Thursday, July 30, 2009
Hit the Road!
4:37 AM | 
Posted by
Nick Mendola
can taste football. Thanks to the last decade of Bills football and the last 24 months of the Bulls, the taste is decidedly college, but I’m ready for both games, and the inevitable road trip discussions.
Last year, I made the hike to Massachusetts to meet my two sisters and brothers for Sabres/Bruins before my brother and I witnessed the laugh riot that was the Bills in Foxboro the next day. It was a fun trip, but with no real Sabres/Bills road weekend lining up this year, I thought I’d put together a road trip idea for each of the Bills road outings this season, combined with my love of the college game experience.
Road Trip, Game One – “Options A-Plenty”
--- If you’re also a baseball fan, this trip is a slam dunk. It’s like the Chinese food buffet of road trips: Pick one from list A, pick one from list B, and you get main course C.
Either way, you’ll be spending Monday, Sept. 14 in Foxboro for a Monday Night game between the Bills and Patriots. The beauty of it is that the game starts at 7 p.m., so you can book the red eye. The fun is
what you do on Saturday and Sunday (For those looking to “save a home day,” you can spend Saturday at home for the Pitt Panthers and the UB Bulls at UB Stadium for a Noon kick-off).
Option 1 – “New England”
Saturday – Kent State at Boston College or North Carolina at UCONN
Sunday – Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox, 1:30 p.m.
Monday – Bills at Pats, 7 p.m.
Option 2 – “The Pennsylvania”
Saturday – Syracuse at Penn State, Noon
Sunday – NY Mets at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
Monday – Bills at Pats, 7 p.m.
Option 3 – “The Patriotitis”
Saturday – Duke at Army
Sunday – Orioles at Yankees, 1 p.m.
Monday – Bills at Pats, 7 p.m.
Option 4 – “The Crazed Sports Fan/Lunatic Drunk/Get A Driver, Man”
Saturday – Duke at Army
Sunday – Orioles at Yankees, 1 p.m.
Sunday, Pt. II – Redskins at Giants, 4:15 p.m.
Monday – Bills at Pats, 7 p.m.
If you do Option 4, please document every moment. That one’s for those who can’t stand missing the first full day of the NFL’s 2009 season.
Road Trip, Game Two – “Not-so-much a Hockey guy”
The Bills’ second road game comes on the weekend of the Sabres home opener, an Oct. 3 game at HSBC Arena against Montreal. If you’re not a big hockey guy, or know you won’t have tickets, how about this jaunt:
Sat., Oct 3 -- Oklahoma at Miami (FL)
Sun, Oct 4 – Bills at Miami, 4:15 p.m.
You get a terrific Sooners team playing at the Canes, who went 7-6 last year, but the game’s in Miami, so it shouldn’t be the world’s worst beat down. The bummer of this trip is two games at the same venue, as Land Shark Stadium is also the venue for Sunday’s game between the Bills and Dolphins. It’s too bad the Marlins aren’t home to close the season, or you could compare three contests at the same stadium.
Road Trip, Game Three – “The Arm Pit”
Seriously, this trip is worth it if only for all the ways you and your buddies or wife or children can count down to it. “Two weeks away… I can smell ‘The Arm Pit’ from here.”
Friday, Oct. 16 – Pitt at Rutgers, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 17 – Carolina Hurricanes at New Jersey Devils, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct 18 – Bills at Jets, 4:15 p.m.
Rutgers has Greg Schiano to thank for beautifully-expanded facilities, while the Devils new joint is always looking for people to sit anywhere. I hate Jets fans, but if you’re nuts enough for a weekend in Jersey, why not hang out with a bunch of obnoxious dorks who still wear their Boozer jerseys.
Road Trip, Game Four – “Options A-Plenty v2.0”
This one has degrees of crazy, which is always fun. Sunday is going to be Bills and Panthers, which I’m sure is as close to a road home game on the schedule, with all the Buffalo transplants in North Carolina. It’s a 4:15 p.m. kick-off, so you have plenty of time to get there, regardless of where you’re starting:
Sat. Oct 24
Maryland at Duke (2.25 hours from Durham to Charlotte)
Vandy at South Carolina (90 minutes from Columbia to Charlotte)
Georgia Tech at Virginia (4 hours, 45 minutes from Charlottesville to Charlotte)
UConn at West Virginia (6 hours from Morgantown to Charlotte)
GT/VU and Vandy/SC are the most fun for football and atmosphere, but the teeth watching in West Virginia has to be great when combined with the passion of the Mountaineer fans. I feel like the South Carolina trip is the play.
Road Trip, Game Five – “Go for the Gusto”
Saturday gives you plenty of options, depending on how far you want to drive before you head to the Bills and Titans match-up at 1 p.m. Sunday. As for Saturday:
Saturday, Nov. 14
Syracuse at Louisville (2hr40 from Ville to Ville)
Iowa at Ohio State (6 hours from Columbus to Nashville)
Kentucky at Vanderbilt (N/A)
UAB at Memphis (3hr15 from Memphis to Nashville)
Again, the simple choice is Kentucky/Vandy. It’s an SEC game, and you can stay in Nashville. Unlike the Miami trip, you get to experience two venues as well, as Vanderbilt Stadium is the home of the Commodores.
Road Trip, Game Six – “Get Some Sun”
Our own Jeremy White is taking this trip to see the Bills and Jags on Sunday, Nov. 22, but you have two choices. Jeremy’s choosing Florida Int’l against Tim Tebow and the Gators at the Swamp on Nov. 21, which can take anywhere from 90 minutes to two hours, but you can also spent your Saturday at Maryland/Florida State. Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee is about 2.5 hours from Jacksonville.
Road Trip, Game Seven – “The Ultimate Buffalo Sports Fan”
I’m not sure it should be legal to even attempt this one….
Wednesday, Nov. 25 – Sabres at Washington
Thursday, Nov. 26 – Thanksgiving somewhere
Friday, Nov. 27 – Sabres at Philadelphia
Sat, Nov. 28 – Sabres vs Carolina
Sun, Nov. 29 – Dolphins at Bills
Mon, Nov. 30 – Sabres at Leafs
Seriously. Be careful, and report back.
Road Trip, Game Eight – “Midwest Swing”
This one is a tough one. The Bills and Chiefs tango in KC on Sunday, Dec. 13, and I was hoping to find Kansas basketball at home the day before… which I did… it’s just not at Allen Fieldhouse. You can see the Jayhawks at home, but they host LaSalle in Kansas City. It would still be fun, and there’s no driving involved.
St. Louis is about four hours away, but you could catch the Flames and Blues on Tuesday the 15th. I know, I’ve failed you. Hopefully one of you can find a better option.
Road Trip, Game Nine – “Going South”
This one is a bit far-fetched, but not giving you an option here would be the lazy way out.
Sat., Dec. 26 – Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte (4 hrs from Charlotte to Atlanta)
Sun, Dec 27 – Bills at Atlanta, 1 p.m.
The last few match-ups in this dopey-named bowl have actually been alright: West Virginia/UNC (2008, 31-30) and Boston College/Navy (2006, 25-24) among them.
So there you go. Like any of these? Got any other ideas? Email: nick@wgr550.com
Last year, I made the hike to Massachusetts to meet my two sisters and brothers for Sabres/Bruins before my brother and I witnessed the laugh riot that was the Bills in Foxboro the next day. It was a fun trip, but with no real Sabres/Bills road weekend lining up this year, I thought I’d put together a road trip idea for each of the Bills road outings this season, combined with my love of the college game experience.
Road Trip, Game One – “Options A-Plenty”
--- If you’re also a baseball fan, this trip is a slam dunk. It’s like the Chinese food buffet of road trips: Pick one from list A, pick one from list B, and you get main course C.
Either way, you’ll be spending Monday, Sept. 14 in Foxboro for a Monday Night game between the Bills and Patriots. The beauty of it is that the game starts at 7 p.m., so you can book the red eye. The fun is
what you do on Saturday and Sunday (For those looking to “save a home day,” you can spend Saturday at home for the Pitt Panthers and the UB Bulls at UB Stadium for a Noon kick-off).
Option 1 – “New England”
Saturday – Kent State at Boston College or North Carolina at UCONN
Sunday – Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox, 1:30 p.m.
Monday – Bills at Pats, 7 p.m.
Option 2 – “The Pennsylvania”
Saturday – Syracuse at Penn State, Noon
Sunday – NY Mets at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
Monday – Bills at Pats, 7 p.m.
Option 3 – “The Patriotitis”
Saturday – Duke at Army
Sunday – Orioles at Yankees, 1 p.m.
Monday – Bills at Pats, 7 p.m.
Option 4 – “The Crazed Sports Fan/Lunatic Drunk/Get A Driver, Man”
Saturday – Duke at Army
Sunday – Orioles at Yankees, 1 p.m.
Sunday, Pt. II – Redskins at Giants, 4:15 p.m.
Monday – Bills at Pats, 7 p.m.
If you do Option 4, please document every moment. That one’s for those who can’t stand missing the first full day of the NFL’s 2009 season.
Road Trip, Game Two – “Not-so-much a Hockey guy”
The Bills’ second road game comes on the weekend of the Sabres home opener, an Oct. 3 game at HSBC Arena against Montreal. If you’re not a big hockey guy, or know you won’t have tickets, how about this jaunt:
Sat., Oct 3 -- Oklahoma at Miami (FL)
Sun, Oct 4 – Bills at Miami, 4:15 p.m.
You get a terrific Sooners team playing at the Canes, who went 7-6 last year, but the game’s in Miami, so it shouldn’t be the world’s worst beat down. The bummer of this trip is two games at the same venue, as Land Shark Stadium is also the venue for Sunday’s game between the Bills and Dolphins. It’s too bad the Marlins aren’t home to close the season, or you could compare three contests at the same stadium.
Road Trip, Game Three – “The Arm Pit”
Seriously, this trip is worth it if only for all the ways you and your buddies or wife or children can count down to it. “Two weeks away… I can smell ‘The Arm Pit’ from here.”
Friday, Oct. 16 – Pitt at Rutgers, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 17 – Carolina Hurricanes at New Jersey Devils, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct 18 – Bills at Jets, 4:15 p.m.
Rutgers has Greg Schiano to thank for beautifully-expanded facilities, while the Devils new joint is always looking for people to sit anywhere. I hate Jets fans, but if you’re nuts enough for a weekend in Jersey, why not hang out with a bunch of obnoxious dorks who still wear their Boozer jerseys.
Road Trip, Game Four – “Options A-Plenty v2.0”
This one has degrees of crazy, which is always fun. Sunday is going to be Bills and Panthers, which I’m sure is as close to a road home game on the schedule, with all the Buffalo transplants in North Carolina. It’s a 4:15 p.m. kick-off, so you have plenty of time to get there, regardless of where you’re starting:
Sat. Oct 24
Maryland at Duke (2.25 hours from Durham to Charlotte)
Vandy at South Carolina (90 minutes from Columbia to Charlotte)
Georgia Tech at Virginia (4 hours, 45 minutes from Charlottesville to Charlotte)
UConn at West Virginia (6 hours from Morgantown to Charlotte)
GT/VU and Vandy/SC are the most fun for football and atmosphere, but the teeth watching in West Virginia has to be great when combined with the passion of the Mountaineer fans. I feel like the South Carolina trip is the play.
Road Trip, Game Five – “Go for the Gusto”
Saturday gives you plenty of options, depending on how far you want to drive before you head to the Bills and Titans match-up at 1 p.m. Sunday. As for Saturday:
Saturday, Nov. 14
Syracuse at Louisville (2hr40 from Ville to Ville)
Iowa at Ohio State (6 hours from Columbus to Nashville)
Kentucky at Vanderbilt (N/A)
UAB at Memphis (3hr15 from Memphis to Nashville)
Again, the simple choice is Kentucky/Vandy. It’s an SEC game, and you can stay in Nashville. Unlike the Miami trip, you get to experience two venues as well, as Vanderbilt Stadium is the home of the Commodores.
Road Trip, Game Six – “Get Some Sun”
Our own Jeremy White is taking this trip to see the Bills and Jags on Sunday, Nov. 22, but you have two choices. Jeremy’s choosing Florida Int’l against Tim Tebow and the Gators at the Swamp on Nov. 21, which can take anywhere from 90 minutes to two hours, but you can also spent your Saturday at Maryland/Florida State. Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee is about 2.5 hours from Jacksonville.
Road Trip, Game Seven – “The Ultimate Buffalo Sports Fan”
I’m not sure it should be legal to even attempt this one….
Wednesday, Nov. 25 – Sabres at Washington
Thursday, Nov. 26 – Thanksgiving somewhere
Friday, Nov. 27 – Sabres at Philadelphia
Sat, Nov. 28 – Sabres vs Carolina
Sun, Nov. 29 – Dolphins at Bills
Mon, Nov. 30 – Sabres at Leafs
Seriously. Be careful, and report back.
Road Trip, Game Eight – “Midwest Swing”
This one is a tough one. The Bills and Chiefs tango in KC on Sunday, Dec. 13, and I was hoping to find Kansas basketball at home the day before… which I did… it’s just not at Allen Fieldhouse. You can see the Jayhawks at home, but they host LaSalle in Kansas City. It would still be fun, and there’s no driving involved.
St. Louis is about four hours away, but you could catch the Flames and Blues on Tuesday the 15th. I know, I’ve failed you. Hopefully one of you can find a better option.
Road Trip, Game Nine – “Going South”
This one is a bit far-fetched, but not giving you an option here would be the lazy way out.
Sat., Dec. 26 – Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte (4 hrs from Charlotte to Atlanta)
Sun, Dec 27 – Bills at Atlanta, 1 p.m.
The last few match-ups in this dopey-named bowl have actually been alright: West Virginia/UNC (2008, 31-30) and Boston College/Navy (2006, 25-24) among them.
So there you go. Like any of these? Got any other ideas? Email: nick@wgr550.com
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