Day At The Stadium

A Day at the Stadium

The stadium that is home of the San Francisco 49ers is called Monster Park. This stadium located in South San Francisco tucked back against a hill with an enchanting view of the bay. People flood this stadium during every home game, as they did on Sunday September 25, 2006. These fans come out hours before the game; just to enjoy the full experience of attending a live football game. During the course of the day there are many things 49er fans are able to experience. There is the huge tailgate party in the parking lot prior to the game, where many people like to hang out as if it was there own back yard. They also have ability to get a glimpse of there favorite players warming up prior to the game, or just being part of an action packed crowd. Many fans are content just sitting at home or in a local bar to watch their favorite teams play, but to get the full experience of a football game it needs to be seen live!

Tailgating prior to the game is a tradition at Monster Park. 49er fans come out hours before the game just to enjoy this pre-game festivity. Their cars loaded with food to eat, cooler full of drinks, and full size barbecues strapped to the back of their pickups. Some even enjoyed the luxuries of home by bringing couches, chairs, and even TV's just to watch the pre-game show. It was like they loaded up there back yards, and living rooms, and moved them to the parking lot of Monster Park. With every passing minute, an empty black tar parking lot turned into a sea of red and gold jerseys. The parking lot started to fill with smoke as the barbecue grills were fired up one by one. As the meat sizzles against the grill, the brisk bay breeze blew the wonderful smells of the ribs, chicken, and burgers through the parking lot. The excitement in the children's eyes could be seen as the meat come off the grill. Just waiting to devour the flavors of there parents cooking. Friends were drinking ice cold beers and throwing footballs like they were in there own back yards. The drum line team called "The Niner Noise" paced around the parking lot beating there drums, exciting the crowd of people. These are all part of the pre-game festivities at Monster Park. Many fans not only came out for the great food of the tailgate party, but it also gave them a chance to get a glimpse of their favorite players warming up before the game.

After many fans got there fill of tailgating, they entered the stadium hoping to spot one of their favorite players. As they walked though the gates to enter the stadium, tickets were scanned and bags were searched. Entering into the sun light, many fans couldn't believe how beautiful their stadium looks. It was like they were walking into a whole new world. Some fans were lucky enough to have pre-game field passes, which allowed them access to the field. These passes allowed them to be on the field up to fifteen minutes prior to kickoff.

As these fans paced around the perfectly cut grass, they couldn't believe how close they were to the action. They were rubbing elbows with some of the best players in the National Football League (NFL). Donavan McNabb, Brian Westbrook, and rookie Alex Smith were just some of those players out on the field warming up hours before the game. As the rest of the players emerged on to the field, bulbs from cameras were flashing like small lighting strikes, making sure they captured their favorite players in action. For many fans this was their first time seeing these professional athletes up close and in person. They couldn't believe the massive size of some of these players, especially the linemen. They stood anywhere from six foot to six foot seven, weighing somewhere between 250 to 370 pounds. Many fans just stood there in awe as they watched these goliaths warming up before the big game. Seeing these players in action before the game was by far the main attraction to most of the fans, but when the Gold Rush Cheerleader's arrived on the field much of the attention turned to them. From blonds to brunettes, from Asian to Caucasian, they were all beautiful. They walked around the field passing out posters, signing autographs, and taking pictures with anyone who asked. They left every fan that they encountered with a smile. It soon became to that time, fifteen minutes prior to the game. The coaching staffs, camera crews, stadium officials, and pyrotechnic crews all swarmed the field to get ready for the game.

As the game drew near with every passing minute, the crowd grew larger and larger eventually filling the stadium almost to capacity. The ushers were escorting everyone without all access field passes off the field, and sending them into the stands. The noise grows louder and louder just