49ers Social Media: The New Internal Conflict

A toxic turn with a player taking a shot at media while the NFLPA looks at locker room bans

A swirl of cinnamon and pumpkin soft-serve ice creams at Seneca Farms in Penn Yan. / Tracy Schuhmacher/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kyle Juszczyk took a shot at 49ers beat reporter Grant Cohn, implying that he's gay. Whether Juszczyk was saying this in jest or meant every word we’ll find out. Cohn thinks it may have been in jest so I’ll respect that thought.

Back when I covered the Niners in the ‘80s, players and media were far tougher than this, I see today as mainly soft-serve ice cream, but my day was pre-cap. With more money players are now businesses needing positive social media.

With the emergence of content creation, media how have an outside business opportunity that still allows them to be critical of the team. That development hasn’t gone over well with some.

In my day, media were banned from the locker room after a game for a time that allowed players to shower and change and then we were allowed in. Seems that should be the solution now for games and practice.

THE FAN QUADRANTS

How fans approach fandom sets a social media context. I break it down into four groups: homers, zealots, fans, and critics. Fans are typically closest to one group, but many have aspects of several quadrants.

Quadrant 1: Homers

The first quadrant is populated by homers who defend the team at every opportunity, who use “we” a lot, who honestly believe their support helps fuel the team’s success. The literal Faithful.

Support every player no matter what unless they get too greedy, then open bombay doors. In a bizarre twist, homers are also 100% pro-owner.

Invariably, the fans in this quadrant appoint themselves as the Fan Police. “You must support the team without question, or you are not a true fan!” they say accusingly.

These folks really hate Cohn. A twitter sample from @joyomill49. “He is toxic, and strangely sinister. The 49ers don't need his energy anywhere near them. If you like him, there's something wrong with you.”

The homer quadrant sees their approach to fandom as the only honorable one, hence their compulsion to serve as Fan Police.

“Thou must be Faithful! Thou must fan as I fan!!” Yeah, ok Sparky, calm down.

This demand gets eye rolls from most of the other fan quadrants, middle fingers and highly creative insults from critics.

Quadrant 2: Zealots

For the Niners this is primarily two groups: Brock Purdy zealots and Kyle Shanahan zealots. The interesting thing with zealots is knowledge of the sport can be minimal or off the charts.

One zealot type is low knowledge and uses zealotry to get a leg up, “I was on the Purdy bandwagon before any of you!” Yeah, and? These folks keep receipts. Player police.

Another zealot type serves as a social media bodyguard. Protect players and the team from criticism. Not fan or player police, more of a bouncer. Call for Shanahan to be fired and these folks show up, get out their magic wand, and chant "Expecto Tomsula" like Harry Potter.

“If you fire Shanahan then who replaces him?” "Ben Johnson." Mutters bad takes, fade to black.

A third type has extensive knowledge. Twitter includes one Shanahan zealot with insightful takes and film breakdowns.

I’m a Walsh zealot, strangely not so much as a coach but GM. Comes with following the team since 1970. Some zealots are anti-zealot too, A Walsh as GM zealot is going to rip apart Shanahan as the defacto GM. I blame Shanahan as GM for the lack of rings, have for years.

Quadrant 3: Fans

This is the rational majority. They support the team, want them to do well, don’t police, can be supportive or give criticism when warranted. They embrace balance, give me the bad and the good.

Homers will claim to just be fans, but then police. Nope, that’s a homer not a fan.

Quadrant 4: Critics

This has degrees. Some will be constructive in their criticism others will be far more aggressive. There are critical fans with a foot in both quadrants, and there are critics who act more like a would-be owner, coach, or GM. This is wrong, fix it. Fans in other quadrants will often see that as Mr. Know It All and resent it. Comes down to can you build the case for it?

Fans in this quadrant see it as logical and rational, the actions of a thinking fan who isn’t glossing over anything. Fans outside the quadrant call it hating.

In the world of content creation, like it or not there are creators for each quadrant, and fans who want that content. Homers can’t police it out of existence, neither can teams or players. There is a group of fans that want criticism and expect it.

The bottom line, accept that each quadrant exists, stop policing, stop ridiculing. Fan. Do you.

As for the NFLPA, given their limited number of bargaining chips, do they want to make one of them banning the media from locker rooms? Shouldn’t their collective focus be on all grass fields to limit injury? I don’t understand the choice. But then I come from the ‘80s and I’m a Walsh as GM zealot.

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