Last Updated on 08/19/2021 by Inside Tailgating
Fans of the San Francisco 49ers have certainly suffered enough lately, watching their team go through eight straight seasons without a winning record. But now because of a handful of hooligans, tailgating has been banned in the Candlestick Park parking lots during or after games begin.
The Aug. 20 Raiders-49ers preseason game was ugly enough on the field (a 17-3 San Francisco win), but turned much more gruesome away from the gridiron with some unruly “fans” turning to violence. Three people were taken to the hospital after two men were found shot in the parking lot and another man was beaten unconscious in a stadium bathroom, all believed to be separate incidents. Fortunately, the two men most seriously hurt continue to improve their conditions.
Many other brawls ensued during the game, as police booked a dozen people, which is way more than the usual one or two fools per game that wind up in the clink. To stop this nonsense from happening again, this Battle of the Bay rivalry is not expected to continue for the preseason. For now, San Francisco police are setting up DUI checkpoints near the stadium and urging people to get out of the parking lots once the game has begun, and also doing a sweep once the game is over.