As I said goodbye to my childhood friend Anne who is visiting from Washington State, I reflected on how time and space can sometimes freeze. We met forty years ago, and yet it seems like yesterday. Ours is the kind of easy friendship that doesn't require work. We can pick up at any time and call and check in on each others lives and families without hesitation, judgements, regrets or guilt. It is for me, the definition of an eternal friendship where love and acceptance of who we are, just the way we are is ever present. How does this all relate to Sunday's 49ers and Warriors you ask?
It wasn't that long ago when management and the faithful were completely enamored with Coach Jim Harbaugh as he jumped with ease from a winning Stanford team to leading San Francisco to the playoffs his first three years. But in his fourth year of a five year contract it has become all about Harbaugh as his team was eliminated from the playoffs after a 17-7 loss in Seattle. The truth is, Harbaugh's demise probably started when the same Seahawks sent the 49ers home instead of to the Super Bowl last January. It's no secret owner Jed York and general Manager Trent Baalke have lost their patience with Harbaugh.
Seattle was indeed a must win game and the 49ers just couldn't do it. Blame it on injuries, penalties, or luck, nothing changes the fact that San Francisco has lost three in a row and stands at 7-7. So with two games left, now what? Harbaugh tried to put on a positive spin on things after the loss. " I'm very proud of the effort. It was plus, plus," he said. "We never give in. We keep fighting which our guys did today. It's what a professional does, focuses every week, every practice, every play, every ounce of energy he has." And those may just be the words of a man looking for his next job. Unlike my lifetime friendship with Anne, Harbaugh and the 49ers family have lost their way. The future is now uncertain. The the formula for success has failed and all the playoff-bound teams have it better than Harbaugh and his gang.
Which brings us to rookie Coach Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors. Now they surely can say: "Nobody's got it better than us!"
As I switched over from the despair of the 49ers game to the Warriors telecast I could almost see the difference in attitudes. Granted, Golden State was trailing, but you had a sense New Orleans wasn't going to be where the NBA's best team was going to end its record breaking winning streak. They took it to overtime, but Stephen Curry scored 34 points to ensure his Dubs would make it 16 victories in a row and improve to 21-2 beating the Pelicans 128-122. Much like the 49ers, Golden State is suffering through critical injuries that have kept All-Star David Lee off the court all season and for the third night starting center Andrew Bogut sat out with right knee tendinitis. Then on Sunday afternoon both Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes had to leave temporarily to clean up bloodied noses. Barnes even received two stitches in his mouth. No problem, other Warriors stepped in and continued filling the huge holes. Klay Thompson added 29 points and as has been the case every game, someone new makes a huge contribution, this time it was Andre Iguodala who had a season high 20 points off the bench. Add Shaun Livingston with 12 points and Marreese Speights with 10 and you have a team that is playing totally together for each other. And that has the makings of a win and a combination that like a life long friendship continues to bloom over time.
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