NFC Championship Recap

Trailing only Team USA's dramatic last second victory over Algeria in the 2010 World Cup, Sunday's NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park between the Giants and the 49ers was probably the most satisfying sporting event I've ever seen in person.  Between the game's extremely high stakes (a trip to the Super Bowl to face New England), overtime drama (Lawrence Tynes' field goal to win it after 49ers punt returner Kyle Williams fumbled for the second time in the game) and intense atmosphere, leaving Candlestick Park with a huge victory made the extremely inconvenient Caltrain ride home feel like a walk on the beach.  Overall, Sunday was a fantastic day, and I couldn't have been happier with the experience.

We all know that the Super Bowl is more media production than actual sporting event - for most people, the commercials, halftime show and pregame hoopla matter more than the game itself.  I've always thought of the NFC and AFC Championships as the last true NFL games of the season, focused purely on the competition rather than game presentation.  Now that I've finally attended an NFL championship game, though, I realize that isn't the case.  The NFL and the 49ers tried to turn the game into a mini Super Bowl, with a pregame performance from the band Train and a halftime show featuring country music star Brad Paisley.  While Train's performance was decent and somewhat relevant (their new hit song is called "Save Me, San Francisco"), the Brad Paisley set was a completely random celebration of the U.S. military and seemingly came completely out of left field, leaving virtually everyone in attendance confused.  The national anthem featured a giant, 100-yard-long American flag that I must admit was pretty awesome, though.

A bigger flag signifies a bigger event, and the NFC Championship game featured one big-ass flag.

Before the game I was slightly worried about how the 49ers faithful would treat a couple of guys wearing Giants gear, but for the most part I found the fans to be pretty respectful.  While before the game I was the subject of a view aggressive remarks from random drunk San Francisco fans, the people that sat around us in Upper Reserved Section 9 were really friendly.  It seemed like after so much losing in past seasons, the Niners fans were just happy to be hosting the NFC Championship game and weren't expecting more than a competitive contest and a fun afternoon.  Even after the game, the fans gave the 49ers a standing ovation for their effort and then congratulated us on the Giants' win, wishing the team luck in the Super Bowl.  While I was expecting a much harsher atmosphere, what I saw was a general respect for the game of football and an appreciation for what the 49ers unexpectedly accomplished this season.

The Giants rush the field after earning a trip to the Super Bowl.

While the 49ers fans were loud in the beginning of the game, over time they definitely ran out of steam.  The weather definitely had something to do with it - it rained periodically throughout the four-hour contest, and eventually I think many fans were just too wet or too cold to get properly excited about the game.  The fourth quarter and overtime were extremely tense, though, and Giants and 49ers fans alike were on their feet throughout the last hour of the battle.  I couldn't have asked for a better finish, and outcome, from my first ever NFL playoff game, and I give San Francisco a lot of credit for putting together a great event.  Now it's up to the Giants and Patriots to make Super Bowl Sunday as exciting as Conference Championship Sunday was.