Get Out And Play

The idea of attending two professional sporting events in one day isn’t anything new for me. It is easier when the games are right next door downtown, but Saturday wasn’t heavy lifting. 3 pm Coyotes in Glendale, 7 pm Suns on Jefferson Street.

The last pro sporting event I attended in person outside of the PGA stop at Scottsdale was a Cardinals game in December 2019. Thanks to Pfizer x 2 and a mask, I felt good about heading out on Saturday.

After going through both fan experiences, I’d say that you should invest in the time, money, and energy that a live sporting event can bring. Here are a few takeaways, suggestions.

-At both venues, you’re going to have to go through a health screening on your smartphone before you can even get close to the entrance. It’s no different than sitting at a restaurant and taking a picture of a QR code to get your menu. It takes a few minutes to go through the registration process, but it’s required to get in. If you don’t like it, enjoy watching the game from home. 

-Masks are required. If you don’t like it, enjoy watching the game from home. 

-Masks inside the building are required. If you don’t like it, enjoy watching the game from home. I only heard a couple of people complain about masks. Stunning that people would put in the effort to go to a game and then want to moan and groan on such a simple subject.

-I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed the game operations experience of a pre-game. Lights go down, music is cranked up, and the energy, even with a small crowd (both teams are limiting the number of fans), felt terrific. Hadn’t had the spine-tingling, ear ringing feeling in a long, long time. The Coyotes pre-game was especially moving, with a special pre-game ceremony for the late Leighton Accardo, put in the team’s Ring of Honor. Lot’s of tears in the stands. The Coyotes staff did a remarkable job throughout the game. 

The Suns opening lineup show also felt good. Like many of you, I’ve been looking into a green light on my computer for pretty much the last 13 months. Any mental stimulation was a welcome relief for me. You may not need lights, music, action. I do.

-There were small to no lines at the concessions stand at either game. Cash was not accepted, have your debit card ready. You could order your food off the Suns app and go pick it up. $39 dollars for two beers and a pretzel didn’t phase me—$15 dollars to park, no problem. 

I’ve had several people ask about going back to games. I can’t tell you how to spend your dollars or time. I can only tell you that both teams put on a fan-friendly game experience. I can also tell you that on the ice, the Coyotes put on a great show in a comeback win, and the Suns were just brutal in a blowout loss. 

Whether it’s a play, a concert, or games, eventually, I think all of us want to get back out to events that we loved doing before March of 2020. If you bring your mask and a little patience, try heading out to a pro sporting event in the Valley…