Enjoy Football Better than a Billionaire

A Management Tour de Force by the New England Patriots

2007-05-02T07:46:00.000-07:00

Good morning, Fantastic Football Fans!

Are you feeling motivated this morning?

I certainly hope so. I know that I am!

Most people who love football were watching the NFL draft over the weekend. Naturally, all attention is initially placed on the top prospects. They sit in a special place and look nervous. For some the wait is almost immediately over. For others the wait can be long, painful, and expensive as the size of their contracts drops by a million dollars with each selection. That's exactly what happened to Brady Quinn, the quarterback of the Fighting Irish, as he fell to being the 22nd pick in the first round.

In the early going, it looked like Cleveland (where Patriots alum, Romeo Crennel coaches) had stolen the show by trading a 2008 first round draft pick to get Brady Quinn to be paired with their superb first choice, Joe Thomas of Wisconsin.

The Patriots surprised many of their fans by trading their second first round pick (#28 overall) to San Francisco for SF's 2008 first round pick (almost guaranteed to be in the top 15) and SF's 2007 fourth round pick. That was an exceptional deal leaving New England with two first round picks in 2008. At the time, there were no top-flight players left in positions for which New England needs help.

A hint of things to come came late on Saturday night when the Patriots traded down with their 3rd round pick to help out Oakland. Now, why would anyone want to help Al Davis? I immediately wondered about Randy Moss. Rumors had been swirling for months that the Patriots wanted Moss. Moss had made it clear he wanted out of Oakland.

Then, the world was stunned the next morning when the Patriots traded their 4th round pick (acquired from SF) for Randy Moss! Moss reportedly runs faster now in the 40 yard dash than any one in the 2007 draft!

The management story is even more impressive. Negotiations started at midnight and were concluded by 8 a.m. New England had to negotiate a deal with Oakland, Randy Moss's contract had to be negotiated in broad terms, and the Patriots had to restructure Tom Brady's deal to get Moss in under the salary cap for 2008. Could any other franchise have done that in 8 hours during the middle of the night? I don't think so.

I don't know whether the Patriots will win any more games in 2007-2008 than they did in 2006-2007 because so much depends on injuries.

But clearly, if all it took were good management, the Patriots would win the Super Bowl every year.

Bravo to Bob Kraft, Coach Belichick, Scott Pioli, and the rest of the Patriots organization!

Until the season starts, I'll be dreaming about Randy Moss running free and leaping above shorter cornerbacks and safeties to snare endless touchdown passes. What a great gift the Patriots have given us to fill in the time until training camp opens!

Go Pats!

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2007 Donald W. Mitchell

Super Bowl 2008 Thoughts

2007-03-15T15:50:00.000-07:00

Good morning, Fantastic Football Fans!

Are you feeling motivated this morning?

I certainly hope so. I know that I am!

Most people who love sports are gearing up for March Madness. I'm not one of them. Football is my spectator sport.

Having licked my wounds after the Patriots lost to the Colts for the second time in one season in the AFC Championship Game, I can now put it aside and look forward.

The future is once again full of potential. Great free agents may be signed. There's the NFL draft coming up where my team may snag more hidden choices who'll make the Hall of Fame despite being sixth round picks.

My Patriots Football Weekly is coming out again. I can read stories and see color photos of the players I care about.

I imagine myself with five billion dollars to play with. How could I spend that money this winter to ensure my team six straights Super Bowls? It's marvelous day dreaming. Why? If it's a good idea, Bob Kraft will probably do it.

We not only have a great team in New England, we also have a all-time great owner who wants to take football to a whole new level for us fans. Imagine how he paid a vast multiple of the normal price to put in artificial turf mid-season when the muddy footing seemed to be hurting the Patriots more than helping them.

I can think of few finer things than to have a billionaire in my corner who wants what I want for the team as fiercely as I do.

It's only five months until summer camp opens for the fans. I can hardly wait!

Go Pats!

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2007 Donald W. Mitchell

I Need Your Help: What One Thing Do You Most Want to Learn about How to Live Better than a Billionaire on $5 Extra a Day?

2006-02-21T01:11:00.000-08:00

Good morning, Fantastic Football Fans!

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

I'm now ready for the next step in writing Live Better than a Billionaire on Five Dollars Extra a Day.

Isn't that exciting?

I need your help to take this step. Will you help me, please?

I need to know what one thing you most want to learn about how to live better than a billionaire on five dollars extra a day!

Please e-mail your answer to ultimatecompetitiveadvantage@yahoo.com and label your subject as: "Here's what I most want to learn about living better than a billionaire on five dollars extra a day".

Please ask your friends to send their answers too!

The results will be used to define the structure of the new book, Live Better than a Billionaire on Five Dollars Extra a Day.

By sending your answer, you'll also have a chance to participate in writing the book.

May God bless you.

Donald W. Mitchell
Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2006 Donald W. Mitchell

Prepare for the NFL Football Playoffs for Your Best Experiences Ever!

2005-12-24T08:06:00.000-08:00

Good morning, Fantastic Football Fans!

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

Most people follow the NFL playoff picture from the perspective of their favorite team. If that team is in the playoffs . . . or is in the hunt for a playoff berth, then life is great!

But as soon as their team is eliminated from the running, the season ends for such a fan. That's too bad.

Frankly, there's not a lot else to look forward to in the way of interesting sports during January and February after the college bowl games are over. And football will be inactive for almost half a year until training camp reopens.

Why not squeeze the most out of the experience in the next seven weeks?

I won't discuss the betting element, but I would like to encourage you to think about the emotional perspective. Give yourself more to cheer about!

What do I mean by that?

Add some new loyalties and interests!

1. If you are able to divide your loyalties a little, pick some other teams that interest you which you can root for . . . if your team falls by the wayside due to some unfortunate event.

Some people are even able to root for one team in the AFC and one in the NFC. That makes the playoffs potentially much more interesting.

But then, behind each time, have second, third and fourth teams that you would like to see do well.

It doesn't matter why you pick them . . . but it's often great fun to go for the underdogs.

In picking the teams, keep one eye on the idea that you want to have a team to root for in the Super Bowl.

That means that if all of your teams are eliminated, you're just going to have to pick another team. If you pick another team before the last of your four is gone, you'll feel happier. So try to keep four that you are focused on all the time.

As you know, I bleed for the New England Patriots. But looking beyond them in the AFC, I have to get excited about what the Cincinnati Bengals are doing. I hope that the Patriots will have a chance to face and defeat Indianapolis and Pittsburgh, but I have to admire what both teams have done so far. That gives me four to think about in the AFC. In the NFC, I can't help but be interested in Seattle, New York and Chicago. They are playing interesting football.

2. Start learning about and watching the other teams now.

That's easy for me this week. New England has clinched and has a meaningless game against the Jets on Monday night. I can watch as many games as I want today and tomorrow involving the other teams without any sense of conflict.

Based on what I see, I can start to develop some temporary attachments . . . just in case.

If you don't already have Direct TV, this is a good time to put it in. You'll have more choices of games to watch next week.

3. Pick some individual performers to watch more closely.

These don't have to be great stars. They can just be interesting stories. How well will Deion Sanders do in his latest comeback? Will Mike Vrabel catch another touchdown pass this season? Will Corey Dillon regain his Championship form of last season by the first round of the playoffs? How well will Eli Manning hold up at the end of the season? Will Drew Brees put the Chargers into the playoffs with his arm?

I suggest you look past fantasy football as you do this. The top performers are not necessarily the most interesting stories emotionally.

4. Find a more fun place and way to hang out to watch the games.

Most of us either fill the den, the bedroom or the same local beer joint. But you can have more fun if you share the experience with a few friends. Invite them over for next weekend . . . or suggest a new bar you can hit that someone has recommended. Some of my most fond memories of the playoffs involve bars I had never been in before while I spent time with my family . . . surrounded by television sets, lots of appetizers and pitchers.

This is a particularly good idea for those of us who live in all female households!

5. Find a really outrageous football talk show to listen to.

You know the kind of show I mean . . . where the opinions are rabid, filled with weird ideas and shouted at the top of someone's lungs. This will definitely get your adrenaline going! Shut it off before you get totally annoyed.

6. Preorder your pizza deliveries.

If you wait until half time is about to start, everyone else will be calling. Call before the game and just tell them to deliver early into the half time. The pizza people will be listening to the game, and they will know when to put your pizza in.

7. Go to a playoff game.

I know. I know. That's expensive and hard to do.

But it's not as tough as you think. With sites like stubhub.com, you usually have your pick of inexpensive tickets. Go for standing room at about double face value, and you'll be paying less than many seated fans will at face value. You'll be standing all the game anyway. Why pay for a seat? If you get there early, chances are you can get a standing room spot between the 40s. How sweet is that!

8. Find somebody who owes you a favor in Detroit and start talking about the Super Bowl.

A lot of free tickets float around for Detroit Super Bowls. With all those car companies and suppliers, everyone wants to do everyone a favor . . . and many people end up with extra tickets. You can probably score seats at no cost if someone owes you a favor.

9. Read the headlines every day for the teams you've decided to follow.

You should have over 15 stories to pick from. Many of the stories will be in-depth profiles. Your knowledge about these contenders for your emotional support will grow rapidly.

10. Turn the sound off if the official announcers are idiots.

You know who I mean. They wouldn't know a block from a tackle if it happened to them. They make up weird angles that make no sense about the game . . . because they have to clue what's going on. Football is too much fun to let some announcer spoil your fun.

For the Patriots games, I usually turn the television on with the sound off and listen to the radio coverage instead. The radio audio comes across a second or two ahead of the video feed so it makes it easier to see what's going on.

Could a billionaire do better? Not a chance!

Billionaires are just going to focus on their helicopters, limos and luxury suites (located visually about 12 miles from the field). Who cares!

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

Create Your Own 2,000 Percent Solutions at
http://2000percentsolutions.blogspot.com/,

Create a Billion Dollar Business at http://billiondollarbusiness.blogspot.com/,

Enjoy Mansions Better than a Billionaire at http://enjoymansionsbetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/ and

Be a World Hero Better than a Billionaire at http://beaworldherobetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/.

I offer individual on-line tutorials and in-person seminars on living better than a billionaire on five dollars extra a day, creating 2,000 percent solutions (20 times the results with the same effort), developing more profitable business models and designing strategies that work regardless of the business environment. For information, contact me at ultimatecompetitiveadvantage@yahoo.com.

I am available to you as a speaker on these subjects. You can find my background at http://livebetterthanabillionaireon5dollars.blogspot.com/2005_08_30_livebetterthanabillionaireon5dollars_archive.html/.

May God bless you. Merry Christmas!

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell

Announcing Create a Billion Dollar Business

2005-12-19T11:43:00.000-08:00

Good morning, Happy Football Fans!

Are you feeling motivated this morning? I know that I am.

As a follow-up to my recent announcement of The Billionaire Entrepreneurs’ Master Mind I wanted to alert you to a new blog, Create a Billion Dollar Business (see http://billiondollarbusiness.blogspot.com/).

This new blog will share exciting details about the new master mind for those who want to create unprecedented entrepreneurial success in their careers.

If you think this opportunity might be right for you, contact me at ultimatecompetitiveadvantage@yahoo.com with a subject heading of "I Want to Create a Billion Dollar Business". I'll be back to you to answer your questions and provide application information.

Merry Christmas!

May God bless you.

With best regards, much appreciation and all good wishes,

Donald W. Mitchell
Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell

Enjoy Football South Florida Style!

2005-11-19T07:26:00.000-08:00

Good morning, Fantastic Football Fans!

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

When most people think about football, memories of cold, crisp autumn days, the smell of burning leaves and hot apple cider are likely to be evoked.

Imagine my surprise when I recently attended a football game in Pro Player stadium in Miami. The day started off with driving rain, cloudy skies, a strong breeze and a temperature of 85 degrees! My host told me I should thank my lucky stars because if it weren't overcast the temperature while sitting in the sun would soon climb to over 100 degrees.

We started the day by putting on lots of sun block (SPF 35) so we wouldn't look like lobsters.

As we walked through the parking lot, I was fascinated to find that most fans were enjoying cool or cold foods rather than hot foods for their tailgates. Most had erected tents to avoid the blistering sun.

Once in the stadium, my host looked visibly relieved that the escalators to the top level were working. Otherwise, we would have had a sweaty, draining long hike up the ramps to the top.

My host then demonstrated how I could stand in the entry tunnels to cool off if I started to feel faint from the heat and humidity in the stands.

The game was between the Miami Dolphins and the visiting New England Patriots. Neither team is having a stellar season. On the way to winning the Super Bowl last year, New England lost a last-minute squeaker in Miami on an extremely cold night where the temperature in Miami was lower than that in Boston. The Patriots win in Miami about every 8 years, so New England fans didn't expect much . . . except the Dolphins are having lots of problems, too.

Imagine my surprise when the colors in the stands suggest that there appear to be more New England fans present than Dolphins fan. This is a virtual home game in the sun for New England!

But there's bad news. The New England fans in my area are the most obnoxious drunks I've sat near in many years. They scream obscenities at the top of their lungs, start slapping at Dolphins fans, and one later passes out in the aisle. Despite having lots of signs posted that unruly fans will be kicked out and with guards standing a few feet away, these fans are tolerated by the powers that be. They would have been booted out within 15 minutes in New England for the same behavior. The good news is that they were out of my line of sight for watching the field.

The vendors soon come around selling . . . frozen lemonade.

I persuade my host to check out the beer stand. He reports that the beverage prices are the same as in Foxboro (exorbitant) with $10 being the top charge for a premium draft brew. At half time, I decide to do a little snooping around and am surprised to find that most beer stands are already sold out. People in Florida must work up a big thirst in all that heat.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention the game. It's a pretty inept affair for most of the first three quarters. The Dolphins miss a chip shot field goal as one sign that it's not going to be a great game. But both teams start scoring with more alacrity in the fourth quarter, and the victory for New England isn't determined until the game's final play.

Knowing that Pro Player stadium can be a tough place to exit, I ask my host how long it will take to escape. He mentions that it usually takes him two hours to get out of the parking lot.

Your dream concierge decides to do him a favor and find a better way. We check out the exit pattern at the sole egress from our parking lot. I note that one lane out handles only the first row. Naturally, we are in the back row . . . but if we can go through empty spaces through the remaining cars, we can get to that front row and right out. With your dream concierge riding shotgun pointing out the path, we exit the parking lot 6 minutes after entering our car. We are heading north on the Florida turnpike 5 minutes later. My host is impressed.

I'm impressed by some other things. You can get better seats in Miami for a lot less money than you can in New England. I guess there are some advantages to having a losing team.

So if you want to see your team play, you can probably get a free vacation to Florida for the price of the difference between what you would pay for seats and parking in your home stadium and attending in Miami.

Here are the lucky fans for December:

December 4: Buffalo Bills
December 18: New York Jets
December 24: Tennessee Titans

Go Patriots!

Can a billionaire do any better? I doubt that one did.

There were at least two billionaires at the game. One was Dolphins owner, Wayne Huizenga, and the other was Patriots owner, Bob Kraft. Mr. Huizenga arrived ostentatiously in a tiny helicopter just before game time. He left less ostentatiously, but very quickly, after the game. His helicopter was in the air while I was still walking down the ramp from the top level of the stadium. I guess he didn't want to celebrate at the stadium. I'm pretty sure that I had a better time than he did.

Mr. Kraft may have had more fun than I did. If I ever meet him, I'll ask him.

But at least one of the two billionaires was bound to be unhappy that day. Perhaps selling out the stadium made Mr. Huizenga a little less glum. But would any real football fan be glad of a loss, even if it was profitable? I doubt it.

************************************

N.B. As you can tell, I'm experimenting with color. Let me know what you like and what I should change about my use of color. Many thanks to Linda Grace for her suggestions which I am following!

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

Create Your Own 2,000 Percent Solutions at
http://2000percentsolutions.blogspot.com/,

Enjoy Mansions Better than a Billionaire at http://enjoymansionsbetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/ and

Be a World Hero Better than a Billionaire at http://beaworldherobetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/.

I offer individual on-line tutorials and in-person seminars on living better than a billionaire on five dollars extra a day, creating 2,000 percent solutions (20 times the results with the same effort), developing more profitable business models and designing strategies that work regardless of the business environment. For information, contact me at ultimatecompetitiveadvantage@yahoo.com.

I am available to you as a speaker on these subjects. You can find my background at http://livebetterthanabillionaireon5dollars.blogspot.com/2005_08_30_livebetterthanabillionaireon5dollars_archive.html/.

May God bless you.

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell

Announcing Create Your Own 2,000 Percent Solutions

2005-11-14T06:27:00.000-08:00

Good morning, Fantastic Football Fans!

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

Long before I conceived of the subject of this blog and began developing the book upon which it is based, I worked in the area of helping people find their own ways of becoming more productive. One of the first public fruits of that work was a book called The 2,000 Percent Solution which was published by the American Management Association in 1999. My co-authors were Carol Coles and Robert Metz.

Since then, I've given more talks than I can count to CEO and senior management groups in companies of all sizes and conducted classes and workshops all around the world to help people apply the lessons of that book.

What's the premise? You can accomplish 20 times as much with the same time and effort and resources in virtually everything you do.

Why is that the case? First, because experience has shown that such improvements routinely available. Second, because there's a simple process you can learn to follow that will get you there. Third, because we operate so far below the potential of what we do because of bad habits we've fallen into (something my co-authors and I call "stalls").

Since 2003, I've been teaching on-line students ways to revolutionize their lives for the better. One of the fruits of that work has been to create a workbook with my esteemed colleague, Carol Coles, based on The 2,000 Percent Solution to make it easier to make such wonderful improvements.

The workbook will be published in December, and I know that you will want to buy a copy. As soon as the book is available for purchase on-line, I'll let you know.

To give you a head start over the rest of the world, I've decided to post a few of the early chapters of The 2,000 Percent Solution Workbook on a new blog, Create Your Own 2,000 Percent Solutions. There's a link on this blog's page, but you can also go to http://2000percentsolutions.blogspot.com/ directly.

May God bless you and your efforts to create many more 2,000 percent solutions!

Donald Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell

Enjoy Professional Football Games More

2005-11-09T07:17:00.000-08:00

Good morning, Fantastic Football Fans!

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

Last week I attended my first professional football game in several years, dating back to the days when my Dad and I made the Super Bowl an annual event. Having visited Gillette Stadium several times to attend practices for the Patriots, I was impressed by what I had seen and wanted to experience a game there. The new stadium is quite an upgrade from the former Foxboro Stadium that was the prior home for the Patriots. That facility had been built for around $6 million. The new facility cost more than $350 million.

Knowing that traffic jams are part of professional football, I left home very early . . . and still spent an hour and a half en route for what would normally be a 30 minute drive.

Before the game, I had been in Pennsylvania and my long drive back meant that I would arrive after the commuter train to the stadium had left. That was too bad. The round trip charge on the train is only $10 and the cheapest parking I could find was $20 within walking distance of the stadium. At the stadium itself, parking is $35. If I can find where the commuter train stations are, I may be able to save time and money.

Once at the game, I was impressed to see how many people were tailgating. In the stadium parking lot, about 1/3 of the vehicles had tables, grills and coolers. There were Port-a-Potties everywhere . . . but the lines were pretty long. Perhaps a lot of people were having urinary tract infections.

Having seen a sign that said "no binocular cases" at the last college game I attended, I didn't know what to expect. I was carrying my binoculars in a case. The security guard who frisked me took pity on me and simply searched my binocular case. He asked me why I had trash in the bottom of the case (he didn't seem to appreciate the used look to my lens cleaning cloth). The stadium was well equipped for frisking. There were 15 unoccupied friskers for every fan going in when I arrived.

Being pretty unclear how to get to my seat, I was relieved when the ticket taker gave me precise directions. I didn't want to spend two hours wandering around.

To enter Gillette Stadium for a regular seat (rather than a luxury box), you go up several long ramps which reminded me of the ramps at Fenway Park. The only difference is that these ramps let you see while you climb. I soon arrived at my level and decided to wander around. I was pleased to see that there were enough different food and beverage choices to allow me to eat and drink differently at every game in a season without the need to ever repeat myself. Naturally, I sampled the wares. Prices were steep! My favorite elixir was $10. A tiny pizza was $6. Hot chocolate was $3 (and it was cold rather than hot).

I was delighted (at first) to find that my seat was at the end of a row and the seat was a seat . . . rather than a number on a bench. There was a men's room at the top of the stairs, and I found that I could make a quick trip faster than the television crew could air all their commercials. But I soon began to miss lots of plays anyway, as I stood up for over 120 times to let my fellow fans in and out of their seats. Each of them was quite a bit taller than I am, so they effectively blocked the view each time they came through. For some reason, they all exited in my direction even if they were only three seats from the other aisle. Go figure!

Once the game began, a new problem arose. The man in the next seat arrived. Had he been in shape, his size would have qualified him to play nose tackle. Although he tried to leave me a little space, I lost about half my seat to him. Leaning out into the aisle, vendors began pushing me back into him.

I partially solved the problem by sitting sideways with my feet under the seat in front of me.

We all stood for the kickoff. And everyone kept standing. The fellows in front of me were at least 18 inches taller than I am, and they blocked my view even though their row was a foot lower. So I kept trying to peek between the bodies. Now I know what Doug Flutie goes through when he's trying to see receivers downfield.

Fortunately, it was a fairly warm night for late October, and I had worn several layers. I was warm throughout but the people around me (especially the ones in shorts) were soon shivering in the brisk breeze.

My seat was near one end zone, and that turned out to be fortunate for allowing me to see the Patriots score two touchdowns late in the game to secure their fourth win of the season over the surprisingly tough Buffalo Bills.

I took one last trip to the men's room, and was impressed to see that it was still pretty empty. The crowd did back up getting onto those exit ramps and it took about 30 minutes to get back to my car (no, I didn't get lost!). From there, I noticed that about half the fans were starting to tailgate all over again. That was good or it would have taken longer than the 45 minutes it did to get out of the parking lot. From there it was another 45 minutes home, and I was tucked in bed by 2 a.m.

Here are some suggestions based on my experience:

1. Buy a standing room ticket. I could have seen the game much better by standing, and I spent almost the whole game standing any way.

2. Take the commuter train unless you want to tailgate. This will save you at least an hour and a half and some money unless you are traveling with a large group.

3. Consider tailgating and making a day of it. With the price of stadium concessions, you can eat and drink for about one-tenth the cost out in the parking lots.

4. Bring arrangements for refreshing yourself if the Port-a-Potty lines are too long. For men this can be pretty easy. For women, I leave you to your own imagination.

5. Dress twice as warm as you think you need to be. That's the only way you can avoid being too chilled. You can always unzip a jacket or peel off a layer if you overdo it.

6. Wear your binoculars around your neck on the way in. That may save you a trip back to the car . . . or having to throw your case away if you come by commuter train.

7. Move around the stadium to follow the action. By going up and down the sidelines, you can always have a 50 yard line seat.

8. If you get tired of standing, flop down into an empty seat while its occupant is waiting in the beer and/or rest room lines. The average exit time is about 20 minutes at Gillette Stadium. And there are always lots of temporarily unoccupied seats.

9. Consider hanging around after the game if you don't take the train. I know it's not fun to be around after a loss, but you can bring along some other activity you like (such as a good book). Otherwise, you will just spend the same amount of time locked up in traffic with nothing much to do either.

10. Find friends who have luxury boxes you can use during the worst weather. Unless you do dog-sled races for fun, remember that by late December outdoor stadiums are colder than your freezer at home. Unless you like to climb into your freezer on Sunday afternoons, I recommend indoor viewing.

11. Appreciate the joys of the game ambience by not going to the game. Just hang out in a local tavern near the stadium where you can cheer on your team while being part of the scene . . . but without the price of a ticket. Be sure to pick a spot that allows for a quick getaway.

Can a billionaire do better? I doubt it.

Of course, a billionaire will attend in a luxury suite. While those are probably pretty comfortable, they are located up near the top level in Gillette Stadium. And unless the luxury suite is on the 50 yard line, the view will be less than optimal most of the time. Someone with a standing room ticket will have a better view. Can you imagine Bill Gates marching up and down behind the good seats to get a better view of a Seahawks game?

******************************************

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

Create Your Own 2,000 Percent Solutions at
http://2000percentsolutions.blogspot.com/,

Enjoy Mansions Better than a Billionaire at http://enjoymansionsbetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/,

Enjoy Football Better than a Billionaire at http://enjoyfootballbetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/ and

Be a World Hero Better than a Billionaire at http://beaworldherobetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/.

I offer individual on-line tutorials and in-person seminars on living better than a billionaire on five dollars extra a day, creating 2,000 percent solutions (20 times the results with the same effort), developing more profitable business models and designing strategies that work regardless of the business environment. For information, contact me at ultimatecompetitiveadvantage@yahoo.com.

I am available to you as a speaker on these subjects. You can find my background at http://livebetterthanabillionaireon5dollars.blogspot.com/2005_08_30_livebetterthanabillionaireon5dollars_archive.html/.

May God bless you.

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell

More Ways to Enjoy College Football

2005-11-04T06:26:00.000-08:00

Good morning, Fantastic Football Fans!

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

Do you enjoy college football?

Are you interested in having some new experiences?

Would you like to explore new dimensions of life?

Are you ready for more excitement?

If you answered "yes" to any two of these questions, this blog post can transform your fall Saturdays.

Most people watch football on television . . . and that's it.

What a waste!

I recently had an experience that convinced me to be more active in attending college football games at schools where I was never a student. Why? I had the best college football experience of my life at the Michigan-Penn State game in Ann Arbor.

Let me tell you about this amazing trip.

In early August, I attended a seminar in Las Vegas run by Jack Canfield called Breakthrough to Success. During the seminar, we were encouraged to develop Mastermind Groups (like-minded people who will support each other). One of my group members is Kevin Hill, who is a Michigan graduate and varsity letter holder in wrestling. Kevin started reading my blog and saw my entry on August 31 where I talked about enjoying the upcoming college football season,

Rah! Rah! Siss Boom Bah! -- Are You Ready for a Great College Football Season? (see http://livebetterthanabillionaireon5dollars.blogspot.com/2005_08_31_livebetterthanabillionaireon5dollars_archive.html)

One of the items on my list (number five) was to attend a game for a top team you've never seen before.

Kevin asked me if I would like to attend a Michigan game with him. We checked out schedules and found that we were both available for the Penn State game in Ann Arbor. At that point Penn State was undefeated and ranked in the top ten nationally. It looked like a great opportunity.

In preparing for my trip, I wrote about my experiences on October 14,

Prepare for a College Football Game Better Than a Billionaire (see http://livebetterthanabillionaireon5dollars.blogspot.com/2005_10_14_livebetterthanabillionaireon5dollars_archive.html

Naturally, conditions turned out to be quite different than I expected.

A huge storm hit Boston before I left. With major flight delays up and down the East coast, my airline wasn't able to get me to Detroit. I had the choice of sleeping in an airport somewhere or flying out the next day. I chose to return home and start out the next morning. So my hotel room at the airport went unused that night because I had prepaid for it on priceline.com (a drawback to that money-saving approach).

When I arrived in Detroit, it was like someone had thrown the "warm weather" switch. The sky was blue and it was over 70 degrees. I began to realize that my foul weather gear wasn't going to be required any more that weekend.

I drove to Ann Arbor where I met Kevin. We transferred into his SUV and headed off to tour the campus.

I had been looking forward to the tour because I hadn't been in Ann Arbor in many years.

Kevin immediately surprised me by presenting me with my Michigan colors in the form of a great t-shirt and sweatshirt appropriate for the game. I had planned to buy the same things on my own and greatly appreciated his gift. Michigan fans are supposed to wear yellow to the games, and I didn't own anything yellow before that day.

We next headed off to an old college haunt that has great sandwiches. We lazed outdoors at a picnic table and swapped stories. From there, we walked the campus and made a detour to visit the art museum (a personal interest of mine).

That night we headed up to Kevin's home territory in Fenton, Michigan where I was to stay in his family's lakeside "cottage" which is actually a lovely home. While there, Kevin took me to yet another great restaurant for a delicious dinner.

Saturday morning, it was another great weather day. We had time to visit and look around his home town. Due to television plans, the kick-off wouldn't be until late afternoon.

We stopped by a great cider mill and enjoyed the warm fermented juice. From there, another great meal awaited us in a sports bar where there were six large-screen televisions and a dial that allowed you to pick the sound feed you wanted to listen to.

We walked up towards the stadium. On the way, Kevin and I dropped into the club for varsity athletes and I met some of his friends from college days. The photographs and memorabilia were great, and the uncrowded bathroom was also conveniently located not far from the stadium.

Through his university connections, Kevin had been able to buy tickets on the 40 yard line at just the right height in Michigan Stadium.

And then we saw the wildest football game I've ever seen.

You can read about the game at http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/cfoot579/5103357/detail.html and http://www.umich.edu/~mgoblue/football/02-03/release-10-12.html

The game was decided on the final play . . . and Michigan won. It was great!

Since then, both Michigan and Penn State have gone on to have fine seasons. Michigan moved up in the rankings and Penn State dropped slightly. Both teams will appear in bowl games.

What are the lessons for you?

1. Make attending a top college game a higher priority than anything else you do each college season.

2. Pick a location where there are a lot of other interesting things to do while you are there.

3. Attend in a large stadium. It's more exciting.

4. Go for a home team where the fans are well behaved.

5. Ask a friend to show you the sights.

6. Get help from an alum for obtaining good seats.

7. Arrive the day before the game.

8. Attend with someone who was an athlete at the school.

9. Stay around for the celebration (if there is one).

Can any billionaire do better? I doubt it.

Billionaires aren't likely to want to sit in the stands like an ordinary fan. College stadiums usually don't have luxury suites.

Billionaires are likely to realize that arriving on campus will probably trigger lots of donation requests. If they accede to those requests, the game will cost them a lot more than it will cost you.

******************************************

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. E-mailing your favorite post to them is a great idea.

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 also visit

Live Spiritually Better than a Billionaire at http://livespirituallybetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/,

Be More Successful than a Billionaire at http://bemoresuccessfulthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/,

Enjoy Mansions Better than a Billionaire at http://enjoymansionsbetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/, and

Be a World Hero Better than a Billionaire at http://beaworldherobetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com/.

I offer individual on-line tutorials and in-person seminars on living better than a billionaire on five dollars extra a day, creating 2,000 percent solutions (20 times the results with the same effort), developing more profitable business models and designing strategies that work regardless of the business environment. For information, contact me at ultimatecompetitiveadvantage@yahoo.com.

I am available to you as a speaker on these subjects. You can find my background at http://livebetterthanabillionaireon5dollars.blogspot.com/2005_08_30_livebetterthanabillionaireon5dollars_archive.html/.

May God bless you.

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell

Prepare to Enjoy College Football Game Better Than a Billionaire

2005-10-12T08:26:00.000-07:00

Good morning, Fantastic Football Fans!

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

Do you enjoy college football?

Do you like having new football watching experiences?

Are you able to travel on Saturdays?

If you answered "yes" to these questions, you've come to the right blog post.

Today, we'll look at how you can prepare to enjoy a college football game better than a billionaire. I'll share my preparations for this week's Michigan-Penn State game as a potential model for you.

On August 31, I wrote a blog post entitled Rah! Rah! Siss Boom Bah! -- Are You Ready for a Great College Football Season? See http://livebetterthanabillionaireon5dollars.blogspot.com/2005_08_31_livebetterthanabillionaireon5dollars_archive.html

Item five on that post was a suggestion to go to a game for a top team you've never seen in person before. Soon thereafter, Kevin Hill who is in my Mastermind Group from Jack Canfield's Breakthrough to Success seminar invited me to visit him in Ann Arbor to take in a University of Michigan game. I'm very fond of Ann Arbor, but have never attended a game there. Naturally, as a Patriots fan I'm also very grateful for Michigan's gift of Tom Brady to the football world. We checked schedules and the Penn State game worked well for both of us. On Saturday, we'll join the throngs pouring into Michigan Stadium. For more information on the stadium go to http://www.mgoblue.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=3052/.
You can also read about the stadium's history at http://www.umich.edu/~bhl/stadium/.

I've been preparing for the game for several weeks now. Let me share with you some of the many steps I've taken to get ready.

1. I went to a Harvard home game.

Although I am a graduate of Harvard, I seldom attend the games. When I was a student, the quality of the play was often inferior that what my old high school in California produced. Over the years, I didn't notice much improvement.

My wife and I agreed that a warm, sunny day would be nice and we picked a non-league game with Lehigh. Harvard usually loses those games big, and that happened again. But I was pleased to see that the caliber of play had improved quite a lot since my undergraduate days.

The band used to be the big draw when I was young. I was sorry to see that its size and quality of humor had deteriorated.

I wanted this experience so that I could have baseline for comparison to a Big Ten game.

2. I started following the Michigan and Penn State games.

Neither team is likely to lead the headlines in the Boston Globe's sports section. This led me to watch highlights on ESPN and read about the games on the team's Web sites.

The Michigan Web site is http://www.mgoblue.com/section_display.cfm?section_id=185&top=2&level=2/.
There, I learned that I was being asked to wear yellow for the game. This will give me an excuse to buy a souvenir for the game. I don't think I own a single item of yellow clothing. Michigan is not having one of its greatest seasons so facing Penn State will be a challenge.

The Penn State Web site is http://www.gopsusports.com/Football/home.cfm/. This is mostly press releases about the Nittany Lions' great season. They are 6-0 and are ranked number 8 in the country after beating Ohio State last week 17-10 in what sounds like a very exciting game.

3. I checked the kick-off time.

Knowing this was likely to be a televised game, I knew that the kick-off might not be at mid-day. Since I would be coming in from Boston, I needed to know what kind of viewing conditions I might experience. From the Michigan Web site, I learned that this will be a regionally televised game and will start at 3:30 p.m.

4. Wanting to know more about the weather, I looked at the long-term forecast for game time.

At www.weather.com, I got the game-time forecast and saw that there's a 40% chance of rain and an expectation of 24 mile per hour winds. The temperature for the day will be between 57 and 40. Sunset will be at 6:54 p.m. so it will probably feel like around 30 degrees with the wind chill by the end of the game.

Since we've been basking in Indian summer weather in Boston until this week, I'll need to dress very warmly and in a way that will help me keep dry.

5. I checked out the size of the stadium to see if I need field glasses.

While at the Harvard game, I had seats on the 40 yard line that were less than 30 yards from the field. At Michigan I'll be joining over 100,000 other people. I think I'll bring my most powerful pair just like I would for a professional game.

6. I visited www.rivals.com to get the statistics on the two teams and the players.

Michigan seems to be doing well with its offense. The team is averaging almost 30 points a game. Both the passing and running games are solid. Quarterback Chad Henne has a rating of 127.4, has thrown for 11 touchdowns in 6 games and only 3 interceptions. His favorite target is Jason Avant who is averaging 13 yards a completion. Henne will have to spread it around more against Penn State's tough defense. Michigan has a trio of talented rushers averaging 4 yards or better a carry headed by Mike Hart who has averaged 4.8 yards.

Although Michigan is 3-3, the Blue have outscored their opponents on average by a wide margin. The problem has come with Big 10 games, where Michigan is 1-2.

By comparison, Penn State has both a better offense and defense to date, scoring more points and allowing fewer than Michigan has. The statistics on passing and rushing per attempt are also better. Penn State is 3-0 in Big Ten games.

Quarterback Michael Robinson has thrown for 9 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. His ability to avoid interceptions is important to Penn State's chances. Robinson is also Penn State's second leading rusher which makes the task of containing him very challenging for Michigan. When Robinson isn't running, Tony Hunt is averaging 6.3 yards a carry. That's a tough combination to stop for any defense.

Bettors will be favoring Penn State. Can the home crowd help Michigan to pull off an upset?

7. I arranged my schedule to enjoy pre-game activities on campus.

I've never been one to show up at the last minute for football games. I like to drink in the atmosphere and observe the local traditions. As a result, I'll be spending some time seeing the academic side of Michigan before being pulled into the football pre-game frenzy.

8. I bought my tickets, hotel and rental car well in advance at a discount from www.priceline.com.

As a result, the trip is quite inexpensive. After the first night, Kevin will be putting me up at his cottage. We'll be spending a lot of time together so I'm sure to get the benefit of his local knowledge.

9. I know the Ann Arbor area pretty well, so I didn't have to do much research on what else to visit.

From years of having clients in town and staying in Ann Arbor during the prior Super Bowl in Michigan, I think I know what else I want to see. If I hadn't had that knowledge, I would have checked out local sights as well.

I feel like I'm ready for some football. Can any billionaire do better? I think not!

********************************************************

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

Attend to the Spirit

2005-10-04T04:09:00.000-07:00

Good morning, Fantastic Football Fans!

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

Introduction

Less than ten days ago, the Patriots won a very tough game in Pittsburgh. The win was costly with Rodney Harrison sustaining an injury that ended his season and Matt Light going out with a broken leg.

Looking forward to the rest of the season, I began to wonder how the Patriots could sustain the will to win without so many of their leaders.

Observations

Watching the Patriots lose to San Diego on Sunday made me think of that question again. While the Patriots were competitive in the first half, no one stepped up to match the increased intensity from the Chargers in the second half.

If there was a telling point, it was that the Patriots have stopped intercepting passes and recovering fumbles. In the past, that opportunism drove them to three championships. Now, they lack the focus and desire to grasp such sources of victory.

It was the sort of game that must leave coaches totally at a loss for what to do next.

Recommendation

How can the Patriots regain their winning ways? They need to recapture the winning spirit.

What's that? It's a determination to do what it takes to win. You look deep inside yourself and deep into the eyes of your opponent . . . and you decide to win.

Everyone has to learn that spirit sometime. For the newer Patriots, the time is now. For the older Patriots, they need to emulate their fallen leaders.

Here's the lesson: Winning is at least 50% mental. You have to see and feel the future success in your mind and body before you can gain that success.

GO PATS!

*******************************************************************

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!

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

Only the Paranoid Win Championships

2005-09-19T04:33:00.000-07:00

Good morning, Fantastic Football Fans!

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

Before getting into the substance of this post, let me mention my teaching plans for this month in the Boston area:

In Brookline, Massachusetts (617-730-2700)

Franchising Opportunities to Start a New Business on September 21 and 28

Call now for information and to enroll!

Introduction

Last fall, my son kindly arranged for me to join him in Miami to watch the Patriots play. I had not seen a game in the Tom Brady era, and I was excited. Surrounded by other Patriots fans, my son felt a little out of place as he cheered on his Dolphins.

Just before the game ended, a self-satisfied Patriots fan turned to my son and lectured him on why the Patriots win so may championships: They don't make stupid, mental mistakes.

Then Tom Brady threw an ill-advised pass that was intercepted deep in the red zone, and the Dolphins scored and went on to win the game.

Observations

Watching the Patriots lose to Carolina yesterday reminded me of that game last season in frigid Miami.

Yesterday, the Patriots beat themselves with penalties, dropped passes, turnovers and missed opportunities with potential interceptions.

It was the sort of game that must leave coaches shaking in the middle of the night . . . when you lose.

Recommendation

In a business book, Andy Grove once coined a phrase that seems to fit: Only the Paranoid Survive!

The Patriots were up early on the Panthers and seemed to have them on the ropes. If they had paid attention for another five minutes, this game would probably have been a 40-21 Patriots win. But the Patriots didn't stay focused.

Until the game is put away, football teams would do well to run scared every time that they get a temporary advantage. They should treat the situation like they are behind . . . and cannot afford a mistake.

Remember that lesson the next time: Only the paranoid win championships!

*******************************************************************

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!

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

Patriots Win in Glitzy Kick Off Followed by a Ragged Game

2005-09-09T07:40:00.000-07:00

Do you ever remember seeing a less football related opening to the regular season?

I was appalled. It's as though ABC wants to become ABF . . . Anything But Football.

Until Bob Kraft came out to thank the Patriots fans and to display the 2004 Championship banner at 8:52, the 8-9 p.m. show was just like any other concert on New Year's Eve.

As a result, there was precious little opportunity for John Madden and Al Michaels to say anything about the game before the real kick off. Too bad! I would rather listen to one sentence from John Madden about the game than watch an entire hour including all my favorite entertainers.

The game itself looked more like a preseason affair than the start of the regular season by the World Champions.

I was disappointed in so many things it's hard to track them all down. Tom Brady summed it up best after the game when he observed that the Patriots need to improve a lot but that a win is a win and the Patriots should be grateful to have this one.

Here were some of the more obvious problems:

Patriots

1. The run blocking was terrible. On a key fourth and short, Dan Klecko came in at fullback and ran through the whole ahead of Corey Dillon with blocking anybody. The Patriots failed to make the first down.

2. The pass blocking became very sloppy in the second half. The line looked like it was out of shape.

3. The secondary looked confused on several plays and receivers were wide open.

4. The point after and punt blocking were beyond inadequate. Both a PAT and a punt were blocked. That's inexecusable.

5. Blitzes couldn't add much pressure to the Raiders passing game.

Raiders

1. Randy Moss could get open, but the Raiders didn't have enough pass blocking to hold the pocket until Moss could get down field.

2. Kerry Collins is easily frustrated, and was off his game whenever he was hurried.

3. The Raiders play calling emphasized plays they couldn't execute.

4. The Raiders secondary bore a major resemblance to Swiss cheese.

Now, how would a billionaire handle these problems?

Frankly, I don't know. But it's pretty clear that the players and coaches have a lot of work to do if these two teams are to prosper throughout the season.

Hopefully, the billionaire would realize that he should leave it up to the coaches. I'm sure that's what Bob Kraft will do. I'm less sure what Al Davis will do.

As you watch these teams, look for improvement. It's unlikely to get much worse.

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!

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

The NFL Kicks Off Tonight!

2005-09-08T08:32:00.000-07:00

Good morning, Fantastic Football Fans!

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

Before getting into the substance of this post, let me mention my teaching plans for this month in the Boston area:

In Brookline, Massachusetts (617-730-2700)

Raising Capital for Your New Business on September 20 and 27

Franchising Opportunities to Start a New Business on September 21 and 28

In Newton, Massachusetts (617-559-6999)

The 2,000 Percent Solution (creating ways to accomplish 20 times as much with the same time and resources)

Call now for information and to enroll!

Introduction

How will billionaires enjoy the NFL kick off? Chances are that you won't see any at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. Patriots owner Robert Kraft isn't a billionaire, or he would be the exception.

Yet billionaires can certainly afford to buy a ticket (even at scalper's rates).

Why won't billionaires attend? Some don't like football (I know that's hard to imagine). Many avoid crowds fearing that they might be abducted. Others have big egos. If they aren't going to be the center of attention, they don't bother. And the rest are probably off doing a big deal somewhere to add another billion to their vault.

If they do attend, most won't take the time to read up on the players and the teams.

What a shame! Imagine letting your wealth get in the way of one of the world's great pleasures. That sounds like getting your priorities backwards.

What's worse? Many won't even watch the game on television.

With the amazing John Madden providing color commentary, they could have gotten some sense of the game's dynamic and beauty beyond watching the scoreboard.

Recommendations

You can do better. You don't need me to tell you that.

But since you haven't been watching much pro football since the Pro Bowl, I thought it would be worthwhile providing a few reminders.

1. Visit www.patriots.com and www.raiders.com to get a good background on the teams. Pay particular attention to the news articles in the local press. They usually do the best job of analyzing the matchups in a game.

2. Go to the national media to get an overview of the season. http://espn.go.com/ is a good place to start. ESPN features a brief article about what the Raiders have to do to make the game competitive against the Patriots.

3. Listen to some sports talk radio after work tonight to get you in the mood.

4. Tune into your favorite local football show on television to see what they have to say about the game. If you are in Boston or Providence, be sure to check out Patriots All Access on WCVB. If you live outside of those areas, visit http://www.thebostonchannel.com/nfl077/4168988/detail.html to find out about past interviews with Bill Belichick.

5. Call a buddy who knows more about the two teams than you do. That may be hard to do if you live in California or New England, but chances are you know someone who knows at least one of the teams better than you do.

6. Look into the history of the two teams. There's a lot of bad feeling on the Raiders' sideline due to the enforcement of the tuck rule a few years back during the playoffs.

7. Write down what you think will happen. That will help you get a sense of when something new is going on. Otherwise, you would have expected it. For example, a lot of people think that Randy Moss will be critical in the game. If he's not catching passes for many yards, you want to figure out why not. He's certainly big enough, mobile enough and tough enough to have a big night.

8. Stop by the store and pick up your favorite snacks. Most people don't shop during the week and you probably didn't think about the game when you last shopped. As a result, you may be snack deprived if you don't make a store run.

9. Call everyone early who is likely to bother you during the game because they don't realize that the game is on. That speaks for itself.

10. If you're in the area, head down to Foxboro to enjoy the game from a local pub. There's no excitement quite like opening night on the NFL. To me it's bigger than the Super Bowl.

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!

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

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

2005-09-01T09:53:00.000-07:00

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

2005-09-01T09:48:00.000-07:00

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

2005-09-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

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

2005-09-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

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

2005-09-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

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

2005-09-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

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

10 Mistakes to Avoid in Attending the Super Bowl

2005-09-01T09:06:00.000-07:00

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

2005-09-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

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

2005-09-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

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!

2005-09-01T08:49:00.000-07:00

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

Introduction to This Blog

2005-09-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

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