We knew this moment was coming.

We said our goodbyes to Candlestick Park months ago -- feeling the smooth plastic seats beneath us, or swigging the final beer at a tailgate, or even giving the stadium a nostalgic glance from 101.

For a while there, it even felt like a goodbye tour that would never end. There was the last 49ers game, a Legends of Candlestick Game and, finally, the Paul McCartney concert.

But still, to see the long-armed excavating machine tear into the steel bleachers, biting off a big chunk of Section 33 -- we can't help but wince a little.

Crews started tearing down the stadium this week and are expected to finish in three to four months.