by KELLY WALDRON JANUARY 28, 2024 (MissionLocal.org)
The San Francisco 49ers are heading to the Super Bowl, and Mission residents came out to celebrate in droves.
On Sunday evening, the 49ers triumphed 34-31 against the Detroit Lions in a defiant win. The team roared back from a 24-7 halftime deficit, securing its first appearance in the Super Bowl since 2019.
Fans adorned in red gear were out to celebrate, adults, children and their dogs alike. Crowds spilled out from bars around the neighborhood, long lines formed in the corner shops as people waited to buy another round of beers, and taquerias welcomed a flurry of late night customers.
“It’s like a family reunion for the 49ers,” said a spectator, wearing a 49ers printed scarf and matching red lipstick. “It reunites everybody.”
Two main streets in the Mission were blocked off: Mission Street between Cesar Chavez and 21st streets, and 24th Street between Mission and Harrison streets.
Groups of at least six police officers stood manning the ends of each street and at intersections across the closed area. Most watched the crowds from afar — others occasionally drove up and down a nearly empty Mission Street.
Around the blockade, drivers cruised in circles, some with passengers leaning out the windows, waving 49er flags. Others stopped to rev their engines, to the apparent excitement of the people who danced and shouted through the fumes.
Roberto Flores watched the game at a bar near Union Square, and quickly rushed to 24th and Treat streets in the Mission to celebrate. The corner was so packed that he was struggling to find his friends. And, with the loud music blasting from a nearby motorcycle, he could barely hear them over the phone.
“I don’t think there’s anywhere in San Francisco where they celebrate it like they do here,” Flores said. “Here on 24th is where the heart of the celebration is.”
Nelson was one of many vendors out selling food: He was capitalizing on the big win, he said, turning chicken skewers on a grill. “In two weeks, it’s gonna be louder,” he said. “I’ll see you at the Super Bowl.”
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KELLY WALDRON
Kelly is Irish and French and grew up in Dublin and Luxembourg. She studied Geography at McGill University and worked at a remote sensing company in Montreal, making maps and analyzing methane data, before turning to journalism. She recently graduated from the Data Journalism program at Columbia Journalism School.More by Kelly Waldron
