Image borrowed from sportslogos.net

Image borrowed from chat49ers.com

Image borrowed from sportslogos.net

San Francisco, California is known for the beauty of its bay, the supremacy of the Golden Gate Bridge, and the distinctive personality of its streets.  But, while these qualities define the city to the outside world, the hearts of its inhabitants beat to another drum.  The citizens of the Bay Area, and San Francisco specifically, live and die with the franchises that represent them in the world of sports.  This chaotic being known as “The City by the Bay”, redirects and focuses its attention when these teams step on the field or court to somehow fulfill the seemingly impossible expectations the fans put on them.  I, being born and raised in the suburbs of San Francisco, have experienced this first hand.  The 49ers, Giants, and Warriors have all played an intricate role in the life of the city and my life as well.
Growing up in the late 90’s and 2000’s, I’ve been lucky enough to experience the dark ages of Bay Area sports.  Not one of the three major sports teams have brought home a championship since 1994, when the 49ers won the Superbowl against the San Diego Chargers.  Considering that I was three years old when they won that game, to me, it’s like it never happened.  I’ve experienced years of hoping, teasing, and failing:  years of proudly sporting my colors, only to be laughed at by other fans, with no rebuttal.  Each team can be described in one word.  The 49ers are ‘the disappointers’ due to their always-high expectations and tendency to not fulfill them.  The Giants are ‘the teasers’ because of their keen ability to brighten spirits and crush them almost instantaneously.  And finally, the Warriors are ‘the losers’.  There is no better way to describe a team that has qualified for the playoffs one time in seventeen years.
If a great team is playing in front of a packed house, the night of a meaningful game with playoff implications, it’s expected.   There is no reason to note this occurrence.  It should happen, and it does.  And if a horrible team is playing in front of a bunch of empty seats, it’s the same way.  But what makes the Bay Area special is if someone walks into Oracle Arena, the home of the Golden State Warriors, after they have already been eliminated from having any playoff hopes, the place will be filled to capacity.  If someone walks into Candlestick Park, the home of the 49ers, on a windy day in December with the 49ers sporting a record of five wins and nine losses, that person will see thousands of fans proudly displaying their red and gold.  That type of loyalty, faith, and hope says something about a community.   Their love and passion for their teams outweighs the pain that is caused to them because of their devotion.  It’s the very reason that I’m proud to wear my 49er jersey around town.  The passion outweighs the success, or lack there of.