Family Fun: NFL VIP Experience

People say NFL stands for “National Football League,” but we just went to watch our FIRST professional football game, and we say it stands for National FUN League!

We’re sort of a football family, because my husband LOVES to watch one game on television each weekend, and Red Bear has learned to love it, too. I mostly like watching a little, then doing some other things, then watching a little more.

But our first time going to a professional football game – the Los Angeles Rams (“our” team) against the Philadelphia Eagles – showed us all how much more excitement and fun there is when you watch in person!

[TAILGATE]

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We were invited to be part of a VIP guest group, and we had the pleasure to be able to access the VIP Tailgate Party, which is a club within the Coliseum complex called the Tailgate Building. It included lots of yummy drinks and foods, a kid’s play area, etc., all while watching the beautiful sunset view of Downtown L. A.

[MASCOT]

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According to the therams.com, the Mascot of the Rams is “Rampage.” He is 6’1” tall, 200 lbs, and his number is #1, and his fav hang out place is Los Angeles Zoo, and his fav song is “RAM It!” How cute! We were so happy when we were on the field before the game started, watching all the players warming up, and Rampage walked over to us and took pictures with us with his signature Ram’s uniform on. Such fun!

[PREGAME WARM UP]

 

Before the game started, there are many celebrations and activities, including some of the fans holding the big Ram’s flag and dancing in the middle of the field. So many selfies, and we can tell people there were so excited, and we can understand why.

As for us, as invited VIP guests, we got to enjoy a lot of pre-game activities up close, like meeting Rampage, the team mascot, and seeing the players warm up to prepare for the game (they are HUGE, by the way, and reminded me of knights getting ready for battle), and seeing the Marine Corps color guard with the American flag before the national anthem was played. (Red Bear is a Cub Scout who loves America, so he likes to be in the color guard for Scout events, too).

[HYUNDAI VIP TENT]

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The Hyundai VIP tent is located by one of the end zones, and that is where we hung out to watch the game. There were several rooms in the area, and they all were served by very nice waitresses/waiters and offered lots of food selections, including chicken wings, beef, vegetables and hummus, and Red Bear’s favorite’s mac cheese and soft bread. There were also complimentary wine and alcohol bars available at the ends of the tent.

 

[TIME FLIES]

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Red Bear was asking how long the game will last before he came, and he thought he can’t stay more than 2 hours. Indeed, he liked the experience so much (we all did) that we stayed to the very end of the game, a total of 5 hours from tailgate party to the final play, all filled with laughter, thrills, and a few heart-stopping moments at especially exciting plays! There are things to see all the time at the game in addition to the play on the field – cheerleaders endlessly performing, and big-screen “Jumbotron” television display at the scoreboard, the other fans. It is really fun to watch it all, and the time just flies.

[CHEERLEADERS]

 

Did you notice each of the cheerleaders with great body and a great smile? Oh, my, Red Bear was so beaming when he was taking this picture, and he was also so proud to show to his friends and classmates afterwards!

[GAME]

It was really exciting to watch those big and fast athletes, who were pretty close to us when they moved in to try to score. I am no expert on American football – still learning all the ways to score and so forth – but it is fast and exciting. In fact, Red Bear stood on his chair to watch almost the entire game, because he did not want to miss anything!

Sad to say, my Rams came in second place in this game – but the game actually was not decided until the final play of the game, when the Rams tried to score a touchdown on a long pass into the end zone, but the pass fell incomplete. So the final score was Philadelphia Eagles 30, Los Angeles Rams 23. Better luck next time.

[COLISEUM]

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The game was at the Rams home field, the famous Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. I knew a little about it, because it is across the street from University of Southern California, a pretty campus I have visited before, and the Museum of Natural History, which we have also visited. The Coliseum is 95 years old, and hosts all kinds of big events besides football, such as the Olympic Games (1932, 1984, and again in 2028), big concerts, etc. The structure is old, but it has been upgraded a few times, and right now is being upgraded again — really a nice place with an historic vibe!

Anyway, I think the key to good parking is to arrive EARLY and EARLIER, and find a good way to spend some time before a game. A lot of people have “tailgate parties” in the parking lot,

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