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Kids and NFL games



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 11th 03, 12:37 PM
Hillary Israeli
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Default Kids and NFL games

I have a question about kids and sporting events. At what age do you all
think it appropriate to bring a kid to an NFL game? (that's National
Football League for those of you who may not be aware). I know that at
various concerts and sporting events I often see small children and think
to myself "gosh, isn't that kid a little too young for this kind of
thing?" But I don't really know...

Anyway, I have a newly-3 year old kid and tickets to an NFL game here in
Philadelphia in November. So, I'm wondering, can we bring him? I mean, I
know we CAN, but what are the things I'm not thinking of that might be a
problem?? They're special "club" tickets, so we will have access to an
indoor clubhouse area if the weather is a problem or he gets cold or
whatever.

I'm sure I'll get some disparate opinions. I look forward to reading them.

Thanks for any input,
-h.


--
hillary israeli vmd http://www.hillary.net
"uber vaccae in quattuor partes divisum est."
not-so-newly minted veterinarian-at-large

  #2  
Old September 11th 03, 01:51 PM
Scott Lindstrom
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Default Kids and NFL games

Hillary Israeli wrote:
I have a question about kids and sporting events. At what age do you all
think it appropriate to bring a kid to an NFL game? (that's National
Football League for those of you who may not be aware). I know that at
various concerts and sporting events I often see small children and think
to myself "gosh, isn't that kid a little too young for this kind of
thing?" But I don't really know...

Anyway, I have a newly-3 year old kid and tickets to an NFL game here in
Philadelphia in November. So, I'm wondering, can we bring him? I mean, I
know we CAN, but what are the things I'm not thinking of that might be a
problem?? They're special "club" tickets, so we will have access to an
indoor clubhouse area if the weather is a problem or he gets cold or
whatever.

I'm sure I'll get some disparate opinions. I look forward to reading them.


Well, it wasn't the NFL, but my brother took
me and DS and DD to a baseball game (AAA) in
Memphis a couple years ago -- I think DS was
4. They quickly grew bored, so we couldn't
stay too long. I think a 3-yo would be very
bored at a football game -- you'll be in the
clubhouse a lot watching the 3-yo play on
the floor.

Scott DD 10 and DS 7

  #3  
Old September 11th 03, 04:09 PM
Splanche
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Default Kids and NFL games

Anyway, I have a newly-3 year old kid and tickets to an NFL game here in
Philadelphia in November. So, I'm wondering, can we bring him?


Are you planning on putting th 3 yr old in his own seat?
IMHO, football games are not really the place to bring "lap" children.
However, if you can afford a ticket for a 3 yr old, all the more power to you!!

We took both DD and DS to baseball games (minor league) at about 3yrs, and took
them to hockey games at about 3 1/2yrs.
word of warning:
The kids had a blast, but it wasn't like I got to pay attention to ANY of the
game. It was just a 3 hour foodfest.

- Blanche

  #4  
Old September 11th 03, 04:10 PM
Kevin Karplus
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Default Kids and NFL games

In article , Hillary Israeli wrote:
I have a question about kids and sporting events. At what age do you all
think it appropriate to bring a kid to an NFL game? (that's National
Football League for those of you who may not be aware). I know that at
various concerts and sporting events I often see small children and think
to myself "gosh, isn't that kid a little too young for this kind of
thing?" But I don't really know...

Anyway, I have a newly-3 year old kid and tickets to an NFL game here in
Philadelphia in November. So, I'm wondering, can we bring him? I mean, I
know we CAN, but what are the things I'm not thinking of that might be a
problem?? They're special "club" tickets, so we will have access to an
indoor clubhouse area if the weather is a problem or he gets cold or
whatever.


I think that 80 is too young to go to an NFL game---I have trouble
imagining a more boring activity and don't understand why so many
adults pay real money to go.

The issues with bringing young children to an event include
1) will the child be so disruptive as to spoil the pleasure of
other attendees?
2) will the child enjoy the event?
3) is it safe for the child at the event?
4) will the child learn anything from the event?

It would be very difficult for a child to disrupt an NFL game (unlike
a concert or theater performance). Whether the child would enjoy the
event depends on a lot of things, including whether they like hot dogs
and whether the parents enjoy the game and are willing to explain
things (American football is a rather arcane sport, not at all obvious
to a first-time viewer). NFL games shouldn't be particularly
dangerous, if you stay with the child at all times and avoid crowded
exits. What the child might learn and whether this is something you
want the child to learn I leave to your imagination.

--
Kevin Karplus http://www.soe.ucsc.edu/~karplus
life member (LAB, Adventure Cycling, American Youth Hostels)
Effective Cycling Instructor #218-ck (lapsed)
Professor of Computer Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz
Undergraduate and Graduate Director, Bioinformatics
Affiliations for identification only.

  #5  
Old September 11th 03, 04:11 PM
Banty
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Posts: n/a
Default Kids and NFL games

In article , Hillary Israeli says...

I have a question about kids and sporting events. At what age do you all
think it appropriate to bring a kid to an NFL game? (that's National
Football League for those of you who may not be aware). I know that at
various concerts and sporting events I often see small children and think
to myself "gosh, isn't that kid a little too young for this kind of
thing?" But I don't really know...

Anyway, I have a newly-3 year old kid and tickets to an NFL game here in
Philadelphia in November. So, I'm wondering, can we bring him? I mean, I
know we CAN, but what are the things I'm not thinking of that might be a
problem?? They're special "club" tickets, so we will have access to an
indoor clubhouse area if the weather is a problem or he gets cold or
whatever.

I'm sure I'll get some disparate opinions. I look forward to reading them.

Thanks for any input,
-h.



I would bring him - sure. The only issues that come to mind are toileting (be
prepared to leave to find the toilets at short notice, or use pullups or
somethign, depending on the particulars), and possible boredom (be prepared to
leave) although likely there's enough crowd rigamarole and excitement and stuff
to get and eat that that won't be an issue.

He'll probably love it and it'll be fine.

Else send me the ticket..

Banty

  #6  
Old September 11th 03, 06:02 PM
David desJardins
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Default Kids and NFL games

Hillary Israeli writes:
I have a question about kids and sporting events. At what age do you all
think it appropriate to bring a kid to an NFL game? (that's National
Football League for those of you who may not be aware).


Never, really. American football is too pointlessly violent to expose
people who haven't made that decision for themselves. It's not healthy
for the people who participate in it, either.

When they are adults, of course they can decide for themselves if that's
the sort of thing they are interested in.

I suppose if the child were a teenager, and you presented it as some
sort of sociological study (look at this weird, violent American
culture), rather than as an entertainment, then it might be appropriate.
You can't protect children completely from the adult world they are
going to live in. I think most people probably get enough clues from
our culture about what football is like, though; they don't really need
to experience it firsthand. Besides, you probably get a better feeling
about what it's actually like on television (closer view and all that).

David desJardins

  #8  
Old September 12th 03, 01:54 AM
Hillary Israeli
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Default Kids and NFL games

In ,
David desJardins wrote:

*Hillary Israeli writes:
* I have a question about kids and sporting events. At what age do you all
* think it appropriate to bring a kid to an NFL game? (that's National
* Football League for those of you who may not be aware).
*
*Never, really. American football is too pointlessly violent to expose
*people who haven't made that decision for themselves. It's not healthy
*for the people who participate in it, either.

David, you crack me up. I had this exact same discussion one day when I
was a college student, actually sitting in Memorial Stadium watching the
Golden Bears play. The person with whom I was discussing it claimed he was
only there to "gather data" because he was writing a paper about the
violence in our culture and wanted to use football as an example.

--
hillary israeli vmd http://www.hillary.net
"uber vaccae in quattuor partes divisum est."
not-so-newly minted veterinarian-at-large

  #10  
Old September 12th 03, 03:17 AM
David desJardins
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Default Kids and NFL games

Barb writes:
I got a kick out the response from the guy who said to take a teen to
a game and say "look at this horrible, violent American sport." Even
if they aren't fans, I would think most teens already know what
football is. My fifth grade daughter has played it in gym class.


I really doubt it! They probably play touch football. This is really
totally different from NFL football (or even high school football).
Like it or not, a big part of NFL football is stuff like "hit the guy so
hard that he drops the ball". I really, really don't believe you have
that in 5th grade gym class.

Of course teens know what football is. I still think there's some merit
in actually observing it, as opposed to just knowing about it. There's
a balance between overexposure (which can desensitize people) and
underexposure (which can leave people with an intellectual understanding
but no real emotional connection). Like the anti-death-penalty
activists who want executions to be televised, so people have more of an
emotional connection to the acts being performed on their behalf.
(Whether that would go too far in the "desensitization" direction, or
not, I'm not sure. I think it might, because of the global reach of
television. Requiring citizens selected by lottery to attend local
executions might be more effective.)

David desJardins

 




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