Niners Nation After Dark: The Beginning of Your Love of Football

Welcome back for another edition of Niners Nation After Dark, where we have to live with the lockout but we don't have to like it. I find myself defending the players more than the owners, but throughout I find myself more and more frustrated. What's amazing is that we're only entering day four of this lockout. If this is not resolved by May or June I think it's safe to say I'll officially be in the middle and pissed off at both sides. It will be interesting to see what kind lockout-related posts are going up all around SB Nation's football sites if a lockout drags into the summer.

Given the depressing nature of the lockout topic, let's look at something a little more entertaining or at least interesting. I'm flying back up to San Francisco in the morning after six days in Las Vegas. I spent the final day at my brother's house on the north side of town hanging out with him and his family. I spent the afternoon in the backyard with my brother and his 2 1/2 year old son running around and throwing around a football. As a sports lover, I definitely plan on working to get my nephew loving football.

I'm curious when other folks really began to enjoy football in general? Was it the 49ers that drew you to it, or were you a football fan that found the 49ers? My case was the latter and I have a confession to make. When I was in first and second grade my favorite player was John Elway. I don't really know why, but he was my guy. Given the timeframe that was when he was going to the numerous Super Bowls so I suppose it was just a kid hopping on the bandwagon. I became a 49ers fan sometime at the end of third grade or the summer after third grade. That happened to coincide with the 49ers having a strong season resulting in their second Super Bowl victory over the Bengals. From that moment I was hooked on the 49ers, but I was already a football fan. When did football become your sport? For our foreign readers, feel free to substitute in "American" football.