Patriot Fan Dies at Gillette after Altercation

This story made national news, along with accounts of other fights at NFL games

Reason # 159518509731298472 why watching NFL games live is a terrible experience. What a senseless tragedy.

I've said it 1,000 times. NFL is made for TV. Play, replay. Play, replay. Play, replay. Punt, commercial (I use the bathroom in peace with no line, grab the cheap beer/food I already paid for). Comfortable seat. Climate controlled. ZERO hardos who once won a game in the parking lot while never touching the ball drinking beers and wearing shirts with other mens' names on the back picking fights with anybody they see. Zero traffic, zero parking issues, no 2-3 hour round trip travel delays. And I can watch every game instead of just one, that I can't always see what's going on.

During my life I've gone to Patriots games at Fenway Park, Harvard Stadium, the crappy old Schaeffer Stadium, and the new stadium. Each one has involved horrible traffic, bitter cold, and mediocre sight lines. Maybe I'm getting old but I don't care if I ever go to another NFL game in person.

Look... a college atmosphere, nothing else to do but go buckwild with your fellow 18-22 year old friends, all the time in the world, big game, big rival... yes, it can be very fun. I've been there and done it. I'm sure the HC fans that went to that game, outside of the outcome, had a blast.

But you can't convince me that at this point in my life that an NFL game is an "incredible atmosphere" or experience. For those that say the best part is the tailgating and drinking and eating... yeah, that part is great. But that has nothing to do with the football, and you can have a degenerate barbecue in any parking lot. I'll bet you have to put a lime in your Corona in order to drink it. Guess what: you don't really like the taste of Corona.

I mentioned BC specifically because at that place, most folks do not have the option of walking a couple hundred yards into the stadium, etc.; getting to and from your home is much more of a time consuming event than what it would be like elsewhere.

Foxborough is similarly an "event" getting to and from.  

And Gillette isn't even on the same level, violence-wise, as Schaefer was.   One time I went to the bathroom and came back and walked right into a brawl; something had occurred between people sitting a row behind me and folks 6-7 rows in front.   All the fans in between suddenly got out of the way and it was the Charge of the Light Brigade, right into me.  Even at age 24, didn't need that.  Can't and couldn't fight my way out of a paper bag.

Concerts at Gillette are brutal too. My wife got invited to a box through work for the Ed Sheeran concert this summer. Friday night before July 4th. Took us two hours to get to the border of Foxborough and Walpole, then we walked the rest of the way in. Missed John Mayer, the opener, and a lot of the good food in the box. Thankfully the drive back was not bad as we walked by a lot of the traffic (for nearly half an hour). If the tickets had not been free I would not have considered going. Maybe for Bruce or someone of that level, but it is still such a slog.

I went to a concert this summer at Gillette.  No issues like you had.  I parked across the street from the stadium.  Made better time than anticipated getting in and out.  One big difference is my show was on a Saturday.  No Friday afternoon commuters to contend with.  I had to pay for my tickets and no box, but I still went.  The show I saw was a lot like Bruce