Tomorrow is Sweetie Mack’s 8th birthday. Before the NFL season began last year, Mack picked the New York Giants to win the Super Bowl — amazingly he called the long shot. Along the way he became a big fan. To celebrate his birthday (and his prescience) Mack’s dad snagged three New York Giants tickets for last Sunday’s game against the Eagles. Grandpa got invited along.
We drove from Virginia to New Jersey Saturday evening — it was snowing much of the way, but no one slowed down. When we got to the Marriott in Ridgefield, I noticed a man who looked very much like a professional football player. I told Mack, I think the Giants are in this hotel — and indeed they were. It was running back Brandon Jacobs I had noticed. Mack got his autograph and those of Corey Webster and R.W. McQuarters. (Plaxico Burress was nowhere in sight.)
Mack got me up at 6:37 Sunday morning to go down to the lobby and find more players. The Giants, of course, had more sense than to be up that early — and fortunately we had more sense too, and took the morning to go into New York City rather than hang out in hopes of a glimpse of Eli Manning.
I have been to NYC a few times, but never to Wall Street. That’s the New York Stock Exchange in the picture (taken with my iPhone). We were able also to walk around Rockefeller Center (and see the Christmas tree and ice rink) and Times Square before heading back to Jersey for the game.
79,000 other folks joined us at the Meadowlands (attendance was 79,003) on a blustery, cold day. We were in the 19th row on the 20.
The Eagles won 20-14 as the Giants scored their only offensive touchdown in the last two minutes of the game. The only real exciting play was a blocked field goal run back for a touchdown by the Giants to end the first half.
Click the photos for larger versions.
Too bad for Mack the Giants didn’t win, but what an awesome birthday he had, just the same!! That is so cool. We’ve all missed NMK, but it sounds like it was worth it for you to take some time off.
Seriously, what a great present. I attended my first prop football game a few weeks ago (my dad flew from New Mexico to come watch the Raiders/Ravens game in Baltimore) and it was fantastic.
Also, New York is amazing. The little guy must have been awestruck – I was when I went.
Oh, and you know me – shameless self-promotion.
Oddly, three years ago when working in New Jersey I flew my youngest out to tour Noo Yawrk. Had a great time, but when we stopped to photograph the Federal Reserve building, we had our camera confiscated (digital thank god) and couldn’t leave until we had demonstrated we had erased all photos of the building.
I should point out that Mack predicted a Giants repeat before this season (after calling the Steelers, the Colts and the Giants the last three years). I tried to talk him out of it, saying repeats were very rare. I should have known better.
Jill, Mack’s mom, posted Mack’s year-in-review on her Facebook page. Photos include Mack playing soccer, football, baseball swimming, triathlon and running; in the stands for games at Fenway and Yankee Stadium; at Concord (Minuteman), Cape Cod, the top of the Empire State Building and Hershey Park; an Obama rally; and at the Giants game.
The kid had a great year.
I forgot to mention that Mack also went to Disney World this past year to celebrate his middle brother’s birthday. And we were at Disneyland the week before he turned 7 last December.
I hope the little Globetrotter got a Been There: Done That tee shirt for his birthday.
I also hope we get to see him in the 2020 Summer Games!