P-Lo and Saweetie's new 49ers anthem, 'Do It For the Bay,' arrives just in time for the playoffs. (Saweetie / YouTube)
Here in the Bay Area, there’s no shortage of sports history and cultural activities to enjoy before the San Francisco 49ers’ return to the Super Bowl. With a victory against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Feb. 11, the gold-rushers could tie the NFL record with six Lombardi Trophies.
As someone who’s witnessed the team’s rise and fall over three decades, including their latest Super Bowl win in 1994, I say the more the merrier on this gold-plated bandwagon. So whether you’ve seen every 49ers ’chip, or this is your first rodeo, here’s a list of 49 things to do before Super Bowl LVIII.
Kota Ezawa, ‘National Anthem (San Francisco 49ers),’ 2019; watercolor on paper, 16.5 x 29 inches, edition variée of 3. (Courtesy of the artist and Haines Gallery)
1. Visit Treasure Island’s Gold Bar Distillery, a whiskey lover’s paradise — and the makers of this Joe Montana-sponsored whiskey — with a view of San Francisco’s skyline.
3. Press play on the latest 49ers anthem, “Do It For The Bay,” from P-Lo and Saweetie, two homegrown Filipino American artists.
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4. Catch an episode of The Warner House — a podcast hosted by the team’s leading tackler Fred Warner and his wife, Sydney.
5. Listen to “Niners By Law,” a hyphy-era track by Jose Santana that features RBL Posse’s Black C and showcases the 49ers’ longstanding Black and Latino fan solidarity.
7. Laugh at the time in 1991 when the 49ers tried to change their logo but were vetoed by fans and media — the first and only time a Bay Area team has been publicly shamed into abandoning a proposed design, which the team never wore after the press conference.
8. Dine at the Canyon Inn in Redwood City, a legendary 49ers hangout near the team’s old practice facility from the ’80s.
16. Pop into the Kezar Pub for a pint of golden ale.
17. Read Colin Kaepernick’s graphic novel memoir, Change The Game, published by Kaepernick Publishing, a printing press focused on social justice and racial equity founded by the former 49ers quarterback.
Yonas Tesfai, ‘Kaepernicks,’ 2017. (Courtesy of the artist)
20. Make a funny Taylor Swift meme. (In case you’ve been cryogenically frozen for the past four months: she’s dating the opposing team’s tight end, Travis Kelce.)
23. Eat at Flippy’s — an old-school, mom-and-pop diner in Rodeo decked out in vintage 49ers memorabilia.
24. Beef up your football knowledge by listening to The Richard Sherman Podcast from the Stanford grad and former 49ers cornerback.
25. Dust off your “Big Steppin’” dance moves with Stunnaman02’s 49ers Remix, a viral song that’s had rival opponents like Joe Mixon hitting the San Francisco-born dance.
27. Watch The Ritual Killer, a low-budget crime thriller that has Morgan Freeman and former Niners tight end Vernon Davis — and a 9% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
28. Stop by Alex’s 49er Inn, a San Jose dive bar that shares a name with the team.
29. Read about the Alabama-based apparel company that popularized those gold satin 49ers jackets in the ’80s — and then disappeared.
30. Tune into the Puppy Bowl before the Super Bowl and support the Humane Society of Silicon Valley.
31. Pick up a Sourdough Sam T-shirt from Silicon Valley’s Coldwater, owned by three brothers.
32. Count the number of ads running now ’til the Super Bowl that feature All-Pro tight end George Kittle — including this semi-nude commercial for men’s swimwear.
40. Look at photos of former 49ers safety Ronnie Lott’s amputated finger after he broke his pinky finger mid-game against the Dallas Cowboys and elected to remove it rather than wait for the bone to heal.
