Game 41 - Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers @ Soldier Field in Chicago, IL (9/28/2014)

Wow, games on back-to-back weekends.  This time it was a quick trip down to Chicago to meet up with some colleagues in the printing industry.  You can't say no to a Bears / Packers game, particularly when the weather is perfect.  Before the game, we had a great time tailgating....some of these people are really into it as evidenced by the picture of the van (on the left) from one of the guys in our group.  For these rivalry games, the crowds are always energized.  I have witnessed a few of these division rivalries in the past - Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh & Philadelphia vs. NY Giants.  The other thing you will notice at these types of games are that the home team fans far out-number the visitors.  You would think that is obvious, but see my post regarding the Rams game.  Unlike last week's game in St. Louis, this crowd was dominated by the home team.  We live in Wisconsin now so I do cheer for the Packers most of the time.  For this game in particular, I tried to stay impartial out of respect for the Bear's fans that made this trip possible. 

View from our seats.

If you like offense, this was a game to watch.....defensively, these teams are awful - 854 yards of total offense for the two teams combined.  The game started out so promising for the Bears as they took the opening kick-off and drove down the field for a TD.  The Packers answered with a TD of their own when they got the ball.  Back and forth they went for much of the 1st half with the Packers taking a 21-17 half-time lead.  However, poor clock management cost the Bears points right before half-time when their tight-end caught the ball over the middle and was stopped at the 1-inch line as time expired.  The 3rd quarter was much of the same with both teams moving the ball up and down the field.  However, it was two costly interceptions by the Bears that stopped drives and allowed the Packers to expand their lead to 31-17.  When it was over, the Packers took home a 38-17 victory.  Rarely do you see a team put up nearly 500 yards of offense and still lose by 21 points, but the Bears did.  In terms of other big numbers, Aaron Rodgers threw 4 TDs; the Packers had two receivers (Nelson and Cobb) over 100 yards and 2 TDs each.  Matt Forte for the Bears ran for 122 yards and eclipsed 10,000 total yards for his career.  In addition, we got to witness a little history - this was only the 2nd time in NFL history in which there were zero punts.  The win was the 700th in Packer history - joining the Bears (732) as the only two franchises with more than 700 regular season wins.

I bet many people didn't know that Soldier Field was built 47 years before the Bears played their first game there in the early 1970's.  Even then it was old and outdated.  In 2003, it was renovated, but honestly, it looks like they just stuck a futuristic glass bowl on top of the stadiums well-known and historic columns.  It is still one of the smallest stadiums in the league, seating just over 60,000.

What I will say about this stadium is that the location is one of my favorites.  Signs around the stadium label it "The Stadium in a Park," which it truly is.  Granted it was late September and the weather was still in the 70's, but the location is terrific.  I parked in a lot down-town about a mile away and walked through the park and past the Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum and Navy Pier to get there.  Spectacular.  Those that attend in the middle of winter probably have a much different perspective, but for me it was a great experience.  On a side note, Soldier Field has the best cell phone / data service I have experienced at any of the other 40 venues I have visited.  

A special thanks to Mike Carfagnini for the opportunity to see Da Bears.

Another high-scoring game, which means that I will donate another $55 to the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research.  I encourage you to donate. http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/christopher-apel/christopherapel

See more photos on my Facebook page.

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.

A Tribute to Joe Martin

From the outside, it may look like this goal of mine to see all of these games is a bit selfish.  However, it has turned out to be so much more than that.  It has resulted in creating incredible memories with my family; reconnecting with friends; making new friends and most importantly - allowing me to do my small part to raise money for a cause I believe is so important - Cancer Research.

When I was young, I watched my father battle cancer.  In recent years I have seen my grandfather and uncle pass away as a result of this disease and my mother-in-law is in the midst of her own battle.

This month a friend of ours passed away after a very courageous battle - Joe Martin.  Since moving to Wisconsin, Deb, the kids and I got to know Joe and his incredible family very well.  Deb and Joe were officers together on the elementary school PTO and developed a very good friendship and working relationship.  Joe and I coached baseball together where I watched him show extreme patience with 5 & 6 year-old boys, teaching them not only the skills of the game, but more importantly respect for teammates, coaches and opponents.  He never was frustrated and always had a smile on his face and a way to make the kids laugh.  This past summer I also coached his son (Nick, who is Ryan's buddy) for the 2nd year of baseball.

Over these few years, Deb has become friends with Joe's wife, Sue and Taylor with his daughter, Michelle. 

Joe, the community of Mequon, WI will truly miss you.  Please keep the Martin family in your thoughts and prayers.

http://www.schmidtandbartelt.com/obituaries/detail.aspx?id=7930

Game 39 - Minnesota Wild

Minnesota Wild vs. Detroit Red Wings @ Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN (3/22/2014)

It seems it has become an annual tradition now for Ryan and I to go somewhere for a game or two while Taylor has her birthday party / sleep-over.  She certainly doesn't want her little brother hanging around and he certainly doesn't want to be at her party with 13 11-year-old girls....give him a few years :).  Therefore, my job is to take him out of town.  Last year we went to Dallas to see the Mavericks and Stars.  This year, we drove to Minneapolis / St. Paul to see the Minnesota Wild and visit the Mall of America.  This was our 2nd game in just 8 days, as Ryan and I got to see the Orlando Magic the previous Friday night during our trip to Disney.  Unfortunately in Florida it was 80 degrees and in Minnesota it was 8.

An interesting stat about this game....although it was just the 39th (out of 122 needed) game on my tour, I have officially seen more than 50% (62 out of 122) of the teams when you count both home and away teams at the venues I have visited. 

Xcel Energy is a very nice arena if you are not afraid of heights.

Normally being in the upper level does not bother me, but this was the steepest arena I've been to yet and I was a bit nervous navigating the stairs.  The picture on the right kind of shows you what I mean about steep as that is Ryan a few steps ahead of me.  Needless to say, the view of the ice was great even from these seats.  The rest of the arena was extremely clean, well designed and easy to navigate.  I felt parking was a bit of a challenge for a first-timer.  There is a very large parking structure across the street that was convenient....once you found it.

Ryan and I spent a great deal of time (as we usually do) walking around the venue taking in the various displays.  They claim Minnesota is the #1 hockey state.  I don't know if that is a fact, but this venue sure likes to show off their hockey legacy.  From historical displays to lots of jerseys from various local teams to the "Hockey Mom Hall of Fame."

One observation that Ryan made was that there was no Wild logo at center ice.  This was something I didn't even noticed, but after doing a little research, we discovered that shortly after our game, the Big 10 was playing their hockey championship at this venue (which was won by Wisconsin), therefore, there was a Big 10 logo at center ice.

As for the game, both teams were still battling for playoff position.  Minnesota scored first, but after two periods they found themselves down 2-1.  However, just 15 seconds into the 3rd period Minnesota scored on a penalty shot (first time I have witnessed one in person).  In the end, Detroit scored one more time in the 3rd to secure a 3-2 win.  Oh well, Ryan and I had a blast.  After the game, we went to the Mall of America, particularly so he could go to the huge Lego store.  A great time!

Unfortunately, it was the 3rd straight loss of the home teams in which I have watched.  Current record is 24-15 and another $5 to the Jimmy V Foundation.  Every little bit helps.

I encourage you to donate. http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/christopher-apel/christopherapel

Games 38 - Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic vs. Washington Wizards @ Amway Center in Orlando, FL (3/14/2014)


In mid-March, the family went to Disney World for vacation.  On the last night of the trip, Ryan and I attended a Magic game in downtown Orlando.  After a full day at the parks, Ryan was a bit tired, but managed to make it through the game before falling asleep on the way back to the resort. 

Amway Center is a great arena once you are inside.  It is well designed, with plenty of room to move around, lots of shops and extremely clean.  As for the location, perhaps it is just my GPS directions, but on the way there we went through some pretty rough neighborhoods just a few blocks away.  This makes for a little nervous driving (especially when stopped at a light in the dark), on the way home.  I caution anyone going to keep this in mind.

The staff at Amway Center is by far the nicest / friendliest staff I have experienced anywhere.  Everyone we ran into was extremely pleasant and helpful.  The food....well, I wasn't impressed.  How could you not try something called the "OMG Hot Dog?"  It was a hot dog, wrapped in pastrami and covered in cheese, sauerkraut and potato straws.  Needless to say, I was not impressed.

The arena has an excellent "museum" area on the 1st level.  Ryan and I spent a good portion of the 2nd quarter checking out the history of the franchise, memorabilia and many other items on display. 

In addition, they offer a pretty incredible children's play area, complete with mini basketball courts and playground.  Ryan loved it and took some time to work on his dunking skills on the 5-foot rims.  The place was so popular, that we had to wait in line to get in, which we were used to by now from spending an entire week at Disney / Universal Studios.  Part of the entire experience of going to these games, particularly when I really don't care about many of the teams is to check out all of the ancillary stuff at the games.  I have not run across anything that tops the Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame Museum, but this section at Amway was pretty cool.

Our seats were in the upper deck, but still a very good view of the action.  We sat next to an older couple that were extremely knowledgeable about not only the Magic, but the NBA in general.  They were very kind and friendly to Ryan.  The Magic is one of the worst teams in the NBA, but they put up a good fight against the Wizards, who are fighting for one of the final playoff spots.  The arena itself was rather empty as seen from the photo on the left, which was right before tip-off.  In the end, the Wizards prevailed 105-101 in overtime.  $206 more for charity!

I encourage you to donate. http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/christopher-apel/christopherapel

Game 37 - Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers @ Lambeau Field (12/22/2013)

Well, if you are going to do Lambeau Field, you should do it right.  It all sounded like a great idea back in early fall when plans were made.  Waking up on game-day to a blizzard, 6-9 inches of snow expected, 30 mph winds and low 20 degrees made me think I was crazy.  However, I  learned that 20 articles of clothing is enough to keep me warm throughout most of the game.  The only thing that really got cold were my toes.  We got lucky because the wind was blowing in the other direction and was not really a factor.  The snow however never really stopped.  When you are there, it did not seem as bad as it appeared on TV, but gradually the field went from brown to white by the end of the game.  Because the field it heated, you can no longer call it the frozen tundra, but field was kind of a nasty looking brown. 

The one thing I will recommend is that if you go to a game at Lambeau in this kind of weather, a seat cushion is a must.  The aluminum benches are extremely cold and suck the heat right out of you....just ask the guys attending with me.  My Steeler seat came in handy.  Attending the game with me was my cousin Brian Apel, his college roommate and his brother.  All of us are Steeler fans, and like most games, Steeler fans travel well and there were plenty of terrible towels waiving.  Packer fans are some of the nicest fans I have encountered; as well as the most football-intelligent.  They treated us with mutual respect and were never really mean-spirited toward us at all.

Our seats were in the lower half of the upper deck, in the end-zone facing the scoreboard.  The view was very good, particularly since a good portion of the scoring happened right in front of us all day long.

This was a very important game for both teams who are fighting for their playoff lives.  In all honesty, I figured the Steelers would be eliminated by kickoff, but each of the teams they needed to lose in the early games did; thus keeping them in the hunt for a little longer.

The Packers were hit pretty hard by injuries in this game.  Not only was Rogers still out from his shoulder injury (a whole separate story / controversy in and of itself), but they lost RB Lacy and LB Matthews durng the game.  At half-time the Packers led 14-10, but the Steelers surged to a 10 point lead by the end of 3rd quarter thanks to 3 TDs, including an interception return.


The Steelers had a chance to break it wide-open in the 3rd quarter when they blocked a FG, but in the scramble, they were penalized for batting it out of bounds.  I still think the refs got this call wrong and they took forever to figure it out.

In the 4th quarter, the Packers roared back to tie the game at 31-31.  The crowd was alive with excitement and Steeler fans were nervous as a loss would ensure them a losing season.  With 3 minutes to go, the Packers started at their own 8-yard line with a chance to make a game-winning drive; however, Troy Polamalu forced a fumble deep in Packers' territory to give the Steelers a chance to seal the win.  On 4th down, the Steelers were about to kick the go-ahead FG, but a penalty on the Packers gave them an automatic 1st down.  A few plays later the Steelers scored a TD, but it left the Packers a lot of time. 

I disagreed with Tomlin's philosophy in this case and thought he should have knelt on the ball, run the clock down to a few seconds and kicked a game winning FG.  After a huge 66-yard kick off return, the Packers had plenty of time to mount a game-tying TD, but a costly penalty and poor clock management allowed the Steelers to sneak out a 38-31 win.  The Steelers are still alive for the playoffs...so are the Packers.

As for the venue itself, it is Lambeau Field....a must for any real football fan.  It's history allows you to overlook things like overly crowded concourses, extremely long restroom lines and a very small scoreboard.  I tend to like more modern venues, but recent improvements and pure nostalgia allow me to rank it near the top of my favorites.....it is the Fenway park of football.

This concludes the 4th year of my quest to hit all 122 professional team venues.  37 completed and nearly $4,000 raised for cancer research.  Please visit my fundraising page. I encourage you to donate. http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/christopher-apel/christopherapel

Games 34, 35 & 36

What do you get when you take a bunch of old college buddies, 4 rather bad football teams, 3 venues , 2 airports, 1 hockey game, 1 3-legged dog and 1 one-eyed dog?.....A great weekend!  How can you complain when most of us flew out of cold, ice and snow to palm trees and 80 degrees?

Game 34 - Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Houston Texans (12/5/2013) - EverBank Field, Jacksonville, FL

Attending the game:  Aaron Depew, Matt Boyle and me.  This was a rather exciting game given the fact these two teams had a combined record of 5-19.  Rumor was you could get tickets right before gametime for less than $10.  Oh well, we purchased our tickets months ago, the price was reasonable for lower level near the goal line. 

The "helmet catch"

Jaguars' fans were excited for a Thursday Night game.  A win over the Texans would mean their first home win in more than a year.  Jax jumped out to an early lead, scoring on some good passing (including a great catch down the middle that made ESPN Top 10) and a WR pass for a TD.  The Texan's brought in former starting QB, Matt Schaub, to help lead a comeback.  You could sense some nervousness in the crowd as the Texans closed to within 7 points, but a costly interception sealed the win for Jacksonville (27-20).  The Texans walked away with their 11th straight loss and are now in the lead for the #1 pick (so they've got that going for them).

A few interesting observations from the game itself:
1.  The Texans played a very sloppy game - committing 14 penalties for 177 yards (a franchise record). 
2.  Andre Johnson from the Texans catches everything.  He finished with 13 catches for 154 yards.
3.  Jacksonville Linebacker Paul Posluszny is a tackling machine.  It seemed like he was in on every play.  13 tackles and a forced fumble.
4.  The Texans fired their coach, Gary Kubiak, the next day.

People-watching at these games is great, particularly for us northerners who enjoyed the 60 degree Florida night in shorts and tee-shirts while the locals wore jeans and jackets.  EverBank Field is a pretty good venue.  Nothing particularly special about it, but you've got to love the warm weather venues with their large open air concourse areas that make them feel much bigger.  One small oddity to note was the "airport-like" concession stands where you walk by a bunch of coolers and pick out your food and drink.  I did enjoy the entrance of Jaxson, the mascot, as he slid on a wire from one side of the stadium to the other, then lowered himself down to the field (photo on left).  I like the new Jacksonville helmets as well - the two-toned looks gives a bit of an arena football feel, but they look pretty cool.

After spending the night in Jacksonville, we headed to Orlando to pick up our friend, Chris Petersen.  While on the way, we decided to stop into St. Augustine (founded in 1565) to tour this old small town and fort.  On Saturday morning, Chris Petersen and Aaron Depew ran a 1/2 marathon though Orlando before we headed to Tampa for more games.


Game 35 - Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Winnipeg Jets (12/7/2013) - Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa, FL

We picked up a few other buddies before attending the Lightning game on Saturday night.  Joining

the group were Joe Mertz and Scott Rowles.

The first observation about this game....the crowd was dead.  No matter how hard they tried to get them pumped up, they just didn't seem to care.  Once again we had good seats in the lower level behind the goalie.  It is a pretty good venue with plenty of room to move around on the lower deck; however, when I went to the upper deck, it is a bit crowded. 


The two best features of this facility are over the ice.  As seen on the left, they actually produce lightning.  There are two of these large "lightning rods" hanging from the roof in the facility that go off at the beginning of each period.  The other great feature is the scoreboard itself.  Incredible video screens on all four sides - one of the best I have seen yet.

One thing that was a little strange was when I walked into a men's restroom with no urinals.....before you even ask....yes, I was in the men's room.  This was a first.

As for the game itself, there was not much scoring, but there was a good deal of fighting.   I also saw a referee take a puck off the leg....I'm guessing that hurts.  The Jets ended up winning the game 2-1 in overtime.  In the games I have attended, this was the first loss by the home team in 9 games.



Game 35 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Buffalo Bills (12/8/2013) - Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL


Bye the way, nice shirt Joe!

Attending the game:  Matt Boyle, Aaron Depew, Joe Mertz, Chris Petersen and me.  This is a great venue.  Seriously, how can you go wrong with a stadium that has palm trees, pirate-dressed gate attendants and a pirate ship too.  In all the games I have been to, the pirate ship is the single best "extra" feature at a venue I have seen.  It is a cool addition to an already great place to watch football; however, if you sit close to it, a word of warning....it is loud!  They also offer free refills on soda and popcorn, which is a first for me at any venue.

The stadium is very easy to get to as it is kind of out in the way; therefore, very little congestion.  We took a 5-minute cab ride from our hotel.  The only downside that I discovered was trying to walk around the pirate ship.  It is a pinch point for the crowd and is extremely congested - taking way too long to walk from one side to the other before the game, at half-time or after the game - someone should look into solving that problem.  Again we had good seats in the lower level near the goal line.  The weather was in the mid-80s and I will not complain about the slight sunburn considering the next day it was 8 degrees when I landed in Milwaukee.

Like the Jacksonville / Texans game on Thursday, these two teams are near the bottom of the league with a combined record of 7-17.  However, by watching the Buccaneers on this particular day, you wouldn't know it.  They scored on the 2nd play of the game with an 80-yard TD run and never looked back.  This was the fastest scoring play in Tampa Bay history to start a game (just 18 seconds into the game).  Tampa Bay's defense dominated by forcing 5 turnovers and sacking the QB 7 times.  The Bills didn't help matters by committing 11 penalties.  Very sloppy.

The Buccaneers ended up winning 27-6 and may have just saved coach Schiano's job.....for now.

36 games now completed out of 122.   My record for the home teams is 24-12.  My next scheduled game is the Green Bay Packers vs. Pittsburgh Steeler (12/22/2013) in Green Bay - I'm guessing this game is not going to be in the mid-80s.

I want to send a special thank you to all the guys that attended the games with me:  Matt Boyle (thanks for setting up the hotels); Aaron Depew; Joe Mertz (thanks for the ride to Tampa); Chris Petersen; and Scott Rowles (thanks for a place to stay and the entertainment from a 3-legged dog and 1-eyed dog).

83 points scored in these game and another $83 for the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research.  Please visit my fundraising page. I encourage you to donate. http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/christopher-apel/christopherapel