Week 14

Chaaaampionship Week.

It's week 14 and a good 80 percent of the fantasy player out there have lost the opportunity for a championship. They are in no better position than I have been since week 2. This increasing pool of fantasy losers will undoubtedly lead to a rating's hit for the nfl. The nfl machinery have nothing to fear though, they can fall back on the consistent crop of gamblers, true fans, mediocre play-off bound fans, and fantasy championship teams to ensure their television dominance.

What's a guy to me to do? a guy whose fantasy team is 2-14. A guy whose real team (the niners) are 4-10?A guy, like me, who really has nothing left to risk, because, he has no team, no fantasy team, and no money to bet on games. i guess i can avoid watching the nfl, and perhaps spend a sunday getting stuff done, but i won't. Truth is, even though realistically, I have nothing of monetary and emotional value to stake on these games, I'll still be watching this up coming week. It's not that i don't have anything better to do, i have many things that i absolutely have to get done. but, The true fan is an optimist (perhaps even boarder line delusional) because when he has nothing left, he starts making up stuff in his mind to justify watching. And that's what I might be doing now; make-believing I have something to cheer for.

In the spirit of hunter s thompson (a true niners fan), i took a lot of drinks and hits and watched th niners-bengals game last week. and in the spirit of a delusional nfl fan, I am now ready to proclaim that the niners days of competitiveness will be under the Shaun Hill Era. Shaun hill, their one-intentionally-downed-snap-in-six-years journeymen, will be the next niners qb hero. This city will demand for it, and it will be so. Like in chicago where the team's history as defensive bullies has shaped it's modern team, or in dallas where an offensive history has shaped it's current team, so will the niner's history shape it's rebuilding efforts. The niners history is simple, find motivated qbs capable of playing in a precision offense. It is what the fans know as a proven structure for success, and it is what they'll demand for. So get ready in the upcoming weeks to hear this Hill rhetoric around the bayarea.

Alex Smith for all his smarts, does not fit into this formula. He was a number one pick, who was guaranteed his job by the sheer size of his first contract. It was never meant to be. Shaun Hill,( a "stick with it, the whole world might think i suck, but i don't"), is the type qb that fits into that history. And the quiet arrogance of a reject was in full display last saturady when he lead the niners to a 20-10 victory, and fielded what clearly was the most reliable niners offense of year 2007.

Perhaps it was because it was the first nfl game i ever watched, but the niners-bengals last week reminded me in so many ways of the niners-bengal superbowl match of 84. it was john taylor's immortalizing touchdown catch at the back of the end zone that simultaneously hooked me onto the niners and football. Now with my fantasy championship dream on the shelf, I can remember again what i originally cheered for.., and that was the niners. That new niners begin the proceed of recollecting their history last saturday night under shaun hill. Watch out for this guy. He's got what joe montana and steve young had-- a small money deal and a lot to prove. It's a long process to climb atop the NFL mountain, but every journey begins with a single step, and every mountain top reached begins with one Hill.

Chalk this up to fan-overzealous delirium and an afinity for Warren G., but it's now: The Shaun Hill Era, (step to this...i dare ya).