BALTIMORE, MD - CIRCA 1960's: John Brodie #12 of San Franicisco 49ers, turns to hand the ball off ... [+] against the Baltimore Colts during a mid circa 1960's NFL football game at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Mayland. Brode played for the 49ers from 1957-73. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) Getty Images

Jacobs added: “Many 49ers’ followers think the team was named after the 1849 California Gold Rushers. Indirectly, maybe so, as the streamliner train was probably named after the gold rushers. In addition, Morabito also was inspired by the colors of the Forty-Niner train. Of course the gold miners wore red wool shirts also.”The Kansas City Chiefs have long worn the arrowhead on their helmet, but what is their alternative helmet option, if they even have one? Tony Morabito had built a successful lumber-hauling business in San Francisco, and he thought the city had earned a pro football team, and, a bit ironically, it was easier to travel by air than it was by train. The NFL, then without a team west of Chicago and Green Bay, scoffed. The bold AAFC took Morabito on instead. Except for about one week in 1991, the 49ers have had the “SF” on their helmets, too. Owner Eddie DeBartolo had the “SF” replaced with “49ers” because he felt his team represented the entire Bay Area, but public reaction was so negative the logo was scrapped. It is perhaps the greatest NFL logo story of all time.