The Diaspora Fan: First game in person of the 2019 season
By Ben Kaplan
This past weekend, I had the pleasure (and heart-stopping experience) of watching the Los Angeles Chargers-Chicago Bears game live. It was my first time ever to Soldier Field in Chicago, and while the seats were arguably nosebleed worthy, the experience did not disappoint.
Not only was it an exciting ( and sometimes frustrating) contest that went down to literally the last second, it also was a great reminder about how much TV viewers miss of the live game environment.
Three key benefits that stood out:
1. No commercial breaks: Yes, they are not fun in general (we do not need to see that State Farm agent ad for the 1,000th time); however, not leaving the “game environment” made the tough plays seem not as heart-wrenching (read: better for one’s overall stress level). It also helped instill a sense of feeling more in-the-moment and being part of the action for a consistent three hours.
First #Chargers game of the year in person! pic.twitter.com/aRDrri3RzB
— Ben Kaplan (@Ben_Kaplan) October 27, 2019
2. Real feel for the fans: Bears fans are as passionate as they come, but they are also very sensible and friendly folks. It was very easy to strike up a conversation and (as long as a person did not wear a Packers jersey) people did not give others a hard time if they were sporting Chargers apparel.
It was great to walk in, around and from the stadium with them all. Some had the same seats for decades and knew most of the people in their sections!
Nice ‘stache, kid. ? pic.twitter.com/CbBd0FDkNa
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 27, 2019
3. True game experience: When anything big occurs, the clock is winding down or it’s a last-second field goal to win (or lose) it, the entire stadium vibrates. While TV may make the first down marker seem farther, has epic music and struts famous analysts, TV can by no means replicate the electric energy when experiencing the game live.
Especially with the incredible 17-16 final, watching the contest in person was on another level.
Pure pandemonium pic.twitter.com/bCu6Mj6CbY
— Ben Kaplan (@Ben_Kaplan) October 27, 2019
While perhaps not the prettiest game overall, it was a huge (read: must have) win for the Bolts. It does not matter how, but just that the team did win and kept its so-far rocky season afloat. Now the Chargers face a much tougher task as Chicago’s division rival and 7-1 Green Bay Packers come to L.A. on Sunday.