Eber: A reluctant team member

Going to a football game in San Fran is not the same.  First, the San Francisco 49’ers, like many businesses and families, has fled the collapsing city—it was one of the first.  Now it is dozens of miles to the south, in Santa Clara.

Second, it has decided going to a game is for the rich and elite—the middle class is no longer wanted.

“In the one game I attended at Levi, in my section they did not even sell food or drinks to fans.  Where I resided in the end zone only 50/50 lottery tickets benefiting 49er charities were hawked.  One had to endure long lines to purchase overpriced hot dogs and beer underneath the stands.

Even worse, I have been told tail gating, as we knew it, is no longer permitted. Apparently, management prefers to eliminate cleaning up the parking lot while forcing fans to purchase refreshments at stadium concessions.”

As for me, unlike my friend Rich Eber, I will be rooting for the Lions.  Why?  Because Detroit was the first major city to totally collapse.  So they know what San Fran is going through.  The Lions are a winning team in a dead city.  The 49’ers are a winning team in a dying city.  You can’t fix anything until you admit you have a problem.  A 49’er loss will remind the people of San Fran the whole town is a loser.

A reluctant team member by Richard Eber

Richard Eber, Exclusive to the California Political News and Views, 1/26/24

As expected, my attention was focused on the tube for the play-off game Saturday featuring the San Francisco 49ers vs the Green Bay Packers. This contest was played under rainy conditions in Santa Clara at Levi Stadium.

For 20 plus years I remember being a season ticket holder for the “Niners”.  In those days San Francisco’s home field was Candlestick Park.  Arguably, this was the worst venue of any facility in the free world.  “The Stick” was cold, windy, and uninviting for spectators. Players felt the same way.

Despite such adverse conditions, the likes of Bill Walsh, Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, Jerry Rice, and others, made this stadium a Mecca for athletic excellence.

Most notable were games that were contested in the rain back then.  Parking lots at and near the park were flooded. No one could escape these muddy conditions. The place was constructed below sea level. Locals referred to the 49ers home field as “Candle Swamp”.

Despite such adverse conditions, it was impossible for fans not to not love this place.  Four hours prior to kick-off, we could be found enjoying tail gate parties with thousands of other devoted fans.

There were no “Spare the Air Days” back then.  The unmistakable aroma of smoke and marijuana cast a spell over this mini-universe. Few empty glasses could be found.  Beer, wine, and assorted alcoholic beverages flowed freely.

Once inside the stadium, corporate pleas for charity were tasteful without being too obnoxious.  Fans were asked to do their part donating to the United Way or a cause of their choice.

Things all changed when my team built a new facility in Santa Clara.  Despite promises from the team’s ownership to build Levi Stadium for the fans, what transpired is another story.

Luxury Boxes, that only Fortune 500 types can afford, fill one side of the stadium.  Most of the revenue from these seats goes directly to the Club.  Those lucky folks munch on gourmet food while those sitting in the stands can only watch in envy.

In the one game I attended at Levi, in my section they did not even sell food or drinks to fans.  Where I resided in the end zone only 50/50 lottery tickets benefiting 49er charities were hawked.  One had to endure long lines to purchase overpriced hot dogs and beer underneath the stands.

Even worse, I have been told tail gating, as we knew it, is no longer permitted. Apparently, management prefers to eliminate cleaning up the parking lot while forcing fans to purchase refreshments at stadium concessions.

Once inside this stainless-steel monolith, public address announcements constantly implore spectators to “join their team”.  Big Brother appears to be holding court in this monument of his greatness.

This entails supporting players defiantly failing to kneel for the national anthem. It also asks us to embrace helmet slogans demanding to “end racism” and support for the BLM movement.

These awkward sentiments from football players endorse a questionable Woke agenda of social change. No doubt such pronouncements are enough to make Bernie Sanders proud.

Trying to demonstrate how much the NFL cares is but part of a package that allows teams to virtually mint money.

Ownership of NFL franchises that are now worth a minimum of two billion dollars each. Revenue from lucrative television contracts, game receipts, and merchandising logo clothing, has changed the landscape of the sport. 

Meanwhile, the NFL protects their exemptions to anti-trust laws. Their public service messages depict football players to be the reincarnation of Mother Terresa administering to the poor.

Despite these worthy activities, I still don’t want to be a member of their so called “team”.

There is no desire on my part to turn over money I donate to charity to a corporate empire such as the 49ers.  It is well known any funds they give to their chosen causes end up being mega tax deductions for the league.

So why in the world would most rational people desire to be part of the NFL’s dystopian world of corporate greed and exploitation of fans? The answer is simple.  Football fans love for their team supersedes rational behavior.  

I am no exception.  Through thick and thin,“Fire and Rain”, my loyalty to the 49ers is unwavering.  Even when ownership of the team bragged running the franchise compared to operating a dog racing track, I continued to support the club.

While I fondly remember as a child sitting for free in the obstructed view Christopher Milk seats at Kezar Stadium; it is still not possible to be a sheep to the NFL brand of today.

This sad testament allows me to avoid being called a “team member”. With that said, I still can’t help myself from being glued to the TV set each time my Niners take the field.