It’s Super bowl week here in the Bay Area. The game will be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara (about 45 miles outside of San Francisco), but the lion’s share of events are taking place in the city. Venues in/near my neighborhood are hosting several concerts (Sting, Post Malone, the Killers) along with an NFL honors event hosted by Jon Hamm. On Thursday, the Budweiser Clydesdales paraded down my street and delivered ceremonial cases of beer to one of the bars I frequent. Earlier in the week a military helicopter made several passes over the city – reportedly scanning for radiation and nuclear threats. Throughout the city there are a ton of things going on. The Pro Bowl was played at the convention center, fan zones have been set up in various locations, and there are concerts all week: Benson Boone, Zach Bryan, Shaq, Green Day, Fall Out Boy, Counting Crows, Chris Stapleton, Olivia Dean, etc., etc., etc.
Unfortunately, because it’s such a production with plenty of celebrities in town, many of the tickets to events are either invite only or were/are astronomically expensive (the Killers show costs $2,000, Sting $850 – $1,500, Stapleton resale tickets were going for $900 – $1,500). Of the most exclusive party, the Chronicle writes, “Michael Rubin’s Fanatics Super Bowl Party — with Cardi B slated to perform — is again positioned as the week’s most tightly controlled event. Past attendees include Jay-Z, Drake, Justin Bieber and Travis Scott, along with Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber, Zac Efron and Megan Fox.”
I have mixed feelings about all of this. On the one hand, the city has a chance to shine in a national/global spotlight. For years, the media has been shitting on San Francisco, and with the Super Bowl in town, there’s a chance to tell a different story. Though a lot of the people who live here never bought into the doom loop narrative – we know what we have here and how special it is. Articles from The New York Times and other outlets are reporting that people who expected to encounter a hellscape are finding the city be pleasant and beautiful. While a bit of an anomaly, The 70 degree days with lots of sunshine have been especially convincing. One visitor form Pennsylvania is quoted in the Times as saying he was so surprised by his experience that this is now his new favorite city.
While I’m glad the city has a chance to shake free from being the punching bag that it’s been, I’m less crazy about the city being turned into a playground for the rich and beautiful while the rest of us not so rich or beautiful residents have to deal with extra traffic, road closures, low-flying helicopters looking for nuclear threats, and the very real feeling of FOMO. With so many exclusive and VIP events going on, I suspect many of us become slightly more aware on which side of the red velvet rope we stand (assuming we’re allowed to stand near the red velvet rope). If we weren’t aware, “tightly controlled” events serve as a good reminder of our place in society. Because of the hype and hoopla, I simultaneously feel a sense of pride in the city while occasionally thinking “get the f*ck out” as though we’ve been invaded.
To check things out first hand, I spent my late Friday afternoon walking along the Embarcadero into downtown. I didn’t see any celebrities, but I saw more tinted-window black SUVs than I’ve ever seen. Traffic between some of the daytime events downtown was absolutely snarled. There were lots of people out and about, many of them wearing team jerseys and NFL gear. The restaurants along the waterfront were buzzy and crowded. In several spots there were trailers selling super bowl merch or promoting alcohol, carts handing out free sodas or potato chips or whatever. At one point, not far from where the Queen Mary 2 was docked (yes, that too was in town, about to embark on a 90-day voyage) an enterprising fellow had set up a makeshift bar where he was selling tequila-based drinks in colorful plastic cups. Noticeably absent from the pier where the Alacatraz boats depart, were the dozens of Hispanic vendors who usually sell mission dogs (hot dogs wrapped in bacon with grilled onions and peppers) to the people returning from their tour. Closer to downtown, lines wrapped around city blocks with people waiting to get into media events. A fleet of mobile electronic billboards promoting one of the popular betting sites fanned out across the city. Their displays designed to make people feel like they need to be part of the action showed updated odds in real time along with how many bets were being placed. As I made my way back towards my neighborhood, a three-motorcycle highway patrol motorcade weaved through traffic escorting a black SUV and telling motorists to pull to the side and make room – probably the governor.
There’s definitely a lot of hype and a lot of tourists in town. It is, I suspect, very good for the economy (though maybe not for the hot dog vendors who were probably forced to relocate). One of my friends who owns a high-end sushi restaurant in my neighborhood said they’ve had a handful of NFL players come through and many of them are tipping 100% on their bills. They’ll do well this week. Last night, while some of us were hanging at the local bar, rumors swirled that Post Malone wanted to hit up the dive bars in my neighborhood. As far as I know, he didn’t.
We have one more day/night until the focus shifts 45 miles south to the big game. Then, everyone will go home and Super Bowl frenzy will be over. San Francisco seems to be living up to the moment – though for a lot of us, this is how it always is here.