Another Bittersweet End

It wasn't the January of 2012 or 2013; it was the January of 2014, but it really didn't matter Sunday evening as it all seemed the same to most 49ers fans. The niners season came to a crashing, bittersweet end for the third time in three years, short of a Super Bowl title. Even though the niners were outsed in 2012 by the Giants in the NFC Championship, and missed winning the 2013 Super Bowl by a couple inches, they weren't able to make it back to the big game as Colin Kaepernick's passed was deflected by Richard Sherman into the hands of Malcolm Smith to seal the deal for the Seattle Seahawks. This is the second NFC title for the fairly new Seahawks franchise, with their last one coming in 2005 in which they lost in the Super Bowl. Although it was a very close game throughout, there were some major turning points, 3 in my opinion to be exact. The very first one being in the fourth quarter when Russell Wilson took advantage of the free play given to him of a 49er false start, tossing it into the hands of Jermaine Kearse for a 35 yard touchdown pass. This play, on a fourth down, gave Seattle its first lead of the game, a major momentum swinger in the favor of the Seahawks. the second major turning point is the fumble (grabaway) recovery by NaVorro Bowman who then ended up losing control of the ball seconds later due to the pain shot up his left leg. None of the refs ever saw Bowman with the football and called it an unreviewable play and major Seahawks possession revival. Even worse and more important, Bowman tore his MCL and ACL and is optimistic to be back for the start of the 2014-2015 NFL season. If the niners got the ball it would've been a three point game in which only a field goal would've been necessary to tie the game. And obviously, the third turning point, the most important play of the game that sealed the NFC championship for the Seahawks, a tip off the hands of Richard Sherman right into Malcolm Smith's hands. There was a huge battle of words and fists between Michael Crabtree and Richard Sherman but let's save that for another blog post. As dawns another long offseason for the niners and their fans, almost everybody in the faithful nation has positive expectations for this young team who can only get better under Coach Harbaugh and a brand new football era at the state of the art Levi's Stadium!    

One more step closer

There was was pushing and shoving, there was some exchange of bad language, and there was definitely no love lost between the two teams that took the field Sunday afternoon at Bank of America stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. This game had been a topic of discussion since the moment the 49ers defeated the Packers in Green Bay last weekend. Both Carolinas and all of Northern California had been waiting a full week for what was expected to be a very defensive orientated game with the top two defenses in the League facing off against each other. For the San Francisco 49ers it was another road game, their 3rd in 3 weeks. But you know how it goes, nothing changed and as they had the past 7 weeks, they took care of business once again, punching their ticket to the home of the feared "12th man" at Century Link Field in Seattle. Almost every play in the game ended with a push, shove, bad word, or penalty. It definitely turned out to be a physical game just as many expected it to be but the 49ers were able to pull away relatively early in the 4th quarter. This came as a huge disappointment to Carolina fans who were poised to make a deep playoff run from a season which included an 8 game winning streak along with a number two seed in the playoffs. Oh well, better luck next year Cam. As for the niners, we are headed to Seattle, THE BIRD'S NEST.  

Tossout in the Tundra

Temperatures flirted with record lows for a football game of this significance as the mercury dropped to -2 degrees Fahrenheit during the Wild card round match-up between the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers. Many players on both teams who seldom wear sleeves decided to cover up for the big game in the so-called "Frozen Tundra". Many people believed that Niners QB Colin Kaepernick would freeze up in the ice cold temperatures, but when the last seconds ticked of the clock, Colin bettered his record to 3-0 against the Packers. All in all, another thrilling 49er victory that, just as the weekend before, ended in a game winning Phil Dawson field goal. Both running backs, Eddie Lacy and Frank Gore, looked nearly invincible for the better part of the day but in the end it was the niners who ran away with the victory and escaped the cold weather with their ticket punched to their divisional round matchup in Carolina.  

A Formidable Farewell to the Stick

Now a week removed from the historic Monday night on the outskirts of San Francisco, niners fans can now reflect on the significance of one Candlestick Park and the end of a legacy in the San Francisco Bay Area. To say the least, Candlestick Park had a very fitting send off with multiple pregame ceremonies, two card stunts during the game, postgame hall of famer talks, and a spectacular fireworks show. Emotions ran high throughout the whole game and many players were in tears before and after the game. All in all the niners did an amazing job honoring what has been an amazing 5 decades at Candlestick Park. 69,500 faithful fans packed the building one last time to say goodbye and close the last chapter of a long standing building. As one of the 69,500 in attendance I can say that Candlestick Park on Monday, December 23rd is the loudest I have ever heard any professional stadium. And although there is a slim chance that there might be a home playoff game, the stick was awarded its well deserved goodbye. From all niners fans, Thank you Candlestick Park for all the endless memories and for providing us with a home for San Francisco 49ers football.