(Note: I wrote this after the 1997 Packers preseason football game at Camp Randall Stadium.)

I decided to attend last Friday night's Packers/Giants football game at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. However, not having a ticket (and drawing inspiration from the stories I heard about people sneaking into the Super Bowl last January) I decided that I would attempt to not only sneak into the game, but onto the field as well. Here is my story: I dressed in a nice denim shirt with a small Packer logo above the pocket, khaki slacks and a pair of Rockport shoes and headed off to the game. I got to the stadium about an hour before kickoff and scouted out the situation. My preferred location of entry was where the players walked from the McClain Center (where the locker rooms are located) across a small alley into the stadium itself. Stadium security had roped off a path for the players and other "authorized personnel", and occasionally a trainer or coach or an assistant of some type would walk past, presumably on their way to the field. I observed that these VIP-types had yellow pieces of paper (obviously passes of some sort) hanging from their belt loops. I had noticed earlier that some girls outside the stadium were handing out yellow sheets of paper (which turned out to be information about some type of charity), so I went back and found them and took one of the sheets, which I folded up and stuck in my shirt pocket. I returned to the alleyway, which was quite crowded from all the fans trying to catch a glimpse of the players. Sure enough, after a couple of minutes most of the Packers walked past, to the cheers and chants of the crowd. I was hoping to sneak past security in all the excitement, but there was never a good opportunity so I gave up on that location. I thought about giving up altogether but decided to scout a little more. For those of you not familiar with Camp Randall Stadium, there's a large building called the Fieldhouse (where the basketball and other teams play) attached to one end of the stadium. I walked around the Fieldhouse and as I got to the other side I saw paramedics wheeling someone on a stretcher into the building. The door was slow in closing behind them and a couple of other guys seized the opportunity to follow along inside, and I naturally did the same. There had been a "tailgate party" in the Fieldhouse prior to the game, but it was a separate event from the game and a ticket was still needed to pass into the stadium. There was only one person taking tickets, and when he turned to one side I simply walked on past behind him and out into the stadium. Phase one completed. I felt proud of myself for getting as far as I had, but I wasn't satisfied. For one thing, the game was a sellout--where was I going to sit? And my plan all along had been to actually get ONTO the field. So I surveyed the area and decided the best place to attempt entry would once again be where the players entered (the players had practiced on the field and then returned to the locker rooms). I slowly made my way along the chainlink fence surrounding the playing field. Finally my progress was halted by the large crowd near the ramp that the players walk down, and it became obvious that I had no chance to jump in as they walked past. After the players and coaches had entered the field security opened up the area and the crowd began to break up. I noticed that Packer personnel (trainers, etc) were still trickling down the ramp and out onto the field, so I decided to go where I could watch the doors of the McClain Center to see if anyone else exited. My diligence was rewarded when two guys came out and looked as if they were heading to the field. There was still quite a crowd and the guys apparently didn't know where they were going, so they asked a security guard to help them. He led the way and they followed along, and I jumped in right behind them as if I belonged. Down the ramp we went, the security guy clearing the way, until we came to the gate to get onto the field. Another security guard opened the gate and the two Packer guys walked out onto the field and I followed. The security guard never batted an eye. Phase two! The guys I was following ran around the endzone over to the Packer sideline and I hustled along a few steps behind. Once on the sideline the two dudes kept heading toward the players' bench, but I thought it was best if I stop and hang out behind the photographers and the guys with the big parabolic microphones. My heart was (understandably) pounding at this point, and I half-expected to be discovered at any moment and tossed out. But as I stood there for a few minutes and watched the game (which was now two or three minutes old) I gradually calmed down and became more confident. A couple of people seemed to look at me but must have seen the yellow slip of paper in my pocket and assumed that I was OK. After a little bit I decided that although nobody had caught me yet, standing by the press guys was not the best idea because I didn't have a camera and I looked out of place. I noticed that a little nearer to the players (where the practice net for the kickers and punters was located) there were a few people watching the game, and they all appeared to be invited guests with field passes. I inched my way toward them and gradually blended in. This location was so effective that before long people started talking to me about the game, asking if Conway made the trip to Madison, etc. A member of the Packers staff even asked me how the Giants were supposed to do this year! Every once in awhile Longwell or Hentrich would come over and practice kicking into the net, and one time the ball bounced by me and Hentrich scooched past me to retrieve it. Several times Craig Newsome came over nearby to encourage the players on the field, and many times I had to get out of the way of players heading back to the bench. Toward the end of the half (around :35 remaining) Mickens caught a pass and was driven out of bounds practically right on top of me, and I jumped backward and nearly got nailed by a ball that Le Bel was practicing long-snapping into the net. And all this time I kept looking into the stands hoping to see somebody I knew, just to have proof that I had indeed been on the Packer sidelines. As the half was winding down I began to wonder what the heck I was going to do at halftime. Should I stay on the field? Should I leave and not push my luck? I decided that I would watch one of the guys I had talked to and do whatever he did. The half ended and all the players and coaches ran past on their way to the locker room, and the guy I was watching ran on behind them, so I jumped in and followed. Off we went, up the ramp (I was following Darius Holland--BIG guy) with fans cheering and trying to high-five players (I resisted the urge to reach up and return their slaps), underneath the stands where security had blocked off a path, across the alley and into the McClain Center. Once inside everybody began to disperse, with the players and coaches heading into the locker room and other people seeming to be confused about where to go. I overheard somebody tell someone else where the bathrooms were located and I decided that I might as well go there also. As I was heading into the bathroom Brett Favre walked out, his jersey and pads already off. After I took care of business and left the bathroom, everyone else had dis- appeared. I guessed that the field passes also allowed entry into the locker room, so in I went! There was the whole team: The defense surrounding Shurmur (and that man can cuss, believe me) and the offense in another area around Holmgren, who was writing things on an overhead projector. I listened to the yelling for awhile, then noticed that I was the only non-Packer person in the room. I tried to act casual and even walked across the room and had a drink of water, and it appeared that everything was going to be OK. I thought about getting out and trying to find the others, but it looked as if everyone was going to be heading back out soon anyway so I just waited. MISTAKE! Out of nowhere the same Packer guy who had asked me how the Giants were supposed to do this year (turns out he was with Packer security) came up to me and demanded, "Who are you here with?!" I was unprepared and panicked and said, "Uh...Steve." (Good one!) "Steve who?" "Umm, Steve Sherman..." "There's no Steve Sherman here!" At which point he grabbed me and gave me to a bigger security guy and said, "I want him arrested! Arrested!" So the bigger guy hauled me outside while gripping my shirt too tightly for me to hope to escape and handed me off to a UW police officer, who then cuffed me and told me that I was under arrest (although he did NOT read me my rights!) He took me to the stadium security office under the stands where I was written up and photographed and given a $203 disorderly conduct fine, which fortunately is the lowest fine they can give out (even trespassing, which is what you'd assume I was guilty of, is a higher fine). All the officers were very nice and they even thought it was kind of ingenious how I had done it, although one just couldn't connect a decent, upstanding 32 year-old man with doing such a thing. I was given the ticket, uncuffed and escorted out of the stadium. My court date if I choose not to pay the ticket is September 12th. Was it worth it? You decide! Personally I'd do it again in a heartbeat. --Scott Schiller (As a follow-up, I took the case to court and met with an assistant District Attorney at a pre-trial hearing. She reduced the fine to $141.) Click on the helmet to download a 1.9MB movie of me on the sidelines. I'm the one in the blue shirt near the kicking net! Back!