49ers’ biggest problem isn’t coaching; it’s ownership

By Marc Hudgens  |   Monday, January 07, 2008  |  Comments( 13 )

San Francisco 49ers
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Sure, co-San Francisco 49ers owner Denise DeBartolo York was at the helm of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins when they won the 1991 Stanley Cup. But outside of that one season, what has she or husband and 49ers co-owner John York significantly accomplished in the sports world?

Think of it this way: The Penguins' record between 1981 and 1991, when DeBartolo York owned them, was a poor 302-415-83. Only three of those 10 seasons were winning ones. Furthermore, after the Penguins won the Stanley Cup, she made haste in selling the team.

John York, on the other hand, had basically zero professional sports experience prior to San Francisco. It shows.

The 10 seasons prior to the York ownership were part of the successful, controversial Eddie DeBartolo, Jr., reign. There was a lot of controversy, but at least the club could brag of a 121-39 record, three Super Bowl titles, nine playoff berths and a winning season every year. Since DeBartolo York took over with her husband over 10 years, ago the club has gone 69-91, with only three playoff berths, zero Super Bowl appearances and only three seasons with a winning mark.

Soon after the Yorks took the reins, the club lost Eddie DeBartolo as well as other key executives such as Dwight Clark, Ed Muransky, and Carmen Policy -- who many believe was running the team to begin with. There also have been three different coaches during the York era, so you really can't blame them for the failure. At the very least, you'd have to blame the Yorks for making poor hires to begin with, as they have been the only personnel constant in this era.

It's not as if San Francisco was a perennial NFL doormat for decades prior to the York family's arrival and they had to build a team up from scratch. All they needed to do was maintain success. Instead, they just let everything go.

Distilling all this, it's safe to say the York ownership of this once-proud club is, well, pathetic.

The team can change coaches all it wants, draft top players and acquire all the free agents in the league. But as long as the top remains the same, there's a small chance -- if any -- of the 49ers becoming great again. The Yorks have had a decade to right the ship and have failed far more often than not. There's no reason to ever expect a big turnaround given the history involved.
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About Marc Hudgens

Marc Hudgens has been with RealFootball365 since 2007, covering college football, specifically Clemson and Oregon. He also writes for SouthernPigskin.com covering the ACC. He enjoys the acidic wit of Hunter S. Thompson, is a freelance graphic designer and has written several screenplays. He...
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CommentsComments: 13  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Cry-About-It-Fans		03:49 AM
01/07/2008
It's obvious. I'd say a little bit of both. If it were not for the owners stubborness in keeping Nolan then Nolan would not still...
No.2
BW		11:14 AM
01/07/2008
It'll never happen, but the league should implement a rule stating that if a team misses the playoffs five years in a row, the...
No.3
Blade		12:21 PM
01/07/2008
my ex-wife and i used to own a wendy's hamburger store,the headquarters would send inspectors ,secret shoppers,etc if it wasn't...
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