When will the San Francisco 49ers strike gold again? After capturing five Super Bowl championships (1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1994), the 49ers have been striving to return to the “big show” again. Since their last NFL title, they have earned spots in the playoffs, during seven seasons. That has included three division titles and two NFC championship games. If you are disheartened about the 49ers current performance, remember that the situation must get worse before it gets better. Here are the 49ers’ worst NFL seasons:
1978-1979 (2-14 record)
The season started with promise, but ended in a waterloo. Prior to the start of the season, the San Francisco 49ers had made some major trades. In particular, they had traded some of their draft picks, to acquire O.J. Simpson, star Running Back from the Buffalo Bills. During the 1973-1974 season, Simpson had earned an NFL record of 2,000 rushing yards. Unfortunately, a shoulder injury caused him to miss the majority of the season and to earn a meager 593 yards. Quarterback Steve De Berg compounded the problem, tossing nearly three interceptions for every touchdown thrown. Head Coach Pete McCullery earned a miserable 1-8 record. McCullery’s replacement, Coach Fred O’Connor, then racked up an awful 1-6 record.
1979-1980 (2-14 record)
After the failures of Coach McCullery and Coach O’Connor, the 49ers changed their general once again, by hiring Bill Walsh. Eventually, Walsh would coach the 49ers to three Super Bowl victories (1981, 1984, 1988). However, his first season in San Fran resulted in a second consecutive 2-14 record. While O.J. Simpson’s last year in the NFL would be disappointing, the 49ers’ offense evolved into one of the best ones in the league. In particular, a rookie named Joe Montana was starting to warm up. During the 1979-1980 season, Montana tossed the pigskin 23 times, racking up 96 yards and one touchdown. The 49ers were indeed rebuilding their squad and were a work in progress.
2004-2005 (2-14)
A decade after their fifth and most recent Super Bowl title, the 49ers were a shell of their former selves. There was plenty of blame to go around, with the 49ers owner John York receiving much of it. How bad was the 2004-2005 season for the 49ers? Their victories included two wins over the same team–the Arizona Cardinals. To top it off, the 49ers needed overtime to beat the Cardinals. The first time, they edged them 31-28. Meanwhile, the second clash between the teams resulted in the same score: 31-28. Following the end of the season, the 49ers terminated Coach Dennis Erickson, and used Mike Nolan (son of ex 49ers coach Dick Nolan) to replace him.
Recently, the 49ers have found little gold on the gridiron. However, they continue to battle their way to the top of the NFL. By making the right moves on and off the field, the 49ers can return to the glory days of Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, and Ronnie Lott. Use San Francisco 49ers merchandise to cheer on the team to their sixth golden Super Bowl trophy!
The San Francisco 49ers is a well-known team – even by those who do not follow football – and play an exceptional game. The 49ers have won many championship titles and plan to continue their streak. Thanks to their season in 2008, there are some coaching and player changes taking place on the team this year, prior to the start of the 2009 season. These changes should bring nothing but passion, dedication, and – hopefully – a Super Bowl appearance.
The San Francisco 49ers plan to put on a great season for their fans, and the fans are ready for it. While final changes are being made and draft picks are being made, fans are sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for tickets to go on sale. Like many other seasons, tickets for the 2009 season will be in high demand, leaving many wishing they had acting more quickly on the purchase of their tickets.
Right after WWII, there was a noticeable gap in the sporting industry. Most of the sporting industry was located on the East Coast, or in the Midwest, leaving the West Coast empty and with a lack of sporting entertainment. Anthony Morabito was determined to change this, and put the West Coast back on the map.
Anthony approached the NFL who quickly turned him down. Anthony was privy to information about the AFL and had caught wind that they would be forming in 1944. Being a smart businessman, Anthony aligned himself with the AFL at this time.
Morabito, along with his partners, worked hard at coming up with an identity – for this new team – that would be remembered and would last. This is when they came up with the name – the San Francisco 49ers. The name was derived as a memoire for the miners of the Gold Rush years. Surprisingly, a painting, on a railroad car, inspired the men to come up with this name (the painting was of a miner).
Morabito, after many years, finally got his dream – and NFL franchise – after the AFL / NFL merger, that is. Regardless, with the 49ers being and NFL franchise, ticket sales began to increase drastically, and the team began attracting fans at every game.
Over the past few years, the team has faced some tribulations. Early on in the season of 2007 their starting quarterback – Alex Smith – suffered a severe shoulder injury, putting him on the bench for 1 1/2 years. Unfortunately, this set the team back. He has; however, recently signed a new 2-year contract with the 49ers and will be back on the field for the 2009 season. He and the team are ready to show the world what they are made of – once again.
The 49ers have been playing football for over 60 years and have experienced many changes. They have accomplished much greatness such as five Super Bowl, 17 division, and five conference titles. As usual, 49er tickets will be hard to come by this year, as they will sell-out quickly. Fans are expecting one of their greatest seasons ever; they will not take the chance of missing seeing it firsthand.
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