Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Saints weekend Part 2

Now that is a beautiful score, just saying.


So, we got up, got ready, packed, took everything out to the car and went to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. We each guessed what the score would be, I said 20 to 17 he said, oh shoot now I can't remember what he said. I think he first guessed 20 to 7 and changed it to 27 to 10, but I'm not sure and he's sleeping right now. I'll find out and fix it later. Anyway, mine was closest, too bad we didn't bet on it.

We got there almost two hours early. Bought a Browns mini helmut. We started this thing last year. Our goal is to eventually get to every stadium. It'll take years of course because it'll only be Saints games we'll be going to but that's ok. Anyway, at every new stadium we're buying a mini helmut of the opposing team. Last year was the Green Bay Packers. We had also bought a mini helmut from the Hall of Fame that'll go with the rest.

Me in our seats

After buying the helmut we took our seats. 10th row in the corner of the field. But that was good, we were at the tunnel the Saints went in and out of. I sat and watched our things while H Ditty went down around the 50 yard line to take some pictures. While he was there the 1st person that would cause us grief reared his ugly head. He didn't say anything to me but every time a Saints player would leave or go onto the field this guy yelled, "Katrina! Katrina!" That was it. The first time he did I turned because, well, that's my name. But I noticed he was yelling at the players, yelling this as an insult. I couldn't believe it, what an ass, plus it doesn't make sense. He did it about 3 times before H Ditty got back, when he did I told him about it and said that I was ready to turn around and say, "I'm right here, you don't need to keep shouting, what do you want." Or something to that effect but I didn't.

2nd guy
The 2nd guy seemed to be drunk before the game even began. I can't remember much of anything he said except that the Browns were basically going to wipe the field with the Saints. Yeah, that didn't happen. This guy was more amusing than anything though. He was rude as all get out and pretty angry with his talking but I was amused by it. That 1st guy was just a complete moron.

Then there was a 3rd guy. I don't remember anything he said but I do know he was an ass.

The 2nd guy H Ditty talked back and forth with throughout the game. Most of the time having a good time sharing the barbs.

The people that were sitting immediately around us were very nice though. Most of them were season ticket holders, as the 3 assholes were. The guy sitting next to me was telling us how 2nd guy actually was threatened a few years back that he would lose his tickets if he didn't watch himself. I guess he could and would get very belligerent towards the visitors. He said for the next two years this guy would just sit in his seat all hunkered down not saying anything, figured he must have been on meds and watching himself. In fact, that's what he said first to me, that the guy must be off his meds again, I thought he was joking until he continued to talk.

I've never stood up and sat down so much during a game in my life. I don't know if Browns fans normally do this or if it's just because it was the home opener so they were more excited or if it's because it was such an intense game but my God it never ended. I'd want to sit back down and the family in front of us would stay standing. Then they'd finally sit to just turn right around and stand back up two minutes later.

But it was a great game. H Ditty had his camera ready everytime they were in the red zone by us just hoping for a Reggie Bush touchdown. Never came though. At the last two minutes of the 1st quarter it would've been great, we were all ready for it they were on our end. But they ended up running so much time off that the next thing we know they're walking down to the other end. That sucked. But they ended up not getting a touchdown anyway, field goal though. So it's all good.

OH MY GOD! I'm home now and just typed a bunch of stuff and Pretty Boy came up wanting love and hit a button or two and wiped it all out. A good 15, 20 minutes worth of remembering and typing. Now I'll have to try to remember what I wrote. Although, in some ways it may be good. Maybe I can figure out how to consolidate what I wrote.

I don't remember a lot about the game. I guess that's what I get for waiting so long to write it down. Although if you're a fan you more than likely saw the game and if you're not you don't give a shit and probably aren't reading this anyway.

But I do know there were many intense moments. There were quite a few times the Browns were ready to get another 1st down or score but the Saints shut 'em down. There were many times that the Saints were ready to get another 1st down or score and it didn't happen. Too many times they should've gotten a touchdown and had to settle for a field goal. Although, they still won the game so better a field goal than nothing. Reggie looked ok, Breeze looked ok so I guess it's all good.

Throughout the game the 3 guys were basically being assholes. 1st guy would still yell out "Katrina!" every now and then. At one point the Saints challenged a ruling. The guy shouts out something like, "Oh you want a challenge? Do you want to challenge Katrina, do you want a replay on that?" Just absolutely stupid! H Ditty says, "I don't know, let's ask her, Katrina do you want a challenge, do you want a replay?" I said that yes, I actually agreed with the challenge that was going on on the field. The guy sitting next to me asked if that really was my name and when I said that yes it was a few other people around us turned to look at me.

At one point near the end of the game the Browns pulled off a 1st down or something big anyway and the 3rd guy and H Ditty said a few things, smiling all the while. H Ditty goes over to high five the guy and he completely snubs him, crosses his arms even. Total baby about it.


At the end, when it was clear they wouldn't win, H Ditty goes over to 2nd guy, who out of all 3 said and did worse things, and talked to him, said good game and went to shake his hand. This guy actually did it, I was amazed and ended up with a little respect for him. On H Ditty's way back to our seats, 1st guy starts yelling at him all angrily, "Fuck you, go home, get the fuck outta here." etc. One of the two cops that had walked down to the end of the stairs about 10 minutes before goes up to him and has some words. The guy shut up after that, didn't say another word to us. In fact, I don't think he said much of anything.

But as I said, the people around us were much nicer and friendlier. At the end as people were leaving the stadium there were some who as they walked past us said good game. There was even one lady who actually stopped to say it and that she hoped we had a good time and enjoyed ourselves. We thought that was very nice.

They start

Almost directly overhead

They leave

The fighter pilots

Over all it was a good time. Lee Greenwood sang Proud to be an American while the military held up a huge flag that covered most of the field. After that he sang the anthem. And after that 4 fighter jets flew over, which H Ditty got quite a few pictures of. The half time show was the Ohio State Marching Band. They were pretty good but it was also kind of funny to see. It just doesn't look right a bunch of white people in band uniforms trying to be all funky in their playing and dancing. Now don't get me wrong, they were in synch and had rhythm, for the most part, but it just doesn't look right.

JOE HORN!

We stayed behind after. Went down to the wall with the other Saints fans hoping to get an autograph or two. Joe Horn was about 5 feet from us throwing gloves and stuff up into the stands, but I don't think he signed anything and after he was done just walked right past the rest of us and into the tunnel. Deuce was the last one off the field because he was giving an interview but he didn't do anything either after he was done. But that was ok, H Ditty got pictures.

After, we got in our car and headed home. We had been on the road a couple hours already when we saw the Goodyear blimp heading East. He got some pictures of that too. About an hour outside of Chicago we switched places and he took over driving. The sun had set by the time we were driving through Chicago and the skyline was looking good. At one point I noticed a building in the middle of them all. On the South facing facade specific lights were lit up to have 9 11 going down it. On the West side was the flag. I took a bunch of pictures but this was the only one that you can see it and then not very good.

I wish this had been better

We got our key back from his partner, got home and I pretty much went straight to bed and slept until 10:30ish.

So that was that, good time, glad we went, worth the trip. Now we have this weekend. We'll be driving up Saturday evening with his dad in his RV to Green Bay. Here's to hoping they do to them what the Bears did.

Media quote of the day: Are you ready for some football?! - Hank Williams Jr.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ok, I really do not get the Katrina thing. That is about the same as going up to new yorkers and yelling "9/11, 9/11 ha ha ha" isn't it? That is just sick.

As for visiting stadiums, that's too funny. My husband and I want to visit every baseball stadium. Problem is they keep building new ones to replace the old ones, so some of the cities we have to go back to.

I really hope they beat green bay, because I would love to hit the superdome with two wins under our belts. Can you feel the energy?

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Katrina said...

Oh my God, yes, it's great. There were more fans at Cleveland then I've seen at any Bears/Saints game and I only remember seeing a few last year at the Green Bay game.

I've always played, spot the Saints fans, and was always happy to finally see one. This game we had quite a few around us and everyone seemed very excited.

I can't wait to see how this season pans out.

Katrina said...

Wow, had to delete my first spam comment. Interesting.

Yeah, his so called slam was just completely assinine. Made no sense at all. The guy sitting next to me gave the excuse that they're so far removed from it that they just didn't get the impact. I just said "Oh" to that. Because I couldn't very well call bullshit on him.

Katrina said...

Boy, I can't even spell, that's asinine, but then, assinine isn't so bad either since he was being an ass. Heh

Katrina said...

Hi Susan, thanks for stopping by.

Really, coordinates from there? We saw a fly over at Green Bay last year also but we didn't know it was going to happen until it was too late.

We're hoping it'll happen again this Sunday when we go up.

Anonymous said...

He coordinates the requests, assigns them to a unit/base and then if anything happens incorrectly, he'll have to answer to someone.... lol He likes to hear that they go off well, so I forwarded him the link to this blog the other day... an eye-witness account.
; )
Susan

Katrina said...

That's a trip. Like he has all the control over what happens in the field, geesh.

I'll be posting either sometime during the day today or tonight after I get home from work my trip to Green Bay. Hopefully H Ditty's downloaded the pictures from there by the time I get home. If so I'll be putting up a pic or two of the flyover.