My first and no doubt last pro football game

It all started out with such high hope. I managed to score tickets to see the Pittsburgh Steelers play the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland, Ohio on Thursday night. Hubby is a die-hard Steelers fan, so I thought going to a game would be a good way to thank him for all he has to do for me. Big mistake, but we'll get to that in a minute.

As everyone who knows me realizes, we have spent way too much time in Cleveland over the past year with me at the Cleveland Clinic. Our memories of the town are me having needles stuck into my arms and having medicine pushed in. Nausea and pain were constant companions. I'm a tiny person and my health is pretty bad. I had layers of clothes on me and even bought an extra scarf, just to be sure. I thought I was prepared. Everyone said how bad the fans are, but I truly didn't expect what happened.

We pack up the cooler, my cameras to meet my cousin and off we go to Cleveland. Got there early for tailgating. They assure me it's very important for the whole experience. OK, I'll try it. It was SOOOO cold, I lost feeling in my feet and fingers after just a few minutes. It was so cold, the wind cut through and froze us from the bone marrow out. Truly not fun. Little did I know that would be the best part of the trip.



Browns' fans stumbled by our lean to, most completely sloshed. When they saw my cousin's Steelers' jacket, they began swearing and screaming at us that our team (as well as our mothers) do some truly impossible sex acts. We just ignored them, why add fuel to the fire? More friends met up with us. We had four adult men, two adult women and four teenagers.

When it was time to go to the stadium, we stopped by the porta potty. A completely drunk "man" started screaming and swearing that we had no right to even use that, it was just for Browns' fans. He was right in the face of the other adult woman. He was literally spitting in her face. What is wrong with people?

From there, it just got worse. We walked to the stadium and it was like running the gauntlet of "A@@holes", "F Yous" and other sweet nothings. All this over a sporting event? Scary. We get into the stadium and as we walk up to our seats, I see a security guard and ask if it's safe to go there since we happen to have seats in the Dawg Pounds, where the worst of the fans congregate. I explained what we had gone through and he just laughed and said if I feel bad, to come and find him. Yeah, right!

We get to our seats and wait for the game to start. I wasn't able to stand up at all by this point, so I'm there wrapped in blankets and not moving. We can see everything perfectly and are hoping for a good game. The ones who had the seats in front of us get there and everything changes. They STAND the entire first half. When they aren't drinking and dumping beer on themselves, they are dirty dancing, making out and screaming filthy sexual comments to each other. SIGH!





My cousin happens to be a cop. He went down to the bathroom and had scores of degenerates up in his face threatening him. He asked a cop who was there if he was going to do anything. This "PEACE KEEPER" told him if he didn't get back to his seat, he would be arrested. He had NO RIGHT to even be in Cleveland. Can you believe it? He came back to our seats and asked if we were ready to go. Of course, I was. The first half had just ended.

I was in tears by that point, but didn't let on what happened. It was have caused a huge brawl, so I'm practically carried out to the van, then let them know I was kneed in the back while we were in the seats. I wasn't dressed like a Steelers' fan. I had on New Moon hat and scarf, a blue jacket and was wrapped in an Edward and fairy blankets. There was no reason in the world to hurt me. Guess the brave one who did it figured I was the best to take on. :(



I have never in my life experienced the kind of hate and ignorance that went on during that day. It completely ruined the experience for me and I have no desire to EVER go to another game. If that is what people who live in Cleveland are truly like, I weep for their future.