I apologize to Alex Smith

[deep9er]

First off, I have to admit the Paraag Marathe Article is a great read... And he was involved in hiring Mike Nolan, who at that time was largely thought of by the media as a "good hire" ..

"...Most importantly (at least as far as the media are concerned), he was a football guy, with a football-guy pedigree. Nolan, like everyone on the team, has struggled this year, but he seems to have charmed the Niners' legion of critics. After his successful debut, for example, the Merc's Killion swooned: "He was a leader on the sideline, coordinating his team, planning his strategy, aware of everything.".."

But the thing that really drew my attention to the article is the way it contradicts the importance of being a "football guy" when it comes to the business side of football.

"...What's overlooked, or outright ignored, in this bickering over who can and can't be a football guy is the fact that football guys no longer drive the league. Today's NFL, 12 years into what's known aridly as the Salary Cap Era, is as much Paraag Marathe's as it is Vince Lombardi's. That's disconcerting to those who insist football stopped evolving around the time Lombardi was first hoisted on a set of shoulders, but there's no denying that what happens now in the front office, on all those kryptonite-powered laptops, all but decides what happens on the field. It's no coincidence that the best teams of the past few years -- Philadelphia and New England, last year's Super Bowl matchup, come to mind -- are also the most efficiently run businesses. Maybe the 49ers' problem isn't that they employ too many people like Marathe; maybe it's that they don't have enough..."

"...On résumé alone, for example, Atlanta General Manager Rich McKay is no more a football guy than Marathe; he was an attorney before entering the NFL, with no playing or coaching experience. Yet with time and good press McKay has earned a fraternity pin..."

Also, the article points out that the idea of "football guys" are more media driven rather than rerality riven...

"..What the 49ers are doing, as Schatz wrote in defense of Marathe in Pro Football Prospectus, "is not new." And yet the media insist on pushing a perception of the NFL as a wilderness of pure masculinity where no one need touch a computer..."


So in essence, this article basically contradicts the essentiallity ( I hope that's a word) of having a FO made yup of all football guys...

good stuff.

the key is talent evaluation, as long as the person overseeing this area is good, don't need a VP of Football Operations. as long as the decisions is made by the guy who knows evaluation, its good. this key guy making the final decision is almost always the GM.

its not the GM when the Owner calls the shots, or the HC is the de facto GM.

 

[sayheykid1]

I really don't understand the paranoia behind Paraag meddling with football decisions, like this is some evil plot where Jed is pulling an Al Davis and is just hiring GM's to sit in an office and pretend like they are working to satisfy the fans. While he and Paraag secretly call all the shots. Paraag is just a business man handling the business side of the operation. Negotiating contracts, managing the salary cap, making sure the 49ers obey the CBA, and assisting Baalke with personnel transactions. Which I'm going to take as he draws up the paperwork for when players get traded, cut, placed on IR, etc.. he's not there meddling with who the 49ers should keep.

Holmgren? Well, he wasn't available for hire the past 6 years until 2010. So, that is completely delusional to say he was out there for the taking the past 6 years. Besides that, the 49ers hired one of his "protege's" in McCloughan.. he was supposed to be the next up and coming Front Office guy from the school of Holmgren/Wolf after Ted Thompson. Jed took over in 2008, and who knows what went on with McCloughan if he had personal problems, or if Jed started to lose faith in him and was getting ready to replace him... or what.

Parcells? That dude is still grinding a 25 year old axe against Bill Walsh and the 49ers, do you honestly think he wants to work for the 49ers if he's crying about the 49ers cheating 25 years later... doesn't sound like someone who is sending in his resume to 4949 Centennial Blvd to me.

Peterson? He had a nice run with the Chiefs for 20 years... but 20 years and no Super Bowls doesn't sound like a winning formula to me. He drafted well, and brought in good coaches and free agents... but lacked the end result of at least one Super Bowl championship.

From what I have read, Marathe was involved in evaluating players for the draft and in FA. Maybe his role has changed in the last six months but that is what he did for the 49ers for much of his tenure with the team. Heck, he was the defacto GM for a time according to Kawakami. I am not paranoid about him I just think he and everyone else who was involved in player personnel and head coaching searches failed miserably overall.

Who do the Niners have in the front office with a Super Bowl win? Who do they have with a history of hiring good coaches and free agents?

I would have liked a guy to run football operations with a little seasoning because the guys running football ops (see Marathe's titles) did a terrible job.

If Marathe is out of personnel evaluations and it is all on Baalke and those below him I will be happy.

 

[sayheykid1]

everything i've read lead me to believe Baalke is that guy, i can't imagine Paraag having any say on talent evaluation? did he try to formulate some structure as a tool for the GM, probably? but can't see him making player decisions which is the key.

by being the Owner, Baalke has to report to Jed, no way you can remove the Owner from the FO? everything i've read indicated Jed DOESN'T get involved in the evaluation/decisions? he does approve big free agent signings as any Owner would.

so its really Baalke as the head of football operations, he makes the DECISIONS. this what you're asking for so not getting why you want yet another person in the mix? what decisions would he make?

I would be quite happy if he took that position from Marathe when each was promoted.

 

[sayheykid1]

First off, I have to admit the Paraag Marathe Article is a great read... And he was involved in hiring Mike Nolan, who at that time was largely thought of by the media as a "good hire" ..

"...Most importantly (at least as far as the media are concerned), he was a football guy, with a football-guy pedigree. Nolan, like everyone on the team, has struggled this year, but he seems to have charmed the Niners' legion of critics. After his successful debut, for example, the Merc's Killion swooned: "He was a leader on the sideline, coordinating his team, planning his strategy, aware of everything.".."

But the thing that really drew my attention to the article is the way it contradicts the importance of being a "football guy" when it comes to the business side of football.

"...What's overlooked, or outright ignored, in this bickering over who can and can't be a football guy is the fact that football guys no longer drive the league. Today's NFL, 12 years into what's known aridly as the Salary Cap Era, is as much Paraag Marathe's as it is Vince Lombardi's. That's disconcerting to those who insist football stopped evolving around the time Lombardi was first hoisted on a set of shoulders, but there's no denying that what happens now in the front office, on all those kryptonite-powered laptops, all but decides what happens on the field. It's no coincidence that the best teams of the past few years -- Philadelphia and New England, last year's Super Bowl matchup, come to mind -- are also the most efficiently run businesses. Maybe the 49ers' problem isn't that they employ too many people like Marathe; maybe it's that they don't have enough..."

"...On résumé alone, for example, Atlanta General Manager Rich McKay is no more a football guy than Marathe; he was an attorney before entering the NFL, with no playing or coaching experience. Yet with time and good press McKay has earned a fraternity pin..."

Also, the article points out that the idea of "football guys" are more media driven rather than rerality riven...

"..What the 49ers are doing, as Schatz wrote in defense of Marathe in Pro Football Prospectus, "is not new." And yet the media insist on pushing a perception of the NFL as a wilderness of pure masculinity where no one need touch a computer..."


So in essence, this article basically contradicts the essentiallity ( I hope that's a word) of having a FO made yup of all football guys...

Results are what matter, what were the results of the decisions made by the 49ers front office over the past six years?

 

[wartyOne]

so we have a GM but you want a former GM to call the shots? what does this do to Baalke's ability to do his job? what happens if they disagree on who to draft?

where do VP of football operations come from? what is their career path in order to become a VP of football operations? what makes a good VP a good VP?[/QUOTE]

You're killing me, deep. Kudos.

 

[FourBeeDen]

Results are what matter, what were the results of the decisions made by the 49ers front office over the past six years?

Interesting.. Now you say results are what matters.. But on reply # 19 you stated...

"...And the GM position isn't my greatest concern. I want a football guy above Baalke to steer the ship..."

So now that I used your own information to disprove the above statement, you come back with "results" are what matters?

Let's see... Going back to Paraag.. Prior to his hiring, the Niners were in Salary cap hell because the previous regime basically played "sweep the problem under the rug" until it finally caught up with the organization. Paraag was the main factor in helping the Niners get out of the salary cap hell as stated in the article you provided.. So which football guy do you think would have been able to analyze, diagnose, and implement solutions to the cap hell the Niners were in... It was not until 2005 that the Niners started to come out of a deep hole caused by salary cap... So now your saying Paraag is useless? He may not be a "football" guy but give him credit to what he has truly accomplished and not bash him for media driven sentiments like "football guys" as stated in your article...

 

[sayheykid1]

Interesting.. Now you say results are what matters.. But on reply # 19 you stated...

"...And the GM position isn't my greatest concern. I want a football guy above Baalke to steer the ship..."

So now that I used your own information to disprove the above statement, you come back with "results" are what matters?

Let's see... Going back to Paraag.. Prior to his hiring, the Niners were in Salary cap hell because the previous regime basically played "sweep the problem under the rug" until it finally caught up with the organization. Paraag was the main factor in helping the Niners get out of the salary cap hell as stated in the article you provided.. So which football guy do you think would have been able to analyze, diagnose, and implement solutions to the cap hell the Niners were in... It was not until 2005 that the Niners started to come out of a deep hole caused by salary cap... So now your saying Paraag is useless? He may not be a "football" guy but give him credit to what he has truly accomplished and not bash him for media driven sentiments like "football guys" as stated in your article...

I am not sure how you used my own information to disprove my point.
What is your opinion on how the 49ers have been run since 2005? Have they been going in the righ direction making good personnel decisions?

I can live with Baalke, perhaps he was the one bright bulb in the football talent department but they should have had a strong football guy in place long ago.

I never said Paraag Marathe was useless, I said that I didn't want him making personnel decisions.

 

[FourBeeDen]

I am not sure how you used my own information to disprove my point.
What is your opinion on how the 49ers have been run since 2005? Have they been going in the righ direction making good personnel decisions?

I can live with Baalke, perhaps he was the one bright bulb in the football talent department but they should have had a strong football guy in place long ago.

I never said Paraag Marathe was useless, I said that I didn't want him making personnel decisions.

Fair enough.. But about personnel decision, the only time his name ever came up was when the Niners were searching for a new head coach after the Erickson era... After that, it was Nolan who was making personnel decisions as HC/GM.. Nolan's hiring, as stated in the aricle, was viewed as a good one... he is a "footbal" guy with a strong pedigree... He was subsequently stripped of the GM role and McCloughan was named GM. Another football guy with a good background coming out of the Wolf philosophy... Now it's Baalke who is responsible for personnel decision. Another football guy.. Looks like you got your wish... From 2005 to the present, the Niners have had strong "football" guys in the front office... Prior to that Terry Donahue was the GM, another supposedly strong "football guy"...So far, 3 of the 4 has not panned out... Baalke might be different... Only time will tell

 

[deep9er]

I am not sure how you used my own information to disprove my point.
What is your opinion on how the 49ers have been run since 2005? Have they been going in the righ direction making good personnel decisions?

I can live with Baalke, perhaps he was the one bright bulb in the football talent department but they should have had a strong football guy in place long ago.

I never said Paraag Marathe was useless, I said that I didn't want him making personnel decisions.

the bottom line is this..........you want a 'football guy' making the personnel decisions from now on. ok fine, our GM IS that guy. it isn't Paraag, it isn't Jed, and it isn't anybody else.

you can live with Baalke so good, case closed till we see how Baalke performs over time.

 

[spacedoodoopistol]

Its interesting how people get so stuck on their initial impressions of others, and fail to adjust their perceptions as time passes.

Marathe was at one time an inexperienced, academic type that had no business around any serious football decisions. However at THIS point, Marathe has been doing this for what, 10 years(?), and is a veteran NFL executive who has been around the office long enough to know what he's talking about. At some point you have to give him credit and say he's a "football guy" and has been at it longer than many others considered credible.

 

[spacedoodoopistol]

And to add.....a lot of the time these same people will demand that a guy like Steve Young be put in charge, a guy that doesn't have one minute of front office experience. I guess people can honestly differ on what makes one a "football guy", but playing the game has almost nothing to do with managing a team.

 

[FourBeeDen]

And to add.....a lot of the time these same people will demand that a guy like Steve Young be put in charge, a guy that doesn't have one minute of front office experience. I guess people can honestly differ on what makes one a "football guy", but playing the game has almost nothing to do with managing a team.

Actually, if you look at Youngs post playing career, he might not be a bad FO person. Here are some of his post playing credentials...

"..Serves as a managing director of Huntsman Gay Global Capital[14] after being involved in business ventures with this private equity firm founded by billionaire industrialist Jon M. Huntsman and former Bain Capital executive Robert C. Gay, also a co-founder of Sorenson Capital, in Lehi, Utah. Moreover, he sat on the board of Foundry Networks before it was acquired by Brocade Communications Systems in 2008..."

 

[deep9er]

Its interesting how people get so stuck on their initial impressions of others, and fail to adjust their perceptions as time passes.

Marathe was at one time an inexperienced, academic type that had no business around any serious football decisions. However at THIS point, Marathe has been doing this for what, 10 years(?), and is a veteran NFL executive who has been around the office long enough to know what he's talking about. At some point you have to give him credit and say he's a "football guy" and has been at it longer than many others considered credible.

the complaint was making personnel decisions, which can't imagine Paraag doing? but good point if looking at Paraag's longevity.

if he was so bad at his job he wouldn't be around now, cause like any NFL team, if an exec isn't good, he's gone. there's way too much pressure to win in the NFL, so can't see Jed saying i'll keep Paraag despite his screw ups? or even keeping him despite his non-contribution?

 

[spacedoodoopistol]

OK.....as far as personnel goes, my understanding is that Marathe will add input where he can be valuable, which mostly means compiling and presenting stats that can help evaluate a player or strategy. Not really making any decisions, and while he sometimes has input in the process they generally limit that to data, rather than his observations or scouting or anything like that.

 

[threelittleturds]

Its interesting how people get so stuck on their initial impressions of others, and fail to adjust their perceptions as time passes.

Marathe was at one time an inexperienced, academic type that had no business around any serious football decisions. However at THIS point, Marathe has been doing this for what, 10 years(?), and is a veteran NFL executive who has been around the office long enough to know what he's talking about. At some point you have to give him credit and say he's a "football guy" and has been at it longer than many others considered credible.

It is more than interesting. The "proof" of a 2007 article by Tim Kawakami was refuted by Tim Kawakami himself a year later when he mentions a Matt Maiocco article about how people are just attacking the "easy target" I guess this is what happens when you only search for negative stories about the 49ers instead of actually following the team, you start to argue with dated material which is incorrect... and with the opinion of the writer changed within a year.

First off, Maiocco, as usual, makes a great point: You can’t just rail repeatedly on 49ers exec Paraag Marathe just because he’s there and because he’s an easy target.

I whole-heartedly agree and concede: Often it’s me doing the easy-target thing.

Marathe’s not the main reason things have fallen apart for the 49ers. (It’s the Yorks. Always the Yorks. They’ved hired everybody. They’ve kept the wrong people. They’ve hired more PR people. It’s the Yorks.)

Too many times Marathe is lined up as a pinata for knee-jerk criticisms, for things that he probably and at times cannot possibly have been involved in and things that Mike Nolan, Scot McCloughan and now Mike Singletary AND DEFINITELY THE YORKS THEMSELVES were first and foremost directing.

Kawakami blog from 2008

Some people choose to just complain, there is no getting around that... what's even worse is to act as if he just walked off the street and was handed the position of Chief Operating Officer.. he's worked his way up the ladder through 11 years. Just take the time to read his biography at 49ers.com.
Parrag Marathe Bio (49ers.com)

Paraag Marathe (PUH-rawg, muh-RAH-tay) is in his 11th year with the 49ers, and his first as the team’s Chief Operating Officer.

Marathe was elevated to his current role in February of 2011, after spending a year as the 49ers Executive Vice President of Football and Business Operations. Primarily focused on the organization’s business operations since that time, the 49ers have seen a substantial growth in business partnerships, announced new and engaging ways to enhance the fan experience throughout the entire calendar year, launched new fan development programs and improved customer service.

Marathe’s leadership will be integral in the team’s business development and sales efforts to build a new state-of-the-art stadium in the Bay Area for its fans. Constantly evaluating and reviewing opportunities to enhance the club’s short and long-term business strategy, Marathe oversees the sales, stadium operations, business development, ticketing, corporate communications and marketing departments for the 49ers.

In addition to this primary focus on the 49ers business efforts, Marathe continues to support the football operations department as the team’s chief contract negotiator and salary cap manager. Additionally, he is responsible for the club’s compliance with the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement and supports General Manager Trent Baalke with player personnel transactional duties.

From 2008-09, Marathe served as the 49ers Vice President of Football Operations. He originally joined the organization as the team’s Special Projects Manager (2001-03), a position he held for three seasons before going on to spend one year as the Assistant to the General Manager. Marathe was later promoted to Director of Football operations where he remained until June of 2008.

If your first reaction to information that the 49ers themselves put out about one of their employees is along the lines of.. "It's bullshit, I don't trust it, I hate Jed York and the fail machine and.... blah blah blah"

Then maybe you need to stop following the 49ers if your first reaction is that they are in the business of lying to their fans and creating conspiracies...

 

[threelittleturds]

Actually, if you look at Youngs post playing career, he might not be a bad FO person. Here are some of his post playing credentials...

"..Serves as a managing director of Huntsman Gay Global Capital[14] after being involved in business ventures with this private equity firm founded by billionaire industrialist Jon M. Huntsman and former Bain Capital executive Robert C. Gay, also a co-founder of Sorenson Capital, in Lehi, Utah. Moreover, he sat on the board of Foundry Networks before it was acquired by Brocade Communications Systems in 2008..."

Marathe has a somewhat similar background before the 49ers...

Prior to joining the 49ers, Marathe worked at management consulting firm Bain & Company from 1999-2001, as a Senior Associate Consultant, where he advised clients in a variety of industries including private equity, venture capital, computer software, retail, sports footwear, consumer products, and health clubs. Before that, Marathe worked in the sports consulting group at the International Management Group (IMG), from 1997-1999, where he concentrated primarily on stadium naming rights deals, corporate sponsorships, and athlete endorsements.

Plus there is his education... degrees from Berkeley and Stanford are no joke, it's not like he went to the Hollywood Upstairs School for VP of Football Guys

A native of Saratoga, CA, Marathe’s passion for the 49ers was instilled at a very young age. His Bay Area roots run deep, having received his bachelor’s degree with high honors from the Haas School of Business at the University of California-Berkeley and his MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

 

[deep9er]

OK.....as far as personnel goes, my understanding is that Marathe will add input where he can be valuable, which mostly means compiling and presenting stats that can help evaluate a player or strategy. Not really making any decisions, and while he sometimes has input in the process they generally limit that to data, rather than his observations or scouting or anything like that.

i agree and well put.

 

[BallsOfFury]

And to add.....a lot of the time these same people will demand that a guy like Steve Young be put in charge, a guy that doesn't have one minute of front office experience. I guess people can honestly differ on what makes one a "football guy", but playing the game has almost nothing to do with managing a team.

See: Singletary, Mike

 

[deep9er]

wait.........he didn't graduate from the "Hollywood Upstairs School for VP of Football Guys"??!! Outta here you bum!

 

[MW49ers5]

wait.........he didn't graduate from the "Hollywood Upstairs School for VP of Football Guys"??!! Outta here you bum!

I rep insightful, intelligent comments, knowledge & Humor - You sir have just been repped!! That is fun-ny!!