The day the music died

I was watching NFL greatest games on ESPN over the weekend and they were playing the 1998 NFC wildcard game between the 49ers and the Green Bay Packers. I'm sure you all remember the game. OWENS! OWENS! OWENS! That should ring a bell. It was one of the greatest plays in 49ers history. Some have even come to calling it the CATCH2. However, THE CATCH led to the 49ers dynasty of 5 super bowl victories. The CATCH2 marked the end of that dynasty and the start of the 49ers decline to the atrocity we have today. So I ask the question....What if Terrell Owens drops that pass and the Packers win the game? Physicists claim that their are multiple universes which hold every different outcome of every event that ever happened. Let's peer inside that parallel universe where Owens does not make the catch and see what happened. I've broken this down into the key players and coaches to see how each would have been affected by Owens dropping just one more ball in that epic game.

Steve Mariucci

In the words of the immortal Donald Trump, You're Fired!!! Mariucci is sent packing as soon as Young's pass falls to the ground. Mariucci was on the hot seat going into the game and all fingers pointed to the exit if the 49ers didn't win. However, Mariucci doesn't sit idly for long. After coming off a dismal 3-13 season and firing Ray Rhodes, the Philadelphia Eagles quickly swipe up Mariucci. Mariucci has limited success with the Eagles and the tough Philly fans run Mariucci out of town after only 2 seasons. Fans scream at Eagles ownership over talk radio that they should have hired Andy Reid instead. Today, Steve Mariucci is the head coach of the UCLA Bruins after taking over for Karl Dorrell. The Bruins are still getting smacked down by the Trojans, but things are starting to look up for the Bruins after hiring defensive co-ordinator Mike Singletary. Mariucci and Owens have lunch together every Thursday.

Terrell Owens

After crying his eyes out (in sadness this time), Terrell falls into a deep, deep depression. I'm talking Sylvia Plath meets Kurt Cobain kind of darkness. He can't regain his confidence after his fragile ego was shattered from dropping the winning touchdown. He attends 49ers training camp the following season, but he can no longer catch the football. Every time he drops the ball during practice, he immediately curls up in the fetal position and wails for 10 minutes. You would think that he was a european soccer player that just got knicked in the shin. The 49ers hire multiple sports psychologists, but each one comes back with the same diagnosis: "Big Pussy Syndrome" or BPS. Definition: The man is too weak minded to handle a pressure filled game like NFL football. One of the psychologists, John Sherman from Virginia Tech Sports Psychology,made the analogy that "it was like putting the family dog in with a pit bull".

The 49ers release T. O. in the summer of '99. Multiple teams take a chance on him by trying him out, but it always ends up the same way. Terrell sucking his thumb with tears streaming down his face. Today, T. O. can be found at the UCLA mental health facility wandering the halls muttering something about his roommate and the guard having a secret agreement to not let him have any meat loaf.

Mike Holmgren

After coaching the Green Bay Packers to a victory in Super Bowl XXXIII over the Denver Broncos, Mike Holmgren declined Seattle's offer and returned home to the Bay Area to become head coach and general manager of the 49ers. He signed a 10-year contract with the niners and both sides were very excited about the future. The Holmgren led 49ers won 2 out of the next 3 super bowls. However, more importantly, in 2000, Holmgren with consultation from Bill Walsh, drafted a young unknown Michigan quarterback from local Serra High School named Tom Brady. Walsh was quoted as saying "He reminds me of Joe when he was at Notre Dame. A skinny kid with that gleam in his eye that no matter the odds against you, he's going to pull it out in the end."

After Steve Young retired following his MVP performance in Super Bowl XXXVI, Brady and Holmgren continued the 49ers dynasty up to present day, winning 3 super bowls and barely missing a 4th. Everyone remembers Peyton Manning's 90 yard bomb in Super Bowl XLI to Marvin Harrison with 10 seconds left to keep the 49ers from winning an astonishing 6th super bowl during the decade. Holmgren's contract is up for renewal this year. Let's hope the 49ers are smart enough to keep him around. However, if Holmgren decides to retire, offensive co-ordinator Andy Reid has expressed interest in taking over the reigns. 49er owners Steve Young and Brent Jones decline to comment.