There's no question San Francisco 49ers CEO and owner Jed York looks up to his uncle, former owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. After all, for years, York never shied away from name-dropping DeBartolo when talking with reporters.
One can wonder if the longtime Niners owner who oversaw the franchise's dynasty years feels the same way.
DeBartolo was in attendance for the premiere of AMC's new series, Rise of the 49ers, narrated by unashamed Niners fan, Tom Brady. And it was hard to ignore the context of the series that focused on the dynasty's development during the 1980s. When Hall of Fame superstars like Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Steve Young all in attendance, it'd be hard to think about anything else but winning Super Bowls.
Especially with Super Bowl 60 hosted at San Francisco's home venue, Levi's Stadium.
Of course, the 49ers remain at five Super Bowl victories, all of which came under DeBartolo's ownership, the last of which occurred in January of 1995 when the Niners wholly upended the San Diego Chargers.
It's been 31 years. And DeBartolo had a noteworthy response when asked about that, and it's hard not to see it as a subtle jab at his nephew.
Eddie DeBartolo has blunt response to 49ers' Super Bowl drought
Speaking to reporters from the premiere, DeBartolo responded to a question about San Francisco's Super Bowl drought.
When asked how "frustrating" it might be to go 31 years without a championship, DeBartolo had a simple-yet-profound response.
"I wouldn't," he responded.
Eddie DeBartolo was asked how frustrating it would be to go 31 years without a championship as an owner?
— Matt Lively (@mattblively) January 28, 2026
"I wouldn't." #49ers | #FTTB pic.twitter.com/vylBDaG7Eb
Frankly, there isn't much more he needs to say. DeBartolo's 49ers won all five Super Bowls in which they appeared, setting an NFL record at the time for a single franchise.
Meanwhile, York's Niners not only haven't won a Super Bowl since DeBartolo sold the team to his sister in 2000, but they've lost all three Super Bowls in which they appeared, the most recent in February of 2024.
While he didn't come out directly and say it, DeBartolo pretty much dissed his nephew's handling of the franchise, which fans already know had been the case, particularly during the coaching-tumult years prior to hiring Kyle Shanahan in 2017.
DeBartolo certainly was committed to winning, arguably obsessed with it. And York has certainly attempted to follow the same path over the last decade or so, albeit not with DeBartolo-like results.
And the uncle didn't hesitate to remind the nephew of that fact.