SANTA CLARA, Calif. (KGO) — The 49ers Faithful were out in full force all day long at Levi’s Stadium, as excitement built up for Monday’s primetime showdown against the Carolina Panthers.
A coast-to-coast contest with bragging rights on the line in Santa Clara.
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Fans know if they can play a factor in making this a wild environment, they just might help their team win.
The pregame preparations got underway long before the sun even came up – a tradition more than 40 years in the making for Corinne Satorio from Fairfax.
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“It’s a special night because we’re the only game on TV,” Satorio said. “Everybody’s watching, the players are hyped and the fans are hyped. It’s the best.”
Gates didn’t even officially open until 12:45 p.m. at the earliest for certain season ticket holders, but fans lined up outside the gates as early as 4:30 a.m. – 13 hours before kickoff.
No work, all play on a Monday in Santa Clara.
“We started out with fried rice, chorizo and egg and New York steak,” Jeff Arabe said. “All the guys that come, we’ve been doing it for about 10 years now, ever since Levi’s opened. So, we’ve became a family.”
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A family reunion in the tailgate lot, ahead of a game with a lot on the line.
Plenty of Christian McCaffrey jerseys on the backs of fans in the parking lots to watch CMC square off against his former team for the first time since being traded from the East Coast to the West Coast.
Besides territorial bragging rights, a playoff spot at stake had fans young and old ready to cheer their team to victory.
“I’m feeling good,” Raul Sosa said. “I feel like we’re going to beat Carolina. We have the offense back, Purdy and Pearsall, I think we’re going to score some points and duplicate what we did last week in Arizona.”
“We’re going to get five pick-sixes,” Tyce Kahl said. “We’re going to win 50-0.”
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