I was in second grade at the time and was just learning to play football. The only NFL team we could ever count on watching on TV each week was the team from San Francisco. I had been watching for a couple years by then and the 49ers were pretty exciting to watch even in those days. We had a QB named Y.A. Tittle, a RB named Joe Perry and a slick WR named Billy Wilson. We also had a rookie QB by the name of John Brodie who was to become my favorite for many years.

That year, Tony Morabito (the original owner of the 49ers) died of a heart attack at Kezar Stadium during the game with the Chicago Bears. After trailing the heavily favored Bears 17-7, the 49ers mounted a comeback and pulled the game out 21-17.

In that same year, we beat our all-time rivals, the LA Rams, in their own crib. There was a sell-out, NFL-record crowd at the LA Coliseum that day of over 102,000 fans. We went on to face the Detroit Lions, only to finally lose 31-27 in the playoffs to a Lions team that won the NFL title that year.

By the 1960's, the 49ers had come to be a mainstay in the NFL. John Brodie became a great journeyman QB throwing to receivers like fellow Stanford alum Gene Washington. There were the years of "the Fearsome Foursome" with Deacon Jones and Merlin Olsen and the great Rams teams of the 60's and 70's.

The very first regular season game ever played in Candlestick (10-10-71) was against our hated Rams. I used to dread watching the games during the 70's and seeing the Rams beat up on us. If it weren't for the great defenses led by Jimmy Johnson and Kermit Alexander, I may have given up on my 49ers.

But finally, in 1979, with the hiring of former Stanford coach Bill Walsh, there became a method to the madness. By 1981, there was a fairly consistent way to dish out some revenge on those Rams that had for so long been our nemesis.

Since that time we have been very fortunate as 49er fans to have won 5 Super Bowls and been part of the great performances of Joe Montana and Steve Young, John Taylor and Jerry Rice, Roger Craig and Tom Rathman, Ronnie Lott and Tim McDonald, and on and on. The Rams have been little more than a minor irritation. Until now.

Now we have come to a new era. The era of the salary cap and free agency. Now we have come to the young 49ers of the 2000's. The hated Los Angeles Rams have moved to St. Louis and they have won our division and a Super Bowl. They are even touted to win this season's Super Bowl.

We have, as fans, struggled emotionally (along with Steve Mariucci and his coaching staff) watching this team mature for the past 3 seasons. As usual, when we are down, the Rams kick our butts unmercifully, and this period has been no exception. These young 49ers are playing their hearts out for us just like the players did in the "days of old" and they are about to face our hated Rams once again.

This season, we lost to the powerful Rams at home in game number two by only 4 points. As an offense, we were still struggling for our identity. As a defense, we still had several key injuries and were trying to gel. Our special teams and kicking game were "iffy" at best.

Since then, this young team has been maturing before our very eyes each and every week. These defensive players, Plummer and Webster, Smith, Ulbrich and Peterson, Young and Stubblefield, are beginning to realize their potential as a unit. This Garcia and Hearst and Owens led 49er offense is peaking at exactly the right time. Don't overlook the indomitable Jose Cortez and Vinnie Sutherland, Terry Killens and Terry Jackson (among others) on our exciting special teams units. This young team has kicked and clawed and scratched its way to a deserved 9 and 2 record. They can dominate this Rams team if they just play the way they are capable of playing.

This is a call to all 49er fans of every generation to email or write to your favorite 49er players and to give them the support and inspiration to focus on this big game.