NFC Championship Game Post Mortem

Some thoughts following yesterday's game...

Yes, Kyle Williams' two fumbles led to the 10 points that kept the Giants in the game and then delivered the margin of victory. It's easy to pick on the kid and label him as the scapegoat for yesterday's defeat. But I will go to my grave knowing that Ed Hoculi's crew were the real culprits yesterday. Ahmad Bradshaw FUMBLED. The 49ers should have had the ball at the Giants' 21-yard line near the two-minute warning with an excellent chance to score and win the game in regulation.

Hoculi and his crew screwed up and it cost the 49ers a trip to the Super Bowl. Plain and simple.

I shouldn't be surprised - I was in Denver the day Hoculi infamously blew a call on an apparent fumble by Jay Cutler in the closing minute that was incorrectly ruled a forward pass, thus robbing the Chargers of a victory. It's unbelievable that he continues to merit assignments to conference title games.

That's all I'm going to say about what went down on the field yesterday.

Off the field? Well, it was another typical Candlestick performance including slippery puddles in the restrooms, congested traffic in and out of the stadium and a general lack of facilities. No big surprise.

As I said before, they can't tear down Candlestick soon enough. However, the league may want to think of staging a Super Bowl at the Stick while it's still standing. The last four postseason games played here have all been barnburners: Terrell Owens' "The Catch II" against the Packers, the wild 39-38 come-from-behind victory over the Giants, last week's instant classic against the Saints and yesterday's overtime battle against New York.

The postseason crowd at Candlestick the past two weeks was absolutely insane. My ears are still ringing. The Stick rocked for four hours, from player introductions to the final whistle. This isn't the wine and cheese 49ers crowd anymore. This is a loud, boisterous collection of fans that gave the Niners a real advantage by whooping and hollering and standing on their feet for the entire duration of the game. Outstanding.

Speaking of home-team advantages, it's time for the NFL to step aside and stop managing the in-game entertainment and festivities during the postseason. Having a shrill and annoying New York Giants fan sing the National Anthem in San Francisco? A country music performance at halftime? Unbelievable. This is SAN FRANCISCO. We have plenty of local performers to choose from. We don't need to see or hear Kristen Chenoweth and Brad Paisley because some clowns in the league office decided it would promote corporate synergy or cater to mouth-breathers in the midwest. DO NOT disrespect OUR city, OUR stadium and OUR team by bringing a New York Giants fan into Candlestick to sing the anthem. EVER.

It was a long day yesterday and a disappointing way to end the season. But the 49ers are back from the dead and will only get better over the next few seasons.

It was a great, fun, wild ride. And now I'm exhausted. Thanks, 49ers, for making me a believer again.

Yep, Still in the Parking Lot

Tear this stadium down tomorrow. Seriously.

Season Over

There were two things I was worried about going into today's game: the loss of Ted Ginn and Ed Hoculi refereeing the game.

Those were the two main reasons the Niners lost the NFC Championship to the Giants, who have never turned away a gift to advance to the Super Bowl.

Kyle Williams' fumbles were unfortunate, but the incompetence of Hoculi's crew was inexcusable.

Congrats on a great season that brought the 49ers back to the top of the heap in the NFL. Well done.

See you at the drive-through, Hoculi. Yes, I would like fries with that, you hack.

By the way, it's nearly 9pm and our chartered bus still hasn't left the parking lot. The debacle on the field pales in comparison to the logjam trying to escape the clutches of decrepit Candlestick Park.

Go Patriots.

Bandwagoner, Judas, Hypocrite...I've Heard 'Em All

Before I start this little rant, I have to say that, over 48 hours prior to kickoff, I am stoked for the NFC Championship and cannot wait to get into that stadium on Sunday! Ok - now on to the ranting...

I've had a fair amount of feedback about my apparent change of heart regarding the 49ers after tossing aside my season tickets, only to pay a premium for playoff tickets the past couple of weeks.

Here's the thing - I never stopped rooting for the 49ers or caring about their performance on the field. You don't write a blog for over a year without having a vested interest in the subject matter. It's not like I'm in it for the money (thanks for nothing, Google adSense).

Some folks have asked if I regret giving up my season tickets just as the team had a complete reversal of fortune.

I don't.

While I didn't expect the 49ers to be hosting the NFC Championship game this season, everything else is going about how I planned: cherry-pick a few choice games to attend each year and purchase tickets on the secondary market above face-value. It just so happens that the "few choice games" (for a variety of circumstances) ended up being played in the postseason.

The total amount of money I've spent on tickets for the playoffs is dwarfed by the amount of money I spent during any of the past several seasons to watch the Niners stumble aimlessly through the abyss of the NFL's bottom-feeders.

By the time I got rid of our season tickets, I had realized that half of the guaranteed games on the home schedule every year (two preseason games plus the three divisional "rivalry" games against the Seahawks, Cardinals and Rams) were matchups I didn't want to waste a Sunday afternoon for. Throw in at least one or two other clunkers on the schedule (for example, the Cleveland Browns this year), and the math just didn't add up.

Watch the game on my 55-inch TV with plenty of beverages and snacks a few feet away in the fridge? Sure. Deal with gameday experience at Candlestick Park? Not so much.

Part of the blame belongs to Candlestick itself, which has become more of a logistical nightmare every year. Part of the blame belongs to the NFL for destroying the old NFC West after the 2001 season. And part of the blame belongs to me for getting older, moving farther away from the stadium and deciding that there are better things to do with half of my weekend than drag my ass up the 101 to see the 49ers face the likes of the aforementioned Seahawks (who still belong in the AFC) and Cardinals (who still belong on the preseason schedule).

I'm a Niner fan - always have been, always will be. But being a fan of the team doesn't mean you have to be a fan of their stadium or give them money for things you don't want to pay for.

But enough about me.

GO NINERS!!!

Icing on the Cake?

It's a cake - with 49er icing! Get it?

Sunday morning, my wife and I were still basking in the afterglow of the victory over the Saints. Figuring a trip to Green Bay was next for the Niners, my thought was that, regardless of how the season ended, the dramatic win against New Orleans was a great way to highlight a successful return to NFL prominence. While I thought the Niners would have a chance to defeat Green Bay, I wasn't banking on it (Lambeau Field has always been a house of horrors for San Francisco).

Of course, by late Sunday afternoon, before the final whistle had been blown in the Giants-Packers game, we were already online searching for NFC Championship tickets.

Sunday morning, I thought that anything else the 49ers accomplished this season would be icing on the cake. But by Sunday night, I realized that the Niners now had an excellent opportunity to transform an already outstanding season into something truly special. For the first time since postseason seeding was implemented during the 1970s, the Niners leapfrogged into the top slot to host the conference title game after entering the playoffs as a number two (or lower) seed.

Sunday morning, I was satisfied with the 2011 season. But by Sunday night, I wanted more.

Damnit, I'm In

Just picked up our tickets for Sunday's game on the secondary market. During the past couple of days, we went back and forth trying to decide if we should spend the cash and deal with the Candlestick hassle again, or just watch the game in the comfort of our living room.

Once again, crumbling Candlestick beckoned and we answered. We decided it's too good of an opportunity to pass up. I remember being faced with a similar problem the last time the Niners hosted an NFC Championship game while I was living in San Diego. I decided to skip the game and sell my tickets to set aside some money for the Super Bowl (which was being played in San Diego that season). Besides, the Niners would probably be right back next year...

That was my last opportunity to see the 49ers play for a trip to the Super Bowl.

That was 14 years ago.

Finally, my next opportunity is 4 days away. We couldn't miss this.

We won't.

Epic

Well, if I was only going to go to one game this year, I'm glad I picked this one. Today's victory over the Saints easily ranks among the greatest playoff games I've seen (somewhere between "The Catch" and the comeback victory over the Giants nine years ago).

I've been among Alex Smith's critics over the past several years, but he was lights-out today, leading the 49ers to dramatic come-from-behind scores twice in the final two and a half minutes. After 7 seasons, Smith finally has a signature moment that will be woven into the tapestry of 49er lore. And Vernon Davis, who seemed to drop at least one pass each game this year, came up with his biggest performance during the team's biggest game (so far).

The defense contained the Saints for 3 1/2 quarters, keeping the offense in front of them and never missing any tackles while forcing huge turnovers. They hit New Orleans hard and often. But when the offense stalled late in the third quarter and into the fourth, the law of averages finally caught up with them. You can only stop Drew Brees so many times. The fact that the officials decided to give the Saints every chance to win the game by not calling a single penalty - not even a holding call during 60+ pass attempts - against them during the entire game didn't help matters, either.

The crowd was like nothing I've seen in nearly 30 years. They stood up the entire game, cheered loudly when the Saints' offense was on the field, and refrained from doing The Wave. A solid performance during a game that will surely be included next time the NFL Network revisits the "Top 10 Greatest Playoff Games of All Time."

But make no mistake - Candlestick is still a shithole. Sitting in the Lower East stands for only the second time, I was amazed that the lack of a functional PA system on that side of the stadium leaves the entire crowd guessing every time an announcement is made on the loudspeakers or the officials rattle off a penalty or explanation of a play. Getting to our seats prior to the team introductions was impossible as the concourses became a human traffic jam.

Speaking of traffic jams, it took about an hour for our chartered bus to get into the parking lot after we approached the stadium 2.5 hours before kickoff. And getting out of the stadium was mayhem as the bozos directing traffic turned the bus lot exit into a one-lane bottleneck with no chance of escape. Basically, the typical half-assery we all come to expect at Candlestick. They can't tear that piece of garbage down quickly enough.

Ok, enough with the negativity. After 9 years of disappointment, the 49ers delivered an unforgettable victory while establishing a new identity.

Welcome back, Niners. We missed you.

NFL Ticket Exchange = Ripoff

F this goddamned commercial that is shown 
approximately 17 times during each game telecast.

A quick follow-up to my last post about purchasing tickets for this weekend's matchup against the Saints...

I knew that I wasn't going to buy the tickets from the 49ers directly for a number of reasons (most notably, my refusal to directly give the Yorks any more of my money). My first choice was to try the NFL Ticket Exchange program, figuring that I would have a better opportunity to find a good seat at a decent price from an actual season ticketholder.

Sure enough, we found some great seats in the Lower East section near the 30-yard line. The price that the seller was asking for was reasonable, too - only about 75 bucks over the face value of $199 . I immediately began the purchasing process. When it came time to enter my credit card information and get the final total, I was flabbergasted. The league was charging a $51 handling fee - FOR EACH TICKET. That's over 100 bucks the league would receive for tickets that they have already sold!

I don't even know how that can be legal. Sounds worse than ticket scalping to me.

Needless to say, I stopped the transaction and picked up my tickets on StubHub, where I've always had success as both a buyer and seller. Hooray for StubHub, and a hearty "F You" to the NFL Ticket Exchange, which is really just another opportunity for the league to fleece fans of their hard-earned money. "Snatch and grab it" my ass.

Here Come the Saints...and Personal Seat Licenses, Too

The good ol' days, when the Saints were two
guaranteed wins per season.

Let's get some housekeeping out of the way...

Adios, 49ers went dark for a few weeks while I was out of the country. I figured nobody was interested in my travels throughout the UK and Ireland, so I refrained from posting to the blog. By the way, did you know that in Europe, soccer is called "football?" And people actually watch it? I know, it's crazy, but you have to keep an open mind when traveling abroad.

I did manage to catch the 49ers' regular-season finale and all of the Week 17 action thanks to my iPad and Slingbox (possibly history's greatest invention) and was quite relieved when the Niners finally closed the books on the Rams to wrap up the #2 seed. And now, after eight long years, San Francisco is preparing for a playoff game.

We all know how important it was for the 49ers to earn the first-round bye and host a divisional playoff game. I'm quite certain that, if the Niners had been knocked down to the #3 seed and advanced this past weekend, they would get boat-raced in New Orleans on Saturday. But fortunately, the roles are reversed and it's the Saints who will hit the road this week to face the 49ers in Candlestick, where the Niners' strengths (defense and special teams) will be much more effective outdoors on natural turf. And, I'm fully expecting the home crowd to do their part in making the Saints feel unwelcome as the noise level is cranked up to a volume that hasn't been heard in nearly a decade.

Am I excited? Hell, yes.

How excited? I'm going to the game. For reals.

And no, I didn't give the Yorks any of my money. I said I wouldn't and I fully intend to stick to my promise (I did, however, give my money to a season ticketholder on StubHub).

I don't know what to expect when I get to the stadium on Saturday - it's been so long since the 49ers played a huge game at home. Do people still chant "DE-FENSE" every time they hear that stupid "thump-thump" drum on the PA? Are fans really doing the wave? Do they play the goddamned theme from Jaws over the loudspeakers when the opposition is in the red zone? Do the mouth-breathers in Niner Noise still exist in the south end zone?

I guess we'll find out...

By the way - how does $375 per ticket sound to you? Wait - before you can answer, you'll need to pony up $20,000 - $30,000 just for the privilege, because that's the price for a "Stadium Builders License" for the new facility in Santa Clara. Granted, this is for club level seating, but that's a huge increase over comparable seat locations in Candlestick.

I'm going to safely guess that this is out of the price range for many of the folks who are still holding on to their season tickets in the current "platinum" level at Candlestick. Should be interesting to see the plans for the other seat levels at the new stadium - I'm sure they'll require a stadium builders license as well.

In the meantime, I'll be cherry-picking the games I want to go to (hint: no preseason or divisional opponent matchups) and paying a little bit extra on StubHub (and not Lil' Jed) for the opportunity.