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Pictures and a story from Ford Field...

Dirk Diggler

By Dirk Diggler
in 2004 Archives Forum

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Dirk Diggler

Dirk Diggler

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I'm back from Detroit after by far the coolest football experience of my young life. To make a long story short; a friend of a friend (Thanks so much to Mark) works for the Lions and was kind enough to provide for me and a select few others the kind of access that rarely befalls that of regular fans. I did my best to take advantage of the opportunity in a way that I'd hope any of you would.

First and foremost, I have to give it up to HeHateMe for inviting me to join him on the journey to Detroit. He is a lowly Cowboy fan but without him this whole thing would not have been possible so big ups to the guy who helped make this happen. Also thanks to Steve and Dave who took some of the pictures that you see in this thread and put up with a weekend of my snoring.

A little background:

Tickets to the game was about all I was expecting with an outside chance at getting on the field a few hours before kicoff just to see what it was like. I didn't couldn't fathom anything you see in the pictures.

We got to the stadium a few hours early and it was really impressive. It's big but not so big that it seems impersonal - I believe there's 60,000 seats. It's in downtown Detroit but not a dangerous area. I was told they they did a real nice job of cleaning things up. It's right next to Comerica Park where the Tigers play and there's lots of little shops and restaurants in the area. The fans heckeled me a bit for wearing a Skins jersey but I didn't hear the type of profanity that you may experience in Philly or New York so it was all in good fun. There were also a decent amount of Skins fans so I tip my cap to any of you who represented.

As most of you probably saw, the Fox GameDay Crew was at Ford Field. So, the few fans that were there early were gathered behind the set of Howie, Terry, Jimmy, and JB. Steve Mariucci joined the guys to tape a pre-game segment and even Matt Millen was out there yucking it up with some execs. We joined the gathering and made a little bit of noise in an effort to get on TV. The two teams were warming up at this time (11-11:30) and I must say I was pretty impressed with Ola Kimrin's range. He was drilling 60 yarders with 8-10 yards to spare so you can imagine my suprise when he hit the crossbar on his 50 yard attempt. Most of us know of the way Marcus Washington has become a leader here in a short time but I couldn't help but notice how he was in everyone's ear trying to get them fired up IN WARMUPS. His energy seemed contagious and he was bouncing from player to player when he wasn't taking part in individual drills. He seemed to really be having fun. This guy is a true Redskin.

Mark then surprised us with Pre-Game field passes which gave us access to anywhere on the sideline before the game! So we breezed pass the security and hopped onto the field. The turf itself was really interesting. It's the new field turf which is supposed to be the next gerenation in surfaces. It's actually synthetic grass that you can pull out of the ground just like the real stuff unlike the old school carpet. Under the grass though are grains of black rubber which help provide cushioning. You can literally pull it up with your hand like brown dirt. I was told that it was mashed up tire rubber from the car factories. If you observe close enough when the players drag their feet (while making a sideline catch) and black stuff flies up? That's rubber. I suppose that it helps the refs in addition to providing a safer surface.

So we're walking around like kids in the candy store at this point. Checking out the pre-game set and all the people involved in that production. Some Skins fans who I took a picture of were begging me to get them on the field. I asked if they were from ExtremeSkins but the one said "no, I'm from Baltimore" - too funny. It was really cool to see the players up close and it's hard to appreciate how big they are from the stands. One player who really stood out was Cory Schlesinger. He was 250 lbs of rock solid muscle.

Now of course, the Skins are on the other side of the field and the pre-game set is in the way so we have to walk all the way around. Fans are screaming at me telling me the Skins suck and I'm just laughing at them thinking how they wish they were in my shoes right now. In fact, there should be a picture of me taking abuse with my thumbs up with my beloved team in the background. Boos are raining down on me as this was taken!

As I'm walking past the tunnel, Chris Samuels comes jogging out. A Lions fan screams at him, "Hey Samuels - you came a long way to get your a$$ kicked today...Ha ha ha." Samuels turns around and glares at him like he said something about his momma. If looks could kill...

Right then, I knew that we would run the ball down their throats all day.

So we're making our way around to the other half of the field where the Skins are warming up and I spot Greg Williams by himself with his arms folded watching intently. Gibbs is at midfield watching from the other side with all the players in between. As you'll see in the first picture - I have a holy $hit look on my face like "That's Greg Williams man!" So I muster up the courage to say something to him:

"Mr. Williams...I just want you to know that me and a lot of fans think you are doing a great job and that we are really pleased with the way our defense is playing."

He comes over to me and says "I really appreciate that...What's your name?" to which I reply, "Jeff."

He shakes my hand and says "Nice to meet you."

I say, "Honestly, I'm really worried that you're doing so well that you will be a head coach next season and we'll have to start all over again on defense. I really hope you will stick around for a few seasons because I'm not sure where we'd end up without you."

He says, "You know Jeff...I really like the area and so does my family. My son's at Princeton and I don't want to move my family around again. I plan on being here for a while."

Then he says, "Would you like a picture?" to which I reply, "That would be awesome."

My buddy then takes the picture of the two of us that I may have to frame. I give the guy a lot of credit. It's about a half hour before the game is supposed to start and I'm sure the only thing he's thinking about is how to beat the Lions. Yet, he takes the time out to talk to a fan and make his day. Really cool dude and a moment that I will never forget.

We then work our way over to the other side. You'll see a picture of me and Sean Taylor and a few of the other guys. Taylor is big but very lanky. I'd be surprised if he's even done filling out. We make it up a little further and there's a man in a black suit standing all by himself watching the player warm up: the DANNY!

I almost had the courage to say something to him but I didn't want to jeopardize my freedom. He looked like he wasn't in a great mood and I didn't want to bother him for a word or a picture. It might have turned out well but I didn't feel like taking chances.

We then get summoned to clear the field and meet the rest of the crew up by the escalators near the entrance. It's about 15 minutes before kickoff and I'm a little worried that we won't be able to get to our seats on time. Mark tells everyone to follow him and we get in a freight elevator. At this point, I have no idea where I'm going. We go down to the basement and as the elevator doors are opening, BIG DADDY WILKINSON and David Kircus walk by the elevator doors! We hang a left and we're walking down the tunnel with the Lions players who are about to be introduced!!! The players are so big it's like we're running with the bulls. Absolutely insane!

As you will see from the pictures, the Lions are lining up to be introduced and at this point the stadium noise is deafening. You feel the bass in your chest and the crowd's excitement and anticipation makes your hair stand on end. I can't even fathom what it feels like to be a player running out to cheers or on the flipside - how depressing it would feel to run out to boos ala Mark Brunell. I thought about pushing Joey Harrington aside and running out in my Skins Jersey when they introduced him but I didn't want to get thrown in an alley. But I would have made the 6 oclock news and quite possibly secured a spot in the ExtremeSkins Hall of Fame so it was very much on my mind!

So after the players are introduced, we follow them out onto the field. We're standing on the sideline as they line up for the kickoff! As the picture shows, we're as close to the action as the players on the sideline. I began to have an inkling as to why it's so hard for players and coaches to stay retired. That feeling before kickoff is one thing on your couch but to be there on the sideline was like being in another universe. It was truly surreal to be right there as helmets and pads are cracking right before your eyes. We watched the first few drives which were highlighted by Roy Williams's amazing sideline catch. The crowd went absolutely insane.

We went up to our seats which were at the Club Level - between field level and upper deck. I watched the balance of the game from there and I tried to look for things that I can't see on TV like the receivers and defensive backs. A few observations:

Offense

I wanted to watch the receivers to see what Brunell was seeing but the Skins threw so few passes that it was hard to make too many conclusions. On those few passes, there were only 2 or 3 releasing into routes and they were pretty well covered. The Lions played predominantly zone and it seemed like there were 2 to 3 defenders within a few yards of Gardner, Coles, and Jacobs when they came out of their breaks.

Portis looked insanely fast and I really think the Danny should contemplate installing this Field Turf at Fed Ex. I don't think there is a quicker back in the league he gets into another gear on this surface. CP explodes to the second level sooner than any back I've seen in a long, long time.

Defense

Greg Williams seemed to have Smoot and Springs defending a certain side of the field rather than shadowing certain players - Fred on the defensive right and Springs on the left except when the Lions brought in a 3rd WR. Springs moved inside and Walt Harris came in to play LCB. In these instances, Roy Williams was matched up on Harris quite a bit and he more than held his own. The corner play overall was exceptional and we played predominantly man the whole game. Sean Taylor even came down and played some cornerback on an island when we brought in Franz as the 3rd Safety.

Taylor was moved all over the field and was barking out the signals when players weren't lined up correctly. It was pretty rare that players didn't know exactly where to be which is a welcome change from year's past. Taylor looked like a corner when he was playing man coverage. It was really a thing of beauty. He flips his hips and has the ease of motion of a top corner. These are things you just can't see unless you are in the stands. He didn't play in the box too often because Ryan Clark doing his job there. It seemed like they want him up tight to keep things as simple as possible. He appeared very instinctive and rarely was going the wrong way when the ball was snapped. I think I only saw our safeties more than 10-12 yards off the line a handful of times and that was on 3rd and 15 or longer.

For my money, we have the best defensive backfield in the league and this unit is the main reason we've been able to play dominant in the front 7. I don't think that Lemar Marshall and Ron Warner are necessarily good players. I think it's this unit which allows for Greg Williams to get creative and plug average players in yet produce far above average results.

After the final gun, we received passes to the player's lounge where the Detroit players grab a bite to eat with their families. Among the players I saw were: Joey Harrington, Rick Mirer, Dom Raiola, Damien Woody (he's reeeeeal soft), and DC Dick Jauron. There were a few other guys who I did not recognize by their faces. It was cool to see them chilling out but overall it was a pretty somber atmosphere considering they just lost. Harrington was very soft spoken and didn't seem all too inspiring. I didn't talk to any of them considering they probably have very limited time with their families during the season and this was a sacred atmosphere. I think it was the right move.

After this we took a tour of the stadium and saw a few of the luxury boxes. Needless to say, they were sweet. I also saw the press box and was just a few feet away from Mike Wilbon where he was banging out the next day's article. There were about 10 of them lined up in a row typing on laptops. I grabbed a Skins Media Guide which made for good reading on the flight home.

All in all, it was a blast and something every fan should experience at some point in the future.

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jrfriedm

jrfriedm

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He says, "You know Jeff...I really like the area and so does my family. My son's at Princeton and I don't want to move my family around again. I plan on being here for a while."

That is the absolute coolest thing I've heard since I found that TK IV II I was giveing me a tickett to see this weeks Skins/Cinncy game.

Good stuff.

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FBChick

FBChick

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The story is too cool! That pic with Williams DOES need framing! Had to be heaven man, complete heaven!

I've actually had the pleasure of playing on that new turf and as nice as it feels, it has a few drawbacks as well. I ended up having to change from my turf shoes to cleats just to keep the slipping down and my shoes were full of those dang rubber pebbles by the end of the game. But that stuff is much better to land on when hitting the ground and has a weird spring that makes it fun to push off of for a good run.

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