Welcome to the 2010 New York Jets Inaugural Season! Sunday's game vs. the Houston Texans celebrates Military Appreciation Day. Here are a few details that you should know:
■ Ticket/parking pass forwarding and resell will be turned off on Saturday, Nov. 20, at midnight.
■ Parking lots open at 8 a.m.
■ Will Call opens at 10 a.m. General Will Call is located at West Gate 3, Suite Will Call at West Gate 2.
■ Stadium gates open at 10 a.m.
■ Player warmups start at 12:10 p.m.
■ Pre-kickoff festivities start at 12:40 p.m.
■ Kickoff is at 1 p.m.
Celebrate Military Appreciation Day
At the game, the Jets celebrate their 11th annual Military Appreciation Day. Salute all of the great men and women who serve our country and enjoy the entertainment lineup dedicated to them. Make sure you keep an eye on the countdown clock on the Pylon videoboards in the Plaza for when to head in for pre-kickoff festivities. Be in your seats by 12:40 p.m. so you don't miss the following:
■ The National Anthem will be performed by the U.S. Coast Guard Glee Club while members from each branch of the military will display an American flag on the field.
■ Look for an F-16 N.J. National Guard flyover and U.S. Army Golden Knights parachuting into the stadium!
Joining the Jets captains for the coin toss as honorary captains will be 65 wounded warriors; the Chief Petty Officer of the Navy; Adjutant General of New Jersey, Major General Glenn K. Rieth; and Clayton Kendrick-Holmes, the football coach at SUNY Maritime College and a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy Reserve.
In the second quarter there will be a dedication to Sergeant Salvatore A. Giunta, the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since three service members from the Vietnam War were honored in 1976. And stay in your seats during halftime for a special narrated ceremony celebrating our nation's veterans.
Help fight hunger
The New York Jets in conjunction with A-1 First Class-Viking Moving and Storage host their annual food drive to benefit the Interfaith Nutrition Network. Get together your non-perishable food (no glass items) and donate them at all gates upon entering the stadium to help support this great cause.
Take the train to the game
Whether you're coming from NYC, New Jersey, Rockland, Westchester, Long Island or even Connecticut, simply take transit to NYC Penn Station (transfer at Secaucus), Secaucus Junction or Hoboken Terminal. From these locations, connect to the Meadowlands Rail Line. The train station is located at the MetLife gate, just steps from the stadium. **Click here for more information**.
For Sunday's game, the last train to arrive in time for kickoff departs from NYC Penn Station at 12:14 p.m.
There are three trains from NYC Penn Station in the first 15 minutes of each hour to Secaucus Junction. If you miss the trains in the first 15 minutes of the hour, the next train will typically not be available for 45 minutes, which is the start of the next hour. The Hoboken train runs about every 10 minutes to the stadium. PATH trains at 34th Street–Herald Square run about every 10 minutes from 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m., then about every 20 minutes in the evening.
Note that the NJ Transit Schedule is subject to change. For more information click here.
Continue to take the bus
Another popular option is the NJ Transit Direct Bus Service, which offers the No. 351 direct bus service from the Port Authority Bus Terminal to the Meadowlands Sports Complex for all Jets home football games. Use the GAMEDAY pass for this transit option, too (kids-ride-free offer does not apply).
Or park remotely
Need a place to park and don't have a season parking pass? Two popular independently run parking alternatives are Secaucus Park & Ride and Murray Hill Parkway. Secaucus Park and Ride is located at 675 New County Rd. at Seaview Drive in Secaucus and costs $20/game — park your car, then hop on the NJ Transit train. Or use Murray Hill Parkway's satellite parking, off of Paterson Plank Road and Union Avenue in East Rutherford. The parking lot opens four hours prior to kickoff and closes one hour after the game ends and costs $25/game, which includes parking and transportation.* ***Click here for more information on both options.**
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE NEW PLAZA
Don't forget, if you ever have a question, concern or comment about anything related to your game experience look for a member of the NEW MEADOWLANDS STADIUM GUEST SERVICES OR NEW YORK JETS CUSTOMER SERVICE who can either assist you on the spot or help you find someone who can.
Pregame:Leave plenty of time to get to the game and explore the brand new 350,000-square-foot plaza area between the stadium and entry gates, which opens at 10 a.m.
Home Food Advantage: The Home Food Advantage item of the week is the BBQ beef sandwich. Visit any Franks stand and get your BBQ beef sandwich along with a free bag of Wise Garlic and Onion Chips for $8.
Pro Bowl Balloting: Send your favorite Jets players to Hawaii for the 2011 Pro Bowl by stopping by the Pro Bowl tent located near the West Gate. Jets Flight Crew cheerleaders will be stopping by there to greet you and computers will be set up so you can cast your vote.
Photos: Explore the plaza area and find the Jets gameday photographer to get your picture taken and displayed on the Pylons, a.k.a. videoboards, at the entry gates and posted on newyorkjets.com. Or take your own photo on gameday while at the stadium and email it to fanphotos@newyorkjets.com by 10 a.m. for a chance to be seen on the Pylons!
Bing National Tailgating Championship: Head to the West Gate and witness some of the region's best tailgate teams competing for a shot at the National Tailgate title. They will be competing in four categories: cooking, tailgate spirit, bean bag and football toss, and team trivia!
EA Sports Madden NFL '11 / GameStop — Tournament Finals: See the top players in the nation battle it out for the national title. Come by for giveaways and a chance to play the latest EA Sports game and participate in the QB target challenge.
Premio Eating Contest: At noon come over to the Premio Sausage eating contest between the Verizon and MetLife Gates and see which Jets fan can eat the most sausages. And if you are feeling up for the challenge, head over at 11 a.m. to sign up to be a part of the contest.
Bud Light Corner: Enjoy the railgating experience at the Bud Light Gate along with Jets Flight Crew cheerleaders while listening to DJ Prime at 10 a.m. followed by The Bobby Lynch Band.
MetLife Central: Visit the MetLife Central Corner to sign up for your Countdown Card, collect giveaways, meet MetLife's Snoopy and for a special alumni signing by Rich Caster from 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Verizon Corner: Connect with other fans and explore the array of Wireless and FiOS products with chances to win great giveaways.
Pepsi Corner: Swing by the Pepsi gate on your way in or out for some Pepsi Max sampling.
Hess: As you leave the game, collect your LaDainian Tomlinson fathead and housing unit courtesy of Hess, and then visit any Hess location to complete the set.
Chase Freedom Zone: Find the Chase Freedom Zone set up between the West and Verizon Gates where you can participate in a football obstacle course as well as a quarterback challenge drill. Get your free gameday photo at the photo station and come for a chance to meet members of the Jets Flight Crew and a Jets alumni player.
High Striker: Test your strength against your friends to see how you measure up against Jets players near the West Gate.
Jets Gear: Get your green on at the new Jets Shop Flagship Store powered by Reebok adjacent to the West Great Hall. The Jets Shop item of the week is the Retro Bobble Head available in green and white. You can find it at all Jets Shop locations for $15 (original price is $20).
Tailgaters: Grill out with Weber/Lobel's as they make sandwiches to your liking in Lot G and in the Bud Light corner.
Wise Crunch Crew: Pick up some free Wise chips outside the West Gate in the parking lot.
On Display: Check out the latest Toyota and Lexus vehicles on display throughout the plaza area.
Broadcasting: Come listen to 1050 ESPN New York's live pregame radio show with Greg Buttle and Don LaGreca beginning at 11 a.m. at the 1050 ESPN New York stage located between the West and Verizon Gates.
Generation Jets Fest: Bring your kids to Generation Jets Fest located next to the Gatorade Jr. Training Camp Field next to the West Gate.
Flight Crew: Stop in the Jets Shop Flagship Store powered by Reebok to meet members of the Jets Flight Crew, who will be signing the brand new 2011 Flight Crew Swimsuit Calendar from 11:05-11:50 a.m.
Ping-Pong: Showcase your Ping-Pong skills at four tables set up between the MetLife Gate and Bud Light corner.
Chess: Play a game of chess against grandmasters Robert Hess and Maurice Ashley, who will be set up and ready to take on all comers starting at 10 a.m.
3-D Art: Renowned "illusionistic" artist Kurt Wenner has created a 3-D image commemorating Curtis Martin's 100th career touchdown. Take a photo with the artwork near the West Gate.
Gatorade Jr. Training Camp Field: Come to the turf field outside of the Jets Shop Flagship Store powered by Reebok and participate in football skills drills. Play like a Jet!
Quarterback Challenge: Test your quarterback skills at the QB football targets located between the Verizon and MetLife Gates.
Toyota presents Mark & Me:Find Mark Sanchez in front of the Toyota Coaches Club and take your own photos with Mark. The next best thing to hanging out with the Jets QB is having a picture that makes it look like you did.
Jets Newsroom: Read Sunday's newspapers and this week's sports magazines at the Jets Newsroom located between the Jets Shop Flagship Store powered by Reebok and the West Great Hall.
Tables & Chairs: Take a seat and enjoy the plaza with the green-colored tables and chairs scattered around.
FanVision: Look for the FanVision ambassadors, who will be walking around the parking lots and located in the Plaza near the West Gate. To learn more and to purchase, visit the Jets Shop Flagship Store powered by Reebok adjacent to the West Great Hall.
ENTERTAINMENT
National Anthem: U.S. Coast Guard Glee Club.
Halftime Show: Narrated ceremony celebrating our nation's veterans.
To enhance your Jets gameday experience, the Jets have partnered with Sportvision to make the massive videoboards even more exciting. Look for the new Jets first down line, a down-and-distance marker just like on your broadcast at home, and additional player tracking that you won't get on your TV.
Stop by the Jets Shop Flagship Store powered by Reebok or any other permanent Jets Shop stores in the stadium to purchase FanVision — the in-stadium handheld device that takes the gameday experience to a whole new level. You can view instant replays, listen to the radio broadcast, watch the game from different angles, and pull up stats on any of your favorite players.
For those in the Clubs and Suites, enjoy some Jets Uncorked limited-release 2008 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, available for purchase. And for all Jets fans, visit www.newyorkjets.com/uncorked to uncork your own.
