An old rivalry has been rekindled Sunday as the San Francisco 49ers celebrate a defeat of the Dallas Cowboys in the first game of the playoffs.
Ausiello's 5th Street Bar and Grill in Santa Rosa was already packed 40 minutes before kick-off.
Owner Armand Ausiello has been in the business for more than 40 years. He told KCBS Radio half the restaurant was reserved in advance, but inevitably, large groups attempted to show up once the game was underway.
"If I still have a table for four people when the hometown team’s in the playoffs, I need to quit what I’m doing and open up an ice cream shop because obviously I'm not doing something right," he joked.
Two bar patrons who came to watch the game said, despite the slow start, it's a thrill to see the 49ers having success.
"I think the last four weeks or so it's been a steady upward climb compared to the beginning of the season and you can't win it if you don't make it in there," one said.
Ausiello said many young fans didn't experience the hype of the Cowboys versus 49ers rivalry in the 80s and 90s. "This young generation thinks the Seahawks are our big rival."
On Jan. 15, 1995, the 49ers defeated the Cowboys, securing their position in Super Bowl XXIX where they beat the Chargers by a score of 49–26, becoming the first team to win five Super Bowl championships. The NFL team has not won a Super Bowl since.
One fan donning Cowboys gear declined to be interviewed by KCBS Radio.
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