49ers fans line up at Levi's Stadium to welcome team home after Super Bowl loss
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The San Francisco 49ers returned from Las Vegas Monday afternoon after a disappointing Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs in overtime.
Still, 49er fans put on their jerseys and made one final trip out to Levi's Stadium. This time to say goodbye.
It was not the homecoming 49ers fans had hoped for. And even though the Super Bowl ended in heartache, fans wiped their tears and showed up to cheer for their team.
They lined up with signs and balloons as the buses (and their California Highway Patrol escort) pulled into Levi's Stadium.
A few fans drove back from Las Vegas to be there, others admitted it was hard to pull themselves out of bed because they were depressed. There was some rehashing of the injuries, kicks and calls they wish were different, but fans say they wanted to tell the 49ers they are grateful and faithful.
"I was at Mandalay Bay for the watch party. I just came home last night. I was actually there. We were all holding our hands thinking it was our moment, our 6th one. And it just came up short a couple of times," says Ken Guanga, who runs the 49ers Tailgate social media accounts.
"You can't blame. You don't blame nobody. They're a team. You win like a team and you lose like a team. And that's just like a fan. We're here to represent and tell them thank you so much for a great season," says 49ers fan Randy Ioerger.
"I'm a diehard fan and I just want to show them that we love them no matter what. It didn't go the way we wanted to. But we want them to know we're still here for them and next year will be better hopefully," says fan Kristina Brown.
Most of the players packed up their cars pretty quickly, giving a few waves as they drove off.
Fans say they're going to give themselves a few days to mope, and then they'll start thinking about next season.
Featured
San Francisco 49ers lose Super Bowl in overtime to Kansas City Chiefs
The San Francisco 49ers fell short in their pursuit of a sixth Super Bowl title by collapsing late in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs 25-22 in Las Vegas.