Jim Harbaugh loves hyperbole. Absolutely loves it. Its as close to the rush he gets from football as anything not football can get.
So when he said that Frank Gore deserves a statue outside the still mythical Santa Clara stadium (hey, all it lacks is shovels, cement and workman), he had his hyperbo-meter so far in the red that he cracked the glass.
He wanted to praise Gore, and with good reason. Gore is his offense, and Gore is one of those indomitable spirits that every team needs if it isnt planning to be Jacksonville. But a statue? Stop it. Stop it now.
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For one, hes still playing. Statues are reserved for the retired or the dead, and as someone who has incorrectly guessed on more than one occasion that his career was nearing its end, your faithful author isnt playing that one again.
For two, is he really good enough for a statue outside the stadium? I mean, how much extra money for bronze and marble do these people have?
If the statue is meant to place him among the franchises hierarchy, then heres who has to come before him, in no particular order:
1. The Morabitos.
2. Eddie DeBartolo, Sr.
3. Eddie DeBartolo, Jr.
4. Joe Montana.
5. Bill Walsh.
6. John Brodie.
7. Frankie Albert.
8. Buck Shaw.
9. R.C. Owens.
10. John Henry Johnson.
11. Joe Perry.
12. Hugh McElhenny.
13. Charlie Krueger.
14. Leo Nomellini.
15. Bob St. Clair.
16. Dave Wilcox.
17. Jimmy Johnson.
18. Ronnie Lott.
19. Eric Wright.
20. Charles Haley.
21. Fred Dean.
22. Dwight Clark (for The Play, if nothing else).
23. Jerry Rice.
24. Roger Craig.
25. George Seifert.
26. Steve Young.
27. Bobb McKittrick.
28. Gene Washington.
29. Bruno Banducci.
30. Bob Fouts.
31. Abe Woodson.
32. Patrick Willis.
That would make an even 32, and frankly, there ought to be consideration for Alex Smith just for endurance in the face of galactic scorn.
But like Gore, Smith is still active, and active players dont get to be considered. A statue should be as mobile as the person being honored, and if youre still playing, you have time to worry about your legacy. In fact, if youre worrying about your legacy while youre still active, youre probably fairly useless on the day-to-day stuff.
If Jed York has earmarked enough money for that many statues, then Gore will earn his place. But its still awfully early for that kind of tribute. Maybe Harbaugh can put up a shrine in the house in the meantime.
Oh, and in case your favorite player or figure isnt on this list, let us direct you to the immortal words of the much beloved Wes (Scoop) Nisker, whose catchphrase was the perfect, If you dont like the news, go out and make some of your own.
Ray Ratto is a columnist for CSNBayArea.com