In many ways, the soul of this franchise died on Monday. We keep trying to identify with and attach ourselves to the current roster, and the truth is, that 1998 was really the last time that this was an elite team. After an 18 year run of 10 + win seasons (all except 1982 strike year), 12 division titles and 5 world championships, the last ten years have been a team trying to re-invent itself quickly, with players like Jeff Garcia and Terrell Owens and then finally realizing that a quick fix wouldn't work and starting over in 2005 from scratch, just like in 1979.
Well, years later, are the Niners on the verge of starting something great as they were in the summer of 1981, or are the 49ers' best moments behind them? I feel good that Mike Nolan appreciates the responsibility of guiding this proud franchise. However, years from now, will we look back on photos of Nolan and Alex Smith with awe and reverence like the one below, or will we still be waiting to get back to sleep dreaming of those magical years of the past?
Maybe now is fate's way of picking the right time for the torch to be completely passed to the new generation of Forty-Niner gatekeepers, and for the page to be officially turned for the new players in the roles of Montana, Craig, Rice, Haley, and Lott and even Walsh himself to take center stage. Now is the time for this team to look to the future and act on it, so that as fans, we don't have to feed ourselves on the past to get by.
Remembering Bill Walsh (1931-2007)
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