Fans of the San Francisco 49ers were treated to quite the scene on Saturday as they made their way to Los Angeles.
There’s no doubt the “faithful” are traveling loud and proud this week, as Sunday’s NFC Championship against the Los Angeles Rams has been the subject of much chatter, especially in terms of what the SoFi Stadium atmosphere may look like on January 30.
But before fans of the Niners got to LA on Saturday, they were greeted at the gate at San Francisco International (SFO) by Sourdough Sam, a drumline and just a whole lot of red and gold.
#49ers things at the gate at SFO.
The San Francisco Chronicle shared a handful of photos from the event and reported the pep rally was a move by United Airlines at SFO, who wanted to show their support for the team and fans as they made the trip south.
Sourdough Sam, the 49ers team mascot, high fives a passenger during a pep rally at SFO on Saturday.
United Airlines surprised a full flight of travelers heading to LAX, most of which were 49er fans going to LA for the NFC Championship game.
This was further backed up by an account that says its the Twitter account for the United Airlines ramp service team at SFO.
We are proud to fly the San Francisco 49ers as they make their way to Super Bowl LVI. #goteam @Auggiie69 @MonikaGablowski @rmkmerrill @miltonortiz1997 @coliforme12 @JoniBelknap @vjpassa @NathanCa
Either way, the 49ers faithful is setting the tone for what people should expect from them at SoFi Stadium and around Los Angeles on Sunday.
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49ers Fans Looking to Flood SoFi (Again)
When the 49ers visited the Rams in Week 18, the visiting team’s fanbase seemingly made SoFi Stadium into a second home location for the Niners. After video and photos from the game, it became clear that it was, at worst, a split crowd.
A lot of red at SoFi Stadium.
While the Rams jumped out to a 17-0 lead in Week 18, the Niners put together a tremendous second-half comeback to win 27-24. Rams QB Matt Stafford provided proof that the visiting fans played a legitimate factor in that when he spoke to the media after the game.
“We had a chance there at the end of the game. I thought our guys did a good job communicating,” Stafford said in the post-game press conference. “It was a tough environment for us to communicate in, really, the whole second half. Our guys did a nice job and we got that lead back. Just didn’t finish it the way we can on offense and could’ve – had we gotten a first down there, the game probably would’ve been over.”
Sometimes, players like to downplay how an away crowd can affect them. For Stafford to openly say that the away crowd at the Rams’ home stadium affected him speaks volumes.
Rams Ticket Plan
As Heavy has previously covered, the Rams initially attempted to prevent a repeat or worse turnout by not selling tickets to anyone outside of the Los Angeles area. That plan has since been scrapped, but it still prompted a passionate response from the faithful.
NBC Sports is reporting that response could lead to an even bigger percentage of the crowd being 49ers fans. Ticket-selling site Vivid Seats is saying that they anticipate 65 percent of the crowd at SoFi Stadium will be supporting the Niners.
Of course, it’s a not cheap ticket for anyone either. The average ticket price is currently $824. Meanwhile, the AFC Championship matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs is $536.
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49ers Pep Rally Takes Over SFO Airport Before NFC Championship [LOOK]