A 49ers Podcast

"Middddddllllleeeeekaufffff" ... but I'm not Guy Haberman.

John Middlekauff, 1/2 of the Haberman and Middlekauff podcast and host of 3 & Out on the Colin Cowherd Podcast Network, is my guest for episode 11 of A 49ers Podcast.

We got into:

When talking sports with your best friend turns into a full-blown business and brand

Thoughts on the state of the San Francisco 49ers - and why the team being relevant is great, not good, for the NFL

Advice for up-and-coming podcasters

... and much more!

Cam Inman, veteran beat reporter covering the 49ers for the Mercury News, stops by to chop it up for episode 10 of A 49ers Podcast.

We got into:

Quite possibly the most fascinating month in recent 49ers history - Trey Lance = a piece of clay? How Kyle plans to mold him into his super QB

Did we just become best friends? A Jimmy / Trey QB room in 2021

Draft picks that excite (the other Trey) - Memorable moments and players - Chip Kelly's weird year

"Who's got it better than us?!?!" coming to another NFL locker room near you in the future?

Cam's running chronicles

So much more

Tim Kawakami, Editor-in-Chief of the Athletic Bay Area joins A 49ers Podcast.

One of the best in the business - and a conversation you do not want to miss, considering this very "quiet" time in 49ers-land.

For those who have yet to subscribe to the Athletic, you're missing out.

Here's a link to a 7-day free trial.

We got into:

A wacky Mac Jones Monday begins to close out a fascinating 49ers month

Heavy is the head that wears the crown: all roads lead to Mac and Kyle's (and John's) monumental fork-in-the road moment

Pressure!? You bet! Mac Jones - if the pick - is about to enter the thunder dome

The Athletic Bay Area = a household name

Praise when good, criticize when bad. Tim's approach to reporting.

Going away?! Tim says head to Seattle for the best away game experience.

David Lombardi, 49ers reporter for The Athletic and a much better swimmer than any of us, joins A 49ers Podcast for episode 8.

If you're not subscribed to The Athletic, you're missing out. For 17 cents a day – you heard that right – you get access to not only phenomenal 49ers coverage but a wealth of top-tier sports reporting.

Here's a link to a 7-day free trial.

We got into:

Creating a lane alongside grizzled 49ers veteran beat reporters like Matt Barrows, Matt Maiocco, Tim Kawakami, Cam Inman, Ann Killion and Eric Branch

Stories rooted in data, research, science, and preparing for battles with 49ers Twitter

A megaphone and a message for 49ers fans yearning for the draft - and why draft month is David's least favorite

Ranking draft priorities: O-line vs. secondary

Investing in the big guys up front

The 49ers crossing the salary cap desert and key $$ priorities

Why the 49ers are not good enough – RIGHT NOW – to win the Super Bowl

Interviewing childhood heroes like Steve Young, Jerry Rice, and others – and some of David's favorite stories

Swimming in 45 degree water

We're kicking off A 49er Podcast's "Friends and Family" series (and episode 7) with JD aka Heart 2 Start JD. JD is 1/3 of the Heart 2 Start Podcast and has been one of the pod's biggest supporters from day one.

We chopped up all things 49ers - thoughts on Jimmy G, the draft, Kyle the young Jedi, favorite moments and players - and why JD's fantasy football league is better than yours.

No introduction needed. All-time 49ers great Joe Staley joined "A 49ers Podcast" to chop it up for nearly an hour.

Over a scotch and a bourbon, we got into:

What it meant to only play for the Niners

Joe's role in establishing a new era of 49ers football

Playing with Bryant Young, Frank Gore, Patrick Willis, Navorro Bowman, Justin Smith, Delanie Walker, Vernon Davis, Aldon Smith and other "DUDES"

What makes George Kittle and Nick Bosa special

Why players flame out of the NFL

Working your ass off = 13 year NFL career

Joe's welcome to the NFL moments and favorite 49ers memories

What Joe's post-49ers career has been is like

The Justin Smith(?!) incident

And so much more

(Note: my microphone was having significant sound issues, which only came to light once our conversation ended. Rather than scrap this great interview, I'm publishing it because Joe was a phenomenal guest. So many great anecdotes.)

No introduction needed. All-time 49ers great Joe Staley joined "A 49ers Podcast" to chop it up for nearly an hour.

Over a scotch and a bourbon, we got into:

What it meant to only play for the Niners

Joe's role in establishing a new era of 49ers football

Playing with Bryant Young, Frank Gore, Patrick Willis, Navorro Bowman, Justin Smith, Delanie Walker, Vernon Davis, Aldon Smith and other "DUDES"

What makes George Kittle and Nick Bosa special

Why players flame out of the NFL

Working your ass off = 13 year NFL career

Joe's welcome to the NFL moments and favorite 49ers memories

What Joe's post-49ers career has been is like

The Justin Smith(?!) incident

And so much more

(Note: my microphone was having significant sound issues, which only came to light once our conversation ended. Rather than scrap this great interview, I'm publishing it because Joe was a phenomenal guest. So many great anecdotes.)

Jon Schwartz, former senior vice president of communications and public affairs for the NFL and creator of the Sports Mentoring Project, joins A 49ers Podcast for episode five.

In the first half, we got into:

• The Sports Mentoring Project and Jon's fascinating guests
• The importance of mentorship
• Mentorship in the sports arena - and in QB rooms

In the second half, we got into:

• Breaking into sports PR
• PR'ing in Nascar and the NFL
• Drafting during a pandemic
• Jon's most memorable NFL campaign
• The importance of multiple voices on social justice
• One of Jon's passions: the American Special Hockey Association

Matt Maiocco, NBC Sports Bay Area's 49ers Insider, joins A 49ers Podcast for an in-depth conversation on all things 49ers past, present and future.

Matt has covered the team for over 26 years and currently co-hosts 49ers Talk with Laura Britt.

He is also one of the leading figures behind Letters to 87, a documentary and book on Dwight Clark's "the Catch." The project highlighted letters and stories on the impact the play and Clark – who passed away from ALS in 2018 – had on the lives of people who witnessed the legendary play up-close, from afar or years after it occurred.

We get into:

• What Letters to 87 means to Matt, how the project came to be and its legacy
• Matt's favorite letters, and some of mine as well
• Larger than life and so much more: Dwight Clark's impact on fans
• Matt's favorite games, and why some losses also standout
• How Matt approaches reporting now vs. when he first walked into the 49ers locker room
• It's not all bad with Jimmy Garoppolo under center
• An under the radar player or two for 2021
• Why fans should feel confident in the long-term outlook of the team
• The Jets? Why Robert Saleh and Mike LaFleur are the right guys for Gang Green

Raj Melwani (OurSF49ers) joins A 49ers Podcast to talk running a 49ers social media empire and all things Red & Gold.

Raj - also known as OurSF49ers - has over 125K followers on Instagram and 14K on Twitter. He is the top 49ers fan influencer on social media.

We get into:

• The origin of OurSF49ers & building a social media empire
• Running the most followed 49ers fan page on Instagram
• Tips for influencers in training
• Why not all news is the right news to share
• Raj in real life
• How he came to love the 49ers?
• Interacting with players and fans
• Favorite 49ers moments
• Why the team is in good hands
• Jimmy G.