Sunday’s Super Bowl kept Mission residents in a state of anxiety until the bitter end. The 49ers, for the second time, could not hold a 10-point Super Bowl lead against the Kansas City Chiefs. A punt was muffed, an extra point was missed and, in overtime, the Chiefs scored a touchdown to win it all.
Things were looking promising, until they weren’t. At The Napper Tandy, at 24th Street and South Van Ness Avenue, the room was brimming with spectators who endured another round of ups and downs during the last 15 minutes of overtime.
Fans shook their heads, crossed their arms, bit their nails, hugged one another.
“It was a hard win. It was a hard loss,” said Mark Milaspina.
Down the street, at 24th and Treat streets, a large but decidedly somber crowd gathered after the game.
“I’m lost for words, to be honest,” said Sydney Faartaui, who works as security at Ruth’s at Treat Street. “This loss is something different.”
“It hurts. It hurts,” said Enrique Jimenez, shaking his head.
“We’re sad. There is no bittersweet,” said another lady, heading out the door.
Kickoff at the 500 Club
Some four hours earlier, locals had already filled The 500 Club, a neighborhood bar at 17th and Guerrero streets.
At the bar, directly beneath the TV screen, sat Marie, 86, who lives upstairs and comes down to the bar every afternoon for a glass of wine. When asked if she liked football, she responded “Oh, God no. Tonight it’s finally over.” She walked out at the end of the first quarter.
Beside her sat Ronnie, wearing a 49ers cap and shirt that read, “Go Taylor’s boyfriend.” Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce, is the tight end for the Chiefs. “I hope they both lose,” he said, noting his disinterest in football.
“I’m just trying to pretend I’m interested in the things he’s interested in,” Ronnie said, pointing to his husband, Dave. Both Ronnie and Dave shouted and clapped when the 49ers scored.
At one of the tables, another regular, Matthew, was interpreting the game to Nadia, a woman from France, who was watching American football for the first time. “That was a trick play,” Matthew said, after 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey scored the game’s first touchdown on a nifty pass from wide receiver Jauan Jennings.
The 49ers were up 10-3 at half — but, ominously, money had been left on the table.
“It’s just really close,” said Savannah, another spectator. “Which doesn’t make anyone comfortable.”
As the Niners pulled ahead midway through the fourth quarter, fans gave themselves permission to hope that this could indeed be the year.
“We’re groovin’ and cruisin’ now,” said Steven Gallardo. “Now we’ve just got to close out and finish the game.”
At a house party: ‘It feels like SF is all of ours.’
Some 50 family members and neighbors gathered at the Gallardo household, on Alabama Street near 21st Street, to watch the game. A 49ers flag adorned the front door, and almost everyone was dressed in red.
“You know people here are really serious about the 49er win,” said Tracy Gallardo, “because we’re going to win.”
After a tense first two quarters, the air was calm. Children played in the street. Some feasted on a spread of carne asada, carnitas, hot dogs and hamburgers. Others sat in front of a flat-screen TV in front of the garage. Four more TVs were on inside the house for those who didn’t want to sit out in the cold.
Two other households were hosting parties; together, they had blocked off the street with orange cones and cardboard signs. “It feels like San Francisco is all of ours,” said Tracy Gallardo. “It’s a day of unity.”
And it was — though not in the shared joy the red-and-gold crowd would’ve wanted, but, rather, in collective despair. It was the sort of loss that 49ers fans will think about for a good long while; the ramifications of every miscue loomed large as Kansas City tied the game and, eventually, walked away with it.
Campers,
Y’all lack perspective of old age.
I was realizing after this loss (still got to jump up and down and cheer loudly with my best friends on earth and only one groan at end) …
Was realizing that this was the 70th NFL World Championship Game I’ve watched and been old enough to not only know what’s going on but was playing for a lousy team in a rough neighborhood YMCA League.
70 of these things of having a Favorite to root for in last game of year.
Even used to buy dollar gambling cards weekly where if you picked 3 teams right then you got $5 and I’ve never bet more than a buck on anything since except slot machines in Vegas where I limit myself to $100 loss and I’ve played hours thataway just watching my friends and once my long-legged model/graphic designer/champion fastpitch softball pitcher in Oklahoma and the longest blonde hair.
We were driving SF to St. louis in the Cohens old Ford 100 Pickup with stops in Vegas and Texas and thought nothing of going couple hundred miles out of our way to see the biggest rattlesnake in Texas.
So, we walked into the Casino and they saw that long natural blonde hair and those legs and they gave us the best suite in the place for free and she actually won a few hundred as they squired her around like she was Mike Tyson or something while, knowing my place, I took couple hours to lose my $50 then on slots.
My point is, you can’t lose in Vegas if you come in with the right frame of mind.
Which is ?
Say to yourself over and over …
The words that Linda LaFlamme (Neska) wrote at my club in St. Louis …
“Today is tomorrow’s memory.
Make it a good one.”
I’m sorry we lost Sunday.
But, boy did I make a good memory jumping up and down with my friends.
For my 70th year in a Row !
When’s Spring Training begin for the Giants and anyone want to go there with me ?
h.
You missed in your article that a bunch of people couldn’t watch it because a power outage starting at 5:20 pm. 1,400 customers north of 21st st and San Carlos were added to the misery. The power came back close to midnight.
Sir or madam —
They were better off.
JE
They closed off the street for that party up top. Looked epic!
Don’t know if they had a permit and don’t care.