Vrable sticks up for the common fan

[BostonBullit]

Per Reiss

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/

"1) Mike Vrabel on the fans. The outside linebacker seemed touched by the show of support at a Sunday morning rally at Gillette Stadium. “When I was first pulling into the stadium I thought ‘man, we’re going to have to go out in snow before we leave’ and then as I saw everyone lined up, the kids, and the families, and the parents, it was cool,” Vrabel said. “We were excited to go out on the field and see everybody – 15,000 or 20,000 – and those people were excited. We need to get those people at the games. Those are the type of fans that we need to get back into our stadium. I think that they deserve to experience this just as much as the people who can afford to come out here and to buy our season tickets. Those are the people who I think sometimes get left out with the cost of this game, to watch it, to travel. Those are the ones I'd like to see experience this.""

good to see a player saying what a lot of people feel :rocker:

 

[tobias funke]

Yeah it was nice to see that quote. At least someone from the team recognizes how limiting the cost of Foxboro can be.

 

[Franchise12]

if you put 68,000 of those fans in the stadium. there wont be an issue of crowd noise. I'm sure of it.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

The players try to let it be but they sense the change in the level of passion in their 12th man in attendance at Gillette since the wine and cheese crowd moved in. The fans at the rally, sans kids, were reminicent of the last crowd in attendance at Foxboro in the snow in 2001. The ones who were braving the elements and rocking the old stadium only hoping for a home playoff game or as Junior says, a chance.

Unfortunately winning costs and it attracts deep pocketed fans of winning...

 

[upstater1]

The players try to let it be but they sense the change in the level of passion in their 12th man in attendance at Gillette since the wine and cheese crowd moved in. The fans at the rally, sans kids, were reminicent of the last crowd in attendance at Foxboro in the snow in 2001. The ones who were braving the elements and rocking the old stadium only hoping for a home playoff game or as Junior says, a chance.

Unfortunately winning costs and it attracts deep pocketed fans of winning...

I was at Gillette two weeks ago for the Chargers game, and the fans I saw were no different than the Foxboro crowd. It was cold there, and I suspect the wine and cheese people were not braving those elements. The crowd stood for 3 hours, never sat down once, yelled loudly. I didn't see that much difference. Nor do I think the crowd there seemed like they had a lot of cash to throw around.

 

[Bostonian1962]

Per Reiss

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/

"1) Mike Vrabel on the fans. The outside linebacker seemed touched by the show of support at a Sunday morning rally at Gillette Stadium. “When I was first pulling into the stadium I thought ‘man, we’re going to have to go out in snow before we leave’ and then as I saw everyone lined up, the kids, and the families, and the parents, it was cool,” Vrabel said. “We were excited to go out on the field and see everybody – 15,000 or 20,000 – and those people were excited. We need to get those people at the games. Those are the type of fans that we need to get back into our stadium. I think that they deserve to experience this just as much as the people who can afford to come out here and to buy our season tickets. Those are the people who I think sometimes get left out with the cost of this game, to watch it, to travel. Those are the ones I'd like to see experience this.""

good to see a player saying what a lot of people feel :rocker:

THAT guy is awesome! I hope he has a huge Super Bowl. Nice post.

 

[DaBruinz]

if you put 68,000 of those fans in the stadium. there wont be an issue of crowd noise. I'm sure of it.

Until you realize that the stadium isn't designed to be loud. Its the only BAD thing about Gillette.

 

[Clint]

I expect another SB TD for #50. I also hope #80 gets some play time.

 

[Dojo Chargerfan]

Until you realize that the stadium isn't designed to be loud. Its the only BAD thing about Gillette.

That's the impression I got from Gillette too. I tell people the same thing about the Chargers' field because it was built to be a baseball stadium and people laugh but there's just certain ways to build stadiums to increase the crowd noise.....or you could always just pump them in from the speakers

 

[FrontSeven]

He's right. The NFL, and in particular the Patriots, are distancing themselves from the average person, inch by inch, 5 dollar increase in parking by 5 dollar increase in parking. The Super Bowl is either a rich man's game, or a broke man's game, depending on whether you are either privileged or a fool-consumer.

 

[Dojo Chargerfan]

He's right. The NFL, and in particular the Patriots, are distancing themselves from the average person, inch by inch, 5 dollar increase in parking by 5 dollar increase in parking. The Super Bowl is either a rich man's game, or a broke man's game, depending on whether you are either privileged or a fool-consumer.

I think Real Sports had a very good show with the tailgating also. I agree that a football game is no longer a family event. With the emergence of Youtube is creating people to grow some balls and try to show off how strong your teams' fans are and how weak the opposing fans are. Go on youtube and look at the videos and ALL of them are drunk, obnoxious fans just looking to look good on video. Also, the drinking has gotten out of control. People just get BLASTED outside of the game and it creates fights in the stadium. There's been discussion on the Charger board about this and there's been some horror stories on there: Kids being spit on, batteries being thrown, etc... It's not what a football game is supposed to be about. Not to mention that you have to pay $250+ bucks for a family to go to a game where you may have to leave at half time because your kids are being abused

 

[neuronet]

It's very sad, really. The game of the everyman is leaving out the everyman. It's especially poignant with the Patriots, who embody the old school values of putting team ahead of self, of sacrificing for the good of something bigger.

 

[Wax Frog]

[gives MV a "virtual man-hug" and a place of pride in his mental HOF]

Good to know the support of we "outsiders" is appreciated just as much! I became a fan largely because the Pats weren't a "glamor team" back in '85, and all the recent hate makes me feel, if only a little, as if "my" Patriots are back...

 

[LiveShot]

The Super Bowl is not a "fan" event it's for big money, advertising and the beautiful people. It's an event to be seen at and look down on the little people who can't afford the big ticket. Just like the World Series.

 

[captain stone]

Per Reiss

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/

"1) Mike Vrabel on the fans. The outside linebacker seemed touched by the show of support at a Sunday morning rally at Gillette Stadium. “When I was first pulling into the stadium I thought ‘man, we’re going to have to go out in snow before we leave’ and then as I saw everyone lined up, the kids, and the families, and the parents, it was cool,” Vrabel said. “We were excited to go out on the field and see everybody – 15,000 or 20,000 – and those people were excited. We need to get those people at the games. Those are the type of fans that we need to get back into our stadium. I think that they deserve to experience this just as much as the people who can afford to come out here and to buy our season tickets. Those are the people who I think sometimes get left out with the cost of this game, to watch it, to travel. Those are the ones I'd like to see experience this.""

good to see a player saying what a lot of people feel :rocker:

That may have been one of the nicest quotes, spoken by a jock, that I have ever heard.

What are the odds that an NBA or MLB primma donna, or one of the faceless pieces of mercenary eurotrash unfortunately infecting the NHL, would ever even think to utter such words?

And to those who feel that drinking and rowdiness are out of control today: do you really believe that things are worse now than when I attended games at Schaefer Stadium in the 70s and 80s? I haven't attended a game since 1991, so I'm interested in your thoughts.