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After getting booted from Santa Clara County, head coach Kyle Shanahan settled into the 49ers’ new facility in Glendale, Arizona on Wednesday, where the team will spend at least the next two-plus weeks.
Shanahan was asked about comments from County Executive Jeff Smith, who expressed surprise at Shanahan’s disappointment, and the team feeling blindsided by the County’s announcement that contact sports would be prohibited until at least December 21. The team found out the news as it was boarding its flight to Los Angeles prior to their matchup with the Rams.
No other NFL team has dealt with those sort of restrictions, and the 49ers and the County had discussions about protocols prior to the season.
Smith explicitly questioned the 49ers’ values, according to the Mercury News.
“Historically, sportsmanship has been about building a team and protecting that team,” Smith said. “Coaches, managers and owners used to want to protect their players from harm. Those values seem to have been placed on hold during the COVID pandemic.
“If leaders want to protect their teams and communities, they should not play anywhere until it is safe. One might envision a reemergence of team-building if the teams spent their time building a COVID relief fund for the community rather than trying to put the community at more risk.”
When asked about Smith’s comments, Shanahan almost succeeded in biting his tongue, but was clearly frustrated.
“I have no reaction to that,” Shanahan said. “Someone who questions our values doesn’t know us. Shows what we’re dealing with. That doesn’t matter.”
