UPDATE: Fans Rally Behind Road Warrior San Francisco 49ers; Will Tickets Be Available For NFC Championship Game?
SANTA CLARA (CBS SF) -- San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan knows the inspiration his team draws from their faithful fanbase no matter where they play.
In sports terms -- 49ers fans travel well. So thousands will make the trek to Southern California for Sunday's NFC Championship Game showdown against the rival Los Angeles Rams.
"It's so awesome, the (49ers) faithful blow my mind everywhere we go," Shanahan said after Saturday's playoff win in frigid Green Bay. "The coolest thing I ever saw was in New Orleans in 2019 (for the Super Bowl) when they took over Bourbon Street, what they did at Sofi a few weeks ago, then in Dallas and seeing them in Lambeau (Field, Green Bay's stadium). We got the best fans in the league and they show it where we go."
Shanahan is referring to the regular season finale at SoFi Stadium, where a sea of red-and-gold clad fans helped rally the 49ers from a 17-point deficit to defeat the Rams, earning a wild card playoff spot in a 27-24 overtime thriller.
The Los Angeles front office reportedly was trying to void repeat, selling title game tickets with the caveat that they'd be restricted to residents of the greater Los Angeles region.
"I went on Ticketmaster and they were trying to block us. They don't want us out there. They're afraid to have us in that stadium like we did before," said Jesse Mendez, who was just one of the fans who got a message when trying to buy tickets, which stated ticket sales were limited to Los Angeles area codes.
The 49ers issued a statement Monday morning.
"The 49ers are very appreciative of how much support the Faithful bring when the team is on the road, especially in L.A.," the statement read. "NFC Championship tickets are available to 49ers fans, no matter where they live, on a number of ticketing sites and we can't wait to see them in SoFi Stadium on Sunday."
The ban was apparently lifted hours later with plenty of seats for sale
from about $600 to over $6,000 apiece.
Mendez got his and is going to the game.
"That's what we are: faithful. Whether we're winning, losing, it doesn't matter we stay true to our team," he said.
Many fans braved subzero temperatures to tailgate in Green Bay. And they stuck with the team in near blizzard conditions to help keep the 49ers
playoff run alive.
"We turned our season around and we're looking really good now. I'm really confident we can beat LA and go on to the Super Bowl," said fan Desiree Herrera.
Just months go the Giants battled the hated Los Angeles Dodgers in a historic Major League Baseball playoff showdown, the chant of "Beat LA" could be heard echoing through San Francisco neighborhoods during the hard-fought five game series won in dramatic fashion by the Dodgers.
Now the rivalry between the two California cities will ratchet up again. The Sofi win gave more momentum to a late surge that pulled San Francisco out of its regular season doldrums and now make the 49ers a dangerous opponent.
"It's dangerous, man. When a team gets hot, it's dangerous," said 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo after Saturday's win. "So we've just got to keep this thing going, focus on next week now, and keep this thing rolling."
The Carr brothers went to Green Bay and now expect to head to Southern California.
"We stayed faithful, we came out just like we went to Dallas last week and we're going to be in L.A. the following week," said Jabari Carr, who was traveling with his brother, Hasani Carr.
The 49ers are seeking their second Super Bowl appearance in three seasons, having lost to Kansas City for the 2019 title. They swept the Rams this season and come into the game with a six-game regular season winning streak over Los Angeles.
Len Ramirez contributed to this story.
