Injury Report: Vlasic

[LadyStanley]

I like Gackle's summary better than Kurz's

 

[Pinkfloyd]

I like Gackle's summary better than Kurz's

I hope he's back for Saturday personally. Monday against the Kings at the latest.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

Gackle is the best Sharks beat writer.

 

[rangerssharks414]

Just rest him. There is not way we aren't playing the Ducks and personally I'm not fussed about home ice.

Basically this. Don't rush back like Justin Faulk did and risk re-injuring it.

 

[slocal]

Gackle is the best Sharks beat writer.

Easily. I also like the fact that he doesn't shy away from lending his opinions, either.

 

[DrFeelgood]

Easily. I also like the fact that he doesn't shy away from lending his opinions, either.

There's a fine line between writing fluff pieces and going full Kawakami and he does a good job of walking that line.

 

[Limekiller]

There's a fine line between writing fluff pieces and going full Kawakami and he does a good job of walking that line.

Eh, I like Kawakami. I think he's right on the money much of the time. Yeah, he can be kind of acerbic, but he's generally only a gadfly against terrible ownership groups. He used to savage Cohan all the time when he was still here. Kawakami actually was saying good things about Jed & the 49ers during the first few years of Harbaugh's tenure too, especially after they got the stadium going. It was only after they started that leak/whisper/rumor campaign against Harbaugh (not coincidentally right after they got the stadium built that Harbaugh helped bring into being) that Kawakami started to get after them. With significant justification, IMHO. Look at how he talks about Lacob and the current Warriors ownership group, who absolutely are NOT idiots.

Sometimes the truth hurts, and people who speak it won't be liked. Doesn't make speaking it less important or necessary, though. Cohan was objectively terrible, and deserved to get spoken out against when the team he owned acted in spectacularly stupid ways. The Yorks are equally as terrible, and likewise deserved to be called out when their franchise behaves in spectacularly stupid ways. (which is basically all the time) Plus, you can't say that Kawakami holds back on his opinions out of fear of losing access like some reporters do. He calls it like he sees them, and doesn't care if the ownership hates him.

 

[DrFeelgood]

Eh, I like Kawakami. I think he's right on the money much of the time. Yeah, he can be kind of acerbic, but he's generally only a gadfly against terrible ownership groups. He used to savage Cohan all the time when he was still here. He actually was saying good things about Jed & the 49ers during the first few years of Harbaugh's tenure too. It was only after they started that leak/whisper/rumor campaign against him that Kawakami started to get after them. With significant justification, IMHO. Look at how he talks about Lacob and the current Warriors ownership group, who absolutely are NOT idiots.

Sometimes the truth hurts, and people who speak it won't be liked. Doesn't make speaking it less important or necessary, though. Cohan was objectively terrible, and deserved to get spoken out against when the team he owned acted in spectacularly stupid ways. The Yorks are equally as terrible, and likewise deserved to be called out when their franchise behaves in spectacularly stupid ways. (which is basically all the time) Plus, you can't say that Kawakami holds back on his opinions out of fear of losing access like some reporters do. He calls it like he sees them, and doesn't care if the ownership hates him.

Kawakami has been a negative nancy for a long time. I don't mind a reporter being honest, like I said I don't want someone that writes nothing but fluff pieces but I also don't want a reporter that just craps on everything all the time. He does everything he can to be controversial, probably because it generates traffic. He's not quite Skip Bayless bad but he definitely skews towards that side of the spectrum.

 

[Limekiller]

Kawakami has been a negative nancy for a long time. I don't mind a reporter being honest, like I said I don't want someone that writes nothing but fluff pieces but I also don't want a reporter that just craps on everything all the time. He does everything he can to be controversial, probably because it generates traffic. He's not quite Skip Bayless bad but he definitely skews towards that side of the spectrum.

I don't think I agree with that assessment entirely. He's a negative nancy about poorly run teams, as he won't sugar coat poor decisions or poor management. His reporting of teams that are even reasonably well run is highly different.

Like I said, look at his reporting on the Warriors, who have one of the best ownership and front office groups in the NBA. He's not "blowing sunshine up their ass", but he is almost always complimentary and respectful towards them, even when he disagrees with a decision. Lacob and that front office team have earned that, since they've proven they generally make good and intelligent decisions.

Look also at his more recent reporting about the Raiders. He savaged them back in the bad old days when Zombie Al Davis was handing out horrible contracts and making horrible draft picks. He's been pretty complimentary of them lately, and notes repeatedly that even if he doesn't agree with a decision, that it's obvious they have a plan in place and are following it. The Raiders have earned that, too, with their moves over the last couple seasons.

As for the 49ers, I agree with the vast bulk of what he says about them. They ARE one of the worst ownership and front office groups in the NFL. They ARE a laughing stock in the league. They DO have incredibly large and incredibly fragile egos, and DO lie constantly and try and spin everything, even when it's obvious they're lying. See: their lie and spin of the Harbaugh firing as "a mutual parting of ways" (yeah right, pull my leg), or when they classified Paraag Marathe getting reassigned to oversee a minor league soccer franchise instead of being the president of the 49ers as "a promotion". (yeah right, pull the other one). The 49ers management have earned the scorn they're receiving for their actions, too.

When people in positions of power or importance, like major league sports owners, are being idiots, SOMEONE needs to point out that the emperor has no clothes. This doesn't win someone any friends among the people who's failings are being pointed out, or their followers. (and there are plenty of blindly homeristic 49ers fans, to be sure, that swallow the Yorks' propaganda hook, line and sinker). Doesn't make it any less important to do, however.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

Timmy K. is a good reporter but acts like a child if you challenge his opinion. Calling your fellow writers and reporters "schills" for not constantly railing against York is childish and petty imo.

 

[Limekiller]

Timmy K. is a good reporter but acts like a child if you challenge his opinion. Calling your fellow writers and reporters "schills" for not constantly railing against York is childish and petty imo.

I don't think I've ever really seen that in his posts, at least not anything regular. Now, I don't know what he says on Twitter, as I don't follow him or anyone else on Twitter. So if he's been using twitter to do that, then I will certainly accept that he's bad about doing that. But reading his blog, I haven't seen that as an endemic issue. He's also been pretty good from what I've seen in owning up to it when he's been wrong about something. (For example, IIRC, he was pro trading Klay Thompson for Kevin Love at the time, but has since said he was certainly incorrect about that, given how things have panned out.)

One thing I do know is that Kawakami is pretty highly respected by major sports reporting figures nationally. I've seen him noted for his reporting on issues multiple times in national media stories about bay area teams.


Edit: Just remembered another counter argument to the negative nancy accusation: Look at his reporting on the Giants and the A's. He will disagree with individual decisions, certainly, but he doesn't write about them anything like how he does with the 49ers currently, or how he did Cohan when he was here, or back during the end of Al Davis' terrible last few years running the Raiders.

As an example for the Giants, he clearly disagreed with their decision to give Lincecum his last extension, but his reporting about the team is generally quite positive. Why? Because they've proven they know what they're doing. He doesn't even have a negative tone about the A's, even when they lose a lot. Why? Because he knows the financial limitations they operate under, and he knows Beane knows what he's doing, even if he whiffs on a few moves here or there.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

On twitter is where he dishes his insults out if someone has a different opinion than his own. Thats off putting to me personally. He's not quite Lowell Cohen or Killjoy Killion but he's close. (On twitter)

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

I liked how Kawakami was anti-Harbaugh until he and York had their rift.

 

[T0uGh C0oki3]

Still no word on Vlasic's injury ?

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

He needs 1 more point to hit 40 for the 1st time in his career. Really hope he can get that. I know him being ready for the playoffs is more important but I would really him him to get 40 points so that people stop calling him a defensive D-man who has never hit 40 points.

 

[T0uGh C0oki3]

http://www.csnbayarea.com/sharks/morning-skate-canucks-free-fall-ahead-two-straight-sharks
Kurz : Vlasic is walking with a slight limp.

 

[The Nemesis]

http://www.csnbayarea.com/sharks/morning-skate-canucks-free-fall-ahead-two-straight-sharks
Kurz : Vlasic is walking with a slight limp.

Next step: leg amputation

 

[The Great John Scott]

Next step: leg amputation

Leg transplant.

Raffi still has one good leg, right?

 

[The Nemesis]

Leg transplant.

Raffi still has one good leg, right?

Are we sure it's the correct one? Wouldn't want to give vlasic 2 left feet.

 

[The Great John Scott]

Are we sure it's the correct one? Wouldn't want to give vlasic 2 left feet.

Worst case they wheel Vlasic out in time for playoffs. Even Dustin Brown wouldn't check someone in a wheelchair.

 

[Timos Death Stare]

Positive thought - at least we get to see Demelo and get him some playing time. We're sticking with our pairs (with Dillon playing with Polak), so all Dmen should be ready to go.

I'm actually a big fan of Polak - but Demelo is making him look like he'll remain a TDL acquisition for this year. With Demelo showing offensive instinct at times Dillon should be a decent pairing anyways.

Our team reminds me of the giants in 2010 - nobody really expected it, but we were balanced and bolstered by some under-the-radar acquisitions. I really have minimal criticism of DW this year.

 

[BaileyMacTavish]

Worst case they wheel Vlasic out in time for playoffs. Even Dustin Brown wouldn't check someone in a wheelchair.

I dunno. I wouldn't put it past Brown to do something ******* like that. I think he'd do it.

 

[Coily]

Worst case they wheel Vlasic out in time for playoffs. Even Dustin Brown wouldn't check someone in a wheelchair.

Bet you Perry would give a woman a defective wheel chair after parking in a handicap spot.

 

[hohosaregood]

Bet you Perry would give a woman a defective wheel chair after parking in a handicap spot.

At least he's pretending to be nice.

 

[Leafers34]

DeMelo has been such a nice surprise. He has been playing great. Played 20+ minutes going head to head with the Kopitar line the other night and finished a plus 2? I'll take that all day long! So impressed with his play.