By Daisy Barringer

You guys: The Niners are going to the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl! THE SUPER BOWL! It feels like a dream. Like at any moment someone might snatch the 28-24 win over the Atlanta Falcons away from us. Tell us we’re not the NFC Champions after all. That we aren’t going to New Orleans to face the Baltimore Ravens in the biggest game of the year.

Except… it is real. Everything 49ers’ fans have wanted for the past eighteen years is finally happening. We did it. It might not have been pretty, or even pleasant, but we did it.

That’s the thing about football that consistently baffles me. How is it possible to love something so much that brings me so much misery? The fact is that 30 teams every year are not going to make it to this point. Thirty teams will disappoint themselves and their fans. Thirty teams will get an early vacation in the one job where no one actually wants extra time off. And in two weeks, the Niners will face off against the Ravens and there will only be one winner. Which means, inevitably, there will be a lot of suffering and heartbreak. It’d just better not be us who’s feeling it.

Yesterday was brutal. The Falcons came out and dominated against our defense for the entire first half. At the beginning of the second quarter, the Niners were down 17-0. I was watching in a bar full of Niners’ fans, but of course there was that one guy rooting for Atlanta. There always is, I suppose. Every time Matt Ryan connected with Julio Jones (5 catches for 100 yards in the first quarter), this guy would scream, "Too easy! It’s just too easy!"

So, you know me, of course I went over and had a little chat with him. “You need to keep your voice down,” I said at which point he yelled “Too easy!” and then I might have said “Like your daughter” or something along those lines (exactly those lines).

But then… we finally came together. Atlanta was so worried about keeping Kaepernick from getting rushing yards that they somehow forgot about Frank Gore and LaMichael James. And our defense, who looked pretty terrible in the first half, made the right adjustments and didn’t let Atlanta score in the final two quarters.

Oh. And, um, Vernon Davis. I guess he and Kap finally found time for a romantic candlelit dinner because their chemistry was undeniable. Thank god since Crabtree didn’t exactly have a stellar day. Fumble on the goal line? Come on. Of course, I blame the woman who accused him (falsely, it now appears) of sexual assault, effectively causing a huge distraction, even if the team claimed that wasn’t the case.

Even though Crabtree struggled, my only real issue with the team right now is David Akers. Yes, he looked pathetic and heartbroken on the bench after he missed a 38-yard field goal attempt, and yes I had a brief moment where I actually felt bad for him, but then in the final seconds of the game, I realized that missed field goal could have sent us into overtime if Atlanta had managed to score. That missed field goal could have cost us a shot at the Super Bowl. I’ve said this a million times, but Akers could truly lose this for us. I don’t know what to do about it, but it’s pretty terrifying that the guy can’t do one of two things he’s asked to do for the team. I mean, even Andy Lee didn’t seem to want to be anywhere near him and that’s got to be his only friend left right now.

But anyway, let’s not focus on the negative. THE NINERS ARE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL. And if Akers is going to miss field goals, then we’ll just need to score touchdowns. Luckily, with Kaepernick and our offense, we can actually do that.

The Niners have a lot of work to do during the next two weeks. As fans, we just get to enjoy the ride. I expect to see more red and gold in the streets than ever before… in fact, I already noticed it leading up to this game. A part of me always thought I’d find the bandwagon fans annoying—after all, they didn’t suffer through the drought like some of us—but shockingly, I’m actually okay with them. It’s sort of nice to share a sense of happiness and community. Plus, I’m clearly a bigger fan, so get to enjoy it even more than they ever could. (I even had an anonymous person send over a shirt yesterday because she was so impressed with my fandom. Which is sort of embarrassing, but I guess that’s what you get for weeping openly and uncontrollably in a crowded bar.)

The Super Bowl, you guys. The Super Bowl. Congratulations to all of the 49ers and all of their fans. And thanks to NaVorro Bowman for breaking up that final fourth down pass. That saved me from a complete and total meltdown and I’ll never forget it.

THE SUPER BOWL. I’m so happy that I think I need a nap. The Super Bowl.