12th man advantage missing at 49ers Levi's Stadium debut; many fans watching from enclosed bars
Ann Killion, San Francisco Chronicle:
The stadium is still a relative unknown. How will it play? How will it sound? What will the experience be like?
Fans seem to care most about the sound because they feel the archrival Seattle Seahawks have an unfair advantage at CenturyLink Field. The press box is sealed shut, so I took a trip into the stands, while the Bears were on offense in the first half. It was loud, but I carried on a conversation with a fan while the Bears were facing a third down. You can't do that at CenturyLink, not even shouting into a companion's ears. In fact, Levi's didn't seem any louder than the Stick.
One side of the stadium is a glassed-in wall of suites and clubs that won't be producing any sounds. The open-air ends let the sound escape and create a strange wind tunnel. Another problem for acoustics: The best seats between the 40-yard lines were often vacant, even during key moments in the game. The patrons are clearly choosing to go below to the clubs to eat, drink and watch screens.
http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/article/49ers-opening-party-goes-smoothly-but-ends-all-5755643.php
The stadium has a green roof, many bars, fancy food, and wi-fi, but the most important aspect -- crowd roar that could actually help the home team win -- was given the backseat in favor of coddling to the wealthiest fans. Then they priced-out many of the Candlestick faithful with exorbitant seat licensing costs and asked the remaining to schlep all the way to Santa Clara.
Smart stadium my ass.
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They might as well have just put an empty Kaepernick jersey on the bench. 
arrests, that is.
http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_26538697/santa-clara-police-arrest-31-at-inaugural-regular
Most if not all of the arrests involved public drunkenness, including at least one battery allegation that likely stemmed from drinking too much, Lt. Kurt Clarke said.
The arrest total is generally in line with what typically occurred when the team played at Candlestick Park. At the last regular-season game there, on Dec. 23, San Francisco police made 30 arrests, also mostly involving drunkenness.
But Clarke warned against direct comparisons given the once-in-a-generation draw of a venue's first-ever regular-season game.
Had I been there, it would have been 32.
Maybe they can convert one or two of those club suites into the Left Coast equivalent of the Eagles' old Section 700.
