There were a lot of things wrong with Candlestick Park, but the San Francisco 49ers old home had a lot of rich history that made it magical for fans to visit. That stadium is gone and the 49ers have a newer, shinier, and more technologically advanced home, which sits 37 miles south of the dirt lot that once housed The 'Stick.
For fans, the experience at Levi's Stadium may be more enjoyable – unless, perhaps, you are sitting on the sunny side during an afternoon game – but 49ers tackle Joe Staley misses the energy that came with the team's old home. On Thursday night, Staley joined "The Damon Bruce Show" on 95.7 The Game and shared what he misses most about Candlestick Park.
"We just had a great energy there," Staley said. "I always liked the facilities as far as the locker room and, for the fans, I'm sure the experience is better here (at Levi's Stadium) with all the bells and whistles they got. And I'm not slamming Levi's Stadium at all. It's a great facility and stadium but there was something kind of rustic and old-school about that stadium up there. You were there to see the football game. If you wanted to go to the bathroom, you were going to have to miss the whole quarter.
"The people were up on their feet in the stands and it was a great energy, always. I always loved playing there. The locker room kind of was crappy and a little bit old-school."
Staley played seven seasons at Candlestick Park and is in his fourth season at Levi's Stadium. While his new home may not have the same atmosphere as his last, a lot of that may be due to the performance by the team on the field. The 49ers have won just nine games at Levi's Stadium since moving there in 2014. They have won just 15 total games since leaving Candlestick Park.
Turning the 49ers franchise around may help with the atmosphere problems. Staley, who wants to play his entire career with the 49ers, believes new head coach Kyle Shanahan can do just that.
"He brings a proven track record of his offensive scheme being successful basically everywhere he's gone as far as yards and points and all that stuff," Staley said of Shanahan. "I've been very, very impressed since day one since he got here as far as his ability to lead a team as well. You kind of worry about that jump as a player. Just how is he going to be as a head coach? Different roles, different hats that he has to wear and he's been great from day one. He really commands a team. He does a great job of overseeing everything with also not negating any of his responsibilities on the offensive side of the ball as far as play calling."
The rebuilding 49ers seek their first win of the season on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.
