The Ultimate Sports Wife, Ultimate Sports Baby and I decided to take a weekend trip to Detroit. Our original plan was to fly to New York City, but chose Detroit since driving with an infant is easier than flying – plus the Detroit Lions were hosting the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon.

Nicole and I debated where we would stay in Detroit. One thought was to stay in Auburn Hills and be close to the Palace of Auburn Hills for the Detroit Pistons game Friday night. However, Nicole preferred to stay in downtown Detroit and not change hotels. By staying downtown, we were close to Ford Field where the MAC Championship was taking place on Friday night.

I brought the Ultimate Sports Baby with me to Ford Field for the MAC Championship Game. This allowed Nicole to relax in the hotel before we went out for dinner after the game.

Strollers at Ford Field
I knew strollers were not allowed in Ford Field. I called earlier in the week to ask about the Bears and Lions game on Sunday since the Ultimate Sports Baby and Ultimate Sports Wife were both planning to attend that game.

What I did not know was that you could not even check the stroller at Ford Field! At least Soldier Field has a stroller check. So after some begging (and a 10 minute wait) they let me bring the stroller into the stadium which was a life saver. Rather than carry Dylan around in the baby bjorn, I could keep him in the stroller where he could take naps if necessary. This was an intelligent decision by facilities management, as there was nobody attending this game and there was plenty of room.

Northern Illinois vs. Miami (OH)
Before the “stroller” incident, I bought a $10 ticket outside the stadium. Since the stadium was completely empty, I sat in the handicapped area behind section 104. This gave me plenty of room to keep my stroller and all the other “baby stuff” with me.

Miami (OH) surprised Northern Illinois as Austin Boucher completed a touchdown pass to Armand Robinson with 33 seconds left in the game. The touchdown gave Miami (OH) a 26-21 victory and RedHawks first MAC Championship since 2003.

Post Game Dining
After the game I wanted to eat at Cheli’s Chili House – the same bar that used to be on Madison Ave. near the United Center. But, by the time I arrived, the kitchen was no longer open. Instead, I met Nicole at Big City Bar & Grill in the Holiday Inn. They served a good menu late. Plus, the restaurant was across the street from our hotel – the Westin Book Cadillac Detroit that we had booked through Hotwire.com.