Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/767943
SEANM.HAFFEY—GETTYIMAGES Colin Kaepernick runs from the Rams' William Hayes in Saturday's win, and Kaepernick could flee the 49ers a er Sunday's season finale. ByCamInman BayAreaNewsGroup SANTA CLARA Sunday mercifully ends one of the San Francisco 49ers' worst seasons ever. And then it all really begins. Changes to the front office, coach- ing staff and wafer-thin roster are all possible when a three-year play- off drought shows no imminent end. Here is a look at which key figures might stay or go, excluding first- and second-year players just mak- ing their mark: CEOJEDYORK His father, John York, disputed a CBS Sports report two weeks ago and said it is "completely" false that Jed will lose power after seven years as CEO. While keeping in constant communication with his general manager and coach, Jed York is not known to interfere with foot- ball-related decisions in terms of the 53-man roster and starting lineups. Family ties overrule fan angst. VERDICT Stays GENERAL MANAGER TRENT BAALKE Five years after winning NFL Exec- utive of the Year and then reaching the Super Bowl the next season, Baal- ke's equity has evaporated. Player ar- rests (12 since 2012) reflected poorly on a roster before it got waylaid by the 2015 offseason exodus. Far too many draft picks have not produced, especially the seven picks he cava- lierly gambled on players with knee injuries. To his credit, he's heaped ac- countability upon himself. Promot- ing assistant general manager Tom Gamble and keeping Kelly would make for the swiftest, most predict- able transition. VERDICT Gone COACH CHIP KELLY Firing him for a fourth coach in four seasons is not a good look, and not good for the Yorks' payroll (with Jim Tomsula still on it). Also not good is becom- NFL Predicting49ers'shakeups Baalke,Kaepernickboth could go a er season when decisions are made Sunday: Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers, 1:25p.m., TV on FOX, radio on 100.7FM. TUNEIN By Jimmy Durkin Bay Area News Group ALAMEDA Matt McGloin con- trolled the moment, was confident and handled himself perfectly. This won't compare to Sunday against the Denver Broncos when he'll make his first start in three years, but McGloin aced his first test as the new Oakland Raiders starting quarterback during his news conference on Wednesday. The fourth-year pro from Penn State managed his seven minutes at the podium with the type of poise he'll need to display as he tries to lead the Raiders (12-3) to an AFC West title and through a playoff run in place of the injured Derek Carr. McGloin adeptly addressed the narrative that's followed him since he began his college career as a walk-on — that he basks in the underdog role and plays with a chip on his shoulder. "I've obviously gotten that question a lot throughout my ca- reer, playing with a chip on your shoulder and things like that," McGloin said. "I don't necessarily think I play that way. I mean, I re- ally enjoy playing the game. I re- ally enjoy competition, I enjoy be- NFL MCGLOIN READY AS RAIDERS' STARTER Oakland's second-string quarterback prepared to step in for injured Carr for finale and playoffs Oakland Raiders quarterback Matt McGloin answers questions during a press conference at the team's practice facility in Oakland on Wednesday. PHOTOS BY DAN HONDA — BAY AREA NEWS GROUP Oakland Raiders quarterback Matt McGloin throws a pass during practice at the team's practice facility in Oakland on Wednesday. With the injury to starting quarterback Derek Carr, McGloin is now the starting quarterback as the team prepares for the final game of the season and the playoffs. Sunday: Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos, 1:25p.m., TV on CBS, radio on 93.9FM. TUNEIN By Tim Reynolds The Associated Press ORLANDO, FLA. Miami fans asked Brad Kaaya to end the school's 10-year bowl-victory drought, and he delivered. Nowtheyhaveanotherrequest. "One more year! One more year!" they chanted at Kaaya on Wednesday night, after he threw four touchdown passes to help Miami top No. 14 West Virginia 31-14 in the Russell Ath- letic Bowl. Andit'seasytoseewhythey're clamoring for the school's most prolific quarterback to return. Kaaya completed 24 of 34 passes for 282 yards for Miami (9-4) — and went 18 for 19 in one dazzling stretch, the lone in- completion in that span being a drop. The four TDs tied both a Miami bowl record and Kaaya's collegiate best. "I've got some soul-search- ing to do," said Kaaya, who al- ready was Miami's career leader in passing yards and took over the No. 1 spots in attempts and completions on Wednesday. "Regardless of if I'm here or not next season, I think this team is headed to greatness," Kaaya added. "I think there's a lot of good things going on and a lot of progress has been made, so I think this team will be good regardless of what happens over the next few days." Skyler Howard passed for 134 yards and ran for a touchdown for West Virginia (10-3), which fell to 3-17 against Miami. Ken- nedy McKoy also had a touch- down run for the Mountaineers, who committed 11 penalties and allowed four sacks. West Virginia came in aver- aging more than 500 yards per game. Miami held them to 229. RUSSELL ATHLETIC BOWL Kaaya's 4 TDs lead Miami past West Virginia By Greg Beacham The Associated Press LOS ANGELES Ronda Rousey is returning to mixed martial arts Friday after a 13-month absence, taking on Amanda Nunes for the bantamweight title at UFC 207. Just don't expect to hear about it from Rousey. The once-dominant champion has largely declined to promote her comeback bout, skipping nearly every traditional pre-fight media responsibility. Rousey's si- lence leaves Nunes and the other fighters on the card in the awk- ward position of doing all the dirty work to sell the UFC's end- of-the-year, pay-per-view event in Las Vegas. "I really don't know what's go- ing on with Ronda right now," Nunes said recently. "This whole thing, I really don't know. ... I think the UFC is doing it for her. I think the UFC has been doing all the promos for her. I think she can do whatever she wants." Rousey is the most market- able name in the game and per- haps the biggest mainstream star in MMA history, and her return from last year's shocking knock- out loss to Holly Holm should be one of the biggest sports events of the holiday period. Rousey (12-1) largely vanished from public view after her defeat, but agreed to re- turn for a title shot at Nunes (13- 4), who won the belt in July. Rousey's decision to limit her- self to a few talk-show appear- ances and a fleeting interview or two has forced Nunes — who has a tiny fraction of Rousey's fame — to carry the promotional weight along with talkative men's ban- tamweight champion Dominick Cruz, who takes on unbeaten Cody Garbrandt in the co-main event at T-Mobile Arena. Nunes has gamely done hours of interviews in her ever-improv- ing English to promote the show. The Brazilian champion thinks she knows why the UFC has given a free pass to Rousey. "The UFC wants to make it eas- ier for her, so she doesn't feel like she's not the champion anymore," Nunes said. "They want to make her feel like she's not the second. They want to make me the sec- ond, to make her get stronger or something. I feel like they pro- mote her, so she can be strong, like, 'Ronda, Ronda, Ronda, Ronda.' But she knows she's the challenger. I'm the champion." You might not know it from the UFC's posters, videos and TV commercials, which are thor- oughly dominated by Rousey's glowering face. She agreed to ap- pear in those in-house promo- tions, in which Nunes is practi- cally a footnote — a decision crit- icized on Twitter by no less than Joe Rogan, the UFC's lead color commentator. Rousey became one of the world's most famous female ath- letes during her meteoric rise from Olympic judo to MMA dom- inance, thrashing a series of over- matched opponents. Her rise ended last Novem- UFC 207 Ro us ey says little to p ro mo te comeback 49ERS PAGE 2 RAIDERS PAGE 2 ROUSEY PAGE 2 SPORTS » redbluffdailynews.com Thursday, December 29, 2016 MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS B1