Skins vs. Cardinals
On Saturday we had our La Gloria Cubana BBQ with Ernesto. So that means that Gary was hanging around all day to “entertain.” We were looking for items to give away for a raffle and Gary mentions he has tickets to the Skins game on Sunday. But he is not sure if he wants to throw them in with the other raffle items. We should a good number of tickets, but not really enough to justify giving away a $2,500 humidor AND club level seats to a skins game. So I of course offer to take the tickets off his hands. Surprisingly he says yes, “I would rather give them to someone I know will enjoy them than raffle them off.”
So I immediately call Nancy and let her know there was a change of plans for Sunday, what ever we were doing we are not any more. We are going to a Skins game, club level, and FREE! I was very excited about this. Any time I get to see my team play its a good day, even when they loose, its still good to be at a game watching them play. This would also be my first time on the club level. My seats have generally been in the upper ring way far away. This time around I would get good seats and all the amenities of the club level. Shorter lines for food and drink, nice bathrooms, and the cigar lounge.
We unfortunately got a late start for the day, not leaving my house till just after 10 o’clock. By the time we got up there it was just after noon. So no time to meat up with my brother and Matt or Nancy’s friend Nichole and her group. Hell we barely had enough time to get from the car to our seats for kick off. Since we didn’t have a parking pass we used the off site cash lots and took a Metro bus to the stadium. And efficient system, if it were not for all the traffic. I was pulling my hair out waiting in line. I really wanted to get together with my brother and Matt who just happened to be there. Never had my brother seen a game in person and it had been a while since we talked to each other. We didn’t even have time to meet with Nichol.
Luckily we got to our seats in time for the kick off and a wonderful afternoon of football. The weather was perfect and our seats were in the shade the whole time. When we did need some food it was a quick trip to the concession stands for food and beer. Even the beer guys came around often, unfortunately they only had crappy domestic in bottles. Beggars can’t be choosy when they are bringing beer to you.
During the half time we took a moment to visit the cigar lounge which my company sponsors and say hello to Gary. It was the least we could do to thank him for the tickets. When we walked in I was shocked to see how few people were in the club. I had heard stories of it being standing room only in seasons past. But since Maryland passed a strict non-smoking law the club is now empty. You can still smoke in the club, you can’t serve food or drink in the club. So most patrons are avoiding it and sitting at their seats. When you pay that kind of money for season tickets why would you want to sit in a bar and watch the game on tv? I never got that.
The game was a great one. Lots of good defense and offense. At times the Skins would lead and then the Cardinals would take it form them, with the skins quickly coming back. They hung in there till the very end. By the end of the third quarter it was tied 17 all. Late in the fourth quarter the skins score another touch down to take the lead and held the Cardinals off. Skins win! Skins win! Final score was 24-17.
Now that I was on cloud 9 it was time to leave the stadium and head to my dad’s house for Sunday dinner. If I thought getting in was a headache leaving was much worse. The traffic in and around the stadium was not that bad this time. The real problem was the beltway. From the time we got onto the highway till we crossed the Woodrow Wilson bridge it was bumper to bumper, it took 2:30 hours to get to Springfield.
Even with all the traffic it was a great day that both Nancy and I enjoyed very much. I hope to get more tickets from Gary in the future. The Skins play the Cowboys at home my birthday weekend. It’s a long shot, but I could get free tickets to that game.
