Why dog lovers should cheer for the Super Bowl 54 teams

Here’s why dog lovers and casual fans should cheer for the Niners.

The best reason the San Francisco 49ers should be the pick of dog lovers everywhere out of the Super Bowl 54 teams is simple – how many NFL teams have an emotional support dog on staff? (Not anywhere near enough, that’s what.)

But the Niners do, in a French Bulldog named Zoe, who we profiled earlier in the season.

She can be followed on Instagram at the handle @The49ersFrenchie.

Social media superstar Coconut Rice Bear the Samoyed is a Cali girl from the Bay Area, so of course she supports her hometown Niners.

Thirdly, both Full House and sequel series Fuller House starred the Golden Retrievers Comet (played by the original Air Bud) and Comet’s descendant Cosmo. Those series obviously took place in San Francisco, with characters often shown to be Niners fans.

For a more serious reason to follow the 49ers, we asked Allen Settle, a contributor at Golden Gate Sports, what he thought.

In a nutshell, “The 49ers like to run the football, and they have a great defense.”

One of their key players and names casual fans should keep an eye on includes tight end George Kittle, who led the NFL in yards after the catch this season.

“He totally fits the stereotype of a jock/athlete, and he’s like a polar bear playing with humans. He’s always smiling and bringing energy; he may enjoy playing football more than anyone else in the league.”

At quarterback is Jimmy Garoppolo, who learned from Tom Brady in New England before coming to the Bay Area several years ago. “He almost has a little bit of Hollywood flair to him, and his teammates constantly talk about how he makes people gravitate towards him.”

On defense, cornerback Richard Sherman is a brash, intelligent presence everyone has to acknowledge. A former piece of the Seattle Seahawks‘ Legion of Boom, Sherman’s bounced back from what should have been a career-ending Achilles injury. “His job is all about shadowing the other team’s best pass catcher and shutting them down, and he’s been the best in the world at it for a pretty long time.”

Finally, San Fran has a secret weapon in Kyle Juszczyk at fullback, who basically combines the best qualities of Friday Night Lights’ Matt Saracen and Tim Riggins. “Most football fans don’t know Juszczyk’s name; he’s essentially a battering ram.” A total team guy, “he’s been really humble in every interview. He’s constantly talking about how he wants his teammates to get the glory.”

The 49ers have been to the Super Bowl six times, winning five games, most recently falling to the Baltimore Ravens 34-31 in 2013 in Super Bowl XLVII, remembered best for the blackout that halted the action for about a half hour.

Which of the Super Bowl 54 teams will you be cheering for? If you’re interested in covering canine sports, entertainment and lifestyle as part of the Dog O’Day pack, the application process starts here.