40 American football games in 18 weeks
2008 was quite the NFL season, especially for me as I saw 37 NFL games (1 playoff), 2 College games (1 bowl) and 1 high school game in 18 weeks!
Total immersion
I immersed myself in the sport and I can honestly say it was an amazing experience. The long-distance driving took its toll especially in the last few weeks. I clocked up 35, 000 miles on the road and over 60,000 miles including flights, oh and a ten mile charity run for the Walter Payton Cancer Trust.
I knew it was going to be a tough trip, not just physically with all the driving, but mentally too. I spent most of the time on my own in a car for up to 18 hours, then on my own in hotel rooms, writing or editing. The first half of the trip; the eight weeks from first game in NYC to my 17th game in London went very smoothly…well apart from driving the wrong way up a highway and being confronted by two on coming trucks!
Trials and tribulations
Flying back to the USA for the second leg, things started to go downhill. I missed flights, I missed interviews, I locked myself out of the car, I broke practically everything! My laptop and camcorder stopped working, my web site went down and my credit cards got rejected…but I was still able to meet great fans, eat amazing food, see great football and even squeeze in a few extra games!
I was able to meet some of the best tailgaters in the league and everyone was so friendly and was really impressed by my trip. Looking back now I realise my true interest lay in the “fan” side of the sport. Every place was different. There were always fans from both teams mixed together in the car parks grilling up food and throwing footballs about. One tailgater, Joe Cahn, who has been living in his R.V for 14 years told me that tailgating is the “reception before the banquet.” The community side of the sport is very much just as important as the game itself. Everyone wanted me to taste their food and judge their “tailgate” rather than their team.
Where it all began
I was first struck by tailgating in Arizona when they hosted my favorite team the Bears on Monday Night football. I walked out of that game before the end knowing my Bears had lost. Until, in the car park I saw Bears fans hollering and screaming. I rushed over to see my boys get back in the game, on someone’s flat screen on their car. This concept of tailgating and staying in the car parks intrigued me and gave me the idea for the trip.
The mission
If people want to read about the actual game they can always pick up a newspaper, but back home I have been watching the NFL my whole life and until this point I had never heard of tailgating. My mission has been to expose the tailgate, it’s been my way of demonstrating to everyone that going to an NFL game is not just the sport that they see on the field, but the community that surrounds the whole game.
In December it was my second anniversary with Steph my girlfriend. I flew her out for the Bucs at Panther Monday night game, and it was great for her to be able to experience tailgating without particularly enjoying the sport. She had a great time at the tailgates, apart from Kansas where the second coldest game in Chiefs history was a little too much for both of us!
Variety is the spice of life
Some places were better than others and I had more time with some teams that others so it is hard to put rank any of the teams or tailgates. The NFL is very regional, with regards to culture, language food and so on, or more so than the UK media would like me to think. It is not all chain restaurants and chain hotels. The sheer variety of foods has blown me away; I’ve had it all from lobster to Chateaubriand; from ten different types of hot dogs to steak done a hundred different ways.
Now I am back in London, looking for a publisher for my book about the trip. I am going back to the States for the big one: The Super bowl. I do not have a ticket for this one, but I will be tailgating for 5 days! I am staying with a friend in an R.V and I am sure this will be the best tailgate party of the trip, even if I can’t get a ticket for the game.
Trip of a lifetime
It was a trip of a lifetime and I am so happy I made the decision to go through with this. It was the hardest thing I have ever done but incredibly rewarding. I used to only watch the Bears, my team, but now I have a face to put with each team, and there is not a team I dislike! Hopefully more people can go and check out some games in the States. If they do then my advice is to go at least 4 hours early and catch the tailgate parties!
Here is a short list summing up my trip!
- Seen 40 Football games in 18 weeks!
- 37 NFL: (1 playoff game),1 high school, 2 college ( 1 bowl game)
- Travelled over 60, 000 miles
- Drove 35 000 miles
- Hired 5 cars
- Seen every NFL team play in their home stadium.
- Been to 36 Football Stadiums
- 14 Monday Night Football games, 5 Thursday night games
- Number of tailgate parties visited: approx 70
Things broken whilst on this trip: 3 suitcases, 2 sports bags (all of which were my Mothers!), 1 laptop, 1 compact camera, 1 camcorder, my website for a brief time, my lens on my SLR camera, broke mobile phone, glasses hard drive.
Driven up the highway the wrong way: once!
Most tailgates visited at one tailgate: Bengals 5
Spent: Over $70, 000 and counting!
Marriage Proposals: 4 all from women over 50!
Met players: Jared Allen, DeAngelo Williams, Maake Kemeatu, Rhys Lloyd, plus Mike Ditka, Tom Waddle and Michael Irvin.
Gave out: 300 Adam Football Trip T-shirts
Best piece of merchandise: DeAngelo Williams signed game day boots that he personally gave me after he rushed all over the Tampa Bay Bucaneers
Favourite in stadium moment: Throwing beads to the Tampa fans whilst on the Pirate ship.
Favourite tailgate moment: Throwing out jelly shots to the Bengals fan while standing on a Bengals bus in a parking lot.
Most impressive stadium: Indianapolis Colt’s new stadium, Lucas Oil
Best place to watch Football: Lambeau Field home of the Green Bay Packers
Best tailgate food: Arizona
Best City: I didn’t see them all, but I enjoyed Pittsburgh, but my favourite city will always be Chicago
If I was not a Bears fan, and from this trip alone who I would I have become a fan of: Packers
Stadium with least atmosphere: Georgia dome, home of the Atlanta Falcons
Best player: When Brett Favre threw for 6 TDs
Most ridiculous celebration: DeSean Jackson vs Cowboys when he dropped the ball on the 1 yard line to celebrate!
Loudest Stadium: Qwest Field home of the Seattle Seahawks
Friendliest staff: Oakland Raiders
Friendliest fans: Houston Texans
Best game: Eagles at Cowboys on Monday night Football.
Best stadium food: Kansas City
Coldest Stadium: Kansas v Dolphins -18 C! (2nd coldest ever Kansas city game)
Best away fans: Pittsburgh Steelers!
Best mascot: Jackson DeVille, Jacksonville Jaguars
Most passionate fans during the game: Chicago Bears
Most hardcore fans: Buffalo Bills
Most comfortable seats: New Orleans Saints
Feel free to check my site for my blogs: www.adamsfootballtrip.com