Mini_Me
09-12-2006, 11:50 PM
My son and I made the trip to H-E-double hockey stix... err, Phoenix this weekend... actually, the weather was not that bad- mid 90s.
First of all, Phoenix itself is a mess. They are putting a rail system in there, and all the roads, including West Glendale, which takes you near the stadium, are under construction. Maybe they've got this figured out for SB XLII, maybe not, but for '06 its a friggin nightmare. Parking is seemingly MILES from the stadium for anyone not paying two-fifty or so... that's in hundreds. So it's a walk to the stadium.
Sidenote- I saw gas at one corner @ $2.53 a gallon- must be nice.
The stadium itself? I was very impressed. The fans may not be totally fb savvy yet, but when they figure it out completely, this will be a true homefield advantage for them. It was Ford Field nice.
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m223/ejlbaldwin/P9100079.jpg
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m223/ejlbaldwin/P9100080.jpg
I'll spare everyone the ifs-shoulda-woulda-couldas on the game. I hadn't seen Alex Smith in person in '06 until now. After Sunday, though, if he continues to develop and look the way he did moving forward, he will be everything we need in a QB. It's true, I never was a hater, but I tried to be as objective as I could watching him, and mechanically, he is light years ahead of where he was last year. Yes, there were times when he rushed and his decision making was shaky. But he also seemed more comfortable throwing the ball away when he needed to, and his passes (most of them) hit receivers in stride, which is something he was not always doing in '05.
Vernon Davis will be everything he was advertised to be. Opposing teams will hate him. He flexed and jawed with Phx fans above the Niner tunnel, and their booing him didn't phase him a bit. Yes, he dropped a couple of third down catches. I think you have to, at this point, remind yourself that this was his first NFL regular season game if that bothers you about him.
Frank Gore reaffirmed for me that letting Barlow go is OK. When he moved the pile, and I mean, he moved the Cards D-line on that short TD, even Card fans around me were like 'wow!'
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m223/ejlbaldwin/P9100096.jpg
Ours will not be the only D that is torched by Fitzgerald, Boldin, Johnson, Edge, etc. I thought we did an excellent job on Edge in the first half, many times hitting him before he could make a cut, deep in the backfield. If we can get that kind of penetration on S. Jackson, we will win the game next week, I guarantee it.
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m223/ejlbaldwin/P9100108.jpg
Overall, my son and were entertained throughout. We enjoyed the atmosphere, the hostiles weren't too hostile, and the game came down to the wire.
I am very encouraged by what I saw!
First of all, Phoenix itself is a mess. They are putting a rail system in there, and all the roads, including West Glendale, which takes you near the stadium, are under construction. Maybe they've got this figured out for SB XLII, maybe not, but for '06 its a friggin nightmare. Parking is seemingly MILES from the stadium for anyone not paying two-fifty or so... that's in hundreds. So it's a walk to the stadium.
Sidenote- I saw gas at one corner @ $2.53 a gallon- must be nice.
The stadium itself? I was very impressed. The fans may not be totally fb savvy yet, but when they figure it out completely, this will be a true homefield advantage for them. It was Ford Field nice.
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m223/ejlbaldwin/P9100079.jpg
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m223/ejlbaldwin/P9100080.jpg
I'll spare everyone the ifs-shoulda-woulda-couldas on the game. I hadn't seen Alex Smith in person in '06 until now. After Sunday, though, if he continues to develop and look the way he did moving forward, he will be everything we need in a QB. It's true, I never was a hater, but I tried to be as objective as I could watching him, and mechanically, he is light years ahead of where he was last year. Yes, there were times when he rushed and his decision making was shaky. But he also seemed more comfortable throwing the ball away when he needed to, and his passes (most of them) hit receivers in stride, which is something he was not always doing in '05.
Vernon Davis will be everything he was advertised to be. Opposing teams will hate him. He flexed and jawed with Phx fans above the Niner tunnel, and their booing him didn't phase him a bit. Yes, he dropped a couple of third down catches. I think you have to, at this point, remind yourself that this was his first NFL regular season game if that bothers you about him.
Frank Gore reaffirmed for me that letting Barlow go is OK. When he moved the pile, and I mean, he moved the Cards D-line on that short TD, even Card fans around me were like 'wow!'
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m223/ejlbaldwin/P9100096.jpg
Ours will not be the only D that is torched by Fitzgerald, Boldin, Johnson, Edge, etc. I thought we did an excellent job on Edge in the first half, many times hitting him before he could make a cut, deep in the backfield. If we can get that kind of penetration on S. Jackson, we will win the game next week, I guarantee it.
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m223/ejlbaldwin/P9100108.jpg
Overall, my son and were entertained throughout. We enjoyed the atmosphere, the hostiles weren't too hostile, and the game came down to the wire.
I am very encouraged by what I saw!