SF 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks 9/30/07

If you hadn't noticed I skipped writing about a very sad game last week altogether. The Niners played the Pittsburgh Steelers two weekends ago on Sunday the 23rd. It was a huge loss for the Niners, although the game was expected to be that way. The final score was 37-16, so at least it wasn't a shutout. The game this past weekend was a big deal because both the Niners and the Seattle Seahawks were 2-1, and this game decided who was in first place. It was a beautiful day for football.

We got up early and packed all our gear, leaving the house around 9:30. We wanted to get there super early for plenty of tailgating time! My boyfriend Rick, and his aunt and uncle, Allison and Ralph. We packed all the essentials including our table, chairs, BBQ, utensils, paper towels, etc. The drink menu was full, but simple. We made bloody marys and margaritas! Oh...and beer. We always have beer (and a sober driver by the end of the game...no drinking and driving kids)!

The menu was pretty simple this time too...


We made good old cheeseburgers and had some wings. We simply bought frozen patties, some nice rolls, sliced cheddar, tomato slices, lettuce and I caramelized some onions. They are simple to do:

Slice up one HUGE yellow onion, whatever way you like. Add one tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon of olive oil to a non-stick pan. Let them heat up so that the butter melts. Add your onions and about half a teaspoon of salt (this draws the moisture out of the onions). Put a cover over them with a small area left open for some steam to be released. Walk away for awhile...read the paper...pet your cat...drink some wine...watch the Food Network...then come back to occasionally stir the onions (making sure they don't stick to the pan). I like my onions super sautéed and brown, so I let them cook for about 10-15 minutes. We just cooked our burgers, piled on our toppings and enjoyed! We of course had mandatory chips and dip. Watermelon added a nice sweet end to a great fatty, tailgatin' meal! DELICIOUS!

Now to get to some football...despite total faith as always, we lost the game! There are so many factors building up against the team, the rest of the season is looking to be a little sketchy! With linebacker Manny Lawson out for the rest of the season, we already have a strike against us. The game started out with high spirits coming from the team and the crowd. We were all quickly shot down as Alex Smith separated his shoulder in the third play of the game. The extent of his injuries are still unknown, but it looks like he could possibly be out for up to six weeks...meaning BAD news for the Niners (and I can't look at his cute butt anymore). Replacing Smith at quarterback is Trent Dilfer, who unfortunately had a pretty rough game. He was sacked HARD five times and threw two interceptions. Out of 33 passes he only completed 12, for a total of 128 yards. The Niner offense really needs to step it up. Thus, the game was a sad one, although the spirit of the fans are always high. The experience of meeting people around you and having a common goal and love with strangers is wonderful. We left early to avoid traffic, and the final score ended at Seahawks 23, 49ers 3. The Niners continue on at home next week against the Baltimore Ravens.