STAR, ID — The NFL season is back! Fans everywhere are scrambling to find a spot on the couch or at a bar to watch their favorite teams play. However many followers of the San Francisco 49ers that live in Treasure Valley already knew where to go.
Curt Starz moved up to the Treasure Valley back in 2021. He was surprised but excited by how many Niner fans lived up here. So he looked everywhere but could not find a bar that was designated for the Bay Area team. He reached out to Beer Guys Saloon in Star to see if they would be interested in hosting a 49ers viewing party.
“I put it out on Facebook, and the first game we had maybe 10 people here. But, by the end of the season we had maybe a hundred plus,” said Starz.
Starz explained that for the NFC Championship, there was only standing room as it was too cold to be outside.
Tim Ryan Jr. is a lead bartender at Beer Guys and also a member of the fan club. Ryan said, “It's Levi North man. We’re up here representing. Everybody shows out, family style, a whole lot of hugging strangers, cheering, getting loud, getting rowdy, and having fun.”
That is the kind of community that so many here are looking for.
Ryan said that he found the bar by accident last year when he couldn’t get the game on any local channels. “I was going crazy trying to find it. So I popped down here and walked into this sea of red, and kind of realized I was right at home,” said Ryan.
To Ryan, this is just another way to connect with his team and other 49ers fans. But for Ryan, the team truly is like family and for one special reason. His father, Tim Ryan Sr., is a color analyst for the 49ers, frequently teaming up with legendary commentator Greg Papa since 2019.
Ryan says that having these family ties just gets him even more invested in the team.
Talking with many fans, this fan chapter is their way of bringing their favorite part of California, over 650 miles away, up here to the Treasure Valley and more importantly forging that bond of friendship needed when you're in a new place.
Starz said that anyone is welcome to the fan chapter and that you can find them on Facebook and Instagram. He would love to see the chapter continue to grow full of the red and gold faithful.
