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The Montana Magic

It's the off season. Sooner or later I was going to post something about my favorite football player of all time. So here you go.

Thanks to YouTube now I can watch the greatest quarterback of all time (and possibly the greatest football player of all time) putting together one of his most memorable fourth quarter come backs of all time (he has so many of them with money games on the line). Here is Joe against Cincinnati in Super Bowl XVI leading the Niners in their game winning drive against the Bengals. It's almost an 8-9 minute drive. But it is ... well just beautiful:

The audio is a little out of sync, but this still gave me chills.

What's the UCLA angle you ask? We hear all the time how Dorrell us running a West Coast Offense (WCO) at the Rose Bowl. Well next time you hear some blow hard talking about WCO, just take a look at how that seamless drive in the ultimate crunch time played out.

Throwing to backs.

Using your fullback (Tom "Tank" Rathman).

Using your tailback (High steppin Roger Craig).

Throwing on first down.

Mixing in passes to the TE (John Frank).

And of course using your wide receivers including the main (superstar) target.

But what made the Niners so incredibly effective during those days was how they never flinched under pressure. I remember watching those games as a kid, and having that "feeling" deep down inside that no matter what the score was in fourth, we were not going to lose. Joe was going to bail us out. It was "magic," an undescrible feeling that just cannot be summed up in Xs and Os no matter how articulate we try to be.

Joe was the QB who pretty much trademarked that "magic" factor. Elway (after his multiple chokes in the Super Bowl) finally got a taste of it. Favre had it. Marino didn't have it. Neither does Payton Manning. And now it's Tom Brady who has "it".

At the college level I am sure a number of fans from other school can make legit claims that their QB had that "Montana" magic. Of course Vince Young's incredible Rose Bowl performance comes to mind. So does the Ball Room Dancer - no matter how much we hate Matt Leinart we have to admit the kid was a winner. Watching Leinert at USC during last two years was the first time I realized how the fans of other teams must have been feeling in their stomach when they saw Montana doing his magic in all those fourth quarter drives. Now I am not saying Leinart will turn out to be a Joe Montana in the pros. I doubt. I am saying Leinart?s performance during his collegiate career was similar (in terms of level of excellence in clutch moments) to that of Montana in San Francisco.

As for UCLA, the only QB I ever saw with the "Montana Magic" in Westwood was none other than this guy.

Now the Southpaw Jesus with all his physical tools perhaps will recapture some of that magic this season. He will have to ... otherwise it could be a long season for all of us here at Bruins Nation. I can hardly wait. By the way speaking of Cade - he is also my favorite UCLA QB of time. I think he is the best UCLA ever had at the QB position. Some may argue Troy was better or Beban was the best (since he won UCLA's only Heisman). But none of them went 4-0 against USC. That is remarkable and unless it is matched, Cade in my book will forever be the greatest QB in the history of UCLA football. If you think otherwise - comment away.

Oh one last UCLA angle on that magical Montana drive. He was taking snaps from a Bruin - No. 51 Randy Cross. Have a great Friday everyone.

GO BRUINS.

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49ers SBowl Win
What a great way to begin my Memorial Day Weekend. I was there and I remember....nobody, I mean nobody, could match the Niners in those days. Just awesome and thanks Nestor.

You're right Cade, with four years at QB...has to be the best...Troy was very good, but he only had a couple of years.

Enjoy the holiday and, as always, GO BRUINS!

by jraucla on May 26, 2006 10:36 AM PDT   0 recs

That 1988-89 season
was a brutal one for the Niners fan.

It started with all out flaring up of "QB controversy" (fanned by Bill Walsh) between Young and Montana.

And Niners totally stumbled out of the gate losing some horrible games in Phoenix (Neil Lomax's team) and against the Raiders in Candlestick. But after that loss to Raiders something totally changed.

Beginning with a Monday Night win against the Deadskins Joe and his gang went on a roll.

It's been tough since Joe retired. I never really warmed up to Young and Garcia was a joke.

But anyways ... that's whole another story.

Cade to me was a QB who combined the athleticism of Young (mobility) with the composure of Montana.

We just haven't had anyone even coming close to his leadership skills in Westwood since then.

I am crossing my fingers Ben Olson will have it. If he doesn't (after all that hype we have read over last few years) we should say good night and good luck to Dorrell after this season at UCLA.

by Nestor on May 26, 2006 10:46 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Nestor, you nailed it
How does one comment on all the great stuff in that write up. Wow!!!!

Like you, I think Montana had "it". Combined with the genius of Walsh you always thought they were going to win.

The Cincinnati drive was "magic", and in the Super Bowl....no pressure at all (LOL). I have seen this many times and am always amazed at the precision of the offense.

Cade was a winner, never out of a game when he was leading the team. 4-0 against the scumbags puts him number one on my list also.

Ben certainly has the physical tools and hopefully the mental ones to do the same job as Cade.

I'm hoping we will see better offensive diversity this year now that Cable is gone.

The Randy Cross story reminded of another. I had a friend who was a big Raider fan and liked SC because, acording to him there were several of them on the team. I reminded him that none of the teams success would be possible without a Bruin to snap the ball (Dave Dalby). He shut up rather quickly.

Once again, great article.

by artybruin on May 26, 2006 10:44 AM PDT   0 recs

Thanks Arty
Totally forgot another UCLA angle to that Super Bowl.

SCum Anthony Munoz was of course playing for the Bengals.

Cross was the Super Bowl winnder while Munoz was the loser.

by Nestor on May 26, 2006 10:48 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

My Thoughts
In my opinion, Joe Montana is the greatest quarterback in my lifetime.  However, I can never fully embrace him for this little thing known as "The Catch"  Already a devoted Cowboys fan at three years old, he made me cry.

Before I set off to UCLA, I told my ex-boyfriend that I was going to marry Cade McNown.  Having been a die-hard fan all my life, how appropriate would it be that I would that I would marry the UCLA starting quarterback, I told him.  So when I got my job in the athletic department, guess what my goal became?  Long story short, the most contact I had with Cade was helping him with some paperwork.  However, I will be making things official with my Bruin husband next year.

As I mentioned earlier, I have been a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan.  My dad and my uncles were huge Ram fans, but there was something about that blue star that I fell in love with.  When Troy was drafted, it was a dream come true for me.  I will never love a Cowboy team like I loved those Cowboys.

So Nestor, I have to ask knowing you are a 49ers fan, how did it feel during the early and mid 90s when the Cowboys went up against the 49ers for the NFC Championship?

by bruinbabe2000 on May 26, 2006 11:01 AM PDT   0 recs

Cowboys-Niners
Oh Boy.

You are not going to like this.

Seriously though. Those Cowboys-Niners series during the 90s were epic.

And I still haven't forgiven Steve Young for not coming through in 1993 (at Candlestick) and in 1994 (at Irving). To this day I believe Joe would have won those games. I wasn't a happy camper re. how the Niners let No.16 head off to KC.

1995 was amazing though!

We beat the Cowboys to get to the Superbowl and win it. And then just 3 months later we brought home banner no. 11.

All my room-mates were Forty Niners fans.

Those were magical few months during the final two  quarters of our Senior Year. Awesome.

by Nestor on May 26, 2006 11:10 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

NFC Championship Games
For me, nothing will top Super Bowl XXVII.  Having Troy as the MVP and winning it in the Rose Bowl was more than I could have asked for.  That was the first time the Cowboys won the Super Bowl in my lifetime.

Looking back, I know how landmark those games are now.  The featured two Hall of Famers (Aikman and Young) and two shoe-ins for the Hall of Fame (Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice).

I guess what I really want to know is how torn were you over Troy.

by bruinbabe2000 on May 26, 2006 12:19 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Aikman
Not torn at all.

Aikman was a great UCLA QB ... but he choked against USC.

I think in order for one to be considered as a great UCLA football player ... he needs to notch a win over USC. Aikman never did.

That is why I will never consider Drew Olson or Maurice Drew as great UCLA football players. They didn't get it done.

Also ... never was a big fan of Aikman's ugly first name.

by Nestor on May 26, 2006 12:24 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Drew Olson
Some knucklehead voted DO as the greatest UCLA QB of all time.

Wonder who would do that?

by bluestreet on May 26, 2006 12:36 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Troy's Comment
He has said if he could, he would trade one of his Super Bowl wins for a win against SUC.

What I remember about Super Bowl XXIII was I was sick and I had to watch it on a little TV.  I do love how Joe Montana said in the huddle how he could see John Candy.

by bruinbabe2000 on May 26, 2006 1:21 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Not to bash Mo Drew, but
you're right; he didn't get it done against USC.

Career totals in those 3 games;
26 rushes - 103 yards - 1 TD
5 receptions - 90 yards
1 KO return for a TD
1 fumble

by McCloskey on May 26, 2006 2:01 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

greatest UCLA receiver???
I'd sound silly if I said Drew Bennett, but he's had a pretty solid last couple of seasons with the Titans.

I also grew up with his younger brother...not biased at all or anything.

-The Dish

http://www.udubdish.com/

by zachls5 on May 26, 2006 3:47 PM PDT   0 recs

Drew Bennet
we can blame Toledo for wasting one of the most talented football players Bruins had in Westwood.

by Nestor on May 27, 2006 3:09 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Cade
You know, Cade would not be the first name to come to mind when talking about the best UCLA QB ever, but he's got to be top 5.  I'd give him the nod over Mark Harmon...LOL  

by chaphill1 on May 26, 2006 7:24 PM PDT   0 recs

Mark Harmon
Mark Harmon had a better blood line, and he was a bettr actor, but I think that was about it.

by jraucla on May 27, 2006 5:45 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

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