Jump Over to Candlestick

Official Review by Glenn Franco Simmons, Stadium Journey Correspondent

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Kezar Stadium is best known for its days when the San Francisco 49ers played there from 1946 to 1970, but for a bit of trivia, it’s also where a scene from “Dirty Harry” was filmed.

And it’s a bit of Clint Eastwood that Candlestick Park could use now because of the behavior of some really bad fans – especially in the cheap seats.

“The Stick,” constructed in 1960, is owned and operated by the city of San Francisco.

Like a lot of things government does, Candlestick’s design is one big folly of a disaster.

Rather than reduce the wind and cold, the stadium’s design backfired and seems to have made wind and cold even worse, but I really haven’t noticed it much in football games over the years. It affected baseball more in my opinion.

Late summer and fall are traditionally a really pleasant and sunny time of year in San Francisco. Regardless, if you are there for football, it should not matter a lot if it rains or if it’s windy. My only advice is to dress in layers, even on Indian Summer days when the temperature inside the stadium can reach more than 80 degrees.

Although the seats and seating configuration are dated, it’s not that bad. I’m 6-4, 225 pounds, with bad knees from my days playing sports, and I do not have a problem with the stadium’s seating..

If you are looking for big-screen TVs, make sure you sit on the east, west or south sides of the stadium because the north side only has a small big-screen at the far end of the south end zone to view, while the north end zone screen is huge.

The best feature introduced at the stadium this year was by far the return to the 49ers traditional colors. Gone is the awful cardinal. Back are the team’s colors worn during the glory years.

One of the newest and best stadium features is the Edward DeBartolo Sr. 49ers Hall of Fame. DeBartolo is the father of Eddie DeBartolo Jr., who is the only single NFL owner to take a team to five Super Bowl victories. (The Steelers won six under different owners; same family.) A classy glass-enclosed display shows former 49er greats like Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott and Bill Walsh.

Another great feature is the Niner Noise Drumline, an outstanding group of drummers. You’ve got to see and hear these drummers in action. They are awesome.

The official Jed York era didn’t begin this year, but 2009 was his first as the operating owner. Among improvements are:

A new field level suite that provides fans an opportunity to watch games up close. It’s located south of the 49ers bench.
A really neat helmet wall that features Northern California high schools. It’s supposed to sport more than 400 helmets, and they had a bunch of them up this season, but I’m not sure how many.
An upgraded Faithful City in the north parking lot that features interactive youth activities prior to kickoff.
An expanded Mezzanine Level Absolut Gridiron that offers fans premium food and beverages in a larger area.
There is plenty of food available, but you might have to spend a few minutes getting something that might not be offered near your section.

However, there is an excellent variety of food, including clam chowder, fish tacos, burritos, hot dogs, sausage dogs, nachos, turkey burgers, pizza cheese burgers, french fries, polish dogs, popcorn, cotton candy, and more.

Vendors are constantly going through the stands offering different items, and they do a really good job of not getting in the way of the action. Plus, they are very friendly.

There are plenty of ushers. You can use your cell phone to text a page for any reason, including bad fan behavior, and the response is quick.

Pregame national anthems are done with total class and great vocalists. Halftime is always entertaining and/or inspiring, with flyovers on occasion.

Assistive listening devices are available at Guest Services located on the Mezzanine Level next to the 49ers Ticket Office near Section 27. Please note that a credit card, driver’s license, California I.D. card, or a refundable $50 cash deposit is required. ATMs are plentiful.

There are plenty of baby-changing stations, and children 2 years and younger will be admitted free.

When you arrive at the stadium, getting to any level is really easy thanks to the excellent escalators. Leaving the stadium is also easy, whether you walk down the ramps or take the escalators, or even the stairs, but be careful in the parking lots at night. The lighting is moderate and traffic lanes are narrow.

The access to Candlestick is not that big of a deal and is accomplished rather easily. Leaving The Stick is more troublesome, so make sure you know where you are going. Be patient! Due to the constraints drivers face, there are a lot of lane changes until drivers get to the lanes they need to be in to drive home.

The traffic delays are particularly irritating when we play the Oakland Raiders every other season at Candlestick. There is much more traffic and subsequent delays at those games because so many Raiders fans get weekend get-out-of jail passes.

On the way to games for South Bay fans, I suggest taking Highway 280 unless Highway 101 is definitely faster. I don’t think 280 takes longer; plus, it has less traffic, it’s a better road and it’s a more enjoyable drive. Even if you took Highway 101 to get to the game, I would suggest taking 280 home because 101 is a mess after each game. Even the 49ers suggest 280 home if you live in the South Bay. If you are coming from the north, you’re rather limited if you live outside San Francisco. You’ve got two bridges, the Golden Gate and Bay.

Fans have been in limbo since the 1990s regarding a new stadium. The 2002 Super Bowl would have been in San Francisco, but a new stadium was never built, and the franchise is still trying to get approval for a new stadium in Santa Clara a short drive south of Candlestick. If a new stadium were built in Santa Clara, it would really change 49ers football, because in the fall, Silicon Valley can easily be in the 80s and 90s.

The proposed location would be spectacularly beautiful. If a new stadium is built in Santa Clara, I’ll miss the views of San Francisco’s downtown that Candlestick provides.

Food & Beverage   4/5

Common beverages are $5 each. Food ranges in price and is not that expensive.

Atmosphere   4/5

Unless it’s raining or really windy, the weather at Candlestick during preseason, fall and even into the winter can be very nice and almost Mediterranean. I’m a football fan, so Candlestick’s occasional strange wind and/or San Francisco fog that can creep in at night are not issues.

Neighborhood   4/5

The stadium is located on a really beautiful point along San Francisco Bay. Jets from San Francisco International fly very close to the stadium. It is fascinating to see. However, there is a rundown area south of the stadium and I would be careful not to take a wrong turn.

Fans   4/5

Fans in San Francisco are like at any other stadium: there are good ones and bad ones. The cheap seats seem to draw a lot of shady characters, and someone needs to stop people from smoking pot and cigarettes in the cheap seats, including media representatives who smoke up a storm.

Access   3/5

Getting there is easy. Leaving is difficult, as I noted above.

Return on Investment   5/5

Despite the stadium’s age, the 49ers have done a lot for a stadium the franchise does not own. Prices are not exorbitant. I saw lots of small and teenage kids with parents at the game, so it’s popular with parents and childre

Extras   5/5

Any NFL game to me is an experience and the 49ers have done the best they can with this venue. Again, despite its age, who can beat watching your favorite NFL team in person?

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