I can explain... I sat down to start watching this football game at about 1:20. Kickoff is at 2:30. I didn't want to miss the start of the PRE-game show. Why? The 49ers are playing their first playoff game in a decade. To explain this whole thing though I have to go back even further, and to a basketball game.
In 1998 The Utah Jazz were playing the Chicago Bulls at home. It was game 6 and the Jazz had to win the game to extend the series to 7. They had lost the year before to the Bulls in the Finals but looked to have a better team than the year before and a real chance to beat Chicago. The Jazz had two of the top 50 players of all time, John Stockton and Karl Malone, who are arguably the 2nd greatest tag team in NBA history probably my greatest sports heroes ever at the time. Not to mention the fact that they had a solid supporting cast for the only real stretch of their career. They led for most the game and had a real chance to win it and possibly get a championship.
There was just one problem. The other side had the greatest player ever, and he played one of the greatest game ever, by anyone, in any sport. Battling the Flu Michael Jordan posted 45 points (which is what a lot of High School teams score in a game) in 44 minutes and dominated the game in a way no one ever had.
To end the game, favorite player number 1 (Karl Malone) let the ball get stolen from him, setting up an absolutely iconic shot in NBA history when Michael Jordan pushed off Bryon Russell and drained a fade away jumper to put the Bulls up. Then favorite player number 2 (John Stockton) missed a three pointer to seal the victory for the Bulls.
Since then It's been awfully hard for me to root for the favorite.
That was the same year that Steve Young played his last good year in the NFL before concussions knocked him out for good. A few years later the star Wide Reciever, Quarterback, and Coach for the 49ers (Terrell Owens, Jeff Garcia and Steve Mariucci respectively) feuded and fought and prompted the 49ers owners to get rid of all of them and rebuild the franchise. Since then the 49ers have been "rebuilding" which is the code in sports for "not very good."
The 49ers despite being one of the NFL's most recognized and respected franchises became a model of incompetency. They drafted poorly, the hired coaches who's tenures always ended as the end of jokes on espn, from perennial loser Dennis Erickson, to smooth talking but useless coaching Mike Nolan, to "I'm gonna pull down my pants and mock my team to motivate them" Mike Singletary. Not exactly the cast you're looking for to win a Super Bowl. Oh and they drafted Alex Smith.
Alex Smith was taken #1 overall in the 2005 NFL Draft. A #1 pick of a quarterback is supposed to be the great hope of any franchise. Later in the Draft Aaron Rodgers was picked by the Packers after sliding much farther than anyone had predicted for him. Alex Smith went on to throw more interceptions than touchdowns while playing behind a HORRIBLE offensive line, and never had any good throwing weapons until Vernon Davis finally got it together in 2009. The thing was though, the 49ers couldn't find anyone better, and he became the official symbol for the lost decade of San Francisco football. Never good enough to get to the playoffs, but never bad enough to replace the quarterback that had played so poorly. Rodgers, conversely, won a Superbowl, broke several passing records, and won a Superbowl and NFL MVP.
But then 2011 came around. Jim Harbaugh took the team over and instantly changed the losing culture. The defense, which had been steadily getting better the last 3 years stepped it up a huge notch to become the best in the league in Rushing Yards and Turnovers, and 2nd best overall. Alex Smith threw only 5 interceptions (least in the league) 17 touchdowns and posted career high yards and completion percentage. The Running game went for almost 2000 yards and smashed every team they played in the mouth.
And now we're in the playoffs, It's 2:35 and the kickoff comes any minute now. Win or Lose, the symbol of failure and continued losing is over.
It's game time baby.
But we did win!
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