Since I save just about every paper I've ever written, I found one I wrote during my freshman year in college (1997) about how my love for the 49ers began, the first game that I ever went to, and the proclamation that I'd always stick with this team for life through the good times and the bad times. The Niners have been a difficult team to watch for many years, and it's great to see the good times have finally returned.
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| Watching Steve Young's enshrining in the NFL Hall of Fame in San Francisco. [2005] |
Now I'm pulling (of course) for a Niner victory against the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII on February 3 (otherwise known as the "HarBowl" - the battle of the Harbaugh brothers). It sure would bring back some super childhood memories and feelings.
So I thought I'd share that old paper from '97 in a blog post and provide some insight into the thoughts of an eighteen year old and how I came to love this San Francisco 49er franchise. Go Niners!
The 49ers Game
Five years ago, I was a kid who didn't care about
football. It had no meaning in my
life. I was obsessed with computers and
math, and I had virtually no social life.
I had a love for statistical figures.
One late night, I was spending my time surfing the Internet and I think
I came across a little flashing button.
It led to a program that would take in statistics from football games,
and try to determine what team would win in a upcoming game, based on their
past results. I thought this was all
pretty cool, so I took out the morning paper and inputted statistics such as
rushing yards, number of incomplete passes, number of interceptions, etc. Many of these statistics I didn't have a clue
of what they represented. After I did
all that input, I selected a game scheduled in a few days. It said the 49ers would win. I just had to wait until game day.
Game day. I
turn on the TV, preparing for what I initially thought would be three boring
hours. At this point, I didn't care
about the game, but rather the statistics produced at the conclusion of the
game. My memory of the game is vague, so
I can't remember who the opponent of the 49ers were. Throughout the ballgame, the score remained
close, but the other team took a quick lead with only a few minutes remaining
on the clock. With only a couple minutes
in the game, I began to feel the tension and emotion of football. The 49ers were behind, and they had only one
final drive remaining. If they screwed
up now, they would lose the game. The
pressure was on them to win. I began to
root for the 49ers, because they were now the underdogs. I've always liked the idea of being pushed
back and fighting back to win. The 49ers
took charge and drove down the field, scoring a game-winning touchdown. It was at this time that I would forever love
the 49ers football team.
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| I'd eventually get a close view of my Niner idol, Jerry Rice at a game in Charlotte, NC. [1998] |
For a whole year, I watched the 49ers win and lose
games and I also continued to put those statistics in the computer. I eventually got drawn farther away from the
statistical part of the game, and got closer to the power of the game. It took me time, but I began to learn all the
players' names, and the one name that always sticks out in my mind is Jerry
Rice. He is probably the greatest
football player ever. His dexterity and
speed always had me in awe. The guy
would be covered all the way down field during a play and still find some way
to break away and catch the ball. After
the catch, his speed would take over and he'd leave all the other players in
shock. Players like this make the game
worth while and exciting.
For the first couple years, the 49ers would have a
good season and would go to the playoffs.
But they'd always lose to the Dallas Cowboys. I grew to hate the Cowboys and I learned what
a true rivalry between two teams really was.
In their season of 1994, I got the chance to go see
the 49ers play the Redskins at RFK Stadium.
It was a Christmas present from my parents. Washington D.C. was a four hour trip from
Norfolk, Va, and it seemed to take forever, as I was so excited to go to the
game. A lot of my friends told me before
I left that 49ers would get their asses kicked by the Redskins, but of course
they only wished that would happen. The
49ers were by far, much better than the Redskins. The trip to D.C. finally was over and we
stayed overnight at a hotel. It was
difficult for me to sleep that night; my excitement could not be
contained.
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| Nostalgia: The old Game Day magazine from the Redskins-49ers game that I saved. [1994] |
Sunday, a cool sunny November day. My mother and I took a bus to the
stadium. It only took a few minutes and
finally, we were there. The stadium
looked so huge from the outside. We went
to the entrance where a man took our tickets and handed back the ticket stubs. Once inside, the stadium became even
larger. We went through the walkway
surrounding the football field and closer seats. It was a difficult task finding our
seats. It took around twenty minutes to
finally find them. Our seats were
farther away from the field than most of the seats. To our surprise, our seats were in the
walkway. The good thing about it was
that the sun wasn't in our eyes, however, it was pretty hard to see the players
down on the field, being so far away. Once we were in our seats, I looked
around and saw all the people sporting their team's colors. Of course, it was mostly Redskins fans. But there were a few 49ers fans close to us.
It took a while for the game to start, and as we were waiting, we bought a
program booklet with all kinds of articles and stats on the upcoming game. The
one statistic that popped out in my head was the 49ers record at RFK
stadium. In the recent seasons, the
49ers only won one game and lost four. It worried me that the 49ers had a
losing record here, and perhaps they might lose again.
When the game started, the crowd went wild. Everyone
was cheering. The Redskins band came out
and played the famous "Hail to the Redskins" song, and then the teams
were on the field, getting in formation to kick. It was difficult to see all the players on
the field from where we were. Luckily,
we had a pair of binoculars to get a better look. I was so thrilled to see all the 49ers
players on the field. I looked for Jerry
Rice and Steve Young, and all the other many excellent players. These NFL superstar players were on a field,
and I was a part of the whole game.
Without the crowd, football would be nothing. The cheers, jeers, and boos are all necessary
parts of the game, and besides, they make it so much more interesting and thrilling. Sometimes the 49ers would create big plays,
such as Jerry Rice catching a long touchdown pass. It was what I saw on television - except now
it was right in front of me - Jerry Rice catching the ball in mid-air, and
somehow managing to break away from the Redskins player, running with intense
speed. When watching television, the
crowd noise doesn't overpower you, and you're not a part of the game. The
camera is in control of what you see and hear, while when you're at the game,
you can hear and see everything. The 49ers won this game handily with more than
a two touchdown lead. I saved the ticket
stub from this game, and it now sits back home in my closet. It is a memento of the game, and just
touching it brings back the feeling of the game.
I feel very lucky that I saw the 49ers play that
season of 1994, because that year, the 49ers finished with a fantastic
record. They once again had to play the
Cowboys in the playoffs.
This
time, they did not lose. They finally
made it to the Super Bowl.
On Super Bowl night, they would be playing the San
Diego Chargers. There was no competition
here. The Chargers were lucky to make it
to the Super Bowl and the 49ers were destined to go after their thrilling
season. The 49ers offense and defense
were both extraordinary. Throughout the
season, they had scored over thirty points in almost every game, and held the
other teams to very low scores. The
playoffs was just as easy for them. The
Dallas Cowboys were humbled immediately in their match-up
in the playoffs - the 49ers scored three touchdowns in just the first few
minutes. The Chargers had a fairly good
season, but their trip through the playoffs was difficult for them. They squeaked out a couple lucky close
wins. When the two teams met on the field
in Miami, Florida for the Super Bowl, the 49ers showed the Chargers and the
nation why they were the number one NFL football team. The 49ers whooped the
Chargers' asses, making fools of them.
The final score was 49-26. This
Super Bowl win was so great because Steve Young, the quarterback, finally got
the monkey off his back. That monkey was
Joe Montana, one of the greatest quarterbacks ever. Joe Montana had won several Super Bowls while
Steve Young hadn't even been to one.
Steve Young used to be the backup quarterback and since Montana was sent
to the Chiefs, Young had the huge challenge of taking the reins of the 49er
football team, in the shadow of Montana.
I think the win made things much easier for Young, since the media
finally stopped procrastinating about how Young was no good, always have a
great season, but then failing miserably in the playoffs.
It has now been three years since the 49ers have been
to the Super Bowl, and hopefully this season will lead to it. They have a good shot at it, having already
clinching their division and ensuring a good position in the playoffs. Through these last five years, I have
developed a great love for the 49ers.
Throughout the many Christmases and birthdays, I gained a large
collection of 49er items. Anywhere from
sweatshirts to a clock to a trashcan - you name it, I've got it. On a final note, I'm definitely not one of
those people who jump on the bandwagon, rooting for only the team that is
currently doing well. I will stick with
the 49ers for all my life, no matter how poorly they may do at times
throughout. The next hope of mine is to
see the 49ers play at their stadium in San Francisco, California. The excitement of the 49er fans, and just
knowing that I was on the 49ers home turf, would leave a fantastic moment for
my memories beyond.
