"The Game" Is Coming To Fenway In 2018

Mugsy's Jock

Eli apologist
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Dec 28, 2000
15,069
UWS, NYC
I’m a little bummed only because our tailgates at The Game are such a highlight of the year for me, and I don’t imagine that’s in the cards at Fenway. But it’ll be a great atmosphere. Just hope it’s a one time thing for Yale...Harvard should play Holy Cross at Fenway every year though.
 

Toe Nash

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Jul 28, 2005
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I have no personal tie to The Game, but to me it seems like something that should only be held at either school's stadium.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Jan 10, 2004
24,483
The 718
I'm a Yale alum and I'm fine with it as a one-off. The encrustation of tradition around The Game, and Ivy League football, and the Ivy League in general, could use a shot of novelty now and then.

As I tell other alums who are too critical of the Old Eli stuff, you're having it both ways, in that you want to associate yourself with the prestige of the Yale name, and simultaneously distance yourself from/make fun of the stuffy, exclusionary, pompous WASP old money culture that spawned it. So yes, the traditions should be respected.

But also, FFS, it's Ivy League football. I think the quality has improved over the last 5-10 years, but if 15-yard punts and QB draws on third-and-14 are your thing then you're all set. I once dated a UCLA alum and big football fan and she was excited to attend her first Game (which of course was on the same day as UCLA-USC). After the first two series she looked at me stricken and said "this is football?"

Tradition aside, it's also the (extremely) rare circumstance where the amenities of Fenway (food, bathrooms, creature comforts generally) are an upgrade over the other venues.

Yale and Harvard hockey played at MSG a couple of years ago. I went to that and it was fun. The earth kept spinning.
 

doldmoose34

impregnated Melissa Theuriau
SoSH Member
having been to the BC UConn game last week, i can tell you to hope this is a one time thing. Granted it was a shitty rainy night but seating sucks, there is NO tailgating and it just doesn't feel right

I only went because I'd been at the last Pats game in Fenway in '68, and wanted to see what it was like again (of course in 68 us 13 year olds didn't even watch the game, but climbed under the temp stands against the wall and jumped against it like we were Yaz) and I wasn't going to pay the insane prices ND was looking for in the game 2 years ago.
 

snowmanny

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Dec 8, 2005
15,670
I quite enjoy my memories of the Yalies waving their hankies.

That being said I haven't been in awhile but I am tempted to get to this one just because, I suppose.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
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Oct 31, 2013
72,463
Wouldn't it make more sense to have a hockey game between H and Y for one of the winter classic games instead of football or is the ECAC dead set against it?

Place is horrible for football
 

Mugsy's Jock

Eli apologist
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SoSH Member
Dec 28, 2000
15,069
UWS, NYC
Started organizing our annual tailgate, as Harvard sent out invites for something sanctioned, convenient, near Fenway, and (surprise) expensive, with the fun drained out and unlikely to enable our gang to get as drunk as we prefer. Allegedly there will be nowhere to tailgate near Fenway — no lots allowing coolers and grills and lots of folks circulating around. Is that possible? is there a Fenway tailgating option?
 

InstaFace

The Ultimate One
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Sep 27, 2016
21,766
Pittsburgh, PA
My advice would be, check out Amory playground just over the Brookline line. The lot off Amory St will have room, it's legit parking, and nobody should give you guff over grilling (I have no idea if it's technically legal, probably not, but worth a try). It's a legit playground, so keep it classy and brown bag it and all, but that's where I'd go in your situation.
 

Humphrey

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Aug 3, 2010
3,163
What is Harvard Stadium supposed to be like this season? Lots of sections closed* while they work on it? Read somewhere that renovations are the reason for the move.

I like the place except that there's no comparable stadium where artificial turf looks more out of place. There wasn't any fake turf when the Christians were playing the Lions!

*which means for a normal attended game 15k (optimistic) or less, having half the seats will not be a problem. For Yale, it would be.