Daily Madden: 49ers Have To Avoid The Nostalgia Trap
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- In what is most likely the final game at Candlestick Park, the 49ers face the Atlanta Falcons Monday night amid special events commemorating the old stadium.
"This is a big game for the 49ers," John Madden told the KCBS Radio morning crew. San Francisco can clinch a playoff spot with a victory. "I think it's important for them to play well, to keep up the momentum they got from last week. One of the things is I don't think they can get over-enthusiastic about this last game at Candlestick... You have to keep it separate. I mean you let people that aren't playing or coaching do the hoopla. That's an important coaching point, that we can't get caught up in this... If you're the 49ers, you're playing the Atlanta Falcons and you need a win, and you have to play well and play hard and that's the only important thing. Where you're playing, or the history of Candlestick, that can't mean a doggone thing to them."
Madden coached many pre-season games at Candlestick as coach of the Raiders. "In those days, those were big games," John said. "To our owners and the people of Oakland, playing and beating the 49ers was still a big thing, even though we knew it was a preseason game."
Like many who played or coached there, John wasn't a fan of Candlestick Park. "No one loved the place," Madden said. "You loved some of the memories there... Great games with great players and great coaches."
Listen to the John Madden segment live weekday mornings at 8:15 on KCBS All News 740 AM/106.9 FM. And catch John's extra report at 9:15 am Mondays and Fridays on KCBS during the NFL season.
Daily Madden
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