49ers broadcaster Guy Haberman sits down with Matt Barrows of The Athletic, in his 25th year covering the 49ers and co-host of the 49ers Plus/Minus Podcast, to talk about his debut thriller novel, the evolution of the team under Kyle Shanahan, and what makes Brock Purdy unique.

 00:00 – Intro
 00:55 – Matt’s debut novel, Muddy the Water, co-written with his sister
 01:12 – Growing up an Orioles fan outside D.C.
 03:04 – Writing on deadline as a reporter vs. writing fiction at night
 04:19 – How character names are chosen, and why some NFL names are great for storytelling
 06:38 – The 10-year wall, and covering eight 49ers head coaches in 24 years
 07:02 – How Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch were paired up and first met
 09:46 – Why the team’s 30-somethings may be its biggest advantage over the Bears
 12:30 – Why Brock Purdy’s real story would be “too cheesy” as fiction
 13:57 – Breaking down what makes Purdy a processing “unicorn,” and the S2 test
 16:28 – How Purdy may have changed the way Kyle Shanahan coaches
 17:36 – The balance between quarterback instincts and aging into mental peak
 19:39 – Comparing Purdy’s improvisational ability to Russell Wilson
 21:09 – Does this team have “it”? Comparing it to the 2011 and 2019 squads
 23:27 – Matt’s path from a small South Carolina paper to 30 years covering sports
 24:29 – The origin story behind writing Muddy the Water with his sister
 26:24 – A debate on quality binoculars at practice

49ers broadcaster Guy Haberman sits down with Matt Barrows of The Athletic, in his 25th year covering the 49ers and co-host of the 49ers Plus/Minus Podcast, to talk about his debut thriller novel, the evolution of the team under Kyle Shanahan, and what makes Brock Purdy unique. &nbsp;00:00 &ndash; Intro &nbsp;00:55 &ndash; Matt&rsquo;s debut novel, Muddy the Water, co-written with his sister &nbsp;01:12 &ndash; Growing up an Orioles fan outside D.C. &nbsp;03:04 &ndash; Writing on deadline as a reporter vs. writing fiction at night &nbsp;04:19 &ndash; How character names are chosen, and why some NFL names are great for storytelling &nbsp;06:38 &ndash; The 10-year wall, and covering eight 49ers head coaches in 24 years &nbsp;07:02 &ndash; How Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch were paired up and first met &nbsp;09:46 &ndash; Why the team&rsquo;s 30-somethings may be its biggest advantage over the Bears &nbsp;12:30 &ndash; Why Brock Purdy&rsquo;s real story would be &ldquo;too cheesy&rdquo; as fiction &nbsp;13:57 &ndash; Breaking down what makes Purdy a processing &ldquo;unicorn,&rdquo; and the S2 test &nbsp;16:28 &ndash; How Purdy may have changed the way Kyle Shanahan coaches &nbsp;17:36 &ndash; The balance between quarterback instincts and aging into mental peak &nbsp;19:39 &ndash; Comparing Purdy&rsquo;s improvisational ability to Russell Wilson &nbsp;21:09 &ndash; Does this team have &ldquo;it&rdquo;? Comparing it to the 2011 and 2019 squads &nbsp;23:27 &ndash; Matt&rsquo;s path from a small South Carolina paper to 30 years covering sports &nbsp;24:29 &ndash; The origin story behind writing Muddy the Water with his sister &nbsp;26:24 &ndash; A debate on quality binoculars at practice

Weekly 49ers analysis with the reporters and beat writers who cover the team up close. San Francisco 49ers broadcaster Guy Haberman and guests react to the last game, previews what's next, and gets to know the people behind the coverage — how they got their start, favorite games, and what it's like inside the building. Your press box seat, every week.

Weekly 49ers analysis with the reporters and beat writers who cover the team up close. San Francisco 49ers broadcaster Guy Haberman and guests react to the last game, previews what's next, and gets to know the people behind the coverage &mdash; how they got their start, favorite games, and what it's like inside the building. Your press box seat, every week.

The 49ers Guy

49ers Insider Matt Barrows on Writing a Thriller Novel, Brock Purdy’s Mind & 24 Years Covering the Team

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/97432327-4a6b-496d-ac35-b4fe00480b59/transcript