Coming up for the Season Opener

[Patsfanin Philly]

How is that possible?

Damn Belichick, now he's altering the rules of time and space......

 

[Kontradiction]

That makes no sense. There’s no way someone who leaves immediately after the game arrives at his distinction 1-2 hours AFTER someone who hangs out in the parking lot for an hour. It’s not physically possible.

It is if the first car stops to take a dump.

 

[BTTA]

That makes no sense. There’s no way someone who leaves immediately after the game arrives at his distinction 1-2 hours AFTER someone who hangs out in the parking lot for an hour. It’s not physically possible.

Classic Time Travel Paradoxes (And How To Avoid Them)

 

[QuantumMechanic]

It is if the first car stops to take a dump.

That’s one helluva dump!

 

[PatsDeb]

OK. I'm loading the whole fandamily into the SUV and driving from NYC to Foxboro next Saturday AM. Staying right at the Stadium. Plan to arrive by early afternoon

I'm open to any and all advice but have five specific questions:

One. The Web page says the gates open two hours before the game on Sunday. Is that actually true? Yes, you can get into Gillette and walk around or sit there if you want, but I don't recommend going that early - your kids will be bored. Wait until about an hour before game time.

Two. I want my kids to see as much of the Pats warm-ups as possible. When do people start to line up to get into the stadium? This is a rare thing for us, so we'll want to soak up every minute we can around the team. I don't think many people line up to get in early. The real crush (and it is a crush) comes about 15-30 minutes before kickoff, so get in before that. If you go an hour before the game you will see plenty of warm-ups and the stadium. They often have a fly-over on opening day if it's a day game so be sure to be in your seats!

Three. Are they as strict about what you can carry into Gillette as the web page says they are? Yes. Tell your wife to leave her purse in the car. She can't bring it in. I just wear something with pockets and carry my ticket, car key, cell phone, some cash and one credit card. You can also obtain a clear plastic bag to bring in with the above. You can't bring in any food or drink. If you try to get in with more than the clear plastic bag (they used to allow a miniscule purse, but I am not sure that is even allowed now) they will tell you to bring it back to your car or throw it out.

Four. We're sitting right behind the Pats bench. Any chance at all that the players interact with fans standing there before the game? My guess is "no," but I can only hope. Not sure, but the players are not really near the bench area until they actually come out right before the game starts. They are out on the field otherwise.

Five. Aside from the Hall, what else should we be sure not to miss around Gillette on Saturday? The Pro Shop, of course, which is downstairs from the Hall; the Bass Pro Shop (down on the south end of Patriots place and really "outside" of the mall area itself) is fun for kids as they have big turtle and fish ponds/habitats; my kids like the bowling alley (which is really a bar with a few bowling lanes) and CBS Scene (which I think has been re-named) is kind of cool.


Any other advice, tips, etc. are welcome.

Thanks in advance!!!

PS: My sons and I are over the moon with excitement. It almost feels like a religious experience. The only other time I saw Brady in person was when I waited three hours outside the Courthouse when he was in Federal Court for Berman's hearing and he walked three feet in front of me to get in his SUV. I brought him luck that day...hopefully, it will carry over.

My answers above. Have fun!

 

[Ring 6]

Unfortunately, we have a commitment in Cambridge on Monday morning, so we'll be leaving after the game for a hotel there.
That would normally be about an hour's drive. How long do you think it will take? I'm banking on three or even four hours.

My experience has been, and I always stay til
0:00 that it is almost always an hour out of the parking lot and roughly a 15-30 minute traffic delay once out.
So my 3 hour trip home takes about 4 1/2 from the time I’m in my car in the parking lot.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

Have a great time and fill us in.

 

[The Brandon Five]

That’s one helluva dump!

I heard Mcnally is offering private lessons now. In and out in 90 seconds.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

See you there! I’ll be the guy that looks nothing like my avatar.

We'll be four wide-eyed newbies in Section 110. I'm 6'4" and will be wearing my years-old, blue TB Jersey (which I only wear on SB Sundays). One of my sons will be in his white Edelman Jersey (the only thing he's bummed about is that he won't see him play). My other son will either be in his High School Football Jersey (#12 of course) or a Pats T-shirt. My wife will be in a Pats top of some sort.

It would be beyond cool to run into someone I've been chatting with on this Board for 13 years.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

That’s one helluva dump!

Completely logical if Goodell was at the game. The sight of that man would throw my digestive system off for months.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Shouldn't be 3 or 4.

When I was going to games I would hang out with my crew for the post-game tailgate for an hour, then head out. At that point it would then usually take about an hour to 90 minutes (usually closer to an hour) to drive from the stadium to within a few miles of Cambridge.

So I don't see it taking much longer than 2.5 hrs total. Sure, leaving right after the game means the traffic will be rather worse than the traffic I'd be in, but you'd still be making progress vs. me hanging out in the lots for an hour before leaving, but you'll still get to where you're going sooner (relative to end of game) than I would -- you'll just be physically in the car longer than I would.

(One other thing -- when I'd be heading home I'd be checking on the traffic at the I-95/128 interchange. If that was backed up a lot (and sometimes it was) I would just stay on US-1 all the way to 128 rather than getting onto I-95.)

Thanks.
By the time we get out of the stadium (I'm sure we won't leave until the game ends and the Pats have mostly left the field even if it's a three score game), walk over to the hotel, make a pit stop, get our bags and load our vehicle, it will probably be close to an hour anyway.

I'll keep an eye out at the I95/128 interchange. I've found that Waze is pretty good at picking the faster route as well.

Thanks again!

 

[signbabybrady]

Thanks.
By the time we get out of the stadium (I'm sure we won't leave until the game ends and the Pats have mostly left the field even if it's a three score game), walk over to the hotel, make a pit stop, get our bags and load our vehicle, it will probably be close to an hour anyway.

I'll keep an eye out at the I95/128 interchange. I've found that Waze is pretty good at picking the faster route as well.

Thanks again!

FYI Waze will be less helpful this year than in the past. Not sure how it all works but the parking guy at Gillette told us at a Foxboro resident meeting that they are working on fixing that.

While you guys stuck on rte 1 are happy to take the side roads it's not the favorite thing for local residents. No clue how this all gets to Waze but the team and town will somehow report to Waze what roads are open for use.

 

[Patjew]

We'll be four wide-eyed newbies in Section 110. I'm 6'4" and will be wearing my years-old, blue TB Jersey (which I only wear on SB Sundays). One of my sons will be in his white Edelman Jersey (the only thing he's bummed about is that he won't see him play). My other son will either be in his High School Football Jersey (#12 of course) or a Pats T-shirt. My wife will be in a Pats top of some sort.

It would be beyond cool to run into someone I've been chatting with on this Board for 13 years.

It would be! The only person I've ever (knowingly) met from patsfans is NEM . I have spoken on the phone with a couple folks, though.

I sit way up near the coaches' boxes but maybe I can swing by and say hi on my way up. I'll send you my cell #.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

It would be! The only person I've ever (knowingly) met from patsfans is NEM . I have spoken on the phone with a couple folks, though.

I sit way up near the coaches' boxes but maybe I can swing by and say hi on my way up. I'll send you my cell #.

You can probably actually see the play on the field much better from that vantage point. We're coming mainly to soak up the experience and give my sons a chance to tell their kids that they saw Brady and Belichick, the greatest player and coach of all time, at close range in an NFL game.

PS: glad to see that I'm in such distinguished company there. NEM is definitely a blast from a forgotten past.

 

[signbabybrady]

It would be! The only person I've ever (knowingly) met from patsfans is NEM . I have spoken on the phone with a couple folks, though.

I sit way up near the coaches' boxes but maybe I can swing by and say hi on my way up. I'll send you my cell #.

Didn't me and my father fgssand randomly bump into you at the hall at Patriot Place before a guest lecture series? Could have been a different poster but if my memory serves me correctly it was you.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Let's see: over the ages I've met Patsfan posters Seacoast Fan, Quantum, Ken, Miguel, Flyboy Patsfan (met @ in stadium practice along with Ken, years ago), Mrs Bruschi, Chris From Sunnyvale (Pats in SD in 2002), fnordcircle, Mark Morse...
Probably others from the ancient Patriots Mailing List that now post here in screen names I don't recognize or I've momentarily forgotten.

 

[Patjew]

Didn't me and my father fgssand randomly bump into you at the hall at Patriot Place before a guest lecture series? Could have been a different poster but if my memory serves me correctly it was you.

That was not me. I’ve never attended an event like that. Must have been an imposter-poster!

 

[signbabybrady]

That was not me. I’ve never attended an event like that. Must have been an imposter-poster!

This was probably ten years ago, my memory usually doesn't let me down but apparently it was not you.

 

[Patjew]

This was probably ten years ago, my memory usually doesn't let me down but apparently it was not you.

I wonder who that devilishly handsome poster was.

 

[signbabybrady]

I wonder who that devilishly handsome poster was.

I still think it was you. Pretty sure Bruschi was the guest speaker that day if that helps?