Welcome to the 2010 New York Jets Inaugural Season! Thursday night's game vs. the Cincinnati Bengals is presented by Pepsi Max — make sure to pick up your rally towel on your way in courtesy of Pepsi Max. Here are a few details that you should know:
■ Ticket/parking pass forwarding and resell will be turned off at 2:30 p.m.
■ Parking lots open at 3:20 p.m.
■ Will Call opens at 6:20 p.m. General Will Call is located at West Gate 3, Suite Will Call at West Gate 2.
■ Stadium gates open at 6:20 p.m. IMPORTANT CHANGE for this game on Thanksgiving: Gates will open 2 hours prior to kickoff versus the previous 3-hour open time.
■ Player warmups start at 7:20 p.m.
■ Pre-kickoff festivities start at 8:15 p.m.
■ Kickoff is at 8:20 p.m.
Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving from the New York Jets! As part of your Thanksgiving festivities, we are happy to have the cast of the hit Broadway Show, Rock of Ages, perform at halftime. And Mitchell Jarvis, one of the leading actors in Rock of Ages, will perform the National Anthem. So after you enjoy your Thanksgiving meal at home or in the parking lots, come ready to rock out to your favorite Eighties music!
Play 60
The NFL and the Jets are committed to helping kids get active and healthy. Join us in recognizing 11 sixth-graders from Florham Park, Madison and Harding, N.J., who have been selected for their commitment and involvement in our Jets Play 60 Challenge. Look for them running out of the tunnel alongside the players during introductions!
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 Thursday's game, the last train to arrive in time for kickoff departs from NYC Penn Station at 7:11 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 games. The 351 bus service will begin at 5:50 p.m. and will continue to run until 8:50 p.m. The 351 bus line will be operational for approximately two hours following the conclusion of the game. Dropoff and pickup at the Stadium is located near Parking Lot K. A roundtrip ticket costs $10 and a one-way ticket is $5. **Click here for more information** 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 & 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 opens at 6:20 p.m.
Home Food Advantage: The Home Food Advantage Item of the Week is the Killer Turkey Chili. With each cup of chili receive a free bag of Wise Dipsy Doodles chips, all for $5.75.
Pro Bowl Balloting: Send your favorite Jets players to Hawaii for the 2011 Pro Bowl by stopping by the Pro Bowl tent located near the West Gate. Jets Flight Crew cheerleaders will be stopping by there to greet you and computers will be set up so you can cast your vote.
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 6 p.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. Then head over to the Pepsi corner for special giveaways, to compete in head-to-head touch-screen iPad football trivia, and to see the new Pepsi Max TV commercial. Then participate in all of the combine football drills like Mark Sanchez and the Pepsi Max truck driver do in the commercial.
Bud Light Corner: Enjoy the railgating experience at the Bud Light Gate along with Jets Flight Crew Cheerleaders while listening to DJ Bryan Sean at 6:20 p.m. followed by the band Naked Twister.
MetLife Central: Visit the MetLife Central Corner to sign up for your Countdown Card, collect giveaways, meet MetLife's Snoopy, and participate in a special alumni signing by Bruce Harper. Also, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, while you are there cast your vote for how MetLife should share its half-million-dollar donation among four different charities including Alzheimer's Association, The Food Bank of NYC, Jump Start for Young Children and KaBOOM!
Verizon Corner: Connect with other fans and explore the array of Wireless and FiOS products with chances to win great giveaways.
Canon: Grab your team photo courtesy of Canon on your way out of the game (while supplies last).
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 in 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. The Jets Shop Item of the Week is the Rex Ryan Caricature Tee. You can find it at all Jets Shop locations for $20 (original price is $30).
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 6:20 p.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 6:35-7:25 p.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 6:20 p.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 of 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: Mitchell Jarvis from Rock of Ages
Halftime Show: Rock of Ages
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.
