New sheriff in town

Last week I mentioned that Mike Singletary, the new head coach of the Niners, would not tolerate underachievers. Unfortunately, Vernon Davis doesn't read my blog. Davis, if you don't follow football, plays tight end for the Niners. If you look up the word "underachiever" in the dictionary, you'll probably see his picture there. He is an amazing athlete, with a freakish combination of speed, strength, and agility. A couple of years ago, he was the Niners first-round draft pick, sixth overall. He signed a $23 million contract, with $15 million guaranteed, and that may be part of the problem.

His career to date has been mediocre. He's being paid like a star, but his performance has only been average. He got away with that when Mike Nolan was the coach, but now there's a new sheriff in town. Last Sunday, Davis drew a 15-year penalty for slapping an opposing player. Shortly thereafter, Singletary sent him to the locker room, telling him the team would be better off with him taking a shower and then coming out to watch the game from the bench, than if Davis were out on the field playing.

After the game, Singletary game an interview that will go down in history as an all-time classic. Better than Jim Mora's "Playoffs??" and at least the equal of Dennis Green's "They are who we thought they were!!" meltdown. You can find it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYaDJ-WuuSY

Anyone who is old enough to remember Mike Singletary's playing days could have seen this coming. He was a fixture in the Pro Bowl and the leader of the 1985 Chicago Bears, the best defense ever. He is the most intense, no-nonsense competitor out there, and the Vernon Davises on that team are going to change their ways or leave town. I predict there is a beer commercial in Mike Singletary's future. We will hear his "I want winners!" speech for years to come.

BTW, even though the Niners have a bye week coming up, and they won't be playing for two weeks, they just had their best practice of the entire season. I think Singletary's message might be getting through to them.