Credit: Ed Szczepanski-US PRESSWIRE

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith was stabbed in the back early Saturday morning at his house in San Jose where he was throwing a party.  The injuries Smith suffered were reported as “minor injuries”.  At 2:14 a.m. on Saturday, a 911 call was placed reporting three victims with non-life-threatening injuries.  When police arrived they found two gunshot victims and one stabbing victim, which was Smith.  The second-year linebacker was admitted to the emergency room at Regional Medical Center in San Jose and was released at 5 a.m.  Here is an official statement from the 49ers:

The San Francisco 49ers are aware that Aldon Smith incurred minor injuries during an incident last night. We are in contact with Aldon, and thankful that his injuries were not more serious and that he is recovering comfortably. The 49ers are also in communication with local authorities as they gather information regarding the incident, and will reserve further comment at this time.

Compared to other NFL teams, the 49ers have had a mostly quiet and drama free offseason.  There is one, serious, exception which also involved Smith: his DUI arrest in Miami Beach on January 28.  Smith recently said he was not officially charged and he has moved on from the issue.  Still, that does not mean Smith did nothing wrong because he was not charged.  One of the reasons Smith was selected with the seventh pick of the 2011 draft by the 49ers was his character in addition to what he could do on the field.  Harbaugh said of Smith after the draft,

We had him here on a visit. I’m really impressed with him as a person. He’s an All-American young man. Has great wiring, many blessings from mom, dad and God, and we just feel like he’s going to be someone who’s obviously going to add to our football team and make us a better football team.

To be fair, Smith was a victim in the incident as the linebacker suffered the stab wounds trying to break up a fight.  But he did not do himself any favors by hosting a large house party with what has been reported as having over 100 people at the time of the altercation.  I doubt Smith knew everyone in attendance at his house which can be a recipe for a disaster.  In addition, he was only five months removed from being arrested with a DUI, so you would think he would not put himself in positions like he did on Saturday by hosting a big party at his house.

Smith is only 22 years old.  When you get the money and fame that comes with being an NFL rookie, what your character was in the past can be spoiled by those you choose to surround yourself with who might not have have your best interests at heart.

The 49ers are looking to steamroll into the 2012 season and Smith will be a big part of the defense as he takes on a bigger role at linebacker than just a pass rushing specialists.  All it takes is one player to ruin the momentum the 49ers want to carry into training camp and the preseason to get ready for the 2012 season. Whether Smith likes it or not, he can expected plenty questions from the media about his two offseason incidents and how it will affect him and the team.  The best thing for him would be to address the recent bad event when he has fully recovered to quash the questions we will have to face at some time in the coming weeks.  What the 49ers do not want at the start of training camp is the media to focus on Smith and what he has to say about the stabbing.  It will be easier for Smith to focus on getting better in his expanded role at linebacker if he does not have to dodge the questions all through training camp.

The other issue is how will Smith be disciplined.  NFL commissioner Roger Goodell could suspend or fine Smith for both or one of the offseason incidents.  With Smith’s stabbing and the DUI arrest in January, coach Jim Harbaugh will have to, for the first time in the NFL, put on his disciplinary hat and straighten the linebacker out.  With Harbaugh’s passion and being a player’s coach, Smith will buy into what the coach has to say and how he needs to conduct himself off the field.  Harbaugh always stresses team unity and will tell Smith all it takes is one player to distract a team and ruin the upcoming season.  Smith will certainly listen, but let’s hope he sets himself straight.

Credit: Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

Last week the Santa Clara County Oversight Board pulled $30 million in taxpayer money from the San Francisco 49ers stadium fund.  The officials on the oversight board used a new state law to take the $30 million back so it can be used on education and school districts.  The 49ers contend the money was approved by Santa Clara city voters in 2010 and was written in agreements with the city to start building the new stadium.  In order to recoup the $30 million, the 49ers are suing Santa Clara County.

On Thursday, Sacramento Superior Court Judge Lloyd Connelly issued an order that required Santa Clara County to hold onto the funds until a hearing is held July 3.  The 49ers suing the county was an expected move.

With the total stadium price tag at $1.2 billion, $30 million is such a small sum that construction will not be delayed.  The stadium is still expected to open in 2014.  You might wonder why the 49ers would sue for an amount of money that is only around three percent of the total construction costs.  One big reason is because the $30 million from redevelopment agencies helped the 49ers secure an $850 million bank loan for stadium construction.  That, and the 49ers higher-ups don’t want to give the impression to County and City of Santa Clara officials they can be pushed around in the future regarding constructions costs.

Here is a press release from the 49ers regarding the lawsuit:

49ers seek court intervention to block County Oversight Board decision

No impact on construction schedule; stadium will open in 2014

(SANTA CLARA, Calif.) – The San Francisco 49ers filed a lawsuit yesterday to prevent a Santa Clara County Oversight Board from reneging on the commitment to fund $30 million for the new NFL stadium under construction in Santa Clara.  The investment of RDA funds for the project was approved by the Santa Clara voters in June 2010, and formalized in written agreements in February 2011. The 49ers advanced funds into the Stadium project in reliance on the RDA’s commitment to the project. After the County declined to discuss a resolution to this issue, the 49ers have begun the process to have the matter decided in court.

The first step in the litigation was a request for a temporary restraining order, filed yesterday by the 49ers, to prevent the County from disbursing disputed funds for any other purpose until the court can more fully review last week’s surprise action by the Oversight Board, in which it voted to reject the stadium funding commitment.

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Lloyd G. Connelly issued an order today requiring the County to hold the disputed funds until a July 3 hearing on the TRO.

“The Judge’s order is a positive first step,” said Larry MacNeil, CFO of the 49ers. “We look forward to discussing with the County how we can resolve this matter.”

Because the 49ers advanced the funds to the project, construction of the stadium will continue on schedule, with no change to the July 2014 anticipated completion date.

“The stadium is a public-private partnership success story,” said MacNeil. “The cash advanced by the 49ers, backed by the RDA commitment, leveraged hundreds of millions in new funding to create one of the largest construction projects in the state. After just a few months it has created several hundred jobs, provided a positive regional economic impact and funding for the Santa Clara School district. By this fall, there will be 1,000 workers on this job.”

The stadium in Santa Clara will be the new home to the San Francisco 49ers.  It was designed by HNTB and is being built by Turner/Devcon; the stadium is expected to be one of the world’s best outdoor sports and entertainment centers, setting the standard for the next generation of sports venues.  The $1.2 billion venue will have 1.85 million square feet, seat approximately 68,500 and will feature an expected 165 luxury suites and 9,000 club seats.  It was designed to be a multi-purpose facility with the flexibility to host a wide range of events including, domestic and international soccer, college football, motocross, concerts and various civic events, and will be expandable for major events such as the Super Bowl.  For more information, go to www.newsantaclarastadium.com.

-SF-

Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

Despite Jim Harbaugh’s recent statement on Alex Smith being “our guy” for the 49ers at quarterback, Colin Kaepernick said the QB spot is an “open job”.  In an interview with the Reno Gazette-Journal, Kaepernick said the following in response to this question from a reader:

Q: Is the 49ers coaching staff going to let you practice to be the starter, or does Smith get the starting job again? I can’t wait until you’re the starter. The Niners need more weapons on offense, and your arm sure is the key.

Kaepernick: Someone told me Coach Harbaugh said it’s an open job. It will be earned. I think they’ll give me a fair shot.

Niner fans are left wondering, who is this someone telling Kaepernick the position is an open competition? Harbaugh’s full statement regarding Smith being their man under center is the most concrete we have from him that Smith will be re-signed and start at QB.

“We’re all in lockstep as an organization that Alex Smith is our guy. It’s well-documented. You saw the way he played this year. (He is a) tremendous leader on our football team.”

You cannot fault Kaepernick for thinking he can challenge Smith at starting quarterback.  If anything, the fire inside Kaepernick is good for his development and good for Smith knowing there is someone eager to start behind him.  Baring a horrible training camp or preseason, and Smith regressing back to his ways, there is no doubt Alex will be the starter come week one.  Even if Kaepernick has a great training camp and preseason that screams start me!, Smith will still be the starter because of his seven years of experience, knowledge of the offense and the way he played last season.

All you have to do is look at Smith’s stats from this past season in which he had career highs in passing yards (3,144), completion percentage (61.4) and passer rating (90.7) to know he is the best person for the 49ers to start at quarterback.  Smith was resilient in the playoffs against the Saints and Giants which is something I cannot imagine Kaepernick duplicating, at least not in the 2012 season.

On top of all that, here is more evidence that Smith is not only coming back, but will be the starter:

• Harbaugh praised Smith all season.
• Harbaugh said Smith should be in the Pro Bowl.
• Smith accepted Harbaugh’s Coach of the Year award at the NFL Honors show on Super Bowl eve.  There were plenty of other 49ers in attendance and under contract who could have accepted the award.
• Smith served as Harbaugh’s caddie on the first day of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am charity event this week.

I hope Kaepernick gives Smith a run for his money in training camp and the preseason.  It will only make both quarterbacks better prepared for the season.  But Kaepernick is delusional if he thinks the quarterback position is an open completion.

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