Bay Area fans pack Rams’ turf for ‘49ers invasion’
Like a horde of ungrateful house guests, 49ers fans took over the Los Angeles Rams' home on Sunday, changing most of the SoFi Stadium decor from blue and yellow to red and gold, hooting and hollering and threatening to beat their hosts in the National Football Conference championship game.
“It's a 49er invasion,” exclaimed Mario Tiznado, a truckdriving instructor from Los Banos before the kickoff “It's all red.”
But in the end, the invaders went home without the NFC trophy as the 49ers lost 20-17.
Many of the 49ers fans stuck around for the presentation of the trophy but headed for the exits as confetti fell from the giant scoreboard video screen above the field and the stadium blared the Randy Newman anthem “I Love L.A.” at least a dozen times.
“It's disappointing,” said Brad See, who came from Las Vegas to cheer on the 49ers. “It was a great game, but we failed at the end. It's a tough division and you can't expect to beat anyone seven times in a row.”
The 49ers had beaten the Rams the last six times the teams played, including twice during the regular season. They led for much of the game, he noted, “but they just weren't able to close it out like they should have.”
Maldo De Haro of Vallejo said he's seen championship parades for the Giants and the Warriors but never the 49ers. He had thought this year might be his chance.
“I ain't going to be happy until I see the 49ers win one,” he said.
But not all of the 49er Faithful were down on their team.
“I'm really happy with my team,” said Eddie Rodriguez, who lives in Los Angeles but has been a 49ers fan since he was a kid, when the city didn't have an NFL team of its own.
His wife, Libby Rodriguez, said the 49ers weren't even expected to have a chance at making the Super Bowl.
“We were a really s—ty team at the beginning of the season, and we got here. Give us another year or two, and we'll be a really good team,” she said.
“I will always be a hardcore 49ers fan,” Eddie Rodriguez said.
The Rams' victory put an end to the controversy over ticket sales to the game at SoFi Stadium and the debate over whether the 49ers or the Rams had more fans at the game.
Hoping to prevent the 49ers from packing the stands, as they had during the Jan. 9 game between the teams, the Rams had announced a week before Sunday's game that ticket sales to the NFC championship game would be limited to people with Southern California ZIP codes, a policy they later withdrew. Coaches and players' wives also pleaded with Rams fans not to sell tickets to 49ers fans.
But the plan backfired and seemed to motivate more 49ers supporters to head south and pack SoFi Stadium.
“I feel like they shot themselves in the foot,” said Tom Dieckmann of Yuba City (Sutter County), who drove down to L.A. with a group of 15 Niners fans. “Folks who were on the fence, that gave them the push they needed to come out and support the team.”
Dieckmann, Tiznado and seemingly most of the 49ers fans at the game easily sidestepped the sales ban, buying their tickets from resellers such as StubHub and Seat Geek. Dieckmann's seat near the stadium's translucent roof cost about $500.
“They tried to keep us out, but we're in!” said Jay Fosse, 50, of Modesto, waving at the sea of red-wearing fans marching down the concourse.
Earning his rank as a member of the 49er Faithful, Fosse optimistically had bought his tickets from Ticketmaster a week before the Rams organization imposed its ticket blockade after before the 49ers beat the Green Bay Packers to get into the championship game.
As fans took their seats for the 3:40 p.m. kickoff, it became clear just how many 49ers fans were in attendance. The stadium was awash in red with patches of blue. The upper deck was nearly solid red.
When the 49ers took the field, the cheers, and a smattering of boos, echoed through the stadium. The Rams entered through a pair of inflatable Rams heads and clouds of fog, behind their mascot, a cuddly looking ram named Rampage. They were greeted by loud cheers, but not nearly as loud as those for the 49ers.
The 49ers kicked off to the Rams to start the game but the Rams went nowhere and had to punt as the chant “Beat L.A.!” resonated through the stadium.
The Rams fans came to life when their team scored the game's first touchdown, cheering loudly and waving yellow rally towels. Many 49ers fans could be heard booing. But the roar from the 49ers fans was much louder when they scored soon after.
Many 49er fans started their takeover of SoFi hours before the game at a tailgate party in a corner of the stadium's sprawling parking lots reserved for such revelry. Rams and 49ers fans shared the area, setting up their tents, tables, speakers and grills throughout the area and coexisting mostly peacefully, with a bit of good-natured ribbing.
As tailgaters cooked up tacos, burgers, sausages and steaks, music blared and a mariachi band played. Four 49ers fans from Rosemead (Los Angeles County), all wearing 49ers jerseys, said they'd been fans starting during the two decades when Los Angeles had no NFL teams.
“The 49ers were California's team,” said Steven May, an L.A. public works employee.
The group has remained steadfast in its support of the Niners, attending at least one Niners' game a year, first at Candlestick, then at Levi's Stadium, and sees them at SoFi Stadium when they're in town.
“I put too much effort into this to say, ‘Oh, the Rams are back,' ” and start supporting them, said Jason Maestas, a graphic artist.
Michelle Valdes, a season ticket-holder from San Jose, went to Green Bay to see the 49ers beat the Packers.
“That was crazy,” she said. “I thought we had lost. So there was no way I was missing this.”
She brought along about 50 of her friends to root for the 49ers.
Not surprisingly, some of the Rams fans were not pleased with the sea of red and gold flowing into their stadium, where signs display the theme, “Whose house? Rams house.” Many 49ers fans have started referring to SoFi as Levi's South.
“That's disgusting,” said Bill Mazurik, of Palmdale, not addressing the fact that SoFi is also home to the Los Angeles Chargers. “This place is all about the Rams.”
And in the end, it was.