Infants at Games

Your kid is pretty damn cute. what did you sell?

 

A clear case of Rule No. 1 (the wife is always right).

 

Since everyone else is doing it....

I have been bringing my oldest daughter with me for years. A few years back, I think she was 9 or 10, she was picked to do some relay race at halftime. She was really nervous watching the first half to the point where the woman next to her asked if she was OK. She said she gets to go on the field for the race and the women said she would get the Nordeke to cheer for her.

And you all did. Loudly! She won a nice grab bag of gear, including a ball signed by the 2008 Cup team. She also won t-shirts for her row in the stands. When she as asked where she was sitting she proudly said "I stand with Crew Union!" The ended up bringing 10 shirts over to the section and throwing them up into the crowd.

I rarely go to a game without her. We will be there Saturday.

 

I thought he sold his soul to a Canadian.

 

I'm going to take the opposite tack as the general consensus here. I don't bring my kids to Crew games, at least not very often. When I decided to be a father I said the kids will come first. I like to think I've lived up to that fairly well to this point (kids are 5 and 4 now). I've stopped a lot of my outside activities to focus more on spending time with family. I also have a wife that works weekends so if taking the kids, it is a solo endeavor.

The Crew is my "one thing." I've had season tickets since 1997 and sat in the same seat at Crew stadium since it opened. I go to games to watch my team play. I hate wasting money and I would feel if I spent 1/3 or 1/2 the game fussing with the kids, when I've paid full price for 3 tickets, that not only would I not have enjoyed the game, but likely the kids would have had a better time doing something else.

I'm lucky enough to have my mother close by and she enjoys either coming to my home to hang with the kids, or as will happen this week with the game finishing up before bedtime, the kids will go to her house.

I've taken the kids, mostly Open Cup midweek games where all 4 us can go as a family. I've done 2 regular season games, 1 where I had the younger in the bjorn and the older in the backpack. I just walked round the whole time.

So, I'm selfish when it comes to Crew games and a dedicated family man the rest of the time. As the kids get older I'm sure we'll be spending more time at Crew Stadium together, but for now, I'm glad to have time to stare at the field for 90 minutes. I see lots of kids around me and they are all face down in a Nintendo. I don't see any value in paying for a ticket for a kid to play video games, especially every week. I know for many it is cheaper to bring them and placate them than it would be to get a sitter. Thankfully I'm not in that situation.

Anyway, I guess I'm not up for realest fan or Crew parent of the year.

 

Amen to this, man. There IS no value. For the times I do bring my oldest daughter, she will not have an electronic device with her. At CCS, we watch the game. If she can't do that, then she sits still and lets me watch the game because if she can't do that, then she'll be dealing with a very unhappy father.

 

You're on my left, right below the exclamation point in the sign, looking down at your phone in the second one.

 

Well I'll be damned. There I am.

 

The impeccably coifed mane gave it away.

 

We've been bringing the kids since they were babies. They love being in the Nordecke because they can shout and jump and not get in trouble. It also is very entertains for them to see all the flags and signs. The only down side was about four years ago during my daughters first soccer game. A kid on the other team fell and she stopped to chant "she fell over, she fell over"

 

My father's part of the Old Fart Gang. People seem to like him better. Seriously this is a normal conversation for me at Crew games:

Where's your dad?
I don't know.
I like your father more then you.
Thanks

 

I do like your father more then you...and your brother...and Tim. You don't eat meat, that makes you suspect.

 

Then you need to instagram or tweet that pic or whatever they ask for, and you can get on the big screen.

 

Have been stopped the last two games and questioned about my backpack/diaper bag with 17 month old in tow. Offered to show the security the diapers and wipes from under a blanket. Just FYI for other parents, they are allowed. Have the security check with the guy in charge of the gate, if they give you grief.

 

It will be getting tougher and tougher at stadiums. The NFL rules are taking effect elsewhere--and they pretty much are "don't bother bringing anything in except your money". Women cannot bring in purses, for example.

Example from my alma mater--and they are just following NFL rules. Draconian? You decide. But it's one of the things that makes going to games less fun. Who wants to go to a place where they treat you like a criminal?

 

I hope he doesn't have to wait too long for his next. But the way we are going....

 

The last time the Crew won was when Chelsey brought her son? Someone needs to get them a luxury box and stadium escort. Much easier than getting a striker....