The NFL Experience: The Necessity of Pre-Game Tailgating
FOXBORO (CBS) - Despite the recent NFL controversies involving players Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson, New England Patriots fans continue to turn out in force to watch their team play the game. Sunday's season home opener at Gillette Stadium attracted a sellout crowd; fans cheered as the Patriots beat Oakland 16-9.
For tens of thousands of ticket holders, the ritual of tailgating is always the first order of business. Shannon Fitzgerald from Newport, Rhode Island relishes the first game of the season at Gillette, having grown up tailgating with her family for years. She set up grills and coolers in the McDonald's parking lot less than a mile from the stadium featuring an extensive menu ranging from steak tips to pickles to beer.
"That's what tailgating is all about, drinking, eating and having fun," she said laughing.
William O'Brien owns the McDonald's property along Route One and has opened up his parking lot on game days for 36 years, charging 50 dollars per vehicle per game for the past ten years. He welcomes the Fitzgerald family every game. "They're very nice. Very nice. They feed us. They're great people. It's all good," O'Brien said of the Fitzgeralds.
Lot 33 is located a few hundred feet from O'Brien's operation. Along with the food and the sounds of country music blasting from car speakers, the outdoor game of Ladderball was drawing a crowd. One player, Ryan Manning of Boston, was not shy about giving his opinion of the accusations of domestic violence and corporal punishment leveled against players Rice and Peterson. Manning admits that both players are on his fantasy football team.
"If Roger Goodell was a man, he'd suspend them for an entire year. The entire year they need to go to counseling, both of them," Manning said. "I don't even think they should come back next year. They should take a couple of years off, realize what they did. They affected many lives."
Two grills over, Scott McPherson of Quincy was a bit more lenient. "It's been a tough week for the NFL, that's for sure, so on Sunday, it's all about football, especially on a beautiful day like this, you know. I can't beat doing anything but this," McPherson said.
Listen to Mary's report:
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