What I learned from attending my first NFL game.

[moob]

A buddy of mine asked if I wante to go see the Bills play. I said to myself, "self.. You can stay home and watch the Giants lose to the Redskins or you can get out and see the world."

Here's what I learned (this is not a funny top ten list or anything its just some thoughts):

#10. Its better to pay 8 buck and park on someone's front lawn then to use stadium parking. I think that homeowner easily netted 300 dollars yesterday.

#9. Bring food. You'll be hungry. What did I know? I mean I've heard of tailgating but... well... I'm stupid.

#8. Football fans freely share their tailgating food. I want to say thanks to the guy that shared some of his grilled venison chops with me. Awesome. Afterwards I looked him in the eyea dn said "We are going to win today. I'm the good luck charm." He said "Where the hell are you from?"

#7. Its important to drink a lot several hours before the game. The NFL is an important drinking event for fans. Now, it just so happens that with the 3 hour drive we had I did not drink... that much. But everyone else was very liquored up. Infact, I think everyone was positively , very, very liquored up. I guess I'm pretty naive. However, I think becuase everyone is very, very liquored up, everyone talks to each other like long lost family. "Syracuse. Really? Hey, the national champions!" Or when the Bills scored a TD everyone in the section we were in stood and high fived each other, jumped up and down celebrated. That was nice.

6. For family fun bring the kids to the field house for the "Bills Experience." We had a nine year old with us. He loved it. It was nice. But I was dressed with thermal socks, heavy winter boots, jeans with snow pants, a long sleeve t-shirt, a flannel shirt, a fleece pullover, fleeece pull over head gear and hat and a very heavy dorky coat. I never got cold at the game but the field house was us... warm for me.

5. skinny hot dog, mostly bun 2.50$ Bud (12 oz) $5; Heineken (12 oz) 5$, Miller lite $5 (16 oz), bag-o-kettle korn $5.

4. Bonfires in the stadium parking lot are great to do before, during an after the game.

3. Bring your old red pinto hatchback. Use it as a kitchen. Set up you rgrill on the hood and install a bar a few feet in front of the bumper. encourage everyone to write snappy statements with a sharpie pen all over the car. Enjo.

2. Enter the stadium and sit. Here are some memorable quotes from the people that I was fortunate enough to sit next to: "HEY PORK CHOP C'MERE AND SUCK ON MY LONG DICK." "J-E-T-S SUCK, SUCK, SUCK." "CHREBRET IS A HOMO" "MOSS IS GAY." "ASSHOLE, ASSSSSSHOLE, ASSSSSSSSSSHOLE."

1. Attending the NFL is an important drinking event. Everyone is happy and smashed when the team wins but I felt bad for my buddy and his 9 year old for the off colored language. We were fortunate because our tickets were free but I can't imagine paying 50 bucks a ticket, and spending easily another 100 on parking, tolls, food, gas, etc to expose a child to the over the top drunken behavior. Even when I talked to the guy next to me that was screaming foul language ("Hey this is a little kid, watch your mouth etc") it didn't matter becuase you could here it from all parts of the stadium. The NFL is no place for kids. But it was fun. whatever.