I got a chance to head West to San Fran for a few days this week. Strange to be away from TerpLand during football season.
The San Fran area seems a bit sports crazed at the moment to me. I came into town on Sunday morning and on the way from the airport went by Candlestick Park an hour and a half before the game between the 49ers and the Packers. The 49er car flags and the Packer flags set the tone for the day. I continued downtown to watch the game in the center of the city. Although there we many, many people out walking about the Union Square area not watching the game, many were sporting 49er t-shirts and jerseys.
The sports bars were not full, but they were vocal.
It seemed if one was not wearing a Niners jersey, they had on a SF (baseball) Giants shirt. Coming from the East Coast, you almost forget that the Giants won the World Series and the Niners almost won the Super Bowl. Being in the city, there is no way to miss the sports dominance of SF teams.
The other big event in town is the America’s Cup yacht races. Oracle is the US team and Emirates is the New Zeland entry.
To add to that, the Golden State Warriors are a hot NBA team. If it can get more hyped-up, Stanford is a top 10 football program. My local (SF) favorite, Cal (University of California) is not having that great an outlook on football for 2013. The 1-1 Bears host Ohio State on Saturday.
Last night was a trip to AT&T Park (used to be called Pac Bell). Great stadium and a fairly large crowd for a Tuesday night and the last place Rockies and next to last place Giants. Also the stadium is a great place to eat. Food courts abound on the main level.
Everyone seemed to be wearing Giants gear. Jerseys, hats and most importantly – jackets. It gets cold in San Fran. If you have ever been in the city, you know the temperature and wind is something to deal with, bring a coat.
All of my DC area readers can get an up-close look at the 49ers on Monday, November 25th at FedEx Field as they come to play the Redskins. Speaking of the Redskins, they face the Niners last opponent, the Packers on Sunday.