Local man wears love for 49ers on his sleeve – and everywhere else
PAWTUCKET – A week after the San Francisco 49ers’ devastating 25-22 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, city native Charles Shelton sat at his dining room table and confessed the pain he felt was just as intense as it had been the night of Feb. 11.
“I’m just now able to watch ESPN because that loss hurts so much,” said Shelton, who’s not your typical 49ers’ – or any pro football team’s – fan. “Especially this game, because we had the better team, the better defense, we outplayed them, we had the lead.
“But Patrick Mahomes, that gosh darn guy, he just doesn’t quit. He was the difference; he just gets it done. He’s got that sixth sense about him.
“Now they’ve lost three straight Super Bowls – a 34-31 loss to Baltimore on Feb. 3, 2013, then the first one against the Chiefs, 31-20, four years ago, and now this. I’m beyond devastated. My friends don’t understand. They say it’s just a game, but it’s not to me.”
Shelton is such a Niners’ fan, he not only wears his passion with T-shirts, jerseys, jackets and hats, but also drives it and lives in it. Five years ago, he decided to buy a 2019 GMC Denali Canyon truck, but he told the salesman it had to be 49er red. And ever since he could afford it, he said he’s painted the outside of his houses 49ers’ red and old gold.
His most recent home, one he purchased on Varnum Avenue in 2008, is red brick with tan-painted siding and the same color red shutters; he even painted his walkway Niners’ red, and he has San Francisco banners and flags draped all over the front.