Sourdough Sam

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Sourdough Sam is the mascot of the NFL team the San Francisco 49ers.

History
Long ago, the 49ers’ mascot was a mule named Clementine, inspired by the folk song Oh My Darling, Clementine. In the 1970s a prospector-themed character appeared, inspired by old program art. The mascot later became a miner with a bushy beard, a large helmet, and suspenders, and this look showed up in a cookbook in 1985 called 49er Fixens. Over time his outfit shifted to a wide-brimmed ten-gallon hat, a longer brown beard, and bigger brown eyes. Right before the 2006 season, Sourdough Sam appeared as a clean-shaven gold panner with blue eyes and a simple hat. He came back in 2011 with a beard and blue eyes.

Outfit
Sourdough Sam usually wears a cardinal red football jersey with the number 49, a white long-sleeved shirt underneath, light brown gloves, and a gold handkerchief around his neck. He sports a large dark brown cowboy hat with the 49ers logo and dark brown boots, with jeans held up by suspenders. He may carry a pickax. For special occasions, he has worn other outfits, including black boots with a black alternate jersey, a camouflage shirt and jacket with a camouflage headband, a Santa-like red and white top for holiday promotions, and a pink shirt with a purple handkerchief for breast cancer awareness. He has even worn shutter shades and a big gold chain reading “SOUR DIZZLE” when meeting Snoop Dogg. In 2014 he received a new pair of Levi’s jeans after many years in non-branded jeans.

Social media
Sourdough Sam has a Facebook page and an X (Twitter) account with the handle @SourdoughSam49. Posts are sometimes written in the first person and are used to promote events like the Faithful 49 Loyalty Program and the 49ers Kids Club. His birthday is celebrated on April 9, and a video of him making a birthday cake was released in 2015.

Outside appearances
Sourdough Sam has appeared on Fox, Monday Night Football, ESPN’s SportsCenter, MTV, Evening Magazine, and Nickelodeon.