49ers Legend Dwight Clark Passes Away at 61

Photo credit: @49ers

By: Joe Lami

49ers’ legend wide receiver Dwight Clark passed on Monday, his wife Kelly announced via Twitter.

Fighting ALS since 2015, Clark will be remembered forever for the most famous play in 49ers’ history, otherwise known as “The Catch.”

The Catch is regarded as jump-starting the Niners 80s dynasty, helping the 49ers’ string of Super Bowls. Clark was part of two of them, while also being named a two-time pro bowler.

The 49ers held Dwight Clark Day back on October 22nd of last season, where they, of course, played the Cowboys. Dwight Clark Day was celebrated by a t-shirt giveaway and a team reunion where Dwight was able to his one last goodbye to both fans and teammates.

The day was capped by a halftime celebration and a speech from Dwight that brought tears to everyone in attendance, including those of us that were in the press box at Levi’s.

Clark ranks as one of the best 49er receivers of all-time. He remains third in receiving yards, fourth in catches, and third in touchdown receptions. Dwight will forever remembered for one six-yard touchdown reception in 1982 and he was taken from us way too soon.

49ers Lay An Egg on Dwight Clark Day; Elliot runs all day for Cowboys in 40-10 crushing

San Francisco 49ers quarterback C.J. Beathard (3) stands on the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By: Joe Lami

SANTA CLARA, Calif.–In one of the most emotionally charged days in Levi’s Stadium history, Dwight Clark Day, the San Francisco 49ers were all but emotional as they came out completely flat in a 40-10 blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys. A large drop off from the 1981 championship team that was in attendance for Clark’s special day, Sunday marked the worse loss given to the 49ers since September 27th, 2015 where Arizona routed them 47-7.

San Francisco was dominated from start to finish. Starting with fumbling a punt off of Dallas’ first drive. The Cowboys recovered it at the 49ers’ 20-yard line and put Ezekiel Elliot to work. Zeke carried the ball three straight times marching his way to the end zone for the first time on Sunday.

Zeke finished with a huge day for America’s team, with 219 all-purpose yards. He rushed the ball 26 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns and caught one pass on the flat and brought it 72 yards for his only receiving score of the day.

Dak Prescott also torched the Niners through the air, throwing for 234 yards on 25 attempts and three touchdowns. His main target, Dez Bryant caught seven passes for 63 yards and a score. He also found his tight end, Jason Witten in the end zone for a magnificent one-handed grab.

Kyle Shanahan described the action perfectly by stating that there was nothing positive from Sunday’s contest, as they were dominated in all three aspects of the game.

C.J. Beathard struggled in his first professional start, but most of it wasn’t entirely his fault as swiss cheese would’ve protected him more than the Niners offensive line. Beathard was nearly pressured every time he stepped back to pass, as he was hit six times with five of them ending in sacks and two with fumbles.

Through the air, Beathard threw 22-of-38 for 235 yards. He also scored the 49ers only touchdown of the day in garbage time, running it in from four-yards out.

The 49ers return to the road next week, as they face the Eagles which may be a welcoming site, as they haven’t won at Levi’s Stadium since the opener of the 2016 season.

FDA approves Radicava, 49ers legend Dwight Clark may try new treatment

Former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark runs onto the field before the start of the “Legends of Candlestick” flag football game Saturday, July 12, 2014, in San Francisco. The game between former San Francisco 49er greats and a team of former NFL stars captained by Hall of Famer Dan Marino is the final one to be played at Candlestick Park. The park, which opened in 1960 and was also the home of the San Francisco Giants baseball team until 1999, is slated for demolition in the next year. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

By: Ana Kieu

For the first time in more than two decades, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved a new drug for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The FDA announced on Friday that Radicava, also known as edaravone, has been approved for use in the United States. The other only drug used to treat ALS is called Riluzone, which was approved in 1995.

Various tests conducted in Japan determined that ALS victims who received edaravone experienced a lower decline in their daily level of functioning compared to those who received a placebo. Edaravone creator MT Pharma said that the drug can reduce the decline of physical function by 33 percent.

Deputy director of the FDA’s neurology products division Eric Bastings said his federal agency learned about the use of edaravone to treat ALS in Japan and filed a marketing application with the drug developer. Bastings also mentioned that his agency was pleased that people with ALS have an addition treatment option.

ALS is often called Lou Gehrig’s disease. Gehrig was a well-known baseball player who retired on June 21, 1939, due to the condition. The New York Yankees retired his No. 4 and he became the first player in MLB history to receive that honor. He played for the Yankees as a first baseman from 1923 to 1939. He passed away in his home in the Riverdale neighborhood of The Bronx, New York, on June 2, 1941, at the age of 37.

In 2014, ALS returned to the spotlight, thanks to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. The campaign was all over social media. Many people posted videos of themselves dumping cold water on their heads. In just eight weeks, the ALS Association received $115 million dollars in donations. These donations helped fund important developments in ALS research.

The CDC says that 12,000 to 15,000 Americans have ALS. The majority of these sufferers first found out they had the disease between the ages of 55 and 75. For the most part, sufferers live two to five years after discovering they have it. Conversely, ALS is a little more common in men as opposed to women. Nobody knows what causes the disease, but 5% to 10% of all ALS cases emerge within families. People with ancestral ALS live an average of one to two years after symptoms appear.

ALS Association President Barbara Newhouse commended the approval of Radicava. Newhouse thanked the FDA and MT Pharma for working together to speed up the approval of the brand-new ALS treatment. She hopes the announcement can signal the beginning of a new chapter in the fight against the disease.

Radicava is an intravenous infusion that must be prescribed by a doctor. The drug is administered in 28-day cycles and its cost is $1,000 per infusion, which amounts to almost $150,000 a year for ALS treatment. MT Pharma will offer co-pay assistance for insured patients. They also mentioned an unnamed program to help help uninsured patients who meet certain requirements.

MT Pharma announced that Radicava will be available in the United States this August.

There has been no word from Clark yet on whether or not he’ll consider using edaravone. Clark was diagnosed with ALS on March 20. Edaravone can slow down the progression of ALS when started early. He has said in the past that he would fight like hell against ALS so there’s a chance he’ll use this new drug to battle his condition.

49ers provide the big finish in the final game at Candlestick

By Morris Phillips

Like many of the truly great football games played at Candlestick Park over the years, this one was contentious and very much in doubt late in the fourth quarter.

And like all those great games of the past, someone in a red jersey and gold helmet made a game-winning play just as NaVorro Bowman did on Monday night.

The 49ers saved their best for last in the final regular season game at Candlestick, beating the Falcons, 34-24, in large part due to Bowman’s interception and 89-yard return for a touchdown with Atlanta driving for the winning score with less than two minutes remaining.

“(Bowman and Falcon Harry Douglas) were both going to the spot and the ball bounced up and that was a play that changed the game,” Falcons Coach Mike Smith recounted.

“The Catch is ‘The Catch.’  There will never be another catch, but this was a great moment,” Coach Jim Harbaugh said.

On a night that was preordained to be 49ers, start to finish, the Falcons obviously were presented a different script.  The NFC finalists from a year ago came in limping with a 4-10 record but they switched to a strut for much of the first half, and more significantly, late in the fourth quarter.

The Falcons led at the half, 10-3.   Then after the 49ers responded with 17 straight points, capped by Colin Kaepernick’s 4-yard touchdown run, the Falcons came up with two fourth quarter scores and an improbable recovery of Matt Bryant’s onside kick.  That set up the big finish with Atlanta driving deep in 49ers’ territory, trailing 27-24.

Falcons’ quarterback Matt Ryan attempted to squeeze in a pass to Douglas on a slant but the Atlanta tight end was immediately engaged with 49ers’ nickel back Tramaine Brock who fought Douglas for the ball until it popped up and free and into the hands of Bowman, who was closing in to make a tackle.

Bowman then turned on the jets, accompanied by Patrick Willis and Eric Reid, on a race down the sideline that ended with the All-Pro linebacker airborne into the end zone with the likely final touchdown at the 54-year old stadium.

“I was excited, it was an amazing play by T. Brock and Bowman,” Kaepernick said.  “For him to finish it out that way, it was great.”

While Bowman finished off the Falcons, Kaepernick started the process with one of his best running and passing performances of the season.  Kap finished 13 for 21 and 197 yards through the air, but his six carries for 51 yards sparked the 49ers’ second half rally.   The third-year quarterback also energized Michael Crabtree, who had his best outing since returning from the Achilles injury with five catches for 102 yards.

Crabtree’s 47-yard catch and run highlighted the 49ers’ opening drive of the second half that ended with Kaepernick connecting with Anquan Boldin on a 10-yard pass and score.

The 49ers (11-4) clinched a wild card berth with the win, but with the Seahawks losing to Arizona over the weekend, the 49ers remain alive for the NFC West title and the NFC’s No. 1 seed.  The unlikely path to the division crown would require that Seattle loses its home finale to the Rams, while the 49ers beat the Cardinals in Glendale, Arizona.

The 49ers will have to be wary of a loud and boisterous crowd in Arizona with the Cardinals still clinging to slim playoff hopes themselves.   Arizona would need to beat the 49ers while seeing the Saints lose their home finale to the Buccaneers.  The NFL has manufactured additional drama by scheduling the Saints game in the afternoon window at the same time as the 49ers-Cardinals game.

The all–to–sudden final football game at Candlestick Park came with plenty of ceremony courtesy of appearances by Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens, Bubba Paris, Dwight Clark and Giants’ legends Wille McCovey and Willie Mays as well.  ESPN’s Chris Berman hosted a 15-minute post-game celebration that ended with a singing appearance by Philadelphia singing group Boyz II Men.

Related articles

• NaVorro Bowman and the 49ers turn out the lights at Candlestick with one last dose of thunder (blogs.mercurynews.com)

49ers report: Team gets ready to bid fond adieu to 55 yr old Candlestick Park

by David Zizmor

SANTA CLARA–The last game ever at Candlestick Park this coming Monday night will feature a lot of pomp and circumstance as the 49ers close out the old park with the Atlanta Falcons. You will see a lot of superstars coming to bid the old park goodbye which includes Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Dwight Clark, Eddie DeBartolo Jr, Steve Young, just about everybody you could think of whose still alive and kicking. There’s a rumor that some former baseball Giants might come out and say goodbye to the old place too.

So anyone that had anything positive to do with the park over the years will be at Candlestick to celebrate the final game of this old and crumbling stadium before the 49ers move down to Levis Stadium down in Santa Clara. It’s been a long run for Candlestick it’s not the greatest stadium and anyone whose been there knows it’s past it’s prime. Even in it’s prime I wouldn’t call it a great stadium it was always a hulking mass.

It’s way too cold and way too hard to get to it’s one of those places that you like it because but it’s not a Soldier Field in Chicago or a Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Fans are going to miss it but they also look forward to going to their new stadium in Santa Clara they’re kind of crossing their fingers that it will have the same impact that it did like AT&T Park had in the city for the Giants when they moved at the end of the 1999 season.

When the Giants moved to AT&T Park pretty much everybody agreed that AT&T is one of the top stadiums in baseball and hopefully the 49ers new stadium will have an equal impact and it will be like as much as AT&T Park that’s kind of the gold standard. It will be sad to see it go.

Fans have a lot of memories there I first met Lee Leonard at that stadium so it’s even historical for Sportstalk radio we had our moments there. Good times, good memories but it’s time to move from Candelstick before it crumbles to the ground and the next time we talk about it is when they blow it up which everybody would like to go and see that because it’s going to be really cool.

49ers and Falcons preview: The Falcons have a lousy record but they might be better than what their record reflects. The Niners look really good, they got the running game going and Tampa had a good running defense last Sunday so that’s a good sign for San Francisco.

49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been in more control than he has in the last several weeks even in the win against Seattle this game was the best that Kaepernick has had in throwing against Tampa in five or six weeks. You also saw the defense playing well as it always has. This game coming up against Atlanta should be an interesting one.

First of all the Niners are playing the Falcons the team they beat to get into the NFC Championship game last season
but the fortunes have switched the Niners are still a very good team. The Falcons have an awful record this year they’ve been just sent reeling this year the bottom line is Atlanta has suffered a series really bad injuries and as a result they’re 4-10 so there’s no chance the Falcons are going to the playoffs. The Niners should have this game handled on Monday Night hands down.

David Zizmor covers the NFL for Sportstalk Radio