The San Francisco Chronicle’s John Crumpacker reports that for next Sunday’s home tilt with the Redskins, the 49’ers won’t merely be wearing throwback uni’s, they also plan to sport mustaches, in tribute to James Franco’s performance in “Milk” to Niners of yesteryear.

“Today is Mustache Monday,” Hill said a day after the 49ers rallied to beat the Rams 17-16 in St. Louis. “It’s for the throwback game. Every day we go to meetings and we go by these beautiful pictures and we admire these guys’ mustaches.”

On facing walls of a hallway just off the locker room in Santa Clara are black and white photos of those 49ers who spent at least 10 years with the club. Some of the greats of the past had mustaches of varying quality, among them Kevin Fagan, Mel Phillips, Roger Craig (a classic caterpillar that thankfully was short-lived), Ray Wersching, Keith Fahnhorst, Jerry Rice (in the form of a goatee), Jimmy Johnson, the late John Ayers and Randy Cross.

“Most of us have been working on our mustaches,” said Hill, who led the 49ers on two touchdown drives in the final seven minutes to beat the Rams. “I started four weeks ago. How bad is that?”

Hill said his offensive linemen instigated the ‘staches in honor of their predecessors with an eye toward the throwback game in the finale.

“Every single day that we walk through here, you just can’t help but admire John Ayers’ mustache. It’s awesome,” Hill said.

Hill had to be informed that the one of his position predecessors, the greatest quarterback in franchise history, once had a mustache. Photos exist of a young Joe Montana sporting a Fu Manchu, although it is not on the wall of the facility.

Though I wish the Niners the best of luck this weekend, I must admit I’m surprised by their plans.  I wasn’t aware Misprint‘s distribution extended all the way to Northern California.