NFL San Francisco 49ers and the Church of Football

In the already-classic film, "Bull Durham," (1988), the actress Susan Sarandon playing Annie Savoy delivers a stirring monologue on "The Church of Baseball." To this day, it is the most quotable monologue about any sport.

Annie was voicing a dirty little secret that no one had talked about before. Sports fans worship their sport with all the loyalty, devotion, vitality and energy of any religious enthusiast.

The first time I attended a professional football game in Candlestick Park, back in 1979, I was impressed at the infectious energy in the stadium. I arrived a skeptic with a wry, knowing smirk on my face, and I left with a whole new vista to explore.

The stadium, watching the local team lose badly, w...

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