We have three NFL (National Football League) teams in Florida. Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins. My son and I finished our trifecta by going to see the Dolphins last night. We have now been to a game at all three Florida stadiums, and I am here to tell you, from a pure entertainment view, they are all worth the trip. It does not matter where you sit, or whether you are a football fan, fanatic, or tag along friend or spouse. All the teams work hard to make sure that you get your money's worth. Just being part of the spectacle and interacting with the other people there is an experience.
I say it does not matter where you sit, because we sat high and low, in these stadiums, 7th row, 60th row and nose bleed seats. The game is viewable from all seats, and so is the extra entertainment. Fireworks, stadium video, celebrities, fan participation, sideline antics and choreographed beautiful cheerleader movements. Pregame, halftime and post-game programs. A mega-merchandise store and a Gallery of Legend Players, It is non-stop sensual stimulation. Forget the old single scoreboard, the entire stadium's flat surfaces light up with information, sights, sounds, and the contagious thunder of the excited crowd.
Forget about the old days of just hotdogs and peanuts, there are so many choices for food, Cuban sandwiches, wraps, pints of ice cream, nuts, smoothies, even a booth with Boar's Head products sandwiches. Nothing is cheap, but, it is worth what you have to spend.
If you are a tailgater, these stadiums cater to your needs. The parking is laid out for tailgating with plenty of space, and portable toilets. The smell of food cooking is everywhere. If you need something, just ask your parking lot neighbor. We forgot a spatula to flip our burgers on the hibachi grill, and it only took a minute to find one. You could make an evening of just sitting in the parking lot, and watching the fanatics, and I believe some people do. There were several tents with big screen TV's. There is so much to see, there was even a pole, with ladies dancing around it and a crowd cheering them on and taking pictures.
If you live in or just visit Florida, I suggest a drive and visit to any of these football stadiums. Buy your tickets on line, EBay or scalp them at the game. I promise, you will enjoy yourself and come away with a unique experience and lots of memories. Don't forget the spatula.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Smooth Ride?
Have you noticed the condition of the roads and streets in SW Florida? More specifically, Naples, FL? Unless you are a part timer here, you don't know how good you have it. You need to spend a spring experiencing the patchwork roads in snow towns up north.
A visit to any town, and I could pick on lots of them, but my recent experience with Cedar Rapids, Iowa, makes me wonder what the cost is to the drivers and their cars.
I realize that poor CR, has just had the flood of the century, but lots of my experiences there, were well before the flood. The roads are worse than a patchwork quilt, with each patch, of varying sizes, at different levels. Obviously the road crews work very hard to fill in the holes made by the seemingly never ending winter, with its freeze/thaw cycle, and the rains of spring. But filling in a hole, so that it makes a speed bump seems like they are not accomplishing much.
When you have aluminum rims and you hit a pothole filled with rain water. and your tire goes flat because it bent your rim, you are happy to have them filled, no matter how bumpy.
The temperature in this area is very hot in the summertime. If you have ever noticed the effect that the heat has on things you leave outdoors, for an extended period, then you have an idea of why I am surprised that the roads are not in the same shape as Cedar Rapids. But apparently the heat is no match for the effect that freezing and thawing has on asphalt and concrete. So count your blessings.
You will certainly see a pothole covered here, and occasionally some cracks in the pavement, but the repair seems to be made by a former Zamboni driver, rather than a moto-cross track designer. It is actually flat to the road, and hardly noticeable.
I am certain we have some road issues in Naples, but not like the rest of the country. Type the following phrase into your 'web browser' "Fix our roads, " and you will find over 50,000 sites with that phrase. Reading the first few pages assures me that poor Cedar Rapids is not the only city with a pothole problem. While visiting CR recently, I noticed they were working on the roads, but they will never be what we have in Naples. We are lucky, compared to 50,000 other locations in the world. Maybe we should find something else that does need fixing. I am sure I will hear something from you!
A visit to any town, and I could pick on lots of them, but my recent experience with Cedar Rapids, Iowa, makes me wonder what the cost is to the drivers and their cars.
I realize that poor CR, has just had the flood of the century, but lots of my experiences there, were well before the flood. The roads are worse than a patchwork quilt, with each patch, of varying sizes, at different levels. Obviously the road crews work very hard to fill in the holes made by the seemingly never ending winter, with its freeze/thaw cycle, and the rains of spring. But filling in a hole, so that it makes a speed bump seems like they are not accomplishing much.
When you have aluminum rims and you hit a pothole filled with rain water. and your tire goes flat because it bent your rim, you are happy to have them filled, no matter how bumpy.
The temperature in this area is very hot in the summertime. If you have ever noticed the effect that the heat has on things you leave outdoors, for an extended period, then you have an idea of why I am surprised that the roads are not in the same shape as Cedar Rapids. But apparently the heat is no match for the effect that freezing and thawing has on asphalt and concrete. So count your blessings.
You will certainly see a pothole covered here, and occasionally some cracks in the pavement, but the repair seems to be made by a former Zamboni driver, rather than a moto-cross track designer. It is actually flat to the road, and hardly noticeable.
I am certain we have some road issues in Naples, but not like the rest of the country. Type the following phrase into your 'web browser' "Fix our roads, " and you will find over 50,000 sites with that phrase. Reading the first few pages assures me that poor Cedar Rapids is not the only city with a pothole problem. While visiting CR recently, I noticed they were working on the roads, but they will never be what we have in Naples. We are lucky, compared to 50,000 other locations in the world. Maybe we should find something else that does need fixing. I am sure I will hear something from you!
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