I chose this game over the Texans at Colts game; it was cheaper and made for a shorter day…sort of. Harry wanted to visit his sister, which we did..and enjoyed it.
Oh, the game, the cold game (loved my new wool socks, toe warmer and hand warmers) The Vikings won 29-13. It wasn’t that close , really…yards were 482-259 and the Vikings used their second quarterback in the second half and ran the ball a lot. But basically, the Bears could not cover the Vikings receivers, at all. The Vikings did miss a field goal at the end of the first half when they had to rush their team on and got a “too many men on the field” penalty. So it was only 16-6
I’ve been somewhat busy..and working on a “revise and resubmit.” I should be good to go with that by the end of the week.
Lots of sleeping in until..6 am!
Saturday, 17 December: Workout, graduation, TV football.
The workout was PT and a 5 mile walk that went ok; flat West Peoria course.
Sunday: the before game workout was a quick PT session and a 2 mile treadmill walk. Harry and I also walked ..more than I expected; perhaps 3.5 miles total to and from the parking lot to the game.
I’ll talk more about the game further down. Harry, as usual, was great company.
Monday: Weights, and a sort of brisk 3 mile walk in chilly conditions.
Workout: PT mixed with pushups; 5 sets of 10, one of 30, one of 20
Pull ups in 20F weather: did sets of 10, 5 and 5 singles; enough to get 50 reps.
Downstairs for weights: bench: 10 x 134, 4 x 161, 4 x 161, 4 x 161, 3 x 161 (missed lock out on rep 4)
curls: 3 sets of 10, Swiss bar high incline; 3 x 94
Then the walk.
In the evening: caught some Bradley basketball. Kind of a boring game as Stonehill was overmatched; BU lead 41-19 just before half time and won going away 79-50, with lots of guys getting minutes toward the end. Sparse attendance.
Then today: I laid around way too much this morning; did PT and then went to the Riverfront to do some miles. I didn’t have the confidence to do a 3.5 mile out and back, but I did 2.5 miles to the ball field and added a dam section, 2 different loops and one more extra loop at the end to get 7 miles. Some discomfort from 4.5 to 5.5 on the outside of the left hip; paying attention to my gait seemed to help. Temps were 30’s and breezy.
Bears vs Eagles: the game
Seats: Section 432 (upper grandstand) row 3. Like these; got them for 89 dollars before fees (117 with fees). Got a cool scarf
The Bears lost 25-20 but put up a great fight. The Eagles WERE the better team and sacked the elusive Bears QB 6 times; 4 times in the first half. They also forced a fumble that stopped a Bears drive.
Bears missed an extra point and the windy conditions made the Bears punt from the Eagle 30 yard line (got the ball on an interception..one of 2 but went backwards)
The game was marred with 2 injuries within the first 2 minutes; fortunately the neck injury for the offensive lineman was not life altering.
After a scoreless first quarter (Bears thwarted one Eagle drive with an interception) the Eagles drove for a field goal. Spectacular running from the Bears quarterback lead to a Bears touchdown, but the Bears missed the PAT.
The Eagles responded with a touchdown of their own; spectacular 20 yard run up the middle by the Eagles quarterback. So it was 10-6 at the half.
Third quarter was explosive. Kick was returned by the Eagles to about midfield, and a drive (spectacular pass to the right flag) set up a touchdown sneak. So, 17-6, but then, after the Bears punted, they forced a fumble after catch, and then from the 15, drove it in on a short pass. It was now 17-13 and it was getting interesting.
Now in the 4’th, one Eagle drive ended on a doink field goal attempt. But a second drive, lead by a long pass inside the Bears’ 4 yard line set up a sneak and a nifty 2 point conversion (quarterback roll out to the weak side off of an unbalanced line) made it 25-13.
Bears did not give up; they had one time out and just under 4 minutes; in fact, they scored a touchdown off of a long pass and a roll out. So it was 25-20 with just under 3 minutes left, and the Bears had one time out.
An onside kick failed and the Eagles put it away on a 3rd down pass (slant route).
Great game.
Cold: yes; some wind, and the high reached 21. It was in the teens early and late; I was bundled up enough and did not have to button my coat. But my hands and feet; especially my feet. I will look into electric socks or insoles.
I told myself I might not go. But who was I kidding?
I sat in a new-to-me section: 121, row 13..got a great deal on a ticket (117 with fees, 89 without); I could hardly believe it.
The scan: I need to clean my case, or maybe get a new one.. eventually it worked. And I got hassled because of my bag; the coat inside the bag made it appear larger than authorized, but it was an official stadium bag.
But..my walk to the stadium was a joy; no pain (wish I had worn my walking shoes instead of boots) and I never got cold. Never needed my second sweatshirt.
The second walk was about .2 miles further, but it didn’t matter. It was so unlike last year. Damn; that walk hurt last year. And it took a LOT longer; it was dark by the time I got to the highway. This time: I was home by 6:47.
Oh, what about the game itself? It started out promising enough; the Bears drove for a field goal then their star QB busted a long touchdown to put the Bears up 10-0. Later it was 16-3 due to a long drive (aided by a spectacular long pass..but a botched hold on the extra point kept it 16-3; Green Bay made it 16-10 at the half.
3’rd quarter: long pass..field goal…19-10 but when the Packers retaliated in the 4’th to make it 19-17, the Bears hit a long pass, stalled, and then got a kick blocked. Sigh…you could hear the Bears fans anticipating what came next.
And yes, it did..with just about 4 minutes left the Packers kicked a field goal to take a 20-19 lead.
Then..on the drive INTERCEPTION …..still time to get the ball back.
If you think this interception is on Fields you’re wrong. This is cover 3 and EQ takes nearly 4 yards to get out of his break. This is a BAD route for a TE much less a WR. #DaBears#Bears#ChicagoBearspic.twitter.com/0MBfVjVihE
Then the Packers pulled off a superb end around (I saw the runner play for North Dakota State vs Illinois State). I was fooled..I was looking toward the misdirection ..as was the Bears defense. I didn’t see the runner until he was already inside the 20.
How do you possess the ball 9:30 more, outgain your opponent 329-257 and still get dominated? You throw 4 interceptions and let them run it deep into your own territory.
Yes, it was a 33-22 final, with the Bears getting a sort-of-late touchdown and 2 pointer to forge the score a bit. But it was 24-7 midway through 3 and 33-14 toward the end.
My trip: I had a 300 level ticket but pounced at an inexpensive (sort of) media deck ticket and sold my old one.
Aside from a somewhat painful walk to and from the stadium (but better than last time…and I did get 5 miles on the bike prior to driving)
Of course I love going to football games, and while I have season tickets to Illinois games, I also make other games; in particular Illinois State (2-3 times a year), other college games (this year: Navy at Notre Dame) and I make probably more Colts games than Bears games.
Lucas is a nice place to watch a game, but when I go there, I frequently take my wife’s nephew and roommate; that affects my choice of tickets. My choices in Lucas are mostly 600 (lower rows), 500 (mostly end zone), 400 (loge) and 300 (end zone or corner); I’ve never sat in the 200 or 100.
And there was the Jones Dome for the old St. Louis Rams games; well, that is another story for another day.
But for this post, I’ll discuss the Bears and Soldier Field. Soldier Field has limitations, namely concourse space is too small and there aren’t enough bathrooms in the non-grandstand sections. IF you have anything resembling a full house AND if you want to make it to the bathroom during half time, don’t even try the small end zone bathroom areas (the ones behind the grandstand are a better bet). The Media deck: concourses are cramped but ok. The concourses in the United Club are ok; the best concourses are those in the 100 level section; I was able to take a bathroom stop between the 3’rd and 4’th quarter and not miss a play (Ravens at Bears, 2021).
What seats should you get ? I’ll start by making general recommendations; I’ll talk about the specifics for each section below.
To “get in the stadium”: upper parts of the Grandstand and the 300 level endzone are probably the most economical seats. And the upper Grandstand has some great views of the skyline and lake. But: expect to climb, and the deck is STEEP; might not be comfortable for those who get dizzy.
To actually follow the action (listed from cheapest to most expensive) first 5 rows of the 400 level grandstand, the entire 300 level Upper Sideline or 300 United Club. IMHO, the best seats in the house to watch the plays develop without being too far removed. If you have a cold natured friend, the United Club gives you a place to go inside and get warm.
Mix between being intimate with the action and to follow the action (club seat like) Media deck or 200 United club. Latter are the most expensive seats in the house (save luxury boxes); these are the club seats. I will sometimes look for and find bargains…especially if you look a day or two before the game.
To be involved with the action (standing some, cheering, etc) 200 level end zone, or 100 level, especially the end zone. At the cost of perspective you are right where the action is. And if you are going to the game by yourself but want to watch with buddies, you will often find that here; people are very friendly. The “big picture” part of the action is harder to follow here though.
Now about sightlines and view from the seats:
Here are the various places I’ve sat for games:
100 level:
100 level, side line
I sat in row 1, section 133.
Truth be told: row 1 did give you a great feel for the game; you could see the players talking to each other, hear the hitting and get a feel for how fast the game is played. But sideline plays are often missed and you don’t have the best perspective.
It WAS fun to see a TD pass right in front of you though… and access to concessions and restrooms is easy; I could make a bathroom stop between quarters and not miss a play.
Cost: for a single, WITH fees, I paid 300.00 the week of the game. That was cheaper than most of these, though one can get higher up for a bit less, and have a better view of the game.
100 level: end zone
I sat in Section 121, row 13 for the Packers at the Bears. Incredibly, with fees, the price was 117.00 (89 without fees) on Stubhub..I caught a lucky deal.
This was perhaps the rowdiest section; there was some standing but I never missed a play. For the most part, fans were well behaved and I totally enjoyed the experience. The cost: you do lose some perspective, especially on plays on the opposite goal line. But my goodness..you get a feel for how blasted fast the players are.
But this might not be the best seats for a shorter person. I would not bring my wife to this section.
200 level
End zone This was Section 225, I think, row 12 or thereabouts. I paid about 115 for these at the time (2017); the cheapest I saw for the Ravens game was 122 (with fees).
The view was ok. End zone bathrooms are tiny; better off going to the grandstand one. I’d sit here again.
200 Media Deck
I sat in Media Deck Corner (244) several times; though the concourses are small, there are heat lamps overhead which makes them very crowded during cold weather games.
I’d describe these as “junior club” level seats. They are high enough for perspective but still pretty close to the action. And this section IS cordoned off from the rest of the stadium, the way a club section would be, though there is no inside club to it. They have ushers guarding the entrance to this section.
Most of these seats are protected by an overhang that does not impede your ability to follow a punt or field goal.
Sometimes you can get a bargain; I once paid 150.00 and 125.00 for these, though, via resell and secondary market, 220-250 is more realistic for the corner and 300+ for the center sections.
200 United Club
I’d say that these are, along with the Media Deck, are the “best seats in the house.” You get access to the multi-level United Club which offers buffet, extra concessions, and a place for you and your guest to sit if it is rainy or cold.
I sat there twice: once for a college game and once for a pro game.
Warning: I’d avoid row 19 as these seats are on a low rise wooden block…and if a tall person sits in front of you, you can see nothing. The rest of this section is well angled for great sight lines.
The upper rows are shaded.
These can be some of the priciest tickets though. For the Ravens game, I found a seat for 260 (with fees) but opted for the front row in 133. In 2019, I got these for 200 each (e-bay); same seats went for 280 each for the Ravens game (near midfield ..see the Lions photos above).
Note: the club sections (200/300) have a second entrance which is checked and these sections open early and stay open for 2 hours after the game ends. So you could eat your dinner there, if so inclined.
300 level
I don’t have any experience with the 300 end zone (Colonnade level)
300 level Grandstand. I sat here for the Vikings game on January, 2023. Price was about 90 dollars each for 2 tickets (before fees), 117.00 with fees.
I was fortunate enough to get the front row in 331. Frankly, these are great seats in that they get you close enough to the field to not feel isolated, but enough perspective to really follow the game. You can both watch the receivers get open AND watch the line play. You share concession and bathrooms with the 400 level grandstand.
These are typically (but not always) less expensive than the Media Deck seats, but almost always cheaper than the United Club version of these.
300 level United Club
I’ve sat here a couple of times, near the corner. The view of the game is pretty good; you are up but not up too high. And the sight lines for the seats I had (toward the top, and toward the middle) were excellent.
These are somewhat less pricey than the 200 United Club tickets; I’d say perhaps 50 dollars less per seat, though I did get these for 175 and …yes..75 when the Bears were awful and facing a bad Browns team on a snowy Christmas eve. But for the Ravens game: 230 or so for a single; 210-220 each for a pair.
400 level
This is the massive grandstand. I’ve sat here 4 times; 3 times in the first 3 rows and once in row…30.
The plus: the first 5 rows or so really do offer you a good view of the game; you have perspective but the players still look like human beings.
Row 30…the higher rows: well, you are UP there..great view of the skyline. And you won’t miss any plays, but the large players don’t look so large from up there.
The grandstand IS steep and some might be bothered by that. Get your quads in shape for the upper rows.
The final four photos show the view from row 30.
Prices: these are typically the most inexpensive tickets in the house; at least the upper rows. This means you can often find tickets (with fees) in the 100-120 range; 150 for the lower rows near the corner and closer to 200-210 for the lower rows near midfield. Of course the cost is higher for big games; I paid something like 160 or so for the playoff game; 130-140 for the Packers games.
But these can be had much cheaper than that for non-marquee games.
I consider the lower rows (1-5 or so) to the the most economical “good seats” in the house, and I wouldn’t hesitate to sit there again.
So, how might I rate these seats?
With my wife: I’d probably prefer the United Club or maybe the upper rows of the Media Deck (she doesn’t like cold weather) for the late season games.
I’ll rate them this way:
Best “bang for the buck” for those who want to actually watch the game: first 5 rows of the 400 grandstand.
Modest splurge but even better: 300 level Grandstand (Upper Sideline); views you get in the 300 level United Club but minus the club amenities..and a bit more climbing of steep stairs.
Economical for club-like seats (but not usually cheap) : Media deck. Sometimes you can get a bargain.
Splurge 300 United Club gives you a good view of things and you might get a bargain. 200 United Club: expect to spend some money; in excess of 250 dollars most of the time (though once I landed a pair for 200 each)
Want to cheer robustly I think many of the rowdy fans are in the end zone; they REALLY get into it there. 100 level: be prepared to stand at least some of the time. 200 level is not bad; never sat in 300 level.
Foo-foo Ok, 100 level is right on top of the action. The fans do stand from time to time here though..but then again I was in row 1 so…it didn’t really matter.
And you might get on TV (see the white arrow on the left side of this still of a video clip.)
Well, about the game: The Ravens went with their backup rookie quarterback and kicked a couple of field goals; the Bears did have one long touchdown “run after the catch” to go up 7-6.
Of course the Ravens managed to go up 9-7 which appeared to be how it would end…
Then with 1:48 to go, 4’th down…long TD pass to go up 13-9! Maybe the Bears had them!
Of course not…then came the only TD drive for the Ravens; converted with 22 seconds and the Bears out of time outs.
The Bears made it to midfield but got sacked on the final play; as one fan said “it was like getting kicked in the balls by your ex wife..”
My trip: for future reference: made it out the door by 7 am and into the Wells Street Parking lot just before 10 am.
Seats: 133, row 1. Yes, front row of an NFL game. I did love seeing the crowd and being near the players as they warmed up; it did humanize them a bit. It was a bit like watching the game from the bench.
You did miss the end of some plays though; it wasn’t the best vantage point to see the whole field..though you did get a good sense of how fast the players are and how hard they hit. Tremendous athletes!
And you could see them talking to each other…competition plus mutual respect.
I’ll say more about how this compares at the end of this post.
Obviously COVID 19 is a serious problem and my missing a season of live football, in the great scheme of things, is no big deal. It barely registers, at least on a personal level (though I understand those associated with spectator sports may be genuinely suffering; I don’t want to make light of that.)
But I stayed up late tonight to watch Illinois lose 45-7 to Wisconsin. Well..that certainly seems to be an expected result. …situation: the usual.
But, well, Navy is 3-0 in conference even with some very ugly non-conference losses (55-3 to BYU, 40-7 to Air Force) and Texas took it on the chin vs TCU and Oklahoma.
The Colts are 4-2 (gave the opener away) and the Bears are 5-1, with their loss being to…the Colts.
So I guess it isn’t all bad, for now.
Oh today? I kept making errors getting my key ready..but my students had no trouble with the HW.
Workout notes: weights. pull ups: got a couple of sets of 10, a set of 15 singles a couple of 5’s and enough to get to 55 reps.
Bench: 10 x 132 then sets (with pause) of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 with 181, 176, 171, 165, 159, 154 (I have a 20kg bar, 20 kg, 10 kg, 5 kg, 2.5, 1.25 kg plates which makes for some weird poundages)
shoulder press: seated dumbbell: 3 x 10 with 40’s (no support), 9 x 88 supported barbell.
This should sound familiar: Giants strike first; Bears rally just before the end of the half, build a lead in the 3’rd then hang on for dear life in the 4’th, giving up at TD while up two scores and then stopping the opposing team on the final drive.
This was an interesting game that featured two bizarre kick offs ..one by each team..that fluttered out of bounds. Also, the Giants missed two 42 yard field goals, one wide right; the other wide left, and that kept the door open. And the Bears defense got a strip sack to set up a score.
Sayers/Butkus bobble head dolls
Early action
First blood goes to the Giants. And yes, the Bears dropped an early TD pass and threw an end zone interception.
Final rally comes up short.
Fans: somewhat rowdy; we gave fist bumps to the rowdy Giants fan sitting near us.
The Bears snapped a 4 game losing steak and beat NFC Central rival Detroit 20-13, in a game in which the Bears owned about 9 minutes of the game: the last 4 minutes before the end of the first half and the first 5 minutes of the 3’rd quarter.
Other than that: Lions mostly..or even. The Lions opened the game with a drive for a field goal, and then they got another in the second quarter. But with about 4 minutes to go in the half, the Bears opened it up a bit and their qb hit some passes (and the Bears made a risk 4’th and 1 on their own 40. So it was 7-6 at the half.
Second half: another fine drive, helped by a pass right in front of me. But it was 13-6 as the Bears kicker missed the extra point.
Then: interception…cashed in by a TD and so it is now 20-6 and the Lions seemed finished.
Not so fast: midway through the 4’th, a drive was finished by a long pass and it was 20-13.
That is how the game ended, but there was more drama. The Lions drove it inside the Bears 30 but were repulsed on 4’th down, with just over 2 minutes to play. But the Lions had all 3 time outs and got the ball back.
A drive made it inside the Bears 30, but the final end zone pass failed.
Fly over
Harry and me.
Skyline…I love visiting Chicago.
Early action
From the final Lion drive.
Soldier Field
I’ve been to a few games and have sat in different seats:
400 level grandstand, about 32 rows up.
200 level Media Deck (section 243 or so) 2016 and 2017
200 level colonnade section: (toward the corner)
400 level grandstand, rows 2 or 3 (441, 431…)
300 level United Club (sort of toward the end zones
And what you see above: view from the 200 level club (40 yard line; section 210)
I won’t lie: the 200 club near midfield were the best seats; I did like the Media deck and 300 level aren’t THAT high up. Now toward the top end: well, you get a great view of the the city around you but the rather large players look small.
I prefer any seat to not being there at all, but I’d pay a bit more for Media Deck, 200 or 300 level club, or even 300 level grandstand (haven’t actually sat there) or even for the first, say, 5 rows of the 400 level grandstand.
Life of an old goat 