Sun 22nd: The day we have been waiting for, our first game of American Football, Miami Dolphins versus Atlanta Falcons. Preparations start early as Bud & Dava prepare the food for the BBQ, and we load the car. Bud is a meticulous man in everthing he does, and preparing for a game is no exception, the car is perfectly packed, everything is in its rightful place, and we leave 11133 Malaysia Circle on the stroke of 12.10pm, as planned.
It's about an hour drive, and we have allotted parking; we quickly erect the gazebo, and get the BBQ fired up. It's very hot, and the humidity is high. There are families everywhere "tailgating" as we are, BBQing for lunch before the game. All the boys are emulating their heroes, throwing and catching balls, and practicing their interceptions. Ryan Tannehill is the Toby Flood of this outfit, the playmaker, or quarter-back, and his name is on every other shirt.
The Dolphin colours are orange & turquoise, but I'm keeping the Brit end up with my Tigers shirt, but no one seems interested in a different shirt, and fortunately it cannot be mistaken for the black & red of the Falcons. As we make our way over to the stadium, the heavens open, and we shelter inside the stadium, but kick-off time looms and we make our way to our seats, donning our plastic ponchos, until the rain stops and the sun starts beats down. The humidity and the heat are intense, the noise from the bowl of a stadium is even more intimidating and the game commences. There is no let up from the backing commentary and music. The two massive screens are either playing or replaying the last move, or are advertising something, or providing entertainment between the plays. Kiss Cam amuses us as the ground cameras pick out couples who see themselves and are then obliged by peer pressure to kiss one another, fun and even more so when the last couple to be picked out are two gigantic Atlanta players on the touchline trying to look menacing, not not trying, but looking very menacing, great fun.
The most amazing interlude, and this is between plays, not at half time, is a message from a soldier serving in Afghanistan on the screen to his family at the ground. No sooner is the message complete, he is there in the stadium, running over to his strategically placed, but unsuspecting family, quite moving, and the players from both sides are suddenly secondary to the proceedings. They all run off and we have a 2nd down & 7 on 25, I think that's were it finished some six or seven minutes ago.
The game comprises four, 15 minutes quarters of actual play, and the whole edifice takes just under three hours, but amazingly time does not drag and I get quite engrossed in the game. Dolphins have won their first two games, but are only expected to win today because the Falcons have four key players injured. For most of the game a Falcons win seems the most likely outcome, they are much slicker at the plays, and when two key Dolphin players leave the field injured, Bud I think expects the worst. However he hasn't counted on the resilience of the Dolphins and they make their way up field and get to a 3rd down and 1 on 1, or their play just one yard from the line; Ryan Tannehill is expected to squeeze someone over the top, but he throws and a rookie makes his first catch for the winning touchdown with just 38 seconds left on the clock.
Dolphins 27, Falcons 23, the stadium erupts, as there is no time left for the Falcons to strike back, and the noise is incredible, and continues until we reach the car park. With 70,000 spectators in the ground the game had a similar feel to a Twickenham final, but twice/three times the noise. Bud has his positioning well planned and we are out of the car park in ten minutes, leaving some stuck in the mud following the earlier rain, and as we hit I-95, we can see a full car park that stretches for over half a mile, and will take some over an hour to vacate.
Within thirty minutes of getting home, we have showered and Bud & Dava have rustled up another sumptuous meal, left-overs from the family party, a perfect end to a memorable day, thanks Bud & Dava.
Spend Today: water (cash)
The most amazing interlude, and this is between plays, not at half time, is a message from a soldier serving in Afghanistan on the screen to his family at the ground. No sooner is the message complete, he is there in the stadium, running over to his strategically placed, but unsuspecting family, quite moving, and the players from both sides are suddenly secondary to the proceedings. They all run off and we have a 2nd down & 7 on 25, I think that's were it finished some six or seven minutes ago.
The game comprises four, 15 minutes quarters of actual play, and the whole edifice takes just under three hours, but amazingly time does not drag and I get quite engrossed in the game. Dolphins have won their first two games, but are only expected to win today because the Falcons have four key players injured. For most of the game a Falcons win seems the most likely outcome, they are much slicker at the plays, and when two key Dolphin players leave the field injured, Bud I think expects the worst. However he hasn't counted on the resilience of the Dolphins and they make their way up field and get to a 3rd down and 1 on 1, or their play just one yard from the line; Ryan Tannehill is expected to squeeze someone over the top, but he throws and a rookie makes his first catch for the winning touchdown with just 38 seconds left on the clock.
Dolphins 27, Falcons 23, the stadium erupts, as there is no time left for the Falcons to strike back, and the noise is incredible, and continues until we reach the car park. With 70,000 spectators in the ground the game had a similar feel to a Twickenham final, but twice/three times the noise. Bud has his positioning well planned and we are out of the car park in ten minutes, leaving some stuck in the mud following the earlier rain, and as we hit I-95, we can see a full car park that stretches for over half a mile, and will take some over an hour to vacate.
Within thirty minutes of getting home, we have showered and Bud & Dava have rustled up another sumptuous meal, left-overs from the family party, a perfect end to a memorable day, thanks Bud & Dava.
Spend Today: water (cash)
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