I’m getting a bit of a history. I’ve covered about 30 football games, and I’ve been going to sporting events my whole life. Last night’s game in Foxboro was the greatest game I’ve ever seen in person.
It seemed like the entire world expected New England to win. To watch the 49ers toy with them in the first half and to hear the stadium go silent was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It reminded me of Evander Holyfield beating up Mike Tyson 15 years ago when the entire world expected Tyson to win.
The 49ers’ first half was the most dominating performance I’ve ever seen, and then the game took a turn and got even more interesting.
I watched the fasted 28-point comeback in NFL history. I thought I was witnessing the biggest el-foldo of my life.
And then the game turned again. LaMichael James returned a kickoff 62 yards, and about 30 seconds later Michael Crabtree blew past Kyle Arrington to score a touchdown.
The freezing rain made these twists and turns even more exciting. Football games don’t get any better.
Another great game was the New Orleans playoff game last season. I loved that one also, but this one was even more magical.
What was the greatest game you’ve ever attended?
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Best game I ever attended with 39-38 over the NY Giants in the 2002 playoffs. Magical.
That game was awesome. I was there too. But then again so was the catch II. And last years Saints game was pretty awesome.
I was at that game too.. Thats exactly what i was going to say. the way Garcia willed the team back into it and the chaos at the end of the game was fantastic
I remember Garcia’s on-field post-game interview. “I made some plays with my feet, and I found Tai Streets in the end zone.”
haha.. He sure did. That throw and catch to Streets was awesome. Garcia forced it into Streets with a man on him. The day after when the league came back and said the refs blew the not called PI on the field, Marriucci’s only response was “Bummer!”
Was at that game also. Almost… ALMOST walked out when Shockey scored and put the game away. So I thought! I told myself if the 49ers score then get a quick turnover then stop them then get another quick score……. Point is I stayed with a drunken wife (girlfriend) at the time sleeping through this game because she had never tailgated before. And I’m glad I did. It was a great game and I hadn’t heard the stick that loud since the 49ers beat the Cowboys in 94-95 playoffs. What a collapse and what a game. I still see Garcia looking right at me doing his Merton hanks td studded step celebration.
I think this was the best game since the playoff game last year for sure. I don’t think it was better. Last year the stakes were higher and we were in the catch-up role and came back twice in the same game – unheard of. But this one ranks right up there though.
So I’d say this game and that playoff game last year will rank up there with some of the best Niner football ever. Winning, breaking records, etc. That’s Niner football.
This is the first time a team has beaten New England at home in ages.
This was Definitely one of the top regular season games I can remember. Postseason is a whole nother animal.
My top 5 in no particular order:
94 Cowboys Championship Game
98 Packers Wild Card Game
Comeback over the Giants in Wild Card Game
1980 Saints Montana comeback game
94 Cowboys regular season game
Honorable mention:
89 NFC Championship Game against NY was epic despite the loss.
Good top 5. Although I wasn’t there for the 90 title game it was brutal to watch.
Mine would be:
1 last years New Orleans game
2 the NY giants comeback game
3 the redemption reception
4 the cowboys playoff game of 94
5 the NYJ game when Hearst took it 99 yards.
So many memories at the stick. I’m going to miss that old shack
-NFC Championship game January 1995
beating the cowboys to get to the Super Bowl
-Regular season matchup against the Cowboys 1994
finally beating the cowboys after two straight championship losses
-Saints game last playoffs of course
-Divisional Championship game January 1989
one year after losing to the Vikings in the playoffs…we kicked butt
vivid memory of Jerry Rice TDs and Roger Craig breaking an 80 yarder for a TD.
Too many great games. Privileged to be a Niner fan.
Thank you for leading us back to greatness. Let’s win this thing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-hDl6OALv4
This game was awesome, but I don’t think anybody was crying after. Last year, on a bigger stage, do-or-die, against the Saints in the Divisional Round, was more exciting for me.
Vernon Davis catching the winning TD from Smith, and then letting all that emotion out, I was almost crying myself! It was such a poetic moment, with the franchise finally freeing itself, in such dramatic fashion, from the shackles of so many years of losing, losing with Smith and Vernon as the face of the losing team.
Last night was great, really great, but it didn’t mean much. Both teams are going to the playoffs, and both teams will have more important games later on this year.
Didnt mean much??are u kidding???
We only beat the best team/offense in the league…u know if we had lost next weeks game wouldve been for the division…all games mean something…
In a 16 game season all games have great meaning, especially against teams like NE on the road in that environment, but I’m with Angus on this one: That game was a playoff game (more important than regular season games) and say what you will about our backup, that game was all about redemption for all of the trials and tribulations AS and many of the other players had gone through in the previous seasons. I vote for that one over this one, it was a surprise: few thought we’d be in that position last year. This year it’s much more expected to pull off a result like last night.
Angus, you’re bang on about the playoff game last season. While you were almost crying, I was kneeling on floor, tears rolling down my face. I still rewatch the last 5 minutes and have the radio call on my phone. It was amazing.
You Canucks all stick together (except on the ice)!
Just kidding. I actually agree, the Conf Champ Game IS more significant. It was a great moment.
Last night was good though, even better accomplishment than the win inN.O.
It was definitely a statement game, Tuna.
My favorite memory Dec 1972 final game of the season, the 49ers need to beat Minn to get in the playoffs. Brodie broke his leg early in the year, spurrier came in for him. On that day the 9ers fell far behind, Brodie came off the bench led the team to 2 or 3 4th quarter touchdowns. throwing the winning TD to Dick Witcher in the last seconds. Brodie was crowd surfed off the field by the fans, he was carried at least 70 yards off the field.
2TD’s…and the Niners survived a 5 Int day!!!!
The year before they made the playoffs by beating Det 31-27 when Brodie scored on a 10 yard run by maneuvering the defender into a mud puddle!!
Here are my top five seen in person. Four at the Stick, one at Detriot Silverdome.
1981 Regular Season Game against Dallas. (For the first time we began to realize we had something special brewing in San Francisco).
1981 NFC Championship against Dallas. (The Catch!)
1981 Super Bowl against Cincinnati (My only Super Bowl in person so it has to ranked high).
1994 NFC Championship against Dallas.
2011 NFC Divisional game against Saints.
Dec 1970 49ers Vs Raiders at the Oak coliseum. 9ers need to win to capture their 1st division championship and make the playoffs for the 1st time since 1957 9ers crush the silver and black 38-7 in the mud. brodie to washington 50 yd TD pass. i loved seeing it in front of all those raider fans
I remember that game well.
coach – How did those 1970 Raida fans compare to the mongrels of today?
Crabs they were a totally different animal. Mostly hard working blue collar east bay guys and gals. Unlike todays raider fans they knew the game inside and out. football is football and even in those days there were a few fights but there was no thug mentality. Most of those great Raider fans are long dead or many of them became 9er fans when Davis turned his back on them.
coach – Thanks for that. It’s too bad things have changed with Raida fans. My oldest brother is a Raida fan but he hates the mongrel Raida fans.
Sadly there are more of the same type of Niner fans showing up to games now.
Grant – You probably were in diapers when I attended Niners vs Rams 1989 in Anaheim (my home town).
It was MNF, Niners trailed 27-10 in 4th quarter and Joe worked his comeback magic to win 30-27. John Taylor had two memorable TD’s of over 90 yards each. Niners clinched NFC West that game and went on to annihilate Denver in Super Bowl.
Side note: Ram cheerleaders were on fire back then.
crabs i forgot that game. i watched it on tv but it was a great game
Yeah Crabs that was a great game. I remember JT’s plays. If memory serves me, that was a Hella year for big plays on run-after-catch.
Hmmmmm, so Michael Crabtree’s late TD last night kinda lights my fire!
Freaking great game Crabs, watch it at a bar with my co-workers
The Patriots turned it into a game but this is one that should have been a laugher if not for the Niners letting up with a big lead. Way too much anxiety for a game they led by 4 TD’s. It actually reminded me of the Charger/Dolphin playoff game in 82. Chargers at Miami, take a big lead (24-0) then the Dolphins come back and tie it up 31-31 at the end. The Chargers won in OT and it was a classic.
This game wasn’t a playoff game but it felt like it and the Niners may have gained something more valuable by giving up the lead and having to will themselves to come back and win it. The confidence you gain from taking a great teams best punch and coming back to win is huge for a young team that doesn’t have a lot of experience in big games. They showed the inexperience by choking away the lead, but then rebounded with balls of steel to take the lead back and win the game.
The Patriots had not lost at home in Dec in a decade…that is unbelievable. The Niners broke the string and picked up a huge dose of confidence in the process. This team could be destined for great things.
Rocket,
I’m hoping that Harbaugh learned some lessons from this game as well. Specifically not letting down especially against certain opponents.
Rackem!……Outstanding post rocket…..
When Pats tied up game 31-31, my 96 gallon outdoor trash can got pulverized.
I really hope the “playing not to lose” strategy goes out the window when the 49ers have a lead. It is incredibly frustrating.
Clem
I despair because I know they’ll do that stuff again. It drives me batty. As soon as they went up 31-3, I whined out loud about it. I expected just Roman to do it, not Fangio too. I fondly recall Joe Cool coming back about 24 points in some second halfs.
I was a young lad but attended this game, and saw Jackie Smith miss that easy pass in the end zone as I was only a few rows away from that play in the end zone. I was rooting for the Steelers.
Super Bowl X
Steelers 21, Dallas Cowboys 17
Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida
January 18, 1976; Attendance: 80,187
Neal – Were/are your folks Steeler fans? Was that the game Jack Lambert body slammed one of the Cowgirl players for patting Steeler kicker on head?
Yea Crab, he body slammed Cliff cowgirl Harris, I was still living on the East Coast, NY and then Fla, but always liked the Steelers because of Swann and Bradshaw, never was into the Giants, Jets or Dolphins, can’t say I ever was a Steeler Fan, just respected their teams. When I moved out here in, just love the Niner ‘s.
Neal – Thanks for sharing that. Much respect for Steeler organization from me too.
Wasn’t there last night grant. But I have to say that New Orleans game last year was bigger. The team that came from nowhere with a qb that “couldn’t” do it. And the last play made it magical more magical than ANY game I’ve ever been to. I’m sure last nights game was an emotional roller coaster because at the bar we were at felt like a stadium game. I’m happy for you that you got to be there to experience it. I’m sure it was a blast. Where’s ribico? Didnt he go also? Lets hear it rib
md:
http://49ers.pressdemocrat.com/2012/12/inside-the-49ers/49ers-patriots-live-blog-fourth-quarter/#comment-366475
The Catch-30 years ago.
Last years November game against the Giants. Last play of the game, on our goal line. I said to mysel, come on Justen, now’s your time to do something good. Manning throws the ball into the end zone, and the ball is blocked down. I didn’t find out untill the buss ride back to down town SF, that JS blocked that throw.
As every Niner game I’ve attended where more was at stake (playoffs) was a losing effort, I’ll have to say this is the greatest Niners game I’ve been to. Last year’s NFCCG comes close, but since this was a win I’ll give the nod here. It had everything that makes for a classic. Big plays on both offense and defense (for both teams). Potential game changing turnovers. Gut wrench and euphoria for fans of both sides. Real throwback Madden-loving football weather, too bad no natural grass.
I’ve been to other games where I had no dog in the hunt, they were also great classics. I was at Superbowl XXXVI in 2002, the game that ironically started these Patriots’ run. That was a great game, the first SB that was decided on the last play, the Vinatieri FG. Added bonus was the Niners arch enemy Rams lost, signaling the end of the Greatest Show On Turf (grrr… I hated that time).
Though I’m a Niners and football fan first I’ll have to say my most amazing fan experiences were NY Knicks playoff games in the 1990s. I had season tickets back then and went to all of them at Madison Square Garden. And usually went home heartbroken at the hands of Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and co. But wow, what an incredible stretch of classic games (brawls and street fights included) that was.
I’ve only been to 2 games so my list is short.
08, led by Shaun Hill they beat the Favre led Jets 24-14. It was my first NFL game so tough to top.
This season in NY to watch the Niners annihilate the Jets 34-0.
I was at the “Catch game” when the niners made it to the Super Bowl. When the game was over, everyone was hugging everyone, strangers they didn’t know and would never see again. Just kept walking around hugging people, a tremendous experience. Was with someone’s first game who said, “Is this normal? No it wasn’t, it was unbelievable.
A friend was there too and sitting behind Leo Nomellini. After the final gun, big Leo gave Ron a hug that almost made him pass out!
*Rich*, not Ron
Ratings:
1981 – What a year! The Catch is tops – not expected and outstanding. Winning the SB! I was young – the buzz for the first ever SF SB was just…YOU HAD TO BE THERE! Too bad if you weren’t!! : )
1984 SB at Stanford – I was there. We paid big bucks at that time for tickets. DMarino was the man and he was the allure of the east coast bias. There was no way JMo was going to keep up with the great DMarino and his Miami offense. What a game! JMo proved he was the best ever, yet just beginning his outstanding career with his 2nd SB win.
All other SBs wins will be cool, but I’m telling you, 1981 was a year that was above all other games that have come since then. It’s hard to explain, but the first SB for the City was just a thrill to be associated with and to be part of with all of the excitement. Nothing else will ever come close!!! Nothing!
The 1984 Super Bowl is still the best in my book. All the yap yap yap about Dan Marino in the press followed by his red face as he got hit over and over and over again.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Joe Cool simply eviscerated the Dolphin’s defense.
1988 had some great stories, the year of John Taylor. 1989 was just dominant. 1994 the same.
1981 is special because it was the 1st and one of the best Super Bowls ever but it was a bad year for me – parents divorced, moved a lot, didn’t watch much football that year.
81- imprints because it was first. It was impossible and inevitable.
84-very satisfying because the Niners could never stay with Marino. Dan, meet Fred Dean.
-The second Bengals Bowl. Fabulous game. Vintage Montana. Gamer to Taylor.
-thumping the Broncos. Elway was she’ll shocked
-thumping the Bolts. Our SD family said “well they didn’t play their best”. No stuff, Niners never let them into the game.
The Catch….never can beat the first time around.