The 49ers during the offseason will "try to trade" coach Jim Harbaugh, according to Fox' Jay Glazer. Harbaugh has one year left on his contract after the '14 season. With the situation between Harbaugh and the front office as "ugly as it is right now," it is becoming clear Harbaugh is "not going to be back" with the 49ers next year. But the team "might as well get some value for him." Glazer noted trading a coach has "been done before," citing Herm Edwards being sent by the Jets to the Chiefs and Jon Gruden being dealt by the Raiders to the Buccaneers (“Fox NFL Sunday,” Fox, 11/30). ESPN's Adam Schefter cited a source as saying that the Raiders and Jets are "expected to, at the very least, inquire about Harbaugh's availability in a trade." It is "no secret that Harbaugh will be a commodity that interests other teams at season's end" (ESPN.com, 11/30). In San Jose, Tim Kawakami notes franchises "can't trade a coach to a team he doesn't want to coach." Also, Harbaugh's contract is with the 49ers and "can't be transferred to another team without his agreement." That means Harbaugh "can force" 49ers CEO Jed York and GM Trent Baalke to "let him coach it out" in '15 for the remaining $5M or fire him. If the situation "comes to that, the middle ground is that Harbaugh finds the right team to move to and then that team and York and Baalke begin negotiations on fair trade compensation." Kawakami: "This off-season, I'd expect the 49ers to ask for something less than a 1st-rounder, probably" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 12/1).
MORE SIGNS OF DISCORD? In San Jose, Mark Purdy wrote it is clear that "all is not well" inside the 49ers' front office after York tweeted out an apology following the team's 19-3 home loss to the Seahawks on Thanksgiving night. York wrote, "Thank you #49ersfaithful for coming out strong tonight. This performance wasn't acceptable. I apologize for that." Purdy noted some people "interpreted York's tweet as warning shot across the bow at the Harbaugh clipper ship," but "more realistically, York was just letting off steam" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 11/28). In S.F., Scott Ostler wrote players and coaches "now know York’s got their back -- with a knife." He could have "saved words by tweeting, 'Hey, don’t blame me.'” Meanwhile, York "said nothing about refunds," but that "might be in the next tweet." Ostler: "In the locker room, I didn’t hear any support for York’s tweet." However, fans "can't blame York for being upset" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 11/28). But CBS Sports Network's Amy Trask said, "There's an entirely different way to look at that tweet, and that is simply to take it at face value. He apologized to the fans without whom the San Francisco 49ers could never have built that stadium. Without those fans purchasing seat licenses and premium products, that stadium doesn't get built. You know what, maybe that tweet was nothing more than a sincere, ‘I'm sorry.’ And how often do we say that we want to hear owners speak from the heart and speak with passion? I think that's what he did. ... I'm just not bothered by his tweet" (“That Other Pregame Show,” CBS Sports Network, 11/30).
MORE SOCIAL STUDIES: ESPN.com's Paul Gutierrez noted Baalke on Friday apologized "for his college-aged daughter Cassie’s Tweet advocating the dismissal of offensive coordinator Greg Roman." Her tweet, which was later removed, read, "Greg Roman can take a hike..the 49ers don't want you no more" (ESPN.com, 11/29). Baalke in a statement said, "My daughter and I both regret that her feelings got the best of her after last night's game and that she chose social media as an avenue to express her feelings. We have apologized to Greg for this unfortunate matter" (ESPN.com, 11/28).
TIME FOR A REFITTING? The SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS' Kawakami wrote the "relatively tranquil" atmosphere at Levi's Stadium is "creating its own reputation each time the midfield stands are half-empty for most of the third quarter." Kawakami: "This is not rowdy, earthy, muddy, title-consecrated Candlestick Park." It is a $1.3B "money machine full of cozy clubs and other gadgety hideaways for spectators." But it is a "major oversimplification to say the 49ers would be playing better if not for the lackluster environment so far at Levi's." Kawakami: "Will opponents ever fear playing in this building? So far, no" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 11/27). The S.F. CHRONICLE's Ostler wrote whatever "magic Levi's holds has yet to be unwrapped." The fans "were loud Thursday, but as usual, thousands of them in the rich-guy seats fled to their underground tequila bunkers before halftime, and many were never seen again." Ostler: "Maybe this is just football in the future, with the ritzy hideaways too alluring for fans to stay in their oh-so-common seats and cheer for their team" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 11/28).
