Montana: 'Terrible effort' to keep 49ers
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana said the city's leaders did not do enough to keep the team there.
The 49ers are in their final season at Candlestick Park in San Francisco before moving to nearby Santa Clara next season. The team will still be named the San Francisco 49ers.
Montana, who won four Super Bowls for the 49ers, said at a forum for European NFL fans in London on Saturday that San Francisco's leaders "made a terrible effort" to keep the team in the city.
He said the city wasted an opportunity to build a new stadium downtown for the 49ers. The San Francisco Giants built AT&T Park in 2000 and the Golden State Warriors plans to move from Oakland and into a new downtown San Francisco arena.
Despite that, Montana said he is thrilled that the 49ers have a new stadium in Santa Clara.
"It's not like they went to Oakland," he said.
Montana is also glad the 49ers are finally leaving Candlestick Park. He said it was the worst stadium he ever played in, describing the field as always wet and referring to it as "The Quagmire."
When Montana was asked about working with Steve Young when they were 49ers teammates, Montana playfully said, "You ever had anybody try to take your job? It was my job to make sure he stayed behind me."
The 49ers play the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Sunday.
