Stadium #4
Ford Field
Detroit, MI
Washington Redskins vs. Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions Stadium
October 26, 2008
25 - 17  Loss

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See my other visit to
Ford Field at:

PITvs.DET - Oct.11,2009
DET - October 15, 2006
 

  Stadium Vitals
Built: 2002
Capacity: 65,000 seats
Playing Surface: FieldTurf   
Draft Beer: $8.50
Hot Dog: $5.75
Stadium Parking: $30.00
Ford Field
Stadium Address

2000 Brush Street
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 262-2000
Get Directions
 
 
 
Stadium Re
view - Black Sabbath
Detroit, Michigan is a great sports town that's starving for a quality football team. With representation in all four of the major professional sports leagues, and incredible success among three of the franchises, the Detroit Lions remain the red-headed stepchild of the bunch. Over the last eight years (since I've been living in the metro Detroit area), I've watched the Red Wings hoist Lord Stanley's cup twice, the Pistons win an NBA title, and the Detroit Tigers play in the World Series.  So with the Lions on life support, conventional wisdom would indicate that the local fanbase might abandon their inclement weather tailgating roots and just stay home.  Well, I'm happy to report that the spirit of die hard NFL tailgating lives on at the Eastern Market, a short walk from Ford Field.

For my Week Seven Quest for 31 encounter, I hooked up with Kevin Nowak from www.DetroitTailgate.com, the premiere tailgating entity in the Motor City. The folks at DetroitTailgate.com put on an impressive blacktop experience that harkens to the glory days of Honolulu Blue tailgating, back when the Lions played at the Pontiac Silverdome and #20 was the epitome of the human highlight reel. When Ford Field was built downtown, the vast expanses of fan parking that surrounded the Silverdome were gone and Detroit Tailgaters were forced to setup in multiple hotspots all over the city. The collective may have broken up, but these tailgating nodes continue to thrive thanks to the dedication of die hard fans like DetroitTailgate.com with their universal fan mantra. "Stand Clear and Get Me a Beer".

Our day began at 8:00am as we rushed toward Lot 1 at the Eastern Market to park in pole position next to the Detroit Tailgate Asphalt Extravaganza. The Detroit Tailgate crew was hosting a Halloween themed tailgate party complete with Halloween decorations, including a Cadillac Hearse covered in blood, and a Black Sabbath cover band, that played live music throughout the day, called Banned from E.A.R.T.H.As everyone was setting up, myself, Crystal, and Anna got to the business of breakfast ... eggs and Apple Martini's, a nod to Houston Texans SuperFan, Wayne Spake ... thanks again Wayne. After breakfast, Marion showed up and the brew began flowing as the fellas from Banned from E.A.R.T.H. kicked off Ozzfest in Detroit with a little Iron Man. Banned from E.A.R.T.H. put on an incredible forty-five minute show worthy of the Prince of Darkness himself. 

The Detroit Tailgate Crew has a fairly impressive thing going on at the Eastern Market.  They pull in multiple RV's and custom tailgating cruisers to setup what is an exceptional tailgate each week.  Grills are burning fresh meats, a full custom bar serves up an excellent selection of ice cold beverages, and a different live band is on site for each home game.  Tailgaters show up early to maximize celebration time and maybe minimize the sting of the string of losses (these fans need a little extra to help soften the blow) and the people are top notch. We spent most of the day chatting with fans about the debacle that is Detroit Lions football and taking in some much deserved R and R.  So if you're looking for a great group of friendly, knowledgeable fans that know how to tailgate, look no further than the Eastern Market and DetroitTailgate.com. Even visiting Redskins fans were welcome within the warm confines of this premiere tailgating experience and I, for one, am definitely looking forward to the next one.

Switching gears to the bane of every Detroiter's existence that is the Detroit Lions Franchise. It was a brilliant display of 0-6 mediocrity as the Lions took the field for four quarters of what some might term "football", but I certainly would not. Unfortunately, I was on hand to take it all in, while most folks were fortunate enough to benefit from the gameday blackout.  The Lions held tough for most of the first half with a strong defensive performance and led 10-6 after two quarters. After halftime, the ugliness of the "Oh fer" showed up like a drag queen on prom night. Defensive breakdowns along with a totally inept offense spelled the end of the Lions lead and the promise of a first win on the season. The Lions punt coverage unit let Redskins wide receiver Santana Moss loose for a touchdown on an electric run to the endzone. After fielding the punt at his own five yard line, Moss crashed into his own man and then squirted through Lions defenders en route to a game breaking score. It was embarrassing.  All day the Lions were flagged for inopportune penalties, they didn't convert on third down, they didn't tackle or cover well.  They made all the mistakes that you'd expect from a winless football team. Thank God I have the Bills ... who, coincidentally, also lost today (Dammit!).

The truly unfortunate thing in all of this is that the Ford Field one of the finest facilities in the National Football League. It is truly a modern-era facility built with a recycle and renewable mindset driving the construction of an ideal football operations headquarters. It's a massive complex housing state of the art practice facilities, administrative offices, and an impressive array of luxury boxes.  For the fans, the site lines are exceptional due to the placement of the luxury suites on the visitor's side, allowing a lower vantage point from the upper deck and there is more than adequate restroom facilities.  Detroit's commercial past is also represented in the incorporation of the historical Hudson's warehouse as part of the stadium design and the enclosure of the intersection of Adams and Beaubien Streets allowing for a traditionally styled set of shops and restaurants featuring an old world euro appearance complete with cobblestone concourse.   Many of the building materials are made of recyclables and even the floors are made from renewable bamboo rather than hardwoods.  It's a beautiful stadium, someday a team worthy of this facility will inherit it.


For more information on the city of Detroit, MI check out my other reviews by clicking on the links below:
     NFL:  October 11, 2009 - Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Detroit Lions

     NFL: October 15, 2006 - Buffalo Bills vs. Detroit Lions
     NBA: Detroit Pistons, Palace of Auburn Hills - General Information
     NHL: April 9, 2009 - Nashville Predators vs. Detroit Red Wings
     NHL: Detroit Red Wings, Joe Louis Arena - General Information  

 

 
City of Detroit Local Information  
Top Tourist Attractions:
Henry Ford Museum / Greenfield Village
Motown Records Historical Museum

Local Foods:
National Coney Island Hot Dogs, Michigan Cherry Salad, Middle Eastern Cuisine, Pasties, Mackinac Island Fudge, Sanders Bumpy Cake

What They're Drinkin':
Miller Lite, Bud Lite, Bell's Oberon Ale

Tailgating Hotspots:
Lot 1 Eastern Market
Detroit Lions Pre-Game Tailgate on Brush Street

Fan Resources:
Pocket Map of Detroit
Stadium Policy
Stadium Parking Map

Local Sports Media:
Detroit Free Press
Detroit News
97.1FM The Ticket
Popular Bar Districts:
Downtown (Old Shillelagh, Detroit Pub, Town Pump Tavern, Foran's,
     Centaur, Cliff Bell's)
Royal Oak (Luna, Royal Oak Brewery, Gusoline Alley, Mr. B's)
Pontiac (Liberty Bar, Green Tavern, Sevin Night Club, Tonic, Tiki Bobs, JD's
     Key Club, Mill Street Grill)
Mount Clemens (Emerald, The Bank, Orleans, Your Mother's)

Best Restaurants:
Hockey Town Cafe (Sports Bar & Food)
Bad Brad's BBQ (Best BBQ in the City)
Pizza Papalis (Local Pizza)
Fishbones (Creole, Cajun)
Pegasus Taverna (Greek)
Bangkok Cuisine (Thai Food)

Getting to the Stadium:
Ford Field is located in the heart of Downtown Detroit.  There are many ways to get to the stadium.  It's a 10-15 minute walk from the Eastern Market where the best tailgating is going on.  Some folks park in Greek Town and take the People Mover monorail to the stadium.  There really isn't one great big parking lot.  Most people park in lots all over the city and walk to the stadium.

Where To Stay:
Detroit’s downtown area is filled with museums, waterfront, history and an excellent nightlife. Be sure to stay downtown and stay central to the action. I would suggest staying at the Ramada Inn Downtown Detroit or the Crowne Plaza Hotel Pontchartrain Detroit.  The Westin Cadillac and the Holiday Inn Express are also both excellent hotel choices.
   
Compare Prices for
Detroit Lions Tickets Here:


Click on the following links for
Detroit Lions ticket availability at each of the top online ticket brokers on the web.  Try each link to find the cheapest NFL ticket prices and compare these against the published "Face Value" ticket price below:

TicketCity.com        StubHub.com
TicketsNow.com     RazorGator.com

 

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2008 Detroit Lions "Face Value" Ticket Prices
Detroit Lions Single Game Ticket Prices
 

   
 

 

Ford Field Stadium Seating Chart


             Detroit Lions
        2010 NFL Schedule


1 Sunday, 12-Sep DET @ CHI 1:00 PM
2 Sunday, 19-Sep PHI @ DET 1:00 PM
3 Sunday, 26-Sep DET @ MIN 1:00 PM
4 Sunday, 3-Oct DET @ GB 1:00 PM
5 Sunday, 10-Oct STL @ DET 1:00 PM
6 Sunday, 17-Oct DET @ NYG 1:00 PM
7 Bye
8 Sunday, 31-Oct WAS @ DET 1:00 PM
9 Sunday, 7-Nov NYJ @ DET 1:00 PM
10 Sunday, 14-Nov DET @ BUF 1:00 PM
11 Sunday, 21-Nov DET @ DAL 1:00 PM
12 Thursday 25-Nov NE @ DET 12:30 PM
13 Sunday, 5-Dec CHI @ DET 1:00 PM
14 Sunday, 12-Dec GB @ DET 1:00 PM
15 Sunday, 19-Dec DET @ TB 1:00 PM
16 Sunday, 26-Dec DET @ MIA 1:00 PM
17 Sunday, 2-Jan MIN @ DET 1:00 PM

          NFL Football Stadiums
 


Ford Field Stadium Tours - click here for info

Ticket Prices: $7 Adults, $5 Students/Seniors
Phone Number: 313-262-2100
Hours: 11:00am and 1:00pm Mondays & Fridays (Jan – May)11:00am and   
1:00pm Mondays, Thursdays, & Fridays (Jun - Dec)
Areas Covered: Facility, Ford Field Suite, Locker room, Field and much
more.  Following your tour for $5 more per person, you can add a mini-clinic. 
learn to pass, catch, and kick like the pros on the field during your 30-minute
mini-clinic.


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Check out my YouTube Video from Ford Field:
 
 

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Click for Forecast for 48226 from weatherUSA.net
Kegs and Eggs for breakfast   Apple Martinis Too   A Good Samaritan
         
   
Redskins fans made the trek   Big Al and the Cadillac Hearse   Brenden and Travis of Slaughterhouse Live
         
   
Prepare the Barbecue   The Quest for 31 Flag   Anna and I in Ford Field
         

 

 
A Pic of the Fam Watching Mediocrity   in the concourse   Fairly Depressing Performance
         
   
The Mask's a gift from Slaughterhouse Live   Exhibit B   Farmers Market
         
     
COMMENTS?
Please feel free to post any suggestions or comments you might have for my journey to
Ford Field, including the following:
 
             
 - Local Hotspots (Bar Districts, Restaurants, Clubs)
               - Local Foods (Traditional Cuisine, Micro Brews)
               - Tailgating Traditions
               - Your Experiences or Helpful Hints

               - If you saw me let me know!
 
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