Mike Singletary, the 49ers, Saints, and the art of the two-way bulletin-board bluster

[SmashMouth]

That happens. It’s a new world.

-In the PR business, they talk about trying to make sure a controversial story is only a one-day, or at most, a two-day issue, by talking about it quickly and relatively blandly and then moving on.

Mike Singletary is not quite there in the PR/bland deal, which is on the one hand very admirable, but on the other sure raises questions about the 49ers’ ability to wade through the high and low tides of a 16-game season.

The 49ers are in a low tide now, by the way. I think you might have picked up on that.

There are big questions about the 49ers’ offense and specifically Jimmy Raye’s handling of the play-calling system. That will be determined in games, starting Monday, and that is on Singletary.

It’s OK for Singletary to be frustrated with the media for asking about this. I’m sure the whole thing is frustrating for him.

But he not only prolonged the story on Thursday and came off sounding far too defensive with his “rat” references to the Yahoo story, Singletary sent the whole thing into another orbit when he almost self-combusted in the KPIX interview later that day.

Singletary got extremely aggravated when Dennis O’Donnell asked light questions about the Raye situation, which carried over into questions about New Orleans, and that’s when the bluster went up 10 notches.

Asked about trying to stop Drew Brees, Singletary said: “We will not try to stop Drew Brees. We will stop Drew Brees. Next question.”

Asked about trying to move the ball on the Saints defense, Singletary said: “We will not tryto move the ball against the New Orleans defense. We will move the ball on the Saints defense, and we will score.”

Obviously this was picked up in the New Orleans Times-Picayune on Thursday night, ESPN yesterday, and I probably missed other references.


Which, to me, all sets up for the kind of super-amped bluster bowl that Singletary has successfully tapped into previously.

The Saints have bulletin-board material, we know.

And the 49ers will rally around their beleaguered coach. This will be an all-points-bulletin-board moment.

I just don’t think this is how good teams act or need to act in Week 2 of a four-month season. I think if you have to unleash “Braveheart” warrior whoops in mid-September, you have less to tap into by late-October or November, no doubt.

The real pros only summon the angels or demons when they really need it, and the great coaches only need it late in the season, or in the playoffs.

Singletary is doing it now, unintentionally, but that doesn’t mater. He’s doing it. He made this into a season and perhaps tenure touchstone with 14 games to go after this one.

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