This is a thought I’ve been germinating for a few weeks now, especially during our three-game losing streak.

For a quick reference, my uncle is Gary Plummer, and I was 16 when he joined the 49ers in 1994. I had a backstage pass with the team for his tenure there. Some of the best memories of my life.

I thought about what it was like during the mid 90’s with media coverage and narratives. And here’s what I remember and confirmed with “Uncle Gary” and by looking up newspaper write ups from those years:

The amount of hyperbole and “absolute” statements being thrown around by just about everyone nowadays is unprecedented compared to any other timeline in sports history.

Just go back and look at the real-time discussion from yesterday. You would have thought this team gave up 40 points in the first quarter after the Bucs scored. You would have thought McCaffrey was washed. I could go on. But you get my point.

During the three game losing streak it was even worse. Not just in the 49ers subreddit but on every single sports show, televised or radio or otherwise.

Gone is the ability to put things into perspective. Everything and I do mean EVERYthing is either the best or the worst. There’s no middle ground. If Brock isn’t being talked about in the MVP race, he’s being talked about as a “system QB”. Our defense is either “lights out and allowing the lowest point total per game” or it’s “a shell of what it was under Saleh and Ryans.” It feels like there is no longer allowed a gray area with any position, coach or game.

Now, back to the Eagles beating the 49ers 40-8 in 1994. Not one article I read from then had the doom and gloom tone that every single article and mouthpiece has nowadays. That loss was taken in stride. They gave reasons why the 49ers got hammered and they used facts and logic and player and coaches quotes to summarize.

Had that happened this year, the following 6 days after the loss until the next game would have been “it’s over.” “Brock isn’t him.” “The defense was exposed.” “We’ll never win a Super Bowl now.” etc etc. That 1994 loss in 2023’s narrative would have been morbid.

I’m 45, so I don’t consider myself “an old man”, nor do I think I sound like a curmudgeon right now. I just wish we could all take a deep breath sometimes. Fans. Sports show hosts. Etc.

Reading and watching social media and sports shows nowadays feels like an exercise in gold sifting. Are there any real gold nuggets amongst ALL the pyrite being said and written?

Maybe this sub can get a little better at toning down the hyperbole and absolute statements and not overreact to every play, score and statement as if it will win or lose us the Super Bowl.