Section C6, Row 1, Seats 4 and 5

This is a post I meant to put up earlier in the week. I just never got around to it. Albeit it might not be completely appropriate considering the big game with Minnesota is less than 48 hours away, I felt really compelled to put this up.

That's all she wrote folks. The fat lady has sung. 

This past Sunday marked the final time that I ever sat in my Eagles seats that my family has owned the past five years. 

Our five year deal on the seats are up and Jeffrey Lurie is raising the prices higher and faster than gas went up earlier last year. The Eagles want us to sign a 10-year deal that would have the cost of each seat be so unfathomable to even think of. It is pretty clear that Lurie wants more corporate businesses to purchase Eagles season tickets rather than the people who bleed green and white. Not only can he not "high-five," but apparently Lurie doesn't smell his crap very well either. He thinks his stadium should be filled with the highest and wealthiest of people rather than the classiest. Go figure.

Anyway, the first ever Eagles game I went to live was the last game at Veterans Stadium–Sunday, January 19, 2003. I had never saw an Eagles game at the Vet before, or at all (obviously) and I begged my dad leading up to that day to please buy me some tickets. I begged and begged and begged until there was no more begging to be done. He called a broker and absolutely overpaid for two 600 Level tickets. That is just the kind of guy he was as he always wanted his kids to be happy. 

Of course, the Eagles lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship game 27-10. I remember that the section I sat in with my grandfather was 634. My father was on a flight with my mom coming back from Florida so he could not go to the game. 

The very next season, the first one at Lincoln Financial Field, my father decided to buy season tickets in the club level (the middle level at the Linc/the gray seats). I was very excited about seeing more and more Eagles as the year went on considering I had so much fun at my first one even though they lost. 

In 2003, our seats were in section C16. In the 2003-04 season, I saw the Eagles lose to Tampa Bay on Monday Night Football 17-0, lose to the New England Patriots 31-13, defeat the New York Jets 24-17, beat the Dallas Cowboys 36-10, beat the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs, a.k.a. the 4th and 26 game, 20-17 in overtime (saw from different seats other than sect. C16) and saw them lose to the Carolina Panthers 14-3 in the NFC Championship Game.

My record at Birds game was a disappointing 3-4. I had the rutty feeling that maybe I was bad luck.

But what did Rocky say in "Rocky Balboa"–" 'It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward...How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning's done.' "

All of a sudden, by the start of the 2004 season, my luck turned around. 

For a couple of reasons I will not chose to disclose, Dad decided to change our seats after only one year in Section C16. I could not understand why. They were in about the ninth or 10th row with a pretty good view. But, one of the special things about my old man is that he always tried to do or get better.

Well, he did. He somehow changed our seats to Section C6, Row 1, Seats 4 and 5 (aisle seats-I do not know why they start at 4...once again...a Jeffrey Lurie stadium...go figure). 

From that point on (2004-2008) I attended 19 games in those seats, which includes one pre-season game. Now, if you do the math, five times eight is 40. Also, in 2004-05 and 2006-07, there were three post-season games between those two years, thus making that 43 games. If you want to get really picky, there were a total of 53 games if you want to count 10 years of pre-season contests. 

But, understand that there were only two seats and I had to split an eight game season with my younger brother, Jake. Not to mention, sometimes other things come up and you can't always go to every game, especially meaningless pre-season "battles." Also, with attending college the past two seasons, I have only been able to come home for two games each year.

But, in those 19 games (which includes one pre-season), I accumulated a total record of 17-2. Some of those games I saw with my father, while some I saw with my grandfather or a friend. Here is a list of every single game I saw in Section C6, Row 1, Seat 5. Yup, that's right. I only sat in that seat. Not the other one.

2004-05 Season

Monday, September 20, 2004: Minnesota Vikings 27-16 W

Sunday, October 31, 2004: Baltimore Ravens 15-10 W

Sunday, December 5, 2004: Green Bay Packers 47-17 W

Sunday, December 19, 2004: Dallas Cowboys 12-7 W

Sunday, January 16, 2005: NFC Divisional Playoff Game vs. Minnesota Vikings 27-14 W

Sunday, January 23, 2005: NFC Championship Game vs. Atlanta Falcons 27-10 W

2005 Season

Sunday, September 18, 2005: San Francisco 49ers 42-3 W

Sunday, September 25, 2005: Oakland Raiders 23-20 W

Sunday, October 23, 2005: San Diego Chargers 20-17 W

Sunday, December 11, 2005: New York Giants 23-26 L

2006-07 Season

Monday, October 2, 2006: Green Bay Packers 31-9 W

Sunday, October 8, 2006: Dallas Cowboys 38-24 W

Sunday, November 19, 2006: Tennessee Titans 13-31 L

Sunday, December 31, 2006: Atlanta Falcons 24-17 W

2007 Season

Friday, August 17, 2007: Pre-Season Game vs. Carolina Panthers 27-10 W

Sunday, November 18, 2007: Miami Dolphins 17-7 W

Sunday, November 30, 2007: Buffalo Bills 17-9 W

2008-09 Season

Thursday, November 27, 2008: Arizona Cardinals 48-20 W

Sunday, December 28, 2008: Dallas Cowboys 44-6 W

Out the 26 games I have been to throughout my life, including the pre-season one against Carolina, I have a record of 20-6. I only saw two losses in Section C6, Row 1, Seat 5. 

While this past Sunday was great, it was bittersweet for me personally as well. I had a blast with my grandfather.

However, it was a little upsetting I could not go to the game with my dad. And my grandfather would agree with me. He is always the kind of person that would want me to go to any game with my father before him. 

Even though I would have nagged my dad to no end to keep our seats, in the end, he would have still probably had to not renew them due to the absolutely ridiculous prices of them. 

Still, the 44-6 ass-whooping of the Cowboys was one heck of a last game to sit in Section C6, Row 1, Seat 5. And even though I am not a spiritual person by any means, I have some gut feeling that Josh Uram had a little bit of part in the way the game transpired. 

Do not be mistaken, I will probably still go to Eagles games every now and then, but Sunday, December 28, 2008 was the last time mine, a family member or a friend of mine's rear end ever sat in those two magical seats.

There are two things that will always stick in my mind about those two seats–17-2 and a whole lot of memories.