by Art Spander

SO THE 49ERS, after a search that resembled a lot of guys lurching through Carlsbad Caverns without lanterns, finally have their man, Dennis Erickson by name. The problem could be is they also have another man, John York, the "director/owner's representative."

Maybe Erickson is magician enough to retain the elegance and tradition expected from an organization that not only was in the Bay Area before the rest, the Raiders, Giants, A's, Warriors and Sharks, but was created here, born in San Francisco.

And the reference is not solely to wins and losses, although those certainly tell you a great deal about the manner in which a sporting franchise is run, from the class and quality of the New York Yankees down to the pathetic, disgraceful effort of the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Niners for so long were both the measure of success and of propriety. What needed to be done, on the field or in the front office, was done, which is all anyone can ask.

But now, whether Steve Mariucci, perhaps the most fortunate person in America if you don't count wintering in Detroit, or Erickson, the coach is destined to work under a restraint that could be described as anything from a hobble to a noose.

Before Mooch was indelicately separated from the position he held for six years, getting the Niners to the playoffs four of those years, he and the other employees were called together by York for, shall we say, a group warning.

The monologue, second hand, is not verbatim, but it went something like this: "Not one of you is secure in his job. This is a business. From now on, we're going to be thinking about this." And then he patted the wallet in his back pocket.

We've already heard the other horror stories, how coaches were admonished for taking home bottled water -- "You think you're thirsty now, just wait until we train in the Mojave" -- how Mariucci had to pay $16.50 for stamps because his holiday cards required more postage than in past years, how management refused to buy players the usual fancy belt buckles for winning the division, Mariucci paying out of his pocket.

Possibly it was all a communist plot to unseat Mariucci. Possibly for Erickson, who is getting paid a reported $2.5 million annually, more than Mooch earned in San Francisco, York becomes another George Steinbrenner, another -- dare we mention his name? -- Eddie DeBartolo. Possibly York figures out you can't run a team as you would run Wal-Mart, unless you're planning to run it into the ground.

The Niners might be able to recover from the confusion of the last month when seemingly they interviewed everyone except Vince Lombardi and George Halas, when executives acted as if they were involved in some case study for a graduate school project and not the task of keeping the San Francisco 49ers among the NFL's elite.

Yet, to have your quarterback hurling derision from as far away as Hawaii, a most courageous tactic if not the most discretionary one, is an indication the problems go deeper than just acquiring another face to scribble X's and O's on a board.

Perception may not be reality, but it goes a long way in persuading others precisely what you are and what you represent. From the outside, it was hard to determine who was in charge, York, general manager Terry Donahue or consultant Bill Walsh. "Hey, someone call up Monte Kiffin. No, never mind. How about Ted Cottrell?"

Was Erickson the No.1 choice all along? Or the 11th choice? Was Cottrell exploited because he is African American, and the NFL guidelines dictate a team must include people of color in the interview process? And where did Rick Neuheisel come from? And where did he go?

Any organization, sports, government, business, is only as strong as the person at the top. If he doesn't care, or has an oddball agenda, then there's going to be trouble. If the determining factor is the bottom line when, in pro football, it should be the offensive line, you're doomed to mediocrity.

You no more can run a team from the billfold in the seat or your pants than you can run it by the seat of your pants.

If saving dollars matters more than saving the fate of the franchise, it doesn't matter who's coaching, the Niners are headed for oblivion.

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