The $800,000 Grade III Sunland Derby this year was a huge success – and so was the Sunland Gala the night before.
Thanks to Joe Montana.
The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback was as cool as the main speaker at the Gala as he was on the football field, delighting guests with stories, jokes and insights into what goes on in the National Football League.
The main theme of his speech was preparation, which helped clear up one of the most talked about plays in the history of NFL playoffs. That play has been called “The Catch” and it happened in 1981 against the Dallas Cowboys.
Montana drove the 49ers deep into Cowboys territory late in the game then he passed to tight end Dwight Clark in the end zone for the winning touchdown. The pass was high and Clark had to go high in the air to catch it.
Many fans claim the 49ers were lucky and that Montana was actually trying to throw the ball away. In fact, the Cowboys quarterback at the time, Danny White, was a guest speaker at the Sunland Gala a few years ago and said there was no doubt that Montana was throwing the ball away instead of trying to complete it.
But Montana seemed to put that at rest at this year’s Gala. He pointed out that he and Clark had actually worked on that play on the advice of coach Bill Walsh and had practiced it in workouts.
“That,” Montana added, “is why preparation, what you do before a game, is so important.”
Montana kidded about his experiences with horses. He said he used to ride cutting horses and was pretty good at it but had flunked with jumping horses. “Every time we got to a barrier the horse wouldn’t go over (the barrier) but I would,” he said.
He also joked about his being known as “Comeback Joe.” He smiled, “Yeah, we had a lot of comebacks, but that was my fault for putting us in that position.”
And he talked about the importance of his offensive line. “Very important,” he said. “Remember, there were five fat guys with bad intentions trying to get to me.”
He also talked about the dangers of being hit by one of those “fat guys.” Actually, his career ended soon after being hit from behind by a member of the New York Giants. “It’s not so much the hit from behind that hurts,” he said, “but the big player who hits you then drives you into the ground. That’s where the harm is really done.”
Then he paused, smiled and said, “They say they don’t do that on purpose. They do that on purpose.”
He added that Jerry Rice, who turned out to be regarded the greatest wide receiver of all time, “couldn’t catch a cold” when he first arrived with the 49ers. He didn’t hold his hands correctly but once he learned he went on to score more touchdowns than any receiver in NFL history. That was another important lesson, he said, about ‘preparation.”
He credits the coaching of Walsh for much of his success.
Montana’s self-effacing, down-to-earth humor was a big hit and guests gave him a big round of applause.
The guests also rewarded the sponsor, United Blood Services, handsomely. Montana is regarded by many as the greatest quarterback of all time. After all, he led Notre Dame to a national championship and the 49ers to four Super Bowl victories. So when he donated some of his jerseys to United Blood Services to be signed by him and be auctioned at the Gala they sold like wildfire.
The 49ers jerseys sold for $2000 and more and the typical one he wore at Notre Dame during its championship season sold for a record $5500.
This year’s Sunland Derby will go down as one of the best ever. So will the Sunland Gala.
Thanks, Joe.