San Francisco is packed to the brim with excited football fans and mixed feelings about hosting the sport's biggest game. At the center of all of this football frenzy is Super Bowl City—a well-funded, free to the public, traffic-blocking shrine to the NFL's version of San Francisco. Visitors to SBC will be surrounded by a cast of characters the likes of which San Francisco has never seen before. Here are eight types of folks you're bound to see knocking around the Embarcadero this week, whether you want to or not:
1. Billionaire football fans who never miss a Super Bowl. They're celebrating in style so high, few of us even knew it existed in SF. From custom creations from chef Michal Mina to hotel experiences designed for football's highest rollers, we'll admit it. We're jealous.
2. Freezing NFL cheerleaders signing autographs, posing for photos and grinning through their goosebumps.
3. Jaded locals rolling their eyes at the spectacle while simultaneously going from exhibit to exhibit collecting free swag. Wells Fargo lip balm? Yes please.
4. Protesters. This is San Francisco and we're always hosting a protest or two. But the eye of the nation has inspired the city's picket signs out en masse. Keep your eyes peeled (ouch) for "Bloodstained Men and their Friends," an anti-circumciscion group scheduled to demonstrate this week.
5. Undercover FBI agents, attempting to blend-in to keep us all safer. Don't forget: see something, say something!
6. Polar-opposite local characters like Willie Brown and Frank Chu hanging out in exactly the same place. If you manage to Instagram those two chatting touchdowns and tailgating, please tag us.
7. FiDi workers fruitlessly attempting to conduct business as usual, lugging laptops and lattes through security lines. Super Bowl City is set up in the center of San Francisco, creating a nightmarish commute (not to mention lunch-break) for the thousands of folks who work there year-round.
8. Celebrities! From locals like Chris Isaak and Joe Montana to international superstars Beyonce and Lil Wayne, entertainers from all over the country will flock to San Francisco and Santa Clara to celebrate. Fingers crossed for a Bey-sighting.