FUBLE Diaries: Episode 6
I try to put up a good front , but the fact is, I'm not very worldly. Strike that, Ive been around this globe, more true is that I'm not very Philadelphia-ly. I'm a huge sports fan, football being the best, but I have never tailgated and have never been to a regular season Eagles game. This would become evident to all before Sunday Game Time.
I knew we needed an early start and after the Ruby Tuesday/Oasis 1-2 punch, I was surprised when the boys were ready to go at 7am. The first of many mistakes made was that we had forgotten to take the Moose meat, that the guys brought from Alaska, out of the freezer. We had to stop for some provisions anyway, so we just picked up some not-as-cool-as-moosemeat sausage to grill.
We made it to the Linc in good time and were not surprised to see the lot pretty full already, at 8am even though it was a damp day...this was the Eagles Giants game after all. Not that I would wish it on anyone but having Jason's handicap placard was a great experience in there. It opened alot of doors for us and got us a sweet spot within the shadow of the stadium.
As stated, this was my first tailgating experience, but not my first grilling experience, so there is really no excuse for the following screw-ups. I got the grill set up and went to light it with a brand new lighter. The piece of shit lighter didn't work at all! I could have farted on the charcoal with better results. Luckily, the Alaskans were good at making friends. Neighbors to both sides received authentic Alaskan beer (which they lugged all the way here on the plane...4 cases!) and we got our grill lit.
After getting the meat on the grill , I realized I didn't bring any grilling utensils. Luckily hot dogs are easy to turn by hand. It was great eating hot sausages at 10am, amongst fellow sports fans, with the home of the Eagles in the background...even if we did forget to bring any condiments.
Finally, I didn't have a viable plan to dispose of the spent charcoal and hot grill. We ended up using all of our bottled water to douse it and luckily it cooled off in time to pack it away before heading to the Stadium, but images of a burned out shell of a car (or cars!) plagued my mind for the rest of the day. You'd think all the snafus would have dampened the already drizzly day but we had a great time, in spite of the mistakes and agreed that we would be more prepared next time.
Once inside the complex, it was like a carnival. Radio shows broadcasting, bands playing, cheerleaders posing, vendors gouging...it was great. Our seats were in the nosebleeds but I can honestly say that there isn't a bad seat in the house.
Ive been a fan for quite some time but nothing compares to the goosebumps I received when the players were announced , to much music, fanfare and fireworks. I recommend all fans see their team at least once live and in person.
The Alaskans absolutely loved the Philly fans, not in spite of the bad rep but because of it. They revelled in the fact that they were allowed to be assholes. They loved taunting Giants fans with the " Asshole!" chant , a practice which continued long after we left the stadium. They got caught up in the Eagles Chants, the High 5's, getting rival fans kicked out. They even added a little of their own flavor with the Alaskan chant of , " UP THE GUTS!" every time the running back would find a big hole and it was a trip when our seat neighbors used the line as well. I was also partial to Dean's shout of, ' He's built like a kicker!" , whenever a small or skinny guy would walk by.
Jason was still feeling a little under the weather and the damp day wasn't helping. He wrapped himself snugly in a newly purchased Eagles fleece and at one point, a fan walked past and just said, " You comfortable sweetheart?" The other 2 heard this and thought it was the funniest thing they'd ever heard. It solidified their love of the ugly Philly sports fan.
It helped considerably that the game itself was an Eagles rout of their division rival. We screamed ourselves hoarse at every play and had a grand time doing it. Towards the end, when others headed for their cars to get a jump on the traffic, we decided to stay in our seats for as long as we could, not wanting the experience to end. We knew it would be an ugly ride to our next destination as Game 4 of the World Series was set to be played in a few short hours, but we didn't care. This had been the whole reason for the trip and we wanted it to last.
Plans were made on the spot to meet next year, possibly in another city giving some other of our fantasy football brothers a chance to attend. It was agreed that we would all bring a nice chunk of that Philly Fan Bravado, that made the day great. We finally left the stadium and made our way out of the complex. As the Linc got smaller in the rear view, we were reminded that while the reason for trip was over, there was still more adventure ahead... read more