COACH85
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Posts posted by COACH85
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1. It was cold, not freezing but cold. Cold enough where we thought it would be a good idea to leave at halftime because we thought it might be too much for our little guy.
2. 7th Row Seats from field in Lower Section are a little too low and we would have been much better off up higher to see better and also for quick exits when needed. THOSE WERE ALOT OF WIDE STEPS TO GET BACK TO THE CONCOURSE!
3. We now know where Hammers Lot is but since we started off on the other side of the Stadium (Entrance 5), we didn't make it to Hammers.
4. The Concourses are even smaller then I remembered and the bathrooms are seriously outdated, HOLY SMOKES! It was a challenge getting out of their at halftime but we made it AND NO BEER SPILLED ON ANY OF US! LOL
5. We were surrounded by rowdy and cool fans who all acted appropriately cheering for our beloved Bills. Only 1 guy behind me with his 10 year old son seemed to ruin things just a little with his constant use of Mother F periodically throughout the game.
Nice example for your son! I wonder how he will be with his kids when he grows up.
6. The food was MUCH BETTER at the Sabres game. Maybe we just visited the wrong vendors but thats what it seemed like.
7. It really was a challenge to carry the little guy from parking lot, holding him the entire game, back and forth to bathroom once, and then back out to our car outside lot 5. Ahhhh, but it was well worth it this time!
8. The playing field looked awesome and the stadium itself looked better then I remember but I still can't get over those tiny concourses that have people packed in their like sardines during halftime.
9. The Bills Store to buy clothes and merchandise was terrible inside the gates. Better selection outside the gates. THAT was a first for me at ANY Pro Sports Team Stadium or Arena.
10. The Horrible, Negative Experience we were told we would have if we brought our child DID NOT happen. Everyone was cool around us, even thought it was great we were "breaking our kid in early" as a Bills fan.
Summary - We had a great time at Bills and Sabres although inside arena at Sabres game front row behind goalie was more comfortable. The Bills Stadium was rocking and so glad my wife and kid got to experience it for the first time.
MY WIFE WAS SOOOOOOOOO IMPRESSED WITH WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO BE AT A BILLS HOME GAME! She can't wait to go again in the future!
BUT, most members were right about bringing our child. Its doable, but VERY challenging and although nothing happened or came close to any problems, we will be leaving him home next time.
We will leave our son and expecting child home with relatives and make the 1 hour flight to Buffalo just the two of us. We will be able to stay for the entire Bills and Sabres games and not leave at start of 3rd period (Sabres) or Halftime (Bills) due to child starting to get cranky, weather conditions, or both. We were glad we took our son though and will have pictures and memories to last a lifetime. It was definitely a learning experience though in the process! LOL
Dressing warm and the noise canceling headphones were the 2 best ideas for both games. GO BILLS AND SABRES!
P.S. Unfortunately, our son also experienced how the Bills play their heart out only to find a way to lose the game in the end. I'm hoping and expecting this to turnaround very soon!
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We're Here!
Can't find Hammers Lot though! Lol
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We're parked by Drive 5 Entrance.
Trying to find Hammers Lot for Forum Members!
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If you leave around 8:30, you will get there in about 20 minutes. Just go right down transit, forget the thruway. The stadium will be right on your left. Transit turns into southwestern. Just stay on that. If your parking there & want to get out right away your best option is parking in lot 5. That is right on thelfet hand side right in front of the stadium. The lots open at 9.
Thanks for the advice. We probably would have taken the Thruway if you didn't suggest differently. I think we might have to skip the "American side" of the Falls though early Sunday morning if we need to leave that early. We already saw the Falls from the Canadian side two summers ago and don't think we'll have time to see the American side AND get back to The Ralph early enough. I guess we'll just have to see what time we can get out of our hotel in the morning.
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Get there as early as you can so you can enjoy the whole experience. Public lots around the stadium open at 9am and that's usually when the fun begins. There are several ways out of the stadium area, so it depends on where you're staying. I used to park in Lot 2 but that was before the new parking rules. Wherever you park, you'll have a good time, no doubt.
We're staying right by the airport. I'm not even sure how long it takes to get to The Ralph from there.
I'll be at both games, too. The Sabres store inside the FNC pretty much has anything & everything you'd want. A bit pricey, but a solid collection of gear.
I'd like to know the best place for Bills stuff would be, so I'm interested in hearing from some of the locals. I'll be in the Lockport area Saturday afternoon.
Can't wait!!!
Cool, my wife wants a Sabres jersey as I'll be wearing my own already! We're gonna get our 1 year old one too if they have them. He already has a Bills little jersey though.
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It's going to be about 40 and sunny. No snow. A great day for football.
Average high is 52 on 4 November
Yikes, we aren't thrilled about the predicted temp of 37 but we also know it could be a heck of a lot worse too.
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Thank you forum members for all your feedback on Bills game day things to know and expect for our trip. We are so psyched for a weekend full of Sabres and Bills. Only bright spot of Sabres starting off the season losing has been decently priced seats for game tomorrow night 1st row behind goalie against glass. Will any of you be there too? Good thing we got the boy noise canceling headphones and a hat to go over top of them as well! We will already have some warm gear but if we want more then that and are looking for warm Bills/Sabres stuff, where is the best TEAM stores for both teams? Will they have any infant warm coats, gloves, etc... Is there any place in or around Buffalo we should shop before the game or are the best things to buy with most choices at the Stadium and Arena itself? Price is not a concern as long as we have more and better choices. Also, any suggestions on best routes in and out of stadium as well as where to best park our Rent-A-Car. How early should we get there, 2-3 hours?? Hoping to meet up with some of you members if you're Tailgating before game. My 4th Bills home game but my wife's FIRST AND IT WAS HER IDEA TO PLAN THIS! She hasn't stopped talking about it. We couldn't ask for a better game to go to. I just hope the weather stays decent even though it will be a little cold. Really thinking the Bills will win this one as long as we can win the turnover battle and also keep Tuel off the field!
Thanks again guys! WE'RE PSYCHED!!! -
Thanks plenzmd1, I appreciate the feedback. I didn't even consider rain gear since it wasn't in the forecast but I better get some just in case. Wind I expect though at The Ralph!Coach, first off, they are lucky to get Buffalo weather correct one day in advance let alone 5. Second, always bring rain gear with you, and I mean always, when you are traveling like you are....or be prepared to buy in Buffalo if you do not have any.
it will be cold for your little one. Wind and cloud cover will be critical factors.if you can spend the extra and get clubs, be a good idea....If you not bringing the little one...42 is not cold at all and I would keep current seats
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Haven't been to a Bills home game since a few years back when they knocked off the Texans in a Home Opener. Is 42 degrees considered pretty normal weather for first week of November up there? I have only been to 4 Bills home games and they were all in September. I wonder if we should keep our 40 yard line tickets less then 10 rows from field or should I try and exchange with someone who has Club Seats and pay them the difference? 42 degrees doesn't seem too bad. Can't wait for this game. Really think the Bills are gonna knock off the Chiefs and Bills fans will definitely contribute towards making things tough for the Chiefs offense!
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Exactly Gary! We knew that with our next due in March and the weather starting to get colder, this would be our last chance to attend a Bills and Sabres game for quite awhile. Taking 1 toddler to a pro game is tough enough, TWO WOULD BE TOO MUCH! Lol
I think part of the reason hes pretty well behaved is because he's just used to going now. Grant it that it hasn't been The Ralph but we will not be blind to what's going on around us. If we sense a bad situation around us, we will just have to remove ourselves from that area/situation. BUT I'm sure as heck not gonna give up on this being a positive experience with our child just because some other people say it will be. We will be looking to exchange our 7th row Lower Level seats though for Club Level seats if we can find a taker and pay them a reasonable difference. We don't mind moving back if it increases the chances of a better overall experience for our child.
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I also hope i'm not sitting next to you also. Thanks for understanding!
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P.S. I'm done responding to the negative feedback. Everyone has their own opinion. U never once heard me tell other people what they should or shouldn't do with their own child. Its their decision. I do TOTALLY APPRECIATE all the helpful members though who are supportive and trying to help make our experience great, YOU'RE AWESOME! Us three will see u at the Sabres and Bills this weekend!!!Ask the people next to you how the experience was...I get the feeling that thought never crossed your mind.
Also, what the hell does a picture of your kid have to do with it? It seems like you're really trying hard to get positive feedback.
Hope the negative naysayers aren't sitting next to our brat!
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I can't ask the people next to me how the experience was, the game hasn't started yet. But according to you its already suppose to be a horrifying experience for them because of our 1 year old terror!Ask the people next to you how the experience was...I get the feeling that thought never crossed your mind.
Also, what the hell does a picture of your kid have to do with it? It seems like you're really trying hard to get positive feedback.
I can guarantee you if it was a 1 year old relative or close friends son of yours, and you knew the kid in a positive way, and the parents told you they were taking him, you wouldn't all be so ready to judge so negatively.
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Given the Chiefs status of the only unbeaten team left & the mindsight of at least most fans that this is the Bills last chance & a must win if they want to play any meaningfull games after Veterans day & have any impact in the wild card race, if the Bills are competitive the Ralph will be rocking Sunday afternoon.
This is the picture of our son who is "supposedly" putting his life on the line to see a Bills game.
See that, he's harmless! LOL
and family
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Thanks buddy. P.S. WE WILL BEAT THE KC CHIEFS ON SUNDAY!baseball games and preseason football are different beasts than regular season football. like i said, still overwhelming odds all is ok but i would not use a preseason football game as a barometer of what to expect. based on all that game action in the last year though, im assuming youve been to regular season games before, and like i said it seems like you are taking precautions, so best wishes all around. definitely wasnt trying to throw anything negative at you in it, as much as discuss what my thought process would be.
although given the current state of the franchise it may be a bit subdued at 3-5 with a backup qb etc....
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Funny how we've taken him to 3 baseball games, 1 football game, 2 hockey games and ALL HAVE BEEN POSITIVE, FUN AND UNEVENTFUL SITUATIONS. Everyone is making it sound like taking our kid to The Ralph is an Unsafe, Uncomfortable, Out of Control, Negative experience to see a football game. I don't believe thats true and although I'm sure we "might" see some unruly behavior, we'll be sure to remove ourselves from that area, even if it means moving from our seat if we feel like we are putting our child in harms way. I give the Bills fans more credit then that though and I think they will be fun and engaging and my son will love every minute of it. If not, off to the Concourse!!!!I think you inadvertently hit the issue most have - do you really take a kid to a situation where people are expected to get rowdy and loud and out of control enough that a kid would go unnoticed/not thought of?
I don't think that's kid hate, as much as kid love and wanting to see the little guy make it through healthy happy and safe.
I also think its fair to discuss the potential impact on parents experience and the person in the seat next to them.
While odds are overwhelming he makes it through fine, if it's primarily for my own entertainment that I'm bringing him- I'd likely say it's not worth the risk to him, don't mean that to be any barb towards the OP - parenting is individual and I wouldn't claim to always right and it seems there are precautions being taken.
P.S. You think my wife and I won't be up cheering and screaming over exciting plays? Just another reason why we bought him the noise canceling headphones. LOL
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I much rather sit next to a 1 year old behaved child who is doing nothing more then taking in the game and watching everything going around him or her then sitting next to someone who is obnoxious, cursing, spilling beer on me, taking up extra elbow room, etc….I'm not thinking of drunken vermin when considering this post. I just wouldn't want to sit next to any 1 year old at a football game.The kid certainly isn't going to enjoy it or remember it for that matter. Kind of narcissistic behavior on the part of the adults if you ask me. Parenting means sacrifices, accept it and make arrangements. The atmosphere just isn't conducive to toddlers. It's not exactly like going to a G rated movie. Football crowds are loud and generally try to make things miserable for the opponent. It's just rude and a bit egotistical to bring an infant to an NFL football game in anything other than an indoor club seat, or some other special seating area. Bringing a child of that age into the Ralph just defies common sense.
You have to remember, if the child acts up, a good parent will remove them from the situation immediately so as to not ruin things for the paying customer sitting around them. Can u say the same for an adult who is acting up and ruining the game experience for other paying customers?
OH YEAH, gotta have Date Night with the wifey!Up to you ultimately.
Are there times you do leave him behind for adult time?
P.S. My wife is 4 months pregnant. Oh crap, I should have never posted that, now I'm gonna catch heat for bringing my pregnant wife to the Ralph!
We're both hoping to meet up with some Forum Members before game time!
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Yup.
Clearly the OP is more focused on himself and his 'experience' than on what's best for the kid. Modern parenting at its best.
So now we're more focused on ourselves because we rather bring our child with us rather then leave him home? Good one! LOL
I love to hear people stereotype, pass judgement on people AND children whom they have never met.
Well, like I said, everyone entitled to their opinion. Unfortunately, it doesn't really matter though because guess what, we're bringing him to BOTH GAMES!
Do we have noise canceling head phones? Yes
Will he be dressed warm from head to toe? Yes
Will we have to take turns as parents taking him to the concourse for changing, feeding him, or just to keep him busy if he starts to get bored? Yes
Is he allowed in the stadium/arena for Free to attend theses Bills/Sabres games? Um, a Big Fat YES?
Will a loud, obnoxious drunk have a better chance of getting themselves thrown out of the stadium/arena then my child? Oh yes, but then again, its not good to stereotype, right? LOL
Will we be guarded and flexible when it comes to how the day plays out and what changes we might need to make on the fly? Yes, thats parenting at its best.
Will our child remember going to these games? Heck no, but we'll have an AWESOME weekend together and it will be even more enjoyable knowing we have our little guy hanging with us rather then if we left him at home.
You see, there's nothing selfish about enjoying spending time with your child, regardless of how old they are, where you are, what you are doing, etc…
Just being together as a family and having a fun filled getaway weekend to Buffalo to see the Sabres and Bills in a 24hour span is exciting by itself.
To us, NOT taking our child would be SELFISH. We're just glad we're not influenced by some of the negative feedback on this board because if we were, we would have missed out on all the fun, pictures, memories we've had taking our son to 6 other pro sports games already.
I can say though WE'RE EXTREMELY THANKFUL AND GRATEFUL to the wonderful POSITIVE people on this board who have supported us to make whatever decision we feel is right for our own child AND they have reached out to us if we wanted to meet up with them before the game, need help exchanging seats, tips on how to make things more enjoyable or comfortable for our situation, etc….. Those are INCREDIBLE forum members who we look forward to hopefully meeting next weekend. Thanks guys.
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We've been through it before 6 times already, I think we can handle it. Now if I was by myself without the wifey, THEN we might have a problem.count on 6 hours with interruptions of feedings, diaper changes and lots if crying of they are not used to large crowds. plus holding the kid for 3 1/2 hours in the stadium. and fitting in adult potty breaks
that can't be said enough
WE'RE PUMPED FOR NEXT WEEKEND FULL OF SABRES AND BILLS!!!!!
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We're bringing our clear bag that we got at Fed Ex Field from when we went to see the Bills-Skins game this summer.It seems you are 100% set on bringing him - to get back to the original question about whether a ticket is needed ---- maybe getting the third seat would help with some of the issues being discussed? More space for you and the people around you, an area that could be a little buffered in case you end up next to someone sloppy drunk, or a big guy that leaves you feeling crowded.
Also just popped in my head - don't forget the new bag rule when packing things to bring.
We had front row seats on the second level and it was AWESOME and no issues at all although it helped it was an Exhibition game and no one sitting in front of us. LOL
After all the feedback we're thinking of selling our 7th Row seats in the lower section 30 yard line on Stub Hub and buying Club Level seats instead.You don't need a ticket but I'd buy club levels they are not much more and much better crowd with all the luxuries if you need a place to sit and watch the game while he nurses. I have taken my son to bills dolphins games and never had an issue but it's a different scene...
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If we had a newborn baby or infant that was unresponsive to us and unaware of their surroundings, we wouldn't even consider bringing him. But he Is 13 months old. He IS engaging and interactive, aware of his surroundings, and we have fun with him being with us. Other people might have fun with a beer in their hand and a lap full of food, we prefer our son. I've been to the Ralph 3 times before (kidless) and ALL 3 have been great experiences. No, everyone is NOT drunk and out of control and in fact that is the minority. Based on the weekly arrest reports from the stadium though, we r aware of some possible bad eggs in or around the stadium. Hey, if we weren't allowed to bring our 1 year old, we wouldn't, BUT we r allowed to bring him and will. We respect other peoples opinions if they think it's a bad idea but ultimately it's our decision to make and we're BOTH very comfortable with it, especially since we have noise canceling head phones for him.
Yes, he will be dressed extremely warm from head to toe in Bills Red White and Blue. Yes he will be behaved and if he gets restless or disturbing to other fans (which hasn't happened yet in 6 other pro sporting events) we have options to move to the concourse. They still have TV's out their, right? We don't expect to be sitting in our seats for 3 1/2 straight hours, trust me.
Some people have mentioned "The kid will never remember the game, why bring him?"
Well, WE will remember the game fondly and have pictures and memories that will last a lifetime of him being with us. We will be proud to share this with him when he's older, just like all our other pictures, memories, etc from the other games we've taken him to Caps, Wizards, Nationals, Orioles, Redskins/Bills. We're DieHard Bills and Sabres fans and hopefully our son will be so too someday!
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RunTheDamnBall you're AWESOME! Truer words have never been spoken. We've had good luck so far but if he did become a problem, u can bet we would remove ourselves from the situation so as to not bother other paying fans and ruin their experience as well.
Thanks for the support JR in Pittsburgh.
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So now we're lazy and selfish parents because we want to take our 1 year old to a game with us?
Hmmmm, that's a new one.
Oh, by the way, maybe we should stop going to weekly Sunday Mass too because our child might make a little noise or blurt out a little something during a service that is suppose to be very quiet?
Nah, we'll fly with him in our normal seats for FREE quietly for our 1 hour flight AND take him to both games, AND still take him to church on Sundays. The best part of it all, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A GREAT TIME regardless of peoples comments or opinions AND we will be sure to respect the rights and privileges of the people around us as well at all places.
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Um, because we love the Bills and want to go to a Bills game WITH our son.....Seriously.Why would you bring your 1 year old to a Bills game? Seriously.
Second question, if you're sitting next to a fan that drops an F bomb will you complain and ask them to watch their language?
Leave your kids at home!!!! The Ralph isn't Disney land.
I'm surprised by the few negative comments about bringing a 1 year old. All the fans of the professional sporting events we've gone to in the D.C. area have been very supportive of our kid being there wearing the home team clothes. I have to believe most Bills fans would show the same support.
If he's not bothering anyone and watching the game with his parents, whats the problem? Life doesn't stop because we have a 1 year old. I'll be sure to tell you how great of a time we had at BOTH the Bills and Sabres games after our return back home. Don't hate little kids based on their age, you might be surprised of how much better behaved they may be compared to a few adults attending the same game. LOL
10 things we learned from the Bills-Chiefs game with our 1 year old
in The Stadium Wall Archives
Posted
We presently live in Fairfax Virginia but originally from Catskill New York.