Green Guy Memorial day at the Meadowlands

Hi Everybody,

Sorry it?s taken so long to report on our whirlwind New York tour, but we came home with a whirlwind New York head cold and have been under the weather all week. Now that the sniffles and coughing has subsided, here is a rundown on our fabulous Jet weekend.

We?ll leave out the part about having mechanical problems with the plane and sitting in the Vegas airport for 4 hours on Friday, not arriving in NY until after midnight ? and then having a day of on-again-off-again rain on Saturday, which resulted in our taking Morgan and her friend Jake to see ?High School Musical 3? ? and we?ll go right to Sunday.

As those of you who live in NY know, Sunday, October 26th was a perfect day for football. The minivan picked our party up in Manhattan and took us to the Meadowlands (notice how I stay away from saying Giant Stadium), and we parked about 20 feet from the entrance to the 50-Club at the South Tower. This is a pretty exclusive place which leads to where the VIP boxes are. There are tables and TV?s all around and a buffet that lasts right up until game time. It was in this room that a representative of the Jets met us and welcomed us. He introduced himself and got down on one knee so as to be facing Morgan, and presented her with a football signed by the Jet team, and said to her that on behalf of the Jets he was pleased to present this football in honor of her father. She was a bit overwhelmed and could only say ?thank you?. Then, to our complete surprise, he had a second signed ball which he presented to us.
He then asked us to follow him down to the field. We went in a private elevator and wound up in the bowels of the stadium, walked quite a way and came out by the goalpost and walked around to the 30 yard line. We were then handed over to another Jet team representative. He placed us at our spot, explained that we could not cross the yellow line, that the players could wave but not touch us, and even got a chair for Dorothy. Within a few minutes, the Jets came out to warm up. Morgan was wide-eyed. Her first comment was: ?Grammy, they?re two and three times bigger than me?. She only wanted to see Brett Farve, whose jersey she was wearing. Finally, she spotted him and kept jumping up and down and yelling and waving to him. She thinks he waved back once, but we?re not really sure.

As the players warmed up, when they caught passes near us they waved and high-fived towards us, but never crossed the imaginary line. However, later on when the officials came on the field, the head referee took one look at Morgan, came over to her and handed her a small plastic bag with an official NFL pin in it and told her how adorable she is. Needless to say, that pin went right on her jersey and she was delighted to be the only one around with an official NFL pin.

About 15 minutes before game time, our representative gathered us together and escorted us back upstairs and into our box. To get in he used a credit-card-like key. The box is glass enclosed, furnished with couches and chairs, and more food than one could imagine ? shrimp the size of lobster tails, chicken wings and chicken fingers, hot dogs, trays of vegetables and dip, fruit and melon, cookies, all sorts of beverages. The suite has its own bathroom, as well. Walking straight ahead, one goes through another door and there are four rows of 6 seats each out in the open air, just in case you?re a real football fan and want to enjoy the game outdoors. We were on the 40 yard line, with no one in front of us and a perfect view of the entire field. We took the front row. After we had ensconced ourselves, some other people came into the suite and joined the party ? actually some just stayed on the couches and a few came outside to watch the game. It was joyful.

Needless to say, we enjoyed the game thoroughly. More importantly, Morgan had a blast. We advised her when Brett was going to throw the ball and she loved it ? and when the Jets scored, she had her arms raised in the air signaling ?Touchdown!?. And, as a kid who was taught by her Dad the J-E-T-S before she even knew her ABC?s, when she heard the whole stadium cheering it, her excitement level was a thousandfold. She watched the big screen when Joe the Fireman led the crowd and joined right in ? she even learned to yell D-Fense! Of course, the fact that the Jets finally pulled out a win in the last minute was fantastic. What a wonderful first game experience.

As many of you know, we had promised Michael when he was about Morgan?s age that when the Jets went to the Super Bowl our family would go, no matter the place, no matter the cost. Of course, that can no longer be. But now we have a new young Jet fan and pretty soon we?ll make that same promise to her. Hopefully, we?ll be able to fulfill it. It was very nice of the Jets to give us this day in Michael?s memory. We know somehow he knows how much it meant to all of us ? and Morgan and we will always cherish the signed ball and the memories of October 26, 2008.

Love,

Ron and Dorothy

 

Even though today's game is on regular TV, we'll be there and will bring some pics and lots of talk. See you later.