Pre-season Bucs v. Jags -- Raymond James Stadium -- Summer '08
Brenna and her family are Tampa Bay Bucs fans and have season tickets. It worked out perfectly that Brenna's mom could not make the Bucs/Jags preseason game and that I was still in Florida for summer break! This was my first live professional football game! We drove to Tampa (about 1.5-2 hour drive) ... everything is so far away in Florida. We stopped at a gas station where i found the most amazing "I love Florida" donkey thing. Wish I had bought it.
We got to the game just a little before kickoff. This was pre-21 when Nalini did not drink, aka tailgate. I took lots of pictures of the outside of the stadium but can't really find many. The below is one of my favorite pictures from the day which did show the outside of the (Brenna was super nice to allow me to come to the Jags game and also to wear my Lil JD jersey!) stadium but got cut off somehow:
The seats were in the upper bowl where we had a great view of the entire field. For a large stadium, the upper bowl did not feel that high up from the field.
I really liked that the stadium was themed-out. The giant pirate ship in the stadium is by far the best Stadium Decor I've seen of all the Stadiums I've been to so far. The fans were friendly. The cannon on the pirate ship was blasted for every point scored -- field goals and touchdowns. Scared me every time even when I was expecting it. I'm not really remembering any of the other main cheers of the Bucs. It's been a while though.
Towards the end of the fourth quarter, Brenna took me down to the section nearest the visitor's tunnel. I could not believe how easily we got into the section and how close we were to the field and players! Brenna captured my excitement (which coincidently also looks like my psycho-i'm-going-to-kill-someone face):
At the time, my love was actually Del Rio. I actually got to profess my love to him and got a picture of the back of him (which I then displayed in my next two offices, lol). In retrospect he's a jerk and not a great coach, goodluck Denver. But he sure did always look good in the Jaguar black leather jacket.
Takeaways: Raymond James Stadium has earned the superlative: best themed stadium.
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Pre-season Jags v. Bucs -- then Municipal Stadium/now EverBank Stadium -- Summer '09
Living in DC for the majority of the year makes it difficult to attend Jags games in Jacksonville. In 2009 I made sure I was able to at least attend a Jaguars pre-season home game. I went to the game with Mo and Kaitlin.
The stadium is very generic, plain and seems on the smaller side. This doesn't surprise me since Jacksonville isn't exactly NFL's hottest team. I'm going to go with the stadium like the team is a work in progress. They're both fairly young and have a long way to go before they'll be considered amazing in any respect. While the stadium itself lacks in originality and theme, there were pretty views from the stadium of downtown Jacksonville. Palm trees <3. The bridge leading into Jacksonville is also very pretty. The stadium can be seen from the bridge. I failed on taking good pictures. Assumed I would be going back for many more games but have failed since I have not been in Florida when there is a home game scheduled since this game in 2009. I've always wanted to do a Jags v. Colts game in December but it was always during finals before I got home or now since working I'm only home for a week at most during the holidays.
Kaitlin and me in our seats. Great view.
Highlight of game experience was the mascot. He was awesome and I love his name: Jaxson De Ville. I swear he was pointing and waving at me!
I purchased ridiculous things in this store, including the claw, which is now a tiny bit disfigured thanks to Lucy, lol.
Naturally, I took lots of creeper shots of Del Rio:
Finished the game off by standing around the tunnel. Took pictures of a couple of my favorite players (at the time. currently a little upsetface at Lil JD) which you'll notice is going to be a tradition.
The next best thing to Jaxson was this crazy Jaguar statue. There were a couple of them by the different entrance gates.
Takeaways: The stadium is generic at best but still a happy place for me. To date, they have the best mascot (might be a bit bias) or at least mascot name (Raven's mascot coming in a close second with their raven named Poe). The Jaguars statues surrounding the stadium is also a notable nice touch.
My most clear memory and feeling of this game was being surrounded by so many other people who were cheering and 'oh shit-ing' at the same time and for the same reasons as me. In DC I'm always a weirdo in my Jags shirt/jersey but for those couple hours everyone understood me and my football team preference. =)
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Pre-season Eagles v Jags -- Lincoln Financial Field -- Summer '10
Summer 2010 I decided that pre-season game every year seemed like something I should just start doing. I realized that I was going to be in the DC area for the next few summers and that there were way too many stadiums nearby not to take advantage. After looking up Jacksonville's schedule I saw that they would be playing in Philadelphia. I was originally supposed to go to this game with an Eagles fan but he cancelled last minute. Just another reason to dislike Eagles fans, lol. So I went to this game solo. Rented a zipcar for the night and made the trek to Philadelphia. Hit a lot of traffic but managed to be parked and in the stadium just a few minutes before kickoff.
This was my first night time game. The stadium was lit up and very pretty. The eagles set off fireworks (must have been their first home game of pre-season). Not sure if you can tell but there's some crazy banner/screen that light shines through on the stadium. It looked pretty neat in person. Parking was not an issue -- many parking lots around the stadium. This is really interesting for it being a city stadium. I guess it's kind of on the outskirts of the city though.
View from my seat. I was pretty close to the field! This was the first football stadium in which I had seen people actually do the wave. I thought that was more a baseball thing, but who knows. I didn't really come across any crazy Philly fans but then again I was not wearing any Jags clothing. I was unlucky enough to have heard the entire stadium chant "E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES" one too many times.
Traditional picture of Lil JD
Traditional pic of Mathis
After the game I took my time getting back to the car to avoid traffic. When I finally left the parking lot there were cop cars with sirens leading and following a coach bus. I was convinced the Jags players were on that bus. I followed it for a while for funzies but then the bus got off the highway and I continued on the long ride home.
Takeaways: The stadium was large and pretty at night but nothing super special. The crowd was lively and surprisingly not douchey. This was a very bland stadium visit.
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Redskins v 49ers -- FedEx Field -- Fall '11
I failed at going to a Pre-season game Summer '11, but mainly did not go to a pre-season game because I knew I was going to FedEx field later in the season. Sketchy's birthday gift last year were tickets to the Skins/49ers game at FedEx field. Diana and AJ grabbed tickets off of stub hub close to game day so that they could come along and tailgate. This was my first NFL tailgating experience! I failed at getting pictures of tailgate situation, but it was good! I did get a picture of the stadium when we were driving up. There are lots of parking lots near the stadium which make for easy tailgating.
View from our seats:
We were about 3 rows back from the Niners! Since we were going to be that close to the players, I thought I'd make a sign and try to get on the big screen or at least have some of the players read it! I actually had one player see the sign, laugh and show it to another player! The whole Schwartz/Harbaugh handshake debacle had just occurred so I went with this sign:
Frank Gore (the real one not the guy in the jersey) was dancing to some random song I can't remember now. But it was definitely something ridiculous.
Takeaways: I really like the fact that the Redskins have a fight song and a marching band. I also recently discovered that one may be able to see the Monuments from the upper bowl of the stadium. I think that the multicolor seats also distinguishes FedEx field and still intrigues me.
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I failed at going to a Pre-season game Summer '11, but mainly did not go to a pre-season game because I knew I was going to FedEx field later in the season. Sketchy's birthday gift last year were tickets to the Skins/49ers game at FedEx field. Diana and AJ grabbed tickets off of stub hub close to game day so that they could come along and tailgate. This was my first NFL tailgating experience! I failed at getting pictures of tailgate situation, but it was good! I did get a picture of the stadium when we were driving up. There are lots of parking lots near the stadium which make for easy tailgating.
View from our seats:
We were about 3 rows back from the Niners! Since we were going to be that close to the players, I thought I'd make a sign and try to get on the big screen or at least have some of the players read it! I actually had one player see the sign, laugh and show it to another player! The whole Schwartz/Harbaugh handshake debacle had just occurred so I went with this sign:
I also actually did end up getting on TV and the announcers talked about the whole handshake thing! This is a picture Brenna took of her TV screen. I took so very long to make the sign -- I'm going to frame with the tickets from the game and put in Sketchy's future ManCave.
Additionally, since I was slowly getting off the Del Rio wagon, I found comfort in a new old-man crush -- John and Jim Harbaugh! Excuse the bad picture quality (took all these pics with my phone). I love how he puts his clipboard in his pants.
And how upset and serious he is during the games. Attractive.
Sketchy (looking like Zach Galifianakis)
So some of the cool things about FedEx field and the Redskins are that they have a fight song that they sing every time they score a touchdown and they have a marching band (pictured below)!
Stadium. I really liked that the seats are various team colors -- not just one like most stadiums. I'm still baffled, though, by the pattern of the colors. There are random yellow/gold seats in no discernible pattern.
Visitor's side:
Center
Skins's side
Some Random pictures to follow, starting with my personal fav Niner and my Fantasy VIP (Akers)
Frank Gore (the real one not the guy in the jersey) was dancing to some random song I can't remember now. But it was definitely something ridiculous.
Sketchy (looking like Zach Galifianakis)
So some of the cool things about FedEx field and the Redskins are that they have a fight song that they sing every time they score a touchdown and they have a marching band (pictured below)!
At the end of the game, we went to the tunnel to cheer on the Niners. Got a good picture of VD being super nice and signing someone's something!
Takeaways: I really like the fact that the Redskins have a fight song and a marching band. I also recently discovered that one may be able to see the Monuments from the upper bowl of the stadium. I think that the multicolor seats also distinguishes FedEx field and still intrigues me.
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Giants v Redskins -- New Meadowlands Stadium/MetLife Stadium -- Fall '11
Product of very spurofthemoment planning, this Giants game was rolled into an Atlantic City/Jersey weekend trip. Saturday afternoon/evening Atlantic City, Sunday morning/afternoon Giants game. It was a very sleep-less 48 hours. I'm surprised I took as many pictures as I did. The prior statements should have alerted those who know me that I went to this game with none other than Diana, lol. Her parents have season tickets and if any of you know Diana, she's often in Jersey on weekends throughout football season. Her mom sits out the colder games (and I can understand why!) of the season so they had an extra ticket for me!
This game was memorable for many reasons but one reason is because it was coldass. This was my first "winter" tailgate and when I truly realized that people spend their life going to games in cold weather because it is fall/winter! In Florida, this is not something people really deal with and it's not something I ever really thought about except for the sparing moments when I saw snow falling at a game on TV. I think I'm usually too focused on the actual game to pay too much attention to the snow or what it meant in the grand scheme of life. I wore roughly 18,000 layers. As you can see I looked like a real life oompa loompa.
Pre-season Ravens v Jags -- M&T Bank Stadium -- Summer '12
This year Sketchy and I went to the Ravens v Jags game in Baltimore. We thought we were making great timing from DC to Baltimore on a weekday. We drove by the stadium in order to get to parking.
Takeaways: This was one of the best stadium experiences I've had so far. I like the big screens. I like the purple. I like the eclectic crowd. I like the food. I like Harbaugh. I like the drumline. I'd get a parking pass in the connected parking garage next time.
Product of very spurofthemoment planning, this Giants game was rolled into an Atlantic City/Jersey weekend trip. Saturday afternoon/evening Atlantic City, Sunday morning/afternoon Giants game. It was a very sleep-less 48 hours. I'm surprised I took as many pictures as I did. The prior statements should have alerted those who know me that I went to this game with none other than Diana, lol. Her parents have season tickets and if any of you know Diana, she's often in Jersey on weekends throughout football season. Her mom sits out the colder games (and I can understand why!) of the season so they had an extra ticket for me!
This game was memorable for many reasons but one reason is because it was coldass. This was my first "winter" tailgate and when I truly realized that people spend their life going to games in cold weather because it is fall/winter! In Florida, this is not something people really deal with and it's not something I ever really thought about except for the sparing moments when I saw snow falling at a game on TV. I think I'm usually too focused on the actual game to pay too much attention to the snow or what it meant in the grand scheme of life. I wore roughly 18,000 layers. As you can see I looked like a real life oompa loompa.
The stadium is very metal-beam looking, but in a structurally cool way.
Tailgating with the Bardes and their football friends was realshit. There were flags, chairs, tables and everything else you could imagine covered in Giants logos.
We had a few beers and then this guy pulled up -- fantastic. John Deere cigar cart:
I was then introduced to shot bottle smugglin'. Note to self and others, Baileys warms the soul in cold weather! Here's me and my bottle at seat:
The upper bowl of the Giants's stadium did not seem very far from the field. The stairs are very steep which you can see how the sections are basically stacked one right on top of the other -- doesn't really span out. It was also a bit warmer in the stadium which was nice. Maybe it was just the alcohol, who knows.
Full picture of the inside of the stadium:
I don't remember any distinct Giants cheers on certain plays or anything of the sort. I didn't get any pictures of players or go down to the tunnel. But I did get to see my Eli in person!
Takeaways: People tailgate in the dead of winter and then sit in the frigid cold through games! -- ooc.
* * *
Pre-season Ravens v Jags -- M&T Bank Stadium -- Summer '12
This year Sketchy and I went to the Ravens v Jags game in Baltimore. We thought we were making great timing from DC to Baltimore on a weekday. We drove by the stadium in order to get to parking.
Baltimore's stadium is in the heart of Baltimore which means there's no space for parking! There's one parking lot attached to the stadium. Fans attending games have to park in various parking garages around baltimore -- the closest being about .5 miles away from the Stadium. The below is a picture of the stadium from our parking garage! I was a little frustrated by this at first but then realized it was much closer than it looked. Only took about 10 minutes to walk to the stadium
View from our seats.
Baltimore's mascot is a black raven named Poe. I thought that was pretty clever. I liked that just about everything was purple in the stadium. I really liked the outside of the stadium. Lit up it was very pretty. I've decided that night time games tend to make the stadium and experience a tiny bit better! It's funny how the time of day or the weather can completely affect an experience. Maybe one day I'll watch a game in snow! That'll be pretty epic.
Baltimore had quite a few cheers. They have graphics that come up on the big screens to help the crowd. The Ravens's fan base is such a crazy collection of individuals. The stadium was filled with inner-city Baltimore folks and rural Maryland country folks. It's the craziest thing. When the opposing team is in the red zone, there is this crazy loud "PROTECT THIS HOUSE" cheer that has loud rap music in the background. When the Ravens score a first down, there's a graphic of a giant F150 "moving the chains." Very interesting.
I also had a turkey burger at the stadium. Yes, a TURKEY BURGER! I thought that was pretty crazy to see a stadium serve that. Made me like the stadium even more. There was a lot of food choice and another thing that stood out was how wide/spacious the walkways were in the stadium.
Random Fact: M&T Bank Stadium is where The Replacements was filmed.
The Ravens have a drum line that performs during halftime!
Just like always, I went to the Jaguars's tunnel after the game to try to catch someone's something. Never happens. Don't have my traditional photos of Lil JD and Mathis because neither was at the game. =(
Takeaways: This was one of the best stadium experiences I've had so far. I like the big screens. I like the purple. I like the eclectic crowd. I like the food. I like Harbaugh. I like the drumline. I'd get a parking pass in the connected parking garage next time.
I’ve visited/taken picture but not been IN to watch a game.
Heinz Field -- Pittsburgh Steelers
Sun Life Stadium -- Miami Dolphins
Lucas Oil Stadium -- Indianapolis Colts
Soldier Field -- Chicago Bears
Ford Field -- Detroit Lions
Ford Field -- Detroit Lions
will hopefully add soon: Georgia Dome, Lambeau, Gillette Stadium and/or Candlestick
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