You are here: Los Angeles Politics S.F. Politics Examiner

Arthur Bruzzone

S.F. Politics Examiner
Arthur Bruzzone is a former state commissioner, political party chair, and a print/broadcast journalist. His articles and comments have been featured in regional and national media, including the Wall Street Journal. He is a native San Franciscan.

  

Examiner Feeds

These websites were picked by the S.F. Politics Examiner as useful resources.
Wall Street Journal Politics - 1 hr ago FOX News Election Headquarters - 4 hrs ago C.W. Nevius - 4 hrs ago FOX News Election Headquarters - 5 hrs ago ABC News - Politics - 8 hrs ago

National and State Political

San Francisco

Political Media

Columnists

San Francisco Examiners

Susan Harrow
S.F. Marketing & P.R. Examiner
Most Recent Post
Aspire to Oprah, but do your homework
Mark Silverman
S.F. Timeshare Examiner
Most Recent Post
The best websites for timeshare owners
Liza Zimmerman
S.F. Wine & Cocktail Examiner
Most Recent Post
Rediscovering Bourbon
Find the Examiners
writing about your
favorite topics.

Suited: 49er's coach Nolan and Mayor Newsom

October 13, 10:16 AM
by Arthur Bruzzone, S.F. Politics Examiner
 
There’s a direct connection between a pro sports team and its host city.  Forty-niners Coach Mike Nolan’s 49ers and San Francisco’s Mayor Newsom have much in common. 

Last Sundays Niners defeat says a great deal about both.

For both Nolan and Newsom, appearances and the trivial dominate---that's in direct  contrast with the past for the Niners.  Cherished Niner’s coach Bill Walsh was understated, reserved, thoughtful, and successful. He brought a winning team to a city battered "reeling from the assassination of San Francisco’s mayor and one of its Supervisors, from the Jonestown suicides by the Peoples’ Temple congregation...and from the devastating emergence of the AIDS epidemic."  (More)

Going over the top. Now contrast that with Coach Nolan’s blatantly absurd challenge of a field goal last Sunday, with two referees planted squarely under the goal posts....and, consider  Mayor Newsom’s arrogant “you’d better get used to it...it's going to happen whether you like it or not” boast, now featured prominently in Yes on 8 ads (marriage definition initiative). 

Can you imagine Bill Walsh challenging a field goal?  Or, Mayor Willie Brown boasting after a political victory?  Walsh and Brown understood when you lose you lose gracefully, and when you win you do modestly.  They also understood you don’t declare victory until the contest is over.

There are fundamentals for both football and politics. Flashy plays and political initiatives have a short shelf life.  With Offensive Coordinator Martz, we have razzle dazzle pass plays.  But Coach Walsh emphasized fundamentals:  The passing game was planted on a solid ground game. His short pass strategy was actually an extended running strategy.  

We saw a bit of that in the first half last Sunday.  A hard driving back like Frank Gore needs about 20-25 rushing plays to get into stride, to read and fool the defense.  He proved that in the first half.  When most teams would run the ball with a lead in the last quarter,  Martz went back to the air.  Glitz over fundamentals. Always aiming for the fence.

Current SF politics is no different.  Now we have flash over fundamentals.  Take the recent attack by the Mayor and Board of Supervisors on cigarette sales in drug stores, or nutritional regulations for restaurants, or restrictions on restaurants in North Beach.  Meanwhile, their fiscal mismanagement continues with a grossly under funded health pension plan, huge bonds needed for infrastructure (now in an environment of tight credit), and the highest city employee salaries in the country.  Fundamentals, ignored for too long by the Mayor and Board, will come back to haunt them in the current credit crisis.

Suits.  The fine tailored suits and rhetoric of Coach Nolan and Mayor Newsom can’t hide the fact that both the team and the city have too often become the laughing stock of the nation. 

When the city grows weary of the flash, then we’ll see new leadership, professional leadership, of both the 49ers and city hall. One that starts with fundamentals, and less temper tantrums, boasting, and grimacing for the cameras.  

The victory celebrations will follow naturally.  We all remember 500,000 proud fans lined up along Market Street when the Niners won their first  superbowl.  Unfortunately, that memory is fading rapidly to a black and white past, as is the city’s greatness.
 


Topics: 49ers
   Subscribe   Feed

Comments

Name:  
Email Address:  
Comments:  

More from S.F. Politics Examiner

Get out the vote, ACORN style

October 9, 9:49 PM
Consider this February 21, 2008 post from Obama's own blog site: ‘Even before I was an elected official, when I ran Project Vote voter registration drive in Illinois, ACORN was smack dab in the middle of it, and we appreciate your work.”The... Read More
Topics: Obama , Presidential Campaign , ACORN , elections 2008

SF's top in-depth investigative reporter

October 1, 10:30 PM
SF/Weekly’s Matt Smith has never wavered.  He is San Francisco’s most consistent and thorough investigative reporter.  He can knock out 2,000-4,000 word fluid exposes week after week.  Like reporters Woodward/Bernstein in All... Read More

SF politics just another cultural festival

September 30, 1:51 PM
I suspect that my colleague, Melissa Griffin, is not the only one dozing off while watching televised Board of Supervisors meetings.  We're well beyond boring when it comes to local politics.  Politics died effectively ten years ago when uber... Read More

Ex-SF Bay voters may decide next president

September 29, 11:29 AM
Today, Barack Obama wins.  With the help of ex-Californians living in Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico.  Former San Francisco Bay Area residents who have moved to these states have changed them from red to blue, at least light blue (as in leaning).  From... Read More
Topics: Obama , McCain , Presidential Campaign

Debate: both candidates trapped in campaign bubbles

September 27, 4:37 AM
One’s too old, one’s too young.  One living in the past, one living in the future, neither addressed the abyss the country tilts over. As a college debater, I couldn’t believe what I was watching.  The moderator... Read More
Topics: Obama , McCain , Debate

What's Bill Clinton up to

September 26, 7:56 AM
First he acknowledges partial responsibility for the current credit market collapse, by “pressing Fannie Mae, the mortgage company, to lower its credit standards for lower- and middle-income families seeking homes.” [More]Then he criticizes... Read More
Topics: presidential campaigns , Obama , McCain , Bill Clinton , credit crisis

Another McCain gamble

September 24, 1:44 PM
John McCain has done it again.  First, he selected Gov. Sarah Palin.  Now, he’s suspended his campaign and put himself, and forced his opponent, into the bailout debate. With public opinion polls showing weak support for Treasury’s... Read More
Topics: Obama , McCain , Presidential Campaign

You gotta luv Joe Biden..

September 23, 1:04 PM
[Joe Biden, Last night...FDR on TV?]"When the stock market crashed, Franklin Roosevelt got on the television and didn't just talk about the princes of greed," Biden told Couric. "He said, 'Look, here's what happened.'"As Reason's... Read More
Topics: biden , Election 2008

San Francisco unemployment rate nears 6 percent

September 19, 2:27 PM
California’s unemployment rate rose to 7.7 percent in August, while San Francisco experienced a 5.9 percent unemployment rate for the same period.   The city's was the third lowest of Bay Area counties. Marin had the lowest rate,... Read More
Topics: san francisco , unemployment rate

More from this examiner