Game 40 - St. Louis Rams

St. Louis Rams vs. Dallas Cowboys @ Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, MO (9/21/2014)

It seems harder and harder to get these games on the schedule with work, kid's school activities, coaching sports, curling season about to start, etc.  Perhaps many of you didn't even realize I curled.  I started playing 2 years ago and really enjoy it.  Taylor has been playing for 2 years as well and now Deb is going to give it a try.  You should stop out to our club www.milwaukeecurlingclub.com and try one of our Learn to Curl programs.  Anyhow, I digress....onto the St. Louis Rams.

The objective was to take Ryan to his first professional football game.  Two years ago we went to a preseason Packers' game, but he is quick to remind me that it didn't count because it was not the regular season.  I would have to agree with him as I did not count it toward my goal either.  We needed to schedule around his flag football game and getting back to school Monday morning.  St. Louis seemed like a perfect fit as it was a quick 75 minute flight.

We arrived at our hotel early Saturday evening just in time to walk over to the St. Louis Cardinals' game.  We already crossed this one off our list a few years ago, but decided to go anyhow since we were in town.  We tried a few people selling tickets on the street, but the prices were ridiculous so we purchased standing-room-only tickets at the gate and had a great time.  Most of our time was spent walking around the stadium and enjoying the 80 degree weather.  We did manage to find a seat in the outfield late in the game for a few innings.

On Sunday morning we walked to the Gateway Arch for a quick visit to the museum and a ride to the top.  I will say that if anyone is planning a trip to downtown St. Louis, I would recommend the Hyatt.  We took a cab from the airport, but once there we could walk to everything - Cardinal baseball game, Rams' football game and the Arch.

Finally, it was onto the main attraction - Ryan's first NFL game.  I cannot describe how excited he was for this experience.  He was a bit nervous as well because at times the crowds were a bit overwhelming (particularly when you are 4-feet tall).  A huge portion of the crowd was Cowboy fans, in fact, there were many times during the game that if you didn't know it, you might think you were in Dallas.  One time in particular, there was a very loud "Defense!" chant within the building, but the Rams were on offense....kinda strange.

Rams' fans had a lot to cheer about early in the game.  The Rams took the opening kick-off and drove down the field for a TD.  It was quickly followed by a long 50-yard TD and then an interception for another TD.  By the time the Cowboys woke up midway through the 2nd quarter, they were down 21-0.  However, they chipped away at the lead and cut it to 21-10 by half-time.  After a 68-yard TD pass to Dez Bryant (who was open by about 30 yards and from our seats in the upper deck you could see the whole play develop) and another field-goal, the Cowboys were only down 1 at the end of the 3rd quarter.  The Rams' fans started to get real quiet and the Cowboy fans were beginning to take over the stadium.

With about 6 minutes to go, the Cowboys took a 3-point lead and quickly extended that to 10 with an interception returned for a TD.  The Rams scored quickly and then held the Cowboys on downs to get the ball back with one last chance, but fell short due to a late game interception.  We got to witness a little bit of Cowboy history as it matched the largest comeback ever for the team.  Overall, this was a great game with lots of scoring and big plays (which is important to keep a 7-year-old's attention) - 2 interceptions returned for a TD and two passing TDs over 50 yards.  The experience was great and one I hope Ryan will remember for a long time.

A few comments about the stadium itself.  I would rank it in the lower tier of places I have visited.  The benefit is that it is easy to get to from downtown.  On one side is the city, but on the other side it is pretty run down and surrounded by abandon buildings.  We of course did not venture over to these parts of the city, but could see them as we traveled back to the airport.  Inside the stadium is kind of plain....it is basically a big, round dome with a carpet field.  I did however have some good St. Louis style Bar-BQ for lunch and the largest souvenir cup I have ever seen (8 1/2 inches tall) .  The truth is, by the time I finish my tour of all the sports venues, the Rams will probably be located somewhere else (if they stay in St. Louis, this stadium has to go).  One observation Ryan and I made at the game was that the majority of the seats are red.  This seemed very strange for a team with blue and gold colors, but after some investigation we realized that the stadium was built in the early 1990's in an effort to lure the New England Patriots there.

High-scoring games always mean more money donated to charity.  In this case, $65 to the Jimmy V Foundation.  Unfortunately, it was the 4th straight loss for the home team in which I have watched.  Current record is 24-16.

I encourage you to donate. http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/christopher-apel/christopherapel
 
You can find a lot more photos on my Facebook page.