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There’s something special about spending the Christmas season in New York City. The city that never sleeps gets dressed up in the spirit of the holiday season as decorations adorn familiar landscapes and city streets are jam packed with holiday shoppers and tourists. Christmas lights brighten up archways and skyscrapers along with holiday themed sculptures scattered throughout the island of Manhattan making Christmas cheer a more tangible presence in the Big Apple (and by the way, I say the word “Christmas”, not to be politically incorrect, but just to be traditional … does one really have to say “Happy Holidays” so as not to offend? The whole thing is really quite tiresome).

Earlier this year, I was in town for a New York Jets game and saw MetLife Stadium all decked out in green and white as a home field for the New York Jets. My return to MetLife Stadium this time was in an effort to find out how the stadium decor differs for New York Giants home games. Unlike the old Giants Stadium that was basically a New York Giants venue that Jets fans occupied from time to time, architects of MetLife Stadium set out to create a gameday facility that could transform in appearance inside and out to align itself as a true home stadium for either team. Through the use of some innovative colored lighting technologies, the louvered slats of the stadium’s exterior can be lit up to appear in green and white for Jets home games or in blue and white when the Giants are in town. In addition, twenty, sixty foot tall HD video pylons flank the exterior of the stadium to provide some additional home team color. The video pylons feature constantly changing gameday content including announcements, team highlights, and player interviews and there are two at every stadium gate.

Walking through the gates at the main entrance to MetLife Stadium, fans are greeted by a massive louvered billboard that can be flipped on gameday to feature either a New York Jets logo or a New York Giants player collage. Inside the concourse, removable section signage featuring team colors and logos are posted at each entrance and even the concessions menus, which are displayed on flatscreen TV’s reflect home team colors. Entering the seating area, four massive 30 x 118 foot HD video display boards, positioned in each corner of the stadium, are lit up in green and white or red and blue throughout the game to offer that home team feel. Fans will also notice that the player ring of fame is replaced with the appropriate honorees for each home game, and that all 40 sections of endzone FieldTurf are rolled up and replaced to install each team’s respective endzones as well.

The most interesting transformation, however, happens in the Pro Shop near the main entrance, as clothing racks and merchandise displays are built on rollers allowing staff to easily move them in and out of team store fully stocked with apparel. The interior of the ProShop is actually painted white in color allowing colored lights to completely transform the walls and ceiling by bathing these areas in either a green or blue light. Team oriented logos and images are also projected on the walls to enhance the home team feel. It’s actually quite ingenious, depending upon which team claims MetLife Stadium as their home for the weekend, fans will find a true home team transformation giving the facility the appropriate look and feel for gameday in East Rutherford.

Gameday for me began at 6:45am as I met Greg “The Shark” Scharfstein from Big Blue BBQ on the service drive leading into the stadium lots. With a hot coffee to greet me and an 8:00am start time, we waited in pole position eagerly anticipating the opportunity to claim our spot in Lot 19-J. Parking is provided on a first come, first serve basis outside MetLife Stadium, so to get your preferred spot it’s best to be in line early. The time passed quickly though, as we chatted about the playoff chances of these New York Football Giants and the goings on with Big Blue BBQ. As soon as 8:00am hit, it was like a mini-baja through the parking lot as tailgaters zoomed across the asphalt to claim their preferred parking areas of choice.

December in East Rutherford offered blisteringly cold winds and low temperatures, so I donned my traditional multilayered thermal fat suit to insulate me from Mother Nature’s harsh conditions. I actually had no idea how ridiculous I looked until I flipped through the photos much later. It’s a wonder my wife let’s me walk around in public looking like a mini, pale-faced Sherman Klump.

Big Blue BBQ is a full service, professional grade outfit that specializes in premiere gourmet fan tailgating. Over the years the Big Blue BBQ Crew headed up by Scott, Greg, John, and Joe have honed their craft and established themselves as one of the best in the lot at MetLife Stadium. Setup begins with the Big Blue BBQ trailer. Functional in nature because it stores and transports all of their gear and also sports some impressive custom New York Giants decals and paint, this trailer is much more than simply an equipment mule. One side of the trailer opens to reveal a 60-inch plasma flatscreen and full bar with a beer tap on the left and a rather nice half bath on the right side of the bar for the ladies. The bar is always stocked with top shelf liquor and the food is some of the best you’ll find in an NFL stadium parking lot. Big Blue BBQ always attracts a sizable following of fans and spending pregame with these guys is always a good time.

My next stop was over to see BigBlueTailgaters.com and frontman John Bakalarczyk over in Lot L. Headquartered in their classic 1980 Sportcoach RV, BigBlueTailgaters.com is a fixture in the lot for every home game and these guys have a great cast of characters that meet up on gameday for pregame libations. When I arrived, the grills were fired up, the beer was flowing, and the Big Blue Box (their portable all-in-one entertainment center) was fully operational with a flatscreen TV hosting the Fox pregame show via a DirecTV satellite link. So with a brat in one hand and an ice cold liquid beverage of choice in the other, we gathered around the Big Blue Box to chat and check out the pregame. While I was hanging out, I met Peg Callahan. Peg and her husband have decided to take to the road to tailgate in every stadium in the NFL in their custom RV mobile office. On her website, PlacesandPlatypie.com, they describe their adventures on the road and interact with other road warriors. We chatted for a bit and incredibly enough, Peg is an avid follower of mine (it’s rumored that she referred to me as “the Marlon Brando of Tailgating,” I did mention that the beer was flowing didn’t I?). Anyway, she immediately knew exactly who Crystal was and asked about our daughter Annabella. Peg, you made my day.  It’s always amazing to me to meet people who actually read my stuff, and Peg is proof positive that I’m not just posting these reviews in the nebulous regions of cyberspace.

Gametime was upon us before we knew it and it was time once again to enter the hallowed halls of MetLife Stadium, the new home of the New York Football Giants. With the Washington Redskins in town, a hated division rival, it was bound to be a great game. The cold weather and blustery winds of the day that whipped through MetLife Stadium tended to dictate play toward running the ball, and run the ball is exactly what the G-men did. With a dominant tandem of running backs in Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, the Giants punished the visiting Redskins with an imposing ground game that tallied four touchdowns and over 200 yards on the day. New York’s defense was equally effective against Redskins quarterback, Donovan McNabb, harassing the former All-Pro and holding their struggling offense to only seven points. The New York Giants controlled the ball through four quarters of football and steamrolled the reeling Redskins by a score of 31 – 7 allowing them to keep pace with the Philadelphia Eagles for the division lead at 8 – 4. If these guys can continue to dominate the line of scrimmage like they did today, they’ll be a force to be reckoned with come playoff time.


For more information on the city of New York, NY check out my other reviews by clicking on the links below:
     NFL: November 8, 2009 - San Diego Chargers vs. New York Giants
     NFL: October 11, 2010 - Minnesota Vikings vs. New York Jets
     NFL: September 20, 2009 - New England Patriots vs. New York Jets
     NBA: Madison Square Garden General Information & Cheap NBA Tickets
     NHL: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum - General Information
     NHL: Madison Square Garden - General Information
 

Local Foods:
New York Style Pizza
Nathans Hot Dogs - Coney Island

What They're Drinkin':
Captain's Reserve Imperial IPA, Brooklyn Intensified Coffee Stout, Miller Lite, Bud Lite

Tailgating Hotspots:
Lot 16E & Lot 18C, these days grab a spot wherever you can get one.

Fan Resources:
Pocket Map of New York
New York City Transit System Map
NJ Transit System Map
Stadium Policy
Stadium Parking Map
Fan Forum: BigBlueInteractive.com

Local Sports Media:
New York Post, New York Times, New York Daily News
660 WFAN
1050AM - ESPN Radio

Where To Stay:
When you’re in New York, and you can spend the money, you should plan to stay in Manhattan. The big city lights, dizzying skyscrapers, and especially the nightlife, makes NYC the place to be.  Hotels in the city will cost you though, so my suggestion is to stay near the stadium and train into the city. 

There are three hotels near Giants Stadium in New Jersey. Crowne Plaza Hotel Secaucus, Sheraton Meadowlands, Residence Inn Marriott .

If you plan on seeing NY. Popular hotels include Holiday Inn Manhattan 6th Avenue (very central to all major attractions including Penn Station train to Giants Stadium), W Hotel NY, Hotel Gansevoort, Doubletree Hotel New York, Holiday Inn Express Madison Square Garden, Hotel Pennsylvania.

 
Planning Your Next Trip to see the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium?
Traveling to all thirty-one stadiums around the National Football League, teaches you a thing or two about getting the most for your money.  I've set up this website to help others that are interested in NFL Travel.  Below you'll find links for cheap New York Giants tickets, stadium seating charts, local weather, hotel, and flight information, everything you need to plan a successful trip to MetLife Stadium.

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