FanHouse FanhouseintheStands

This season, FanHouse writers take their cameras to NFL stadiums to document what happens when you stop being polite and start getting real. Or something. We've cleverly titled it FanHouse in the Stands.

Right in front of me, I saw something happen at the Texans 29-6 win over the Raiders that I've never seen at a NFL game. A Raiders fan jumped onto the field, got tackled by security in the Raiders end zone, and the Raiders ran a play as the guy was getting handcuffed. Either the refs didn't see it happen, or they figured the guy wasn't in the field of play because the Raiders weren't going to be visiting the end zone with that offense. Zing!

This season, FanHouse writers take their cameras to NFL stadiums to document what happens when you stop being polite and start getting real. Or something. We've cleverly titled it FanHouse in the Stands.

With some three minutes left in a crucial match between Newcastle United and Fulham, the skies – sunny all afternoon, but suddenly and ominously dark now – opened up and literally began to rain on our American parade.

Hull City was drawing with Bolton Wanderers and the Magpies (aka Newcastle United) were down a goal and a Bassong (Sebastien after an all too harsh red card) to Fulham with the clock creeping toward 90 minutes (aka full time).

We were getting drenched and the realization was settling in: once again, Newcastle was staring at a spot in the relegation zone, teetering over the abyss of Championship football.

It's no secret I'm an alumnus of Indiana University. I went to every single home game for the four years I was there, and again attended every single game the season after I graduated -- I used my student ID to purchase season tickets at the discounted student price; how savvy is that? Since then, I've always made it down to Bloomington for at least one game per season.

This past Saturday -- against Penn State -- was that one game for this season.

This season, FanHouse writers take their cameras to NFL stadiums to document what happens when you stop being polite and start getting real. Or something. We've cleverly titled it "FanHouse in the Stands."

The Bears didn't get into the playoffs after their road loss to the Texans, but their fans deserve to be. Bears fans traveled to Reliant Stadium in visiting team numbers not seen since the Steelers came to town in 2005. They were very loud.

Da Bears Super Fans

Before the game, I got to chat with Da Bears Superfans who made their funny yet wrong predictions about the game:

This season, FanHouse writers take their cameras to NFL stadiums to document what happens when you stop being polite and start getting real. Or something. We've cleverly titled it "FanHouse in the Stands."

My wife and I attended the Redskins-Bengals game at Cincinnati's Paul Brown Stadium. I, of course, am a Redskins fan, and got to see them lose to the lowly Bengals, 20-13.

There is nothing like watching your team's season go down the tubes and then hearing chants of "Who Dey" as you are filing out of the building. But it's all worth it when your wife starts talking smack back and reminding everyone that it was just Cincy's second win of the season.

I will say that there were a ton of Redskins fans at the game. I sat two rows up from the goal line and was surrounded by other Skins fans. The usher who showed us to our seats welcomed us "to Redskins Stadium." He also told me to come get him if anyone bothered me, but felt that I wouldn't have to worry about that.

This season, FanHouse writers take their cameras to NFL stadiums to document what happens when you stop being polite and start getting real. Or something. We've cleverly titled it "FanHouse in the Stands."

Okay, I've seen some weird stuff at NFL games like tailgating snakes and lame gameday attire, but this picture that my friend Andy sent me is truly inexplicable.

Why would someone wear a David Carr PANTHERS jersey to a Houston Texans game against the Titans?

How did such a jersey even exist? Mister Mittens lost his starting job with the Panthers to Vinny Freaking Testaverde, a guy who wasn't in camp with the team and didn't know the names of the guys he was playing with when he took over the offense. Matt Moore, a rookie from Oregon State got on the field over Carr.

Did the Panther Mittens guy lose a bet? If he loves the man so much, why not rock a Carr Giants jersey? Does this guy want someone to *accidentally" spill a big plate of nachos on him? Because I can't think of any jersey you could wear to a Texans game that would cause more abuse being flung your way.

Anyhow, I felt compelled to put together a photoshop essay to share my thoughts on this. Enjoy....

We all went to the Garden tonight to see Stephen Curry put on a show. Sure, there were some West Virginia fans, but I bet even they were kind of hoping to see Curry go off while they still pulled out a win. The Villanova and Texas fans were certainly pulling for Davidson. There was a large contingent of Curry jerseys and bright red "Witness" hats and t-shirts in the crowd. It was one of the biggest crowds in the history of the Jimmie V Classic, largely just to see Curry. Everyone was excited - the spectacular scorer was coming to the big city to dazzle us.

For the first 35 minutes of the game, as Curry deferred to his teammates and struggled to hit shots against the suffocating Mountaineer defense, it appeared we were going to be let down. I wasn't the only one starting to think that Curry was simply not capable of living up to the venue and the attention, that maybe being an unknown in the NCAA Tournament had been one thing, but being a star in the most famous arena in the world was just too much for him. As 3 after 3 clanked off the rim you could feel the frustration in the crowd - this wasn't the script for the evening. The Garden is where big time players put on shows for the fans, not where they go 1-13 from 3. Maybe New Yorkers are spoiled, but that's the expectation.

And then he delivered for us. When he hit a 3 pointer with just under 5 minutes to go, the cheers started. When he drilled an impossibly difficult shot from the left elbow beyond the NBA line, the Garden exploded. This is what we wanted to see, and the fact that he was carrying his team from behind just made it more impressive. And then Curry hit the final 3 of the night to give Davidson a lead they wouldn't relinquish, a shot a mere mortal wouldn't have even gotten off, let alone buried without touching iron. Curry was more than redeemed.

Some players just have a flair for the dramatic, and an ability to deliver on the big stage. Curry has that in spades. New Yorkers love players that live up to expectations, and the expectations are very high. I'm sure this won't be his last game in the Garden, and he'll have some that are better and some that are worse, but he won't have another chance to make a first impression - and nobody is going to remember the first 1-13 from 3, all we could talk about was the final 3-3. Curry earned his New York chops tonight.

Believe it or not, FanHouse writers are fans first. This year, we're bringing our cameras with us into the games and chronicling the exciting minutiae of attending sporting events. And we're calling it "FanHouse in the Stands."

When UNC's football team choked away a second half lead at Maryland on Saturday for a 17-15 loss that all but eliminated them from contention for an ACC championship and BCS Bowl this year, I immediately got a phone call from a friend, taunting me with, "What? Basketball season starts and the football team just packs it in? Is that how it works down there?"

That's not really fair to a football team that's made big strides under Butch Davis this year, but in the minds of most people in Chapel Hill it's probably true. The day that the online lottery for student tickets opens up, conversation on campus immediately turns to basketball. Yesterday, I ventured out of the cave that they keep us grad students in and on to the main undergrad campus for lunch. Even in the cold weather, the campus was buzzing for the Kentucky game. Luckily for me, I managed to score some tickets for last night's game in the student lottery. Luckily for you, I brought my camera.

This season, FanHouse writers take their cameras to NFL stadiums to document what happens when you stop being polite and start getting real. Or something. We've cleverly titled it "FanHouse in the Stands."

Sunday was the type of day that makes you feel alive as a football fan. If it doesn't make you feel alive, then it probably makes you feel like you're absolutely out of your mind for sitting through the elements.

After watching two consecutive home games get flushed down the toilet, we had the feeling that, for a third straight game, we would be leaving disappointed. Fortunately, the Steelers were able to pull out an 11-10 win (the only 11-10 game in NFL history, if you haven't heard that fact the previous 4,000 times it's been mentioned) making me a very, very happy person. Even in the frigid cold and snow.

Was the win pretty? No. But they don't give you style points, and I think I speak for everyone when I say, thank God for that.