IT ISN’T THE NUMBERS THAT COUNT

This Sunday’s NFC championship match pits two clubs with a history that dates back to November of 1952, when they first met. In the almost 60 years, the 49ers hold an 18-17 edge. That record includes regular and post season games, and the 2003 Wild card game that was a thrilling 39-38 victory for the 49ers.

In 1994, the Giants got blown out of the water by the 49ers: 44-3!

But here is the thing: none of that matters Sunday, you know it, the fans know it and the players definitely know it. The only things that will matter Sunday are the game plans, the readiness of the players (Manning has the flu) and who is better psyched at game time.

The NFC West champion 49ers have beaten the NFC East-winning Giants 27-20  when the teams met in the Bay Area last November, and the Giants are on a run with four straight wins and are confident they can run that momentum up to the Super Bowl.

The Giants came into the league in 1925, and were named after the baseball New York Giants. Wellington Mara was the original owner back in those days. Playing at the Polo Grounds, they eventually moved to Yankee Stadium, and finally to the Meadowlands, where they play now at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.

Such Greats as Andy Robustelli, DE, Y. A. Tittle, QB, and a former 49er, Frank Gifford, HB and WR, Sam Huff, LB, Michael Strahan, DE. Mel Hein, OL, Harry Carson, LB, Emlen Tummel, S, Rosey Brown, OL, Lawrence Taylor, OLB and great coaches as Tom Landry and Vince Lombardi to name a few.

The 49ers, a charter member of the All American Football Conference founded in 1946, joined the NFL in 1952. They own 5 Super Bowl titles, second only to the Pittsburg Steelers. They are the only team in the NFL to appear in more than 2 Super Bowl games without losing. Those championship teams were led by notable hall of famers such as Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Steve Young and coach Bill Walsh.

Pride and tradition will be on the field tomorrow, look for a great game.

YO! YU DARVISH

You came a long way Baby! All the way from Japan, and land in a pile of… money!

The Texas Rangers have signed Yu Darvish. They are strapping themselves with a 6-year, $60 million contract. That is a lot of resin for a pitcher to get before he even throws the first pitch in the majors. The Rangers first paid for the privilege of exclusive negotiating rights for $51.7 Million then sign him for a $ 56 Million for 6 years! There is another $4Million in attainable roster bonuses.

NOW LET’S DO THE MATH TOGETHER.

$51.7 million to chat

  56 million to contract

     4 million extra laying around

$111.7 FOR 6 YEARS.

18.6 MILLION A YEAR

@33 starts a season comes out to over $500,000 a start!

Now if he has a headache of doesn’t feel well enough to pitch, it goes higher! Then there is the 15-day disabled list, and the whole thing seems awfully stupid. When you think about it, how many starts is he likely to miss in 6 years? That is very likely.

That’s all I wrote, folks!