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When Next Year was HERE.
Jan. 20th, 2007 11:02 pmThis Wednesday will mark the 25th anniversary of Superbowl XVI
San Francisco 49ers: 26
Cincinnati Bengals: 21
For my entire life, the winter ritual was the same. Either shut off the TV set after the last Niners game of the season, or wait until my parents returned from the game to make the formal declaration that we would Wait Until Next Year. It was hard being a Niner Faithful in the 70s.. we sucked, and all my schoolmates were rooting for Dallas or Pittsburgh.. or even the Raiders! (ewww..) I will admit a brief affair with the New York Jets, but I was 3 at the time and everybody wanted to be Joe Namath.
But then things changed. Bill Walsh came in in as head coach, and began building a winning team based around a Notre Dame QB that nobody expected to go in the draft.. kid named Joe, drafted in the 3rd round (82nd overall pick) of the 1979 draft. That year, we went 2-14. But in 1980, the record improved to 6-10, and then came 1981.
We went 13-3, the best record in team history up until then. Reaching the NFC Championship by beating the New York Giants, we faced the hated Dallas Cowboys on January 10th, 1982. It was a great game, best remembered for a play called Red Right Tight--Sprint Right Option but better remembered simply as The Catch.
49ers going to the Superbowl!
Here's where I'll let the pros take over. Articles from the next's day's San Francisco Chronicle:
Offense Takes 20-0 Lead; Defense Saves 26-21 Win
VICTORY! The City goes wild
and, of course, Herb Caen's take on things.
The new rulers of the universe
Want more? Here's a PDF of that day's paper! Fun to look it, if only for the advertisements. Wow, a 48k Apple II for only $4100?
THE 49ERS WIN IT ALL
NEXT YEAR is HERE!
San Francisco 49ers: 26
Cincinnati Bengals: 21
For my entire life, the winter ritual was the same. Either shut off the TV set after the last Niners game of the season, or wait until my parents returned from the game to make the formal declaration that we would Wait Until Next Year. It was hard being a Niner Faithful in the 70s.. we sucked, and all my schoolmates were rooting for Dallas or Pittsburgh.. or even the Raiders! (ewww..) I will admit a brief affair with the New York Jets, but I was 3 at the time and everybody wanted to be Joe Namath.
But then things changed. Bill Walsh came in in as head coach, and began building a winning team based around a Notre Dame QB that nobody expected to go in the draft.. kid named Joe, drafted in the 3rd round (82nd overall pick) of the 1979 draft. That year, we went 2-14. But in 1980, the record improved to 6-10, and then came 1981.
We went 13-3, the best record in team history up until then. Reaching the NFC Championship by beating the New York Giants, we faced the hated Dallas Cowboys on January 10th, 1982. It was a great game, best remembered for a play called Red Right Tight--Sprint Right Option but better remembered simply as The Catch.
49ers going to the Superbowl!
Here's where I'll let the pros take over. Articles from the next's day's San Francisco Chronicle:
Offense Takes 20-0 Lead; Defense Saves 26-21 Win
VICTORY! The City goes wild
and, of course, Herb Caen's take on things.
The new rulers of the universe
Want more? Here's a PDF of that day's paper! Fun to look it, if only for the advertisements. Wow, a 48k Apple II for only $4100?
THE 49ERS WIN IT ALL
NEXT YEAR is HERE!
