Patriots vs Packers

My dad's Christmas present this year was a ticket to the Pats / Packers game on Sunday Night Football.  Through a connection my cousin Karen has, we were able to score amazing seats right on the 50 yard line.  This would be my fourth time at these seats, but it was my dad's first time ever to Gillette Stadium.  Daisy's boyfriend Adam also joined us at the game.  While he was no newbie to Gillette, he was a newbie to these particular seats.

My dad and I started the day early to avoid any and all traffic. 

CBS Scene was our first stop, scoring ourselves a nice booth with a tv.  I've been here a few times prior to Pats games.  The last time was with my mom and Karen.  It gets crowded in a hurry so you should get there early if you want to avoid a 2 hour wait.  The Sports Hub also broadcasts from CBS Scene before the game and it can be fun to see which radio personalities are on the air that gameday.  The restaurant is decorated with large images of classic CBS shows, as well as countless flat screen tvs.

While enjoying various 4:00pm games, Dad and I ordered the kobe beef sliders.  These were juicy and had a ton of flavor.  We followed the sliders up with a heaping plate of nachos.  We were able to stretch out these appetizers over a number of hours.  Of course I coupled my grub with three Long Trail Blackberry Wheat drafts.  After strawberry cheesecake dessert, we decided to walk around Patriot Place.  Dad was amazed by how many stores and restaurants had grown roots there.  Dad also took advantage of free hot chocolate samples from Dunkin Donuts.

After walking around for about an hour, it was time to meet up with Adam and head into the stadium.  It was long dark at this point and as I walked through the gate, I got giddy with excitement looking up at the lights.

Before the game started, the cheerleaders headed out for their first dance number, fully decked out in holiday spirit.

Dad and Adam were thrilled with how close we were (10 rows up from the 50 yard line on the Patriots sideline). Not too shabby at all!

Although the game was WAY closer than most people would have guessed, it made for one of the most exciting games to watch in a while.  For those of you that might not have watched it, it actually came down the very last play.  If it wasn't for our sack on Matt Flynn on 4th down, we would have had many angry and COLD fans making their way out of that stadium.  Being on the right side of the 31- 27 game was paramount for sure.

Speaking of cold, I would have taken more pictures but my hands weren't really willing to leave the warmth of my mittens.  Here are a few good shots I've taken from my last few games at these seats:

Go Pats! Just clinched top seed in AFC East.  Let's keep it up!