[Deb]

Hans: 31 Stadium Adventure
A CP EXCLUSIVE

17 Down, 14 To Go

Hans contacted the site recently and told me about his story. He's quite a guy....he's been on quite an adventure....and recently answered some questions in an interview. So here is Hans....and if you have any questions for him post them here, and we'll start posting updates as he travels. You may also be hearing him on CP radio.

How did you get started with this endeavor? Why visit 31 stadiums?

I am a huge fan of the National Football League and more specifically
the Buffalo Bills. In my opinion there’s nothing I’d rather be doing on a
Sunday afternoon in the fall, than watching professional football live at
an NFL Stadium. I’m originally from Buffalo, New York, a community not
unlike Green Bay, that lives and dies by its football team. On Sundays,
the city and surrounding suburbs are like a ghost town, supermarkets
sell out of beer and snacks, and during Sunday Mass, priests will pray for
the health of our precious Buffalo Bills players. We are a blue collar, die
hard, fan base that knows how to have a great time. In 2000 I moved to
Detroit, but continued to travel home for a Bills game each year.

As family and friends moved around the country, I found myself attending
homegames in Tampa, Cleveland, and Detroit and although the dynamic was different, each city had its own unique traditional gameday experience. There’s nothing like being a home-team fan and I wanted to experience what it was like in all 31 NFL cities. So I decided to begin a study on the home team experience in order to discover the local traditions and regional tailgating delicacies offered in each NFL city. I buy a home team jersey, I meet up with local fans, I tailgate in the parking lot
and watch a great game.

What do you hope to accomplish?

Two things. When I began thinking about the Quest, I started to realize
that I know all types of people living in NFL cities … family, friends,
classmates (high school and college), fraternity brothers, and they’re
folks I never visit. The Quest for 31 was enough of an excuse for me to
get out there, do some traveling, and spend some quality time with folks
I only see at abbreviated family reunions or haven’t seen since high
school or college. So I get to visit people.

The second thing, is getting a true, well rounded NFL experience. Every
region of the country has football traditions that have become so
ingrained to locals that their uniqueness is taken for granted. It
usually takes an outsider, unfamiliar with the norm, to point out these
local gems. That’s what I am. I’m the guy barking in the dog pound,
even though my Buffalo Bills are in town. I’m the Bengals fan singing a
throaty rendition of the “WKRP in Cincinnati” theme song at Paul Brown
Stadium. I’m the Green Bay Packer fan wearing a head of Cheese in the
second row. I’m the Kansas City Chiefs fan who giggles to himself every
time we fire up the tomahawk chop chant because I can’t believe how
politically incorrect this must appear to some.

I’m the terrible towel waver in Pittsburgh eating a Primanti Bros sandwich. I’m the Buffalo Bills fans that wears a furry, horned Buffalo hat that makes me look like Fred Flintstone. I’m all of those things, the well rounded NFL fan, appreciative of local culture, and excited to be immersed in it and become a part of the home crowd.

What is YOUR favorite team?

The Buffalo Bills

What is your best tailgating tip?

Rotisserie Turkey. I bought this fantastic small rotisserie that we
used outside Rich Stadium to make a great turkey dinner over the charcoal
grill. We fired up the grill and began spinning that turkey breast
early in the mourning. By game time we had cranberry sauce, turkey, and sweet potatoes to kick off a Buffalo Bills victory.

Where do get your tickets from?

I get my tickets from a variety of sources. TicketCity.com,
Stubhub.com, E-bay or your local entrepreneurs, usually found outside the stadium on gameday. I have the whole thing down to a science. On my website, I’ve setup links to each of the online ticket brokers I use, allowing me to compare prices, and I’ve also posted the face value tickets prices if
available. Knowing the face value of each section can help you
negotiate with scalpers. It can also be helpful when buying tickets online, so you know if you’re getting a good deal or not.
How many NFL Jerseys do you own?

At least 40 jerseys. I used to be an autograph hound … the thirty year
old man pushing ten years old out of the way to get Jerry Rice to sign a
ball … that was me. When I lived in Buffalo, I would go down to Ralph
Wilson Stadium during the fourth quarter, sneak onto the lot, and wait
for the players in the player parking lot. After a while I knew exactly
where guys would be. If a kid wanted an Eric Moulds autograph I could
position him right in Eric’s path and that kid would always get his jersey
signed. After getting an autograph from each of the Bills I wanted, I started
going to the Stadium in the other team’s colors to try to get them to sign
for me.

Do you collect anything?

Autographed footballs. One signature per ball.

Craziest fans?

I’m going to Oakland for the season opener this year on Monday Night
Football. I been to games where Raider fans were visiting, but I’d
imagine after seeing Raider Nation up close and personal that those
folks will trump anyone in the league.
How do you travel from stadium to stadium?

For the most part I drive. I have a 1997 Ford Explorer with 230,000
miles on it. That little guy has served me well. I’ll fly to some of the
outer lying cities, but I love a good road trip. I’ve even built up a matrix
that shows the time and distance between NFL cities to help other plan
their NFL road trips.

What can we do to support you?

Buy me a beer! Tell folks about my website. I also have an online shop
selling Quest for 31 merchandise.

What's one thing you'd like the members of Cowboyspride to know?

I’ll be in Dallas for the home opener on Monday night against the
Philadelphia Eagles. I’ve already purchased my Marion Barber Jersey on
E-bay and I’m psyched that I’ll be able to experience a game in Texas
Stadium before the monstrosity that exemplifies Texas Football opens
next year (I’m definitely coming back for another game once it opens as
well). If you see me in your city, pull me aside, buy me a beer!

HERE IS HIS SITE AND SIGN HIS GUEST BOOK

Han's Texas Stadium Review

Stadium Review- Jerry's House


After visiting Reliant Stadium in Houston that the morning, I raced up the I-45 to try to catch the 4:00pm Texas Stadium tour in Irving, TX which was their last of the day. My best friend Jermain is a huge Dallas Cowboys fan, in fact, he even convinced me to don Dallas Cowboys gear for a game in Charlotte against the Carolina Panthers. So I’m sure he was extremely envious of my visit to the proverbial Dallas Cowboys Mecca that is Texas Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys … “America’s Team.” Being a Buffalo Bills fan, the Dallas Cowboys are a difficult team to like as they unceremoniously trounced my Buffalo Bills in two consecutive Super Bowls, thus ending the Golden Era of Buffalo Bills football that we are still attempting to rekindle. So for my trip to Texas Stadium, I purchased a $9 Troy Aikman jersey on e-bay to commemorate this very special occasion.

Texas Stadium was build in the 1960’s. When Jerry Jones bought the team in 1989, Texas Stadium came with it like an undesirable albatross around the neck of the Dallas Cowboys organization. But Jones worked his magic and turned that money pit into the most lucrative arena in the NFL. With its luxury boxes, 65,000 seating capacity, and rabid fan base Jerry Jones puts a product on the field that is second to none. The Texas Stadium tour was probably the best tour I’ve taken. It’s pricey, as guests to Texas Stadium will have to shell out $12.00 for the tour but it is well worth the price. The stadium tour starts out in one of the luxury boxes with a Dallas Cowboys highlight video. The video warms even the coldest of hearts to the Dallas Cowboys organization and primes guests for the experience that is Texas Stadium. After a walk through the stadium that includes a tour of the actual Dallas Cowboys Locker room, guests are escorted through the tunnel for the best part of the tour … a tour of the field. Tour guides provide footballs, kicking tees, and plenty of photo opportunities as patrons are allowed on the field for about twenty minutes. I booted a couple of field goals through the uprights, ran into the end zone, and posed on the Cowboys star at mid field. Looking up through the recognizable hole in the roof, it was easy to see why so many are captivated by the mystique that is Cowboys football … “How ‘bout them Cowboys!”

[Deb]

I invited him here so hopefully this will all be a lot of fun ;-)

[Questfor31]

I'm on ... I'll check back later.

[Deb]

I think you may be living out a lot of dreams. Are you going to write a book when you are done?

[Reg]

Do you still live in Detroit? If so, gimme a holler some time, as I live in Pontiac. I'll buy you a beer while we compare notes on the few stadiums I've visited, well-used Ford Explorers and we can LOAO at Lions fans.

[Questfor31]

Originally Posted by Deb

I think you may be living out a lot of dreams. Are you going to write a book when you are done?

Ya know I've thought about writing a book about my experience. I think the overriding theme would be my experience just meeting folks in different cities and finding that rich or poor, young or old, people are people. Everyone is sturggling to make a life for themselves and for their family and at the heart of it all there is goodness and common ground. Folks like to have a good time and I truly enjoy the connection made among NFL fans. The NFL has really set up a fantastic product that polarizes but also brings people together and my journey is all about realizing those connections. Corny? Maybe, but true.

[Questfor31]

Originally Posted by Reg

Do you still live in Detroit? If so, gimme a holler some time, as I live in Pontiac. I'll buy you a beer while we compare notes on the few stadiums I've visited, well-used Ford Explorers and we can LOAO at Lions fans.

Hey Reg, I'm still in Detroit. I was just at JD's Key Club in Pontiac on Saturday night after drving my 79 Spitfire in the Dream Cruise on Woodward Avenue. We should defintely get together for a beer. I feel for the Lions fans, not so much that I won't mock them mercilessly, but they've had a tough go of it. My Bills are coming back though. I'm very excted by the potential of the next several years with a young talented nucleus to build around. That said, the Cowboys are ready now. They've really amassed a highly talented core of guys and they should do some damage this year. Hopefully it continues with a shellacking of the Eagles on Monday Night Football Week 2. I'll be in the endzone, Section 2, Row 12.

[Questfor31]

Seeing that I will be going to my first Dallas Cowboys game on Monday Night Football, I was wondering if you all had some tips on when I should get to the stadium, what I should do while in Dallas, or can't miss tailgating hot spots. Anyone?

[Reg]

Originally Posted by Questfor31

Seeing that I will be going to my first Dallas Cowboys game on Monday Night Football, I was wondering if you all had some tips on when I should get to the stadium, what I should do while in Dallas, or can't miss tailgating hot spots. Anyone?

Are you ever in luck. We just connected with a new affiliate/member (DallasTailgate.com) who attends numerous Cowboys games and specializes in tailgating and "hooking up" for games at Texas Stadium.

PM them here at CP or email them at info@dallastailgate.com

[Deb]

I wrote some stuff for some Jets fans last year I'll see if I still have it. Traffic is horrible at that stadium I'd make sure you there a few hours early

No such thing as Luck Reg...Maybe it all worked out that way for a reason.