Alex Smith is getting a bad rap.

Yesterday, I started a spirited discussion on 49erswebzone, thousands of 49ers fans debating their three most-disliked people in the Niner organization. In this blog I had written John York, Mike Nolan and Vernon Davis are the top-three disliked based on my email and voicemail. That led to lots of give and take.

Sure, people don’t like York and Nolan and a lot of Niner fans are disappointed in Davis. But they voiced their displeasure with plenty more: Jonas Jennings — always hurt; Barry Sims; Mark Roman — doesn’t make plays; Zak Keasey — went to Princeton, bad hair; Tully Banta-Cain — a stiff; Arnaz Battle — this one I simply don’t understand.

But the one who comes in for the most abuse is Alex Smith. And this is unfair. He’s hurt, isn’t even playing, so the bitterness people expressed towards him feels like piling on. Fans don’t like him because they perceive him as a waste of the first pick in the draft. While that looks like the case, he didn’t make the pick. The 49ers did. If a team wanted to make you the first pick and offered you something like $31 million, would you say, “Oh, don’t pick me. I’m not worth it.” Get serious.

The other, and most unfair criticism of Smith, is that “he has no heart.”

Please. He played last year with a seriously injured shoulder. I sat in the press box and watched him throw like he had a broken arm. That does not show lack of heart. That shows too much heart. And this year he competed for the starting QB job. He lost but he competed hard. And after it was all over he broke a bone in his shoulder. How does that show lack of heart?

I think people are frustrated with the Niners and are scapegoating Smith. Not fair.

— Lowell