Detroit Lions Home Opener
My dad e-mailed me on Friday to ask if Matt and I wanted to go to the Detroit Lions home opener this weekend. While I have only a vague idea of how football is played, Matt is a huge fan and also a high school football coach so I figured he’d be all over a chance to watch the game live.
I was all over eating brunch first!
We headed to Small Plates in downtown Detroit, which is a small plates (obviously) restaurant near the Detroit Opera House. It’s got a really funky vibe and an interesting menu.
The drinks there were pretty impressive. They made a surprisingly mean cappucino (so good that I regret not asking what kind of coffee they used) and they even had a bloody mary bar where the bartender pours you top-shelf vodka and you dress it up with whatever you fancy. My dad really got into the mixology groove.
Dad playing bartender
The food was good: Matt and my dad’s ladyfriend Silvia particularly appreciated pretzel sliders whereas my dad and I favoured the crabcakes benedict. The atmosphere was great. I would love to go back some time.
Me, Matt, Silvia, Dad at Small Plates
Then we were off to the football game.
Me, Dad, Matt in front of Comerica Park
Ford Field – Home of the Lions
The stadium was packed. Everyone was excited because the Lions actually had a decent season last year, were playing a “crappy” team (the Rams), and were finally given the chance to play a season opener at home.
We had good seats in the end zone, 12 rows from the field. The atmosphere was very exciting and the crowd was really enthusiastic (much more so than at the Tigers game).
I know just enough about the game to follow what’s going on (4 downs to run 10 yards) and I can determine the players positions based on their body type (the linemen are the big guys, the receivers have lean legs, and the quarterback is the tall skinny one). It helped a bit.
Men in tight pants doing something athletic
It’s about a hundred times more interesting to watch live than on TV, since every pass or play looks a lot more impressive when it’s happening right in front of you. But I honestly did get a bit bored by the 3rd quarter and I was starting to fall asleep.
The Lions defense was alright but their brutal passing and the fact that the Rams kept the score tied up for most of the game made it pretty nerve wracking to watch. Not for me, of course, but for my dad and Silvia and all the other Lions fanatics.
Judging by the reactions, something bad was happening at this point (and, frankly, most of the game). Probably an intercepted pass or something. I don’t know.
In the end though, the Lions won by scoring a touchdown in the last 10 seconds of the game to beat the Rams by 4.
Matt and I in Ford Field
It was a fun day, but I was just happy it didn’t go into overtime.
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- e-mail: samanthaamenzies@gmail.com
- Samantha Menzies is an opinionated young firecracker who just happens to enjoy distracting web surfers with chronicles of her mildly entertaining daily pursuits.
Ha, ha! I love football, but everytime I go to a game (which isn’t often), I’m always glad that the game didn’t go into over-time too. You know, you don’t want too much of a good thing.
Wait … is Matt giving the camera a cheesy finger gun in that Small Plates picture? Because that is awesome.
I’d be right with you in the falling asleep part. I love how you gauge how the game is going by looking at your companions’ reactions. Your dad’s expression is hilarious.
[...] kicked off the long and boring football season by going to the Detroit Lions home opener at Ford Field with my dad, his girlfriend Silvia, and Matt. I admit it was an exciting game with [...]