By Scary Barry Rodriguez
December 23 , 2014
This last
Saturday , December the 20th, I had the opportunity to find out if all
the bad things being said about the new 49er stadium were true or if the
San Francisco 49er organization positive propaganda was true. My
conclusions have nothing to do with the very disappointing loss the Niners suffered at the hands of the San Diego Chargers , 38-35 , in
overtime.
Having ample warning about the traffic and parking
situation , thanks to all the media coverage , the Scary one and his
buds checked into the San Clara Marriot hotel for a one night stay. Upon
our arrival I noticed that the folks walking about in the lobby weren't
what anyone would classify as working class,wearing all the latest NFL
gear. The little hotel hamburger restaurant had steep prices and not
enough seating for the big crowd from out of town. Yea , all the 49er
fans were from parts unknown just like the Charger fans !
After
we all finished our very expensive hamburger and fries meal we set out
on foot towards Levi stadium. Proceeding down Great American parkway ,
everything was office parks and storefronts. Santa Clara hardly rivals
Paris , France , in the scenery department. Like its nowheres ville ,
urban desolation ! You dig ! This supposedly is part of the San
Francisco Bay area according to the fictional hype put out by the team
and accepted as gospel by San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee.
Arriving at
the stadium two plus hours early didn't help. The tailgate area is
really small and lacking the good time party vibe that was part of the
Candlestick park experience. So waiting around doesn't get it ! The main
entrance is fronted by a series of metal detectors , behind this is a
tacky array of booths sporting various Corporate logos. Rising above ,
the boxy facade resembles a metal and concrete construction site. There
is no artistic merit in the appearance of the stadium. Its just a
functional building , dropped down on blacktop.
After waiting
the required time , two of us attempted to visit the so called 49er
museum. Beside the long line to get in, we found out it wasn't free ! Oh
well , either was entrance into the Levi 501 bar ! Imagine paying an
entrance fee to go into a bar to spend more money. The entire stadium is
designed to shake out the maximum amount of cash from the ticket buying
fans ! It obvious that this venue was financially out of reach for most
of what is called the longtime " Forty NIner faithful " fans ! I didn't
notice many families in attendance . Mommy, Mommy , I want popcorn !
Shut up ! We had to sell the house to pay for tickets !
On the
plus side was the wide open areas to walk and more than enough restrooms
. The stadium seating is much better than at Candlestick park . We were
sitting midway up, in the sections behind the end zone and the field
was very close. I had season tickets until the move down to Santa Clara.
At triple the price and a ten year obligation , the price was way out
of my pocket book league ! The people all around us were single game
ticket buyers. It wasn't the same crowd that came out to Candlestick
park on a regular basis. It wasn't really a football type crowd ! These
folks were Mall crawlers.
It was an exciting game but you really
couldn't tell from the lack of enthusiasm of the crowd. Actually the
Charger fans were louder ! The stadium feel is cold and sterile. The non
football entertainment consisted of the boring " Niner Noise " drumming
group and some unknown artist putting on a ersatz painting performance.
The money is obviously invested elsewhere ! The losing season has
certainly rained on the parade and all the hype about the new stadium !
My
curiosity satisfied , I don't contemplate returning to Levi stadium
anytime soon. If a person has deep pockets and just wants to blow all
their money they needn't travel down to the boondocks in Santa Clara.
They can get drunk , yell or pretend to be a football fan in the big
city ! If your a regular working slob hitting the town with your girl
its not a cheap date brother ! Plan on dropping five hundred dollars at
least. If you want to party break the bank !
If someone is truly
a San Francisco fan they will feel like their on Mars ! The is nothing
San Francisco about the vibe in or around Levi stadium. Its not
anyone's hometown place any more. Its a soul less Corporate business
shakedown , no better than dropping money at a Casino. So crack open a
cold beer and watch the game at home because unlike Tony Bennett , who
left his heart in San Francisco , you'll never sing about leaving your
heart in Santa Clara !
This article is dedicated to former San
Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. Due to your diligence the City of San
Francisco and their football fans no longer have a home team ! Even the
bad acting job by Mayor Ed Lee can't disguise the fact that the thrill
is gone just like the team !
barryrodriguez (c) 2014. all rights reserved.
layout by magic merlin paul malolot.
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