Game Journal: Eagles at Redskins, 11/11/2007

And the tradition continues, lifetime Eagles fan, season ticket holder and Curly R reader/lurker Wilbert Montgomery and I attended game nine at Redskins Stadium on Sunday. For us it was the 17th of the past 18 Redskins-Eagles games we have attended regardless of venue and the 15th in a row for me, our streak dates back to the 1999 season. The weather was excellent, there were no major complications to the day, I just wish the Redskins had won it.

As indicated above Wilbert Montgomery has Eagles season tickets so that game is guaranteed every year. I however do not have Redskins season tickets and so I must find a solution every year. In the past I have bought them directly from the ticket holders (the best since ticket holders just want face value and do not charge a middleman markup), I have bought them off eBay (convenient but there is the shipping issue, more on this in a moment) and I have bought them off Craig's List (all in all the best but all transactions are cash and all must happen in person so I have driven all over creation in the DC area to collect tickets and/or parking passes).

This time Wilbert Montgomery and I had the pleasure of attending the game on tickets provided by a mutual friend, Dan Dan the Fredericksburg man. Dan has season tickets and often has extras so I hope to mine this source for more free Redskins games in the future.

Dan however did not have a parking pass and we very much wanted to tailgate. I volunteered to find one on one of the outlets listed above but I was in the midst of the three worst work weeks ever and slackness won out and Dan and Wilbert Montgomery decided to deal. Dan managed to find a sweet Orange lot pass for 81 dollars on eBay but alas he missed the delivery on Saturday and the note FedEx left said they could not deliver the package again until Monday.

So Dan got his parking pass for Sunday's game yesterday, a day late.

No problem right, becuase Wilbert Montgomery and I have parked before at Landover Mall and walked across Landover Road and down Brightseat Road to the stadium. Parking was 20 dollars and it was close enough.

So we get there and the mall is razed, it's a hole in the ground except for Sears and the Sears automotive shop. Too bad I did not get a picture of this but I will if there is a next time this season.

The only parking is in the way back of the mall lot and marked 'employee and press parking only' with a gate guard posted. He informs us there is no longer Redskins parking at the mall, a fact that somehow escaped even a fan such as myself.

So we head back toward Landover Road and see there is a Midas-type mechanics shop at the corner of Brightseat Road across from the stadium with some guys taking 20 dollars from comers to park. We park there and set up.


It was not long before Wilbert Montgomery's Donovan McNabb jersey attracted attention, the guy above at left was a particularly aggressive Redskins fan giving Wilbert Montgomery grief. Dan Dan the Fredericksburg man is at right and that is his truck at right, our chariot.

There was no grilling this time, Wilbert Montgomery having suffered the loss of his Smokey Joe a few weeks ago in a bizarre parking incident at Eagles Stadium. We ate big Italian hoagies and drank Old Crow bourbon and some sort of fru-fru beer. About noon we packed it up and headed for the game. Wilbert Montgomery and Dan wondered idly if the guys taking the money to park might actually not be associated with the establishment but rather running a scam, they would bolt after kickoff and we would all be towed after the game but that did not come to pass.


Our first mixed couple, Wilbert Montgomery and I enjoy seeing pairs of gamegoers dressed in opposing jerseys, our society tends not to support such open minded relationships. The guy in the Clinton Portis jersey was hilarious.


Crossing Landover Road. A whole pack of 20 or more gamegoers waited it seemed like ten minutes to get across this road and when the oncoming traffic from the left stopped pack mentality took over and we all started walking not realizing that the other side of traffic had not stopped so all of us were piled onto the medium. The guy in the Clinton jersey above suggested the Eagles fans step out into traffic and test whether oncoming drivers would stop.


Approaching the stadium from Brightseat Road.


Hilarious, there is a cash park with approved tailgating right across from Landover Mall on Brightseat Road. There was food vending and a band but I got a kick out of the sign pointing right at the porta potties, typical of how Dan Snyder regards his customers.


Wilbert Montgomery surveying the scene on the way to the stadium.


Our host Dan Dan the Fredericksburg man. Note the jaunty angle of the shades.


I see this RV at every Eagles home game and get a photo of it, no I'm not but thanks for asking.


A knife and a can of propane, just left out and unattended in PG county. Someone call Homeland Security.


Doug Williams, another Redskins number 17 quarterback. Billy Kilmer is the other.


Umm, yeah. High maintenance Green Bay girl at no extra charge.


Wilbert Montgomery pointed out to me that Ron Jaworski was number seven of the Eagles making the Redskins Green lot the Jaws throwback lot. I found this one on a parked car, I think drivers coming into the stadium were getting freaked out by my trying to get snap a photo of their parking pass as they entered the lot.


Seriously, who wears the punter's jersey. I hope that's Derrick's brother.


The gate screener and ticket taker in Wilbert's line were so wrapped up in giving him grief about the Eagles paraphernalia that they did not notice he walked right into the stadium with a beer from our tailgate.


Throwback Randall Cunningham with giant afro.


We saw a lot of characters and people in non game jerseys. For example the guy in the New York Rangers sweater. These two guys were wearing signed Leafs Suck emblazoned Ottawa Senators hockey sweaters and Redskins hats. I do not know who's signature that is on the jersey.


Another mixed couple. The Curly R salutes those with the courage to defy societal norms.


This is how close we were to the PA at Dan Dan the Fredericksburg man's seats...you will be reading more about that this week.


13:44 left first quarter, 1st & 10 Eagles ball on PHI 30, this play was nullified by an Eagles holding call.



Four shot sequence, 13:18 left first quarter, Eagles ball 1st & 20 on PHI 20 after the holding call, swing pass left to Hank Baskett for seven yards, you can see the ball's shadow in the first picture.



The ambiguously gay redskins duo. Note the Parcells swallows shirt.



The Steelers fan, another guy wearing paraphernalia of another team. This guy was trouble. I have nothing to indicate the Redskins fan that this guy almost got in a fight with WAS NOT a dick but dude was decked in Steelers hat, Hines Ward jersey, Steelers receiver gloves and happy to spout back at anyone that opened their mouth in his direction.



2:27 left first quarter, immediately after Demetric Evans sack fumble of Dono and Rocky McIntosh's recovery, Redskins ball.

At halftime Wilbert Montgomery pointed out to me in time to get it on camera the Redskins curly R logo was dancing on the video screen. However I have not been able to get it up on YouTube yet. TBD.


This is how close we were to the top row of the stadium.


Right after Dono's 4th and 1 sneak in the 3rd quarter, Eagles first down.


Couple of fun loving Philadelphia girls just in town the day and looking for some fun.


Dan Snyder is gradually converting Redskins Stadium into a giant Johnny Rockets, rats not included.



Final image. This was right after the Eagles touchdown and failed two point conversion at 3:29 left fourth quarter.

A great gameday experience, I just wish the Redskins could have won it, but that is a different story. To Mary Anne from South Jersey, I am sorry we could not reprise our tailgate from last season, I hope to catch up with your crew at a future game.



All photos by me.