Great Expectations: The San Francisco 49ers and the Quest for the Three-peat

by Dennis Pottenger

Great Expectations is more than the story of a season in the life of a legendary pro football team. Journalist Dennis Pottenger quit his full-time job as a magazine writer to live day in and day out with the 49ers. . . . These deeply personal stories create a winding passage back through the lives of a handful of individuals working to make the Niners' dream come true. Dexter Carter, Jesse Sapolu, Jamie Williams, Joe Montana, George Seifert, and Dr. Harry Edwards (the team sociologist) . . . Great Expectations is a personal, searching look at people who set a goal and go after it. [excerpted from jacket blurb]

415 pages, Hardcover

First published August 15, 1991

Reviews

[Tom Gase · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well researched and written by Dennis Pottenger. A look into the 49ers in their 1990 season in which they tried to become the first team ever to three-peat. This is the year they didn't win the Super Bowl as the Giants upset them in the NFC Championship and I wish the games early in the season were described more. I realize that a rundown of all 16 regular season games might be too much, but it the author almost skips through September and October. That being said, those game stories are replaced by very good stories on Chet Brooks, Dexter Carter, Jim Burt, Charles Haley, Ronnie Lott, Joe Montana, Mike Sherrard, George Seifert, Harry Edwards and many others. I'm not a 49er fan, but because of these stories you find yourself rooting for these players a ton. I had forgotten that this was the last year on the 49ers that Ronnie Lott and Roger Craig were on the team and that Steve Young would become the starter the next year due to the Leonard Marshall hit on Joe Montana. So it's kind of an end-of-an-era book. 49er fans may not like the ending, but I think overall they will all enjoy the book. Lastly, the chapter on the reporter getting revenge on another reporter (I won't say what happens as it's gold) made me laugh out loud in a coffee shop. Wll done by author Dennis Pottnger.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished this book in early 2008. I couldn't put this book down due to the fact that I am a huge fan of the 1988-1993 period of the NFL, and plus the 1990 San Francisco 49ers were a hella interesting story.

The 1990 49ers were supposed to be the first team to three-peat in NFL history and they almost accomplished that feat, until two devastating plays in the NFL Championship game------the Leonard Marshall hit on Joe Montana; as Joe Cool was never the same in that game after that hit and of course Roger Craig's fumble------helped to squash those hopes.

One of the things that was cool about this book was that the author discussed lesser known players or players other than Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, and Roger Craig. In 1990 that's all the media wanted to talk about was those three players, and rightfully so. But decade dominance for a football team goes WAY deeper than just three players.

Buy this book if you want to analyze the 1990 San Francisco 49ers all over again or for the first time. And/or buy this book if you want to feel sorry (if that's possible) for the 49ers coming up short in their three-peat quest.