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SAN FRANCISCO -- Reggie White didn't watch his career come to an end Sunday at 3Com Park.

He heard it.

	Reggie White wasn't able to see the 49ers' dramatic touchdown that sank the Packers.

White's view of the end zone was blocked on Steve Young's 25-yard strike to Terrell Owens with three seconds left that helped the San Francisco 49ers sink the Green Bay Packers 30-27.

"I heard the roar," White said. "And I knew it was over."

And maybe not just his magnificent career had ended, either.

Perhaps it was the sound of an era ending, the heavy-hearted pitch of a last hurrah for the green and gold.

White, the most honored defensive end in league history, helped guide Green Bay back to glory after joining the Packers in 1993 as the NFL's first marquee free agent. He is retiring, going out on the top of his game, if not the top of the football world.

Coach Mike Holmgren now has to decide whether he wants to stay in Green Bay and sign a contract extension that will make him the league's highest-paid coach, or if he wants to prove himself as a personnel man somewhere else -- while still coaching.

Plus, there's two dozen free agents to worry about.

So, was Sunday's devastating defeat the end of an era?

White and Holmgren, along with Brett Favre -- who proved to be human in 1998 after a three-year MVP run -- and strong safety LeRoy Butler, put the title back in Titletown. The seven-year restoration project was overseen by general manager Ron Wolf.

"I think this is an unfortunate loss, but I don't think this is the end of an era, no," Wolf said.

But things will be different at Lambeau Field after the Packers failed to become the first NFC team to reach three straight Super Bowls.

Especially without the "Minister of Defense," who now will spend his days sacking sin and not quarterbacks.

"Losing this game hurts," White said. "But realizing I'm getting ready to go my way hurts even more. It's not going to be easy to leave these guys."

Favre shared a poignant moment with White after the loss.

"I gave him a hug and told him I enjoyed it," Favre said.

But Favre, who threw 23 interceptions during the season and two more Sunday, said life goes on without White and maybe without Holmgren.

"Reggie White can't play forever. I can't play forever. Steve Young can't play forever. It's got to end sometime," Favre said. "Reggie White had one of the best seasons of his career. It's sad."

Sad to see White's famous club move for the last time; sad for everybody but relieved right tackles and reassured quarterbacks who will get a better night's sleep knowing White will not add to his record 192½ career sacks.

"He's a great football player," Wolf said. "It's unfortunate he has to go out this way and not a winner. But he is a winner in his own right. He was a tremendous asset to us."

White single-handedly showed Green Bay was a place players, especially African-American players, could love.

But is it still a place Holmgren will call home?

"I think there's uncertainty, certainly, because he now begins his ..." Wolf said, catching himself. "Only he can address that. I took a New Year's vow. I am not discussing Mike Holmgren any more in 1999. So, it's all up to him now."

Holmgren, who guided Green Bay to a franchise-record six consecutive playoff berths, didn't want to talk about his future, either.

"I don't want to address that now. I don't think this is the end of an era, though," Holmgren said.

But, curiously, Holmgren spoke of the Packers in the past tense and the third person plural in his postgame news conference:

"They're going to be good for a long time," he said of the Packers, and later this: "It was an honor for me to coach Brett."

But only Holmgren knows if those were Freudian slips.

Whatever, Favre said, he'll be a Packer for life and so will many other young players such as Dorsey Levens and Mark Chmura.

"You've got to figure Reggie's going to hang it up," Favre said. "Mike, he may stay, he may go. We hope he stays, he's a great coach. But if he goes, Ron will find us a good coach and good assistant coaches."

Antonio Freeman, a star in the last two Super Bowls and very nearly the star Sunday with two TD catches, said he couldn't tell if his teammates sensed this was the end of something special.

"I'm not sure if guys are feeling anything right now," said Freeman, whose 15-yard TD catch with 1:56 left put the Packers ahead 27-23 before Young's amazing desperation drive. "I'm still numb."

Freeman will be a free agent, but the Packers might label him their franchise player.

"I think we're all numb," Wolf said. "But we still have to start tomorrow. We have to get over this thing and move on."

Without White, and with or without Holmgren.