The success of the San Francisco 49ers is showing how winning teams can boost the confidence and culture of the Bay Area, even if they aren’t part of the franchise..
While the biggest reapers of professional sports success are the athletes, coaches and owners; the surrounding citizens also benefit. Winning teams draw positive attention to the city and give it a national identity that may not have otherwise been seen.
When the 49ers made the playoffs this year, it was a nostalgic return to the glory days of the 1980s when they had post-season success with playoff wins and Super Bowl rings. This year’s team had many of the same players last year yet they are infinitely more successful. Their coach, Jim Harbaugh, uses positive reinforcement and designs plays based on the player’s abilities and not just his personal desires. This philosophy has led the 49ers to beat teams loaded with better talent. As of press time, they are one win away from the Super Bowl.
When the San Francisco Giants made the Major League Baseball playoffs and won the World Series 2010, the nation had a chance to view a different kind of championship team than previous ones. That Giants team was not built around star players. Most had been recently cut by other teams or were in their first years of Major League Baseball. Yet these diverse characters combined skills, personalities and confidence to create a winning team that beat a number of clubs who had spent more money on talent and superstars.
These successes put San Francisco’s population in the national spotlight and mirrored their values. It’s a population which is made up of many cultures and diverse backgrounds. It wasn’t uncommon to see Silicone Valley businessmen, Chinatown vendors and art students all sitting in the same section cheering for the 49ers or Giants.
That isn’t surprising to San Francisco because, since its inception, the population has always been composed of many cultures living in close quarters. San Francisco was the west coast’s equivalent to Ellis Island, especially when the Gold Rush occurred in the mid 1800s. Many nations traveled across the Pacific to create a city that supported international commerce and trading. The surrounding natural resources and unity to complete a common goal kept the cultures close together.
Today, this unity is still evident with the success of teams like the 49ers and the Giants. Positive national attention can bring valuable dollars to small business. San Francisco’s working culture is composed of factory workers, tourism business, computer technology, transportation specialists, colleges, restaurateurs…the list goes on. Instead of the Golden Gate Bridge, the world can identify San Francisco with the bridge that creates success from diversity. It’s no wonder they celebrate together.
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