Tom Gamble, former Assistant GM

49ers' GM Can't Honestly Answer Ralph Barbieri's Question
October 24, 2008 at 8:57am
If you are one of the 49er fans who believe in the foul-smelling bull emanating from the three stooges who run the 49ers, I feel sorry for you.


The stooges are: Paraag Marathe, who has no football experience but for his disastrous tenure with the 49ers; Jed York, who has the same cowardly traits as his incompetent father and his reclusive mother; and Scot McCloughan, who talks tough but delivers oatmeal.


On KNBR the other day, Ralph Barbieri just wouldn't let McCloughan off the hook.


For his part, McCloughan was defensive, juvenile, and evasive.


Let's take a look:


"What is Paraag Marathe's responsibility?" Barbieri asked.


"Paraag Marathe takes care of all the salary-cap negotiations. He controls the salary cap. All the contracts that are signed are all through Paraag," McCloughan said.


Oh, okay. That explains sack-monster Justin Smith, doesn't it?


Wise move, Marathe. Take an underachiever and see the disaster we get as fans?


Does that explain Nate Clements?


Now, some 49er fans disagree with me and say Clements is a good player.


I disagree, since sub-par 49er receivers were beating him in his first $80 million training camp, according to Gary Plummer, who said so that season on a broadcast.


However, regardless of whether you think he is good or not, he was not worth $80 million.


Some genius, that Marathe.


He also played a key role in hiring Nolan. It had something to do with statistical analysis.


That's why numbers guys should stick to numbers.


Here's where McCloughan is obviously covering up a dirty 49er secret.


Barbieri's question was simple and direct: "What is Paraag doing in the booth with coaches during challenges?"


A stumbling, bumbling McCloughan had trouble spitting out his words: "Paraag is in there doing statistical information from the offense, the defense, and special teams. He's got a full understanding of the rulebook. If Mike had any questions, Mike would shoot a question and bounce it off of him."


Huh?


You mean there aren't guys who've actually worn jockstraps who don't know the rulebook?


I guess every team should be so fortunate to have the catastrophe that is Marathe.


Perhaps that is why Plummer has questioned the stupid challenges Nolan has made and the relevant challenges that weren't made.


It's because of Marathe.


More from Barbieri:


"If Nolan happened to have his headset on and was ready to get some information for a challenge, who would be the voice telling him what the people think?"


"It would be the coordinator," McCloughan lamely answered.


Uh, does he have a name?


"Greg Manusky," McCloughan said.


"So, Manusky is the guy in all the challenges. Paraag and the other coaches up there discuss this, and then it's Manusky who always talks to Nolan?"


Now, here's where McCloughan redefines what is, is.


"It's a group of coaches that watch[es] the replays in the box, it's a group of coaches on the sideline that watch[es] replay[s] on the screen, and it's Mike's final say. He'll be told one way or the other what the vote is."


Uh, hey, Scot, I didn't know Marathe was on the same level as a coach.


How did this NFL know-nothing get to the status of being in the booth?


Barbieri, who was obviously trying to pin down McCloughan, continued to question McCloughan, who totally contradicted himself from his statement of two minutes prior.


Here's Barbieri:


"Just not to belabor a point, but since there has been so much talked about these challenges, is Manusky always the guy who is talking to Nolan?"


A further refinement of is, is, was made by McCloughan.


He should run for president.


"No. It could be [stopped mid-sentence]. There's coaches in the booth, there's coaches on the sideline," McCloughan pathetically stammered. "One thing about Coach Nolan, he liked input, and not just from one person; he liked to hear input on what people thought."


Therein is one of this franchise's problems, 49er fans. We need a coach, not a diplomat.


"Wouldn't it make a lot more sense, if they got a consensus and then the same person always talked to Nolan about what the consensus was?" Barbieri asked.

"That's the head coach's decision, not the general manager's," McCloughan said.

Oh, sure, the terrible twosome of Jed York and Marathe really gave Nolan that freedom?

Hey, Scot, delusions aren't part of your job description, are they?

"And it's not impossible that it could be Paraag talking to him?" asked Barbieri, finally getting to his real point after skillfully proving to fans how evasive McCloughan and the Yorkville Circus have become and why they don't like real reporters.

"It wasn't Paraag talking to him, I know that," McCloughan said.

"Ever?" Barbieri asked.

"If he had a question about the rules, if he had a question about a possible challenge, is this a challengeable call, then he might ask for some information from Paraag," McCloughan said.

Sorry, Scot, but you are being duplicitous.

First you say that Manusky is the one who talked to Nolan.

Then you evade Barbieri by saying there are coaches on the sideline and in the box.

Then Barbieri asks you a direct question, so let me rephrase it for you: Has Marathe ever talked to Nolan on a headset during a game, anytime, anywhere?

You didn't answer that, Scot, proving you are as incompetent and evasive as the Yorkville Family Circus.

Did they adopt you?

Thus, it ends with an even-more evasive McCloughan, saying that Nolan might ask for information from Marathe, but the question of Marathe-to-Nolan headset communication was never answered by this public-relations disaster.

Thus, fans are left with their heads spinning, as this non-denial indicates to us that Marathe, a football idiot, is actually influencing the head coach during games on decisions that could decide a game.

Maybe Plummer can now have his queries about questionable calls answered: It's one of the three stooges who is partly responsible for the challenge meltdown on the sideline.

Unbelievable.

Just unbelievable.

Write in Scot McCloughan for president. He's your man.

As I've been reminded, in 2005, Marathe wrote what the 49ers brass termed a "How to Hire a Great Football Coach" guide during the search that resulted in Mike Nolan. He was very proud of it. Jed and John toted it around for weeks as if it were the Bible.

The hiring guide used regression analysis, historical models, statistical research, all that stuff… (Yes, the same methods that were used in 2003 and 2004 drafts, yielding Kwame Harris, Brandon Lloyd, Rashaun Woods)…

Originally posted by Heroism:
Anyone a fan of Kwame Harris and Rashaun Woods? Good, because there's more of those type of players on the way:

As I've been reminded, in 2005, Marathe wrote what the 49ers brass termed a "How to Hire a Great Football Coach" guide during the search that resulted in Mike Nolan. He was very proud of it. Jed and John toted it around for weeks as if it were the Bible.

The hiring guide used regression analysis, historical models, statistical research, all that stuff… (Yes, the same methods that were used in 2003 and 2004 drafts, yielding Kwame Harris, Brandon Lloyd, Rashaun Woods)…

Originally posted by SoCold:

Originally posted by TheXFactor:

Originally posted by zeppfan1:

I'd prefer an outside GM, but no one knows whether Gamble would be good or not. Saying he would be bad because he worked under Baalke is like saying Pioli would be good because he worked under Belichek.

finally someone says this.

People need to wake up.

EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
FOOTBALL OPERATIONS

Trent Baalke General Manager
Paraag Marathe Chief Strategy Officer and EVP of Football Operations

Might as well put anyone's name in the GM spot. He's just taking orders from Paraag.

Originally posted by SmokeCrabtrees:

Originally posted by SoCold:

Originally posted by TheXFactor:

Originally posted by zeppfan1:

I'd prefer an outside GM, but no one knows whether Gamble would be good or not. Saying he would be bad because he worked under Baalke is like saying Pioli would be good because he worked under Belichek.

finally someone says this.

People need to wake up.

EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
FOOTBALL OPERATIONS

Trent Baalke General Manager
Paraag Marathe Chief Strategy Officer and EVP of Football Operations

Might as well put anyone's name in the GM spot. He's just taking orders from Paraag.

There's proof of this?

Originally posted by Heroism:

Anyone a fan of Kwame Harris and Rashaun Woods? Good, because there's more of those type of players on the way:

Originally posted by TheWooLick:

Originally posted by SmokeCrabtrees:

Originally posted by SoCold:

Originally posted by TheXFactor:

Originally posted by zeppfan1:
I'd prefer an outside GM, but no one knows whether Gamble would be good or not. Saying he would be bad because he worked under Baalke is like saying Pioli would be good because he worked under Belichek.

finally someone says this.

People need to wake up.

EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
FOOTBALL OPERATIONS

Trent Baalke General Manager
Paraag Marathe Chief Strategy Officer and EVP of Football Operations

Might as well put anyone's name in the GM spot. He's just taking orders from Paraag.

There's proof of this?

It is right on the 49ers.com webpage:
http://www.49ers.com/team/front-office.html

Originally posted by TheWooLick:
That what makes Gamble so attractive to Jed and Paraag. Save the two years he worked in Philly before getting canned he has been a lackey for Marathe since 2005.

Originally posted by Heroism:

Anyone a fan of Kwame Harris and Rashaun Woods? Good, because there's more of those type of players on the way:

As I've been reminded, in 2005, Marathe wrote what the 49ers brass termed a "How to Hire a Great Football Coach" guide during the search that resulted in Mike Nolan. He was very proud of it. Jed and John toted it around for weeks as if it were the Bible.

The hiring guide used regression analysis, historical models, statistical research, all that stuff… (Yes, the same methods that were used in 2003 and 2004 drafts, yielding Kwame Harris, Brandon Lloyd, Rashaun Woods)…

Originally posted by zonkers:

Originally posted by TheWooLick:
That what makes Gamble so attractive to Jed and Paraag. Save the two years he worked in Philly before getting canned he has been a lackey for Marathe since 2005.

I think a plus for the Yorks is that Gamble's father was a team president too. There may be some comfort (right or wrong) that Gamble knows how an organization should be run. For that reason, I think Gamble has a chance to hang around, even if he's not the new GM.

Originally posted by LasVegasWally:

Originally posted by zonkers:

Originally posted by TheWooLick:
That what makes Gamble so attractive to Jed and Paraag. Save the two years he worked in Philly before getting canned he has been a lackey for Marathe since 2005.

I think a plus for the Yorks is that Gamble's father was a team president too. There may be some comfort (right or wrong) that Gamble knows how an organization should be run. For that reason, I think Gamble has a chance to hang around, even if he's not the new GM.

Many of us feel Gamble will be Trent-Lite.

However, he may end up surprising us.

I really hope so.

Originally posted by NCommand:
It's funny.

It's just a matter of time before fans move on from debate over who's worse between Kaepernick and Gabbert and who's worse between Scot, Baalke and Gamble.

Meanwhile Yorks/Marathe be like