It's a trip thousands of New York football fans take every Sunday of the NFL season, a two-train trek ferrying supporters from Manhattan to MetLife Stadium.
Roundtrip tickets to the Meadowlands cost $11 — not bad compared to how much parking can cost at a stadium.
In past trips to MetLife Stadium, I'd taken one train to Secaucus and then changed over to another train for the Meadowlands. However, with fewer fans expected for the Guardians game, NJ Transit opted for buses for the second leg of the trip.
The buses were ready and waiting. Along with a crew of our fellow new Guardians fans, we filed on for the final leg of our journey.
As we made our way off the bus, a particularly rowdy group of Guardians fans cheered our arrival while they waited in line by a porta-potty. Chants of "Let's go Guardians!" rang out.
We had arrived a little late for the tailgate, but a quick perusal through Twitter made it clear that some fans were taking the pregame festivities seriously.
Best fans in the XFL? @xfl2020 @XFLGuardians #OnDuty @MalleoInHD pic.twitter.com/fSc32sV4ki
— Mike LaFiura III (@MichaelLaFiura) February 9, 2020While I had received a press pass for the game, my friend, who had joined me for the game, stopped by the box office to pick up a ticket.
And with that, we made our way into the stadium. I was impressed with the line to get through the gate.
Around the concourse, it felt like any other football game, with fans in line for concessions and beer.
While tickets to get in were noticeably cheaper than an NFL game, fans still had to pay a premium for in-stadium snacks and beverages.
Tickets were only sold for the lower bowl of the stadium, and fans had packed into the sections behind each end zone, where tickets were the cheapest.
But looking towards the sections on the sides of the field, it was clear that there was still room for plenty more Guardians fans.
Announced attendance for the game was 17,634. With a capacity of more than 80,000, MetLife is a tough place to fill.
But around our seats, fans were pretty engaged with the action, standing and cheering for big plays and in anticipation of a third-down stop.
Quarterback Matt McGloin led the way for the Guardians on their first drive, diving into the end zone on a quarterback sneak.
QB1 (@McGloinQB11) with the FIRST-EVER Guardians touchdown!
📺 @FOXTV
🖥 https://t.co/udq2TNuTQ8#OnDuty | #ForTheLoveOfFootball pic.twitter.com/3I5TBEnKbm
At halftime, I decided to take another stroll around the stadium. Fans were decked out in a wide range of outfits, from their favorite NFL jerseys to Batman masks.
Shirts were available for as little as $25, while hoodies went for $50. Hats and beanies were also a popular item around the stadium.
Fans were encouraged to share photos of themselves cheering on the team with the hashtag #OnDuty.
GUARDIANS SENDING THE VIPERS HOME REAL QUICK!!! 14-0 #NYG #OnDuty pic.twitter.com/MDkzTO2C4t
— Anthony DePalma (@DePalmaAnthony1) February 9, 2020Both in the stadium and online, it was clear that some fans were more than ready to embrace the new franchise as their own.
While the line for merch was long, I was still surprised by how many fans were already sporting Guardians jerseys and hats. I was tempted to get one of the beanies for myself.
After taking a 17-0 lead into halftime, the Guardians continued the rout through the second half. Jamar Summers put an exclamation point on the evening with an impressive fourth-quarter scoop-and-score.
STRIP ➡️ RUNBACK ➡️ SCORE @jsum you're a different breed 🔥
📺@FOXTV
🖥https://t.co/udq2TNuTQ8#OnDuty | #ForTheLoveOfFootball pic.twitter.com/FbKEB0H8JM
