Why does it always have to be the 49ers?

Why is it always the 49ers?

This is always an interesting time of the year in sports (at least for me). Ever since the 1981 season (yes, I am aware that I am dating myself here and conceding to old age), I have watched the NFL playoffs unfold, and been fascinated by the process of watching what happens at the elimination level. There are often surprises and breathtaking moments. Over the years, fans that follow these playoffs have seen an undefeated team lose in the final minute of the Super Bowl, another team come back from a record 32 point deficit to come back and win in the greatest comeback in NFL history (playoffs or otherwise), some incredible and unorthodaox plays like Dave Tyree's side of the helmet catch in the Super Bowl, and Bret Favre's dumpoff in the snow. We have seen plenty of upsets, favorites falling. Teams that seem loaded with talent seemingly not showing up, or at least not being able to get the job done. We have seen some of the most dominant teams inm history (the 1985 Chicago Bears still seem the strongest team that I personally remember), where everything followed the script, and where the outcome was seemingly inevitable.

Yet, things do not always go according to script, right? The unexpected does happen, and there are teams that face seemingly impossible odds, either against a very strong opponent that nobody believes they can beat, or late in a game, when the outcome seems all but a fomrality, and yet, things can happen, and they can change the couse of the game, and possibly a season. That is why we tune in, right? Some of the greatest and most talked about memories that fans still love to talk about and when we have seen some unbelievable duels and great games between quality opponents, and last minute, fourth quarter comebacks starring such incredible and historical names like Elway and Marino and Montana.

Yes, Joe Montana was perhaps the most memorable of these stars, and I cannot think of anyone who has been prominently involved in more such epic moments. In fact, way back in that 1981 season, he starred in perhaps the most famous single play in the history of the playoffs, if not of the entire sport altigehter. It was such a huge play, that it still is known simply as “The Catch”. He was the most fun player to watch in his time, and I was a fan of his, and still admire the way he operated. He earned the nickname “Cool Joe”.

Which is why it pains me to say that, despite the fact that I always liked and admired Joe Montana, I never liked his team, the San Fransisco 49ers. I mean, every sports fan has that one team that irks them, right? For me, the 49ers were that team in football, while the Lakers are that for me in basketball, and the Yankees in baseball, perhaps Duke in college basketball, and perhaps even a few others that I am not thinking about at the moment. You know, those teams that you absolutely do not want to see win yet another trophy, or another victory. That team that you feel so much disdain for, that you pretty much pull for whoever is playing them.

Yes, that is how I feel about the 49ers, which is why it annoys me to write something like this, which grudgingly gives them the respect that, as a franchise, I know they deserve.

There is just something about them, and in particular, there is something about that franchise seemingly enjoying more than there share of these magical and immortal playoff moments. Truth be told, I was rooting against them in every single one of those moments. I was rooting against them when they beat the Dallas Cowboys, 28-27, in the 1981 Championship Game, forever immoratlized for “The Catch”. I was against them when they they had the drive in the last minutes of Super Bowl XXIII, coming from behind to beat the Bengals with a late touchdown with 34 seconds remaining. I was against them once again during the Wildcard Game against the Green Bay Packers following the 1998 season, when they got a lvery late touchdown with seconds remaining to eliminate the Packers in miracle fashion.

Imagine what I was thinking yesterday, when they ocne again pulled off a miraculous victory in the playoffs, this time against the New Orleans Saints, who I thought were truly a better team than they showed yesterday. I probably rolled my eyes and thought “Here we go again” as San Fransisco had the ball and entirely too much time on the clock mto work with, following what must have seemed for the Saints (and had seemed to me, admittedly), to be the clinching touchdown late in the 4^th quarter. But there were the 49ers, marching down the field. There they were again, with seconds left, very near the goal line, with another quarterback (this time, Alex Smith) passing it into the end zone and completing to Vernon Davis in what I understand is being called “The Grab”, thus completing yet another epic 4^th quarter comeback in the playoffs for this franchise's history, to win, 36-32. Once again, San Fransisco is in the Championship Game. Sigh.

So, why is it that I came to hate the 49ers, and what is it about them that I actually hate? Well, I am not sure about the first part of that question, except that they always seemed to beat my Giants early on, and they eventually became, undisputably, the most succesful team of the 1980's, the “Team of the Decade”, while my Giants, though succesful, were not, and like everyone else in the league, were in the shadow of those 49ers. Ironically, the Giants actually enjoyed more success, really even far more success, than most other teams did during the peak of the 49ers glory days on the 1980's. Yes, they lost those games against the 49ers, but they won some huge ones, too. After never seemingly beating tyhem since I started following the sport, they finally beat the defending champion 49ers, 17-3, in the 1985 Wildcard game. They came back from a 17-0 defiicit in San Fransisco on a Monday niight in 1986 to win, largely on the strength of Mark Bavaro managing to break numerous tackles and famously pulling several 49ers, Ronnie Lott among them, several yards, to trigger the comeback effort. Later that season, the Giants tore the 49ers apart in the playoffs, 49-3 – the second straight year that the Giants eliminated San Fransisco, and by such a margin! They would meet again in the playoffs (in fact, these two teams have met in the playoffs during my lifetime more than any other two teams have, even still!) after the 1990 season, when the 49ers, again the defending champions, hosted the Giants, loking to “three peat”. Instead, the Giants defense punished San Fransisco and took Joe Montana out of the game, eventually winning it on the final play, with Matt Bahr's field goal sending New York to the Super Bowl, which they eventually won against the powerful and favored Buffalo Bills, albeit beating Buffalo by a single point, which is still the losest Super Bowl margin ever! The next season, the two teams had another epic battle on Monday Night Football to open the season, and the Giants prevailed – barely – 16-14, again on a last minute field goal by placekicker Matt Bahr to clinch it. At the time, it snapped a record 20 game road winning streak by the 49ers that still stands today.

So, with all that success that my team had against them (again, more than any other team enjoyed during the 49ers best days), why is it that I still cant's stand the 49ers? Mostly because they won at least as often against the Giants, as well. They beat them twice in that same 1981 season, including the playoffs, a game I still remember. It was the game that earned the 49ers the chance to host the Championship Game, which would forever be remembered for “The Catch” that ave the 49ers their first Super Bowl appearance and, eventually, their first championship. When the Giants made it to the palyoffs again, they made it back to the divisional round, only to face the 15-1 49ers, who once again defeated New York soundly, en route to their second Super Bowl victory. In fact, the 49ers won the vast majority of the regular season meetings that the two teams faced off in and, after the Giants had that bit of success against San Fransisco in the mid-80's and again in the early nineties, the 49ers would go on to elimiante the Giants by a whopping 44-3, exacting a measure of revenge for the 1986 Giants threashing of San Fransisco, and again following the 2002 season, when the Giants blew a 38-14 lead in San Fran and eventually lost, 39-38, which became the second largest playoff comeback in history, behind trhe 32 point comeback for the Bills. Sickening.

Still, isn't that a part of sports? I have to admit, it is actually fun to root against a team, much like it is fun to root for your favorite team. When the 49ers are in the playoffs, I of course still root against them, and for whatever team they happen to be playing at the time. Yes, I wanted New Orleans to win, and was disappointed when they did not. But again, that makes follwing the sport fun, doesn't it? So, in a weird and indirect way, perhaps I am happy that the 49ers are in the ployffs, and making it a bit more interesting than it otherwise may have been? Shhhh....don't tell anyone!