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OT Redskins/Giants game last night
Southerncards
Posts: 1,384 ✭✭
Last night I had the pleasure and displeasure of attending the Redskins/Giants game at FedEx Field. Living in Va. and being a Giants fan doesnt lend to many opportunities to see a live Giants game. This was my first Giants game and my first time at FedEx Field. If anyone has any desires to see a game there, let me pass some tips along.
1) Mapquest sucks! They directed me down a street which allegedly took me directly into FedEx Field. In reality, it T intersected into a 4 lane divided highway where I had to make a right, stop at an Exxon, ask for directions in the middle of Crack town, go to the light, drive up a hill, make a left at the next light by 7-11 and sit at a traffic light that time forgot just to be able to spot FedEx Field....thanks Mapquest!
2) The aforementioned traffic light that time forgot.....pack a lunch and a 3 day supply of fresh water if you have hopes of survival.
3) You and 40, 000 other cars are directed into the main gate which is pure lunacy. In between the surly parking lot attendants and random wandering drunks, You might be able to spot small signs that say Purple, Orange, Green etc for the various parking pass areas. Of course, none say Blue which is the color you have. Only after sitting in traffic there for 30 minutes do you find out that you need to make your way to a service road where an attendant stops traffic every 15 minutes for you to cross in front of the previously mentioned 40, 000 other cars and u-turn back to...you guessed it....that traffic light again. The map on the back of the parking pass? Christopher Columbus couldn't figure that thing out!
4) You go down to road and find your way to the Blue lot by pure luck since there's not a single sign on the road that points you that way. You park and pass a grey SUV with 2 game tickets laying on the hood all by their lonesome. The temptation to stop and look at them was outweighed by the thought that it was more than likely a sting set up by Police to stop ticket thieves. Once you park, you have to walk across a church parking lot (empty of course and much closer than your space), then you crawl through a hole cut in a fence (I kid you not) and walk through a section of woods into the Red lot. The Red lot now looks like the LA Riots came through. Trash everywhere, people pissing everywhere, fires burning unattended, people screaming...
5) You walk a country mile across the Red lot where you can now hear the game sounds and realize that due to the nightmare that is FedEx Field, you have missed 12 minutes of the 1st Quarter. You go inside and of course your seats are nowhere near the entrance you came in when security guards patted you down for weapons. You walk up a dozen ramps and find your section but stop first to spend $18 on 2 hot dogs, a pretzel and a coke. You cram yourself into a seat with enough ass room for a 6 year old. While watching (or trying to watch) a great game and eventual win by your team, you have to duck the several flying full beer bottles hurled by obnoxious drunk Redskins fans. The halftime show was a drunk Skins fan who picked a fight with a Giant fan 3 rows in front of you. You get to see Tiki Barber have the best game of his career for the Giants but also have to suffer through perhaps the weekest fight song of any organization. Thank goodness the Skins cheerleaders were hot.
6) After the game, the dozen ramps are a breeze to descend up until the point that a drunk 20 something Skins fan decided to sucker punch a 50 year old Giants fan on the ramp. Everyone froze as friends, girlfriends, and one lone security person got into a scrum. Once you made your way out of the stadium, you had to suffer the taunts and jeers of Skins fans due to the Giants ballcap you unwisely chose to wear to support your team. A trip back across the Baghdad of parking lots, throught the Pissing woods and under the fence led you back to your car where you waited in line for 30 minutes in hopes of a roadsign that directed you to freedom.
Great game between 2 rivals, a win for my team and a new appreciation for getting out of there without a scratch.
1) Mapquest sucks! They directed me down a street which allegedly took me directly into FedEx Field. In reality, it T intersected into a 4 lane divided highway where I had to make a right, stop at an Exxon, ask for directions in the middle of Crack town, go to the light, drive up a hill, make a left at the next light by 7-11 and sit at a traffic light that time forgot just to be able to spot FedEx Field....thanks Mapquest!
2) The aforementioned traffic light that time forgot.....pack a lunch and a 3 day supply of fresh water if you have hopes of survival.
3) You and 40, 000 other cars are directed into the main gate which is pure lunacy. In between the surly parking lot attendants and random wandering drunks, You might be able to spot small signs that say Purple, Orange, Green etc for the various parking pass areas. Of course, none say Blue which is the color you have. Only after sitting in traffic there for 30 minutes do you find out that you need to make your way to a service road where an attendant stops traffic every 15 minutes for you to cross in front of the previously mentioned 40, 000 other cars and u-turn back to...you guessed it....that traffic light again. The map on the back of the parking pass? Christopher Columbus couldn't figure that thing out!
4) You go down to road and find your way to the Blue lot by pure luck since there's not a single sign on the road that points you that way. You park and pass a grey SUV with 2 game tickets laying on the hood all by their lonesome. The temptation to stop and look at them was outweighed by the thought that it was more than likely a sting set up by Police to stop ticket thieves. Once you park, you have to walk across a church parking lot (empty of course and much closer than your space), then you crawl through a hole cut in a fence (I kid you not) and walk through a section of woods into the Red lot. The Red lot now looks like the LA Riots came through. Trash everywhere, people pissing everywhere, fires burning unattended, people screaming...
5) You walk a country mile across the Red lot where you can now hear the game sounds and realize that due to the nightmare that is FedEx Field, you have missed 12 minutes of the 1st Quarter. You go inside and of course your seats are nowhere near the entrance you came in when security guards patted you down for weapons. You walk up a dozen ramps and find your section but stop first to spend $18 on 2 hot dogs, a pretzel and a coke. You cram yourself into a seat with enough ass room for a 6 year old. While watching (or trying to watch) a great game and eventual win by your team, you have to duck the several flying full beer bottles hurled by obnoxious drunk Redskins fans. The halftime show was a drunk Skins fan who picked a fight with a Giant fan 3 rows in front of you. You get to see Tiki Barber have the best game of his career for the Giants but also have to suffer through perhaps the weekest fight song of any organization. Thank goodness the Skins cheerleaders were hot.
6) After the game, the dozen ramps are a breeze to descend up until the point that a drunk 20 something Skins fan decided to sucker punch a 50 year old Giants fan on the ramp. Everyone froze as friends, girlfriends, and one lone security person got into a scrum. Once you made your way out of the stadium, you had to suffer the taunts and jeers of Skins fans due to the Giants ballcap you unwisely chose to wear to support your team. A trip back across the Baghdad of parking lots, throught the Pissing woods and under the fence led you back to your car where you waited in line for 30 minutes in hopes of a roadsign that directed you to freedom.
Great game between 2 rivals, a win for my team and a new appreciation for getting out of there without a scratch.
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Comments
I agree with the stadium points, Fed_Ex was designed to do one thing, get people in, extract their money, and get them out. The days of RFK are legendary, and I miss them so.
The fights? Man I must say, I rarley see a fight there. I think because it was Saturday night and the last game of the season, there was a much larger proportion of "non-fans" that got their hands on tickets than usual. We tolerate Philly fans for the most part, so theres no reason not to tolerate Giant fans. I really think you were just unfortunate to have picked this as your 1st game at Fed-Ex.
Also, next time post here that you are attending as there are many Skin fans here that would have given you the low-down on the dos & donts. Personally, I ride the metro Bus from Landover for 5 bucks, and Im in the lot in 10 minutes, and at my car in 15 minutes after the game, no fuss no muss.
Good Luck to your 8-8 Giants, they will need it next week.
"Yo welcome to the Linc...you suck!!!"
Queue the "boo Santa, cheer an injured Irvin" spiel.
You can't expect to wear the opposing team's gear while visiting and not take some heat. Took some for the wife when she was a 49ers fan (cured that illness a few years ago) and we went to Jacksonville.
I would agree on the public transport idea. Since moving to FL and getting back to Philly a few times a year for games I have a new found love for the subway. Hop the train in Center City and you're at the stadiums in no time. No more fighting traffic trying to get back to the 'burbs.
Not to worry. It will all be over soon when the Eagles kick Jint butt next week.
Good luck.
I had originally intended on taking the Metro as it had given me a pleasant experience before while attending a Nats game. In fact, I bought the tix first and then won a parking pass later. I just wish that the FedEx Field folks were a little more fan friendly and hung a damn sign somewhere directing you. As far as Mapquest, they can go pound salt...... Horrible directions.
John
HOF SIGNED FOOTBALL RCS
I'm just sorry that I left my digital camera in the car and didnt get a pic of me at the game.