My Professional Football Experience

My husband, son, and I attended a Detroit Lions football game yesterday. They played the Cincinnati Bengals. My husband's company paid for the trip and the game, or I would never have agreed to it to begin with. It took us 3 1/2 hours to get to Detroit. We spent 45 minutes in traffic, trying to get off the exit ramp to park in the garage at Ford Field. Rude drivers (with BMWs and Cadillacs), drove to the front of the line and then forced their way in. Money talks.

We were shocked when the people at the parking garage told us we had to pay $45 cash to park. It was okay. We had been allotted enough money. Still. Expensive. Ugh.

Our second shock came when we were treated as criminals by security people before entering Ford Field. Jeff had to go back to the parking garage and car for something. Ryan and I, while waiting for him, heard a "Get up against that wall!" from a security guard. Ugh.

We sat in plush seats in a club section. Again - paid for by my husband's company. Nice, comfortable seating, yes. Hearing the two drunks behind us cuss and swear up a storm constantly, not so nice.

We didn't have a whole lot of cash left after paying for gas and then food - we didn't have enough time to stop on the way for lunch because one of Jeff's bosses was waiting for us with our tickets. Guess how much food and drinks cost at Ford Field? $9.00 for a small tray of chips and salsa/cheese. $9.00 for a Hungry Howie's personal size pizza. $5.00 for a bottle of Aquafina water. $7.00 for a cup of Diet Pepsi. If we drank beer, it would be $9.00 a bottle. You get the idea. Ryan and I shared one of those small trays of chips and salsa, we each got a water, and Jeff had a pizza and Diet Pepsi. $34.00 total.

Here is what I cannot figure out. How can people spend so much money without batting an eye? Detroit is full of homeless people, hungry people, people desperate for hope. And yet there are thousands of people out there ignoring all of that and blowing hundreds of dollars in one shot for sports.

I don't get it.