2013 NFL Season

opiate82_sl said:

I might feel different if I actually lived near the team I root for, maybe.

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Yeah, I guess that might change it! Why would you spend that much for some other team?

Paying for like, one seat per season is fairly doable, usually you own more than one but if a friend/friends are in on the others then it helps. If you can pick some games to sell off and recoup a bit of cash too its helpful. Also, not eating/drinking the stadium's insanely overpriced beer and food goes a long way. You can spend a chunk of money just to drink beer at a game, that's my biggest complaint. My one friend doesn't drink and keeps it under $20 just getting a giant souvenir soda with one refill and staying with only a chicken finger and fries for the game. I see people bring in all kinds of their own food too. Its like nine bucks for a 16 oz. beer can which is like the best deal on alcohol inside that I've found and I hear other stadiums are actually worse. There's plenty of options for tailgating or bar pregaming though and you can get your drink on that way without spending more than you do on an average Saturday night for a party sort of person. I don't really tailgate often. The parking pass alone is a nice chunk of extra money and the post-game traffic jam is just not worth it. I take light rail like ten miles out of the city and drive right out of a parking lot to clear interstates with a very minimal wait. Even with the crush of people getting on the trains post game and waiting through all the stops on the way back its faster than trying to drive out of the city.

It is pretty expensive for what it is, and gets worse if you're footing the bill for wife/kid etc. But the comradarie and excitement gets addictive. At least in Baltimore.....and at least when you win. If you lose or have a bad game it can feel like a very long day and be disheartening for what you spent. I can't imagine how teams like the Browns keep filling that stadium, but maybe you can get tickets for much cheaper as well. Its hard to justify the cost if the team sucks ass.

The Tomlinson debate is silly, yes Taylor was THE original LT, but if you watched football at all or even dabbled in fantasy back in early to mid 2000's, you knew who the other LT was for that time period. I don't know if numbers alone were good enough for him to get into the hall (maybe eventually) without a ring, but he did have an extremely productive 5-7 year period.

Age probably determines who you consider LT to be. I was born in 87, so I never watched Taylor play. I've obviously heard him called LT, but if you're mid to late 20s or younger, chances are you also heard Tomlinson called "LT" early and often.

I can't imagine Tomlinson not making the HoF. Only problem with the LT thing is that Taylor was the most dominant LB of all time. Guy won an MVP which is unheard of for a defensive player. Think it happened only 1 other time in the 60s or 70s. So Taylor was definitely a much better player, but Ladanian Tomlinson is such a mouthful to say I can't blame people for trying to shorten it

the Pats game is going to be good imo. will they win? i think so, if they minimize the turnovers and play well, yes they will.

one interesting tidbit about denver's defensive coordinator...the patriots with Brady as QB have never lost to him in 7 meetings(as a head coach or defensive coordinator), or thrown an interception(17 td's 0 interceptions)- in one game brady completed 93% of his passes(in the playoffs vs the jag's).

Famm_sl said:

Yeah, I guess that might change it! Why would you spend that much for some other team?

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Well I mean, I could go see the Niners when they play in Seattle. I actually used to go every year to the Niners/Hawks game up here with a buddy of mine. But one too many times did I have some drunk assholes trying to pick a fight with me because I was in Niners gear so I stopped going, then decided I wasn't missing much. If I was in San Fran I might feel different.

Chanur_sl said:

I have never been to a live NFL game but I grew up going to Dodger stadium and I have watched a lot of Hockey live. The thrill and excitement of the crowd can not be over stated. It just makes the experience so much fun.

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If the opportunity presents itself, go to Arrowhead when the Chargers are in town. Fantastic.

The gazillion of commercials that they bombard you with whilst watching at home is definitely a minus though

Neki_sl said:

The gazillion of commercials that they bombard you with whilst watching at home is definitely a minus though

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Instead you're sitting there in a cramped seat (and half the season freezing your ass off) messing with your phone while they do a "TV time out". They have things going on during clock stoppages at games, sorta, but there's only so much entertainment to offer with the jumbotrons and the announcer until you've heard it all. Generally the most exciting thing is seeing out of town scores come up, and watching your fantasy numbers.

Neki_sl said:

The gazillion of commercials that they bombard you with whilst watching at home is definitely a minus though

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Agreed, when I'm not watching the Niners I watch Red Zone. During the Niners game I usually switch to Game Mix during the commercial breaks (where they have every game currently being played on one screen). Outside of Niners games I found myself not even watching the Thursday/Sunday/Monday night games because I got so sick of commercials.

I think I am the exception however. I'm betting the NFL ratings have never been better.

People who get into fights at games because someone's a fan of another team should just kill themselves.

Ambiturner_sl said:

People who get into fights at games because someone's a fan of another team should just kill themselves.

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I agree, I've even had a confrontation at a gas station just because I had a 49ers shirt on, dude was all pissed off because "If you live around here, you should root for the local team!". And it's not like I'm instigating this shit, I generally keep my head down and just try to go about my business. I'm actually a pretty reserved person. At the 'Hawks/Niners games I've actually had a lot of fun bantering with fans during the game, but leaving the game is always super sketch. It's gotten worse as both teams have started to get good.

opiate82_sl said:

I agree, I've even had a confrontation at a gas station just because I had a 49ers shirt on, dude was all pissed off because "If you live around here, you should root for the local team!". And it's not like I'm instigating this shit, I generally keep my head down and just try to go about my business.

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"Bitch was just askin' to get raped, did you see what that slut was wearin'?"

Same mind set.

I had a run-in with a dickhead Chiefs fan at the game I went to in October. He was running up and down the parking lot, getting in Texan fans faces and screaming "BOOO! BOOOO!". Seriously, right in their faces. He came jogging by our group, and said 'And I'm not even drunk, yet!', and I said, 'So, you're just naturally that stupid?'. I couldn't have timed it better, the blood drained from his face and he shagged ass.

I've never been an away fan at a football game. Supposedly, the Bengals play both @SF and @OAK in 2015 so I'll likely experience it then. I have a feeling the new 49ers stadium in Santa Clara will be rather pussified due to the affluent area and expected ticket prices. Oakland on the other hand could be a shit show. I have a good friend who is a hardcore Raider fan with season tickets so I'll try to get in with his group.

I've been to plenty of away baseball games though and it's a mixed bag depending on where you sit. Cheap outfield bleachers are the worst. Never sitting there again. Other than that, baseball fans tend to be pretty respectful. Although, I admit I got pretty shitty myself when the Reds were at AT&T this past summer because the Reds won every game like 7-1 with about 10 HRs hit over the 4-game series. I'm pretty sure people were hating me.

When I went to Candlestick for 49ers Cowboys a couple years ago and the home fans were actually really good both inside and out, despite being in such a shitty area. Oakland on the other hand, you couldn't pay me to watch a Cowboy game there

Also, the shittiness of Candlestick can't be overstated.