Twenty-eight year old Adam Goldstein of Canary Wharf, England, is living every U.S. football fan's dream. Goldstein will visit every NFL stadium and attend 36 NFL games during the 17-week NFL season. After selling his home and quitting his job, Goldstein left his supportive girlfriend, "Steph" and family on September 1st to cross the Atlantic and arrive in New York City just in time to see to see the New York Giants beat the Washington Redskins for his first NFL contest.
This past Monday, Adam arrived at Ralph Wilson Stadium after a long drive from Atlanta where he watched the Falcons and Broncos do battle for his 22nd game. His adventure continued in Orchard Park on Monday night where he slated the Bills vs. Browns match-up as game #23 of the his 36-game schedule.
Bills staff members provided Goldstein with a VIP tour around the Molson Ultimate Tailgate. He visited with some of Buffalo's finest including: Bills Wall of Famer and CBS Analyst Steve Tasker; NFL.com's Vic Carucci; the Jills Cheerleaders; recording artist and national anthem singer Tom Sartori; WKBW Channel 7's sports director Jeff Russo; Citadel Broadcasting's pre-game radio host Rich Gaenzler; and Bills lead journalist Chris Brown. Additionally, Goldstein toured the Bills history tent and the Pro Football Hall of Fame exhibit, plus visited with various Bills staff members and many passionate Bills fans!
Goldstein, a personable and likeable guy, was smiling from ear to ear wearing his "Adam's Football Trip" sweatshirt and handing out trip information cards as he met Bills fans and celebrities alike. After his pre-game VIP tour, he was on his own again and left to enjoy the game…an unforgettable 29-27 thriller that ended with the home-team Bills on the short end of the score.
Adam described his experience saying, "The bitter cold did not deter the Buffalo Bills from turning this sub-zero night into a fiery atmosphere. The fans were huddled together around their tailgates, with their fire pits and barbecues. Seeing several fans with no shirts and body paint really took me by surprise. BILLS FANS ARE HARDCORE!"
"The stadium was packed and everyone was wrapped up. I got a strong sense of a real blue-collar, die-hard atmosphere. You have to be a real fan to come to games this cold, and it was great to see so many people in their Bills gear. The pre-game official Bills tailgate was excellent and you guys really put on a good show, especially with the fireworks."
Goldstein joined in the Bills fans' cheering and said, "The crowd had some cheeky trash talking chants, which made for a good verbal battle between them and the playful Browns fans. Trash talking is fun and the Bills fans knew where the line was to not be offensive. In the end, both sets of fans enjoyed the battling banter and 'high-fived' at the end. This was great and something I would like to see in soccer games at home. Often in the U.K. the fans have to be separated and the trash talking becomes very offensive."
"I also noticed there were a lot of women in the audience, probably more so than I have seen at any other stadium apart from the Steelers, which I think it is great. It shows that the Bills are family-oriented and welcoming. I am bringing my girlfriend out for the last six games of my trip and I'm sure she would have liked it here."
Goldstein left the Bills game for a visit to Canada and then is driving down to Pittsburgh for the Thursday night game between the Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals. After the Steelers game, he's driving off again for next Sunday's New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins game in Miami. Adam also plans to visit Toronto and attend the historic and inaugural NFL game in Canada featuring the Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins on December 7th.
The aim of Adam's football trip is to meet as many NFL fans as he can and find out the impact an NFL team has on supporters and surrounding communities. He roots for each home team and takes in as much of the home team culture as he can.
Regarding his future plans, Goldstein remarked, "It has been hard having my girlfriend at home but I hope to get a book published, open up an NFL-themed restaurant in London and then do a college version."
For more information on Adam's adventurous football trip around the United States, please visit www.adamsfootballtrip.com.
