The Santa Clara 49ers?

Well, it looks like one of the more storied franchises in the NFL is going to be cutting its ties with the city that made and supports it. The San Francisco 49ers; of Joe Montana, Dwight Clark, Jerry Rice, Steve Young, Ronnie Lott and John Taylor fame are reportedly ending talks to continue the franchise in San Francisco.

This is nuts. Especially since the proposed new location is Santa Clara. I know that there is a lot of money in Santa Clara now because of the whole Web 2.0 thing, but it isn't a city I would even think about having a football team in. Smaller towns have had their hay day (think Pottsville and Green Bay, where the Packers have been the lifeline for an entire town), but a Santa Clara team just doesn't fit into the scheme of things with the New Yorks and the Dallases of the world.

There is still hope, though, that the team may find a home in Anaheim or Los Angeles. But even the thought of that move is ludicrous. Even though I am a Cowboys fan through and through, I respect the 49ers' organization, and am secretly wishing that they stay here in 'Frisco where they belong. This move will break my heart, and more importantly will negatively impact the perception of the club as a whole.