Stories Wanted: Sick lengths you've gone to watch a Patriots game

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Attended the 2002 Pats game in Oakland, their first game since the Snow Game. To say the fans had a little spark in them is a huge understatement.

Regards,
Chris

 

[Tucker]

Went to the Pats/Jets game in December and risked my house falling out of escrow to attend a game during last year's historical season. I also wasnt really prepared for the noreaster coming from California and all. To this day I regret not bringing boots with me.

 

[Crazy Patriot Guy]

Not outrageous but in 2000 I was going night fishing with a buddy of mine and I had my dad page me with the score updates of one of their preseason games. I guess it's a little sad I couldn't just wait, considering I didn't even know who was doing the scoring.

 

[Wotan_the_Wanderer]

Dec. 7, 2003 - A date that will live in infamy.

The overnight blizzard had dumped something like 14 inches of snow throughout eastern MA. I stayed up until 4 am to watch the weather forecasts as well as the news. Extra crew were called in to clear the snow from the interstate, Rt. 1 and Gillette, all working throughout the night. But the forecasters as well as Patriots.com reassured me that the clean-up process was going well and there shouldn't be a problem for the big game on Sun. My buddy and I exchanged calls and later text messages. It's a big game against the Fish and should the Pats win, they clinch a playoff berth. We're both psyched about the game and we have great seats in the 100 sec between the endzone and half-line.

We meet up in my town at 11 am., run down to the local BBQ place, fill up on food and take off from Newton by noon. The drive in-bound on the Pike and south on I93 a mile and a half from exit 9 is a breeze. It took us only 40 minutes and we noticed so many Pats fans driving down for the game with big pick-ups hauling serious tailgating gear. Some even honk at each other as they pass. It's a big game and Pats fans are obviously psyched.

Just as I begin to think, we got here with time to spare, and just as I begin to psych myself out on how Bruschi and co will shut down Ricky with Antowain running roughshod on the Fish defense, the traffic comes to a halt and no one is moving. An hour passes and we've advanced something like one tenth of a mile. Two long hours pass and we're still on I93. Guys who've been drinking beers can't hold it in any longer so they open their car doors and begin urinating there on the spot, using the door to shield them from further embarrassment. The snow banks on the shoulders of the interstate are nearly four feet high and there are no breaks. Running into the woods for relief isn't an option unless you're toting snow shoes in the trunk.

Gil and Gino announce the kickoff but we've only just entered Route 1. My buddy pulls out a beat up, white 13 inch TV from the back seat.

"I keep it back here for my daughters to watch when we drive down to New York," he says almost apologetically.

The picture sucks. I see three Tom Brady's in black and white with enough snow thrown into the picture for good measure. Snow is really beginning to piss me off at this point. I've got the TV on my lap and my buddy's frantically switching his line of vision from the road and the TV. Gil and Gino are a couple seconds ahead of the TV telecast which makes the situation even more bizarre. I hold onto the coat hanger antenna my buddy has rigged onto the poor excuse for a TV in a attempt to use my body as an antenna booster. It works in cartoons I figured. But it does little good. I try raising one of my arms to see if that helps. Only marginally. Then I move my extended arm in various directions to see if it'll pick up a better signal. Again, this hardly helps.

Fans are walking down the break-down lane on Route 1. Bundled in jumpsuits and other assortment of severe weather gear, they resemble Inuits heading out on a seal hunt. They outpace the single lane of cars and disappear in the distance.

After tossing out a few expletives due to frustration, I ask my buddy if I can get electrocuted from jiggling with the antenna. He's a radar engineer so I figure he knows about these things better than me. No reply. He's clearly pissed off too. Sec. 100 near the endzone. Fish in Foxboro in Dec. Playoffs on the line. But we're still stuck watching the game a half mile from Gillette on a 13 inch black and white, piece of crap TV, grateful to Gil and Gino for their part because we really couldn't tell the difference between a dead pixel on the TV and a football.

Over a quarter has passed now. We're a few hundred yards from Gillette. I'm getting psyched again. We pull into a lot. It's full. It takes us five minutes to pull out because all the cars are having the same problem. We pull into the next lot. No parking again. This goes on for a few more tries.

Finally, we find a lot where there's plenty of parking. It's the ******* Chili's lot in Framingham!!!

Two shots of tequila, a beer, some chicken tenders.....Bruschi runs an INT for a TD. Fans are tossing out small tufts of snows which rain down from the stands. I've never seen this done before and it's a beautiful, splendid sight to behold. Pats shut out the Fish and clinch. But I feel like committing hara-kiri and joining Toshiro Mifune.

 

[Patjew]

Dec. 7, 2003 - A date that will live in infamy...

Very nicely written. I think many of us had a similar experience.

My college buddy from DC (BIG Fins fan) came in for the game the day before. We were just hanging out with my kids at home (Barrington, RI at the time) on Sunday and then I went online in the early afternoon, and the Pats website said "LEAVE FOR THE GAME NOW".

So we put on 12 layers of clothes and headed north. 95 and 495 were smoove. Then we got on Rt. 1 and the world stopped. Gil and Gino said to turn around if you weren't already at the game, but eff that. I think we were on Rt. 1 for 2 or 3 hours, and we got to listen to the first half on the radio.

Finally we got to within 1.5 or 2 miles of the stadium, and I said screw it, I'm parking. So I pulled a U-ee and we parked illegally on the southbound side of the street, but hell so was everyone else so I wasn't too worried. They couldn't tow us all, right?

We sprinted to the stadium just in time for the 2nd half. We had great seats in the 100s at the 20. I remember we basically had to repel down to our seats by hanging on to the railing. A lawsuit waiting to happen! I think all of the snow from our section was on our seats, so we basically stood on a snow mountain the whole game. But it was cool, and the game turned out well, obviously. I remember a drunk chick punching my buddy's ugly Fin's coat. I like.

So we're hiking back to my car and I remember that I'm illegally parked. I started jogging and continuously clicking on my key fob alarm thingy, hoping to hear the tell-tale beep from my car. But I never hear it, so I start to panic and break out into a sprint through the snow, clicking the thing like the fool that I am every 5 seconds, and then... sweet relief, I hear it! And guess what: the car in front of me was getting towed. And every car in front of that one was already towed or moved. I was next. Talk about lucky to not get towed and end up stranded there.

The next year my buddy came in for the game again. It was 60 or 70F that day, but we still got to the stadium 3 hours before kickoff. Just in case.

 

[Reckedtrek]

This is my first post here at PatsFans. I found the site about 3-4 years ago, and have been a visitor ever since. When I saw this thread, I figured it was time to join.

My wife and I got married (Oct 7) last year, and we honeymooned in San Fran (we live in Massachusetts). I was able to talk her into a "side trip" down to Dallas, and we saw the Pats beat Dallas in their own home. It was great!! After the game we met Ty Warren, I shook hands with Larry Izzo, Kevin Faulk walked by with his little girl about two feet away from us. Wes Welker was about 15 feet away, and it gave me a perspective about how small he really is, not that it matters, the guy's awesome. During the game, we were about 5 rows back in the corner of the endzone the "shady" end, not the sunny end, and we were the closest we've ever been to the field during a game.

This October we're going back to San Fran for our one year anniversary and... OOPS... The Pats are playing the niners that week! We're already looking at tickets. Can't wait.

-David

 

[Lifer]

I cant believe i forgot this story!!!!

9/25/83

Me and the starter wife had just gotten married the day before on Cape Cod. We drove up to Portsmouth that Saturday night to start our "romantic" honeymoon. We chose that weekend instead of the following weekend to get married because I knew that was Yastrzemski's last game and I couldnt miss that.
Anyway...on sunday we drove across New Hampshire and ended up at the plush Susse Chalet in Brattleboro,VT. it was 1:OOPM so of course i put on the Patriots game at Pittsburgh. Great game. Clayton Weishun had a big INT and the Patriots upset the Steelers. at 4:00PM i watch the Rams at Jets, featuring the big Mark Gastineau brawl.

my bride? she went down to the pool area and read a book i think. we finished the "honeymoon" with a 2 day stay in Hartford. then drove back to the Cape to watch all of YAZ weekend.

yeah, that marriage of passion lasted about 2 years. haha.

 

[Stop Being A Jerk]

I went to Foxboro Stadium

 

[signbabybrady]

This is my first post here at PatsFans. I found the site about 3-4 years ago, and have been a visitor ever since. When I saw this thread, I figured it was time to join.

My wife and I got married (Oct 7) last year, and we honeymooned in San Fran (we live in Massachusetts). I was able to talk her into a "side trip" down to Dallas, and we saw the Pats beat Dallas in their own home. It was great!! After the game we met Ty Warren, I shook hands with Larry Izzo, Kevin Faulk walked by with his little girl about two feet away from us. Wes Welker was about 15 feet away, and it gave me a perspective about how small he really is, not that it matters, the guy's awesome. During the game, we were about 5 rows back in the corner of the endzone the "shady" end, not the sunny end, and we were the closest we've ever been to the field during a game.

This October we're going back to San Fran for our one year anniversary and... OOPS... The Pats are playing the niners that week! We're already looking at tickets. Can't wait.

-David

Welcome aboard.

I was at the dallas game as well. In the first row behind the goal post on the shady side not to far from you.

I will also be attending the San Fran game this year. I then will head down to San Diego for the followings weeks game. I suggest you try to as well.

 

[fgssand]

Welcome aboard.

I was at the dallas game as well. In the first row behind the goal post on the shady side not to far from you.

I will also be attending the San Fran game this year. I then will head down to San Diego for the followings weeks game. I suggest you try to as well.

Hey SBB - you will love the drive from SF > SD - Pacific Coast highway is awesome. Bring lots of money and Make sure you spend some time at Big Sur.

By the way, did you ever tell the story of the game you never made a few years back?? You know - the one VS Tenn, back when you were a teenager - the one where you sprained your ankle playing around in the Patriots Experience.

The way I heard it, your old man had a responsibility to your brothers and to the team to make certain, once you were wheeled into the ambulance he called for you and once he called you Mom to make sure she would meet said ambulance at Hospital - that he then went to the game with your brothers??

 

[Reckedtrek]

Welcome aboard.

I was at the dallas game as well. In the first row behind the goal post on the shady side not to far from you.

I will also be attending the San Fran game this year. I then will head down to San Diego for the followings weeks game. I suggest you try to as well.

Thanks! I've been a visitor for quite awhile. Don't know why I didn't sign up sooner.

Do you remember the pats fan (and his wife) that threw the cowboys T's back at their mascot? The mascot crawled up into the stands and pointed the guy out? That was me. Heh heh. We were in the first row before the metal add on seats. When Brady threw the long bomb to Moss in the corner of the end zone and they said he didn't maintain possession... that was like 25' away from us. Great game to go to.

 

[signbabybrady]

Thanks! I've been a visitor for quite awhile. Don't know why I didn't sign up sooner.

Do you remember the pats fan (and his wife) that threw the cowboys T's back at their mascot? The mascot crawled up into the stands and pointed the guy out? That was me. Heh heh. We were in the first row before the metal add on seats. When Brady threw the long bomb to Moss in the corner of the end zone and they said he didn't maintain possession... that was like 25' away from us. Great game to go to.

Thats funny but I didn't see it.

That Moss Play was really cool and really close to us. I call it the most miraclous Catches that was never caught.

 

[signbabybrady]

Hey SBB - you will love the drive from SF > SD - Pacific Coast highway is awesome. Bring lots of money and Make sure you spend some time at Big Sur.

Not headin down the Coast....Gonna go to Vegas to kill time in the middle of the week. And if I bring lots of money it might become Vegas'

By the way, did you ever tell the story of the game you never made a few years back?? You know - the one VS Tenn, back when you were a teenager - the one where you sprained your ankle playing around in the Patriots Experience.

The way I heard it, your old man had a responsibility to your brothers and to the team to make certain, once you were wheeled into the ambulance he called for you and once he called you Mom to make sure she would meet said ambulance at Hospital - that he then went to the game with your brothers??

It was a Fracture and I told the story a few pages back on this thread.

The way you heard it must of been from the mouth of my father. because he never called home for the Mom....She came after the hospital wouldn't admit me without a Parent. Responsibility to the Brothers....one of whom was 20 and didn't need Pops supervision the other was 15 and would have been fine by himself but certainly fine with a 20 year old. Nope Dad thought the game was more important than his wounded little boy.......Its ok though because I agree with him......

 

[fgssand]

Not headin down the Coast....Gonna go to Vegas to kill time in the middle of the week. And if I bring lots of money it might become Vegas'




It was a Fracture and I told the story a few pages back on this thread.

The way you heard it must of been from the mouth of my father. because he never called home for the Mom....She came after the hospital wouldn't admit me without a Parent. Responsibility to the Brothers....one of whom was 20 and didn't need Pops supervision the other was 15 and would have been fine by himself but certainly fine with a 20 year old. Nope Dad thought the game was more important than his wounded little boy.......Its ok though because I agree with him......

Oh man that's rough......you must have been a poor deprived little boy.

 

[TripleOption]

I used to be a Correction Officer and I recall watching the Pats/Jets game in 1995-1996 (when they were on their win streak) through the window of an inmates cell.

Working on Sundays sucks.

 

[Patjew]

I used to be a Correction Officer and I recall watching the Pats/Jets game in 1995-1996 (when they were on their win streak) through the window of an inmates cell.

Working on Sundays sucks.

Ha, that's a crazy image.

 

[Patjew]

Welcome aboard.

I was at the dallas game as well. In the first row behind the goal post on the shady side not to far from you.

I will also be attending the San Fran game this year. I then will head down to San Diego for the followings weeks game. I suggest you try to as well.

I was at that game, too. I flew in from Hong Kong for it.

I was thinking about trying to hit those SF and SD games, seeing that they're relatively close(r) to China than NE is. I just kinda hate to kill the week in between.

 

[signbabybrady]

I was at that game, too. I flew in from Hong Kong for it.

I was thinking about trying to hit those SF and SD games, seeing that they're relatively close(r) to China than NE is. I just kinda hate to kill the week in between.

Kill the week....

Enjoy it. Sunny California. I think you can find plenty to do. just go watch the beach bunnies every day.

My plan for the mid week is to go to vegas.

worst case so you are board mid week...2 Pats games would make that worth it.