49ers sign Brett Swain, adding depth at receiver, special teams, and grunge metal bassist

Matt Maiocco at CSNBayArea.com is reporting that the San Francisco Forty Niners have signed former Packer wideout, special teams player, and "high motor guy" Brett Swain to a one year deal. The move comes after receiver Josh Morgan underwent what is likely to be season ending surgery for a leg fracture he sustained during last Sunday's romp over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Swain logged a total of 6 catches for 72 yards all of last season for Green Bay, but appeared in all sixteen games for the Packers as a cog on their special teams unit.

A source close to the Niners (i.e. me sitting 3" from my TV on Sundays) was quoted as saying that "Swain was able to distinguish himself at yesterday's tryout from veteran wideouts like T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Chris Chambers and Brian Finneran by demonstrating a sense of angst and social disenchantment through sludgy and distorted guitar riffs."

One can only hope that Swain's melancholy yearning for freedom may help him find soft spots in zone coverages. He will likely enter Sunday's matchup against the Lions as SF's 4th wide receiver.

If you're a hipster, then the Saints are dead to you

Y! sports via the AP is reporting that Mercedes Benz has purchased the naming rights for the Lousiana Superdome, home to the NFL's New Orleans Saints, and the source of frustration for countless fantasy football owners trying to figure out which Saints wideout will be Drew Brees' flavor of the week (please let it be Meachem).

Ernst Lieb, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, issued the following prepared statement in response to this blatant example of crass consumerism joyous occasion:

"The joining of the Mercedes-Benz brand with the world-class Saints organization and the Superdome, an iconic destination which has undergone an incredible transformation over the past six years, is a significant moment for us, the City of New Orleans, and the State of Louisiana."

The deal inked between the German auto giant and the 2009 Super Bowl champs leaves the NFL with just 9 stadiums (e.g. Lambeau Field) across the league yet to be pimped out for corporate sponsorships. Sadly, even THMG's beloved Bay Area teams aren't immune to such pandering, as evidenced by local venues such as the HP Pavilion (clever product placement in the name, except that HP no longer makes computers) and the Overstock.com Coliseum. I'm sorry Oakland, but you're doing it wrong by only getting $1.2 million out of the sponsorship, a sum that amounts to sofa cushion change to a company like Overstock.com.