October 4, 2008
American Football Spectacular: Remembering Steve Young Fondly
As the cheat-tastic wounded-animal "we don't need no cornerbacks to succeed" New England Patriots come to town this wknd, the 49ers will honor one of their greatest players by retiring Steve Young's number at halftime.
Which memory stands out from Young's gutty career for you?
The ridiculously lonnnng escape run through the Vikings, stumblin' those last couple steps into the end zone? The thread-the-needle bullet throw to a drop-happy Terrell Owens ("OWENS! OWENS! HE CAUGHT IT! HE CAUGHT IT!") to slay the Packers in the 1998 NFC Wild Card game's final seconds? The record-setting Super Bowl XXIX demolishing of the Chargers? Those adorable Toyota commercials your Mom likes?
What stands out for you? Tell us your story in the comment section.
And of course, the next order of business is to retire the jersey of the finest wide receiver ever to play the game. Can you believe # 80's number hasn't been officially retired yet? Hrrm.
Image via AP.
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Just a guess, but it could be because Rice just retired in 2005 / 2006...
Now if only Steve would finally come out of the closet, everyone could properly and openly honor his contributions.
Was he really that great of a QB?
I seem to remember a play where he caught his own pass and ran in for a TD.
That was pretty cool.
I remember both of those plays mentioned in the post above. The first play is probably the perfect embodiment of how Steve Young played the game. Wild, unpredictable, impossible to block for, impossible to tackle, unbelievablly athletic. That second play, as amazing as it was (didn't Steve stumble and then miraculously recover in his drop back?) is actually more associated with Owens, in my mind. That day, TO couldn't catch a ball. All day long, they would just slip right off his hands. But there, on that do-or-die play, in between 2 or 3 defending Packers, TO let that ball slide into his hands like a doctor on the business side of childbirth. He hugged that sucker, took his hits, fell to the ground, wept, and would not let that ball go. Unfortunately, if my memory serves, our elation was put in check the following week. Argh.
In San Francisco, Joe Montana is a God. Anyone who was here in the 80's can attest to his significance in SF's identity and ego in those days. He was the best quarterback in the history of the game and he was ours! That's kinda what happens when you bring home 4 Lombardi Trophies. No one will ever touch Montana.
But Steve Young, he was always my quarterback. He stood over center through my middle school, high school, and early college years; he was the one I grew up with. Favre? Aikman? Elway? Eh, they were ok. They were no Steve Young. I mean, how the hell do you follow Joe? With class and grace and humility. That's how Steve did it. Oh, and you bring home another one of those silver footballs.
Steve, Joe may have been a God, but you were the Man. No one envied you when you came on. Everyone doubted you. But before we began cutting ourselves for letting Joe go to KC, you stepped up. You stepped up into the biggest shoes anyone has ever had to fill. And man, did you make those shoes run! Congrats.
And thanks.
Grown men cried on sports talk when when Joe Montana was jettisoned
I have friends who neer warmed to Steve Young but he was a great QB
Such a shitshow now. Sad
@ A Native Son -
Great post. Thanks.
@A Native Son --
Amen. I stopped watching TV altogether when the W/L ratio of the Niners started dropping under .500.
Gave away the TVs.
It's not that I'm a fair-weather fan (and maybe I am), but if I wasn't getting enjoyment watching the Niners play, and that was the best thing on TV, then there's nothing else to live for.
Definitely the time he caught his own touchdown pass. Not many QBs have receptions in their stats.
An otherwise forgettable regular season game in '97 where they somehow fell down 21-0 against the Bengals, then finalized their comeback on a 20-yard qb limp -- not a qb scramble, literally a 20-yard limp -- during which somehow, no one could successfully tackle him despite that he was unable to move at standard human walking pace.