FedEx Field - Washington, DC

I am a huge football fan (or should I say Steelers fan?), and this week I had the opportunity to check out the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles Monday night game in DC. I have been living in DC for a couple of years and have been to FedEx Field several times.

FedEx field is a monster stadium that seats 90,000+ fans, second only to the new Cowboy’s stadium that opened this year. The lot scene is always a good time. Considering how poor the team is this year, I was actually looking forward to the pregame party in the parking lot more than the game itself.

I went with my longtime buddy, and fellow beer lover, Ian. We decided to go with Newcastle and Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA to quench our pregame thirst.

Well, the lot party definitely did not disappoint. The smell of grilled meat filled the cool fall air. The atmosphere leading up to the game was great. It was Monday Night Football between two division rivals and you could feel, hear, and see the excitement in the crowd.

Sitting in the club section, we had a couple of drink options near by as well as a great overall view of the field. Beer at any sporting event is overpriced, and FedEx Field is no exception, with an average price of $9. I decided to go with the Gordon Biersch Pilsner and Heineken for most of the evening. The beer was cold and decent tasting, although it was no Dogfish Head.

The Eagles took a quick 14 –  0 lead in the first quarter and all the excitement around us quickly turned to disappointment. It’s a sad situation in DC, a city that has passionate and knowledgeable fans who unfortunately route for a team whose billionaire owner doesn’t have a clue. By the 4th quarter, it seemed like half of the fans had either left or gone out to the common areas to drink away their sorrows.

There was an after party on our level with live music, Guinness, and more Heineken. I have been to more lively parties and I’m assuming that losing their 5th game out of 7 had something to do with the subdued atmosphere.

The passionate fans and great pregame parking lot scene made up for the disappointing football that was played that night. Live sporting events, good beer, and great friends, always make for a great time, and Monday night was no exception.