan Balmer, the North Carolina defensive lineman taken by the 49ers with their first-round draft choice Saturday: Some who watch Balmer wonder if he has enough desire to make it in the NFL.Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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SANTA CLARA — The first time 49ers coach Mike Nolan heard about USC guard Chilo Rachal, he was talking to general manger Scot McCloughan in February before the NFL scouting combine, getting quick hits on assorted draft prospects.Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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The 49ers went for might instead of flight on the first day of the NFL draft, opting for linemen on both sides of the ball instead of a wide receiver to run down the field and catch it. With their first pick in the draft, 29th overall, the 49ers tabbed… […]

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SANTA CLARA – The first round of Saturday’s draft at times seemed like a free-for-all for offensive linemen, a position of need for the 49ers. Eight were plucked off the board in the opening round, including six between picks 12 and 21.Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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Some college football players turn pro early for all the wrong reasons, 49ers coach Mike Nolan says. Some do it for the lavish lifestyle. “You wind up worrying about their entourage,” he said. “Any junior does raise the question (of why he’s going early). If… […]

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As former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame on Monday night, several of his former players were pushing for an even bigger honor.Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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Michael Lombardi is a 22-year veteran of NFL personnel departments, spending eight years with the Raiders and nine years with the Browns, in addition to brief stints with the Broncos, Eagles and 49ers. This is his third column for SI.com. You can read his first two here and here. Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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Channel 32 signed up as broadcast partner With the college football draft still a few days away, the Chicago Bears already have made one strategic pick, signing WFLD-Ch. 32 to a five-year deal that makes the Fox-owned station successor to NBC-owned WMAQ-Ch. 5 as their official TV partner. […]

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Next time a party is thrown in Eddie DeBartolo Jr.’s honor, it better be in Canton, Ohio. Eddie D belongs there in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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Eddie DeBartolo stood next to a plaque with his face etched on it Monday night. He became the first member of the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame who never played or coached a game here, but when he spoke, he sounded a bit like a linebacker with arthritic knees…. […]

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Eddie DeBartolo Jr. stood next to a plaque with his face etched on it Monday night. He became the first member of the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame who did not play or coach a game here, but when he spoke, he sounded a bit like a linebacker with arthritic… […]

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At the end of the 2005 NFL Draft, not many observers were all that impressed by what the 49ers had hauled in. Most newspapers around the country gave the 49ers’ draft class a flat B. The Sporting News gave them a B-minus, arguing “the picks might not pay immediate dividends” and that “there was a […]

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The Cardinals will face the 49ers at home Nov. 10 on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” and will play in Philadelphia Thanksgiving night on NFL Network. Apparently the NFL and the national networks believe the Cardinals have reason for optimism too.Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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The Eagles took Freddie Mitchell when they could have had Reggie Wayne. That isn’t the only WR misfire Ed Thompson found.Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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The Buffalo Bills will open the season at home against the Seattle Seahawks, play the rival Miami Dolphins in Toronto in December and play on Monday Night Football against the Cleveland Browns.Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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When Bill Parcells assumed control of football operations for the sad-sack Miami Dolphins, he knew the No. 1 overall draft pick the franchise earned following its 1-15 finish in 2007 was his to keep. In other words, forget about trading out of it. Sure, there… […]

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The draft usually seems to have at least one elite quarterback prospect a QB has gone No. 1 overall in eight of the last 10 years but this year is different. Boston College’s Matt Ryan is generally accepted as the best quarterback in this year’s draft, but he is rated the seventh overall prospect by […]

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Rashad Coleman, a 6-5 wing player, signed with Charlotte. He played this past season with the Heat Basketball Academy in Martinsville, Va. He averaged 26 points and 6.2 rebounds, while leading the Heat Academy to a 31-6 record. “We’re very excited to have Rashad join our program. He’s a versatile perimeter player who’s a very […]

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It’s no secret that speed sells, especially in the not-so-sophisticated world of the multibillion-dollar NFL. Poll: Who should the Raiders and 49ers pick? Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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Former Nittany Lion Michael Robinson will return to Beaver Stadium Saturday, but not to play football. Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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Just had a quick phone conversation with Auburn linebacker Quentin Groves, who met with the 49ers yesterday. By now, the 49ers have all they need to know about Groves’ athleticism (excellent) and college production (marvelous).Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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Michael Lombardi is a 22-year veteran of NFL personnel departments, spending eight years with the Raiders and nine years with the Browns, in addition to brief stints with the Broncos, Eagles and 49ers. This is his second column for SI.com. You can read his debut here.Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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Despite all of the research before the draft, teams generally miss the mark with their first- round picks.Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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The National Football League released its schedules Tuesday and, for the seventh straight year, the Detroit Lions will not play on Monday Night Football.Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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YOU CAN CRUNCH NUMBERS until your eyes bleed. You can analyze potential matchups and study past results until your head spins. You can listen to what the wiseguys in Las Vegas have to say. Or, you can do what I did…Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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LONG BEACH - Simply getting on the floor with his Long Beach State volleyball teammates during matches this season, Mike Klipsch’s first-year expectations already have been exceeded. Hat tip: Yahoo! NewsRead full story

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