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Long before the Skins season began, Nancy and I got tickets to two games.  Nancy picked the Bronco’s game which turned out fantastic.  We arrived with plenty of time to tailgate and the weather was perfect all afternoon.  It was a rather warm winter day.  I wanted to see a division game and the obvious choice, Cowboys was taken so I picked the Giants.  Without looking at the date it turned out to be a Monday Night game.  I was so looking forward to it, even being a night game on a work night.

I couldn’t wait to leave work early and cook some good food in the freezing cold.  The weather had other plans by game night for the entire Washington area.  Mother nature on Saturday blanketed the area in an average 20+ inches of snow.  Approximately 25 million pounds of snowed had to removed from the stadium alone.  The entire region was trapped in a day long blizzard that was just crazy.  For nearly 24 hours, it snowed constantly and was great.

Come game day the parking lots where nearly cleared, but not completely.  In fact two whole lots where never plowed and those ticket holds were funneled into other lots.  This caused a huge backup of traffic.  Matt and I got off the beltway around 7pm.  This was nearly 1:30 hours before kick off and a time I thought was sufficient to make it into the stadium.  Parking proved to be a nightmare taking nearly 2 hours before we parked the truck.  When we arrived at our seats it was almost the end of the 2nd quarter and we where loosing badly.  Listening on the radio didn’t prepare for what we saw.

I took the half time to use the restroom and grab another beer.  By the time I got back to my seat the 3rd quarter had already begun.  In short work the Giants scored another touchdown.  At one point Campbell was well into his own end zone and decides to throw an interception that was promptly returned for 6 points.  Did I mention this was the first down of the possession.  I turned to Matt just to make sure I saw what I did.  Things never got any better, even though we scored 12 points in the quarter, we were to far behind.

this game was horrible

What the little hope I had left for a victory faded quickly in the 4th quarter with another Giants touchdown.  Matt and I left.  All night the stadium was pretty empty.  With each score by the Giants, more and more people walked out on the team.  It was just not worth it watching the abysmal game any longer.  Not when the lots would be a mess, taking hours to get back to the highway.  By the time we left it was mostly New York fans left, a lot in fact.

Fortunately in short order we arrived back to my truck and took a back exit out of the parking lot.  This saved us a ton of time when you consider how far back in the lot we actually where.  The road back to the highway was long but free of traffic.  Once on the beltway there was an accident that slowed our progress even further.  I was so upset at the game, I just wanted to get home and sleep.

Late in the evening I finally did make it home.  Miserable, I went straight to bed.  I couldn’t believe I spent all that money and time going to the game.  It was not the weather or the cold that pissed me off so much, I was able to deal with mother nature.  It was the lack of parking guidance and delays getting into the stadium that flipped me over the edge.  Being such a blow out didn’t help the situation any.

I am not sure if I will be buying tickets for next years games after this experience.  I have seen several games of many years and never have they been as bad as this.  If I get tickets for next season it wont be early.  I would rather just buy tickets from a scalper closer to game day so I can make sure things turn out.  It is just not worth it when I can watch it from the comfort of my couch.  Lets hope during the off season the team can get their act together and perform better next year.

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My birthday weekend was great.  It started with dinner Saturday night with my Dad, Pat, Nancy and Jeremy at Coastal Flats.  I love this place.  It is a part of Great American chain of restaurants and the location at the Fairfax Government Center is perfect.  After dinner you can get some desserts, grab a cup of coffee or see a movie at the theatre.  There is just so much to do there, plus they have an REI!

On Sunday Nancy and I had tickets Skins vs. Broncos game up at FedEx Field.  I was looking forward to getting up there early and doing some tailgating.  I managed to score a green parking pass at a good price on eBay and spent all Saturday afternoon preparing food for the festivities.  Nancy and I got a late start to the field, but made it to the stadium in about an hour.  The green lot we parked in was pretty empty when wee arrived so we took a spot close to the exit.  The weather Sunday afternoon was going to be perfect as well.  The sun was shinning, the skies where blue and the temp didn’t get much above 70.  For a mid-November afternoon you couldn’t beat it.

scoring drive

Minutes after arriving I fired up the grill to get cooking.  We spread out some chairs and cracked open our first beer.  I packed the cooler with four 6-packs and I was not looking forward to lugging that crap back home with me.  We spend the next several hours enjoying the weather and eating a ton of food.  Fortunately we parked near a porto john so trips to the bathroom were painless.  I know it sounds weird, but I love talking to people in line waiting for the bathroom.  Usually at events like this people are drunk and very friendly.  On one of my excursions to the restroom I meet these two ladies from Maryland.  One just moved to the area and the other was a lifer like myself.  Add alcohol and people just start spilling their guts to complete strangers.

We started to loose track of time as the afternoon went on.  We got so engrossed with food, drinking beer and talking we almost forgot about the game.  My sister Tracy and her husband Bobby were at the game and we were suppose to meet them for a little tailgating in the Platinum lot before the game, but that didn’t happen.  He called back saying he and Tracy were going in but he had club level seats if we wanted them, hell yeah hook it up.  We had lower level already, but I would much rather be on the club level.  After Nancy and I quickly cleaned up we headed off to the box office to get our tickets.

packed lounge

After fighting long lines getting into the stadium, by the time we reached our seats it was just in time to watch the Broncos score their first touchdown.  I hadn’t even sat down yet and things were not looking good, a mere 3 minutes into the game and we already were behind.  As the first quarter went on things didn’t look so good, Denver score another touchdown and all we managed to come back with was a single touchdown.  But it was a touchdown and not a field goal at least.  By the end of the first half we closed the gap to only three points.  Things were actually looking good, however we were coming close to our average per game score of 17 and that wouldn’t be enough to win this one.

During halftime we took the time to walk around, hit the head, and for me grab another beer.  We also stopped by the cigar lounge to see who was working, but talked with some random drunk people that were pretty cool.  After the short break it was back to the seats for another half of smash mouth football.

The second half was definitely better than the first.  We managed to score another 13 points in the fourth quarter while the Bronco couldn’t put any more points on the board.  Final score was 27 to 17.  With about 2:30 minutes left in the game Denver tried to make another drive but failed near the goal and suddenly it was our position.  With that Nancy and I headed back to the truck for a little more tailgating.  I had plenty of food and even though we were near an exit, we were in no hurry to head home.  The lot around us emptied rather quickly, but I fired up the grill once again and put on some burgers that were oh so delicious.  Top that off with a victory beer and I was feeling good.

good times

After the game Bobby and Tracy came over to hanged out for a while which was really cool.  We couldn’t believe we won the game, and by such a large margin at that.  As the sun set was snapped a last photo, said goodbye and headed our separate ways.  It took Nancy and I several hours to get home because of traffic across the bridge, but that didn’t matter.  We had good tunes on the radio and the Skins won so we were in high spirits.

I have a set of tickets for the Skins game against the Giants on Monday just before Christmas.  I am sorta looking forward to it.  I think it will be  hard game that we will probably loose, but it should still be a lot of fun.  I can’t wait to tailgate again and freeze my ass off during a crisp winter night.  Lets hope the Skins can give me an early Christmas presents and deliver a victory against one of our division rivals on December 21st.

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So it was my birthday the other day and my kick ass girlfriend got me tickets for the Skins vs. Cowboys at FedEx Field.  I was floored when I saw the tickets, this is the game of all games.  What made the tickets that much better was the parking pass she got me too!  The first game I saw this season was Skins vs. Cardinals, I had tickets and no parking pass.  This turned into a cluster fuck before and after the game.  The cash lot is $40 and it takes forever to ride the bus to the stadium.  You have to fight the same traffic as everyone else getting into the stadium.  Getting out is more of the same.  As for walking, bring your hiking boots you will need them.  So when I got tickets to the Skins vs. Steelers for a Monday night game with no parking pass…….I skipped the game.

So having that parking pass and the ability to tailgate I was ecstatic.  I have wanted to tailgate all season long and I always find it to be one of the most enjoyable parts of going to see the Skins play.  If I just wanted to watch the game I can do that from the comfort of my home.  Where there are no lines to the bathroom, beers are endless, and nobody wants to pick a fight.  I took Jeremy with me to the game and we left my house at about 3:30 to get to the stadium.  Surprisingly enough there was no traffic getting to Landover.  Not crossing the bridge or near the stadium.

Jeremy and I tailgating

When we arrived at about 4:30 the lots were still pretty empty.  I guess the 40 degree weather and constant 15mpg wind was enough to keep most people away, at least for tailgating.  So with the ability to pick just about any space we wanted we parked near the front of the orange lot that was closest to the exit.  Here we setup camp.  Well I put the tailgate down and turned on my Colman stove.  We had some pre-game food and tried to stay warm.  My body was pretty warm, it was my hands that were freezing.  Having no gloves will do that.

So after a few hours in the parking lots both Jeremy and I gave up.  It was too cold to be outside any longer and since we had club level tickets it was worth it to go inside.  We headed in and decided to take up residency at Club Macanudo.  It is an indoor smoke lounge with giant leather chairs and tvs all over the place.  What a better place to chill while we waited for the start of the game.  Here I ran into Frank from General Cigars and also Gary, my boss.  If you want to meet some cool, and sometimes powerful people, the cigar lounge at FedEx Field is a good place to start.

By the time we finished smoking it was almost time for kick off at 8:15.  So we headed to our seats to watch the spectacle that is the National Football League.  The game started off rather well for us.  The Skins were able to hold the Cowboys off and score a few points themselves.  The problem was the Skins could not put enough points on the board.  At one point the kicker missed a 37 yard field goal by being 5 yards short.  It was heart breaking.  The skins would march down the field and couldn’t score any points.  The only bright spot was that the defense was holding the Cowboys at bay.

great seats!

By the end of the first half the Skins were up 10-7.  We were going to start with the ball and the crowd was psyched.  Even with the extreme cold and wind blowing the crowd stuck around.  We won the first meeting down in Dallas and we had the lead going into the second half so things looked good.  Unfortunately things bogged down.  Nobody scored in the third quarter.  The skins started to look worse.  They were getting fewer and fewer yards each time they had the ball and the Cowboys were getting more and more yards per possession.  They changed their play book and it was working.

So when the fourth quarter came and it was still 10-7 things didn’t look to good for the Skins.  As the last quarter went on things started to look worse.  The Skins just couldn’t get any where and the line couldn’t hold back the Cowboys.  So our only hope of winning was to hold onto the lead we built early in the game.  Unfortunately this didn’t happen and with only a few minutes left on the clock the Cowboys scored the touch down they needed to take the lead.

The Skins tried hard to get that lead back but stick a fork in the Skins, they are done.  With just under two minutes left on the clock and the Cowboys getting the first down they needed to successfully kill the clock to zero Jeremy and I walked out.  The stadium was dead, the life completely sucked out of of everyone.  I couldn’t believe we lost, and to the Cowboys of all teams.  Jeremy and I hung our heads and walked back to my truck.

I guess the only good part about the game was getting out of the stadium.  Usually traffic is so bad it is not worth it to leave when you get to your car.  It is better to fire up the grill and have some more food and another beer.  This time getting home was like arriving, took just an hour.  I was home and in my bed by 12:30.  I could start to forget about that crappy game.

The tickets from Nancy was a great surprise and the best gift I got from any body.  To bad the Skins had to loose.  Thanks again Nancy for this wonderful gift.

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.