04/18/24
January 28, 2022
Remember the Niners' Gold Satin Jacket?: At one point in the 1980s, a small company begun in Anniston, Alabama, was making 80,000 jackets a day for sports teams. The best known was the iconic gold satin jacket of the Joe Montana-era San Francisco 49ers. Chalk Line had 1,000 employees in five states and millions in profits. Then came the leveraged buyout.
I have to dutifully add Tim Krumrie to the list. One of the most dramatic, game changing injuries suffered by a trench warrior that I can remember.
posted by beaverboard at 11:42 PM on January 28, 2022
The arrival of LBO's in the 1980's is a telling mile marker on the road to the evisceration of common prosperity.
posted by beaverboard at 12:08 AM on January 29, 2022
At least with LBOs there was some incentive to keep purchased companies viable. Today's SPACs buy promising companies and purposely destroy them for quick initial profit.
Big 49er fan here from the days of Fred Dean, Freddie Solomon and the crew. Didn't see that Superbowl as I was coaching BB and traveling. Saw bits of the 3rd quarter in the airport and thought Super Joe's undefeated streak was done. Landed and found out the Niners had won. Cincy was by far the toughest SB opponent they faced.
posted by cixelsyd at 02:15 PM on January 29, 2022
A buddy of mine came over to watch the Bengals-Titans game last week wearing a beautiful vintage gold satin 49ers jacket. Thing was absolutely pristine; if this 60-year old man hadn't told me it was originally his father's, I might have thought it was brand new. Just a gorgeous example of a bygone era.
[Realm of Fantasy Begins Here] I pulled that fucking jacket off of him and threw it immediately into the fireplace, screaming "this is for Ken and Isaac and Pete and James and Boomer and Ickey...AAAAUUUUURRRRRGGGHHHH WHO DEY!!!!!" [Fantasy concluded}
We had a great time eating wings and watching each other's team win their way into the conference championships with a chance for Bengos-9ers III.