After the 49ers were sent home last week licking their wounds, it was do-or-die time as the division leading Arizona Cardinals were in town for a Monday Night showdown. As a child growing up in a household in which my father raised me to root strictly for the Lakers, Giants, and 49ers, it was my first ever 49er game. & Of all the teams and sports, football and the 49ers became my first true love. But even as a long time supporter, attending a football game hasn't been as easy as one would suspect. But 19 years later, I was on my way to my first ever Niners game. & For it being my first, I don't think you could of wrote it any better and selected a better game to go to, than the one we seen.
With the 49ers playoff hopes hanging on a thread, you would think the fans would rather save their money given the shitty economy, and watch the game at the comfort of their own home. However, that couldn't have been any further from the outcome, as the stadium began to roar as soon as I stepped foot into Candlestick park. As my pop's and I walked up the stairwell in search of our seats, I began to get star struck, looking over onto the field. The same exact field in which Bill Walsh, Jerry Rice and Joe Montana among others made a franchise that was at one point and time nothing, into a dynasty. Our disposable camera was almost out of film before we even found our seats, as we took picture after picture of the packed stadium.
Once we finally settled in into our seats, the Monday Night Football theme song began to play out loud of the stadium speakers, setting off a roar of the crowd unlike any I've heard or been a part of before. It took me awhile to actually realize where I was. My father and I have been talking about heading to the Bay Area for a game for years, but never ended up living up to our word. As the Cardinals kicked the ball off, it finally set in, that we were indeed there live and direct. & The rest is history. If you were to tell me before the game that the 49ers would manhandle the Cardinals the way they did, I would've said get the hell out of here. But the Niners came out full throttle as if they were playing for their lives. Coincidentally, they were. They're playoff-lives that is.
Unlike the week before, San Francisco was able to cash in on every miscue the opposing team threw at them. The offense scored all of their 24 points off of Arizona turnovers, with a total of 7. 5 of them by way of fumbles, and the rest interceptions. Although the Niner defense was able to expose Kurt Warner and the Cardinals offense, Alex Smith and company did their job as well. The biggest offensive contribution came out of RB Frank Gore. Gore ran for a total of 167 rushing yards and 1 touchdown on 25 carries. Gore's stellar ground game also helped milk the clock when needed. Alex Smith didn't put up eye-popping numbers, but he did manage to throw 2 touchdowns. The first to TE Vernon Davis, giving him 11 on the year. With the TD, Davis added to his franchise record and league leading touchdown amount. Smith's other touchdown reception went to rookie WR Michael Crabtree. His 2nd on the year and first in front of the 49er faithful.
A final score of 24-to-9 lit up the scoreboard as everyone began to celebrate and give high-fives. I was stoked enough being able to actually go to a game, but what the Niners did on the field made my trip to San Francisco worthwhile. Out of the many sports games and venues I've been to, never in my life have I been as excited and have as much fun as I had. A few of my dad's friends on the other hand weren't so lucky. Sitting in the stands of an opposing team's stadium when you've got a rival jersey on isn't always pretty. & With three of my dad's Cardinal buddies sitting behind us, there was no exception. There were times when things got ugly and tempers began to flare, but in the end, everyone shook hands and called it a night. The traffic both in and out of the stadium was a nightmare, but at the end of the day, I'd do it all over again to fulfill my dreams of attending my first favorite team's game.
Next week's match-up will be no less than a must-win game, if the Niners hope to keep their playoff hopes alive. & Heading to an unfriendly Philadelphia to face the Wild Card leading Philadelphia Eagles, will be no easy task. But with the way the Niners played defense on Monday Night, I'm convinced anything can happen. GO NINERS!
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