HARBAUGH EATING KARMA WITH A FORK AND SPOON

    We ALL know that Harbaugh sniped at the Seattle Seahawks last summer when two of their players were suspended due to positive tests for performance enhancing drugs, and Harbaugh added that “you always want to be 'above reproach', especially when you’re good, because you don’t want people to come back and say, ‘They’re winning because they’re cheating.’” Currently, Harbaugh's "above reproach 49ers" own the lead in the National Football League for player arrests and even more players involved in trouble, but managed to avoid prosecution for various reasons.  Last season's  49ers' roster included; WR Vernon Davis, CB Parrish Cox, WR Michael Crabtree, DT Ray McDonald, S Eric Wright and LB Ahmad Brooks, yet all have been labeled players with character issues. Though, curiously, it didn't deter Harbaugh or the 49ers brass from bringing those players on board a team that prided itself on being "Above Reproach".

Harbaugh was speaking specifically about PED use and rule-breaking, and it has been reported that Baalke was not happy with Harbaugh for the grandiosity of that statement.  It put a large bull's-eye on the backs of every 49ers player or employee and you know that every Seahawks fan from Alaska to Florida is "ROTFL their butts off" as Karma is making a long, extended visit on the front porch of every San Francisco 49ers fan, player, coach or anyone else associated with the team.  With Harbaugh's comments, there are going to be backlashes coming from those who don't appreciate the tone of superiority that the 49ers seem to spew every time there is a camera or microphone close by.

Aldon Smith:  (2X arrested for DUI, and arriving at practice drunk), Possession of marihuana, possession of cocaine, possession of illegal weapons, assaulting an officer, resisting arrest, threatening officers at airport, resisting arrest again, threatening security airport with possessing a bomb, suspicion of public intoxication at airport, stabbing at party at his residence.

49ers linebacker, Ahmad Brooks, assaulted his friend and teammate, striking, (49ers nose tackle Lamar Divens), and at least three times in the head with a beer bottle, and then punched him in the face during an argument over car keys outside Brooks' house in San Jose. The alleged attack left Divens bloodied and requiring three stitches, all for trying to prevent his friend and teammate from driving drunk and potentially harming another driver, a pedestrian or himself.  Brooks drove home drunk anyway, but was not apprehended.

49ers Corner, Chris Culliver, has been indicted on felony and misdemeanor charges.  Felony indictments for "hit-and-run,” and "reckless driving" have been filed, after hitting a pedestrian with his car and leaving the scene to avoid prosecution.  A witness and victim stated that Culliver appeared inebriated and smelled of alcohol.  He believes Culliver fled the scene of the accident to avoid DUI charges when police arrived etc. Culliver already had one DUI conviction. He also received a felony charge for (possession of an illegal weapon) threatening a witness with brass knuckles, found in his possession in his vehicle when police apprehended him later at his home.

49ers QB Colin Kaepernick and WR Quinton Patton have been connected somehow in an apparent assault (perhaps sexual) of a woman at Kaepernick's hotel room. The woman reported losing memory of a large block of time and inexplicably winding up in the hospital with no memory of what had happened during that time.  The last thing she remembered was being with; Kaepernick, Patton and former 49ers, current Seahawks WR Ricardo Lockette, (smoking pot and drinking alcohol) at Kaepernick's hotel room, then she fell asleep or passed out and later, woke up in the hospital. Police and hospital laboratory specialists are investigating whether or not the woman ingested a drug or other substance that would cause her to lose track of time and consciousness.  Kaepernick vehemently denies (via Twitter) that he had anything to do with the woman’s claim and denies any of the comments made by TMZ.com that there was any wrongdoing or sexual assault.

The 49ers have got a “fine mess” brewing on by the Bay.  All of these legal problems have created a tangled mess for the 2014 second-place NFC West football team.  Shortly after the 2013 season, the 49ers general manager, Trent Baalke, attempted to trade the 49ers head coach, Harbaugh, to the Cleveland Brown's for an undisclosed player/cash or draft considerations.  Harbaugh had no idea the trade was being prepared and has since been very quiet about his feelings, though he apparently refuses to be in the same room with the 49ers general manager.  This could not be good going forward, particularly with the 2014 NFL draft approaching quickly (May 8).  One would only assume that the franchise CEO, head coach and general manager, would have to work together closely to prepare a draft strategy and go through the entire 7 round event, a process that lasts from dawn until dusk and for three consecutive days.  I'd like to be a fly on the wall to watch that reunion between the players involved, virtually trapped in a room for 12 hours a day.

Add to these problems the fact that Colin Kaepernick is going through contract negotiations (not going well) and that the team will be without their superstar linebacker, Navarro Bowman, after a gruesome knee injury he sustained in the NFC West championship game against the Seattle Seahawks last January.  Now, presumably without their other young defensive standout, Aldon Smith, San Francisco's once vaunted defense is.  The hard-hitting safety, Dante Whitner, also left the 49ers in free agency, and pro-bowl safety, Deshon Goldson, the year prior.  Starting CB, Carlos Rogers was also released, leaving the 49ers extremely thin in the defensive backfield.  Harbaugh still has last year's first-round draft selection, Safety Eric Reid, and Baalke managed to sign Antoine Bethea, the veteran defensive back from Indianapolis as a stopgap solution for all the defections over the last two seasons  However, that will hardly make up for all the strife and discord going on down in Frisco.  The stress and lack of harmony between head coach, Harbaugh, and general manager, Trent Baalke, has got to be palpable throughout the team’s veteran leadership as well as the front office.  The teams "head honcho" CEO, Jed York, cannot be free from judgment regarding the possible trading of Harbaugh to the Brown's.  Decisions (that huge) couldn't have been made without York's stamp of approval, or coming from the CEO, himself… no doubt.  So, the two primary questions beg; How much could (a very proud) Jim Harbaugh trust the 49ers organization after a stealthily attempt to trade him?  And, How safe could he feel as their head coach, going forward?  Jim Harbaugh is largely believed to be one of the top five coaches in the NFL and has had a certain amount of success with the team (three consecutive NFC championship appearances)…  The other four are likely; Pete Carroll, Bill Belichick, Jeff Fisher and Mike McCarthy, and none of those coaches seem to be going anywhere.  Who could Baalke possibly find to replace Harbaugh, if the 49ers "decision-makers" decide to go on without him? The $64,000 question is; WHY?  Harbaugh is (48-15) regular-season, in his four years as the head coach of the 49ers and has led them to three NFC championship games (1-2) and one Super Bowl appearance (0-1).

This is something few analysts or fans thought would be the case for 2014, but the Arizona Cardinals are actually looking more like a formidable opponent to threaten the reigning Champion, Seattle Seahawks , at this point.  In his brief tenure with the Cardinals, Bruce Arians has been quietly building an impressive roster in the desert of Arizona.  The defense is one of the most disruptive in the NFL, and the offense is steadily improving.  So, while the Seahawks, Cardinals and Rams have been building, the 49ers’ roster has been crumbling in the wake of recent success, but without bringing home a Super Bowl trophy.  However, San Francisco does have a bevy of player selections for the upcoming NFL draft, (with 11), and it is a draft class with tons of talent, at least four rounds deep.

The 49ers seemingly appear to be a franchise suffering from a lack of discipline off the field.  Harbaugh has set them up to be torn down after his much publicized press conference criticizing the Seahawks for a few of their player transgressions.  The reality is that there are no NFL franchises without a little dirt in their own backyards.  Frisco seems to have mountains of dirt right now.  The question is; How long will it be before 49ers CEO, Jed York, gets involved and put a stop to all the ongoing bedlam and chaos. The 49ers’ roster is one of the deepest in the NFL, so it's premature to say that their recent string of success has come to an end.  Much will depend on how they deal with their current avalanche of bad PR and lack of team focus.  Also, the organization is going to have to commit to a head coach, Harbaugh or another, before they can begin to build the team back to the respectability that the great Bill Walsh left the team with years ago.