The local media will finally get a chance to ask Chip Kelly questions about his ability to get along with others. The world will see AND hear Kelly, Jed York and Trent Baalke tomorrow morning at 11 am, for the first time since Kelly became the 49ers head coach.
One question several reporters have asked is “why the delay?” We all know Kelly was in Santa Clara last week. Why not hold a press conference then?
We know Kelly was there because the 49ers kept showing him palling around with his new bosses. They posted a video on their website welcoming Kelly, but all it included was a montage of smiling faces. No words from anyone.
Then the 49ers posted this totally natural-looking photo of the trio.
Jed, Chip and Trent. #WelcomeCoachKelly pic.twitter.com/CbcWRZBHYa
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) January 15, 2016
Who knows if the 49ers thought this would instantly become some sort of iconic photo, or if Jed really liked the shot and wanted it up on social media ASAP. Either way, this being the internet, things veered quickly away from reverence.
“OK guys, let’s re-create that scene in ‘Tommy Boy.’ Jed, let Chip try on your blazer.” https://t.co/pMh7hSK6EL
— Bay Area Sports Guy (@BASportsGuy) January 16, 2016
But first we figure out why this boy band never had a #1 hit. https://t.co/AZWt4Nkjtf
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) January 16, 2016
@49ersfangirl @NinersNation “Think you know business casual? Our three experts will surprise you!”
— Tim G (@Reambler) January 16, 2016
Then the photoshopped images started rolling in.
@49ersHub @BASportsGuy @NinersNation @49ersfangirl @SoCaliSteph Definitely, maybe? #Niners #49ersMovies pic.twitter.com/9l6e4bDhfy
— ⚡️ Mark Sanz ⚡️ (@MarcusSanz) January 16, 2016
@49ersHub @BASportsGuy @49ersfangirl @NinersNation @SoCaliSteph #niners #49ersMovies pic.twitter.com/Z7qdGd57MC
— ⚡️ Mark Sanz ⚡️ (@MarcusSanz) January 16, 2016
@BASportsGuy The 3 Chipmigos survey some of the wreckage at Candlestick park pic.twitter.com/EmuyVHlfew
— Kyle Madson (@MadSports8) January 16, 2016
@BASportsGuy here you go pic.twitter.com/eem7WVXmbt
— Kyle Madson (@MadSports8) January 16, 2016
@LOLKNBR @BASportsGuy pic.twitter.com/lykwonIaiK
— Kyle Madson (@MadSports8) January 16, 2016
— Kyle Madson (@MadSports8) January 16, 2016
@d_rohr @NinersNation pic.twitter.com/uJr88lHD9r
— Kyle Madson (@MadSports8) January 16, 2016
And it wouldn’t be the internet without some Crying Jordan.
@MadSports8 @LOLKNBR @BASportsGuy pic.twitter.com/IyrxZMhmA4
— Myles (@MylesInSF) January 16, 2016
As for the timing of Kelly’s first press conference …
With all due respect to several of my colleagues (and “colleagues” is probably an overstatement, since they’ve been earning salaries from news outlets for years and I’m all by myself over here on BASG island), I’m not particularly worried about it. Sure, it’s funny that Kelly was in the building last week, and it wouldn’t have taken THAT much time or effort to meet with the media and talk about how they’re going to bring back the great winning tradition of the 49ers and five Super Bowl trophies are in the hallway blah, blah, blah.
Why are the 49ers dragging their feet on this? It could be one of a few reasons.
1. Perhaps Kelly has a family obligation he’d rather keep private. He’s moving from the East Coast back to the West Coast, and maybe something came up that’s none of our business.
2. Kelly probably has no idea what’s been going on around here from a media perspective (while the 49ers’ fall has been the biggest story in local sports other than the Warriors’ title, no one in Philly really cares too much about what the Yorks are up to), and the team wanted to brief him on every possible question that could come his way tomorrow morning.
3. The 49ers are being honest — they wanted to give him time to put together a staff. They’ve been interviewing coaches and adding some here and there. For example, they’re reportedly likely to keep Tom Rathman as running backs coach, and Mike Vrabel is a candidate to replace Eric Mangini as the defensive coordinator.
Remember last year, when Jim Tomsula was sweaty, exhausted and quite possibly hallucinating during his introductory press conference?
The paragraph below is from the feature on Jimmy T written by Emily Kaplan of Sports Illustrated (yes, the same story where Jed compared the promotion of Tomsula to the Warriors hiring Steve Kerr):
Tomsula knows he didn’t handle his introductory press conference or the ensuing CSN Bay Area interview with the greatest aplomb. He didn’t sleep the night before and was in crunch mode trying to assemble his staff. The communications department carved out an hour to go over any possible questions that reporters might ask, and Tomsula aced the run-through. But he froze in the spotlight. Tomsula says he was singularly focused on returning to his office to continue calling potential assistants. Plus, he didn’t want to say anything that could be used against him. If, for example, he said he preferred a certain blocking scheme, would Tony Sparano be hesitant to become the tight ends coach?
Maybe the 49ers didn’t want to make the same mistake twice, even though Kelly couldn’t possibly do a worse job than Tomsula did on Jan. 15, 2015, even after four shots of Jager and not sleeping for 48 straight hours. That’s not to say the 49ers couldn’t have scheduled an earlier press conference. They control everything here, and in this climate, every decision they make will be questioned. But if Kelly and his superiors have the right answers tomorrow, the lag time will be forgotten. And fans don’t care when he first meets with the local media. Their concern is what Kelly talks about after games. Will he be answering questions about wins or losses?
