OT - Your Greatest Football-Related Gifts

[TheNinerMind]

I figured I'd switch things up a little with this post. Christmas is coming up. If you're like me you tend to let your football obsession bleed into normal life. And the result is occasionally you get football crap for Christmas. When I was a id I asked for things, but one year I was bombarded with extremely tacky 49er crap - sweatshirts, a 49er coat (eight-ball style), 49er duffel - so much that I asked people to stop. But in recent years I've gotten a couple cool things. A few years ago I was given an unopened 1986 pack of Topps football cards. Inside was a Jerry Rice Rookie card. Last year my wife got me 4 1949 49er programs from their final year in the AAFC. They came framed. That was probably the greatest football-related gift I ever received.

I'm curious if anyone else has been similarly cursed/blessed.

 

[Hangman]

One year I got 3 49ers Beer steins. I dont drink and they were all the same. I think everyone had the same idea. They sit on my shelf and collect dust.

 

[1911Alaska]

When I was 13 I got a framed Steve Young picture with autograph/certificate from my mom. Was pretty awesome gift and still have it today

 

[DoobieKeebler]

When I was a kid, back in '97/98, my parents secretly entered me into a Mervyns competition where 10 kids would go to the Niners practice facility, meet the team, and go through a practice.

My birthday is in June, so my parents surprised me with the fact I'd won, but that it would be a week or so before I'd meet the team. I flipped out. Waiting seemed like agony, because I was thinking of actually catching a pass from Steve Young! Or doing the chicken dance with Merton Hanks! I was over the moon about what my parents had done for me.

I remember driving up to the practice facility and getting ever more excited. Security lead us to the locker room and showed us all the players' lockers. Next we got a bunch of cheap Niners swag (duffel, shirt that was too small, coat I never wore). After awhile it was finally time to take the field and live my dream of being a real Niner. Steve Young would think I was cool because my dad is Mormon like he is; I'd have something in common with him!

All of us ran through the doors that lead to the field & all noticed that the field was... empty. Where was everyone? Were they in the gym or something? Turns out, we weren't meeting the team. Instead, we met Ty Detmer, a 3rd string Safety, and a backup WR that J.J. Stokes would laugh at. We went through about 20 minutes of drills, a half hour of touch football, and the experience was over. My parents spent more time in traffic than I did at the Niners practice facility.

But I did get Ty Detmer to sign my Jerry Rice jersey....


The best present I ever got was tickets to the Niners-Saints game last January. I hadn't been to a game in about 4 years, and the experience was insane.

 

[supreme_clientele81]

The best 49ers present I got was the first from my to be wife. Last year she bought me a 49ers shirt nothing spectacular just the run of the mill 49ers shirt from the NFL Store. The first time I wore the shirt was the Saints game in the playoffs. Which we all know was a huge win for us.

I now wear it under my shirt when I have to work weekends or when the 49ers play on Monday or Thursday (I work ever other weekend). Here are the games I have worn it so far this season

@Lions W
@Jets W
vs. Giants (took day off didn't wear) L
vs. Seahawks W
vs. Rams Tie
vs. Cards W
vs. Bears W
@ Saints W
vs. Dolphins W

so as you see this is now my lucky shirt with a combined record of 8-0-1. 49er wins greatest gift ever!

 

[Bemular]

The best 49er football gift I ever received was a guy who went by the name of Bill.