Local Neighborhoods and their Equivalent Athlete

Now let me start by saying that this was one of my favorite articles to collaborate on just because each neighborhood here seems to be inherently unique from one another. This made it fun to try and match athletes with certain characteristics in regards to different areas around the city. Some of these were pretty easy and some a little more difficult. We based these on personality, commonalities and just what seemed obvious. Overall, we feel as if all of our matches are pretty on point:

The Financial District - Andre Iguodala

This was the easiest pick for us as Andre is a guy who is constantly involved in business endeavors off the court. He is always presentable, well prepared and just always seems to have his shit together. The Financial District serves as the main central business district in the city with a concentration of corporate headquarters, banks, law firms, real estate firms, and people in suits.

He is heavily involved in the tech industry and has even co-founded the Players Technology Summit to empower athletes to take action in their off-court careers. The former Finals MVP has most recently invested in multigame esports organization, Swift. Outside of the tech industry, Iguodala holds an important role as a Vice President of the National Basketball Players Association where he's held office almost six years. The guy even has a LinkedIn!

Noe Valley - Buster Posey

Taken for granted? Overlooked? These are just some things that may come to mind when thinking of Buster Posey these days. The former MVP, Comeback Player of the Year and three time World Series champion has established himself as a local legend but is still seemingly forgotten at times. Year in and year out the guy is consistently doing his part to lead the Giants.

Off the field, Posey is a family man married to his high-school girlfriend, Kristen, and is a father to twins, Lee Dempsey Posey and Addison Lynn Posey. Noe Valley is known for young families with children just like the Posey's. The area is also known for it's large population of strollers. This affluent neighborhood has a clean image with nothing too crazy going on. This, of course, cannot be said for all of the neighborhoods in the city. This area is one of the most family-friendly, peaceful and lowkey locations in the city that is often overlooked by visitors as well as long time residents.

The Marina - Hunter Pence

This one made sense because not only does Hunter Pence look and act like he can still be in a frat, but also because I've heard stories of people actually seeing him here at local bars such as The Tipsy Pig. The Giants right fielder has a history of getting his boys pumped up during a pregame speech. He has been the signature hype man for the Giants during their postseason runs as well, helping to keep them motivated whether they were even, up, or down in a series. As we know, the Marina is filled with visitors who may have held a position of power in their fraternities or sororities in the past...or may have just thought that they did. Hunter Pence is no stranger to hazing. He has participated in hazing Giants rookies in the past, including an instance back in 2015 where rookies were dressed up in skirts during a team flight. Pence posted a picture showing the aftermath of the pledging:

Overall, we believe Hunter Pence matches well with the Marina due to his energetic, vocal, and out there persona. IF he actually was in a frat in the past...I'm sure he was one of the cooler guys there.

The Sunset - Joe Staley

Massive, reliable, blue collar, not much as changed...these characteristics seem to be associated with both The Sunset District and 49ers Offensive Tackle, Joe Staley.

The 6-time Pro Bowler has been on the Niners for his entire career being drafted by the team in 2007. The guy has been with the team during all sorts of changes, ups and downs, winning and losing seasons but has remained a vital part to the Niners year in and year out and now entering his 12th training camp. From the Recession to the Tech Boom, Staley has stayed put. From a 2 win season to a run to the Superbowl, Staley has always been there to play his part similar to how to the Sunset district has always been there playing it's role throughout San Francisco history. Loyal, knows their role, and once again...massive:

Downtown - Steph Curry

The center of attention, the most popular attraction for tourists AND residents, where he shoots from anyways again, again and again. These are just some of the commonalities that we found between the most popular athlete here and his associated neighborhood. Downtown in almost every city is automatically going to be one of the most popular destinations for people. This is definitely the center of the city with the most action occurring ranging from regular BART commuters to tourists on vacation exploring Union Square.

Downtown is the original spot to head to with family or friends, especially to places such as EB Games (now Game Stop) or Footlocker. Both of these stores are still there by the way. Curry is also the original Warrior in terms of the current team and the only player left from the 2009-2010 roster.

The Presidio - Klay Thompson

The second longest current tenured Warrior is Steph's fellow Splash Brother, Klay. He's a man of few words and a guy who truly lets his game speak for itself. Even after scoring an NBA record 37 points in a quarter, hitting an NBA Playoff record 11 3's, or winning three NBA Championships, he remains soft-spoken as if nothing too significant had just occurred. The Presidio is an area with near silence other than the wind blowing on trees, the waves of the Pacific Ocean and just people walking through trails there. This National Park is a very simple with some of the most preserved land. Out of all of the places we've listed, The Presidio is definitely the most quiet. It is also a very important area to the city with some of the best views of SF. This national park is all natural like the man's chocolate milk. Not too much else to be said here. Yeah.

Pacific Heights - Jimmy Garoppolo

Jimmy Garoppolo is seemingly the perfect guy to represent basically any team in the NFL. The guy has that million dollar smile and an innocent persona on the surface. This is a great thing for 49ers franchise as their past players haven't always been so innocent. The guy is exactly what the Niners have needed the past few seasons as he led the team to five straight wins after only winning one game prior to his arrival.

Even though Garoppolo is the perfect dude to be the face of the franchise, he has shown his wild side. My guy clearly watches film on and off the field. The man was spotted on a date with porn star Kiara Mia in Beverly Hills late last month. Mia, 41, stated that the 49ers 26 year old quarterback treated her with respect and class. Nothing surprising for people who've been following Garoppolo wait patiently behind Tom Brady for years. The man could have easily been frustrated about that situation and demanded a trade as clearly he should be considered a top quarterback in the NFL. Pacific Heights is easily one of the more affluent neighborhoods around, but also, a place with simply a lot of down individuals.

The Tenderloin - Draymond Green

There's no other neighborhood like it. The one, the only, the Tenderloin. Probably the wildest neighborhood here with easily the most action. There's never a dull moment here and everyday brings something new and crazy. This area got it's name from the entertainment and red-light district in the heart of the New York City borough of Manhattan during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By the 1880s, the Tenderloin encompassed the largest number of nightclubs, dance halls, saloons, bordellos, gambling casinos, and "clip joints" in New York City. The name became a generic name for a red-light district in a city...most notably, The Tenderloin in San Francisco.

The Tenderloin in San Francisco is a gritty neighborhood that has historically resisted gentrification. Green is one of the grittiest players in the NBA who isn't afraid to get down defensively. He's easily one of the best to players live up to his grit and exceed at levels no one really predicted, including his Defensive Player of the Year award in 2017. He also isn't afraid to say what he wants even though it may result in a technical foul or even an ejection. As long as the Warriors keep winning, I don't think anyone has a problem with his expressive attitude.

Robbie Gould - Fillmore

With over 325 makes and 13 game winners, the Niners placekicker wants to do more than just win. In an interview with KNBR, the former Pro-Bowler stated: “I am a competitor at everything I do,” Gould said. “I don’t want to just win. I want to literally embarrass you. That’s just how I think. That’s what makes me the kicker that I am. I am always finding something to motivate me." The man is in his entering his 14th season in the league and is the 5th more accurate kicker of all-time. “I think Robbie’s playing as good as anyone I’ve had,” head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters postgame after his game winner against the Tennessee Titans. Gould even has his own track by Famous Dex named...Robbie Gould:

Robbie Gould...straight hustler.

Shaun Livingston - The Excelsior

One of the neighborhoods that has seemingly been untouched through time. The Excelsior can be seen as overlooked, old school, and reliable. This area hasn't changed their game to fit the trends around it similar to how Shaun Livingston has stuck to his game even though the NBA has changed since he was drafted in 2004 as the 4th overall pick. The man has had to come back from a leg injury that almost caused him to lose his leg and has still been able to stick to what makes him so vital when he's on the floor.

Both Livingston and the Excelsior district are considered low maintenance due to their low-key nature. He has been a integral part of the Warriors success as a 6'9 point guard whom creates match up problems offensively and is flexible defensively.

Marshawn Lynch - Oakland

No explanation needed.

We hope everyone enjoyed this read. Stay posted for more.

- Tesh & Slim