Can’t Miss Pre-Game Fan Experiences at MetLife Stadium

Snoopy may be the MetLife Central mascot, but MetLife Central is also the place to be for pregame fun.

The “Road to MetLife Stadium” may refer to the teams marking their runs to the first cold weather Super Bowl, but in fact it is way more than that. The “Road to MetLife Stadium” is an entire campaign of pregame experiences for you, the fans, at MetLife Stadium, sponsored by our good friends at MetLife Central.

The folks from MetLife Central put it quite appropriately, calling it the “gateway for fun”.  That is EXACTLY what they are, and they bring the fun the moment that you enter the gate to start your day at the ball park.

When you arrive and enter through the MetLife gate, you get to high-five the guy to the right!  Snoopy!  As a kid at heart, what could be better than giving Snoopy a high-five to wish the Jets luck.  Snoopy rules, and how can you not get fired up for the football game when you hang with Snoopy!

The turf field is something that would get anybody’s attention.  Whether you want to take your children to work off some energy, or test your own athletic prowess, this is the area for you.  Whether it’s kicking field goals, or it is throwing passes, this is the place to be to get your athletic “groove on”.

If major prizes are your cup of tea, you must sign up for your Countdown Card, and make use of the Countdown Kiosks.  Check this out, you pay nothing to sign up, and you simply swipe your card at a kiosk every fifteen minutes to win a prize.  Sounds simple to me!

Some major prizes were won while I watched the events at MetLife Central.  Multiple lucky fans won Nick Mangold autographed footballs.  However, one gentleman walked away with the biggest prize I saw, a personal training session at Florham Park with the Jets trainers!  Could you imagine?  Lots of us have the want to get in shape, imagine getting tips to do so from the Jets’ staff!  I would say that man is a lucky man, wouldn’t you?

The big stage is what brings the action all together.

To the left you are looking at the centerpiece of it all, the MetLife Central Stage. Well, you are looking at the big board on the stage, but you get the idea. This is where all the fun and games happen. Here, the emcees lead trivia contests, and other fun games. For example, at today’s contest, they led a “Linebacker Contest”, where two small children were placed in jerseys, and then filled with as many balloons as possible, which made them look like linebackers, and then pop the balloons as fast as possible.

It was very, very cute.

They also do relay races and Simon says competitions. Also, you get photos and autographs with Jets’ alumni! How cool is that? Earlier in the season, I had the opportunity to get the autograph and picture of one of my favorite players of my youth, Ken O’Brien. At today’s game, the player getting it done was one that had great appeal to the current young generation of fans, Mr. Damien Woody.

You also can superimpose yourself in pictures when they apply the Green Screen.  Isn’t it fun to have pictures of yourself and make it look like you are right in the middle of the action?  Come on.  Your face is getting all of the glory, and you didn’t have to do any of the training.  It’s the best of both worlds.

Any technology fans out there?  How would you like to play an interactive football game?  You can do that too.  Using the Kinect, you can play the “Wide Receiver Challenge”, an interactive football game.  

And don’t forget about the Benefits Desk.  Here, you claim your prizes, if you were lucky enough to win one.  Want to know what’s going on around the league?  Check that our here too.  You can also see a glass trophy full of team memorabilia.

What did I tell you?  Something for everyone.  The “Road to MetLife Stadium” involves getting to the Super Bowl, but it involves a whole lot more.  That more?  All for the fans.