Jim Saccomano
Sometimes when two groups get collectively for a recreation, connections will be sort of onerous to seek out.
Other instances, there appear to be too many to rely.
Such is the case for the Denver Broncos and the San Francisco 49ers, even going all the way in which again to how they started.
Denver followers are aware of the Broncos beginnings as members of the American Football League, the one American professional sports activities league that was profitable sufficient that every crew made it into the National Football League.
But the 49ers had related beginnings as members of the All-America Football Conference, a professional league that competed with the NFL from 1946-49. Eventually, the AAFC folded, however when it did, three franchises had been taken into the NFL: the Baltimore Colts, the Cleveland Browns and the San Francisco 49ers.
The Broncos and 49ers had related early data. That is, they had been each crummy.
People now consider the Joe Montana-led 49ers, profitable these championships within the Nineteen Eighties – however that was after three a long time of futility.
The most notable truth in regards to the 49ers within the Fifties and Sixties was that that they had the “Million Dollar Backfield.” This was earlier than salaries of right this moment had been in that vary, and that was the nickname given to their mixture of quarterback, fullback and two halfbacks. All 4 members of that backfield are within the Pro Football Hall of Fame: quarterback Y.A. Tittle, fullback Joe “The Jet” Perry, and halfbacks John Henry Johnson and Hugh “The King” McElhenney.
Once upon a time, when fellow and future Hall of Famer Steve Sabol directed NFL Films, their cafeteria had a nook framed by life-sized pictures of McElhenney and singer Elvis Presley. It was known as – you guessed it – The King’s Corner.
The 49ers grew to become ultra-successful within the Nineteen Eighties, and in 1983, the Broncos acquired John Elway, signaling the beginning of an identical trajectory and a rivalry that adopted going into the Nineties.
The Broncos and 49ers performed one another in preseason usually, beginning on the University of Denver’s Hilltop Stadium in 1968. For no matter motive, the relationships between the 2 groups all the time appeared amicable, made all of the extra so when Pat Bowlen purchased the Broncos.
The 49ers had been owned by Eddie DeBartolo, and he and Mr. B developed a mutual respect that was featured of their groups.
In the Nineteen Eighties and Nineties, the Broncos usually performed within the NFL’s worldwide American Bowl collection, and in reality, the 2 groups met in Tokyo for a type of video games. It is a recreation remembered most right this moment by the good deal with made by future Hall of Fame operating again Terrell Davis on a kickoff return, a play usually cited as the only play that launched his profession.
The two homeowners developed an particularly pleasant bond, at one level making a pleasant wager on the annual exhibition recreation, with the loser contributing cash to a charity designated by the winner.
Of course, the groups met in Super Bowl XXIV in New Orleans, and I nonetheless keep in mind separate dinner events of crew executives that converged on Pascal’s Manale (a famous Italian restaurant in New Orleans) one evening the week of the sport. A good time was had by all, however maybe nobody had extra enjoyable, with their hair completely let down, than the 2 homeowners.
The 49ers received the sport handily, and it was no shock as in actual fact they had been a terrific crew.
And the only particular person, and particular person household, with the best connection, is Mike Shanahan and the Shanahan household, represented nicely by his son Kyle, who’s after all now San Francisco’s head coach.
A detailed second is Gary Kubiak.
I might write a guide in regards to the Shanahans and their Denver connections, however this isn’t that.
Mike was the offensive coordinator for the 49ers in 1994, which ended with their Super Bowl XXIX win, and the following yr he was the Broncos’ head coach.
In truth, many have no idea that Pat took a contract with him, shoved into his pocket, and slipped over 49ers’ crew resort, dressed very incognito for an NFL proprietor, full with baseball cap pulled all the way down to his eyes, to supply Mike the job in Denver.
Mike didn’t take the job on the spot, however the subsequent day I and others took a personal airplane again to Denver for negotiations that might make Mike Shanahan the Broncos’ head coach.
Kubiak got here again to Denver with Mike, and the following factor you knew, we had received back-to-back world championships.
In truth, I can keep in mind sitting in Mr. B’s workplace and telling him that I used to be going to title our spotlight movie “Back 2 Back,” and he mentioned “I’ve been looking for a catching phrase for the ring. I’m going to use that. It will make the ring stand out.”
Of course, San Francisco had earlier gone back-to-back as Super Bowl champions, as nicely.
Eventually Kubiak additionally grew to become head coach of the Broncos, and that’s its personal particular historical past. He is the one particular person in Broncos historical past to have gone to the Super Bowl as participant, assistant coach and head coach, with three victories.
And now, placing much more cherries on the San Francisco-Denver cake, Kyle Shanahan returns to Denver as 49ers head coach along with his personal lofty targets and expectations.
As a toddler, Kyle was as soon as quoted in The Denver Post saying that he not solely wished to be an NFL head coach, however he hoped to be as profitable as his father.
Mike awaits his eventual spot within the Pro Football Hall of Fame, so that may be a lofty purpose certainly.
And no matter what the longer term holds, this week the Broncos and 49ers will add one other layer of historical past to a terrific 55-year affiliation that started at DU’s stadium in 1968.