Vernon Davis steps into Mission to unveil mural

You gotta love San Francisco: We weren’t going to let Britney Spears play a concert during Monday morning rush hour, but we are always totally down to pack the streets and sidewalks to celebrate our local sports heroes.

Such was the scene in the Mission on Monday as 49er Vernon Davis graced the presence of the 23rd and Mission corner to sign a graffiti’d mural that celebrates the tight end as well as teammates Frank Gore and Patrick Willis.

The new piece of building art, titled “Who’s Got It Better?” celebrates the success that the Niners have had during the 2011 regular season, and will hopefully become what community liaison Abe Bitar calls “an important part of our city’s history.”

And how can you not love a pro athlete that takes time out of his pre-playoff time to give fans a little extra to smile about?

The mural—which hangs above the Walgreens at 2690 Mission St—was created by local artists Steve Ha and Tim Hon. The two created the “Who’s Got It Better?” mural as a backdrop for a music video for local artist James Bailey, who wrote a 49er-themed song with the same title.

Fun fact: Bailey wrote “Feeling Like a Giant” for World Series fan sensation Ashkon Davaran, best known for his rendition of “Don’t Stop Believing” during the Giants’ 2010 playoff run.

Both Ha and Hon were rumored to have been up until all hours of the night to finish the mural in time for the taping of the video.

Davis made his appearance at the mural site pre-video shoot Monday, which was littered with screaming fans all awaiting the sight of one of their local sports star. He smiled for pictures with fans, and even painted his signature onto his newly-painted self.

A football player that can add art to his resume? Very nice.

Additional sources:

• 49ers’ Vernon Davis to Attend Mural Unveiling (Mission Local)
• D Wizzle’s World