Happy New Year and welcome to 2011! Sunday's game vs. the Buffalo Bills kicks off at 1 p.m. and celebrates the last regular-season home game of the 2010 inaugural season at our new Stadium. Come early and cheer on your team as they prepare for the playoffs! Here are a few details that you should know:
■ Ticket/parking pass forwarding and resell will be turned off at midnight on Saturday, Jan. 1.
■ Parking lots open at 8 a.m.
■ Stadium gates open at 11 a.m. IMPORTANT CHANGE for this game: Gates will open 2 hours prior to kickoff versus the previous 3-hour open time.
■ Will Call opens at 11 a.m. General Will Call is located at West Gate 3, Suite Will Call at West Gate 2.
■ Player warmups start at about noon.
■ Pre-kickoff festivities start at 12:50 p.m. The National Anthem is being performed by international recording artist and former WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia.
■ Kickoff is at 1 p.m.
■ Halftime show features a special performance by the Jets Flight Crew Cheerleaders.
The Return of "The Green Hour"
Introduced at Fan Appreciation Day, we are happy to bring you another game featuring "The Green Hour" — for the first hour after the gates open, from 11 a.m.-noon, enjoy 25% off all food and non-alcoholic beverages at any concessions stand at the Stadium! Come into the Stadium early and relax, view highlights from last week's NFL action on the videoboards, and watch the teams warm up.
Warm Up New Jersey
The New York Jets in conjunction with A-1 First Class-Viking Moving and Storage host their annual coat drive to benefit Jersey Cares. Jets fans have been so generous this holiday season in supporting our other charitable donations, and at this Sunday's game we encourage you to bring new or gently used coats and donate them at any gate upon entering the Stadium to help support this great cause benefiting New Jerseyans in need.
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 Coach USA 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. The 351 bus service will begin at 10:30 a.m. and will continue to run until 1:30 p.m. The 351 bus line will be operational for about two hours following the conclusion of the game. Drop-off and pick-up at the Stadium is located near Parking Lot K. A roundtrip ticket costs $10 and a one-way ticket is $5. **For more information click here** or call (800) 877-1888, Ext. 3.
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 open at 11 a.m.
Ice Sculpture:Come watch an ice-sculpting exhibit located just inside the West Gate. Artists from Okamoto Studios will be using chainsaws and other tools to sculpt a Jets player and our logo.
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 11 a.m. for a chance to be seen on the Pylons!
Pepsi:Swing by the Pepsi gate on your way in and out for some Pepsi Max sampling.
Bud Light Corner: Enjoy the railgating experience at the Bud Light Gate along with Jets Flight Crew cheerleaders while listening to DJ Prime at 11 a.m. followed by the band Under Pressure.
MetLife Central: Visit the MetLife Central Corner to sign up for your Countdown Card, collect giveaways, and meet MetLife's Snoopy.
Verizon Corner: Connect with other fans and explore the array of Wireless and FiOS products with chances to win great giveaways.
Party City:Come over to the Party City area between the Pepsi and West Gates for giveaways and face-painting.
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 at 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.
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 11 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 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.
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: Lilian Garcia
Halftime Show: Jets Flight Crew Cheerleaders
In celebration of the last regular-season home game, keep your eyes on the videoboards, which will display inaugural season moments and milestones that the Jets have reached throughout the season.
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 and toast to the Holiday season.
