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In the days since we last visited the Michael Crabtree mess (our position restated: offer him Darrius Heyward-Bey's deal in public, and if he doesn't go for it, trade him or tell him to take a hike), the situation between his people and the 49ers' people has deteriorated, as most relationships involving people will do.

The 49ers have blundered by not negotiating in public and putting the Crabtree people in a position to have to reject what should be a generous offer. But the Crabtree people, not surprisingly, have been successfully demonized as crazy, unrealistic, revolutionary and now, unethical and criminal.

Oh, yeah. This is going to end well for everyone.

The latest comes from the Dallas Observer, and references the history of Crabtree's cousin and adviser David Wells, the fellow who said that Crabtree would sit out the season if he didn't get what he wanted, as a man who was arrested for stealing boxing gloves from the Dallas Police Athletic League, and banned for life by USA Boxing because of allegations of misuse of funds. He was also indicted for serving as a private investigator with a lapsed license that had lapsed four years earlier, but was exonerated after a questionable receipt appeared showing he had renewed it. He also started a security company with a court bailiff, which is illegal due to conflict-of-interest rules.

Oh, he was also a bodyguard for Michael Irvin, which is neither illegal or even questionable, but it does touch a third rail for 49er fans. The Dallas Cowboys.

All this atop agent Eugene Parker being accused of wanting to destroy the NFL's precious slotting system, and Crabtree being a diva, and maybe not as good as advertised. The entire agents-are-evil-and-players-are-greedy machine in excellent working order.

And that, children, is how Michael Crabtree is getting squeezed.

But the central point remains the same. The 49ers need to stop playing this and publicly lay out the number at which they want Crabtree to play for them. The negotiating game doesn't preclude this, and in fact it is a very helpful weapon for putting an agent in a corner; the 49ers' we-don't-negotiate-in-public stand actually works against them here.

And if the number they lay out (which we maintain should be Heyward-Bey's deal, a magnanimous offer by any stretch) doesn't move Parker and Crabtree, then the team should move on -- now. Don't wait for the ebbs and flows of phony negotiations. Either trade Crabtree or just stop taking Parker's calls, and do it in such a way that everyone in the nation knows what's been done. It squeezes Parker, it humiliates Crabtree and costs him a year of his career, makes him miserable and makes not ever signing him a lot less painful. That way, the 49ers get to look like they played some great hardball.

And if Parker breaks, then the 49ers get the guy they wanted and Parker looks like he beat the system, thereby making everyone happy.

Or they can all keep doing this -- playing chicken because that's what everyone always does. A strategy of pure stupidity on all sides.

Posted By: Ray Ratto | August 07 2009 at 09:57 AM
And The Horse You Rode In On : The Crabtree Saga Just Gets Better

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DIS GUY CRABTREE IZ A FU**IN IDIOT!!!