Last Sunday, my parents had extra tickets to the San Francisco 49er game, so Rob and I tagged along for the fun. My parents head up to the stadium
extra early (8am!) each week so that they can tailgate with their friends and hang out before the game begins. They didn't have space for us in the early car (oh, darn) so we drove up with
my sister and brother-in-law mid-morning. Robbie and I had never been to a game as adults and were excited to participate in the festivities.
The weather was absolutely amazing. There was plenty of sunshine, a cool breeze, and a comfortable temperature. We were able to meet my parent's friends and eat delicious food while everyone was "pre-gaming". Once we got in, we found our seats on the 15 yard line and were able to see plenty of action. It was definitely an exciting game for Niner fans; the team broke franchise offensive records for the amount of passing and running yards they gained in a single game and beat the Buffalo Bills 45-3 (yes, they beat them by 42 points).
To be honest, I had a blast. It was really fun to watch the Niners win and to be so excited with everyone around us. One thing I didn't expect: the amount of "showmanship" that went into the game. When I say that, I am referring to the fireworks before the game started, the parade of players, and the Fleet Week flyover (ok, so they don't do the flyover every week, but it was still a pretty big deal). All of the hype made me feel like I was at a post-season game, not a regular season one. Rob always talks about how each week of football is so crucial because there are so few games (16) compared to baseball (162) or hockey (82), and that is why everything is such a big deal. Either way, it was fun to take part.
If you're headed to Candlestick anytime soon, here are some things to keep in mind:
- Bring cash. The vendors don't accept card, so you'll need to make sure you'll have enough cash on hand to overpay for beverages. :)
- Bring sunscreen. Sitting in the sun for hours at a time will toast anyone's skin.
- Bring layers. Yes, it was warm, but once the wind picked up at the end of the game, we definitely appreciated having our layers.
- Plan on dedicating most (if not all) of your day to the game. Even if you decide to skip tailgating, lines to get in are pretty extensive and there is bound to be traffic when over 70,000 people are leaving a stadium at the same time.
