For just $17 I had a second row seat to a very entertaining night of arena football at the good old Cincinnati Gardens. Despite the late arriving crowd, which held up the opening kickoff, the evening turned into another great night at the Gardens.
Free parking and $1 beer seemed to pull in a lot of fans, but there must have been some fine print I didn't notice, because the beer price was only good for the beginning of the game and was limited to one brand, but this is a new franchise and maybe that's something that will be expanded down the road.
The only disappointment was the pathetic Commandos gear for sale - it was virtually non-existent. Seems like the management lost out on a sure money making opportunity. The few T-shirts for sale were all high school sizes, Maybe the team was wary of investing in a supply for the first night, but I couldn't find anything to spend my money on.
I never went to a Cincinnati Rockers game, so this was my first in person look at arena football, and I enjoyed it - it actually looked and felt like football. The public address system and the playing service leave a lot to be desired, but just like with an event at the Gardens, you did begin to feel excitement as the game got underway.
The game itself was entertaining, if not somewhat confusing at times. Several penalties went unexplained (partially because you can barely understand the public address announcements), but it was still a smash mouth brand of football being played. The locals rallied from a pitiful start to win going away, and then invited fans onto the field afterward to meet players and get those beloved autographs.
Overall it was a great night of entertainment, and I know I'll be going back a few more times to see the Commandos play.