The last time the 49ers won a Super Bowl, the roster included cornerback Deion Sanders. On Thursday night, the 49ers continue to look nothing like a postseason contender, and Sanders has let the franchise have it.
“This San Francisco 49ers football team and the fans should be ashamed,” Sanders said on CBS. “The management and ownership should be ashamed. This team is three years removed from a Super Bowl and they’re putting that product. Colin Kaepernick has nowhere to go, nowhere to throw. We’re here seeing this live. No one is open. They’re not blocking a soul. This is pathetic for a team that was in the Super Bowl just a few years ago. They lost a darn good coach and some really good players.”
After firing (or, officially from the team’s perspective, mutually parting with) coach Jim Harbaugh, owner Jed York said that fans should hold him accountable if the team doesn’t compete for championships.
The fans presumably are now ready to hold York accountable. The lingering question is how does a fan base hold an owner accountable while still displaying loyalty to and support for the franchise he owns?