Back to Levi's Stadium for a 49ers Game
On September 27, I went to Levi's Stadium with my family to watch the 49ers play the Arizona Cardinals. It was the third game of the season, and my first visit this year. I had skipped last season altogether. With Purdy missing so many games, it had been a difficult season to follow, but the bigger reason was the ticket prices.
When I first visited Levi's Stadium, I paid $175 for a seat in the 300 level and already thought that was expensive. These days, I see tickets around $200 even in the upper 400 level. If I were going alone, I might wait for a last-minute bargain, but planning a family outing around that kind of luck is less appealing. The difference in the view between the two levels is quite noticeable, too. This time, I found seats in the first row of Section 415 and decided to give them a try.
Getting to the stadium is both the good part and the tiring part of the day. The parking lots are a mess, especially when everyone tries to leave after the game, so we usually park at my wife's office and walk. It takes about an hour along the creek. That is a fairly long walk just to get to a football game, but I like having a little family hike on a Sunday morning. By now, it feels like part of going to Levi's.
There was a bonus this time: a George Kittle bobblehead. I am used to giveaways at baseball games, but this was my first experience of one at an NFL game. I was impressed by how they handled it. At baseball games, the gifts are usually handed out at the entrance to a limited number of fans, which can make getting through the gate more crowded and leave you wondering whether you chose the right line. Here, we received a voucher at the gate and picked up the bobblehead at a separate station inside. I did not see a limit on the number of recipients. The whole process felt more organized, and it was nice to collect the gift without making it part of getting through the entrance.
The food was less exciting. A draft beer is around $20, and the food does not always live up to its price. We kept it simple and just tried the chili fries, which turned out to be a good choice. I was happy enough with that.
The game gave us plenty to enjoy. One highlight was the hook-and-ladder play: Purdy threw to Mike Evans, who flipped the ball to Deebo Samuel for a touchdown. It was one of the best trick plays I have seen, and especially fun to see in person. The fourth quarter became tighter than I would have liked, but Kittle caught two touchdown passes on his bobblehead day, and the 49ers held on to win 36–30.
That brought them to 3–0, and as I write this, they are 5–0. With Purdy healthy and Evans giving the offense more options, I feel good about this team. Watching a play like that come together made me feel they had arrived well prepared for the season. (I would love to see that same level of preparation from the Giants...)
It was a good way to finish a Sunday with the family. Whether Sunday belongs at the end of the week or the beginning is another question, but a 49ers win certainly made Monday easier to welcome. It is that time of year again when the 49ers decide my mood for the week. Go Niners!
