If Jim Harbaugh plans to revive a San Francisco 49ers franchise that has not had a winning record since the early part of the decade, a ton of hard work will be required. The Niners finished 8-8 in 2009 and appeared as though they may finally be headed in the right direction. However, injuries and poor play set San Francisco back once again last season, resulting in a disappointing 6-10 campaign.
In an attempt to send a message to his new squad, Harbaugh has issued gas station work shirts with personalized name patches to each player on his roster. The message in handing out the blue-collar shirts is simple: Work hard.
“I love ’em. They seem to love it to, as you see the guys wearing it,” Harbaugh told the Mercury News. “It’s not real complicated what it stands for — a motivational symbol, if you will.”
If one person needs to take the gesture seriously it’s Alex Smith. Harbaugh is sticking with Smith despite many critics calling for his head. All of the teams in the NFL need to work hard to be successful, but the 49ers have to make up for a lack of talent with a strong work ethic if they hope to have a shot at making the playoffs. Playing in the NFC West never hurts.
