The Definition of Insanity? Or Incompetence?

The general consensus is that Mike Singletary, Head Coach of the 49ers, will lose his job at the end of the season barring some type of miraculous turnaround. Singletary is aware of this and is clearly openly flailing around for a lifeline at this point.

As a die-hard 49ers fan, it's been rough sledding for the last eight seasons, ever since Steve Mariucci was fired without a gameplan to replace him. Mooch had his flaws - or, perhaps, limits - as a coach, but he ran a West Coast offense, used his talent pretty well and had the team competitive for the playoffs every year, if not the dominant force they had been in the 1980s and 1990s.

Yes, I miss the Mooch.I didn't cry when the team let him go -- I remember thinking that Mariucci couldn't take the critical next step - he could get the team to the playoffs, but not thrive in those playoffs.

Oh, how greedy I was.

When Mooch was let go, I foolishly expected that there was a gameplan in how to replace him. The team still hasn't figured it out. From Dennis Erickson to Mike Nolan to Singletary, the team has sputtered with guys who the rest of the league must laugh at. Erickson was so uninspiring that I can barely remember him. That's kind of shocking considering how much of a fan I am. Nolan sounded great - and was the son of former 49ers coach Dick Nolan (long before my time, but it seemed cool) ... and turned out to not really be up to the job, either. (He's done well as back in his old role as defensive coordinator.)

But, it turns out that Erickson and Nolan were veritable coaching legends compared to the foolish, clueless and increasingly desperate Mike Singletary. It's not like the warning signs weren't there -- he'd never been a head coach before or even a coordinator. Every worthwhile offensive coordinator either bolted (see Martz, Mike) or took themselves out of consideration after meeting with Singletary. And though he clearly had a lot to do with getting Vernon Davis to begin realizing his potential, his legend of being a motivator, turning guys around, etc., grew faster than it possibly warranted.

What's truly clear is that Singletary has NO. IDEA. WHAT. TO. DO. None. His big idea was reverting to 1970's style football - power running, strong defense. I'm fairly sure that his plan wasn't all that much more detailed than that -- he delegates to his coordinators, and sees himself more as a CEO, a big-picture guy. That's fine when your coordinators are top-shelf, and your big picture is strategically sound. Um, yeah...

About that? Alex Smith is going to be the starting quarterback this Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Smith's tenure with the team has been a sad one, and few people gave him a longer leash than I did -- I never thought he'd be the next Joe Montana or Steve Young, but I did think he could be a better than average quarterback. At times, he's shown that and won a few games by managing the game smartly, making some timely throws and even occasionally looking like a leader on the field.

But all too often, Smith over manages, being far too conservative (something I am sure is dictated by Singletary putting the fear of God into him over a turnover) and not trying to push the ball downfield ... and then making a turnover anyway on a dumpoff or screen pass. For years, he's had many excellent reasons to give him another shot - injuries, changing offensive systems (more than really any other top quarterback pick has ever had to deal with), etc. But at this point? We know who Alex Smith is, and he's not the quarterback of the franchise.

Still, Singletary says, "I just feel Alex gives us the best chance to win." First of all, Singletary starts a lot of his answers by saying, "I just feel..." or something similar. This is likely just a crutch (odd for a former professional speaker), but it also belies Singletary's personality -- he does thing because he feels it's the right decision, but he never seems to say why. He just feels that way. And here's a little data set for you. Here are the records as a starter for the 49ers of a few guys:

Shaun Hill: 10-6

Troy Smith: 3-2

Alex Smith: 16-24

Who gives the team the best chance to win? (Sure, Hill is not only in Detroit but also injured, but clearly, the team blew that heartily.) The team has spent the last few weeks extolling the virtues of Troy Smith, who has not put up great numbers but - according to everybody - handles himself like a leader, gets the offense excited, and at times has really pushed the offense downfield in a way rarely seen over the last few years. It's been impossible not to compare the praise Troy has gotten to Alex; it's quite clear this kind of leadership was absent with the quieter Alex Smith, who seems to spend way too much time in his own head. (It is for this as well as a visual similarity, that he has always reminded me of Matt Saracen, from Friday Night Lights.)

Singletary thinks the sheer number of starts Smith has, as well as likely a better comprehension of the playbook (not that he seems to use it all), gives him the edge in a game the 49ers have to win to stay in the ridiculous battle for the NFC West. This, despite no evidence that Smith can actually win in the big games, and having chosen to keep him on the bench despite being healthy the last few weeks. But now? He's our guy!

They say that doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results, is the definition of insanity. Starting Alex Smith might very well fit that bill - but in reality, it's more of a reflection of incompetence than anything else. Singletary has no other levers to pull, he can't get creative with the offense or defense because he doesn't understand them, and he doesn't have coordinators with enough background or tenure to get crazy (nor will Sing risk unleashing them). This move reeks of desperation, and it's embarrassing. This is a franchise that ranks up with anyone in terms of success, and there's no evidence besides the trophies.

The 49ers are 4-8. There's absolutely no way they are going to make the playoffs, and in no way resemble a playoff caliber team. Singletary is grasping here, and I don't blame him for that. But it pisses me off how little he's learned over the last few years, how little of a plan there is. When he leaves at the end of the year (and how he's outlasted Wade Phillips, Josh McDaniels and Brad Childress is solely a reflection of the lack of viable replacements), the organization will be in shambles. Coaches are leaving or have been fired, and the front office needs an overhaul as well.

I would think - hope - pray - that Jed York realizes that Erickson, Nolan and Singletary hires were "gut" calls, and that the team can ill afford to roll the dice again. They need someone with a plan, background and credentials to get others to join him. If it's Jon Gruden, that's great - but they need an offensive coordinator with chops, as well. And, of course, they need a quarterback - because everybody but Mike Singletary understands that Alex just isn't the guy.

As a fan, I wish the team nothing but luck this weekend and throughout the rest of the year. But Coach Singletary? I WANT WINNERS. You aren't one. 

Happy Holidays.