Another day, another interview candidate.  Colts wide receivers coach Clyde Christensen became the first person to actually interview for the position of offensive coordinator.  His coaching career is as follows:

Mississippi 1979: Graduate Assistant
East Tennessee State 1980-82: QB/WR Coach
Temple 1983-85: QB/WR Coach
East Carolina 1986-88: OC AND RB/QB coach
Holy Cross 1989-90: WR/TE Coach in '89, OC in '90
South Carolina 1991: RB Coach
Maryland 1992-93: QB Coach
Clemson 1994-95: Co-OC/QB Coach
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1996-2001: TE Coach (96-98); QB coach (99-00); OC (01)
Indianapolis Colts 2002-present: WR Coach

He's certainly worked with some quality receivers in Indianapolis.  For his time in Tampa Bay, here's what his bio at the Colts site says:

In 2001, Christensen presided over an attack that saw WR-Keyshawn Johnson post a franchise seasonal-best 106 receptions for 1,266 yards, while QB-Brad Johnson set a club seasonal mark with 340 completions.  The offense set several club marks in 2000, including points scored and touchdowns.  He helped the late-season development of rookie QB-Shaun King in 1999.  King led Tampa Bay to four wins in its last five contests en route to the NFC Central title. King became the second rookie quarterback since the 1970 NFL Merger to win a playoff game, rallying the Buccaneers to a 14-13 Divisional Playoff win over Washington.  Christensen wrapped up 1999 at the Pro Bowl as the NFC totaled a game-record 51 points.

Of course their offensive DVOA in 2002 was -2.5% and 21st in the NFL.  The previous year, while he was QB coach they were ranked 12th, although their DVOA was actually worse that year at -2.8%.

Adam Schefter is reporting that former Browns offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski and former Rams head coach Scott Linehan are going to interview for the 49ers vacant offensive coordinator position.

Linehan is a guy we've heard discussed, but Chudzinski has not been discussed quite so much.  Chudzinski was given a three year extension by the Browns prior to this past season and promptly saw their offense drop to near the bottom of most rankings.  Looking at DVOA, in Chudzinski's first season the team rose from 31st (-18.5%) to 11th (6.9%).  In his second season they dropped from 11th to 30th (-17.5%).  Although they dropped in all categories, their rushing attack only dropped to 20th (I guess that's a positive?).

One interesting upside to Chudzinski is his work with Kellen Winslow.  Vernon Davis and Winslow are different beasts, but having a physically gifted tight end could be an interesting situation and one reason Chudzinski would be interested in such a position.  Furthermore, given his recent situation, he would certainly seem like a guy who would be around for at least a couple years.

As I come up with more information I'll include it, particularly from our Browns blogger.

FOOCH'S NOTE 3:40PM: MM has weighed in and really likes both options.  About Chudzinski, he said:

As for Chudzinski, I've been on his bandwagon for more than a year. When it looked as if Mike Nolan's job was in jeopardy toward the end of the 2007 season, I began making phone calls about possible head-coaching candidates. Chudzinski is someone who checked out repeatedly as a "rising star."

He did a fantastic job in his first season (2007) with the Browns. The Ravens wanted to interview him for their head-coaching position last year, but he turned down their request to sign a lucrative contract extension with the Browns. Obviously, things did not go as smoothly this season, as the Browns struggled throughout the season with injuries and other problems.

The one concern with Chudzinski is that if he does a good job, he will immediately become a head-coaching candidate. But if he does a good job, will it be worth it to the 49ers to have had his services for a short period of time?

He considers him still a rising star.  I suppose one season shouldn't ruin a person's stature.  Look at all the coaching retreads that keep getting hired, after all.  Chudzinski will definitely require some more research.

I forgot to do this last week, so here we go.  We had our championship games Week 17 and now have four champions of the first annual Niners Nation Fantasy Football Leagues.  The winner of each league received a $75 gift certificate to the 49ers online store.  The runner up in each league received a $25 certificate to the online store.  Speaking of which, they have a 20% off New Year sale going on now, if you want to buy any 49ers gear.

Niners Nation #1

#1 seed Peckerwoods pulled out the victory 86.1-83.55 thanks to the late efforts of Jay Cutler and Antonio Gates.  The Czars were held back by a 0 point effort from Pierre Thomas and .8 from tight end David Martin.  Peckerwoods wisely chose Leron McClain and Kevin Smith over Clinton Portis; one of many choices that made the difference in the matchup.

Niners Nation #2

#2 seed I'm Carrying Underwood pulled out the victory 96.55-86.2.  Underwood was basically carried to victory by a 36.5 explosion from Steven Jackson, his second biggest point effort of the season.  Although Nosetackle Supreme had big point performances on the bench, none of the difference makers could have been expected to outperform his starters.  This was especially so given the benched starters for playoff teams that week.  We'll definitely adjust the league schedule next season to have the finals Week 16.  My bad.

Niners Nation #3

In the championship game the wild card, forty9ers3298, became the Cinderella story of this Fantasy Football Season when he came back to beat division winner The Faithful. The Faithful started off strong with great Sunday showings from C. Johnson, D. Driver, and D. McNabb, and going into the last game the Fatihful was up 25.4 points. Forty9ers3298 had a good, not great day with Eagles Def. and D. Williams but it was his last, Sunday night game heroics, that netted him the victory. L. Tomlinson's 3 touch down season breakthrough performance (Only took to the last week of the season) and assistance from V. Jackson propelled him to being the Champ. Congratulations to forty9ers3298 and too everyone else... SEE YOU SUCKERS NEXT YEAR!

Niners Nation #4

The ultimate Cinderella shocked the world in NN #4.  The #6 seed Portland BowlBlazers ran the table and absolutely blew out the top seed Legacy_of_Walsh 131.2-78.15.  In a rarity, the BowlBlazers coach rating (basically optimal lineup) was perfect.  Given some of the folks on his bench (Wallace, Benson, F. Jackson and others) it's not exactly a shock, but still impressive nonetheless.  As for Legacy, his optimal lineup would have put up 104.35 so he never really stood a chance.
___________

I want to thank everyone who took part in the fantasy football leagues this year.  I also want to thank Fanhouse and Flea-Flicker for sponsoring the leagues.  Thanks to their financial support, I was able to provide the prizes.  See you next season!

Given everything that's gone down in the last 24 hours, it seems as good a time as any to review the season that was for 49ers running backs and take a brief look ahead to what the offseason holds for the position.  There have been a wide variety of suggestions ranging from Darren Sproles to looking at options in the draft to DeShaun Foster to the ever popular FREE THOMAS CLAYTON! 

I think the general agreement though is that the 49ers need an able-bodied running back to sufficiently spell Frank Gore.  Some teams do well with the single running back, but some of the best running backs have a solid handcuff to keep them somewhat fresh.  Of course, there is also the question of what new RB coach Tom Rathman can do with Gore and whomever else is in the backfield.  I'm not sure how to value a running backs coach so I almost feel like it's something that can't be factored into the equation right now, particular before we get an OC in place.  Anybody have another opinion on that?

Frank Gore: While Frank the Tank did pass 1,000 yards rushing and finished with more than total 1,400 yards, it definitely was a down year for Gore.  An ankle injury hobbled him for two weeks late in the season and almost prevented the third straight thousand yard season.  And for the first time since 2005, Gore did not lead the team in receptions (partially due to injury, but more due to the late season emergence of Isaac Bruce).

Gore has shown himself to be a bruising back that can batter his way through defenses.  The question though is what kind of wear and tear will start to show over the coming seasons?  He had a horrendous injury history at Miami, but in the NFL, he's never missed more than 2 games in a season.  Furthermore, after a monstrous 2006, Gore has been a little closer to average in the rushing department the last two years.  Part of this is due to a lack of a consistent passing threat and offensive line issues, but it's also entirely reasonable to think a more active 2nd running back could do the trick.

DeShaun Foster: He filled in for Gore when needed and finished the season relatively strongly (at least compared to his early season exploits). When he started getting some more consistent carries he wasn't half bad.  However, if Gore is healthy, would Foster get all that many carries and thus be of much use?

Foster is a free agent, but given the price, is there anybody out there that's a better bargain in free agency?  Sproles, Ward and Jacobs are all going to get big dollars I'd imagine.  What about a guy like Dominic Rhodes?  He wasn't great, but given the struggles of Joseph Addai, Rhodes wasn't half bad.  One option would be to bring back Rhodes and let him compete with Clayton and possibly a rookie running back in training camp, with the last man standing getting the backup job.

Michael Robinson: The often forgotten man.  At one point there was talk of Robinson getting a crack as the back-up a year or two ago, but that never materialized.  He seems to have settled into a specific role: special teams wizard, decent pass catcher and a source of frustration as far as WHY the 49ers have never let him pass the ball to keep defenses honest.  I mean seriously.  You've got a one-time QB who could probably still throw a tight spiral if needed.  Run it once every couple weeks and teams will HAVE to play it more honestly.  As small and pointless as that might be, it's one of the things that really drives me crazy.  It just seems so obvious, doesn't it?

Thomas Clayton: The only 49er not to touch the field but end up in the season in review.  I have no idea if he'll ever amount to anything, but it will still be interesting to see how the offseason plays out in terms of roster moves.  I really wish I knew how the 49ers really felt about Clayton.  If they sign a free agent or grab someone in the draft, is that it for Clayton's 49ers career?  It's a bit of a mind-boggling situation.  I read somewhere that Clayton did get some offers from other teams during the season, but there was nothing specific detailed.  Maybe that was just idle speculation.  Who knows.

Looking Ahead
This review really is more about looking to the future.  There is certainly some talent on the free agent market, but aside from the high-end options, not much blows my mind.  You've got Rhodes as I mentioned above.  There's Correll Buckhalter, who averaged 4.9 yards a carry in relief of Brian Westbrook, and actually had the exact same number of carries as Foster.  What about Bay Area product JJ Arrington?  He averaged 6 yards on 31 carries and was a decent kickoff return man.  And there is another division rival, Maurice Morris.  All options, but the question is how good?

In terms of the draft, I think it's safe to say the 49ers won't go running back in the first two or three rounds.  One name to keep an eye out for is Rashad Jennings of Liberty.  He's 6-1, 234lbs, bringing a little more size than Frank and right now Scouts, Inc. ranks him 11th among running backs and 138th overall.  Although that would project to the 4th round, obviously running backs often go higher.  But maybe if he were around in the 4th he might be worth snagging?  Really it's all just spit-balling.  If you use a 4th round pick on a guy, you definitely are expecting something out of him.

After the jump I've listed the top 15 running backs, with their overall ranking in parentheses.

Continue reading this post »

I get an RSS feed from ProFootballTalk.com more just to see what rumors are flying around.  It's not my source for 49ers info, but sometimes an interesting tidbit will pop up about some other time.  Obviously you have to take anything from PFT with a grain of salt.  Today, though, I saw something today that was a link from a Green Bay newspaper discussing the likelihood of Mike Nolan being hired as the Packers defensive coordinator.

“He’s good now. He’s smart,” said the scout who’s familiar with Nolan. “He can run 3-4, 4-3, he knows it all. It depends on what personnel you have. He’ll do whatever, morph to whatever. He’ll use your players to their strengths. He’s smart that way.”

Use players to their strengths?  I think the Big Sub and Manny Lawson would beg to differ.  JRPhillips suggested some discussion of Nolan potentially going to the Packers as a front page post and after reading the above quote today, it seems now is as good a time as any.  As JRPhillips put it:

Seems the Nolan rumor might be worthy of its own front page post, because I’m curious what you all think. I recall hearing that Nolan basically took over the defense that whats-his-name built, and most of his success is due to Ray Lewis. But at the same time, when he was named HC for the Niners, the hiring was universally applauded. Opinions on the subject?

What's-his-name is Marvin Lewis, who was defensive coordinator from 1996-2001.  I thought I'd take a very simplified at defensive DVOA to just get a basic assessment of the situation.  The year before Lewis took over, the Ravens defense was ranked 25th.  In Lewis's six seasons the defense was ranked (in this order): 29th, 13th, 14th, 2nd, 1st, 4th.  Mike Nolan immediately followed him in Baltimore from 2002-2004.  In those three seasons, the defense was ranked (in this order): 6th, 1st and 2nd.

One small factor to consider is that, in 2002, Ray Lewis only played five games.  Other than that, how much credit can be given to Mike Nolan?  I'm not saying he doesn't deserve credit for continuing the defensive domination, but it's tough to give him a ton of credit.  That first season happened to be Ed Reed's rookie year, but again I don't know what kind of credit can go to Nolan given Reed's immense talent.

So, what do people think?  Assessing Mike Nolan's defensive coordinating prowess is not exactly a black and white argument.  His bull-headed ways made for great annoyance with the Big Sub.  The 49ers defense improved during his time in SF, but given how bad it previously was, that's not saying much.

We're going on almost a week and a half since Mike Martz was shown the door as the offensive coordinator.  In that time, the organization has been rather tight-lipped about who their considering for the position.  Up to this points, two names have slipped out via Maiocco and Barrows: Scott Linehan and now Tom Rathman.  We'll discuss Linehan at another point.  For now, Tom Rathman raises some interesting questions worth discussing.

Coach Singletary mentioned Rathman as a guy he was interested in talking with, although no mention was made of what position exactly.  Two options exist with Rathman.  They could of course hire him for the big job, as offensive coordinator.  Such a move would be ballsy at best, downright stupid at worst.  Although nobody will call him the next Jim Hostler, it's certainly worth keeping in mind how that went down. A guy like Linehan may not be absolutely awesome, but he's got the experience that would be beneficial to this team.

The upside to Rathman the offensive coordinator, as Barrows was quick to point out, is that: 1) he's got the hard-nosed running style that Singletary is looking for, and 2) he's a nice connection to the glory days.

The second option is one I'm wildly intrigued by.  Rathman comes on as running backs coach (it would be his second tenure at that position with the 49ers) and is basically groomed to become the next offensive coordinator.  Such an idea is thrown out there by Ann Killion over at the Mercury News.  The argument for this type of hire is that you get the best of both worlds.  You can bring in someone experienced, like say a Scott Linehan and when he goes off for a head-coaching job, your RB coach is right there to take over.

This brings me to my own question of the hour.  Every offensive coordinator starts at some lower position on the food chain.  In the case of the Bill Walsh tree, a lot of these guys went from offensive assistant, to quarterbacks coach, to offensive coordinator.  I'm wondering if QB coach to OC is a necessity to become an effective offensive coordinator? 

On the one hand, the QB is one guy who is involved in every single play offensive play, even if it is just handing off the ball.  As QB coach you have to know enough about the run game to work with your QB.  However, if, like Singletary wants, the 49ers become a power running team, is a running backs coach promotion just as do-able?  I've honestly been pondering this since Mike Martz was fired, and obviously this has become a hot-button issue with you guys.

I thought about throwing up a poll but it's not a black and white issue, given the availability of other options.  So the basic question is how do you feel about Tom Rathman as a potential hire for the 49ers?  Do you want him in as OC now?  Would you prefer him in as RB coach with an experienced OC ahead of him, with Rathman being groomed to take over?  Would you prefer Rathman as RB coach and nothing more?  Am I out of my mind to think someone other than a QB coach can be groomed as a future OC?  So many questions and thankfully we've got plenty of time to answer them.

Also, someone at Silver and Black Pride put up a FanPost mentioning the 49ers interest in Rathman.  I threw up a comment asking them about Rathman's performance in Oakland.  We'll see what kind of response I get.

This has nothing to do with the 49ers, but I'm curious what people think of the redesign of espn.com.  I'm not sure how they did it, but the site appears to have been simplified while being overly complicated.  I think part of my discomfort is just the change in general.  When they switched to their last incarnation I wasn't sure if I'd like it, but I grew to enjoy it just fine.  I'm assuming I'll get used to this version as well.

What do I dislike about it?  Well, in the previous versions, when you scrolled over a given sport (NFL, MLB, NBA, etc...) there was an automatic drop-down menu where you could click on scoreboard, standings and other assorted league information.  That does not seem to exist anymore and it's kind of a pain.

What do I like about it?  Well, what they do have on the front page is distinctly separated, whether it be Simmons and Reilly, the headlines, what's on ESPN today, the poll, and so forth.  I could definitely get used to that.

So what do you guys think about this?  I've included a poll, but I'd like to hear your substantive thoughts on it.  Am I missing something that makes it more user friendly?

I was all set to take a look at Scott Linehan this morning when Barrows jumped on it.  Such is life.  I'll come up with my own alternative take on Linehan in the coming days (think DVOA among other things.  In the meantime, now seems as good a time as any to make the first, ridiculously early predictions of the 49ers 2009 slate of opponents.  We have no clue when the games will take place, but that won't stop us from throwing out predictions.  In the front page poll, so far 80% of people think the 49ers will win at least 9 games in 2009.  I like the optimism!

vs. Atlanta Falcons: WIN - The Falcons were merely average on the road this season, going 4-5, including the playoffs.  I think the 49ers can win this even if Matt Ryan does NOT have a sophomore slump.  Nate Clements vs. Roddy White looks to be a phenomenal matchup and while Michael Turner had a great season, the 49ers have done well at times in the past against solid running backs.  This will be a very tough won, but it is winnable.

vs. Detroit Lions: WIN - I don't care what they do in the offseason, I'll continue to notch this up as a win until further notice.  The Lions have a lot of work to do this offseason throughout the organization and I honestly have no idea when they'll become a decent football team.  I'd say return to relevance, but when you go 0-16 you're relevantly awful.

vs. Chicago Bears: WIN: I wonder if this will send GeoMak into shock, although maybe he's only a fan of the old teams.  The Bears did have a shot at the division title heading into Week 17, but I just can't respect a team with Kyle Orton and Rex Grossman at quarterback.  They rock the great defense, but part of their success in 2009 might be predicated on whether Devin Hester can develop into a better receiver (or maybe if they stick him back at kick returner full time).

vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: LOSS - This is based on a bounce back season by the Jaguars.  They've got an impressive array of talent and yet it all collapsed this season, big time.  I think the Jaguars are fixing to bounce back in 2009.  I see no home loss being a blowout this season meaning they're all quite winnable.  I've got this team going 6-2 at home, but that could honestly range anywhere from 8-0 to 4-4 and I would not be surprised

vs. Tennessee Titans: LOSS - The Titans looked really impressive at times season and really average at times this season.  The two questions heading into 2009 is who will be quarterbacking team and whether Chris Johnson will have a sophomore slump.  The good thing for them at running back though is they've got a solid LenDale White to make up for a Johnson slump.  However, QB is another question.  Collins is getting a bit long in the tooth and Vince Young remains a little coo-coo for coco puffs.  RIght now I have this as a loss, but depending on how the offseason moves, I'm tempted to swing this into the win column.  Call me VY crazy.

@ Minnesota Vikings: WIN - The last time the 49ers faced the Vikings (2007), they shut down Adrian Peterson (3 yards on 14 carries), but were roughed up by Chester Taylor.  The defense is improved since then and I think they can contain the running back duo in 2009.  The Vikings continue to have huge questions at the quarterback position, which will hold them back until further notice.

@ Green Bay Packers: WIN - After a decent enough start, the Packers really struggled.  Aaron Rodgers had a solid first year starting, but the team as a whole just could not take care of business.  They had a 1,000 yard rusher, but Ryan Grant only averaged 3.9 a carry in doing so.  On defense, they were quite solid against the pass, but horrible against the run.  By DVOA's terms, they finished 16th in team efficiency, but finished with the 24th best record.  I think this is a big time wildcard game.  Initially I was hoping for a warm weather game, but given the 49ers rushing tendency going forward, maybe the 49ers will have the advantage on the frozen tundra?

@ Indianapolis Colts: LOSS - Even in what was supposed to be a down year, the Colts put together a solid 12-4 season.  If they can stay healthy in the offseason and get Joseph Addai back to his 2007 form (just murder in 2008 on fantasy teams), they're a dangerous team.  I think this is the closest there is to a guaranteed loss, although I think the 49ers can still hang with the Colts.

@ Houston Texans: WIN - This might actually have a lot to do with scheduling.  The last two season, the Texans have finished 5-1 and 3-1 while finishing the season as a whole at 8-8.  I'm thinking we want to face this team in the first couple months.  They've got a lot of talent, but consider me one person who thinks Steve Slaton is the rookie most likely to hit the rookie wall in 2009.

@ Philadelphia Eagles: LOSS - The Eagles had the 49ers number during the Nolan era.  It'd be nice to see Mike Singletary change that but I'm not sure it will happen on the road.  Of course, given the Jekkyl and Hyde nature of the Eagles anything is possible.  With the firing of Mike Nolan, Andy Reid can possibly lay claim to worst in-game manager in the NFL.  Thast certainly leaves the door open for an upset.

St. Louis Rams: WIN/LOSS - I just split the divisional games down the middle.  We could very well sweep the Rams, and be swept by another team.  The Rams face an important offseason in getting back to respectability.  The players want Jim Haslett back, but I really don't think that's the best idea.

Arizona Cardinals: WIN/LOSS - The 49ers need to at least split with the Cardinals if they're going to take that step back to respectability and winning the division.  The Cardinals were solid at times and awful at times, although the awful probably relates to being locked into playoff position.  However, I think the Cardinals are primed to be knocked off their perch (pun only partially intended).  A split at the very least is a must.

Seattle Seahawks: WIN/LOSS - I honestly have no idea what to expect from the Seahawks in 2009.  Yes they'll have Matt Hasselbeck returning, but he turns 34 early in the season.  Their running game was solid, but not spectacular.  They went through more receivers than I thought was possible and their defense did nothing for anybody.  And yet they bring their A game when they face the 49ers, which means anything is possible.

And just like, I've got a final prediction of 9-7.  I'm probably being a bit optimistic, but I think the wins I have listed are entirely possible.  Of course, as the slate of opponents for 2008 showed, anything is possible (see Dolphins, Miami and Jets, NY).  One trade can completely change a team.  Given that, I'll be back with another round of schedule predictions after free agency and just before the draft.  Are there any games I've predicted where you think I'm 100% wrong?

Now that the 49ers offseason is in full swing, it seemed like a great time to start back up with the NIners Nation All-Time Team.  We added one position midseason, WR #2.  Congratulations to John Taylor who pulled away from Terrell Owens to make the team.  Now that we're in the offseason we'll fill up the rest of the team and also get to our Niners Nation All-Time Bums team (name to be determined).

Rather than open with a vote, I figued we'd start with a position that requires absolutely no vote.  If you think a vote is necessary for this position, then I'm guessing you either are not a 49ers fan or really think democracy is awesome.

Yes, we're talking about the Niners Nation all-time team #1 wide receiver, G.O.A.T. himself, Jerry Rice.  As far as I'm concerned, Jerry Rice is not just the greatest wide receiver of all time, but the greatest football player of all time.  He shredded the record books in a way that could only be compared to someone like Wayne Gretzky.  Just consider the fact that if you eliminate the four seasons he played outside of San Francisco, he'd still easily hold every receiving record in the books.  He holds NFL career records for receptions, receiving yards, total touchdowns, consecutive games with a reception and most points by a non-kicker.  And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

We all know the story of Jerry Rice coming out of unheralded Mississippi Valley State and proceeded to just torch the NFL.  The most amazing part is how nobody really wanted him coming out of high school even though he was All-State as a defensive back, not even Ole Miss or nearby Mississippi State.  Rice says the MVSU coach was the only head coach to come see him in person.

What I find most amazing about Jerry Rice is that while he was certainly a talented player, he was never the fastest or biggest guy out there.  He willed himself to become the greatest and that's seen in his legendary offseason hill runs.  Guys like Randy Moss and Terrell Owens bring outrageous size and speed to the wide receiver position and are appropriately recognized as great receivers.  While it might be easy to say, well imagine the records Rice would have broken with the speed and jump of Moss or the raw physicality of TO.  However, I think Rice willed himself to greatness because of the lack of size or so-called 40 speed.  He was not quite along the lines of Larry Bird (too slow, can't jump, can't shoot, etc.), but he was underestimated coming out of college (two wide receivers went ahead of him).

One knock on Rice was his ego.  However, to be the greatest, you have to think you're the greatest.  Jerry Rice believed he was the greatest and the stats back him up.  Furthermore, his teams obviously won Super Bowls and spent most of their time in the playoffs.  So even if his teammates hated him (not saying that's the case), it didn't affect the on-field team product.

I'll close with a brief story about why I'm more than a little more than biased towards Jerry Rice.  In April of 2007 I was fortunate enough to attend Rice's induction ceremony into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame.  Thanks to where I worked at the time, I was able to get up into the pre-ceremony VIP reception.  All the inductees came in and were milling around with their handlers.  At one point Rice was separated from his handler and standing by myself.  I quickly pounced and struck up a conversation with him.  Someone interrupted our conversation and it looked he was going to guide Rice somewhere else.  I started to back away and Rice put a hand on my shoulder and told me to hang on one second.  After he finished talking to that person we continued our conversation for a couple more minutes.

I realize it's not the biggest thing in the world, but given the size of the crowd and the event in question, the fact that he was willing to take a couple minutes to talk to some fan meant a lot.  It leaves me a little more biased towards his greatness, but I don't see anything wrong with that.  It wasn't even that he could have just been a complete prick.  If he'd gone off to talk to everybody else I would not have been surprised given the circumstances.  Even as a 20-something sports fan that recognizes the reality of how athletes can be, having a positive encounter like this still makes me feel like a kid.