The Ultimate 49er Faithful Man Cave

How deep does your 49er Faithful pride run? When you get a cut or scrape, are you even slightly surprised when your blood appears red and gold? You may think you are the #1 San Francisco 49ers fan out there, but then again, you haven’t met Brian Wiley…..from Ohio.

Brian has proven his devotion all the way from Ohio with his incredibly impressive, Hall of Fame-worthy 49er Man Cave. Complete with a “stadium entrance”, jerseys and helmets from the all-time 49er greats, and plenty of 49ers memorabilia to give any California fan a run for their money. Brian also runs the Facebook page for Niner Empire Ohio Chapter to keep out-of-state fans engaged from afar.

Possibly the single most impressive aspect of all of this, is that he designed and built this awesome man cave FROM SCRATCH. Brian has shared photos from the very beginning of the project, from the barren basement to the finished and polished product! When you see where he started, it just makes this masterpiece that much more impressive.

Part 1: San Francisco 49er Faithful Hall-of-Fame Man Cave

Part 2: The Build Process

Like any loyal fan, Brian shows that being a part of something great isn’t easy and takes a lot of work. He didn’t just slap on some paint and throw some 49er memorabilia in his den. As you can see from the photos, this basement started as nothing other than a basement. No paint, no carpet, no infrastructure. Make sure to check out photos #2 and #3…look familiar?

Part 3: Interview with the Creator

1. It's obvious you are one of the biggest 49ers fans out there, but what inspired you to build a man cave?

I have been a fan since a young man (1982). I have collected 49ers stuff since, but living in Ohio has been a challenge. As a family we decided to turn it into a place we can hang out in and watch the 49ers games and display my stuff. It’s also a great place for us to watch movies, play video games and just have fun it. With only 3/4 of the basement finished we were able to have the big rec room as our 49ers area, a large storage closet that will be a bathroom soon, and my wife will have an office room. The rest of the basement will be finished soon and it will be used and storage.

2. Which aspect or piece of your man cave do you think is the most awesome?

My favorite piece in the man cave is the Jerry Rice helmet, because I took it to Canton when he entered the Hall of Fame and had it signed in person. I was able to meet him as he signed my helmet and he was very cool and laid back, as well as all of his crew. It so cool to meet your favorite player you that up watching and idolizing.

3. What do you typically do in your man cave? Do you go there to watch the games, host parties, or pray to the football gods that Frank Gore will never retire?

We do all those things you mention. We watch all the games down there, play video games, and watch movies. It’s also a great place to just go and hang out because it’s the quietest place in the house. Since its mainly underground it stays cool in the summer and it has also served as our rescue center during a couple extended day power outages in the summer.

4. Many guys believe that man caves are too expensive or take too much effort to build. Do you have any tips for other fans looking to build a man cave they can take pride in?

It really is only as expensive as you make it. Best tip I can offer is lay it out and figure out exactly what you want. Get a few estimates and a detailed itemized supply list and that will give you an idea of what it will cost to do what you want. Then check and see if you have family or friends that have carpentry, drywall or electric skills, and see what they will charge to do the work or help. You can actually take the detailed supply list and price the parts yourself then see what it would cost to do it with family and friends to make a decision from there.

I was lucky and had friends that did framing and electric, so I saved some money on labor. The framing, drywall, electric, carpet, paint, and supplies cost me around $3500. So minus all the furnishings and 49ers stuff that is what it cost to do it. But even if you double my labor charges it still probably would have been done for around $5000. So it does pay to have family and friends that can do work like that. It took a little longer because we did it ourselves so keep that in mind if you do it yourself. Factor that into the cost if you hire a company, because it will get done quicker because they will more than likely have multiple people working on it at the same time to get it done. But I don't regret doing it and it was not near as expensive as I expected. Remember, it doesn’t cost anything to get estimates and get a starting point.

5. Who is the greatest San Francisco 49er to ever play the game and why?

My two favorites were Montana and Rice, but I would have to say Montana is the best 49ers player ever. I always remember if we were behind and he had the ball last, we were going to win. He truly was Joe Cool. Not only was he cool under pressure, but people like me feel calm watching those games. It was great to grow up watching the 49ers during all those great seasons.