R.I.P. Bill Walsh

[Bill Murphy]

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It's possible only those of us old enough to have been Niner fans prior to his arrival in San Francisco can appreciate how incredible he was.


- NFC Championship game 1981 - Of course there was The Catch, but the play that goes overlooked is the tackle that Eric Wright made on Drew Pearson as the Cowboys tried to come back in the waning seconds of the game. If Wright doesn't grab Pearson by the back of the jersey and pull him down, maybe the history of football in the Eighties is quite different.



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Absolutely goddamn right. The Wright tackle might be the most overlooked play in the history of team sports. I've almost never seen, read or heard it mentioned; it often doesn't even make rebroadcasts of the game.

The first Niners game I remember is the '72 Divisional where Staubach got two TD's in the last 2:02 to beat 'em 30-28. And of course they'd lost the previous two NFC Championship games to Dallas, as well.

Then they were [censored], winning only four games in the two seasons before he was hired, then two his first year, then 6-10.

Then Walsh takes a 3rd round QB, three rookie DB's, a discarded Hacksaw Reynolds & disgruntled Fred Dean, and a bunch of no names and wins the [censored] Superbowlament! Never forget that goal line stand (Dan Bunz FTW) or Ray Wersching's 'pooch' kickoffs.

Amazing coach, organization planner, game manager & personnel evaluator & developer. Maybe the best combined overall at these things of any coach in any sport. Enormous influence on & off the field; no point in repeating what's being written everywhere, though he deserves extra credit for starting the Minority Coaching Fellowship.

The Colts brought him in to look at Manning & Leaf in '98. After a little while he said "Manning, and it's not close".

I knew this was coming soon, but reading all the anecdotes (and be sure ya'll read "The Blind Side" who haven't yet), and thinking about all those great slugfests in the '80s against the Bears, Giants & Redskins plus the Supes, brought a lump up, no question. RIP.