Going to a Jets Game in December

So, I took my son to see a football game for the first time in about three months yesterday, under very different circumstances than the last time.

You see, the last time, we were on vacation, and it was the last days of summer. It was sunny and warm, and the game, between the Detroit Lions and the Buffalo Bills, really did not matter much. It was the final preseason game for both teams.

This time, it was cold and miserable, and the game meant that there still might be a sliver of hope for the New York Jets to still somehow squeak into the playoffs, however improbable. The Raiders really did not have as much to fight for going in.

I cannot overstate just how cold it was yesterday. I have gone to some cold weather games before, including a playoff game a couple of years ago between the Giants and the Falcons, also with my son.

But I must be getting older, or something must have changed, because it was hard to concentrate on the game, let alone enjoy it. The game was actually a fairly decent game, truth be told. The stakes were fairly high - at least for the Jets. In fact, any very slim, rapidly receding hopes for the Raiders were on the line as well. And it was a high scoring game, but not too high scoring. It went back and forth, and ultimately, the Jets earned a solid victory.

My son had finished his hot chocolate by relatively early in the second quarter, and did not want any of mine. In fact, at that time, he wanted it to cool down, and kept asking me to make it cool down.

I said, "You're kidding, right?"

Then I assured him that, believe me, it would cool down on it's own. But the idea was that you wanted to drink it in order to help either keep you warm, or warm you up.

Yet, all that I could think about was the cold. My son also worried me, because he absolutely refused to put his hooded sweatshirt on under his winter jacket, which he kept unzipped, with only a t-shirt underneath. Also, his hat and gloves remained in his coat pocket. I figured that his stubbornness would relent quickly, once we settle into our seats and are sitting in a prone position for an extended period of time. But he kept it going for as long as he could, until I lost patience at some point in the second quarter and began yelling for him to just listen to daddy and put on his damn hooded sweatshirt and hat.

He finally did so, and I was expecting him to huff and puff, but he didn't. In fact, he kind of just stared out for a while, not seemingly focused on anything. Not particularly angry, either. And, before I knew it, he was beginning to admit that it might be "a little cold".

When he admits that, it must mean near arctic conditions. His hands in particular were bothering him.

So, we left. This was maybe deep in the third quarter. The jets were winning, 27-17, but the victory was far less than assured, and there was still plenty of time left - over one whole quarter! But I was worried for my son.

As we headed back, I told him to listen to daddy every now and then. When it comes to the cold, you have to keep your head warm as much as possible, first and foremost.

He told me okay, with a decided lack of conviction. The next time it was cold, and I told him to put his hat on, he once again challenged it, saying he was "fine".

Sigh.

In any case, we headed towards a favorite burger place of mine, 25 Burgers off of Route 46 (around the Fairfield area), where they have some truly awesome burgers. For once, my son actually agreed with me here on something. Will wonders ever cease?

After that, we went home. The weather began to get noticeably bad, with snow starting to gain momentum, beginning to cover the roadways and such. Slippery conditions, very cold temperatures, and it was projected to get worse. And it's not even officially winter yet!

Sigh.

Still, there was a feeling that these were the types of days, the types of moments, that you remember as a father. A nice, enjoyable day shared with my son, from hot chocolate at the game to petty arguments over what he was wearing, to eating some great burgers at a classic place with a nostalgic feel.

Enjoyable memories, through and through. And I thought it might be nice to share them a bit here.