There was more on the line than pride for a Chargers fan and a 49ers fan on Sunday afternoon. It was a winner-take-all: the rights to their unborn son’s fandom.
A 29-27 victory by the Chargers means that the son of Saul and Lisete Gomez of Compton, California, will be brought into the world in blue and gold.
“We wanted to do something different to announce that we would be having a baby boy,” Saul told ESPN on Sunday night. “So we figured with me being a lifelong 49ers fan and her being a lifelong Chargers fan, that this would be the perfect way to do it.”
So on Sunday morning, Lisete posted a picture on Instagram. She was wearing a Chargers jersey, her husband of seven years a 49ers jersey.
The sign in the photo said, “We have a lot riding on this game. Future fan of ?” The board then teased the impending arrival of their son, who is due March 26.
Married Chargers & 49ers fans announce they’re having a baby, the unborn baby’s fandom rights riding on today’s game. pic.twitter.com/dRyWGeuX51
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) September 30, 2018
The deal was worked out a couple weeks ago, before 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a season-ending injury. And Saul didn’t ask for the points, as the 49ers came into Sunday’s game as 10-point underdogs.
The 49ers jumped out to a 14-0 lead, giving Saul some confidence.
“I was already picking out baby 49ers jerseys in my head,” he said.
But the Chargers knotted the score at 17 at the half and held on to win.
“I’m happy for her,” Saul Gomez said. “She’s kind of a sore loser, so I was worried about winning.”
Said Lisete: “Looks like, ‘happy wife, happy life.'”