San Francisco 49ers fans are celebrating a wild comeback victory against the Detroit Lions, securing the NFC Championship by a score of 34–31.
“The Bay prevails; we always do,” said San Francisco resident Jeff Walsh at Mad Dog in the Fog sports bar in the Haight Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco with at least 100 people.
“Everyone doubts us throughout the nation. But you know what? At the end of the day, we step up and we go above and beyond, and we win because we’re winners,” Walsh said.
The Niners will face off against the Kansas City Chiefs for a second time in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.
They previously lost to the Chiefs at Super Bowl LIV in 2020.
This will be the 49ers eighth Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.
Despite the 49ers trailing behind the Lions by two touchdowns and a field goal at halftime by 24–7, the overall mood outside Levi’s Stadium was extremely upbeat with Lions fans and Niners fans all partying together at tailgates. The air was filled with excited yells and the sounds of brass bands playing music.
Stacy Samuels, also known as Banjo Man and a self-proclaimed “Super Niner,” was born and raised in San Francisco, and has lended his musical talents to the team he loves for decades.
“I’m 73 years old [and have been a fan] since I was about eight,” said Samuels. “I played the banjo at every 49er game for 41 years.”
“It’s just a different vibe with Candlestick [Park] as it is here,” said Bobbie Lince, who attended a tailgate party. “I can’t explain it, but the tailgating, we’ve had so much fun. You just throw your table, your chairs out, bring the food, bring the alcohol, invite all your friends.”
Fans of both teams remained energetic and lively throughout the game at Mad Dog in the Fog.
“The game had a big range of emotions, but that’s what makes it exciting,” said San Francisco resident Sydney Brooker. “I will say like it seems as though a typical pattern for the 49ers, particularly of this season, is that they suck in the first quarter and then they crush it [later on]. While I was nervous and scared and hiding under the table, I also knew that they were going to come back. And I believed in that.”
Kayce Thompson said she was rooting for the Lions in honor of her father who passed away last June and was a lifelong Detroit sports fan.
She thought “for sure” that he was “going to bring home a Lions victory today and go to the first ever Super Bowl” she said.
But it wasn’t meant to be. At Levi’s Stadium, fans erupted in applause and cheers as the 49ers made a comeback in the second half to win. Fireworks brightened the night sky as people left the stadium.
KQED’s Christopher Alam and Kevin Stark contributed reporting to this story.
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