Pat Answers
On Sunday, January 10, 1982, I was dressed and ready for my cousin to pick me up and take me to the 49ers playoff game against the Cowboys at Candlestick Park. Then the phone rang. My cousin’s boss had changed his mind and was going to attend the game, thus there was no extra ticket for me. I not only missed one of the biggest games in 49er history, I also missed being in the stadium for the team’s most magical play: Joe Montana to Dwight Clark for “The Catch.” That was a rough Sunday. But at least we won the game and launched what would be an NFL dynasty. These days, the 49ers (and the rest of the NFL) are the victims of a dynasty, and suffering through Sunday February 11, 2024 was a hell of lot worse than missing The Catch. It was especially rough for kids my son’s age. Even though I’m shocked that he’s already 4 Kung Fu Pandas old, he wasn’t around for the 49er glory days, and he was left, along with a couple friends on a Dorito-dusted couch, in a darkened room still warm from the now shut-off TV, to once again experience the agony of defeat— a feeling Nick Bosa described perfectly during a postgame interview. “It’s gonna hurt. It’s going to hit in waves. But that’s life.” SF Chronicle columnist Scott Ostler described the loss as a painful déjà vu that will sting forever. But don’t worry, son. Nothing is forever. It only took forty two years for my disappointment about missing the Catch to be overshadowed by my disappointment about losing another Super Bowl. And the SF Giants pitchers and catchers report in two days. We’ve got plenty more disappointment to look forward to.
+ On Friday, I wrote that the two keys to the game were: One, whether or not the 49ers could reverse recent trends and contain the edge against the Chief’s offense. And two, Patrick Mahomes. And so it was. The 49ers did a good job with contain. That gave them plenty of chances to win. But Patrick Mahomes came through in the end. Yes, there is much more analysis to be considered during my next few hundred hours listening to local sports radio, but in the end, it was Mahomes. Peter King: “On Sunday night, Mahomes did it again. A great player like Mahomes can have games when he stumbles around, gets pressured by Nick Bosa 10 times (10!), throws an uncharacteristically lamebrain interception and scores six points in the first 40 minutes. And he still has it in him, against an oppressive defense, to finish touchdown-field goal-field goal-touchdown, and go 8-for-8 on the Super Bowl-winning drive, and win his third Super Bowl MVP. Kansas City 25, (heartbroken) San Francisco 22. Overtime.” From the The Ringer: The Winners and Losers of Super Bowl LVIII. (Winner: Patrick Mahomes. Loser: Hope.) And ESPN: How Mahomes and the Chiefs beat the 49ers in Super Bowl 2024. And now Mahomes and the Chiefs will try to make NFL history by winning three straight Super Bowls. The Pat-trick is the new Hat-trick. (KC fans, feel free to take that line. You’ve taken everything else.)
+ Mecole Hardman Says He ‘Blacked Out‘ After Catching Super Bowl Winning Touchdown. (Same.)
+ Were you confused about the overtime rules? So were the 49ers.
+ To me, the halftime show wasn’t among the more memorable we’ve seen. But it’s getting good reviews, like this from The Hollywood Reporter: Usher and Friends Bring Boundless Energy to a Sparkling Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show. (Anyone who has the guts to rollerskate in front of 120 million people has my respect). And Usher may have had an even bigger weekend than we know, because he and his longtime GF got a marriage license in Clark County before the game, which brings up an intriguing philosophical question: What do you call wedding ushers at Usher’s wedding?
+ And of course, the actual star of the show… Best 2024 Super Bowl commercials: All 59 ranked according to USA TODAY Ad Meter.
+ A timely piece interactive from WaPo (Gift Article): Love spicy food? Hate it? Watch a hot wing’s trip through your body.
+ OK, OK, yes, there was a much-anticipated postgame kiss between Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. In the spirit of good sportsmanship, I’m gonna let my daughter listen to Taylor’s music again after a brief respite. (I suggested 2027, she suggested this morning on the way to school.)
