Planning a Sports Themed Wedding

A sports themed wedding is absolutely the way to go as you look to plan your pending nuptuals. Whether your favorite sport is professional baseball, basketball, hockey or football, incorporating a sports theme into your special day is actually something that can be done rather elegantly. It will also be an affair that your guests will never forget. Now I'm not saying there's anything wrong with the traditional wedding, but by incorpating some elements of your favorite sport, it will help to loosen up your guests and make the night one they will never forget.

Crystal and I got married last July. We had a sports themed wedding and people still talk about it, whenever we visit. We designed wedding invitations that looked like a sporting event tickets and wedding programs that resembled a gameday program. In the last eight months, we've expanded these ideas into a thriving online business, providing custom designed sports themed wedding invitations, wedding programs and save the dates. We can also provide customized sporting equipment like foam balls, hocket pucks, and felt pennants. I believe in these economic times that an extravagant wedding is not necessarily where people want to sink their money. Guest lists are shrinking and instead of impressing guests, couples and their guests want to be part of something unique. That's exactly what a sports themed wedding can be. it can have all of the elegance of your traditional affair with the familiar influence of a favorite sport as a tribute to the bride and groom.

We can help you to accessorize your themed wedding. We have a talented array of graphics folks that assemble a series of proofs for you to choose from. Check out www.sportsthemedweddings.com for more details.

Back to Houston - Best BBQ in the Land!

On Friday after work, I picked up Jeffrey "The Shirt" Ross and we hit the road for what would be a 24 hour road trip down to Houston in my new Quest Machine, rightly dubbed the H31. the drive was fairly uneventful (which is a good thing), and before we knew it we were in Houston basking in 90-degree weather. Our weekend mission: To hit up Reliant Stadium for a Houston Texans game on Sunday and then drive up to Dallas for the Cowboys matchup on Monday Night Football in the brand new Cowboys Stadium.

Reliant Stadium is a great place to watch a football game. the facilty is brand new, built in 2002, and features all of the amenities of the modern pro football temples that make each gameday a much more palatable experience in the heat of the southern states. With a natural grass field, retractable roof and impressive climate control, the 72-degree weather inside was far more preferable to the 90-degree blistering heat we tailgated in all day.

Tailgating in Houston is also some of the finest you'll find in the National Football League. That southern hospitality of the Texas sports fan really shines through as you make you way through the lot on gameday. I had several offers for beer and food, and tasted plenty of both. The Texas barbecue culture of the fans in Houston really places them amongst the best tailgating venues in the league. With every from of meat imaginable and a variety of dry rubs, homemade marinades, and family recipe sauces, the blacktop culinary arts are alive and well in southern Texas.

Stadium #22 - HHH Metrodome

I had seen these guys on the the internet. A die hard group of Minnesota Vikings tailgaters that constructed for themselves the ultimate tailgating Vehicle. They called it the Battle Wagon and this truck is more than impressive. It features an awesome custom paint job, wood paneled walls, an astroturf floor, and a set of horns on the hood that would make Boss Hog envious, but the most fascinating feature of all was the custom, propane powered fireplace that keeps the fellas from BattleWagon.net warm and cozy though those harsh winter Sundays in Minneapolis. Tailgating with these guys was incredible. They are, without a doubt, the epicenter of fandom in the Twin Cities. Just hanging out by the Battle Wagon brought by former Vikings players, famous fans, and debauchery, plenty of drunken inebriated debauchery. Now that's what I like to see in a group of fellas that know how to celebrate on an NFL sunday.

Vikings fans are great. They have a kick ass fight song (Skol Vikings)and firmly believe that true tailgating rightly revolves around the the consumption of beer. When I foolishly asked if a grill might be available to fire up my brats, it was quickly explained to me that as far as Vikings fans are concerned food just gets in the way of the great buzz they've been working on all morning. Apparently when it comes to NFL tailgating, Vikings fan come to drink. Food is simply a distraction from the main event, so I attempted to follow the local custom but eventually succumed to my craving for sundried tomato and basil chicken brats. The ball game at the Metrodome ended up being a snooze fest between the visiting Detorit Lions and hometown vikings. Scoring was low, but Vikings fans know how to use that dome effectively when opposing offenses are on the field and although it was a low scoring affair, I managed to have a great time and the Vikings managed to walk away with a win. It may not have been pretty, but good teams find ways to win the games they're supposed to. Hopefully for the fans in Minnesota, that's what thye have.

Stadium #20 - Texas Stadium

Texas Stadium, the longtime home of the Dallas Cowboys (America's Team), was definitly on my list of Stadiums to visit this year before its monstrous replacement opens up next season in Arlington. With it's widely renowned trademark hole in the roof allowing "God to watch His team", Texas Stadium is an imposing facility that every stadium trekker has to see in person. I actually took a tour of Texas Stadium that allowed you to get down on the field and was able to stand on the star at the fifty yard line and look through the hole in the roof. pretty exciting stuff for your average kid froim Buffalo, NY. Anyway, Crystal and I drove down to the State of Texas during the hurricane Ike disater and barely made it out of Houston, but once we entered the friendly confines of Dallas, TX the disater that was Ike was like a distant memory. Texans are great tailgaters and excellent hosts. we hooked up with several tailgating groups that were eager to offer food and beer to these wary travelers fom the north. when we headed into the game, Texas Stadium was all that I hoped it would be. The atmosphere was incredibly electric as the division rival Philadelphia Eagles we in town to take on the Cowboys in a old fashioned shootout. Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo were locked and loaded in what became a 41 - 37 offensive explosion that the Cowboys prevailed in. How 'bout them cowboys!

Stadium #18 CandleStick Park

Candlestick Park in San Francisco, CA served as Stadium #18 to open the NFL season with another year of Questing for 31. Myself and my Frat Brother Marion flew out to the Bay area to ring in the new season in style with a doubleheader NFL weekend tackling Candlestick Park on Sunday and McAfee Colisuem on Monday Night Football. Our day began at 8:30 in the morning as Marion and I arived in the parking lot ready for some football. I had hooked up a tailgate with the fine folks from 49ersWebzone.com a 49ers fan forum that I frequently post in. Bay area residnets come out in droves early in the morning on gameday to kickof all types of tailgating activities. We saw meat and seafood put to fire with lots of excellent microbrews. Several posh Bay Area residents even showed up with wine and cheese to accentuate their afternoon of tailgating.

The San Francisco 49ers were taking on the Arizona Cardinals and I was pretty excited just to be in Candlestick Park. A big fan of the 49er dynasties of the 1980's, visiting Candlestick Park was like reliving the offensive explosion ushered in by Bill Walsh on the golden arm of my idol, Joe Montana. Unfortunately, fortune did not shine on the sideline of this 2008 incarnation of the San Francisco 49ers. The Mad Genius of Mike Martz made its debut as JT O'Sullivan ran Martz's offense. The Niners looked a little rusty as O'Sullivan spent most of the day running for his life. The Arizona Cardinals walked away with a dominant 23 - 13 win and the Niners fell to 0-1 on the year. The tailgating was fantastic, the fans were friendly ... all in all a great experience as Stadium #18 was completed.

Stadium #15 - Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City Chiefs

Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO was to become Stadium #15 on the Quest for 31. It was a fairly long 12 hour road trip to Kansas City from Detroit, so we selected the Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs game on Veterans Day Weekend, to allow ourselves the extra day to drive home. I had always heard about how loud Arrowhead Stadium was on Sundays and I distinctly remember how difficult it was for the Kelly-era Buffalo Bills to beat those Chiefs teams of the early nineties on Monday Night Football. So I knew going in that I would be among some real die hard football fans. Crystal and I had a great time tailgating before and after the game and interacting with the local fans, as we made the stadium parking lot tour. The game itself was a fairly completive division rivalry between the first place Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos, but Denver pulled away from the Chiefs in the third quarter and never looked back posting a 27 – 11 win over the hometown team. Not even my Tomahawk Chop chant was enough to inspire a thrilling forth quarter comeback.

Stadium #14 - Qwest Field, Seattle Seahawks

On my way to Fairbanks, Alaska I arranged for an extended layover in Seattle as there happened to be a home game at the mighty Qwest Field. So after I landed in Seattle, it was straight to the rental counter and on my way to watch the Seattle Seahawks take on the St. Louis Rams. Qwest Field is every bit as impressive as advertised. A modern facility with a fantastic view of the Seattle Skyline and all the food (in variety and quantity) that any fan could ask for. Qwest Field stadium concessions are easily the best in the league. In addition to the standard dogs, brats, and burgers, fans can find Thai and Chinese food, bread bowls of clam chowder or chili, deep-fried fish and chip dinners, and the local favorite, garlic fries (guaranteed to keep loved ones at bay). Fans of the Seattle Seahawks rank among the loudest in the league and Qwest Field’s specifically designed acoustics aide in directing crowd noise as well. By the end of the day, with a plane to catch, I found my experience in Seattle at Qwest Field to be brief but enlightening.

Stadium #13 - Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego Chargers

Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CA became my 13th stadium on the Quest for 31 on October 14, 2007. The San Diego Chargers were hosting the Oakland Raiders for a huge interstate grudge match and I was on hand with Jason and Marty to watch it unfold. Fans began tailgating before the game at 7:30am PST, as pickup trucks bearing San Diego Charger and Oakland Raider badging clogged the streets around the stadium. The umbrella tents and barbecue grills were out in no time for a great parking lot tailgating experience … we went to IHOP. Raider Nation showed up in full force in support of their team, but Charger fans held their ground. It was interesting to see that although Charger fans did outnumber the Raiders fans in the stadium, that there was still an extremely strong contingent of fans dressed in silver and black … Raider Nation indeed. The day ended in a 28 – 14 win for the Chargers as LaDanian Tomlinson ran for all four of the San Diego Charger touchdowns.

Stadium #12 - Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis Rams

The Quest for 31 resumes with Stadium #12, the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, MO. Known for the Gateway Arch, a thriving local blues community, and toasted ravioli, St Louis also proved to be an awesome football town. The St. Louis Rams are one of my favorite pro football organizations, so seeing the Greatest Show on Turf in person was indeed a thrill. Unfortunately, for this trip, the Greatest show was riddled with injuries. Notable outs were Marc Bulger, Issac Bruce, and Steven Jackson. With an injury report that read like a Pro Bowl roster, the Rams had to turn to their backups, so it was Gus Ferrotte and Brian Leonard that heeded the curtain call against the recently surging Arizona Cardinals, who were fresh off their thrilling victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Cardinals proved too much for the hometown Rams to handle as they posted a thrilling 34 – 31 victory in a shootout in the dome.

Stadium #10 - Gillette Stadium, New England Patriots

On the east coast for a couple of days, I found out that there would be a Sunday night home game in Foxboro, MA and a Monday night home game in Philadelphia, PA. Intrigued by the prospect of a Revolutionary War era double header, I thought I had to make it to both games ... even though I showed up at each stadium without tickets for either contest. When I arrived at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, I found the party to already be in full swing as loyal Patriots fans had been tailgating since 11AM that morning in preparation for a Sunday evening 8:15pm kickoff. I was impressed by the array of full sized tents, full sized barbecue grills, and full sized flat screen TV's that were erected all over the parking lot. I ended up with tickets in Row 2 of section 130 as I met up with three of New England's finest - Clint, Tawd , and Cah-mine. These three fine gentlemen affably welcomed me to Gillette Stadium by providing one of the best seats in the house from which to watch the game. I had a front row seat to watch Tom Brady and the newly retooled Patriot offense carve up the hapless defensive front of the not-so super San Diego Chargers. One the heels of the Bill Belichick video camera scandal, the Patriots must have been out to send a message to the league because they embarrassed the Chargers 38-14 in a rout.

Stadium 5 - Bank of America Stadium - Charlotte, NC

I have been visiting my friend Jermain in Charlotte, NC for years. Each spring I 'd take about a week and play golf down there, usually stopping at the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the way down. During all of those visits, Bank of America Stadium loomed in the background mocking me as it beckoned for me to see a game. This fairly new facility, built in 1996, was Stadium #5 in my Quest. Last Spring, when I was in Charlotte, we noticed the Dallas Cowboys were coming to town to face the Carolina Panthers on Halloween weekend. Jermain is a huge Cowboys fan and has never seen them live. I thought it was my duty as his best friend to make sure he got there. I bought a ticket on priceline,com to fly into Charlotte for the weekend well before we got game tickets because I was on my way to Germany. Tickets to see the Cowboys were harder to come by than we expected. In the end, E-bay was our salvation as we scored seats in section 543 the week of the game. The Cowboys were victorious as Tony Romo debuted on national TV. Check out my experience at http://www.nflfootballstadiums.com/BankofAmerica.htm.

Stadium 3 - Cleveland Browns Stadium - Cleveland,OH

Cleveland Browns Stadium was Stadium #3 on my quest. My frat brother Arnold and I attended the Detroit Lions vs. Cleveland Browns game on October 23, 2005. As a resident of Cleveland, Arnold had the hook up on some great seats in the lower bowl. The game, which was a matchup of two horrible teams, was not the most exciting of contests, but the atmosphere of Cleveland Browns stadium was well worth the trip. You can see pictures of my experience at http://www.nflfootballstadiums.com/ClevelandBrowns.htm

Why the Quest for 31?

Why not???? I am a huge fan of the National Football League. I have a room in my apartment, dubbed the "Football Room". It's filled with football memorabilia, jerseys, a large screen projection TV, and a set of goalposts (to kick the extra point of course). It is the premiere venue within which to view professional football contests. I've been playing fantasy football since 1995, back before the internet made it into the premiere workplace distraction that it has become today. I'm a big fan of the Buffalo Bills ... I think it all started in 1988. The Buffalo Bills were beginning to turn around an abysmal record of football ineptitude. Marquis names and legends were being created. Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, Bruce Smith, Darryl Talley, Shane Conlan, Cornelius Bennett, Kent Hull ... the names of my youth.

So why the Quest? I am fascinated by the thirty-two teams in the NFL and what it means to be a fan of each. Visiting each home stadium in which they play, meeting local fans, wearing foreign colors, eating local delicacies, tailgating in each area ... that's what football is all about. If you're interested in monitoring my journey feel free to check out my site at www.nflfootballstadiums.com.