Trying to like Football: the NFL Experience Houston

The NFL Experience is definitly an event for people who like football.

I’m the worst Texan ever.

Seriously y’all: I only drink sweet tea occasionally, my two-step could use some serious workshopping, and I hate football.

So it took me a little bit to get excited about Houston hosting Super Bowl LI.

See also: 

• Azalea Trail Houston: #HouseHunters with the River Oaks Garden Club
• Top 5 Things to do in Houston during the Super Bowl*

BUT as soon as the Patriots made the cut I got real excited real fast because we all know that Christopher Robert Evans lives and breathes Patriots football.

I’m on a tight budget these days and couldn’t afford to get tickets to the actual game (nor do I think I could actually force myself to sit through it) or cool “exclusive” events around town, but I did head to the NFL Experience Houston with my sister for some major celebrity stalking.

Spoiler alert: I didn’t see Chris. But I did meet Eddie Redmayne one time.

See also: 

• I Met Eddie Redmayne in London and He Smelled Delicious

Quick Tip: always take public transport (or park far away an Uber in) to Super Bowl Events, no matter the city. 

My sister had the genius idea to take the Houston Metro bus into downtown which saved us $25 (minimum — they were straight up gouging people on parking places) and the relationship-ending fight that would’ve been born out of Super Bowl traffic.

However, once people got out of their cars, the foot traffic around Discovery Green wasn’t too bad and we were able to wander and take in the ~*NFL Experience Houston*~ without feeling suffocated.

As someone who doesn’t like football, the pressure for accomplishing anything at the event was low and I was actually able to have a great time — although y’all KNOW I was on high alert for Chris Evans at all times.

Quick Tip: if you decide to attend the NFL Experience in your own city, go Monday — Thursday to avoid the crowds.

There were a lot of NFL heavyweights there (but I didn’t know who any of them were, so I can’t really report back on that part of the Superbowl experience — my bad y’all) filming TV spots for later in the week, a field goal contest, and the best part (since I didn’t end up finding Chris Evans) a satellite PUPPY BOWL.

Check these pups:

And this kicker:

There were also a few cool art installations sprinkled throughout Houston’s Discovery Green Park, including a line of humongous NFL helmet replicas from each team.

My sister picked the Cowboys because she’s married to their biggest fan, while I went for the Packers because if Harry Styles likes them, they must be the best.

Houston is also home to NASA (like our only claim to fame…wait no, we have Beyonce), so the Space City’s upcoming programs were fully on display at the NFL Experience Houston.

I’m not a STEM person, but my sister was in heaven as an engineer. She had a field day talking to the NASA team and learning all about the future of space travel and research.

We ended our night at the Superbowl Experience rushing back to the bus stop on the OTHER side of downtown Houston from the festivities after a quick munch stop at a local grocery store.

Quick Tip: Never eat at events like the NFL experience. It’s way too much. Also pee at a store before you get there. 

I rooted for the Patriots in Super Bowl LI because they also won in 2015 and I got the day off school because of it — so I feel like I am in their debt. It was my senior year of college and I went to Mount Holyoke in South Hadley, MA. They’re real serious about football up there guys.

See also: 

• #HometownHoliday: George Ezra at the Houston House of Blues

 

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