Heinz Field: Final Thoughts

What can we all take away form this Heinz Field blog series?  The answer is quite simple; on date night, stay away from Heinz Field and its surroundings at all costs.  The city of Pittsburgh has so much more to offer than a Steelers' game.  Find cheap, safe alternatives and actually enjoy a romantic time with your girlfriend.  Avoiding the stadium on a game day is the best choice you can make for the betterment of yourself, your loved one, and your relationship.  By avoiding the stadium, you are saving money, spending quality time with your girlfriend, and most importantly protecting her.  I have provided you with the necessary information needed to make a wise decision regarding your next date in the city.  Now, what are you going to do with that information?  I am going to put the ball in your end of the court; feel free to do as you please.

Below is a link with alternative activities in the Pittsburgh area:

http://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/Pittsburgh-Magazine/April-2011/50-Fun-Things-Have-Fun-with-Your-Sweetheart/

Photo courtesy of  publicdomainpictures.net

Works Cited 

Brown, Lloyd. "Home of the Terrible Towel." Stadium Journey. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2015.

"Heinz Field Facts." Heinz Field. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Dec. 2015.

"Parking - Heinz Field." Heinz Field. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2015.

"Pittsburgh Steelers Tickets." Ticket Master. NFL, n.d. Web. 5 Dec. 2015.

Shumway, John. "Heinz Field Adding More Seats To South End Zone." CBS Pittsburgh. CBS, n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2015.

"The Top 10 Things to Do in Pittsburgh." Trip Advisor. Trip Advisor, n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2015.

Heinz Field: Negative Atmosphere

Chivalry is not dead.  As a true gentleman, you are responsible for protecting your lady and shielding her from any inappropriate acts that may occur around you.  You should watch your mouth at all times, and act as if her father were watching over you for the duration of the date.  A gentleman should never put his loved one in a dangerous environment with violence and foul language.  Unfortunately,  if you attend a Steelers' game at Heinz Field, you are guaranteed to see three things - a football game, a fight, and cursing fans.  A football game is a given, but young men must be aware of the vulgar language and fights that occur at every game.  What leads to these fights and use of inappropriate language?  Alcohol.  Fans consume absurd amounts of alcohol which causes them to act out in ways that should not be witnessed by a young lady.

Tailgates

Most people know that sporting events and alcohol consumption go hand in hand, and Steelers' games exemplify this concept.  Fans start lining the parking lots around the stadium several hours before kickoff; setting up their grills and placing their beverages of choice on ice.  By the time kickoff rolls around, the parking lots are trashed and some fans are incapable of entering the stadium due to their excessive drinking.  The stadium and its surroundings are crawling with intoxicated fans that could cause some problems with you and your girlfriend.  Fans look as if they are stumbling out of a bar rather than attending a football game.  The scenes of the parking lots are nothing that your girlfriend should be exposed to, and you should not even give her the opportunity to view such sights.  The easiest way to avoid these horrid scenes is to avoid the stadium altogether.  

Stadium parking lot after tailgate
Photo courtesy of  wtae.com

Below is a link to a news article regarding an intoxicated fan abusing a woman at a tailgate:

http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/police-drunk-man-knocks-woman-out-steel-divider-st/nhy3z/

Excessive amounts of alcohol consumption never leads to a happy ending, and the alcohol abundance usually results in the use of inappropriate language and violence. 

Language

At a Steelers' game expect to hear lingo other than "Touchdown, Tackle, and Timeout".  Do not be surprised if you hear "F**k, S**t, and B***h" more than you hear fans cheering for their team.  Fans inside the stadium have no filter on their mouths and have no regard for people around them.  Personally, I have not been to a game when I have not heard a curse word less than 50 times.  A movie receives an R-rating if it uses the f-word more than three times.  So, the language at a Steelers' game is worse than that of an R-rated movie.  No woman, regardless of age, should be exposed to this type of language.  If you want to go on a date at Heinz Field, come equipped with earplugs for both you and your girl.  

Below is a video exemplifying the inappropriate language at games:

Warning: Explicit Language 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHhPooU68Ek

Violence 

Along with alcohol consumption and inappropriate language, you are bound to see a fight or two break out while attending a game.  In the several games I have attended, I have seen more punches thrown at the stadium than one sees in an average boxing round (roughly 100).  Several arrests are made every game with charges of assault on fans that cannot hold back their anger.  I personally have seen a handful of fights at the games, but one of them I will never forget.  I was at a nighttime game with my high school football team as a reward for winning the district championship.  The game was dragging on, so we decided to leave the game a quarter early.  As the team and I were making our way back to the buses, a fight broke out in our vicinity, and our coach advised us to stay away just like any logical person would advise.  Minding our own business was not enough that night because a fan involved in the fight sucker punched one of my teammates for no reason, resulting in a broken nose. 

Attached is a link to the news article explaining what happened that night:

http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/police-drunken-man-24-punched-15-year-old-assaulte/ncMJ2/

Taking your girlfriend to a game at Heinz Field is a gamble.  You are taking the chance of her witnessing things that she should never have to see.  Who knows, maybe her or even you will accidentally get involved in a fight just as one of my teammates did.  Do not take the risk.  Stay away from the stadium and protect your lover.  

Heinz Field: Crowds

The ideal weekend with your loved one consists of relaxing and spending quality time with one another which often does not occur during the week due to each of your busy schedules.  The weekend is a time that allows for you to catch up with each other and recoup from the strenuous week that you both endured.  Weekends are the time for intimate dates and romantic getaways.  Attending a Steelers' game at Heinz Field on a weekend does not allow for any intimacy between you and your partner.  Instead of you two catching up and relaxing, Heinz Field will cause you to to feel rushed and on edge.  The crowds at the stadium cause couples to get involved in the hustle and bustle which is the opposite of what weekends are all about.

Crowds

In the last few years, workers have expanded Heinz Field's capacity by installing an extra 7,000 seats which brings the grand total up to 68,400 seats, and those 68,400 do not include the standing room only sections.  You must also take into account the thousands of people around the stadium for tailgates and other game day activities.  Imagine 68,000+ crazed fans all packed into the vicinity of a football stadium.  What thoughts come to mind when imagining such an event?  Chaos, mob scene, insanity, pandemonium?  Yes, all of those terms are applicable.  Now imagine you and your girlfriend trying to navigate your way around the stadium; making your way to your seats.  From personal experiences, this scenario never goes well for you and your significant other.  All I have to say is if you do feel bold enough to venture into the chaos of Heinz Field, plan to go early and stay late.  It takes a considerable amount of time for 68,000+ people to pack into a stadium and then disperse as well.  If you are planning on making a trip to Heinz Field, I strongly advise you to reconsider because you and your partner plus 68,400 fans will not end in your favor.  

Heinz Field Sold Out
Photo courtesy of  pittsburghskyline.com

Mob of fans
Photo courtesy of  pittsburgh.cbslocal.com 

Romance 

Do not expect to come to Heinz Field and have a romantic time with your date.  A romantic date consists of you and your lover having an intimate conversation and really getting to know one another.  Disregard any intimacy if you plan on coming to Heinz Field.  With a crowd of some 60,000 dedicated fans comes a substantial amount of noise.  When the game gets underway and the crowd gets hyped up, it is nearly impossible to hear the person next to you without them screaming at the top of their lungs down into your ear canal.  The only way to have some type of a romantic time is if you sit in the box seats which allows for couples to mingle and converse.  A typical box ticket comes in around $225 a person, so I will leave that one on you to decide.   

All in all, Heinz Field is not the place for a couple to get together and spend time on a weekend.  The set up of the stadium along with the thousands upon thousands of fans in not conducive to furthering a romantic relationship.  You are better off going out to eat or even watching the game at home which both allow for conversation and intimacy.  Whatever you do, make sure you say no to Heinz Field and spend the time with your girlfriend somewhere else. 

Heinz Field: Costs

Unless you are Justin Bieber or one of the other handful of young millionaires in the world, money is an issue that comes up on a daily basis.  People make certain decisions solely based on money and their economic well being, and this is especially true for teenagers and college students like yourselves.  I am a college student myself, and I know how tight money can get at times.  We are all worried about the next big paper that is due or the midterm that we must pass, and we do not have the time to make extra money.  The ideal date is one that requires a minimal cost and allows you to enjoy the time spent with your significant other.  The prices associated with Heinz Field will cause you to worry about the hole that was just burnt in your pocket and will not allow you to truly enjoy your date.  The major expenses that you will have to account for when attending a Steelers' game are prices of tickets, parking, and food.  For this blog post, I will analyze the costs for you and your partner to attend one game.  That means I will be analyzing the price of two tickets, one parking pass, and two meals to fill your hungry stomachs.

Tickets

If you are interested in purchasing Steelers' tickets for you and your girlfriend, you better find a job or hope that grandma sends some spending money in the mail; and  a lot of it.  Below is Heinz Field's seating chart with the average ticket prices for each section. 

Photo courtesy of  gottickets.com

• Average prices by section 
• Upper (orange):  $93.97
• Lower (blue):  $170.79
• Club (yellow):  $225.58

For this price analysis, I will keep all prices at the minimal value.  For two tickets in the upper deck - the worst seating in the stadium - it would cost you around $188.

Parking 

If you do not have a parking permit in the vicinity of the stadium on game day - forget about it.  Parking in a space close to the stadium without a permit would be like passing a Physics exam without studying for it.  It is nearly impossible.  The cheapest parking lot costs a very reasonable $12 and is only 0.7 miles away from the stadium.  I must mention that between the $12 parking lot and the stadium is the Ohio River which requires a ferry to get from point A to point B.  The ferry costs $10 per person which adds on an additional $20.  

The total price for parking and transportation to the stadium comes in at $32. 

Food

When it comes to major sporting events, food prices skyrocket, and Heinz Field is no different.  Here are some prices of popular football foods offered inside the stadium:

• Nachos:  $7.25
• Personal Pizza:  $9
• Popcorn:  $8.50
• Pretzel:  $5
• Soda:  $8.25
• Beer:  $8.75 

Now let's assume that you and your lovely girlfriend want to get a snack and drink to hold yourselves over for the duration of the game.  As always, I will analyze the cheapest prices which means that both of you will get a pretzel with a soda.  A couple purchasing 2 pretzels and 2 sodas will result in a cost of $26.50.  Above, I listed just the most basic snack foods, but the stadium offers much more with a much greater price tag. 

Totals

Tickets + Parking + Food
$188 + $32 + $26.50 = $246.50

$246.50 for a few hours spent in Pittsburgh.  $246.50.  Surely, it is nice to pamper your date occasionally, but a four hour outing for such a price is absurd.  A nice weekend date is meant for you and your loved one to wind down after a long week and enjoy each other's company.  I can guarantee that a $246.50 bill at the end of the day is not going to put you at ease.  These prices are just one reason to avoid Heinz Field, and by doing so, you will keep some extra dough in your pockets. 

Below are prices of alternative activities in Pittsburgh:

*Costs for two people*

Activity	Price
Duquesne Incline	$10
Miniature Golf	$12
Ice Skating at PPG Place	$16
National Aviary	$24
Kayaking	$30
Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium	$30
Heinz History Center	$32
Watching the game at home	FREE

Heinz Field: Introduction

Heinz Field - home of the six time Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.  When driving through the Fort Pitt Tunnels into the city, the stadium is the first sight you see.  The stadium is hard to miss with its mustard yellow seats blinding your eyes and its two 8,000 pound, 35 feet long "Red Zone" ketchup bottles topping the scoreboard.  Located on the North Shore of the Pittsburgh Area, the stadium is in the heart of the hardworking city and is a prime location for avid football fans to watch a game.  Heinz Field substitutes as a church on Sundays for most yinzers (Pittsburgh natives), and the majority of Pittsburghers make it a priority to attend at least one Steelers' game in their lifetime.  Attending a game at Heinz Field is definitely a unique experience if you are a young man with a group of buddies looking for good time.  However, if you are looking for a place to take your girlfriend on a date, then I advise you to stay away.

Photo courtesy of  stevenjp.devianart.com

Photo courtesy of  sprestondesigns.com

Photo courtesy of  post-gazette.com

Below is a link to general information about Heinz Field.

http://heinzfield.com/stadium/heinz-field-facts/

The purpose of this blog is to inform young men of the of the possible realities of Heinz Field and to convince them that the stadium is not a romantic place to take a girl.  Personally, I have witnessed events at the stadium that have scarred me to this day and have made me realize that Heinz Field is not an appropriate environment for a date which many naive people believe it to be.  In the maybe seven or eight games that I have attended in my lifetime of 19 years, I have witnessed countless fights, abusive language, and absurd alcohol consumption.  Just naming a few of these experiences should raise a red flag to any young man looking for a place to take his lover.  As a result of the terrible experiences I have had in my several trips to Heinz Field, I am deeming Heinz Field as "The Place You Do Not Want to Take Your Date on the Weekend".  Throughout the rest of this blog series, I will be evaluating Heinz Field and sharing key information in order to save your relationship.  In the blogs to come I will focus on the following criteria... 

• considerably high costs
• busy areas with large crowds not conducive to a romantic time 
• the negative atmosphere of Heinz Field 

Stay tuned!