The Lunatic Fringe

Yes, in addition to commentary on the Giants, we have some characters, and they have lives too!

As a disclaimer, since three people will believe otherwise… The topic of this and the upcoming comics are a story I’d planned to touch upon since this comic was first brainstormed years ago.  I wasn’t even planning to do it this week, but the ridiculous cliché about ties and the timing in the third-slowest week for baseball topics made it too perfect.

On that note…a tie???  Really?  I suppose this was how it was going to be.  After all, the Niners couldn’t win after losing Alex Smith so early…but they’re too in need of wins to keep up in the NFC playoff chase to lose.  So, compromise.  Dating couples across the country can’t do it, but apparently the football gods can.

Also, a lack of ties is another reason why baseball is superior to football.  (Well, in games that count…)

I don’t really get all that upset about ties…it’s mostly how this one came about.

• Alex Smith got hurt, and the back-up is a talented guy who’s more raw than the fish at your average sushi restaurant.

• The Niners got hit with seven penalties, which cost them some big moments (including stopping the Rams in overtime and getting one more chance).  But they also needed some huge penalties against the Rams to win (like the first play in overtime).

• The officials were downright replacement-ish, ‘losing’ over a minute of gametime, and missing at least one delay-of-game penalty against the Rams, who had the punctuality of Eeyore on downers in this game overall.

• 2 fake punts worked.  In the same game.  Both against the Niners.

• David Akers missed an overtime field goal.

And, mostly, I’m upset that this happened against the Rams.  Not that I harbor any ill will against the former Los Angeles team.  Frankly, they’ve been in St. Louis so long that I just don’t care about them either way.  It’s more that they’re cellar dwellers (even if they have more talent than, say, the Raiders), and the Niners should be beating those teams when they can.

This was an ugly game, and it leaves the Niners in third place among NFC playoff seeds.  Then again, with how the team handled this last bye week, maybe they shouldn’t try to get a bye in the playoffs.

I’m a big fan of Harbaugh, but dude needs to get his team in order for next Monday Night’s important playoff matchup with the #2 seeded Chicago Bears.