SFist: Photos: Scenes From Candlestick Park, Lions vs 49ers

Christopher Rogers

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:33:05 -0800

@ andyc Well, you've certainly reached that sort of sports low-point where only the folks who are the true fans of the franchise are still aboard. At least there's that. And the Lions finallyfinallyfinally got rid of Millen! Too bad about your ownership though... So, yeah, nowhere to go but up for you guys. Is Marinelli a keeper? And maybe something can be done about getting all that BS black accenting taken out of the current uniform? The 49ers and Lions could have an ownership ineptitude-off. You got a new stadium, but you had Millen for years and years. The Niners can't build a stadium but at least they've kept Nolan. Blah. In my experience, Niner fans at The 'Stick are mostly pretty welcoming to fans of other teams as long as neither party is being a dick. And as long as it's not the Cowboys.

Christopher Rogers

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:25:54 -0800

@ aj > Who's to say Alex won't have a future somewhere else as a journeyman backup? Think Todd Collins (or Kerry Collins for that matter). Indeed. Assuming his shoulder heals, the thought is that he could go work for Norv since he had his best results under that Norv's offensive system.

Christopher Rogers

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:24:25 -0800

@ A Native Son I'm agreein' with what you say there. Yeah, looking at Smith from just a football level basically takes any of the upside out of the equation. Following 16 & 8 was always a losing proposition. Garcia made a good go of it. It's an abject shame that the Mooch team was disbanded and all the team's infrastructure ripped out at that point. What this ramrods home is that external voiices don't matter. Like you said about the fans not mattering. The only way to make one's voice heard is to own a team. (Or get involved with the Green Bay franchise.) I would like to own the 49ers. Maybe I'll set up a paypal donation account for that. I'd certainly treat the team/fans/brand with far more respect than the (post-Eddie) Yorks have. And yeah, glad we didn't end up with Beer-Bong Leinart or Bless-His-Heart-But-It-Sounds-Like-He's-Losing-His-Mind Vince Young. Could be worse indeed.

andyc

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:46:09 -0800

sweet! i'm in the 3rd photo! front row in the blue shirt just left of the '31' section sign doing a facepalm. i only caught a little bit of nonsense for having a lions shirt on i think most of the niners fans were sympathetic, although before the game one dude was kind of freaking me out by being very insistent that i check out his giant 49ers tat on his bicep. and yeah, as a contest it was really pretty embarassing, but it was at least sort of cool to be there for the game where they sucked so bad they finally fired matt millen.

aj

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:35:37 -0800

Who's to say Alex won't have a future somewhere else as a journeyman backup? Think Todd Collins (or Kerry Collins for that matter).

A_Native_Son

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:56:28 -0800

@ Chris Rogers I hear you. I'm not a malicious person in real life or anything, but football is football. It's hard. It's cruel. It's irrational, and you know what? That's part of the beauty of the whole thing. I pay out $100 to see millionaires play a game I played in middle school, and I'm glad to do it. As a fan, one thinks that we somehow matter--kind of like us voters thinking we matter (we kind of don't). We pin our hopes on kids, and sometimes those kids let us down. And that's all good. Again, he makes more in one year than I'll make in my entire life. He wins in life. He loses in football. And it's that football part that I, as a fan, care about. In some cities, it's damn hard to please the fans. In Philly, forget about it. In SF, we look to our QB's. I grew up on Montana and Young. How the hell do you follow that up? You can't. And that sucks for the Alex Smith's of the world, but damn it, we want our Joe's and Steve's. Alex, it was nice knowin ya. We wasted years on your mediocrity. We should have benched you ala Aaron Rogers, but whatev. We're in first place with O'Sullivan, and yah, it's only week 3 but we'll take it. Coulda been worse, I guess. Coulda been Leinart or Vince Young.

Christopher Rogers

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:36:14 -0800

@ raphaelc I've seen him there at the Coliseum too, decked out in green and gold. I'm mighty positive that was him. No one else looks/is that awesome.

Christopher Rogers

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:31:54 -0800

@ A_Native_Son Banjo Man is awesome. I love the fact that he's been doing his thing as long as I can remember. That Alex Smith tale is so... sad. :( I do feel bad for the guy to a degree. Who knows what might have yaddayaddayaddaetcwhatevs... Yeah, he got paid and everything sucked and that's genuinely sad. Here's hoping that O'Sullivan becomes our version of Marc Bulger, and A.Smith can become a useful backup QB to Norv down in San Diego once his shoulder knits. I don't bear Alex any ill will, I just wish he'd paid off as a draft pick. It's hard to hate a guy who quietly tried the best he could within horrific circumstances and couldn't get it done. Ahh well. 8-8 would be grand. I'm hoping against hope to sweep the 'Hawks and win the division.

raphaelc

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:50:01 -0800

I've seen Banjo Man many times at Oakland A's games...sporting a green and gold beanie and cape. That's also Stacy Samuels, right? Or is it someone else?

A_Native_Son

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:53:40 -0800

Love seeing Banjo Man at the games. I sat in the same section where those photos were taken of him--I probably saw those scenes play out, actually. Favorite part of the game was watching Alex Smith in his over-sized red jumpsuit, pacing the sidelines slowly, chin-on-chest. He seemed so...lonely. O'Sullivan and Hill would play catch in between possessions and Smith would walk away. It was great. Til I realized that if he cries at night, he cries in a bed made of money. That fuck. Anyhow, here's to hoping to for 8-8!