San Francisco families are divided: 49ers or Taylor Swift?
Bickering between parents and children is as old as time, but a new rift has emerged between some San Francisco families — and it's a big one.
Longtime, die-hard 49ers fans expect their children to root for the team in the Super Bowl next Sunday. But some kids are convinced that geography and tradition matter a lot less than Taylor Swift.
And as you may have heard, she's dating Travis Kelce, which is a tough call for the Kansas City Chiefs.
The resulting family feuds are fierce and funny.
I was interviewing Soledad McCarthy by phone when her 9-year-old daughter, Avyana, asked to speak to me directly.
“I don't want my parents to hear this because it might make them angry,” she whispered. “But the team I'm rooting for is the one with Taylor Swift's boyfriend.”
“The chefs?” I asked her. Yes, she said.
As her mother chuckled in the background, Avyana explained the rules her parents had set leading up to Sunday: She can't watch the concert film “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” until after the Super Bowl. Also no Swift songs on the car radio until after the game.
McCarthy said she even had cutouts of legendary 49ers quarterback Joe Montana pasted over Swift's face on her daughter's bedroom posters.
Many other San Francisco moms face the same problem, she said: How can they get their girls on the 49ers bandwagon when their beloved Taylor Swift has come to symbolize the other team?
“I'm a third-generation San Franciscan,” McCarthy explained. “My husband is fourth. My father-in-law had a season ticket for 30 years. We're definitely 49ers all the way.
“We don't want to hear Taylor Swift,” she continued. “We don't want the bad luck.”
Another San Francisco mom, Ursula Tumath, said she supported her daughters' intense love for Taylor Swift and even threw a Swift-themed party for her eldest daughter's 10th birthday. The partygoers sang her songs and made friendship bracelets.
But when her daughters said they were going to Kansas City on Sunday, Tumath and her husband enforced a rule in the house where they weren't allowed to sing Swift songs — at least for a few days.
“It's more of a joke than anything because we really love Taylor Swift,” she said. “But if you don't support the 49ers, what kind of San Franciscan are you?”
Jennifer Carr agrees. She and her husband are big fans of San Francisco sports teams and even name their 8-year-old daughter after Madison Bumgarner, the pitcher who led the Giants to three World Series championships. (Her name is Madison, not Bumgarner.)
When a Swift song came on the car radio recently, Carr said, she told Madison that because they were 49ers fans, they couldn't listen to her music right now. Her daughter replied: “Well, I love Taylor Swift! I'm rooting for her!”
“We said, 'Taylor Swift doesn't exist in our house until the Super Bowl,'” Carr recalled with a laugh. “But it was a struggle!”
Carr says many middle-aged parents in San Francisco remember the glory days of the 49ers in the 1980s and want to relive that excitement with their children.
Her husband is especially invested in San Francisco winning now, after losing to Kansas City in the 2020 Super Bowl. (For the record, no fathers agreed to be interviewed for this newsletter.)
Avyana McCarthy, 9-year-old Swiftie, said she wasn't deterred by the no-Swift rule in her home. She said she came up with a solution: “I secretly sing her songs in the shower.”
Heather Knight is bureau chief of The New York Times in San Francisco.
Tell us
LA's new Sixth Street Bridge. The Sundial Bridge in Redding. The exceptionally long San Mateo-Hayward Bridge.
Which bridge in California is your favorite, and why?
Tell us at CAtoday@nytimes.com. Please include your name and the city in which you live.
And before you go: good news
Driving may be the main form of transportation in Los Angeles, but the city has many quaint neighborhoods and beautiful views for those willing to walk.
Just in case the joys of a walk aren't stimulating enough on their own, writers from The Los Angeles Times recently shared their recommendations for the the best places in LA to take a 'treat walk' an excursion that combines landscapes and snacks. The list, which covers neighborhoods from the east side to the west, combines scenic walks in different parts of the city with the best nearby coffee shops, bakeries and cafes.
For example, they recommend a coffee drink at Bloom & Plume, followed by a walk around Echo Park Lake, or a tour of Venice's canals with a hot drink from the surf-themed coffee shop Mañana Coffee.
Whether you're staying local or heading to a new part of town, the list includes suggestions designed to delight your senses.
Thank you for reading. We'll be back tomorrow.
PS Here it is today's mini crossword.
Soumya Karlamangla, Maia Coleman and Briana Scalia contributed to California Today. You can reach the team via CAtoday@nytimes.com.
Sign up here to receive this newsletter in your inbox.