Like most San Franciscans, I grew up on 49er football. As a boy, I was captivated by the great moments. Montana to Clark. "The Catch." Young to Rice. And now the exciting promise of this new team.

The tradition of football in San Francisco is proud — and rightly so. The great teams of the 1980s and 1990s were — and will always remain to me — examples of excellence in action.

Now, as mayor, I have the task of trying to keep the team we love in the city we love.

First and foremost, I applaud the 49er ownership for their decision to return to the table with San Francisco. Our discussions these past few weeks have been both cordial and frank. As we move forward with this task, I think it is important to put some issues in perspective.

San Francisco is prepared to offer the team every reasonable accommodation. We are proud of the San Francisco 49ers, and we want to keep them here.

As we once again engage in discussions, there is one simple principle that rises above all others: Keeping our promise to San Franciscans that a new stadium plan brings economic benefit to the surrounding neighborhoods and the entire city.

In 1997, the 49ers made a promise to us. They said that a new stadium would create "10,000 jobs." That it would anchor the revitalization of the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood. And in return, the people of Bayview-Hunters Point voted overwhelmingly to support the plan proposed by the team 10 years ago. They have waited patiently ever since for that promise to be fulfilled.

We must keep that promise.

The new preliminary plans for a mixed-use project at Candlestick Point will do just that. The plans call for a magnificent new shoreline park, thousands of units of housing, including significant affordable housing, and new retail areas that will serve both visitors and the surrounding neighborhoods.

This kind of mixed-use plan is a benefit to the 49ers, the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood and the city as a whole.

For the 49ers, it means a significant share in revenues that will help offset the cost of the stadium. For the surrounding neighborhood, it means hundreds of millions of dollars in community benefits, such as the creation of thousands of permanent jobs and rebuilding the Alice Griffith Housing Project for the benefit of Alice Griffith residents. And for the city, it means that we do not need to tap our general fund, saving these dollars for investments in city needs such as parks, potholes and police.

There are many ways we can adapt this plan to make it more agreeable to the 49ers, including the possibility of integrating other adjacent properties. We are looking forward to rolling up our sleeves, identifying the challenges that remain and finding solutions.

But as we do this, there are some compromises we can’t make. We can’t mortgage our financial future as a city. And we can’t forget our promise to the community in order to subsidize a sports franchise.

With creativity and determination, we can keep our promise to San Franciscans and keep our football team. But ultimate success in this venture will rest, like those victories of years past, on "keeping our eye on the ball."

In my view, the ultimate "Catch" for San Francisco is a great new neighborhood at Candlestick Point that helps revitalize the proud neighborhood of Bayview-Hunters Point.