Ravens vs. Packers December 2021

As a part of things getting back to normal, I've started volunteering again with my church group that hands out programs at Baltimore Ravens home games. I went this last Sunday when they played against the Green Bay Packers, whose record was 10-3, putting them at the top of the AFC North Division. 

As "stadium staff" I parked at a free lot that's a five-minute bus ride to all the action. Our volunteer group did the usual check in and was assigned to hand out programs at various gates. I was assigned to Gate A, which is the main entrance. Before we started, I had a chance to look in at the field and see players and others warming up.

The stadium before the fans got there

The best volunteer opportunity is working the hospitality tents, which are just outside the stadium. People can pay to have a catered pre-game party. Volunteers check the IDs of people coming in to make sure no one is mooching off someone else's party. The day was pretty cold (low 40s), so maybe that would be a tougher gig. 

Hospitality tents

Gate A

I was happy with my location. Some of the other gates get a lot fewer fans coming in, which can result in a lot of down time. Standing around and waiting for people to come in can get boring. Gate A had a steady flow into the first quarter of the game. The gates are usually shut down by the end of the first quarter. Once the shift was up, the volunteer coordinator gave us complimentary tickets to watch the rest of the game.

My product and my ticket

Before going to my seat, I saw the line at Shake Shack was short. I bought some dinner there--a burger, fries, and a shake (the water was also compliments of the stadium).

Shake Shack meal

The only problem was the shake still being frozen. Nothing came up the straw! I used the straw as a spoon and was able to enjoy it that way. I would have been better off getting a hot chocolate from another vender.

I started my way up to the 500 section and saw a ridiculous line for the men's bathroom!

A line up the stairs!

As I went up, I took a picture of the Baltimore skyline.

Baltimore (and the parking lot)

It took me a while to get to my seat. I realized that I could have done better choosing my ticket from the pile of complimentary ones. My seat was one row below the very top row of the stadium. My view took in the whole field and the rest of the stadium.

View from Section 504, Row 31, Seat 11

The game was almost at half time, with the two teams tied at 14.

The halftime show had two main performances. First was the Drill Team from the United States Air Force. They marched around the field doing formations and tossing their rifles around in amazing synchronization. I didn't bother trying to take a video from my bird's-eye view.

US Air Force Drill Team

The other entertainment was an acapella group called The Trills. The six-person group sang a variety of Christmas tunes to the delight of the audience.  

The Trills

The rest of the game went poorly for the Ravens. Green Bay was able to advance their lead by fourteen points. When the Ravens failed to convert on a fourth down with less than ten minutes to go, I decided (along with a lot of other patrons) to make my way out of the stadium. As I walked to the employee bus, I saw the fireworks go off from the roof. The Ravens had scored! As we rode the bus, we heard the end of the game. The Ravens got the ball back and with less than a minute to go, they scored a touchdown. The coach decided to go for the win with a two-point conversion. They were unable to get the ball in the end zone again, so they lost the game 30-31. People on the bus were upset because the Ravens, though very aggressive, have not done well in the past with the two-point conversion.

It was a fun time anyway.