Kurtenbach: The 49ers did it right, but the fans didn’t live up to the ‘Faithful’ label.

49ers fans didn’t live up to their “Faithful” billing on Sunday.

When the whistle blew to signal the end of the first half of Sunday’s game against the Cowboys, I saw a torrent of fans at the noteven-close-tofull Levi’s Stadium — many wearing Cowboys blue, but just as many in red and gold — head to the concourse.

I’m not sure if they could see the well-deserved and heartwrenching halftime ceremony for 49ers’ great Dwight Clark, who is battling ALS and wanted to see his teammates — flown in for the occasion — “one last time,” but I do know that Clark couldn’t see them, because they weren’t in their seats.

Clark deserved better. We’ve heard the excuses every week since Levi’s Stadium became the 49ers’ primary residence: the tickets are too expensive, the drive is too long from San Francisco, the sun on the east side of the

stadium is too intense, the team is too poor.

Those excuses hold water every other week — but they didn’t fly this Sunday. They certainly weren’t acceptable for the Niners fans who sold their tickets to Cowboys fans, and they were particularly unacceptable for any able-bodied fan wearing red in the stadium on Sunday who opted to leave their seats for the halftime ceremony.

Joe Montana, who opened with ceremony, and Clark spoke to a third-full stadium. Clark deserved better. The 49ers organization did a great thing on Sunday — a team that has been synonymous with missteps over the years and is often chided for forgetting the franchise’s history — deserve credit for flying so many of Clark’s teammates in for the game and for dedicating the day to the man whose catch sparked a dynasty.

The 49ers’ front office did their part. Niners fans didn’t. Clark deserved better. Niners fans talk about the team’s illustrious history in reverent tones — as they should. I wasn’t even close to being born when “The Catch” happened, but I knew the full story of what went down on that cold afternoon at Candlestick Park in 1981 before I went to high school. I can only imagine that families of 49ers fans knew taught their kids much earlier than my father did.

“The Catch” was a seminal moment in NFL and 49ers history and 36 years later, Clark’s presence should have every 49ers fan stand at attention.

That wasn’t what I saw when Clark spoke Sunday.

Sunday was an opportunity for every Niners fan to show how “faithful” they really are. You can’t convince me the people who remained in the stands are the only Niners fans who make that claim.

Clark deserved better. Sunday should have been the highlight of a lost 2017 season for Niners fans. Yes, the team is winless, but what did you expect from this squad, really?

The combination of seeing C.J. Beathard’s first game as a 49ers starter and the chance to honor Clark — perhaps for the last time — should have been more than enough for any so-called diehard 49ers fan to get to the South Bay for the game.

Save the excuses for another week. This was one week where every Niner fan should have made a concerted effort to be in the house. Forget the game, be there for halftime.

But they didn’t show up — cue the excuses — and so many (too many) of those who were in attendance weren’t present.

I keep saying it because it’s true:

Clark deserved better.