San Diego Chargers (8/32)

December 5, 2010

Matchup: San Diego Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Setting:

• Endzone seats
• Tickets generously given to us from my cousin in Cali

Game Highlights: 

• Complete blowout by San Diego!
• Philip Rivers and Brody Croyle 

Trip Highlights

• Second trip to Sam Diego
• Visited the San Diego Zoo to see the Pandas again
• Stayed in a cute, boutique hotel
• Had a mishap with the shuttle so ended up taking a cab to the game and back
• San Diego has an amazing text message program to order cabs

Award: Biggest Blowout

San Francisco 49ers (7/32)

October 10, 2010

Matchup: San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles (w)

Setting: 

• Sunday Night Game
• Field-level , 3 rows back, 45 yard line
• Candlestick park
• Mini-moon trip (in lieu of a honeymoon)

Game highlights: 

• Angry fans demanding Alex Smith be benched
• Our seats were so close, the players could hear us and reacted to the fan commentary
• Vick was hurt so Cobb played
• San Fran ended up losing

Trip Memories: 

• We took a fan bus to get to the game and it was filled with rowdy drink eagle fans
• Blue angels were in town - very loud and close overhead all weekend
• Steve and I rented a four-person bike 
• Visited Giardelli store/factory
• Went to Alcatraz

Award: Most brutal fans 

New England Patriots (6/32)

September 26, 2010

Matchup: New England Patriots (w) - Buffalo Bills

Game Highlights:

• On the field before the game while the players warmed up
• Sideline seats lower level 
• Wedding gift from Young, Dan and Feds
• Day after our wedding!
• Congrats message to us on the billboard/scoreboard!
• We were seen on TV celebrating when Randy Moss scored a TD
• Danny Woodhead had 2 TD's

Award: Best Integration into a Game
(scoreboard msg, sidelines visit, on TV)

Sah's Top 9 Reasons to Support the Saints!
not necessarily in any order

1. Katrina

2. New Orleans had never been to a Superbowl before

3. Peyton's arrogance needed to be put into place

4. If Colts won, they'd be compared to Patriots even more

5. New Orleans is one of my favorite cities and definitely my favorite vacation trip taken with Stevers.

6. Shawn Smith's team

7. I actually have gear to wear to support NOLA

8. Football is one place where when you go with your heart, you will come out on top

9. Peyton & team have enough superbowl rings, spread the love

Kicker MVP

Ok, so that didn't happen... but in my opinion Garrett Hartley (K, 23 years old) totally deserved it. There's not much more a kicker can do without it being a total freak situation to win a Superbowl.

1) Hartley successfully kicked THREE long, hard field goals
2) Hartley was the sole scorer during a struggling first half for the Saints
3) Hartley successfully created the on-side kick which was an emotional game changer at the opening of the second half

I understand Drew had a record-breaking number of completed passes, as well as two TDs and almost 300 yards... so I get it... but for once I'd like to see a kicker win it!

The Saints Go Marching

...All the way to a championship win! Congrats to Dree Brews, Marques Colston and the entire city of New Orleans on a much deserved win. As Coach said in the pre-game, my head said Colts but my heart said Saints. Just goes to show you that in football, heart can win the game.

A Bunch of Men In Bed Together During Superbowl

I'm not referring to any funny (or not so funny) commercials... I'm referring to the half-time show. In case you didn't put the equation together, but it doesn't seem like a coincidence that...

• CBS = CSI = The Who
• and CBS = Superbowl
• Then by the transitory mathematical property, Superbowl = The Who.

Clearly there was some people in bed together on this decision...

.

Is the Pro-Bowl a Disruption?

Colts president Bill Polian had some harsh words for the NFL this week leading up to the Pro Bowl. The 7 Colts who were voted into the ProBowl of course will not be playing (like duh) but apparently they still have to make an appearance in order to earn the extra money associated with being selected for the ProBowl...


So the disruption comes because they have to fly to Miami (yes, we can call it Miami instead of "South Florida" guys), and fly back to Indy... and engage in all the antics surrounding the ProBowl activities.

On one hand, it's never good to change up a routine that got you here and it certainly seems like a waste/whole lotta hoop jumping. On the other, during regular season the players are used to flying to away games on the weekend. If the ProBowl activities include massive amounts of drinking and partying - it might not be the best conduct to engage in a week before the Superbowl (though I highly doubt that's the case).

Any thoughts?

Fandom Taken Too Far

Some might argue that having your wedding reception at a football stadium is taking 'fandom" too far... and they might be right. But the reception component of a wedding is a party.... and throwing a party in a fun event space like a stadium doesn't seem so crazy to me. But I'm biased.

HOWEVER, strategically naming your child after the NY Jets is undeniably taking the whole fandom thing too far... not to mention the very idea that the curse of the Jets was due to your birth is a bit narcissistic, don't you think???

Read the article here.

PS. Newsflash, you were not the only person born in 1970.
PPS. Naming your child JETS was futile because the Jets didn't make it to the Superbowl, let alone win it...

Superbowl Ratings Not Optimal for CBS

I believe this year CBS will be the broadcasting station for the Superbowl. This lucky network however could have had bigger ratings if things had turned out differently during the NFC championship game this week.

CBS execs were routing for the Vikings... and not because they like Adrian Peterson. They were routing for Vikings because the head-to-head matchup of "Peyton Manning vs. Brett Favre" was predicted to bring in higher viewership and higher ratings.

Their worst case scenario? Jets vs. Saints.

Hey, you can't win them all.

2010 Superbowl Prediction

I hesitate to write out of superstitions... I don't want to jinx anyone! My gut tells me that the Colts are more likely to win on February 7th. When thinking about Peyton vs. Brees, I would have to go with Peyton.

But to quote my favorite player (Plaxico for you newbies), to win it takes heart:

"Throw Your Heart Over the Wall and Your Body Will Follow"

I believe the Saints are the better posed team to win this from the heart. My trip to New Orleans for the BCS game gave me a new respect for the city ... and an emotional attachment.

Let's go Saints.

To Pen My Favorite Prisoner?

My friends and followers know I love Plaxico and found his prison sentence to be excessive for the crime. I was discussing this with a Fordham Law Student and came across the idea of writing to Plaxico in jail. I don't know how much mail he receives in jail, but imagine if he writes back!

Any thoughts??

Rematch-Rematch-Rematch

In playoff week 1, it was kinda crazy that Dallas had to play the Eagles in back-to-backs... AND... the Jets had to play Cinncy in back-to-back weeks... AND... Arizona and Greenbay... It was a little odd to say the least.

In two of three situations, the original winner won again... but the exception here was Arizona and let's be honest, Arizona typically is Jekyl and Hyde.

Soon, we shall see another rematch (although this time a few weeks spread apart)... Indy vs. NYJ's in a big championship! Last time the Jets won (since Indy benched Manning most of the time).

Finally!!!! A game where both teams will actually try to win.

Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Someone asked me who I was rooting for this weekend in the NFC championship: Minnesota Vikings or the New Orleans Saints.

I answered New Orleans.

Knowing my deep-seeded dislike for Mr. Favre, the counter-point was offered that if the Vikings won the Superbowl, he might finally retire.

This places me between a rock and a hard place. I would love to see Brett give it up. I'm sick of the dramas he causes. I watch football because it's generally pretty drama-free (well not-really but you don't need to follow the drama to enjoy the game).

But there is no way that I want Brett to go out on a high note. Gosh, they might give him a job as a reporter or something and then I'd be stuck with him FOREVER.

Yes, that might happen anyways... but less likely if he goes out unhappy, whining like he always does when he doesn't get his way.

So in honor of my favorite vacation/city to visit (New Orleans) and my distaste for BF, I say woodat?!

Prince Likes Football????

Who'd thunk it? So much so he was at the Dallas-Vikings game. Oh wait, there's more... not only did Prince end up at a football game (I'm a little jealous)... but he re-wrote "Purple Rain" to "Purple and Gold"...

Wow.

Football on the West Coast

My company sent me to Las Vegas for a trade show event and the hardest jetlag I experienced was related to football.

I am a sleeping master (enough to rival Rip Van Wrinkle) so I had no problem adjusting to the time changes. I eat at bizarre enough times already (if at all) in the day so there was little problemo there...

My biggest challenge was the fact that the "1pm game" (EST) was really at "10am". I honestly don't know how these West-Coast-peeps do it! I'm usually not even awake at 10am on a weekend. HAH.

Bizarro World

Bizarro World is the time and place where the NY Giants look awful in the last few games of the season... and the Jets (without really trying) make it to the AFC Championship...

WTF?

Houston Texans (5/32)

January 3rd 2010

Matchup: Houston Texans (w) vs. New England Patriots

Setting: 

• Endzone seats

Game Highlights: 

• Wes welker tore ACL
• Patriots blew lead in the fourth quarter
• We stayed at tiny hotel near by.
• Ran into a player in the lobby of our hotel
• Matt Schuab and Tom Brady
• Met up with Justin (friend)

Trip Memories: 

• Rented car to visit NASA
• City was empty! 
• Late night trip to downtown to go to aquarium restaurant

Award: Worst Injury We've Witnessed

Texans vs. Patriots!!!

In accordance with our life goal to see all 32 NFL teams play in their home city, Stevers and I took a trip to Houston, Texas! It was New Years weekend and pretty deserted (no cars or people around... very creepy) but we enjoyed the trip regardless. Great time at NASA... but most important a fantastic experience at the Reliant K Stadium.

Unfort for Stevers, the Patriots didn't have such a good day (Wes Welker's knee injury in particular).

Here's some photo highlights: