Rah! Rah! Siss Boom Bah! -- Are You Ready for a Great College Football Season?

Good morning, Fantastic Football Fans!

Are you feeling motivated this morning? I certainly hope so. I know that I am!

Let's think about all those poor billionaires out there who don't take time to enjoy the many joys of the college football season. Some are chasing the next big deal . . . stuck in an airplane (although it may be a luxury plane) while the kick off starts. Others are meeting with lawyers to sort out their latest divorce. Perhaps one or two are off on an exotic trip to a place where there is no college football. Some want to go to the games, but the insurance companies that guard them against kidnapping won't allow it. It's just tough to be a billionaire and enjoy college football.

But you don't have that problem. Let's look at how you can go for it all!

1. BUY SEASON TICKETS to all the home and away games for your favorite team. If you don't have a favorite team, it's time to find one whose games are convenient and where tickets can be obtained.

2. BUY A TAILGATE PASS FOR NEAR THE STADIUM. Tailgating is an important part of the fun. Put up a sign that will attract others. One of my college classmates puts up our class banner and holds a mini-reunion on the spot.

3. SIGN UP FOR THE COACH'S TALKS. Sometime during the week, most coaches offer a dinner for the players and fans where the coach talks about the team and its prospects.

4. GO TO A BOWL GAME. I favor the Rose Bowl because the weather is usually great, the site is beautiful and you can go to the Rose Parade before the game.

5. GO TO A GAME FOR A TOP TEAM YOU'VE NEVER SEEN IN PERSON BEFORE. Can you imagine how much fun it must be to see the Fighting Irish and enjoy all those great fans?

6. VISIT THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME. It's in South Bend, Indiana (speaking of the Irish), and there are regular events you can plan to attend. See http://www.collegefootball.org/event.php/.

7. LISTEN TO YOUR FAVORITE COLLEGE FOOTBALL FIGHT SONGS. You can download almost any song you like in MP3 format from http://fightsongs.com/.

8. BUY AND ENJOY ESPN'S COLLEGE FOOTBALL ENCYCLOPEDIA. It has all the facts you can't remember on your own. To purchase on-line go to:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1401337031/104-5889592-2919129?v=glance

9. KEEP TRACK OF PERFORMANCE COMPARISONS BETWEEN YOUR FAVORITE PLAYERS AND TEAMS. Here's a good site for that:
http://www.rivals.com/default.asp

10. PLAY COLLEGE FOOTBALL VIDEO GAMES.

Here's one for being a player:

http://www.easports.com/games/ncaa06/home.jsp

Here's software for being a head coach:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1401337031/104-5889592-2919129?v=glance

And here's a college video game tournament you can enter. The winner will attend the Heisman Trophy dinner. Pretty nice!

http://www.easports.com/events/ncaachallenge2005/home.jsp

Are you ready for some football?

Please let me know what else you would like to learn, and I'll do my best to help in future blog entries.

Thanks so much for your support of this blog. I'm delighted that so many tens of thousands of people have made this blog part of their regular reading habit!

If you like this blog, please let others know who might also enjoy it.

Thank you to my many friends, students, clients and blog readers who are spreading the good word about this blog.

If you are visiting today because someone invited you, I'm delighted to meet you! Let's stay in touch.

Remember to check out Live Spiritually Better than a Billionaire at http://livespirituallybetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/ and Enjoy Mansions Better than a Billionaire at http://enjoymansionsbetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/.

May God bless you.

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell

Enjoy the Football Season Better than a Billionaire on Five Dollars Extra a Day

Good morning, Fantastic Football Fans!

Are you feeling motivated this morning? I certainly hope so. I know that I am!

Are you focused on football now that the NFL preseason has begun? I know that I am.

I usually follow every season in the same way. I root for my favorite NFL team, the New England Patriots, visit their Web site daily and review stories in the press and on television and radio. Mostly, I focus on the stars. I suspect that many fans do something similar.

But if you really adore football, that approach just scratches the surface.

Let me suggest some ways that you can go deeper in your enjoyment of the game.

First, pick some other players to follow. I like to watch rookies who show promise in training camp such as Bam Childress of the Patriots and veterans who bring unusual intensity to the game, like special teams player Larry Izzo of the Patriots.

Second, arrange to meet and chat with these non-star players. They are easier to meet and will spend more time with you than an established star. I remember greeting Paul Pierce and shaking his hand when he was a raw rookie for the Boston Celtics. That brief meeting has added to my pleasure in watching him play as the team's star since then.

Third, hire a retired player to speak to your organization or company. People you've enjoyed watching in the past are often happy to take on such assignments. They aren't all that busy so you'll have an extended time to talk football with them and find out their views on your favorite team.

Fourth, organize a charity event that will benefit from having players present during the bye week in the NFL season. By contacting the team, they will help you find volunteers to speak and sign autographs. You will do good and do well for yourself.

Fifth, take in a game. Many NFL teams have sites where you can buy tickets that season ticket holders want to sell at face value. Other teams offer a few standing room only seats during the season. If it's an exciting game, you'll be standing most of the time anyway. So why not save some money?

Sixth, if you can afford it, take in a road game as well. The atmosphere in each NFL stadium is different, and you'll find yourself enjoying the contrasts in experience.

Seventh, tailgate a game and watch from the stadium parking lot (in good weather) or a stadium-area bar (in bad weather). You'll find yourself with some very loyal, friendly fans which will make for a fun outing.

Eighth, follow some players on other teams. Fantasy football is a good excuse to do this and gives you a good reason to track more of what's going on in the league. ESPN can provide you with most of what you want to learn, and the Internet can do the rest.

Ninth, enter a contest to pick the game winners each week. I did that with the Patriots last year, and really enjoyed the experience. The contest offered the excitement of betting on the games without the expense or distraction.

Tenth, go to a good college game for a school you've never visited before. The excitement and rituals of college football will take you back to your youth.

Eleventh, attend your local high school's big game. Here in Massachusetts, these are always held on Thanksgiving morning and it makes for a relaxing way to start the day while the turkey bakes.

Twelfth, watch practices for a team of youngsters. If you know football, offer to assist in the coaching. It's a lot of fun to watch boys emulate their favorite players as they struggle with all of the gear and things to remember.

Thirteenth, plan a winter vacation to Hawaii to watch the Pro Bowl. This is the ultimate in laid-back enjoyment as you lounge in shorts while working on your tan in Aloha Stadium outside of Honolulu.

Fourteenth, if you've never been to a Super Bowl, make 2006 your year. See my earlier blog entries for ideas to do this while spending little.

As always, please comment below to add your ideas for other great ways to enjoy the football season. I'm sure I've missed a number of good ones.

In the meantime, stand for the kickoff!

Please feel free to let me know what else you would like to learn, and I'll do my best to help in future blog entries.

Thanks so much for your support of this blog. I'm delighted that so many tens of thousands of people have made this blog part of their regular reading habit!

If you like this blog, please let others know who might also enjoy it.

Thank you to my many friends, students, clients and blog readers who are spreading the good word about this blog.

If you are visiting today because someone invited you, I'm delighted to meet you! Let's stay in touch.

May God bless you.

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell

Live Like a Carefree Child and Thoughts about Learning

Good morning, Fantastic Football Fans!

Are you feeling motivated this morning? I certainly hope so.

Here are my reflections on the first week of practice by the World Champion New England Patriots. I'll try to keep it brief, but I learned so much it's hard to fit it all into one blog entry.

Here's the background. The Patriots are a tough ticket at home. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, the Kraft family keeps a few tickets available for non-season-ticket-holding fans. They do this by releasing a few seats around May 21 for a Ticketmaster buying frenzy and there will be another one in a few weeks for standing-room-only tickets for a few regular season games.

Except for those "bid-for-em" seats, you can join tens of thousands to wait for season tickets . . . or you can pay a premium to a ticket broker. Your chances of getting someone to lend you their seats aren't very good unless you can trade them some good late-season Red Sox tickets.

So what do most fans do? Nothing. They just passively watch on television whenever the Patriots are on.

But those who live better than a billionaire on five dollars extra a day know a better approach: They attend the free training camp sessions where they can watch their favorite stars for two or more hours a day during August.

Now, you might think that anything that exciting would have 200,000 people attending. But the most I've ever seen at a practice was about 5,000 -- all of whom can sit comfortably in bleachers or on a grassy hillside (which I prefer because it's cooler). Now, you might think that people cannot lay off from work to attend. But the weekend attendance isn't much different from Monday through Friday when lots of youngsters arrive in buses from local camps.

As I've mentioned before, there are also great chances to acquire autographs and thousands do throng near the edges of the field at the end of each practice vying for a few precious signatures. Tom Brady and many of the stars graciously spend time after most practices, and many of those who hope to make the squad will spend lengthy periods signing.

If you don't like crowds, there's even an area where up to 300 people are admitted. After practice 5 or 6 players go to that area and you are sure to get 2 or 3 autographs with little effort. On a light day (like August 4), you're sure to get 5 or 6. If you had to buy those autographs, you would probably spend more than the price of a ticket, plus you get to meet some of the top players. On August, those signing included perennial favorites Troy Brown and Rodney Harrison. My wife obtained a free book about the Patriots' first Super Bowl championship season and had that signed. She has a wonderful keepsake now that she treasures. She liked the experience so much she offered to go back next week and to get autographs for me too.

During the entire week, I didn't see any billionaires there. And we have some in New England. I know most of them by sight. If any of them are Patriots fans, you have to wonder why they would miss such good fun. In fact, I only saw the Patriots owner, Robert Kraft, and his wife at one practice. He needs to take more time to enjoy the team.

Just watching the youngsters ooh and aaah over their favorite players was a joy.

As someone who helps others improve their lives, I was also fascinated by what I saw on the field.

You would think that a World Championship team would be filled with big stars who dominated in college. As you go down the roster, there are few names that would be known to anyone other than a Patriots fan. In addition, those names are of people who didn't excel all that much in college. Two-time Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady sat on the bench in Michigan for most of his career and was a sixth round draft pick by the Patriots. Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch was a second round pick from Louisville (do you watch Louisville football?).

Forty-four of those on the roster were signed as free agents. That means no one else wanted them very much. The Patriots don't have much money under the salary cap to spend for free agents, so people come to New England for relatively little money (by NFL standards . . . a lot of money by everyone else's standards). Here are a few of their names and resumes: Adam Vinatieri (one of the greatest field goal kickers in the history of the NFL); Randall Gay (Super Bowl starter in place of Ty Law, the injured All Pro); Rodney Harrison (one of the fiercest defensive safeties of all time and Super Bowl starter who had been released by San Diego); Mike Vrabel (one of the team's smartest players and a great linebacker who had been released by Pittsburgh); Larry Izzo (star of the special teams who had been released by Miami); Roosevelt Colvin (a devastating tackler as a linebacker who had been released by Chicago); Tom Ashworth (starting tackle); and Christian Fauria (reliable tight end who specializes in Red Zone receptions who had been released by Seattle). In most drafts, a team would be thrilled to come up with one player of such caliber.

How do the Patriots do it? Watching practice made it clear. The Patriots hire for potential and attitude . . . and they are good at teaching people how to perform better. A good example is Matt Cassel, a 7th round pick who sat on the bench at USC for his entire career. But in person, he's a younger version of Tom Brady. He's big. He's smart. He works hard. He makes pretty good decisions for an inexperienced quarterback. And he passes well, too. Clearly Cassel is 4th on the depth chart, and the Patriots aren't going to carry four quarterbacks on the final roster. Yet every day, Cassel runs at least 25 minutes of offense on defense scrimmage and head coach Bill Belichick is usually there watching and coaching him between plays. To see this going on, you would have to think that Cassel was the next Peyton Manning. But lots of other lowly candidates with high potential are also getting lots of attention. You see players blossom before your eyes in a few practices.

In fact, some of the top performers in the training camp are people I had never heard of who are free agents. Most teams would make a decision about these players in 2 or 3 days and drop them. Not the Patriots. Each is receiving as much education as they can absorb. For example, the Patriots are deep in wide receivers. Yet unheralded Bam Childress leaves the crowd in awe every day with his ability to get open and make tough catches. You will see other receivers drop pass after pass, and yet they are back the next day . . . and start catching everything thrown in their direction. After one drop, I overheard coach Belichick wander over to the player and comment that he had to better on catching or Belichick couldn't keep him on the team. Belichick sounded genuinely apologetic, as though the failure was his own.

Not only do the Patriots teach well, they display confidence in players. That must be enormously valuable. Offensive lineman Logan Mankins was the Patriots first round draft pick this year. He works out as a starter . . . on Tom Brady's blind side. Now, most teams wouldn't put a rookie on the offensive line no matter how good he is. And no one but the Patriots would put a rookie on the quarterback's blind side. They clearly feel that Mankins will do the job and display confidence in him. He clearly looks confident out there. And where did Mankins play before? Fresno State, hardly a major training ground for the NFL.

Let me tell you two anecdotes that will summarize Bill Belichick's coaching style.

Belichick is serving as his own offensive coordinator this year after Charlie Weiss left to coach Notre Dame. So you might think that he would be in the face of the offense all the time. Not so. He generally wanders onto the field about 25 minutes into a 2 hours practice. I think this is to show that he has confidence in his position coaches who are actually running the practice. Generally, when he does coach the offense, he works with some lowly player rather than the first team. He acts like an extra offensive coach rather than head coach. Now, there are times when he wants to see what can be done and he will direct a scrimmage between the first team offense and the first team defense . . . but that's pretty rare. He's working on fundamentals instead, through his staff. When asked this week what is the most important responsibility of head coach is he replied, "To hire a good staff."

Naturally, it's hot in August for training camp. Everyone complains, but that's what reality is. One of Belichick's favorite replies to reporters who ask him how he will deal with some problem is that, "It is what it is." He clearly sees his job as dealing with reality, rather than emotionally wringing his hands over problems. Just before the height of the heat wave, he commented in a press conference that players were looking forward to hotter weather. Then on the hottest day, Belichick arrived at practice wearing his trademark grey, long-sleeved sweat shirt with hood as though this were late November. Although Belichick didn't have to wear pads and run around in the heat, he was clearly sending a message to his players that it wasn't too hot to work out.

How does this preparation play out during the season? Other teams find the Patriots to be an unpredictable opponent. While most teams run the same offenses and defenses week after week, the Patriots almost totally change their approach to take advantage of their opponents' weaknesses and to offset the opponents' strengths. Creating a learning organization of smart, dedicated people who know their fundamentals well makes that possible. And it all starts at training camp.

So if you really want to learn how to live better than a billionaire on five dollars extra a day, head out for a Patriots training camp next season (open practices are over now for this season) and see Belichick's live better than a billionaire on five dollars extra a day coaching. It's even more valuable than watching the Patriots win all of those regular season games! And it's free.

What are the lessons?

First, focus on what's important after carefully considering the facts of a situation. Most people miss opportunities to live better than a billionaire because they don't think about their choices. They just keep doing the same old, same old. Reading this blog every day will help.

Second, take a flexible approach that offers you access to the highest potential. Rather than planning to do a certain activity at a certain time in a certain way, wait to see what the weather is like, how everyone is feeling and take the choice that fits best with the actual opportunity. It helps to start with four alternatives in mind that could each be much better than anything else you could do. One of those alternatives will cry out to be taken when you leave your options open.


Please feel free to let me know what else you would like to learn, and I'll do my best to help in future blog entries.

Thanks so much for your support of this blog. I'm delighted that so many thousands of people have made this blog part of their regular reading habit!

If you like this blog, please let others know who might also enjoy it.

Thank you to my many friends, students, clients and blog readers who are spreading the good word about this blog. If you are visiting today because one of them invited you, I'm delighted to meet you! Let's stay in touch.

May God bless you.

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell

Autographs Abound at Patriots Practices

Good morning, Fantastic Football Fans!

Are you feeling motivated this morning? I certainly hope so.

I'm feeling so motivated my feet barely touch the ground. Why? I'm back from attending double practice sessions yesterday at the World Champion New England Patriots training camp at Gillette Stadium. Football has returned to New England for another season and the good life begins again.

If you have been away on a planet in some other galaxy, let me mention that the Patriots have won two Super Bowls in a row and three in the last four years. We have high hopes in New England that this excellence will continue. We've learned to believe in the Patriots rather than to hope . . . as we used to do with the Red Sox before they finally won the World Series last year.

I want to share with you the secrets of obtaining great autographs from the Patriots players . . . but first let me help you feel and enjoy the delightful atmosphere.

Now, your average billionaire usually covets owning a great sports franchise. It's a kind of glory that's different and sweeter from merely having lots of money, being able to invest money or run a business well. In New England, the Kraft family has been showing how it's done for some time now . . . even though they are not yet billionaires. But with the acumen that they show for running the Patriots, I suspect that billionaire status is ahead for them.

Owner Robert Kraft is flying in pretty high circles these days. He visited Moscow a few weeks ago and met with Russian president Putin. Mr. Kraft showed Mr. Putin his Super Bowl ring. Mr. Putin pocketed the ring and displayed it in the Kremlin. So the fame of the Patriots is spreading! Is Mr. Kraft planning to bid for the franchise for ice boat racing in Moscow? Who knows?

I like many things about a Patriots practice. The weather is usually great. There's a grassy bank you can lie on and soak up the sun while enjoying an elevated view of the playing fields. Vendors wander through the crowd offering drinks and frozen lemonade . . . so you don't have to move. You are surrounded by families, little children and people who know more about the Patriots than you ever thought possible. I love to just lie there and revel in the atmosphere. And you know what? I didn't see a billionaire anywhere? What can they be thinking about to skip a Patriots practice in favor of something else on such a perfect day?

The Patriots are running a mini-camp for kids called The Patriots Experience, and many summer camps have filled buses with youngsters bound for the camp. Little ones are everywhere. It's especially heart-warming to see physically disabled youngsters being helped by kindly teens and adults to come and enjoy the day.

The National Guard is out in force too . . . probably to help recruit some young people. Everyone smiles at them and some shake hands. It's a pleasant surprise when one young female soldier greets me in a friendly fashion. I must remind her of her grandfather.

At the second practice yesterday, I was surrounded by tykesters who were having the most amazingly good time rolling down the hill through the grass. It was a delight just to watch them.

There were sad moments too. We all missed number 54, Tedy Bruschi, who's sitting out this season after a stroke during the off season and number 52, Ted Johnson, who just retired this week from having suffered too many concussions. With the hard-hitting Patriots defense, concussions have to be a common occurrence. You also see youngsters wearing jerseys for Ty Law, who is still recovering from a broken foot against Pittsburgh last year and hasn't been signed by anyone yet. Ty was a favorite here, and I'm sure everyone would like to see him back . . . if he can be squeezed under the salary cap somehow.

I also felt a sense of discontent in the crowd . . . something I don't remember from past training camps. Where was number 93, Richard Seymour? Mr. Seymour is sitting out training camp in hopes of persuading the Patriots to rewrite the six year deal he agreed to when he signed as a rookie. It's a very unPatriotic thing to do.

There's a sense of nostalgia, too. Doug Flutie, hero of The Immaculate Reception, is back at age 42 for what could be his last season. I felt 20 years younger watching Flutie bob, weave and scramble out there like the Flutie of old.

As soon as they walk into the practice field viewing area, each youngster asks, "Where's Tom Brady?" The adults point out that there are four players wearing red shirts and that number 12 is Mr. Brady. After finding Rohan Davies, Doug Flutie and Matt Cassel, they eventually notice the QB who has two Super Bowl MVPs to his name. It's hard to understand why they miss him. Brady is six foot four inches tall. But he doesn't swagger. He's very low key. If you didn't know he was a great quarterback, you probably wouldn't pick him out of the crowd. He's one of the slowest in the jogs. He dogs the calisthenics. He likes to lie in the grass a lot.

As the second practice opens, there are two emotional moments. The first is when Troy Brown catches his first pass. Everyone applauds for an extended time. Everyone loves Troy Brown. He almost wasn't re-signed, and that would have been a sad event.

The second emotional moment is when Coach Belichick walks towards the center of the field. Waves of applause go on so long it's almost embarrassing. Everyone knows that this man is the magic ingredient who makes it all happen. We had legendary coach Bill Parcells here with Belichick as an assistant, and that was an eye opener for New England fans. We didn't know how important coaching is until we saw Parcells and Belichick up close. But we all know now that Parcells should have been Belichick's assistant. Belichick is the real deal. We are seeing one of the all-time greats here . . . someone about whom fans will be talking a hundred years from now.

I'm struck by how much the performance of the athletes varied between the two practices. P.K. Sam was catching everything in sight and was unstoppable in the morning. In the afternoon, he was just another receiver. David Terrell, on the other hand, just seemed to get better and better.

There were some nice surprises. Rohan Davey seems to be able to throw the short pass this year. Free agent Robbie Gould can really punt . . . but he's a little erratic. Ricky Bryant, another free agent, makes some good catches. Cedric Cobbs looks good running pass routes. Benjamin Watson looks very sharp. Corey Dillon looks like a spring colt, working harder than anyone else . . . and making some remarkable one-handed catches. Kevin Faulk looks like he's in great shape and shows good speed.

Some of the things we count on are there. Deion Branch easily eludes out best secondary and catches everything thrown in his direction. David Givens looks more than solid. Larry Izzo is everywhere!

At the end of the second practice, Brady holds his own impromptu practice. He picks out six receivers and puts them through their paces in running different routes. Troy Brown is his favorite target . . . literally running until he isn't able to run any more. Interestingly, David Terrell is part of the group (Brady's old Michigan mate) and plays even better in this exalted company.

About 40 minutes before the second practice ended, thousands pushed forward to the ropes around the practice field, holding hats, footballs, random papers, jerseys and Sharpies. Many had come just for the autograph opportunity. All around me, fans sported hats with player's illegible signatures on them. These must be the real thing because no forger would put such lousy looking autographs out and hope to make the sale.

All but a few players headed towards the showers. One of the first "name" players to head for the fans was Mike Vrabel. After I left, I heard 20-something women gushing over how good looking he is. Now I understood a little better why there were more women than men watching the practices. Then, the Brady practice broke up . . . and he headed over to sign a few autographs. The crowd went wild! And then a few more players joined him.

Who do you think get the autographs? Players know that their signatures are worth money, and that many items they sign will end up on e-Bay. For that reason, I think they look for those who must want the autographs for themselves.

Tom Brady headed first for the largest concentration of small children. There he signed for each of them. He also stepped back and sought out a teen in a wheel chair.

The most successful autograph seeker was a motherly looking woman of about 50 who was surrounded by young people. Everyone stopped to give her an autograph and she seemed genuinely delighted. You could feel her soul quiver. I suspect she looked a lot like the players' moms. Who doesn't want to do mom a favor?

A ragged-looking teen who had sat near me also got a Brady autograph. He was in seventh heaven! It was on a dirty cap that had obviously seen better days. This was a boy who probably wasn't ever going to see the inside of Gillette Stadium for a game, but I'm sure he'll wear that cap whenever he watches on television.

Here are some tips if you go to a practice. You can find out the times of the scheduled open, free practices by visiting www.patriots.com/. Most of them are next week.

First, call ahead to be sure practice is still being held today.

Second, get there early. I suggest about 45 minutes early. That allows you to get a seat on the grass right next to the ropes. When everyone crowds forward to press for autographs, you'll already be in place.

Third, bring a motherly looking woman with you who is willing to help you get autographs. If you're young, bring you mom. If you're older, bring your wife or girl friend.

Fourth, pick a spot to sit where the most 4-6 year olds are. That's where most players will come first. If you can borrow several 4-6 year olds for the afternoon, that's even better. And be sure to save some space for young people in wheel chairs to get to the ropes.

Fifth, buy something nice for the players to sign. White hats are good. So are white jerseys of your favorite player. The Patriots pro shop is open before and during practice so you can stock up there on the way in.

Sixth, bring lots of Sharpies. You don't want to run out of ink. And the players don't have Sharpies in their pads.

Seventh, if you are gathering autographs for a charitable purpose, shout that out or carry a sign that says what you are doing. "Sign here to help breast cancer" is a message that most athletes will not ignore.

Eighth, wear some obviously old item with lots of Patriots autographs on it. That tells the players that you plan to keep the item for your own use. And have that item be a different type of apparel from what you are asking them to sign.

Ninth, be patient. Some players will stay for a long time. Others will come out after they take a shower. You may be there after the sun goes down, but your chances to get autographs improve the longer you stay. Many people have to hurry off for other activities.

Tenth, if you don't succeed, figure out what you could have done better and try something different at the next practice.

There's a special area near the Bank of America sign by the ticket booth. Up to 200 fans are accommodated there for every practice. If you leave 40 minutes before the end of practice, you'll probably get in and receive 3-4 autographs with little effort.

Good luck in getting your autographs!

And good luck to the Patriots!

Please feel free to let me know what else you would like to learn, and I'll do my best to help in future blog entries.

Thanks so much for your support of this blog. I'm delighted that so many tens of thousands of people have made this blog part of their regular reading habit!

If you like this blog, please let others know who might also enjoy it.

May God bless you.

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell

10 Ways to Attend Super Bowl XL for $5

Good morning, Fantastic Football Fans!

Are you feeling motivated this morning? I certainly hope so.

Today I promised to show you 10 ways to attend Super Bowl XL for $5.

Here are a few things to keep in mind.

First, save the date. It's February 5, 2006 at Ford Field in Detroit. Fortunately, that's an indoor facility so you won't freeze while you're at the game.

Second, get started early. Now is not too soon!

Third, your first idea may not work . . . but if you try at least five different ways, I think you will succeed.

Fourth, realize that ticket brokers today are asking over $2,500 for an end zone seat. So don't expect it to be easy.

Ready? Well, here goes.

1. Can you put a Ford into your future? There's a reason that the Lions play in Ford Field. The stadium is owned and operated by part of the Ford family of Ford Motor Company fame.

Both the Ford Motor Company and the Ford family should be able to control lots of tickets.

If you can do some favor for either the company or the family, chances are that you can barter for a free Super Bowl seat. If you own a company, this might mean buying or leasing your next fleet of cars and trucks from Ford. If you work for a company that makes fleet purchases or leases, check with your employer to see under what circumstances you would be permitted to accept a free ticket.

If neither option is possible for you, check with your local Ford dealer to see what he or she would do for you if you made introductions to people who buy Fords.

2. Be charitable. The NFL charges several hundred dollars for a ticket to the game. But many people won't be eager to go to Detroit in the winter for a game. Contact teams that are unlikely to be in the Super Bowl to see if they would like to donate tickets for a charity that you are connected to. Then, offer a drawing to get a ticket. Sell tickets to the drawing for $5 each, and buy one yourself. Good luck in the drawing!

3. Be luxurious. Ford Field offers over 100 luxury boxes. You may be in a position to be a guest in one of them. Most of the boxes are undoubtedly held by locally based businesses such as banks, brokerage firms, and automotive companies. If you or your company is in a position to do business or already do business with one or more of these, ask about becoming a guest.

4. Provide a beautiful home. People who spend $20,000 for tickets to the game usually don't want to stay at Motel 6. There is not much luxury hotel space in the Detroit area. Grosse Pointe is one of the great communities in the area and isn't too many miles from Ford Field. See if you can borrow or rent a home there so that you can rent that home to people who are planning to host clients or customers. Stay at the home yourself to be sure that all is properly taken care of. Take part of the profit you make and apply it towards a ticket, or make part of your price for the rental to receive a ticket or tickets. Since many people in Grosse Pointe like to winter in Florida, many such homes will be empty then. You can buy special insurance for the occasion to limit your risk in case your subtenant turns out to be a rough type.

5. Become a tour operator. About half of the people decide to come to the game after their team ends up qualifying to be in the game. Most of them will not be getting tickets from the NFL or their team. If you line up game tickets and desirable hotel rooms now, you will be able to charge a premium to your cost in January when the demand will be greatest. It's hard to get more than two tickets together, so if you can line up four seats together you should be in a position of maximum leverage. Demand is usually greatest for the least expensive tickets. You will have to tie up quite a bit of money to do this, but you can borrow the money inexpensively now. Just be sure that you charge enough to cover your interest costs . . . and a ticket for yourself.

6. Package an escorted tour for a charity to raffle. Many charities lack high profile raffle items that can sell tens of thousands of dollars in raffle tickets. For many businesses taking customers to a Super Bowl is a tax-deductible expense and they can take charitable deductions for buying raffle tickets as well. The package should include air fare, hotel rooms, local transportation, tickets to local events . . . and of course, tickets to the game. As the escort, you'll need all those items too. You can donate your time to the charity, and the charity can provide the working capital and the tax-deductible status. Naturally, you will be the escort who attends the game with those who win the raffle.

7. Blog your way into the game. Popular blog sites frequently receive inducements from advertisers to mention their products and services in the blog. Let your preferred inducement be to receive a Super Bowl ticket. A news-related blog about football should bring in lots of fans as readers and lots of potential advertisers who want to sell goods and services to those fans. Such advertisers are very likely to be in a position to buy tickets from the NFL for the game. So their cost will be more modest than $2,500 a seat.

8. Ask your friends and family to pool their gifts to you into a Super Bowl ticket. Few people give birthday, anniversary, wedding or graduation gifts that cost $2,500. But many people do spend $50-100 for such gifts. If you let it be known that you'd like a Super Bowl tickets that's a pooled gift covering several such occasions, you may well be able to receive one. The likelihood is vastly increased if someone who normally buys you such a gift can purchase tickets from the NFL.

9. Obtain a press credential for the game. Hundreds of reporters and photographers will receive free access to the players and the game. You can be one of them. Contact legitimate newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations that could not usually afford to send a reporter to the game. Offer to provide free coverage in exchange for their support in helping you obtain press credentials from the NFL. They'll know what to do.

10. Create a celebrity event in Detroit during Super Bowl week. Celebrities like to attend high profile events like the Super Bowl. If you tie in the event to raising money for a charity, you can probably get anyone you want to come to town for the event if you cover their expenses. Make part of the deal to provide tickets for the celebrities and yourself to attend the game. The charity will probably be able to find someone to donate a luxury box for that purpose. You'll have both the fun of hanging out with the celebrities and going to the game!

You may have better ideas. I hope you do. Please feel free to add them as comments to this blog so that others can learn from your thinking as well.

May God bless you.

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell

Spiritual Experiences During Super Bowl Weeks

Good morning, Fantastic Football Fans!

Are you feeling motivated this morning? I certainly hope so.

The Super Bowl has come to have a very tawdry connotation . . . I'm sure it will be a long time before anyone forgets the 2004 halftime show where a woman's breast was bared for the whole world to see. And if you want to find tawdry and sinful things to do, the Super Bowl environment will certainly provide lots of opportunities to defy God's will for you.

I've had just the opposite experience though. I've found that God sends His messengers to provide spiritual opportunities at His Super Bowl.

Let me explain.

Think about celebrations in the end zone after a team scores a touchdown. Some players will strut like a Gandy dancer in a New Orleans funeral. Others will pound themselves on the chest (it's hard to pound yourself on the back . . . someone else has to do that for you) with pride virtually bursting from them. But others will quietly kneel down and say a prayer. Others will silently look up and point to the sky . . . thanking God for His help. Whenever someone chooses a moment of glory to praise God, I, too, feel full of God's grace. It's a wonderful example that helps me to remember to thank God for all of the great things He does for me every day. I say a little prayer along with them.

Think about the pre and post game interviews. Some players will sport enormous diamonds and other gaudy displays of wealth. Others will be rude. Still others will refuse to speak with anyone. But some will start their comments with giving God thanks for helping them and their team. And some of those who wear signs of their Christian faith, such as a cross around their neck. I always praise God when that happens.

I also find that God sends me messengers during those visits. I keep an eye out for those messengers and do my best to welcome them.

Let me explain. During my first Super Bowl, I found myself with my family in a flea bad of a hotel in Ann Arbor, Michigan, home to the University of Michigan . . . a great university town. In the lobby every day was a neatly dressed man who held himself with pride offering shoe shines. And no one was asking him to shine their shoes. I decided to ask him for a shoe shine and we started talking. I asked him about his business, and he told me that this was just a stop gap because he was out of work . . . having lost his job making cars. But he had faith in the Lord and knew that something good would come his way. We spoke about God, and I felt like I had found my own pastor to lead me in the right paths while I was in Ann Arbor. We talked every day, and he helped me keep God in my week's celebration. Thank you!

At the next Super Bowl, I decided to entertain a client and to bring my family again. Since the event was in Pasadena near where my parents and sister lived, we arranged to spend some time together near Disneyland. While there, my uncle and his wife joined us for breakfast one morning. Dad and he had once been close, but had not spent much time together for many years. We discussed plans for the game, and my uncle and Dad announced that they would both love to go to the game the next day. This was uncharacteristic of both of them. They both looked at me expectantly.

Now, I didn't have any other tickets. I didn't have any extra cash with me to buy any tickets . . . or any room on a credit card. I did have some checks but I knew a ticket broker wouldn't take a check . . . because I had already tried. I stayed silent and thought about what I could do. I decided that I should send my Dad and uncle to the game. After scrambling around, I found a way to get the cash, managed to buy the last two tickets available from my ticket broker and bought them bus tickets to and from the game. They had a ball. Ever since then until Dad died, he and his brother were just as close as when they were boys. I felt like God had granted me a mighty favor in being able to bond them together again in such a beautiful way. It still brings a smile to my face to remember that happy event.

My third Super Bowl was in Tampa, and I wrote about this one before. I took my two sons down and we went to Disney World . . . except to drive over to the game on Sunday. The weather was horrible while we were there until Super Sunday and we hadn't brought warm enough clothes. My boys were discouraged because the teams they had rooted for had lost each of the last two Super Bowls. But they had high hopes for the Raiders in this Super Bowl. All during the day, they kept telling me that the perfect day for them would be to be able to meet Marcus Allen and to see the Raiders win. Naturally, I was doubtful . . . but we cheerfully went ahead anyway. I secretly planned ways to ease their disappointment. But God was listening and wanted to prove that all things are possible with His will. As we walked into the stadium, the Raiders arrived in a bus and walked across the crowd right next to us (something we had not sought out) and Marcus Allen was right next to us . . . looking down at my sons and smiling at them. They were delighted. And, of course, the final score of 38-9 over the Redskins who had defeated their beloved Dolphins the year before was sweet too. I thanked God for allowing me to provide my sons with such a perfect day. I knew that He had blessed us.

My next Super Bowl was held in Northern California at Stanford University. I would have skipped this one, but Joe Montana was due to quarterback again and I had become a big fan after my first Super Bowl. Money was tight for us that year, and we stayed in a Motel 6 in Oakland . . . a great distance from the game. My wife joined me this year. My Mom and Dad drove to the area to spend time with us, but declined going to the game. We saw a masterful game that made us realize how important teamwork is. The great Dan Marino was overmatched because his brilliant arm couldn't overcome the advantage of the 49er team.

Our spiritual epiphany came with regard to drinking. We had both been eager users of alcohol since we got out of graduate school. And there is a lot of drinking at Super Bowl games. But a college stadium doesn't have nearly as many bathrooms as a pro stadium does. Before long, those with bulging bladders were lined up against every wall inside and outside of the stadium relieving themselves. It was like being in a large public, outdoor urinal. And it was pretty disgusting. We both looked at each other and said that we would never again drink enough at a game to require more than one bathroom trip while there. Fortunately, our moderation allowed us to use the Stanford facilities rather than the Stanford walls. It was a lesson that has served me well since then. I now consume an average of one drink every six months and often feel like I should cut down further. And I feel great! Thank you, God!

The next Super Bowl was a special one for me. My beloved New England Patriots made their first appearance. I was so excited. Because I couldn't find a hotel room, I lived with a stock broker who was a friend of a mutual friend for the week. From him, I learned a lot about the New Orleans culture. My favorite new experience was the King cake. Once a week, you buy a cake at a bakery with a little gizmo baked in it. Then you share the cake with your friends. Whoever gets the gizmo brings the next cake. And on it goes.

God still wanted me to learn more about alcohol. Walking down the French Quarter one night, I was astonished by the behavior of the drunken fans. It wasn't pretty. I asked my host how often he came down to party there. He said he hadn't been there in years. Only tourists wanted to get involved with all of that disgusting stuff. I felt like I was walking through Sodom and Gomorrah! My drinking dropped even lower after that week. The Patriots lost, but thanks to God, I won.

The next Super Bowl was in Pasadena again. I invited my Mom and Dad to join my wife and I. All the children stayed home that year. School was on and they couldn't afford to take the time off. We decided to take Mom and Dad to Hawaii afterward. This was an early 45th anniversary present for them. They had never had a honeymoon, so we called it a honeymoon for them. We all had a marvelous time, and I realized that Super Bowls were best when they were family affairs. We had a lovely time with many nature walks together both in California and Hawaii and could feel God all around us.

Let me skip ahead to tell you about one more Super Bowl. Two years later, Mom and my wife had decided they had had enough Super Bowls. They usually brought books along to read during the games. They felt like they would rather spend the money in different ways, and the prices of the tickets were starting to climb rapidly. The game was in Miami. My Dad's other brother lived near Cape Canaveral, and Dad and he had not seen one another very often. Dad's brother with whom he had shared a Super Bowl was also visiting in Florida at the time. I invited both sets of aunts and uncles to join Dad and me in south Florida for the weekend. We stayed at a lovely beach resort and walked several times a day on the beach. The six of us had a perfectly good time together. It was like a family reunion. One of my aunts told me that she and my uncle had not ever stayed in a resort in Florida even though they lived there for many years. She said it was like a second honeymoon for them both. A few months later, my uncle was dead . . . from complications related to having been an alcoholic for decades. My aunt didn't live much longer after that. That golden weekend was our last chance to be a family together. God once again wanted me to think very hard about drinking.

Joe Montana was back. Dad and I were looking forward to a superb game. And that's what we got. With a little time left, the 49ers were behind. But they were driving. We knew that the 49ers would win. And they did! We thanked God and felt blessed as the winning drive was directed towards the end zone where we were sitting. It was a perfect ending to a perfect weekend.

Let me leave you with two other thoughts. In all the Super Bowls I've attended, few people were handing out religious materials. I think that's a missed opportunity. So perhaps if you cannot go to the game, you can be there to testify about your faith.

Also, I always meet desperately poor people who tell me about their hardships. I always enjoy sharing what I have with them, blessing them in God's name and helping them in any other way I can. I always feel like God has sent them to me as messengers to remember what He wants for us . . . even when we are focused on the Super Bowl!

I could give you more examples, but I think you get the idea. God is not only everywhere. He is everywhere helping us. Thank you, Lord!

May God bless you!

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell

10 Mistakes to Avoid in Attending the Super Bowl

Good morning, Fantastic Football Fans!

Are you feeling motivated this morning? I certainly hope so.

In the last entry, I shared the story of my first trip with my family to the Super Bowl in 1982. Since then I've had the pleasure of attending many Super Bowls. In the process, I believe that I've made almost every mistake that you can make . . . or bumped into someone who did. Let me share the 10 worst ones with you today.

1. Avoid the week-long all-inclusive tour. I described why in the last entry.

I have run into people who have had good luck with tours. All of these tours have been sponsored by tour operators to take fans from one of the cities vying in the Super Bowl for a day-trip. Such trips usually start in the middle of the night or early in the morning and return people home with flights that begin a few hours after the game ends. The tour usually covers plane fare and transportation to and from the airport while fans use tickets that they bought from the NFL. Between 10-20 percent of season ticket holders for a vying club are able to buy tickets at face value from the NFL.

2. Be sure that you don't buy counterfeit tickets.

You won't get in, and you may be arrested when you try to get in. They don't have television sets in jail cells so you'll definitely miss the game!

If you buy tickets from the NFL, this won't be a problem. Otherwise, be sure that you find out how to check the authenticity of the tickets. In the Super Bowl city, there will usually be a newspaper article that describes the tickets that year, displays an example and explains how to spot a counterfeit ticket. Be sure to look at that article before buying any tickets. If you use a reputable ticket broker, you shouldn't have a problem . . . especially if it's someone you use all the time. I have used the same ticket broker for Super Bowls for many years and have had no problems.

It's usually very hard to get more than two tickets together. If someone offers you eight seats together, be suspicious!

3. Don't stay in host cities that have few hotels.

For some reason, the NFL puts some games in cities that don't begin to have enough hotel rooms for all the fans. The NFL does all right in such situations because they book all the hotels. Ordinary fans end up scrambling. Hotels jack up their prices accordingly. For example, a so-called one-star hotel near the New Orleans airport that normally costs $45 a night (which a cockroach wouldn't want to stay) may boost their over night rate to over $250 a night during game weekend.

Although it's a pain, you can usually stay in a nicer city that's within 150 mile radius and simply drive in for game day. You'll save a bundle.

4. Avoid buying tickets that will place you among obnoxious fans.

They'll pour beer on you, threaten you with violence, fill your ears with unpleasant language and may even upchuck all over you.

Generally, the best way to do this is to buy tickets that were originally allocated to fans from a "laid back" city. Over the years, I've come to appreciate that San Francisco 49er fans are the nicest ones to sit next to. Avoid Cincinnati Bengal fans like the plague!

5. Check out the parking arrangements in advance or you may not get to the game on time.

Some cities (Miami is an example) have messy parking situations. My Dad and I once spent 3 hours in a gridlock while trying to get into a parking lot within sight of then Joe Robbie (now Pro Player) Stadium while the police ignored the problem and spent their time chatting with one another. In the end, we hopped a curb in a rental car, fortunately avoided a puncture and paid a mere $50 to park. Yikes!

San Diego, by contrast, had a special deal for handicapped fans. I had to go in three days in advance to get a parking pass, but we got a spot right next to the stadium entrance. The local police also expedited our trip into the stadium so we saved a half hour that way.

6. If the only local attractions of interest are bars, stay in a city with more to do.

For instance, I took my sons to me one year for the game in Tampa. That was only 75 miles from Orlando. We spent a nice vacation at Disney World before driving over for the game.

Another year, the game was in Phoenix and my Dad and I were going. There was little for Dad to do in Phoenix . . . but he loved Las Vegas. So we stayed in Vegas and drove in for the game and on to California that night.

7. If you do stay in another city, check out the time differences between there and the game city.

This may sound obvious, but Las Vegas is in the Pacific time zone while Phoenix is in the Mountain time zone. I didn't think about this until I noticed that the times on the banks were an hour earlier in Arizona. At that point, I had to set a land speed record across the desert to make the game on time.

8. Don't wait until the last minute to leave for the game.

Everything that can delay you will delay you. Now, there's a lot of extra security into the games so you need to allow lots of extra time. Also, the NFL puts on a great show on the large screen televisions in the stadiums. I usually go in as soon as the stadium opens to just absorb all the wonderful atmosphere.

9. Avoid northern cities.

Most games are in early February. That's when it's the coldest in northern areas. So unless you normally head for Alaska in the winter for your vacations, skip the northern cities. When the games are in warm-weather cities, half the fun is running around in shorts for a few days.

10. Be careful where you party.

There's a lot of drinking that goes on during Super Bowl week. While most fans are well behaved, there are confrontations in bars in sleazy areas. Like most places where there are crowds, you can expect pickpockets, con men and other undesirables. Stick to upscale places and you'll have a fine time. For example, although you cannot get a room in an NFL hotel, you can usually get into the hotel's restaurants and bars.

I'm sure I've missed some lessons, but ten is a nice number for a list. Don't you think so, David Letterman?

Follow these tips and you are well on your way to enjoying great Super Bowls.

May God bless you!

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell

Super Bowl Mistakes to Avoid

Good morning, Fantastic Football Fans!

Are you feeling motivated this morning? I certainly hope so.

Sometimes I may make it sound too easy to succeed. That's because I have usually learned the hard way what mistakes to avoid, and usually don't share those mistakes with you.

There's a lot that can go wrong in attending Super Bowls, and I thought that perhaps you would like some ideas of what to avoid.

I thought of this subject when I saw that the next Super Bowl (XL) is scheduled for Detroit, Michigan. That reminded me of the very first Super Bowl I ever attended, Super Bowl XVI, in Pontiac, Michigan on January 24, 1982.

My wife and I had enjoyed watching Super Bowls on television from the time we were dating beginning with Super Bowl II (It didn't yet have the name of Super Bowl -- it was the AFL-NFL Championship in those days). We had two young sons who both loved to watch the games too. I decided it would be fun to take the whole family to the game.

Not knowing how to buy tickets, I decided that the best thing to do was to buy a packaged deal from a tour operator. The best one I could find required a minimum of an eight-night stay in the Detroit area. But we were guaranteed a deluxe room, a ride to and from the game and four seats together. It sounded great.

Then we arrived at the Detroit airport. No one met us so we took a taxi to the hotel. This turned out to be expensive because we were going to Ann Arbor rather than Detroit. The tour operator promised to reimburse us, and he did about the 47th time we reminded him.

When we got to the hotel, it was a dump. We may have had a deluxe room, but Motel 6 would have been an upgrade from this place.

Michigan was in the throes of a recession, and few people had any money. There was a poor guy who waited to shine shoes in the lobby all day, and usually got only 3 customers a day. I asked him if the hotel paid him anything . . . and he said "no." Panhandlers immediately accosted you if you left the hotel. It was pitiful.

The weather was great too. It rose to over 10 degrees one day while we were there. We felt like breaking out the Bermuda shorts that day. So we mostly holed up in the room between excursions to Chuck E Cheese.

Finally, it got to be the day of the game. We went down to the bus and asked the tour operator for our tickets. He hemmed and hawed and allowed as how he didn't have our tickets yet. But he said he would be sure to buy some before the game started. Right.

Having boarded the bus with a total lack of confidence, we next discovered that our tour operator had decided to pick up a few bucks by renting out his bus to others. So we spent the next four hours picking up other fans at other hotels in about a 150 mile radius. In one parking lot, we sat for almost 2 hours without any heat.

Finally, the bus was loaded . . . with the most obnoxious, drunken fans I had ever seen. They cursed, they spat on the floors and insulted my wife. Her solution was to threaten the fans that I would beat them up. I weighed about 130 pounds dripping wet. Right.

Finally, we were on our way . . . for awhile. As we neared the stadium, it was total gridlock. We didn't move for over an hour and a half. The game was supposed to start in 20 minutes.

Finally, the tour operator told us to bail out and he would meet us at the stadium with our tickets. Now, this meant crossing a freeway. About 20 of us raised up a chain link fence so we could wriggle under. Then we dodged cars going 60 miles an hour to get across the freeway. We repeated the chain link fence routine on the other side. We sprinted up to the stadium. Why? Well, we didn't want to miss the game . . . and we had two little boys with us who were freezing to death. The game time temperature was about 6 degrees.

But where were the tickets? The tour operator showed up just then and proudly handed us four tickets, two pairs at opposite ends of the stadium. We asked what happened to our seats together. He said, "Sorry." My wife took one son and I took the other and off we headed for our "family time together."

Fortunately, it was a domed stadium and we thawed out by about half time. The game was a good one. Joe Montana led the 49ers to a 26-21 victory over the Bengals (many of whose fans had been on our bus).

Now, how would I find my wife . . . and the bus?

We had arranged a meeting place and found each other within about an hour after the game. Then, we found the tour operator. But the other fans didn't do so well. So we waited for over 3 hours for the last drunk to arrive.

If we thought the fans on the bus were obnoxious before the game, it was nothing compared to after the game. About 7 hours after the game was over, we finally made it back to our hotel.

The tour operator had also cheated us on the quality of tickets. We had paid for better seats. After we fussed with him for the next two days, he finally gave us a little money back for the difference. It was the highlight of his "tour package."

Believe me when I say, don't take a tour to a Super Bowl. We could have flown first class, rented a home, gone to and from the game by limousine and had better seats for less money than the tour cost. In fact, that's what we did the next year when we went to Super Bowl XVII in Pasadena, California at the Rose Bowl.

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell

How to Enjoy the Super Bowl on Less than $5 a Day

Good morning, Fantastic Football Fans!

Are you feeling motivated this morning? I certainly hope so.

Training camp opened for the World Champion New England Patriots about five weeks ago. I found myself looking forward to another amazing season with the NFL.

As you know, the Patriots won their third Super Bowl in four years earlier this year. As an ardent fan, I made sure to enjoy the season in as many ways as possible.

Season tickets are scarcer than the proverbial hen's teeth. What few people realize though is that the Kraft family wants to keep the team's games open to ordinary fans. To help with that, the team holds back a few tickets that anyone can try to buy.

On May 21, a few seats were released along with some standing room only seats through Ticketmaster. Although the press says that the tickets were all gone in five minutes, I bought a ticket 42 minutes into the offering period. Including the handling fee, a standing room ticket cost less than $60. The lowest priced seats were about $101 including the handling fee.

A few months from now, the Patriots will make another offering of standing room only seats. To keep track of these offerings, be sure to check Patriots.com for news daily Monday through Friday.

Here's a tip. Preseason and late season games are the easiest to access.

What if you would like to enjoy a game, but cannot afford to go to one? There are many parking lots around restaurants and bars outside of the stadium. Many fans park, tail gate, walk over to the stadium, and then watch the game from a bar or a battery-driven television. They stay after the game to enjoy the party and head home when the crowd breaks up.

But you may have a yen to get into the stadium. The Patriots sponsor special events during the year when the stadium is opened up. Last winter, there was a Men's Health Day and you could walk around. I went down for that. Parking was free.

But one of my favorite secrets is that the Patriots have training camp days that are open to the public. Parking is free. There's no charge to attend. Few people come down and you spend a delightful afternoon lolling in the grass on a nice hillside overlooking the practice areas. After practice, the Patriots players come up to the fence and sign autographs for hours. If you bring some merchandise to be signed, you can probably resell it later for enough to buy a ticket to a game! The players are especially generous with youngsters, so you can help your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews have a special day very easily. On some of the days, the Patriots put on events just for children. Again, there is no charge.

The Patriots also organized special events for the Patriots around the Super Bowl. One was a send-off at Gillette Stadium. Again, it was free. There were hot coffee and free signs compliments of Dunkin' Donuts. Only a few hundred people came on the frigid January day, so it was easy to get close to the team. You could also greet the team at the stadium when they returned.

Naturally, the victor's parade is always a special day . . . and that's also free.

Many people haven't been to a Super Bowl and don't realize that there are many special activities going on. The NFL puts on a wonderful event called the NFL experience. The ticket price is usually pretty modest. Usually, you have many opportunities for free memorabilia such as having your own football card made with your picture on it playing football and videos of you and your friends winning the big game. There are lots of football-related activities for youngsters like passing, kicking and running competitions.

In the old days (before 9/11), you could also park at the stadium and tail gate there. That's not possible anymore, but you can often park in the area and tailgate there instead . . . and wander over to the parking area to enjoy the atmosphere.

If you do find someone who will sell you tickets who got them from another team, they will usually sell their tickets for less than what ticket agents charge. If you can afford to buy several, you can probably resell all but one or two and get your cost of attending down to zero. Be sure that you check out what the local laws are on this. In some states, you can legally resell outside of the state . . . but not in the state. In other states, you can resell away from the venue . . . but not at the venue. Be sure to obey the law!

Perhaps you have some other tips on cheap ways to attend a Super Bowl or to enjoy the football season. Please send me a comment to share your ideas.

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell

How You Could Have Attended the Super Bowl for $5 and Turned a Profit!

Good morning, Fantastic Football Fans!

Are you feeling motivated this morning? I certainly hope so.

I recently promised you that I would explain how you might be able to attend the Super Bowl for $5 and earn a profit from going.

One of the NFL's favorite cities for the Super Bowl has been New Orleans prior to Hurricane Katrina. The food was great. The partying was hard to match. And the weather conditions used to be always perfect inside the Super Dome.

There was only one drawback. There weren't enough hotel rooms in the area to handle all the people who come from out of town for the game and the other activities. That problem will be worse in the future.

The first time I came to the Super Bowl in New Orleans I couldn't find a hotel room within 300 miles. While I'm sure there were some, I didn't want to take a chance. I asked a friend of mine to introduce me to people he knew in New Orleans, and one of them kindly took me on as a house guest. He had a beautiful home in the French Quarter that was vastly more desirable than the hotels there.

The second time I was joined by my Dad, and I couldn't find anyone to either put us up in New Orleans or rent us a hotel room . . . except in Jackson, Mississippi . . . a long drive away. We stayed in a lovely old home there that had been turned into a bed-and-breakfast, and drove down and back in one day to the game.

When we arrived there, people were offering tickets for very modest prices. At first, the price was $50. Within an hour, the asking price was down to $10. Before we entered the game, people were offering tickets for $5.

Why? Naturally, if you could find a place to stay, you already had a ticket. So there were few people who had driven in for the day from Mobile, Houston or wherever on the off chance of getting a ticket.

And the third time I went to a New Orleans Super Bowl, the same thing happened.

After the game, scalpers will buy your ticket stub. The offering price is usually in the range of $20 - $40.

So, if you can wait until the next time the Super Bowl is in New Orleans after the current devastation is behind the poor people who live there, you may be able to buy a ticket for very little . . . and sell the stub for more than you paid for it. In fact, an unused ticket may be worth even more, so consider keeping a few as an investment.

Currently, no Super Bowls are scheduled in the future for New Orleans . . . but keep this information in mind should they ever return.

What else can you do?

Many people are given tickets to the Super Bowl by a supplier. Since the tickets don't cost them anything, they are sometimes willing to give away extra tickets under certain circumstances. Your best bet is to arrive before the game with a young son or grandson in tow. Someone may take pity on you and give you tickets. I've often received free tickets to premier sporting events this way . . . even when I haven't been looking for tickets. The best candidates to approach are reporters and photographers who don't need tickets because they have press credentials . . . but have often been given tickets any way.

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell

Introduction to This Blog

Good morning, Fantastic Football Fans!

Are you feeling motivated this morning? I know that I certainly am!

Football season is finally with us. The long wait since the Pro Bowl in Hawaii is over. The college games have begun and the pro games that count begin next Thursday.

Is that exciting or what?

Most people plan to spend the next five plus months in horizontal position on the couch . . . with lots of munchies and brews nearby. They may come up for air to grab the pizza they order for half-time . . . or to head to the facilities. Otherwise, it's all remote control.

Curiously, many billionaires . . . except the few who own pro football teams . . . will take the same approach. You certainly won't see them in the stadium parking lot having a tail gate party . . . nor in the stands exchanging high-fives and groans with their neighbors. Would you be willing to give up the great intensity of being at the games for a ton of money? If you answered "yes", this isn't the blog for you.

If you've ever stood freezing in below zero weather for a playoff game, or if you've ever traded your car for a cheaper one to go to the Super Bowl when your team was playing, or if you've gone to the stadium at 4 a.m. to greet the team when it arrived back from a rough road loss . . . THIS IS YOUR BLOG!

In this blog, I will begin by reprinting entries from my popular blog, Live Better than a Billionaire on Five Dollars Extra a Day (http://livebetterthanabillionaireon5dollars.blogspot.com/) so they can be accessed more easily. I will also write special blog entries from time to time for those who are interested more fantastic football fan tips.

Please send me your suggestions for this blog.

May God bless you!

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell