NFL: Detroit’s football fans turn out in force for rare free MNF game, Giants dominate Vikings

Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl – yep, Giants win & now tied for lead in NFC East 🙂

The holiday season brought some good fortune to Steve Corinotis of Warren. Born on Long Island, N.Y., Corinotis, 50, came to Michigan when he was 22 but remained a stout New York Giants fan. When he heard reports the Giants would play the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field on Monday, his body temperature rose like the baked goods his company sells.

“I came here to see my team, the big blue wrecking crew,” he said. “Christmas came early for me. I’m as happy as a … well, I can’t say that. I’m like a kid in a candy store.”

Corinotis, like many Metro Detroit National Football League fans, came to downtown Detroit to watch the first Monday night game at Ford Field and the first to be played in the Detroit area since 2001. The Giants won the game, 21-3.

Corinotis was given a ticket stub by a friend who attended Sunday’s Lions game against the Green Bay Packers. Those with a ticket stub from Sunday’s game, as well as those who waited in line Monday morning, were able to watch the Giants/Vikings game for free.

Vikings fans, though, were greeted with the disappointing news that quarterback Brett Favre wouldn’t play in the game, breaking a streak that goes back to 1992. Favre has started every game he’s played for three teams — the Packers, the New York Jets and the Vikings — until a shoulder injury sidelined him, ending one of the sport’s longest streaks.

Gates at Ford Field opened at 5:30 p.m., and once inside, fans rushed, in a somewhat orderly fashion, to find the best seats.

Seats in the lower deck between the 30 yard lines were reserved for Giants fans on one side, Vikings fans on the other. Those who got tickets in Detroit could sit anywhere in the upper deck.

Three men from Manistee weren’t as fortunate as Corinotis. Donnie Heinzer, 24, Mark Sausie, 21, and Andy Monroe, 24, left Manistee at 9 a.m. Monday and, after a couple of stops, reached Detroit six hours later only to learn the distribution of tickets had stopped. They were left outside Ford Field in the cold.

“It sucks,” Heinzer said. “We were hoping to get tickets. The Vikings are my favorite team. I’ve never seen them play. It’s my first time here.”

To Detroit via Minneapolis

Although she lives in Des Moines, Iowa, Jessica Madison has been a Vikings fan all her life. Her family is from Minneapolis. Early Sunday morning Madison; her cousin, Noah; grandfather, John; and her father, Marvin, left for Minneapolis to watch the game. The collapse of the Metrodome roof caused the Madisons to change their plans.

“We drove through one blizzard to get to Minneapolis,” Jessica Madison said. “When we heard the dome collapsed, we jumped back in the car and drove here through another blizzard.”

Now, those are pro football fans.

Snow day, happy day

Weather forced many schools in the area to close, including those in Livonia. Lucky for Dan Ketelhut it happened on this particular Monday.

With school out, Dan, 16, and his father, John Ketelhut, waited for an hour and half on Monday morning for tickets, went home, and came back at six hours later to wait in line again.

“We wanted to get here early to get the best seats we could,” John Ketelhut said.

Dan has been a “dedicated Giants fan” for years and had a Giants road white jersey on with the number 10 (quarterback Eli Manning’s number) to prove it.

Scalpers busy

Apparently, many took advantage of the free tickets to sell them and make some pocket change.

Amy Ikler and Lauren Burgett drove down from Lake Orion with tickets in hand that Ikler’s husband had bought near Ford Field.

“I dropped my husband off this morning, but when I drove down to wait in line I heard they stopped giving them away,” Ikler said. “My husband bought 12 tickets for $90. I’m waiting for him now. We came down to watch free football, or at least close to free.”

Two days of football

Matt Johnson; his brother, Mark; and their sons drove from Omaha, Neb., to catch the Lions game on Sunday and decided to stay the night to watch Monday’s rescheduled game.

Mitch Johnson, Matt’s son, wore a jersey that was half Vikings/half Packers with the No. 4 on it in tribute to Favre.

The Johnsons used their stubs from Sunday’s game to watch the Favre-less Vikings.

Diehard fans get lucky

Greg Bonner of Commerce Township lived in the Minneapolis area for eight years, and during that time his devotion toward the Vikings grew and grew.

On Monday, he had the rare opportunity to watch his team for free. Bonner; his son, Nick; and brother, Terry, made the trip from Oakland County to watch their favorite team.

“My family is from Coon Rapids (Minn.),” Greg Bonner said. “I was 8 years old when my dad moved us from Detroit to Minnesota. I remember us (Vikings) losing those four Super Bowls. I cried after the first one.”

That was in 1970 when Kansas City defeated Minnesota, 23-7.

Misplaced Bears fan

Matt Bellfy drove from Toledo to watch the game for free. Jimmy Bonds, a good friend, drove to Detroit early Monday and was one of the lucky ones to receive free tickets, eight in all.

Bellfy wore a Giants jersey but he’s really a Bears fans.

“I lost a bet to Jimmy,” he said. “The Giants beat the Bears, so I have to wear this. It’s just for one night.”

Meanwhile, Jeff Bruggink, 24, of Grand Rapids, and Justin Kooreman, 21, of East Lansing sat inside the entrance of the Hockeytown Cafe as two of their friends scouted for tickets. The four had collected three tickets that afternoon and needed just one more.

The friends had planned to get in line at Ford Field around 9 a.m. for tickets, but they had car trouble.

They arrived in downtown Detroit around 1 p.m. and began their ticket search.

“We’ve been talking to people all day looking to see what we can get,” Kooreman said.

Opposite loyalties

Gus Kuzma, 18, of Cleveland, and Chris Johnson, 19, of Toledo, were given ticket stubs from Sunday’s game and decided to use them Monday night.

“I’m a huge Vikings fan,” Kuzma said. “I would never be able to go to the game if it wasn’t for the Metrodome collapse.”

Tom Markowski and Candice Williams  The Detroit News