The San Francisco 49ers of Great America

So the 49ers announced today that they plan to move to Santa Clara just down the street from their headquarters and practice facilities on Great America Parkway.

They should totally use that name, "The San Francisco 49ers of Great America." If the Dallas Cowboys are "America's Team" and the Angels are the "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim," then why not? The "of Great America" will give the team broader appeal across the nation, therefore raising their merchandising sales!!

Rather than analyze their stated reasons for moving, I re-call the 1997 bond measure that was make or break for the then planned stadium development w/ Mills Corp. at the Candlestick site. It's been nearly 10 years!

At that time:

• I had moved to the 44th Ave. place for not too long.
• I was still in my first stint at LSI.
• LK, Way, and I bought an SF Giants 17 game ticket plan. We even got playoff tickets and saw them eliminated in the 1st round by the eventual World Series champion Florida Marlins.
• Crazy: That season ticket plan allowed us to choose any game we wanted. Remember this was in the Candlestick days, so seats were plentiful. Near the end of the season, we of course still had a bunch of games to go to so we did two games a week to use 'em up.
• The best: Leaving early from work to see the Dodgers one night, Giants beat 'em 2-1, I think. And I took the next day off for the following (day) game and saw Shooter get out of a bases loaded no-outs jam, then Brian Johnson belting a walk-off HR in extra innings to tie the Dodgers in the standings.
  
• Was driving my '97 Toyota Camry, which was totalled in March '05.
• Had not even met my future wife, with whom I have 2 little angels now.
  
• I think Swan had just joined our pastoral staff at church.
• ... what else?
  

OK, so the title of this blog entry's misleading.

Update: An even better name, "Paramount's Great American San Francisco 49ers." Oh the sponsorship and cross-marketing potential!! ... "Mission: Impossible 49ers," "Star Trek: 49ers, 'Today is a good day to die!'"

... The new stadium could be called "Paramount Stadium"
... The Great America Theme Park could have "49er-land."