The 49ers have never lost in five trips to the Super Bowl, but they've got a blemish on their record now.
ESPN.com users spurned the top-seeded Niners and selected the third-seeded Steelers as the winner of our Fantasy Super Bowl Tournament.
Pittsburgh, which trailed after the first day of voting, rallied to finish with 53 percent of the vote. Apparently the Steel Curtain defense was a little too much for Joe Montana and Co.
The Niners had advanced to the finals by routing Vince Lombardi's Packers, while the Steelers upset the second-seeded Cowboys in the second round of our eight-team tournament.
Here's a look at each team's credentials and the lineups we selected for the championship game:
|
| SEED: 1 |
| SUPER BOWL RECORD: 5-0 |
| RESULTS: Defeated Bengals 26-21 in 1982; defeated Dolphins 38-16 in 1985; defeated Bengals 20-16 in 1989; defeated Broncos 55-10 in 1990; defeated Chargers 49-26 in 1995. |
| COACH: Bill Walsh, who never lost in three Super Bowl appearances. |
| Offense |
| Pos. |
Player |
Comment |
| QB |
Joe Montana |
In 122 passes in four Super Bowls, Joe Cool was never intercepted. |
| RB |
Roger Craig |
In three games, Craig had 410 yards from scrimmage and four TDs. |
| FB |
Tom Rathman |
Punishing blocker led the way for two title teams. |
| WR |
Jerry Rice |
All-time leader in Super Bowl points (42), TDs (7), catches (28) and receiving yards (512). |
| WR |
John Taylor |
His TD catch capped the dramatic drive to beat the Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII. |
| TE |
Brent Jones |
Won three rings and caught a TD pass in 1990 rout of the Broncos. |
| T |
Bubba Paris |
Played at 300 pounds before that was the norm for offensive tackles. |
| G |
Randy Cross |
Versatile lineman also could play center. Leader on unlikely '82 title team. |
| C |
Jesse Sapolu |
The 11th-round pick anchored the Niners line in three title runs. |
| G |
Guy McIntyre |
He once lined up at running back, giving Mike Ditka the idea for "Refrigerator" Perry. |
| T |
Harris Barton |
Protected both Montana and Steve Young and won three rings. |
| Defense |
| Pos. |
Player |
Comment |
| DE/OLB |
Charles Haley |
First two of his record five rings came with the Niners. As a pass-rush specialist, he's one of best ever. |
| DT |
Michael Carter |
Olympic-caliber shot putter played on three title teams. |
| DT |
Bryant Young |
Started in Super Bowl as a rookie. Fifth-year player has plenty of Pro Bowl seasons ahead of him. |
| DE |
Dwaine Board |
Had two sacks of Dan Marino in the '85 victory over the Dolphins. |
| LB |
Jack Reynolds |
The intense "Hacksaw" was a defensive leader for the 49ers' first two title teams. |
| LB |
Keena Turner |
Started as a second-year player in the first Super Bowl win and went on to win three more rings. |
| LB |
Riki Ellison |
Solid and steady linebacker for two title teams. |
| CB |
Eric Wright |
One of three rookie starters in the secondary for '81 game, Wright had two interceptions in his four appearances. |
| CB |
Deion Sanders |
Only a Niner for one season, Sanders was Defensive Player of the Year in 1994. |
| S |
Ronnie Lott |
Perhaps the best safety in NFL history, Lott played corner in the Niners' first two Super Bowls. |
| S |
Merton Hanks |
Five-time Pro Bowler gets the nod over Carlton Williamson. |
| Specialists |
| Pos. |
Player |
Comment |
| K |
Ray Wersching |
Didn't miss a kick in his two Super Bowls, converting all five field goals and seven extra points. |
| P |
Max Runager |
Averaged 41.8 yards per kick for the team that won Super Bowl XIX. |
|
| SEED: 3 |
| SUPER BOWL RECORD: 4-1 |
| RESULTS: Defeated Vikings 16-6 in 1975; defeated Cowboys 21-17 in 1976; defeated Cowboys 35-31 in 1979; defeated Rams 31-19 in 1980; lost to Cowboys 27-17 in 1996. |
| COACH: Chuck Noll, who never lost in four Super Bowls and was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1993. |
| Offense |
| Pos. |
Player |
Comment |
| QB |
Terry Bradshaw |
He and Joe Montana are the only QBs to have won four Super Bowls. |
| RB |
Franco Harris |
The MVP of Super Bowl IX leads all rushers with 101 attempts and 354 yards in four trips to the big game. |
| FB |
Rocky Bleier |
The perfect complement to Harris, Bleier caught a TD pass in Super Bowl XXIII and ran for 144 yards in four games. |
| WR |
Lynn Swann |
One of the most acrobatic receivers in NFL history, Swann was MVP of the Super Bowl X win over the Cowboys. |
| WR |
John Stallworth |
His 73-yard TD catch helped beat the Rams in Super Bowl XIV. Big-play man averaged 24.4 yards per catch. |
| TE |
Randy Grossman |
A solid run blocker, Grossman put Pittsburgh on the board with a TD catch in Super Bowl X. |
| T |
Jon Kolb |
This ironman played 177 games and won four rings during his 13 seasons. |
| G |
Steve Courson |
Opened holes for Harris in Super Bowls XIII and XIV. |
| C |
Mike Webster |
Many experts call this Hall of Famer the best center in the history of the game. Honorable mention goes to Dermontti Dawson. |
| G |
Gerry Mullins |
Solid guard played on all four of Pittsburgh's Super Bowl-winning clubs. |
| T |
John Jackson |
A member of the '95 Super Bowl team, Jackson's one of the best pass blockers around. |
| Defense |
| Pos. |
Player |
Comment |
| DE |
L.C. Greenwood |
Wearing flashy gold shoes, Greenwood terrorized QBs with 73½ sacks in a career that included six Pro Bowls. |
| DT |
Mean Joe Greene |
Hall of Famer was the foundation of the "Steel Curtain" defense. The 10-time Pro Bowler had an interception and fumble recovery in Super Bowl X. |
| DE |
Dwight White |
Underrated member of this defense, White scored the first Super Bowl points in Steelers history with a safety. |
| DE/OLB |
Kevin Greene |
One of the best pass rushers of his era, Greene has amassed 150 career sacks. |
| LB |
Jack Lambert |
Although undersized, the defensive captain brought the intensity to the "Steel Curtain." The Hall of Famer had 28 career interceptions. |
| LB |
Jack Ham |
Another Hall of Famer, Ham had a penchant for big plays, finishing his career with 32 interceptions and 21 fumble recoveries. |
| LB |
Levon Kirkland |
Perhaps the biggest LB in NFL history, the 265-pound Kirkland is one of the game's best run stuffers. |
| CB |
Mel Blount |
An extremely physical corner, Blount was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 1975. He was enshrined in Canton in 1989. |
| CB |
Rod Woodson |
One of the best cover men in NFL history before a knee injury diminished his skills in 1995. |
| S |
Donnie Shell |
A fierce hitter, Shell also intercepted at least one pass in each of his 14 seasons. |
| S |
Mike Wagner |
Key interceptions in Super Bowls IX and X give him the nod over Carnell Lake. |
| Specialists |
| Pos. |
Player |
Comment |
| K |
Matt Bahr |
Never missed a kick in two Super Bowls (one with Giants), while Roy Gerela hit only two of six field goals. |
| P |
Rohn Stark |
Most people don't think of Stark as a Steeler, but he averaged 44.8 yards per kick in Super Bowl XXX. |
