Chapter 1055: Post-Game Riot
In the 2011 season, the San Francisco 49ers emerged as a dark horse, returning to the playoffs after an eight-year absence as the number two seed in the NFC. In the divisional round against the New Orleans Saints, the two teams delivered the best game of the season, a neck-and-neck battle that went down to the wire. Thanks to Lu Ke's game-winning touchdown, they advanced to the NFC Championship.
In the 2012 season, the 49ers swept the regular season with a 16-0 record, making the playoffs for the second consecutive year as the top seed in the NFC. In the divisional round, they faced their division rival, the Seattle Seahawks. The team showcased their immense strength and depth, earning a dominant victory and once again making it to the NFC Championship.
In just two seasons, the 49ers' transformation had shocked the entire league. As Troy Aikman said during the broadcast, this team had truly started to look like champions!
Of course, a side-by-side comparison of the two divisional games is pointless, as the opponents, team status, and overall strength had all changed. Although the 49ers won both games, the process and the outcome were completely different.
However, one thing is certain: facing the Seattle Seahawks, the 49ers are still in a great position. The phrase "minimum Score" that was shouted out due to the rivalry with their division foe unexpectedly became a curse that continued from the regular season to the playoffs.
"48-21."
In all five matchups over two seasons, the 49ers' offense could still score at least 35 points against the Seahawks' defense. This record is truly terrifying, regardless of the opponent. When you consider that this happened in the same season that the Legion of Boom had a dominant rise to power, the "minimum Score" record becomes even more unbelievable.
In fact, the second half of the fourth quarter was already garbage time. When Lu Ke and Logan Newnam connected for another touchdown, the outcome of the game was no longer in doubt. This was a torment for the Seahawks' "12s" fans.
For this divisional game, many fans traveled all the way from Seattle to San Francisco, hoping to support their team in person and even witness the spectacle of their team defeating their division rival on the road. According to incomplete statistics, more than 5,000 fans arrived in San Francisco. Even though they knew they couldn't buy away-game tickets, they still came without hesitation.
The loyalty of the 12s is unquestionable.
Many fans hoped to get into Candlestick Park to watch the game. But today, the number of 49ers "Niners" fans in the park was overwhelming, with over 100,000 Niners flooding into the stadium. Given the absolute advantage of the Niners, and the unfortunate incident at CenturyLink Field earlier in the season, the 49ers' team management didn't want to take any chances. They discussed with the Seahawks' management:
They could either open up an area in a corner of Candlestick Park for the 12s to watch the game or have the 12s stay away from the packed areas of Candlestick Park and watch the game in other parts of the city.
Although this was not fair, it was the best way to prevent any incidents from happening. The 49ers' management was doing everything they could to ensure the game went smoothly.
The Seahawks also didn't want to take any risks and chose the latter option. The 12s were scattered throughout San Francisco, gathering in bars to watch the game.
But their loyalty and passion gradually turned into torment as the game progressed. The higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment. The 12s' spirits gradually waned and even turned into anger. Many fans left the bars and the city in the final stages of the fourth quarter, choosing to head out.
A small number of fans who remained in the bars started causing trouble after the game.
"Joe's Bar" in San Francisco's Italian district is one of the most famous bars among the Niners. A group of loyal and passionate fans regularly gathers here to watch games together, every game day, home or away. Any new Niner looking for a group to join would find this to be the best choice.
Today was no exception.
The Niners who couldn't get tickets gathered at Joe's Bar, singing, cheering, and drinking. But after the game, they were met with an unexpected disaster.
Anthony Tinozzo was wiping beer mugs, the rag in his hand seemingly never stopping. He didn't join the revelry but watched the fans' party with a smile on his face. A feeling of happiness and joy was bubbling up inside him. Days like this seemed to have become a habit, but he would never get tired of them.
The 49ers had made it to the NFC Championship again, and in a dominant fashion, humiliating their division rival at home. Games and a life like this were truly wonderful. Even the glorious years when Joe Montana and Steve Young were the team's starting quarterbacks now seemed to have lost their luster.
Thinking about this, Anthony couldn't help but smile. If Montana and Young knew, they would be jealous and curse at "a bunch of fickle people." Just imagining the situation made him smile.
"Hey guys! Hey guys!" Anthony shouted.
The entire bar was cheering and celebrating. The thunderous roar from inside the bar resonated with the residents of the entire street, spreading the party's momentum throughout the city. But when they heard Anthony's shout, the old friends and regulars all stopped and looked at him.
Then Anthony raised his bar towel. "The next round's on me!"
"Boom!" All the fans started roaring, pounding on the tables, and shouting with a "ho-ho-ho" sound, like a Viking war cry. It was a dull but loud sound that resonated and created a powerful momentum, spreading like rolling waves.
The scene was truly beautiful, and people couldn't help but get lost in it.
Just then, something unexpected happened.
About two dozen fans wearing Seattle Seahawks jerseys swaggered into the bar. They swarmed in like a flood, holding baseball bats, and aggressively interrupted the celebratory atmosphere. Two of them sauntered up to the bar and heavily placed their baseball bats on the counter. "Here! A beer for everyone! And a whiskey!"
The remaining 12s stood in the middle of the bar, eyeing the other Niners with a menacing glare. Their sharp and fierce eyes showed that they were looking for trouble. You could smell the alcohol on them from a distance. It seemed they had already had a few rounds. Their bloodshot eyes were boldly challenging the patience and bottom line of every fan in the bar.
The bright red 49ers jerseys and the calm blue Seahawks jerseys formed two natural groups, constantly clashing like fire and water. The tension grew tighter, making everyone in the bar stop what they were doing and slowly gather. Sparks were flying, and it was a powder keg ready to explode.
But it was clear that the Seahawks fans, the 12s, had the upper hand.
Because of the importance of today's game, most of the young fans went to Candlestick Park. The Niners left in the bar were mostly older men, even grandfathers. They weren't exactly frail, but they were a support group with questionable fighting abilities. They chose to watch the game at a bar near the street because going all the way to Candlestick Park would be too physically demanding.
In contrast, the Seahawks fans who came all the way from Seattle were all young, full of energy and vigor. They were like wolves and tigers, with incredible fighting ability. Now, after a few rounds of alcohol, their anger and passion had taken over, and they became reckless. Their actions made it clear that they were just looking for a fight, coming to challenge the bar.
Seeing this, Anthony, who was tough-tempered, said, "I'm not selling to you!"
The 12s were ready to cause trouble. Now, seeing Anthony's attitude, the two men at the bar exchanged glances, grabbed their baseball bats, and started viciously hitting the counter. "Why not? Is there some special rule here that you can't sell us alcohol? Is this kind of service a way to intentionally cause trouble?"
Anthony raised his eyebrows in disdain. "What, are young people so stupid now? You're clearly here to cause trouble, and you're still looking for an excuse? Do you think I'm too stupid to see through it, or are you just that stupid? You dare to start trouble here in San Francisco?"
"Bang!" As Anthony spoke, he slammed the beer mug in his hand onto the counter. "If all fans were as sore a loser as you, then let's not play sports. Let's just see who has the bigger fist! The team embarrasses itself on the field, and the fans embarrass themselves off the field. You're not ashamed, but I'm too embarrassed to keep talking."
Normally, Anthony was a quiet, good-natured guy who spent his days at the bar focused on his work and rarely talked to fans. But it turned out he was a sharp-tongued master who hid his true colors. With just two sentences, he humiliated the 12s to the point that their faces turned red. It was hard to tell if it was from shame or from alcohol.
"Good! It seems you're not completely stupid!" one of the 12s said loudly. "We're here to cause trouble!"
Then, he swung the baseball bat in his hand, fiercely slamming it down. The sound of "bang, bang, bang" erupted, and the bar instantly fell into chaos. The situation was completely out of control.
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