7 or So Things You Should Know About the San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers were founded in 1946 as part of the AAFC (All-America Football Conference). They became part of the National Football League in 1949 when the leagues merged.
The 49ers will begin playing at Levi’s stadium in fall of 2014. At Levi’s Stadium you can pick your own replay. If only I could do that in my own life. I’d like to replay every break-up I’ve had with a girl so I can make no changes whatsoever.
Levi’s Stadium has free Wi-Fi. Rumor is that several luxury boxes were sold just based on that. “How much for the luxury box? $500,000 per year? Forget it! Wait, free Wi-Fi? Sold!”
Five Super Bowls
The 49ers won 5 Super Bowls between 1981 and 1994 with Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Steve Young among others, along with coach Bill Walsh. They are tied with Dallas in second place as the NFL team with the most Super Bowl wins with five each. However, Dallas leads the league in passes going over the heads of receivers.
The name “49ers” refers to prospectors looking for gold. They left home and family to travel many miles to find success in California, much like the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. It was the first major league professional sports franchise based in San Francisco and the oldest major professional sports team in California. Other teams shortly followed including the Oakland Krunk, the Sacramento Boredom, and the Santa Cruz Medical Buds.
The team was the first of the “Big 4” sports to have a professional franchise in the western U.S.: Football, baseball, basketball and hockey fights. Shortly after the 49ers were established, The Cleveland Rams moved to Los Angeles. They started playing in Cleveland in 1936, so it only took them 10 years to want to get the hell out. The first play the 49ers scored points on was a pass. Woody Hayes heard they made a passing play and crossed them off his holiday card list.
Alley-Oop
The “Alley-Oop” play was originated by the 49ers. In later years, the term “Alley-Oop” was also used for the name for a favorite sandwich sold at restaurants in North Beach, an Olympic volleyball strategy and a little-known sexual position involving real football helmets, pads and a marching band.
49ers coach Red Hickey came up with the famous “shotgun formation” in 1960. In this formation, the quarterback lines up 7 yards behind the center. This gives him time to climb into a circus cannon. The fullback aims the cannon while the halfback lights the fuse. Average yardage gains using the shotgun in 1960 was 97 yards. A few times they over shot the stadium completely. In 1960 alone, the quarterback catapulted outside the stadium three different times, ending up in a brothel, a crab shack and the San Francisco Bay.
The Chicago Bears were the first team to learn how to defeat the shotgun formation. They moved players closer to the line of scrimmage, rushed the quarterback and distracted him with Deep Dish Pizza.
Light the Candle
The 49ers moved to Candlestick Park after the end of the 1970 season. It was a new stadium built south of the city because that was one of the few areas with enough room. The only other areas with enough space were the East Bay, Marin County and Governor Ronald Reagan’s hair.
For the first few years, Candlestick featured natural bluegrass which was perfect for grazing horses there in the offseason. During the season, they let underpaid rookies graze there as well.
The first NFC Championship the 49ers won at Candlestick was in 1982 when Dwight Clark snagged a pass from Joe Montana for the game winner. Dubbed “The Catch,” it is one of the most famous plays in the history of the game. Mr. Clark and Mr. Montana were both made saints by the City of San Francisco, and the 49ers were recognized as an official religion by the Federal government.
