Chastain’s Hall of Fame plaque likeness ‘not the most flattering’
SAN FRANCISCO >> Luckily, Brandi Chastain already left fans with an indelible image.
Because her new bronze plaque looks more like the black plague.
The renowned soccer star went into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame on Monday night during a lavish ceremony at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco.
Chastain, the two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Cup champion arrived shortly before the ceremony, giving her just enough time to pose next to her new plaque.
The problem? The likeness was just wildly off. On Twitter, fans suggested the image looked more like Jimmy Carter ... or Gary Busey ... or Bill Belichick ... or (for the old school crowd) Mickey Rooney.
“It’s not the most flattering,’’ Chastain said, diplomatically, while standing on the stage. “But it’s nice.”
One onlooker wondered if they based the plaque on John Elway instead of Chastain. Ann Killion, the San Francisco Chronicle columnist, took it a step further.
Killion, whose prose accompanied the plaque, got her first look at the likeness Monday night and was not pleased.
“Brandi Chastain is one of the most beautiful athletes I’ve ever covered,’’ she tweeted. “How this became her plaque is a freaking embarrassment for BASHOF.”
Anthony Savicke, the Vice President of Finance and Administration for BASHOF, took the reviews in stride. He said that the images on the plaques are “representations” and never intended to be photographic likenesses. Savicke said there were no plans to re-do the plaque, and he said he had heard
no complaints from anyone associated with the inductees.
Chastain, of course, left a far more glorious picture during her playing days. She drilled the game-winning penalty kick in the
1999 World Cup, then celebrated by falling to her knees, ripping off her jersey and showing off her muscles in a sports bra.
• Longtime 49ers executive John McVay could have been nostalgic Monday night as he headed into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame.
After all, he wore one of his Super Bowl rings. And one of his many cornerstone-building draft picks, tackle Harris Barton, stood just a few feet away as part of his induction class.
Instead, McVay cast his eyes to the future — and he said it looked a little familiar. McVay said the current 49ers front office dynamic reminds him of the days when McVay, Bill Walsh and Eddie DeBartolo were in charge.
“The three of us worked beautifully together. And I kind of see that right now with Jed York, John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan,’’ McVay, now 87 said.
The current power trio helped right the 49ers ship a year ago, when the team rebounded from a 1-10 start to close the season with a five-game winning streak.
Along the way, McVay, hired by the 49ers in 1979, noticed the same spirit of collaboration that helped them turn the franchise into a dynasty by the early 1980s.
“I see the interaction between the coach and the general manager,’’ McVay said. “I see them (exchanging ideas): ‘How do you like this kid? How do you see that kid?’ And so on and so forth.’’’
McVay helped keep the peace during the 49ers glory days, serving as the calming presence between the iron-willed Walsh and the equally formidable DeBartolo.
McVay credited DeBartolo for being a “willing owner” but also a demanding one.
“He’d say, ‘Just tell me what you need and we’ll get it — but you’d better win,’’ he said, smiling wide.
McVay laughingly recalled the time he asked DeBartolo for permission to sign a tight end. DeBartolo gave him the go-ahead
immediately. But McVay said it wasn’t so easy because it was a tough market at the tight end position.
“Eddie said, ‘Well, you’d better get two in case you need him,’’ McVay said.
Those early 49ers — like the current version — got a spark from the arrival of a new quarterback. McVay said that it’s easy enough to evaluate Garoppolo. After all, the the QB is 26 years old with some NFL experience.
But the willowy kid the 49ers took in the third round of the 1979 draft required a leap of faith.
It worked out: Joe Montana could play a little bit.
Sean McVay, the reigning NFL Coach of the Year for his first season with the Los Angeles Rams, was unable to attend the event. But he sent along a video tribute to his grandfather.
“You continue to display that selfless demeanor,’’ Sean McVay said in the clip. “What a blessing, what an honor, to be part of this legacy that you set.”
• Also inducted Monday were Barton, former Warriors guard Tim Hardaway, and former Giants pitcher Matt Cain.