The night of any given NFL Sunday, you'll see one of the San Francisco 49ers pop by Sports Sunday with Raj Mathai at 11:30 p.m. on NBC Bay Area to discuss the day's game and give insights into the state of the 49ers' locker room.
Not this past Sunday. Linebacker Takeo Spikes had been Raj's scheduled guest, but Spikes was forced to cancel.
That's because 49ers coach Mike Singletary called an emergency meeting in Santa Clara Sunday night after the 49ers returned home from a 31-6 shellacking in Seattle. Singletary was highly critical of Alex Smith in his post-game remarks, and sources inside the locker room told Comcast SportsNet that Singletary ripped Smith several new ones in a team meeting after the game.
Smith didn't sound thrilled with Singletary's play-calling in his own post-game remarks. "We certainly didn't stretch them and take shots," Smith complained to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
And Smith's thoughts about the failed fourth down attempt?
"Whatever it is, deciding on what personnel would go in, deciding on if we would go for it, that decision has to be made." Smith told the Press Democrat. "The refs aren’t waiting around to spot the ball based on what we’re going to decide to do. That clock’s rolling. You’ve got to make that decision if you’re going to go for it, then the play’s got to get called. You’ve got to have a call ready."
Smith seems to be perhaps indicating a certain coach of his did not have a call ready.
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"Management issues like that we’ve got to figure out,” Smith said.
Smith also directly contradicted Singletary's claim that the headset helmet had malfunctioned on more than one occasion.
Hence the late night powwow back in Santa Clara Sunday night. Whatever's eating the 49ers, they'd better get it dealt with this week. They have the reigning league champion New Orleans Saints coming to Candlestick for Monday Night Football.
Joe Kukura is a freelance writer who is not looking forward to the personal insult he will feel when he sees the point spread for Saints-49ers this Monday night.
