Killion: Young the Toast of Candlestick again; 49ers just toast

Legacy · Oct 6, 2008

For a brief time on Sunday, the fun was back at Candlestick. The decrepit old lady was packed to the top of her gray, mildewed overhang. The 49ers hadn't lost the game yet. And Steve Young was on the field entertaining the crowd.

Young was ready to jump back into action, at least in his mind and memory bank.

"It's the sounds and the smells," Young said after the halftime ceremony to retire his jersey, No. 8. "The grass. The memories. It's Pavlovian. It's time to go play." He might have done it, too. If it wasn't for the 50-plus friends and family members in attendance who would have tackled him if he'd tried.

In the nine years since Young last donned a 49ers uniform, things have changed. Young is married. He and Barb have three children, with a fourth — both he and Barb say she will be their last — on the way next month.

The 49ers have changed, too. They are virtually unrecognizable from the offensive juggernaut Young joined, when he arrived in San Francisco in 1987. That 49ers team was the toast of the NFL, the cradle of offensive creativity, a kind of football Camelot.

Now, the 49ers are a sad afterthought in a league that's moved on. On Sunday, on the day Young was honored, the 49ers celebrated by losing their second straight game — to the sweethearts of the last NFL decade, the New England Patriots. The 49ers are now 2-3. If Young wasn't part of ESPN's weekly football crew, the 49ers might have an even lower profile around the league than they already do.

This year, there has at least been some offensive intrigue. The fact that J.T. O'Sullivan threw three touchdown passes was encouraging. Three interceptions? Not so encouraging.

But Young sounds a little sad that the legacy that he inherited, cherished and tried to pass on has been completely lost. Even though Mike Martz has added some pizzazz, Young still sounds a little forlorn about the tradition that vanished.

"It's like being in Pittsburgh and them having a different kind of defense," Young said. "It is what it is, but there is a heritage here. You can say that maybe the West Coast offense was conceived other places, but it was born here. To not see someone run a slant pattern for a few weeks, it's hard. But time moves on. The game's moved on but there's certain elements of it you'd love to see more of."

Young was feeling sentimental, not just about the West Coast offense, but also about all his moments at Candlestick, all his memories in a 49ers uniform. He was the rare player who could appreciate and articulate his experience while he was living it. So it's not surprising how much he cherishes his experiences.

"It's a lot of emotions about a lot of years," he said. "Great times. Hard times. Significant times to me, growing up. I said to Jerry (Rice) 'It's when you were at your best.' It's not that my life isn't sublime now and great in many ways. It was a significant time in sports history as well. There'll never be a time like that again. I'm just grateful."

The 49er fans were grateful too, to be transported back to a time when there team represented excellence and excitement, creativity and daring. They wanted to remember all the moments: Young's crazy run against Minnesota, the awe-inspiring performance in the Super Bowl, the pass to Terrell Owens against Green Bay, the beating of Dallas in the NFC Championship game.

After that last performance, Young took a memorable victory lap around the field at Candlestick, high-fiving fans as they chanted "Steve, Steve, Steve."

On Sunday, he recreated a bit of the past. As he exited the field, up the stairs from behind the 49ers bench — escorted by a phalanx of security — fans crowded the aisle. They reached out for high-fives or just to touch Young as he passed. They chanted "Steve, Steve, Steve." He stopped to hug some people. He shook hands. And when he got in the press elevator near the top of the stairs, he was beaming.

"That's awesome," he said. "Those are good people."

People hungry for something to cheer about.

A bit later, I retraced Young's path, back to the field, at the end of the 30-21 loss. No more cheering. Just some forlorn folks shuffling away.
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Vintage · Oct 7, 2008

I remember (barely) the NFC Championship game loss.

Gave up 21 points immediately.

And that was P.I. by Deion.

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Killion: Young the Toast of Candlestick again; 49ers just toast

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Killion: Young the Toast of Candlestick again; 49ers just toast

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