Observations from Someone Who Went to FedEx Yesterday

**da Blackbird** · 12-10-2012, 12:50 PM

I took my 9 year old son to his first "roadie" yesterday and it was my first time at FedEx as well. A few observations:

1) The place was (it seemed to me) 50/50 to 60/40 Redskins to Ravens fans. Way to represent B-more!

2) What was a complete shocker to me was that the stadium was far from full. From where I was sitting, it looked like the upper deck was maybe 60-70% filled. There were also noticeable gaps in the club area as well. Kind of hard to believe considering the Skins are on the cusp of a playoff berth.

3) Noise level - no where near what it is at M&T. However, the Baltimore faithful made themselves heard. Again, way to represent!

4) They have to use the scoreboards to prompt the fans to cheer (can't tell you how many times I saw them flash LOUDER and similar messages on the board). What is up with that?

5) It was a hell of a game, but sucked that we lost. Most of the fans I sat near were pretty cool and classy. A couple of Skins fans were getting into it with some Ravens fans, but to be fair, both sides were emboldened by liquid courage and there was significant d-baggery on both sides.

6) The stadium itself is OK, kinda non-descript and sparse on the outside, nice in the seating bowl. It's certainly a big stadium, but feels smaller than what it is because it is build almost straight up (glad my seats were in the lower bowl).

7) Glad I took the Metro. Driving in and out of there definitely looks as billed. I was expecting Armegeddon getting in and out of there, but the Metro is a very doable .8 mile away (you can pretty much see the stadium when you get out of the station grounds) and very easy for my kid. They are really improving the area around the Morgan Boulevard station (I understand it used to be really scary). We got right on a train and got home in the Columbia area around 6:30 (not too bad considering the game went into OT).

Anyone else that was there yesterday, what were your experiences?

**RavenScallywag** · 12-10-2012, 01:34 PM

Believe me, any Redskin fan would trade owners and stadiums with us in a heartbeat.

**bpmurr** · 12-10-2012, 01:52 PM

The parking experience of getting in and out is horrible. One hour just to exit from Purple lot onto 495.

**Ravenswarrior19** · 12-10-2012, 02:02 PM

One thing that jumped out at me. After touchdowns, they pump in the fight song through the PA system, WITH THE VOCALS!

After all I've heard of HTTR being such a great song and such a great sports moments when the fans sing it, the volume is coming from the PA.

After field goals, they play the song without vocals, and you can hardly realize anyone is singing.

**AirFlacco** · 12-10-2012, 02:46 PM

Ditto Scally.

I went to the first Ravens game there. We call it Ex Lax Field. It looked like it was built with a toy
erector set compared to our stadium, same with HIney field in Piss.

The one advantage I saw was the escalator went all the way to the top from the outside.

The seats were smaller than ours and there wasn't as much leg room very important for a big guy like me.

Their sky boxes were enclosed while our rich people have sliding doors leading to a balcony on the out side. Ours just looked better.

Ex Lax looked like a cheap imitation of the old
doughnut stadiums of the 70s, just like RFK totally enclosed which is bad for clausterphobics while ours has open notices on the ends.

I was with the Ravens Nests and it took forever for the bus to get off the lots. When we parked near H lot downtown it was just a zip off the lot and you're on 95 N or S.

Ours is much better and I'm not saying that as a homie. It's a fact. I was there when Banks threw the interception that lost the game.

**esmd** · 12-10-2012, 02:56 PM

I went yesterday. The escalator to the upper level was fantastic. I thought the stadium itself was fine. Definitely wasn't as loud as M&T, but they certainly didn't shame themselves. We got there around 10:30 and ended up in the Green B3 lot. I wanted to park in the first green lot on Arena Dr., but we ended up taking the wrong fork. That screwed us getting out, as we couldn't get back to Arena Dr, and ended up having to go down Garrett Morgan Blvd to 214, and then back up to 495. Took us about an hour to get to 495. I think the stadium itself gets a bad rap, but the egress definitely stinks.

**da Blackbird** · 12-10-2012, 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by bpmurr

The parking experience of getting in and out is horrible. One hour just to exit from Purple lot onto 495.

That's what I had been hearing. Driving there sucks. That was one of the reasons I did the Metro thing. I work in DC so I know the system really well (I know all of the workarounds in case there are delays, etc.). Kind of helps.

**da Blackbird** · 12-10-2012, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by esmd

I went yesterday. The escalator to the upper level was fantastic. I thought the stadium itself was fine. Definitely wasn't as loud as M&T, but they certainly didn't shame themselves. We got there around 10:30 and ended up in the Green B3 lot. I wanted to park in the first green lot on Arena Dr., but we ended up taking the wrong fork. That screwed us getting out, as we couldn't get back to Arena Dr, and ended up having to go down Garrett Morgan Blvd to 214, and then back up to 495. Took us about an hour to get to 495. I think the stadium itself gets a bad rap, but the egress definitely stinks.

What time did you get on the road? I left right after the game ended and as I was walking down Morgan, it looked like it was flowing pretty well. I guess getting out of the parking lot was probably another story, eh?

**esmd** · 12-10-2012, 03:23 PM

We walked out right after game, went to our vehicle, packed up and got in. I'd say within 30-35 minutes after the end of the game we were in the car idling. Just took awhile to get out of the lot. We sat in our parking spot for at least 15-20 minutes.

**JohnBKistler** · 12-10-2012, 03:31 PM

I am glad to hear that those that went did not have the horrible experience I had the past 2 Ravens games there...maybe things have gotten better.

As I was sitting on my couch yesterday afternoon feeling miserable, I thought I could only imagine being a Ravens fan at FedEx was 10x worse. Glad it wasn't that bad, apparently.

**dreamjo** · 12-10-2012, 07:36 PM

I mentioned in the gameday thread that my sister is a Redskins fan and bought club seats. We hung out in the club section, sitting in leather seats watching the Saints/Giants game until halftime, then left. As I live in Alexandria, VA, we drove pretty much straight there. Northbound on the Washington beltway didn't look as easy.

They improved their stadium experience immensely with the addition of the HD monitors, which they got in the 2011 off season. What was going on before was just shameful (I believe the regulars called it "the Lite Brite"). And, yeah, it seems they've ALWAYS had to tell the FedEx crowd when to make noise and when not to.

**Nightman** · 12-11-2012, 03:24 PM

I was there and although the escalators to the top were nice, one of then was out of service, just like the ones on the Washington Metro. I tailgated with BMore About Town in the $40 cash lot across from Jericho City of Praise. I took the Metro both ways and it was better than I expected despite the single tracking they do every weekend on virtually all Metro lines due to trackwork.

I'd say it was mostly 40 per cent Ravens fans there there were Ravens fans sitting behind me and some next to me. I have to stop going to see the Ravens on the road as I'm 0 and 5 when I go in person. FedEx in 2000, Cleveland in 2001, Atlanta in 2010, Jacksonville in 2011 and now FedEx in 2012 all losses. Probably jinx my team on the road.

**Ravens75** · 12-11-2012, 04:15 PM

There couldn't have been a 50/50 or 60/40 split of Slurs to Ravens fans. Somebody on this board said I was stupid for even bringing that up and that in no way shape or form could I be right.

I was there and I would say that we were probably 30% of the crowd and it was a beautiful thing to begin the 7 nation army chant after we thought D. Reed had recovered a fumble. My God I would've loved to have closed that out in winning fashion just to watch those arrogant pricks leave out dejected.

I had one guy that threatened to punch me and I simply pulled a Bobby Bonilla and said to 'make your move'. LOL

I may not still be the same size that I used to be which was around that of Jamal Lewis but I won't let anyone threaten me especially if I wasn't doing anything to him. I had a prick usher chase me down the steps to make me show him my ticket. I said to the idiot that I already showed him but by singling me out you let in about 50 people in just to chase a Ravens fan. Effin loser.

Most of the fans especially the Slurs fans behind me in the lower bowl were cool. Sucks ass that we lost.

**SouthSide** · 12-11-2012, 04:33 PM

I was also at the game. It was a great time, but not the same as M&T.

The only thing better than M&T was the music.

The traffic was terrible going in, but it only took me 45 minutes to get home. I was suprised at the number of empty seats through out the stadium. You figure the seats have been purchased, but why wouldn't that many people attend? The very loud DEFENSE and LEACH chants were awesome! Ravens fans were showing their numbers and the 'Skins fan I was with couldn't believe it.

The Suites at FedEx are nice, but I like the ones at M&T better. The food at M&T is better, too.

One thing I would never have noticed if I watched the game on TV.....the 'Skins have something like 40 cheerleaders. Is that normal?

**AirFlacco** · 12-11-2012, 07:23 PM

Speaking of those roads going in, some young guys might not know the history of those roads and who put them in.

We did.

It was part of the deal to bring the Browns here.
Jack Kemp Cooke built that stadium with his own money which is why it's not as nice as ours but he didn't have the money for the roads and lots.

So Guv Schaeffer struck a deal in exchange for him not blocking the vote to keep Art out. The Guv built those roads for him. That paved the way for Art to move here but in reality, Art was the only owner powerful enough to run over Tags and Cooke. Bidwell entertained thoughts of moving here as did Mike Brown of Bungles and Glazer of Bucs. None of them would have made it.

Cooke originally wanted to build that stadium in Laurel to solidify his claim that Bmore was his territory. Tags even said the Skins are moving to Laurel so that takes care of Baltimore. Sure.

So Schaeffer blocked all attempts to build in Laurel with town hall meetings after meetings to tie Cooke up. Finally he gave up.

Just thought you'd like to know.

**highwater** · 12-11-2012, 07:43 PM

Originally Posted by RavenScallywag

Believe me, any Redskin fan would trade owners and stadiums with us in a heartbeat.

So true -- as others have already pointed out in this thread, traffic is terrible getting to and from there, and it's also the ugliest stadium I've ever been to (at least from the outside -- I've haven't been there in years, but last time I did, it was a monument to unattractive FedEx ads.) And regarding owners, I agree with that too, because even Redskins fans I know hate Dan Synder the way Orioles fans detest Angelos.

**AirFlacco** · 12-11-2012, 09:51 PM

At least Petey wised up this year and stayed out and we almost beat the Yanks in the POs.

**Tucker: M&T Sec 527** · 12-12-2012, 02:02 PM

Yeah, I could use an escalator to the 500 level of M&T (at least pregame, boppin down after a game is not as bad). As a guy trying to get to an escalator to 400 level seats @ Fed Ex I can't say much for stadium signage.

The Redskins crowd this season is a lot like the O's or Nat's fans of 2012 (Is this really happening? Wheee!). They'll not take it well the first time RGIII shits the bed. The kid is impressive, but he's carrying the weight of a franchise on his back.

Took a needlessly expensive "Bowl Bus" (one not sold-out bus making stops in Timonium, Balt. Penn Sta., and Columbia Mall). Yathink the MTA could pull that together every 4 yrs.)??

Love the camouflage outdoor seating @ club level. Couldn't grasp the random placement of yellow seats within the burgandy. It later became obvious that it made the club level stadium seats look less empty when rich folk stayed in to be warm, dry, or fed.

Empty seats? I thought the Redskins had a waitlist forever for season tix??

Overall impression - I'm glad I don't have to go every week to that outhouse.

The band was good (though it has caved on their old feathered war bonnets - I mean the nick name is "Redskins" It's not like cliche Indian headgear is going to be any MORE offensive than that!). I also think the quadrennial Battle of Traffic-choked Beltways should feature both team bands.

**JohnBKistler** · 12-12-2012, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by Tucker: M&T Sec 527

Empty seats? I thought the Redskins had a waitlist forever for season tix??

The Washington Post obliterated this fallacy a few years ago:

> They were able to call the ticket office (posing as an average fan) and buy season tickets in just about any part of the stadium.
> Later, for some of those same seats, they discovered that the Redskins ticket office was putting them up for sale on a game-by-game basis on the secondary-market ticket sites.
> After repeated badgering by the Post, the Redskins finally allowed them to see their infamous "wait list". Several white-ring binders, locked away in a closet, that looked like they were put together in the 1990s. The Redskins didn't allow them to actually look at any of the names on the list to verify if these individuals were in-fact waiting for season tickets to become available. Redskins said that information was "confidential".

**AirFlacco** · 12-12-2012, 06:20 PM

The wait list was true back when Jackie owned the team and he out-spent for all those trophies. That was in the 90s and the pre-cap era.

Skins haven't won since the CAP era and since Boy Wonder took over. He even brought Gibbs back who won those trophies in the 90s but not
now.