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49ers under fire for shock training film
Lesbian porn, off-color racial stereotypes among 'highlights'NBCSports.com news services

Updated: 10:24 a.m. ET June 1, 2005

The San Francisco 49ers' front office is under fire for an in-house training video that including lesbian porn, off-color racial jokes, a parody of gay marriage and topless blondes cavorting with public relations director Kirk Reynolds, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday.

The Chronicle said some of the 15-minute video was filmed at the City Hall office of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and was supposed to give players a primer on how to handle the media in the diverse city.

49ers team lawyer Ed Goines told the Chronicle that the video "is absolutely contradictory to the ideals and values of the San Francisco 49ers."

The film, which the Chronicle received anonymously, was shown to players during training camp in Santa Clara, Calif., last August.

Among the video's key moments are a wedding featuring a topless couple who engage in heavy petting; the 49ers' then-trainer and martial arts expert George Chung depicting a stereotype of a Chinese man saying among other things "My brother's name is Suck Young -- my whole family suck"; and a scene starring 49ers linebacker Julian Peterson who helps demonstrate at a Santa Clara County jail on how to cope with being arrested, the Chronicle said.

Mayor Newsom's press secretary Peter Ragone told the Chronicle that the mayor gave Reynolds permission to use City Hall with the understanding that the video was a training film.

"They didn't tell us anything about its content,'' Ragone said.

Reynolds told the Chronicle that he doesn't regret the idea of the video.

"I don't have regrets about the idea of trying to make it connect to the audience I'm trying to connect it to,'' he said. "The whole idea of the tape was to inform our players about things important for them to know.

"Did I push it too far? I did,'' Reynolds said. "I didn't make this for public consumption. The ideas of the tape are appropriate for the locker room -- though some of the subjects were inappropriate for the values of this organization, and mine frankly.''

Reynolds told the Chronicle that he's interviewing for another job, but that he's not being forced to leave.

"Anyone in professional sports in this position will tell you that if you're not 100 percent into it, you are not going to be effective,'' he said, "and I'm not 100 percent into it anymore.''

[albionmoonlight]

You know, if this video had been shown at the Golden State Warriors training camp, there would be about 100 "this is what is wrong with the NBA" articles out within minutes of the release. Because it is the NFL, however, I bet that the story spends a day or two on the Daily Quickie, and that's about it.

Part of the NBA's problem is that people, on some level, want to beleive that the players are punks, while the NFL tends to get a free pass from the media. At least that is how I see it.

Not complaining (I love the NFL). Just observing.

[rkmsuf]

It's key to always have your players prepared to handle topless weddings.

[waltwal]

i think everyone should have a 2nd career as a comedian. that way whenever we say something that offends a minority group (which everyone is in worldwide) we can pass off our comments as those associated with our second career as a comedian. i used to hear that the most common phrase in the english language was "close cover before striking" now it has to be "i am offended".

[WSUCougar]

Any images of Bill Walsh topless (or Bill Parcells, for that matter)?

[DeToxRox]

Haha. I personally think thats awesome. Way to go, Niners.

[mhass]

Are there options in how one is to get arrested? I kind of assumed that was up to the cops.

edit: And nice that they just presume the players will be arrested at some point.

[BrianD]

Are there options in how one is to get arrested? I kind of assumed that was up to the cops.

edit: And nice that they just presume the players will be arrested at some point.

With that assumption, I would figure this for a Dallas Cowboys training film.

[Sun Tzu]

Anybody who has played sports knows that the content of this video is mighty tame compared to the locker room norm.

[CraigSca]

Anybody who has played sports knows that the content of this video is mighty tame compared to the locker room norm.
True, but it's not officially authorized, filmed, copyrighted and endorsed by an NFL franchise.

[JeeberD]

You can watch the (slightly edited for content) vids here...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/06/01/MNNINRSXCRPTS.TMP&type=universalnewads

[WSUCougar]

You can watch the (slightly edited for content) vids here...

Might not want to direct link that...

[JeeberD]

It's a newspaper website, Coug...

[albionmoonlight]

. . . however we have deliberately blurred scenes which contain nudity....
How, then, am I supposed to learn how to act at a lesbian wedding? The paper had a chance to provide a valuable public service here and really dropped the ball.

[Ksyrup]

What is the difference between an off-color racial stereotype/joke and an on-color racial stereotype joke? If it's "off-color," does that mean it's stereotyping white people?

[sterlingice]

You know, if this video had been shown at the Golden State Warriors training camp, there would be about 100 "this is what is wrong with the NBA" articles out within minutes of the release. Because it is the NFL, however, I bet that the story spends a day or two on the Daily Quickie, and that's about it.

Part of the NBA's problem is that people, on some level, want to beleive that the players are punks, while the NFL tends to get a free pass from the media. At least that is how I see it.

Not complaining (I love the NFL). Just observing.

MLB would be hammered as well- the degradation of the once classy game, etc, etc. The NFL is PR teflon and I don't get it. Again, not complaining so much as envying in that I'd love it for my sport.

SI

[Lathum]

I don't see what the big deal is? It was a private video not endorsed by the team, no players seemed offended by it and they are all over the age of 18, so what's the big deal? People need to mind their own buisness. I wish I had that kind of extra time on my hands.

[judicial clerk]

Somebody needs to invent an "unblurer". It would be bigger than the Beatles.

[BrianD]

So they don't edit the language, but they edit out all of the jiggly bits? That is just no fun.

[Tara]

You can watch the (slightly edited for content) vids here...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/06/01/MNNINRSXCRPTS.TMP&type=universalnewads

Now I understand the key of 49ers' last season brilliant results...tv training & motivation.

[EagleFan]

That was pretty dam funny. What the hell are people getting up in arms about? I especially see no correlation between this and NBA players being punks, that's a major stretch.

It was made to keep the players' attention and get a point across and I think that it did that. It was made for the players and they had no peoblem with it so I think this should be a moot point.

"Joe Montana signed my balls."
"If you like Bush, you like erection."

Some semi-classic stuff there.

[ColtCrazy]

I agree, what's the big deal here? I'd love to hear what the people that are griping about this say to each other in the office. I'm sure they aren't perfect either.

The Joe Montana thing was classic!

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

I think it's just a bunch of kids having fun.

[albionmoonlight]

That was pretty dam funny. It was made for the players and they had no peoblem with it so I think this should be a moot point.
You have no problem with an NFL team producing and endorsing materials that engage in racial sterotyping if they are 1.) funny, and 2.) the intended audience does not admit to being offended. We just agree to disagree on that point. Racial sterotyping is generally harmful to societies, and I beleive that large visible entities like NFL teams should avoid it when at all possible. Your milage varies.

I especially see no correlation between this and NBA players being punks, that's a major stretch.
All I was saying is that, compared to the other major sports, the NFL is PR Teflon. You may disagree with this point, but I disagree with your assessment of it as a "major stretch." To the extent my phrasing somehow indicated that there was a "correlation between [the tape] and NBA players being punks," I apologize. I do not beleive that this tape caused any NBA players to be punks. I, again, only meant to point out that the media is much more likely to write "What is Wrong with the NBA" stories than "What is Wrong with the NFL" stories.

[EagleFan]

You have no problem with an NFL team producing and endorsing materials that engage in racial sterotyping if they are 1.) funny, and 2.) the intended audience does not admit to being offended. We just agree to disagree on that point. Racial sterotyping is generally harmful to societies, and I beleive that large visible entities like NFL teams should avoid it when at all possible. Your milage varies.


All I was saying is that, compared to the other major sports, the NFL is PR Teflon. You may disagree with this point, but I disagree with your assessment of it as a "major stretch." To the extent my phrasing somehow indicated that there was a "correlation between [the tape] and NBA players being punks," I apologize. I do not beleive that this tape caused any NBA players to be punks. I, again, only meant to point out that the media is much more likely to write "What is Wrong with the NBA" stories than "What is Wrong with the NFL" stories.

People need to lighten up. Wait-- lighten up, maybe that's some off color reference to being white, I appologize if I offended anyone. :rolleyes:

[ISiddiqui]

Just want to agree that people need to lighten up. This is a non-issue.