Football has never been my sport. Baseball and Basketball
have always hands down been my go to for sports fulfillment. When I think back as
to how my fascination for the Orlando Magic and Yankees (Yup, and I live in Red
Sox Nation… HELP!) began, the initial excitement always stemmed from seeing
them live; experiencing the thrill of the game while immersed in the buzz of
the fans/ stadium. Football for me has always been more about the Superbowl
commercials and food and not so much about the players or game. A minor goal of
mine this year was to try to learn the game and maybe even catch one live and
see if the “magic” would come alive for me too. It definitely wasn’t high on my
list, but was quickly moved up to the top this week.
When given the opportunity to attend the 2012 Training Camp
for the New England Patriot’s at Gillette Stadium, I couldn’t resist. Using
tickets typically reserved for Season Ticket holders, we had full access to any
seat we wanted, with unobstructed views of the entire field. Armed with nachos,
beer, and a bottle of water for me, My Husband, Sister in Law, good friend, and
I made our way down to the 6th row at the 40 yard line. 90+ players
ran drills, “took Snaps,” kicked, and drank lots of Gatorade during the 2.5
hour practice. We saw Tom Brady, were fascinated by the pure largeness of
Gronkowski, and were star struck by Welker. Even I couldn’t help but appreciate
the magnitude of what we were seeing. Every part of the field was used, some
times all at once by defensive linemen, quarterbacks, and more doing all they
could to not get cut in this last round and although there we so many people
there, it seemed oddly smooth. Definitely impressive although difficult to keep
up with everything all at once.
While I can’t pretend to know much more about the game than
I did going in- I can certainly appreciate the game much more. The fans were
die hard, the players humbly stopped to take pictures, and sign autographs, and
the stadium was impressive. The experience was enough to make me respect the
pure energy emanated by the Patriot’s Franchise and fans. I think I’ll watch
this year and will certainly make more of an effort to get “in the game.”
*Jasmine
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