(50/50 split with FRONK)
4 - The Philadelphia Liberty - Taco Bell Stadium Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Liberty vs Colorado Yeti)
![[Image: Liberty-vs-Yeti-Tickets.png]](https://i.postimg.cc/mDn1d8CF/Liberty-vs-Yeti-Tickets.png)
Introduction:
IceBear:
Back on American soil and just in time for the scouting to begin for S29.
Fronk:
First ISFL draft for both of us and I’ve had a handful of team scouts reach out. I’ve peeked inside so many football team locker rooms now, I’m pretty sure I meet the prerequisite to become a member of the Bondi Beach Buccaneers.
IceBear:
I’m super pumped to find out where we end up. Crazy to think we may be on different teams. If that is the case I look forward to lighting you up at the scrimmage line. If it doesn’t happen there it’s not because I aint catchin you.
Fronk:
Even if you do somehow manage to catch me, I’ll just run right over you. But that will only happen if we are split up. I think teams see value in not breaking up THE ULTIMATE FAN EXPERIENCE -ence -ence -ence team.
IceBear:
Only time will tell. I’m counting down the days until the draft. Oh real quick, shout out to all the graders out there doing a thankless job. Also shout out to the people who don’t know the opposite of “in” is. It’s even worse when you have to write that out, but that one is for you @painted.
Fronk, want to remind everyone what we rank?
Fronk:
Same as always…
Hotel/City/Commute/Local Bars
Tailgate Experience
Stadium Appearance/Seating/Views/Attractions
Field
Weather/Climate
Concessions
Okay, you think you can handle picking out our rating system for this week?
IceBear: This is an easy one right?- Cheesesteaks.
Fronk: Milksteaks it is!
Alright week 4, Philadelphia - lets go…
Hotel/City/Commute/Local Bars:
IceBear: The city of brotherly love. Boy was I excited to see what this city was about. This has always been one of those big cities that was just out of my travel distance before we were able to start this adventure. So like a lot of the ISFL team cities, Philly has been on my bucket list. To change things up from our hotel bookings, we took to the web and searched for a unique Air BnB. Is this to compensate for the lack of adventure in Berlin? Yes… but I’m not four thousand miles away from home this time.
We found it! We are going glamping in the city. We booked a stay in a 1973 AirStream. Knowing we were going to spend limited time here I was pretty excited to book this. Best part is I didn’t even run this buy Fronk. I just told him I got us a stay in a home near town. His face was priceless as we pulled in. The smile of the host as she waved us in was nothing compared to my enjoyment of seeing Fronk’s confusion. It was fun to change things up a little, but this was more of a “I tried it, and now I don’t have to try it again” thing. I’m not one for camping in general and glamping doesn’t make it any better. Biggest perk of this location, other than the price, was how close it was to downtown and the stadium.
Local bars were great. We will talk about the weather here in a bit, but because of it we decided we had to make sure we are trying out some of the rooftop bars they had to offer. It’s just such a different experience enjoying drinks as you're looking out over the city. And you know what? No funky dress codes! Though there was a group at our last stop looking like they were celebrating a 21st birthday and were really pushing the limits of no shirts, no shoes, no service. I think he was getting the pass because the bright pink birthday sash. We made sure to order him a shot as we cashed out. Thinking back, it probably did more harm than good.
Overall, it was a great experience checking out the big city. In our recent trips we haven’t dove into the downtown nightlife like we have here. This made the AirStream stay a little more enjoyable for drunk IceBear. Completely sober IceBear almost checked in to a hotel rather than coming back to this human sardine can. My score will reflect our Air BnB even though it was our (my) fault. I know next time we’re here we will be going the more traditional route.
Rating: 7.2/10 Cheesesteaks
Fronk:
Philadelphia is one of those places that always seems like a great city to visit, but I assumed I would have probably never taken the time to travel there. This excuse to venture to the far side of Pennsylvania gave IceBear and I the opportunity to explore a new place that fronkly we would have missed out on..
I really enjoy traveling. I’ve been to plenty of beaches and stayed in amusement park resorts, but some of my favorite places I have been have been cities like Chicago and Washington D.C. Whether you are staying downtown in a historic building hotel or a nice chain hotel, having all those amenities can be a comfort when traveling. What is not a comfort is foregoing all the turn-down service, private rooms/bathrooms, warm showers, and free breakfast just to stay in someone’s backyard metal trailer. IceBear might have wanted to switch things up for our lodging, but lost in his enthusiasm for surprise was his ability to check on the number of beds available. Just 1. IceBear and I had to share a bed. And let me note that he only sleeps in his MeUndies. (And this week only, you can get your first month of MeUndies free with promo code: ULTIMATE).
Going out and enjoying a nice regular bar scene had IceBear back in his element. He was throwing the drinks back and yelling FREEDOM after every drink. He really gets thematic when it comes to cities we venture to. We ended up getting quite toasty the night before the game and returned to our shared bed as the morning light was showing through. We ended up sleeping the entire day and woke up and realized the game started in a couple hours. IceBear and I sprang up racing to get cleaned, dressed, and ready to experience the best fandemonium. We couldn’t be late! I thought for sure we were going to miss the game so I whistled for a cab and when it came near, the license plate said FRESH and it had dice in the mirror. If anything I could say that this cab was rare, but I thought man forget it yo homes to Taco Bell Stadium.
Rating: 7.3/10 Milksteaks
Tailgating Experience:
IceBear: Brotherly love my ass... These fans do not lack passion. This has to be the rowdiest bunch of people I’ve ever been around. It was to the point that if I saw someone in a Yeti Jersey trying to cut through the tailgate I just held my breath hoping they wouldn’t say anything to bring down their fans' cries of Freedom. Even worse, I kept imagining a Yeti fan breaking the 5 game beer pong steak that a “Mr. Philly” had going.
This tailgate is exactly the atmosphere you expect from the hard working people of Philadelphia. These people live for their football and aren’t going to let anyone get in their way. Unlike some of the past cities bars seem to actually die down around gametime as everyone moves to the tailgate. Great experience, just make sure you’re wearing the right colors come gameday.
Rating: 8.8 / 10 cheesesteaks
Fronk: Philadelphia! The first traditional tailgate experience we’ve had so far in our ULTIMATE FAN EXPERIENCE -ence -ence journey. This is the kind of party that would pop up if you googled “Football Tailgate” and clicked I’m Feeling Lucky. There were people playing games, people grilling mouth watering food, and people drinking beer out of Liberty Bell replicas and then ringing the bell after finishing. The tailgating was definitely a highlight of this trip to Philly.
Again IceBear ends up getting a little too into it. I don’t even think he was that drunk, but he blends into a crowd quickly. Especially if it’s getting a little wild. I had to stop him on more than one occasion from stoking the rivalry fires between Yeti fans and Liberty fans. He just wants to hit somebody.
Rating: 9.6/10 Milksteaks
Stadium Appearance / Seating / Views / Attractions:
IceBear: Officially my favorite stadium name. Taco Bell Stadium (I can wait to hit those concessions). The coolest part about this stadium is how they truly created a bowl-type bell shaped stadium that you walk down into. The top row of seats are just under ground level. This gives you a neat view as you walk through the gates and aren’t blocked by the stadium structure but rather about to see every seat Philly has to offer.
The bell-bowl was designed, for what I believe was one single purpose, the echo of the Bells. The pregame bells that rang in unison as the players ran on the field sent chills throughout my body. I was disappointed as I assumed that the bells were done for the game, but was pleasantly surprised when Philly scored their first TD and the bells again rang throughout the stadium and probably most of downtown. This didn’t catch me off guard as much as the Yeti cries from the woods, but this was a really neat experience. To take that moment and see the bells swinging a top the stadium as fans jumped in cheered, I realized now why these fans are so emotional about their city and their team.
Because of the bell-bowl design there truly isn’t a bad seat in the house. I can actually say from a personal preference that I’d prefer a “nosebleed” seat that gives a great view of the entire field and stadium.
The location and design of the stadium was a unique experience. The downtown location provided a great tailgate experience as fans could roam the street pre game and take in all Philly has to offer.
Rating: 8/10 Cheesesteaks
Fronk: Taco Bell Stadium.. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that meeting. I mean I understand that bells are the team’s thing, but I’ve never been a fan of big corporations taking over the naming rights of sports stadiums. UNTIL NOW. Taco Bell Stadium is genius. Anyone that says they do not like Taco Bell is either lying to you, hates America, or really really loved that Quesorito. And the stadium was built for this. IceBear thinks it looks like the inside of an upside down bell, but I think it looks like a chip bowl and the best part is the action happening right in the middle.
The shape lends itself to supplying visuals as well as acoustics for the bells that ring in the air that the fans clang when the Liberty need a spark. The chip bowl also serves it purpose for the concourse. Because of the sunken stadium, the concourse is above everyone and fans standing in line around the entire stadium can keep an eye on the game. Sure the stairs all the way down to the field level seats can be a struggle, but the locals make it a point to do their Rocky challenge and treat each section like the art museum steps.
Rating: 6.2/10 Milksteaks
Field:
IceBear: This has to be called Freedom Field right? Uncle Sam would be proud. I love this field. I love when stadiums are able to do a unique design in their end zones, outside their logo. Philly does this and goes this great. It ties in so well. The red, white, and blue twenty and fifty yard line are a wonderful touch. But out of everything this field has to offer my favorite feature has to be the team chant of “RING THE BELL”. Inside sources tell me there was a big push for this to read “Sheeeshhh” and to be fair I heard this maybe just as much as I heard “Ring The Bell”. I think in the end they got this one right. If I have to submit a complaint, I’ll just say I wish there was a way to incorporate the famous crack of the Liberty Bell. Maybe down the road they can look at this as their yard line direction arrow. Overall, I love the field.
Rating: 9.8/10 Cheesesteaks
Fronk: There are a handful of fields in the league that just work well with their theme. The field at Taco Bell Stadium is one of these fields. First off, like every week, I have to give merits for the green field. Always a step in the right direction. I’ll move onto the endzones; The end zones are mirrored and not too over-the-top. A person with less design knowledge would’ve tried their darndest to stretch all 50 stars and 13 stripes. This design has an old freedom feel to it that would only work with Philadelphia. Kudos to the end zones.
The center logo, while fits the theme, seems a bit small in scale to the field. I believe that bell can probably get close to 50% larger than what is currently shown now. I really like the bell though and think that should remain. The same goes for the RING THE BELL text along the sidelines. It’s a bit small in scale. Maybe it’s the font.
Some nice detail touches that I liked in particular are the red, white, and blue yard lines at the 50 and 20 yard lines, the font of the yard lines, and the final touch of the keystone shapes in place of arrows at the 20 yard lines.
Rating: 8.1/10 Milksteaks
Weather/Climate:
IceBear: Philly really rolled out the red carpet for us here. The weather we were lucky enough to endure this week was exactly what people would describe as football weather. I spent most of the truck in my newly purchased Liberty Hoodie. I had to make sure I was one of them so we didn’t get beat up during tailgate. Complaint for weather was my fault for trying to be funny… remember glamping? Well it was freezing and I was not about to resort to Fronk body heat for comfort. So that hoodie that I purchased was just as valuable that evening as it was at tailgating.
Rating: 7/10 Cheesesteaks
Fronk:
Philadelphia weather is more-or-less the same weather that I am used to at home so we both came well prepared. Nothing to note of that would be deemed too crazy. We were gifted with nice 60 degree sunny spring days and only required a light jacket (or a new Liberty Hoodie). The forecast did call for rain overnight, which scared me a bit having to stay in a mobile home, but we lucked out there too. We should have known this place is always sunny.
Rating: 6.7/10 Milksteaks
Concessions:
IceBear: Philly and football, they just seem to keep complimenting each other. Of course I wasn’t going to be able to enjoy the game if I didn’t take a minute to search out a philly cheesesteak. I had held off all tailgate to make sure I was able to get THE ONE at Tony Luke’s! The wait was worth it and I’m lucky I did wait because if I started on my cheesesteak rampage the moment we got into philly I would have prob out ranked philly with my consumption vs their ranking scores combined. I think I got my fix for them and will be good until I return in the future. Outside the cheesteaks I went ahead and went with a soft pretzel. Just had to keep up the classic football game feel. Both were enjoyable!
On the beer side of things the stadium felt more like it catered less to the craft beer enthusiast than some of the past stadiums we have visited. We were able to find the Liberty Tap stand that provided a handful of craft options. This was enough to enjoy the game but really didn’t make itself a part of the experience like some of the other ISFL Stadiums have.
They do the football things right. You don’t need a craft beer to shotgun a Negs TD pass, I’ll stick with a classic Busch for those. Though a heavy craft beer might be the way to go with one of those INTs. Be VERY careful if that's a game you're willing to play!
Rating: 6.8/10 Cheesesteaks
Fronk: One major highlight that this stadium has that die hard TB fans will pay full ticket price to enjoy is the exclusive Taco Bell Cheesesteak Burrito. When Taco Bell stadium opened, they announced that they would have this holy grail of fast food items only at the stadium and only during Liberty games. Now the people of Philly go to bat for their cheesesteak and had wanted no part of Yum Brands offending the history of their beloved sammich. That was until people started trying this yummy, gooey frankenfood for themselves and absolutely falling in love with the concoction. I had to get myself one of these babies and I agree that it certainly was an experience. I’m not sure if it was the dairy or the Taco Bell part, but I almost missed the rest of the Yeti Liberty game. Also we went full Christmas Vacation “SHITTERS FULL” back at the Airstream.
IceBear and I may be beer snobs, but we can also hold our own with Taco Bell Stadium’s light beer selections. I loved the SHEEEEEEEEEESH Lite and drank like nine of these during the game. Just like in the tailgate, the vendors would pour into a souvenir bell and once you finished, you’d ring the bell in victory and restart the Sheeeeeeeeeesh call.
Rating: 5.9/10 Milksteaks
Conclusions and Game Results:
IceBear: After a First drive field goal this was a very slow game for the Philly offence. Luckily the Yeti offence wasn’t the most explosive either. They managed a couple second quarter scores and went into halftime 10-3. With the second half starting with a 75 yd kick return, you could feel the energy slowly leaving the stadium.
The following drive we were finally able to experience the TD Bells making it a 1 score game. Unfortunately that was going to be the end of the Liberty scoring. I spend the whole second half of that game hoping for more scores to see the rings echo off the nearby skyscrapers. Next time we return I’m hoping for one of those super electric high scoring games! The game ended a disappointing loss for the Liberty 20-17.
The experience of this week’s trip was tremendous. This was a much more relaxed week of game activities than we have been to so far. I do think this is a mix of the philly spirit and us starting to get a feel for how best to navigate these cities and games.
Philly was football this week and I’m not mad about it. I look forward to returning and checking out another game down the road. I will NOT be glamping and will probably splurge for a downtown penthouse type hotel to compensate for this time.
A Philadelphia Liberty game is a must do if you are wanting a full ISFL experience.
Overall Rating: 8.3/10 Cheesesteaks
Fronk: The game itself was not too exciting. Rookie QB Ryan Negs threw for a whopping 100 yards completing just 11 of his 29 attempts. The running game for the Liberty made up the difference as the backfield committee put up over 200 yards combined. Looks like Philly isn’t looking for a new rookie 1000-yard-season ball carrier any time soon. The Liberty struck first in the game, but Colorado ultimately came away the victors. Please do not worry though, Philadelphia, because it is officially official that following a visit from THE ULTIMATE FAN EXPERIENCE -ence -ence grants a guaranteed win on the next game. Negs could throw like 6 INTs and you’d still win in week 15. You are welcome.
Philadelphia was another city off of the bucket list and a grand place to catch a football game. The history and meaning of the city is alive with the team and it’s fans. IceBear and I did not experience anything weirder than having to share a bed (well other than how often and long DBs Jimi DeSoto and Matt Cross’s celebratory hugs were).
I would definitely enjoy returning to this spot again and would recommend any fan to experience the ring of the bells at least once in their fandom lifetime.
Overall Rating: 7.3/10 Milksteaks
Philly was awesome! We are in planning mode for our next stop. With playoffs right around the corner, who knows where we are gonna end up next. Best of luck to all the playoff teams. Let the best team win.
4 - The Philadelphia Liberty - Taco Bell Stadium Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Liberty vs Colorado Yeti)
Introduction:
IceBear:
Back on American soil and just in time for the scouting to begin for S29.
Fronk:
First ISFL draft for both of us and I’ve had a handful of team scouts reach out. I’ve peeked inside so many football team locker rooms now, I’m pretty sure I meet the prerequisite to become a member of the Bondi Beach Buccaneers.
IceBear:
I’m super pumped to find out where we end up. Crazy to think we may be on different teams. If that is the case I look forward to lighting you up at the scrimmage line. If it doesn’t happen there it’s not because I aint catchin you.
Fronk:
Even if you do somehow manage to catch me, I’ll just run right over you. But that will only happen if we are split up. I think teams see value in not breaking up THE ULTIMATE FAN EXPERIENCE -ence -ence -ence team.
IceBear:
Only time will tell. I’m counting down the days until the draft. Oh real quick, shout out to all the graders out there doing a thankless job. Also shout out to the people who don’t know the opposite of “in” is. It’s even worse when you have to write that out, but that one is for you @painted.
Fronk, want to remind everyone what we rank?
Fronk:
Same as always…
Hotel/City/Commute/Local Bars
Tailgate Experience
Stadium Appearance/Seating/Views/Attractions
Field
Weather/Climate
Concessions
Okay, you think you can handle picking out our rating system for this week?
IceBear: This is an easy one right?- Cheesesteaks.
Fronk: Milksteaks it is!
Alright week 4, Philadelphia - lets go…
Hotel/City/Commute/Local Bars:
IceBear: The city of brotherly love. Boy was I excited to see what this city was about. This has always been one of those big cities that was just out of my travel distance before we were able to start this adventure. So like a lot of the ISFL team cities, Philly has been on my bucket list. To change things up from our hotel bookings, we took to the web and searched for a unique Air BnB. Is this to compensate for the lack of adventure in Berlin? Yes… but I’m not four thousand miles away from home this time.
We found it! We are going glamping in the city. We booked a stay in a 1973 AirStream. Knowing we were going to spend limited time here I was pretty excited to book this. Best part is I didn’t even run this buy Fronk. I just told him I got us a stay in a home near town. His face was priceless as we pulled in. The smile of the host as she waved us in was nothing compared to my enjoyment of seeing Fronk’s confusion. It was fun to change things up a little, but this was more of a “I tried it, and now I don’t have to try it again” thing. I’m not one for camping in general and glamping doesn’t make it any better. Biggest perk of this location, other than the price, was how close it was to downtown and the stadium.
Local bars were great. We will talk about the weather here in a bit, but because of it we decided we had to make sure we are trying out some of the rooftop bars they had to offer. It’s just such a different experience enjoying drinks as you're looking out over the city. And you know what? No funky dress codes! Though there was a group at our last stop looking like they were celebrating a 21st birthday and were really pushing the limits of no shirts, no shoes, no service. I think he was getting the pass because the bright pink birthday sash. We made sure to order him a shot as we cashed out. Thinking back, it probably did more harm than good.
Overall, it was a great experience checking out the big city. In our recent trips we haven’t dove into the downtown nightlife like we have here. This made the AirStream stay a little more enjoyable for drunk IceBear. Completely sober IceBear almost checked in to a hotel rather than coming back to this human sardine can. My score will reflect our Air BnB even though it was our (my) fault. I know next time we’re here we will be going the more traditional route.
Rating: 7.2/10 Cheesesteaks
Fronk:
Philadelphia is one of those places that always seems like a great city to visit, but I assumed I would have probably never taken the time to travel there. This excuse to venture to the far side of Pennsylvania gave IceBear and I the opportunity to explore a new place that fronkly we would have missed out on..
I really enjoy traveling. I’ve been to plenty of beaches and stayed in amusement park resorts, but some of my favorite places I have been have been cities like Chicago and Washington D.C. Whether you are staying downtown in a historic building hotel or a nice chain hotel, having all those amenities can be a comfort when traveling. What is not a comfort is foregoing all the turn-down service, private rooms/bathrooms, warm showers, and free breakfast just to stay in someone’s backyard metal trailer. IceBear might have wanted to switch things up for our lodging, but lost in his enthusiasm for surprise was his ability to check on the number of beds available. Just 1. IceBear and I had to share a bed. And let me note that he only sleeps in his MeUndies. (And this week only, you can get your first month of MeUndies free with promo code: ULTIMATE).
Going out and enjoying a nice regular bar scene had IceBear back in his element. He was throwing the drinks back and yelling FREEDOM after every drink. He really gets thematic when it comes to cities we venture to. We ended up getting quite toasty the night before the game and returned to our shared bed as the morning light was showing through. We ended up sleeping the entire day and woke up and realized the game started in a couple hours. IceBear and I sprang up racing to get cleaned, dressed, and ready to experience the best fandemonium. We couldn’t be late! I thought for sure we were going to miss the game so I whistled for a cab and when it came near, the license plate said FRESH and it had dice in the mirror. If anything I could say that this cab was rare, but I thought man forget it yo homes to Taco Bell Stadium.
Rating: 7.3/10 Milksteaks
Tailgating Experience:
IceBear: Brotherly love my ass... These fans do not lack passion. This has to be the rowdiest bunch of people I’ve ever been around. It was to the point that if I saw someone in a Yeti Jersey trying to cut through the tailgate I just held my breath hoping they wouldn’t say anything to bring down their fans' cries of Freedom. Even worse, I kept imagining a Yeti fan breaking the 5 game beer pong steak that a “Mr. Philly” had going.
This tailgate is exactly the atmosphere you expect from the hard working people of Philadelphia. These people live for their football and aren’t going to let anyone get in their way. Unlike some of the past cities bars seem to actually die down around gametime as everyone moves to the tailgate. Great experience, just make sure you’re wearing the right colors come gameday.
Rating: 8.8 / 10 cheesesteaks
Fronk: Philadelphia! The first traditional tailgate experience we’ve had so far in our ULTIMATE FAN EXPERIENCE -ence -ence journey. This is the kind of party that would pop up if you googled “Football Tailgate” and clicked I’m Feeling Lucky. There were people playing games, people grilling mouth watering food, and people drinking beer out of Liberty Bell replicas and then ringing the bell after finishing. The tailgating was definitely a highlight of this trip to Philly.
Again IceBear ends up getting a little too into it. I don’t even think he was that drunk, but he blends into a crowd quickly. Especially if it’s getting a little wild. I had to stop him on more than one occasion from stoking the rivalry fires between Yeti fans and Liberty fans. He just wants to hit somebody.
Rating: 9.6/10 Milksteaks
Stadium Appearance / Seating / Views / Attractions:
IceBear: Officially my favorite stadium name. Taco Bell Stadium (I can wait to hit those concessions). The coolest part about this stadium is how they truly created a bowl-type bell shaped stadium that you walk down into. The top row of seats are just under ground level. This gives you a neat view as you walk through the gates and aren’t blocked by the stadium structure but rather about to see every seat Philly has to offer.
The bell-bowl was designed, for what I believe was one single purpose, the echo of the Bells. The pregame bells that rang in unison as the players ran on the field sent chills throughout my body. I was disappointed as I assumed that the bells were done for the game, but was pleasantly surprised when Philly scored their first TD and the bells again rang throughout the stadium and probably most of downtown. This didn’t catch me off guard as much as the Yeti cries from the woods, but this was a really neat experience. To take that moment and see the bells swinging a top the stadium as fans jumped in cheered, I realized now why these fans are so emotional about their city and their team.
Because of the bell-bowl design there truly isn’t a bad seat in the house. I can actually say from a personal preference that I’d prefer a “nosebleed” seat that gives a great view of the entire field and stadium.
The location and design of the stadium was a unique experience. The downtown location provided a great tailgate experience as fans could roam the street pre game and take in all Philly has to offer.
Rating: 8/10 Cheesesteaks
Fronk: Taco Bell Stadium.. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that meeting. I mean I understand that bells are the team’s thing, but I’ve never been a fan of big corporations taking over the naming rights of sports stadiums. UNTIL NOW. Taco Bell Stadium is genius. Anyone that says they do not like Taco Bell is either lying to you, hates America, or really really loved that Quesorito. And the stadium was built for this. IceBear thinks it looks like the inside of an upside down bell, but I think it looks like a chip bowl and the best part is the action happening right in the middle.
The shape lends itself to supplying visuals as well as acoustics for the bells that ring in the air that the fans clang when the Liberty need a spark. The chip bowl also serves it purpose for the concourse. Because of the sunken stadium, the concourse is above everyone and fans standing in line around the entire stadium can keep an eye on the game. Sure the stairs all the way down to the field level seats can be a struggle, but the locals make it a point to do their Rocky challenge and treat each section like the art museum steps.
Rating: 6.2/10 Milksteaks
Field:
IceBear: This has to be called Freedom Field right? Uncle Sam would be proud. I love this field. I love when stadiums are able to do a unique design in their end zones, outside their logo. Philly does this and goes this great. It ties in so well. The red, white, and blue twenty and fifty yard line are a wonderful touch. But out of everything this field has to offer my favorite feature has to be the team chant of “RING THE BELL”. Inside sources tell me there was a big push for this to read “Sheeeshhh” and to be fair I heard this maybe just as much as I heard “Ring The Bell”. I think in the end they got this one right. If I have to submit a complaint, I’ll just say I wish there was a way to incorporate the famous crack of the Liberty Bell. Maybe down the road they can look at this as their yard line direction arrow. Overall, I love the field.
Rating: 9.8/10 Cheesesteaks
Fronk: There are a handful of fields in the league that just work well with their theme. The field at Taco Bell Stadium is one of these fields. First off, like every week, I have to give merits for the green field. Always a step in the right direction. I’ll move onto the endzones; The end zones are mirrored and not too over-the-top. A person with less design knowledge would’ve tried their darndest to stretch all 50 stars and 13 stripes. This design has an old freedom feel to it that would only work with Philadelphia. Kudos to the end zones.
The center logo, while fits the theme, seems a bit small in scale to the field. I believe that bell can probably get close to 50% larger than what is currently shown now. I really like the bell though and think that should remain. The same goes for the RING THE BELL text along the sidelines. It’s a bit small in scale. Maybe it’s the font.
Some nice detail touches that I liked in particular are the red, white, and blue yard lines at the 50 and 20 yard lines, the font of the yard lines, and the final touch of the keystone shapes in place of arrows at the 20 yard lines.
Rating: 8.1/10 Milksteaks
Weather/Climate:
IceBear: Philly really rolled out the red carpet for us here. The weather we were lucky enough to endure this week was exactly what people would describe as football weather. I spent most of the truck in my newly purchased Liberty Hoodie. I had to make sure I was one of them so we didn’t get beat up during tailgate. Complaint for weather was my fault for trying to be funny… remember glamping? Well it was freezing and I was not about to resort to Fronk body heat for comfort. So that hoodie that I purchased was just as valuable that evening as it was at tailgating.
Rating: 7/10 Cheesesteaks
Fronk:
Philadelphia weather is more-or-less the same weather that I am used to at home so we both came well prepared. Nothing to note of that would be deemed too crazy. We were gifted with nice 60 degree sunny spring days and only required a light jacket (or a new Liberty Hoodie). The forecast did call for rain overnight, which scared me a bit having to stay in a mobile home, but we lucked out there too. We should have known this place is always sunny.
Rating: 6.7/10 Milksteaks
Concessions:
IceBear: Philly and football, they just seem to keep complimenting each other. Of course I wasn’t going to be able to enjoy the game if I didn’t take a minute to search out a philly cheesesteak. I had held off all tailgate to make sure I was able to get THE ONE at Tony Luke’s! The wait was worth it and I’m lucky I did wait because if I started on my cheesesteak rampage the moment we got into philly I would have prob out ranked philly with my consumption vs their ranking scores combined. I think I got my fix for them and will be good until I return in the future. Outside the cheesteaks I went ahead and went with a soft pretzel. Just had to keep up the classic football game feel. Both were enjoyable!
On the beer side of things the stadium felt more like it catered less to the craft beer enthusiast than some of the past stadiums we have visited. We were able to find the Liberty Tap stand that provided a handful of craft options. This was enough to enjoy the game but really didn’t make itself a part of the experience like some of the other ISFL Stadiums have.
They do the football things right. You don’t need a craft beer to shotgun a Negs TD pass, I’ll stick with a classic Busch for those. Though a heavy craft beer might be the way to go with one of those INTs. Be VERY careful if that's a game you're willing to play!
Rating: 6.8/10 Cheesesteaks
Fronk: One major highlight that this stadium has that die hard TB fans will pay full ticket price to enjoy is the exclusive Taco Bell Cheesesteak Burrito. When Taco Bell stadium opened, they announced that they would have this holy grail of fast food items only at the stadium and only during Liberty games. Now the people of Philly go to bat for their cheesesteak and had wanted no part of Yum Brands offending the history of their beloved sammich. That was until people started trying this yummy, gooey frankenfood for themselves and absolutely falling in love with the concoction. I had to get myself one of these babies and I agree that it certainly was an experience. I’m not sure if it was the dairy or the Taco Bell part, but I almost missed the rest of the Yeti Liberty game. Also we went full Christmas Vacation “SHITTERS FULL” back at the Airstream.
IceBear and I may be beer snobs, but we can also hold our own with Taco Bell Stadium’s light beer selections. I loved the SHEEEEEEEEEESH Lite and drank like nine of these during the game. Just like in the tailgate, the vendors would pour into a souvenir bell and once you finished, you’d ring the bell in victory and restart the Sheeeeeeeeeesh call.
Rating: 5.9/10 Milksteaks
Conclusions and Game Results:
IceBear: After a First drive field goal this was a very slow game for the Philly offence. Luckily the Yeti offence wasn’t the most explosive either. They managed a couple second quarter scores and went into halftime 10-3. With the second half starting with a 75 yd kick return, you could feel the energy slowly leaving the stadium.
The following drive we were finally able to experience the TD Bells making it a 1 score game. Unfortunately that was going to be the end of the Liberty scoring. I spend the whole second half of that game hoping for more scores to see the rings echo off the nearby skyscrapers. Next time we return I’m hoping for one of those super electric high scoring games! The game ended a disappointing loss for the Liberty 20-17.
The experience of this week’s trip was tremendous. This was a much more relaxed week of game activities than we have been to so far. I do think this is a mix of the philly spirit and us starting to get a feel for how best to navigate these cities and games.
Philly was football this week and I’m not mad about it. I look forward to returning and checking out another game down the road. I will NOT be glamping and will probably splurge for a downtown penthouse type hotel to compensate for this time.
A Philadelphia Liberty game is a must do if you are wanting a full ISFL experience.
Overall Rating: 8.3/10 Cheesesteaks
Fronk: The game itself was not too exciting. Rookie QB Ryan Negs threw for a whopping 100 yards completing just 11 of his 29 attempts. The running game for the Liberty made up the difference as the backfield committee put up over 200 yards combined. Looks like Philly isn’t looking for a new rookie 1000-yard-season ball carrier any time soon. The Liberty struck first in the game, but Colorado ultimately came away the victors. Please do not worry though, Philadelphia, because it is officially official that following a visit from THE ULTIMATE FAN EXPERIENCE -ence -ence grants a guaranteed win on the next game. Negs could throw like 6 INTs and you’d still win in week 15. You are welcome.
Philadelphia was another city off of the bucket list and a grand place to catch a football game. The history and meaning of the city is alive with the team and it’s fans. IceBear and I did not experience anything weirder than having to share a bed (well other than how often and long DBs Jimi DeSoto and Matt Cross’s celebratory hugs were).
I would definitely enjoy returning to this spot again and would recommend any fan to experience the ring of the bells at least once in their fandom lifetime.
Overall Rating: 7.3/10 Milksteaks
Philly was awesome! We are in planning mode for our next stop. With playoffs right around the corner, who knows where we are gonna end up next. Best of luck to all the playoff teams. Let the best team win.
![[Image: icebear32.gif]](https://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/icebear32.gif)
![[Image: Adam-KCC-sig.jpg]](https://i.postimg.cc/BnMTgn2f/Adam-KCC-sig.jpg)
![[Image: A7-E1559-F-3-AED-4877-A3-AB-36-E5997-B94-AC.png]](https://i.postimg.cc/SxbvCQZr/A7-E1559-F-3-AED-4877-A3-AB-36-E5997-B94-AC.png)
![[Image: lip-chap.jpg?width=383&height=468]](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/461498035348701185/777250920941223966/lip-chap.jpg?width=383&height=468)
![[Image: k4AYgU9.gif]](https://i.imgur.com/k4AYgU9.gif)
