Top 5 football games (guest post)

Dave already did an honorable mention post and I posted my top 5 games the first day of the football season. Here is Dave's list of his top 5 football games he has attended (there is some overlap with mine):

Jen asked me to do my top 5 football games I've been to. My last post showed my honorable mentions, so here is my actual top 5 games. Again, let me first start off by saying that we've been really fortunate to have been able to go to so many games over the years. Also, it's awesome that I married someone who is so into sports, especially the Steelers! So here goes. 

On with the list.  

5. Buffalo Bills vs NE Patriots @ Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo, NY 9/25/2011

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201109250buf.htm

We went to a Bills game the season before with a cousin of Jen's, a friend of Jen's and her husband that lives in Buffalo.  We had a lot of fun. We tailgated outside in one of the stadium lots. There was a dude a few rows down from us at the game who was wearing a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle mask (we dubbed him Ninja Turtle Man) and it was a blast. However I don't remember who they played and I think they lost. 

Ninja Turtle Man from the first game

Since we had so much fun, we decided to go again the following year. Jen's cousin couldn't go this year (he lives in Ohio), but my nephew who lived (at the time) about an hour east of Buffalo could. Our friends from Buffalo were able to go as well. We decided on the Patriots game, and figured that the Bills would get crushed, but it was a divisional game and hoped for the best. We really don't like the Patriots (sorry to my family who live in the NE area), so we were really rooting for the Bills. We went and spent the night at Bruce's place, then then next morning we picked up the others and went off. We found a nice little parking lot and we had our tailgate there. We had a cornhole game with Steeler logos, and a Bills fan gave us grief about it. But it was all good. And my nephew shotgunned a beer right as we were leaving for the game. 

At the game, Jen bought a Ryan Fitzpatrick jersey. Although there was no Ninja Turtle Man, we did see a guy with a shirt that said "Brady is a lady!" (I've been saying that ever since. HA!) Underneath that shirt, he had another shirt on that said something like "I may be a Bills fan, but I bleed Black and Gold". Steeler Nation represent! HA! 

during the game

Well, the Pats were leading the entire first half (up by 3 TD's) and still leading going into the fourth quarter. The Bills tied it and took the lead in the fourth quarter, and the Pats tied it back up with about 3 - 4 minutes remaining. The Bills got the ball back and got within field goal range. The Pats couldn't do anything about it at that point as they used up all of their time outs earlier in that drive. I loved it seeing Bill Belichick running up the sidelines all flustered and pissed. Waa Waa! The Bills kicked the game winning field goal as time expired. What a great game! To come from behind and win like that? Awesome! 

4. Steelers vs Bengals @ Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA 12/04/2005 

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200512040pit.htm

Reason why this is memorable since we lost: Jen threw up. Actually, this game was the last game of the season that we lost. We got the tickets off my buddy John. He has season tickets, and he usually lets us buy a game each season (and I usually go to at least one game with him each season). We met up with my boss and some of her family for a little tailgating before the game. Then Jen and I made our way over to the stadium, and Jen kept saying "I'm losing my buzz, I need another beer". haha! So we got more beer. And more. And more. We had a blast, and at half time decided to get some food. Jen got a personal pizza. I don't remember what I had. And we of course had more beer. We made it back to our seats in the third quarter. I remember a short bit later looking over at Jen. She was holding her nose, looking like she was about to yak. So, without even thinking (just reacting), I grabbed a cup of beer (not sure if it was her's or mine), dumped it (it was almost empty anyway), and held it under Jen's head. "bleeeeech!!!!" Right in the cup. It was masterful! Almost like we rehearsed it! No one around us even noticed! It was an amazing thing. Jen looked up at the field and said something along the lines of "oh, I can see again". haha! When we got back to my apartment, Jen was curled up on the couch, and I went out to get Burger King. Like I said, the Steelers lost this game, but it was the final game we lost this season. They went on to win Superbowl XL.

at the game

3. Steelers vs Redskins Final game at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA 12/16/2000

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200012160pit.htm

What can you say?  It was the very last game at Three Rivers Stadium.  My buddy John (mentioned above and in the previous post) has season tickets and his brother was supposed to go with him.  Since his brother couldn't make it, I got to go.  It was a little rainy, but it was pretty awesome!  When we got to our seats, there were seat cushions for all fans. That was pretty nice. The Steelers beat the Redskins pretty handily, a great ending to a very mediocre season (we ended the season 9-7 and not make the playoffs). They had a big ceremony after the game, and a ton of Steelers alumni came back for it, even Joe Gilliam was there! He died later in the month, so sad because he had just turned his life around for the best. Anyway, after the ceremony we watched as fans took seats and broke off cup holders to take. John said he should have brought in a wrench to get his seats, but stadium officials said that they would have increased security so that fans wouldn't do that. Well, we saw it happen, fans walk right out of there with seats in hand! It was a similar scene when the Pirates played the last game at Forbes Field. Despite the rain, it was a great and memorable day.  

from our seats at the end of the game (John brought his camera, before we had digital cameras)

ticket stub from final game at Three Rivers Stadium

2. Steelers vs Jets 2010 AFC Championship game @ Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA 01/23/2011

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201101230pit.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010%E2%80%9311_NFL_playoffs#AFC_Championship_Game:_Pittsburgh_Steelers_24.2C_New_York_Jets_19

Suck it Santonio! lol! Actually, I like Santonio Holmes (he was the SB XLIII MVP, and I have his autograph on a SB XLIII football with James Harrison which I got both autographs personally, Holmes at Buffalo Wild Wings in Monroeville PA and Harrison at a Steelers basketball fundraiser event). Heinz Field put up temporary seating for the NHL Winter Classic between the Pens and Caps on New Years Day, and they left the seats in for the playoffs. Jen and I were able to buy tickets for that section when tickets went on sale. We were in the open endzone side of the field, and it was pretty sweet! We stood the entire game. 

at our seats before the game

We headed down to the game early and ate lunch at a place called the Bru Lounge on East General Robinson Street, thinking by the name that they would have decent beer. They did not, just your average beers. It was a cold cold cold day, and we were bundled up like crazy. 

The game itself was amazing! And what a crowd! Very exciting! The Steelers scored all the points they needed in the first half,and the Jets tried to climb back, but couldn't. 

during the game

shot of the crowd after the game

After the game, we went to a bar called Double Days to warm up. 

This was the second AFC Championship game that I was in attendance for that the Steelers won, 15 years after the other: 

 1. Steelers vs Colts 1995 AFC Championship game @ Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA 1/14/1996

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199601140pit.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_AFC_Championship_Game

So, for this season, my uncle gave me his tickets. He only had a single seat for season tickets (when he took me early on, he had two, but gave up one of them to the group he sat with). He wasn't able to attend this year (or the next year) due to surgery on his back. He also gave me the playoff tickets this year. The Steelers were the second seed during the playoffs, so we had a bye week the first round. I also went to the second round playoff game. We defeated the Bills and as I was leaving my seat, I was telling the couple next to me "see ya guys next week". The guy said "yeah, right", since the Kansas City Cheifs were the #1 seed and played the Colts the next day. I just had a feeling that the Colts would upset the Chiefs and that we'd host the AFC Championship game. And that's exactly what happened! Woo hoo!!! I was soooo excited! I was going to an AFC Championship game! Holy Crap! When I got to my seat, I told the guy "see, we're here!" haha! And Wow Wow Wow! What a finish! The Steelers, down by 3, score on a Bam Morris 1 yard run with less than 2 minutes remaining. The Colts got the ball back and Jim Harbaugh threw up the Hail Mary as time was running out. It seemed that Three Rivers went totally silent. It was kinda hard to see exactly what happened in the end zone, but I saw the ref wave his hands incomplete and the place was rocking!! Electric! The ball had rolled off the receiver's chest who was down on the ground in the endzone. What an amazing finish! After the game, I met up with John and his brother down in the lower level, and we were all celebrating. We ended up going out to Hooters at Station Square to watch the NFC championship game (inside joke with John and I here: "we're 42 cents short!". haha!) The Steelers ended up losing to the Cowboys in SB XXX, but it was a great season. And I thank my uncle for giving me his tickets this year and the following year. 

ticket stubs from both playoff games I went to in 1996