49ers vs Jaguars

Back Home at Levi’s Stadium

The 49ers play the Jacksonville Jaguars today, kick off 1.05 pm, so I left the hotel at 10 am, a bit earlier than normal. It was cloudy then but the forecast was for sunny intervals but only 75º F / 24º C.

VTA rail ticket

As usual the ‘special’ VTA Light Rail timetable did not run to time, being nine minutes late at Santa Clara station, just down from the hotel. I got to Levi’s Stadium at 11 am.

I wrote at length last year about the changes forced on tailgaters by the 49ers management. This year it seemed a bit better in places, but it was still very disjointed compared to a few years ago.

I had to walk to different areas of the parking lot to find where groups of ‘gaters had managed to link up side-by-side. Whether this was by design or luck, I don’t know. But where these groups had formed there was definitely some of the atmosphere of old. There were also greater numbers of sightseers like me this year, echoing back again to the glories of past tailgating.

I remember thinking at one point, “It’s back!” I do hope it continues to develop as fans adjust to the changes. At one tailgate, I bought a Modelo beer and Gold Whisky shot for $1! You watch a couple of short videos of the tailgate on YouTube here and here.

United Club Revisited

Entering the stadium at noon, I did a quick circuit of the concourse first. I saw a mural commemorating Legendary Forty Niners that I hadn’t seen before. Not sure if it is new or I’d just missed it before.

Inside the United Club again this year, I got some Chicken Dippers and sauces to eat, with an accompanying beer. The latter of which had gone up in price again to $19.50 plus tax… 🙁

Despite being earlier in the Club than usual, I contrived again this year to not be in my seat for the national anthem and fly past, getting stranded at the top of the stairs. I was in C141, row 14, this year which I think is my preferred space now.

As for the game, well, we lost and deserved to. The offense just didn’t play well and Brock Purdy in particular had a bad day at the office, consistently misfiring passes too high and too low. He didn’t play in the following week’s game, as it came to light that the turf toe injury he suffered in Week 1, causing him to miss Weeks 2 and 3, had not healed sufficiently and he aggravated it in this game against the Jaguars. He then missed the next six games.

The 49ers run game never got going either and the defense never pressurised their QB or stopped their run game sufficiently well. A final score line of 26-21 suggested it was close, but Purdy blew up a potentially game winning drive late in the 4^th quarter, and it doesn’t tell the real story of the game. The Niners just didn’t play well.

Time for More Caps

After the game I visited the Team Store and bought two new baseball caps. I’d replaced my old and worn caps three years ago at a Lids store in San Francisco. But ever since then I had never been happy with the fit or shape. Obviously on purchase I thought they were good but with regular use there was always something not quite right.

I hadn’t planned to buy new caps but in the store I saw the rows of headgear and on a whim I tried one on. I immediately realised it was much better than my now not-so-new ones. So I looked around some more, found a style I really liked and that fitted well. I bought a black one and a white one. Yes, I know the white one will probably get grubby quickly but you never know until you try.

Back to the VTA stop for the return journey and I’m in my hotel room by 6 pm. Walking past The Brit pub I checked it did not have ‘entertainment’ planned for later on. O’Flaherty’s has Sunday night karaoke, for instance.

The Brit

I returned to The Brit at 8 pm. The Packers-Cowboys game was on TV and was very close in the last quarter. So that took most of everyone’s attention. I ordered Mojo Pork Nachos, which were good last year but no so much this. I didn’t want a full entrée so decided to pick at the nachos for what I wanted. For beer I drink Lagunitas IPA.

The Brit closes at 10 pm on a Sunday. The SNF game however goes into overtime. The bar started to empty out. The Cowboys go up by a field goal, then the Packers reply with the same. Game tied at 40-40.

Closing time was approaching and the staff started to clear up. I was the only customer left in the bar and I ask if I can stay to see the end of the game. Chief barman says OK. As the final whistle is blown to end the game, I was sitting on my bar stool surrounded by up-ended stools as a staff member sweept the floor.

They’d locked the door earlier, so when I get down to leave, Chief Barman walks across to let me out. I thanked him very much for letting me stay to the end, although truth be told I wasn’t in their way. I’m not a great fan of either team, it was just a good football game that I wanted to see out.

As I walked out of the door I noticed the place next door: Five Points Cocktail Bar. I’d never noticed it before, quite how I missed it I’ve no idea. I had a look inside and it’s still very busy, so I decided to have a nightcap in there. It’s open until 1 am. I got a seat at the bar and saw that they had all sorts of exotic spirits. I discussed this with a barman, talking about tastes, then opted for a Colonel E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof bourbon. It’s about $80 a bottle retail, a shot cost me $15 but it is my last night…

The bourbon was excellent but I decided to limit myself to just one. This place might be an alternative bar option but the only potential negative is they advertised a live DJ Friday through Sunday, although I don’t recall one playing, unless they were very quiet. Back at the hotel, I check I’m ready for departure tomorrow morning, then hit the sack. A disappointing day and result against the Jaguars, but you can’t win them all.