* A Steelers fan just punched me in the nose. Where are emergency services?
You have several options, none of which, unfortunately, involve punching the fan back or getting Tony Siragusa to come to your aid. Instead, contact the nearest usher or other Ravens representative. For minor medical care, walk to one of the stadium's six first-aid stations. For more serious injuries, roving teams of paramedics will be on hand to come to you. Ambulances also will be positioned around the building on game days beginning at 8 a.m.
* Nothing like $4 beers to empty a wallet in a hurry. Where can I find an ATM?
Not only will the Ravens accept all the money you bring with you, but they will also make it easy for you to get more. There will be six ATMs, two each on the upper level, lower level and club level. Each concession stand will accept credit cards. The team also is considering adopting "smart cards," which can be purchased in advance and used to buy goods, but they won't be in place this season.
* Jim Harbaugh's scrambling is making me nervous. Where can I smoke?
Harbaugh doesn't smoke and neither should you. But if you insist, head to an open concourse or ramp. No smoking will be allowed in seating bowls or enclosed areas such as bathrooms or the club lounge. Skyboxes? Smoking is allowed inside them, but not on the suite balconies. Do you want to tell David Modell to douse his cigar?
* I sat in the front row at Memorial Stadium and couldn't see a thing when players stood up -- even the tiny kickers. Can I see from my front-row seat at the new stadium?
Yes. The sightline of the front-row seats is 10 feet above the field, which should be enough to see over Orlando Brown even if he's standing on Matt Stover. Whether you can see over the railings in the front rows, however, is another matter.
* My husband is bringing our infant daughter to the game while I go to work. Are there changing stations?
Yes, there are changing tables that fold out from the walls of the washrooms, both men's and women's. There are also several unisex, family-style bathrooms around. But don't ask for baby-sitting. Your husband is on his own for that.
* Can my 2-year-old come with me to the game and sit on my lap or do I have to buy him a ticket?
Children 2 and under are admitted free but have to sit on your lap, unless there is an open seat nearby. Also, you can register a child at a Guest Services Center. The child will get a wristband and your seat location will be registered. Lost children will be escorted to the Guest Services Center by stadium employees and their parents tracked down through the registry.
* I lost my "Keep Donny Brady in Baltimore" sweat shirt. Where's the lost and found?
Found items will be taken to the main Guest Services Center at section 100 of the lower concourse and kept there for one hour after the game. After that, everything gets turned over to the Maryland Stadium Authority's security detail and will be held for a while. Our advice: Forget about Donny.
* Can I visit my buddy in another section of the stadium or will an usher stop me?
Yes, you will be able to move about except to the rarefied air of the club and suite levels. No visiting these areas without a ticket or a Secret Service detail. Patrons from those sections, however, are free to visit you. Give Bill Gates your seat number in the upper deck and he'll have to come up to see you.
* I'd hate to get my new official Ravens cap wet. Can I bring an umbrella?
No umbrellas will be allowed, because of the potential for their use as weapons and because they can block the view of nearby patrons. Ticket-takers at the gates will be able to check an umbrella, though, and you can retrieve it after the game. More advice: Forget the Ravens cap. They're ugly, wet or dry.
* I hear the Redskins don't allow food to be brought into their
new stadium. Do the Ravens? Can I bring a Thermos? With brandy?
The team is not encouraging people to bring food, but won't confiscate a few banana and peanut butter sandwiches carried in a soft-sided, hand-held container. Just don't bring enough to feed the band. And don't bring a cooler, cans, bottles, Thermos, or any kind of beverage.
* I hate to miss a minute of warm-ups. When do the gates open?
Don't you have a life? For general seating, the gates will open two hours before kickoff. Skybox and club seat fans can get in three hours before kickoff. Tailgating parking areas open five hours before kickoff.
* Can I display my "Bring Back Vinny" banner?
Banners are fine so long as they are not political, commercial, offensive or lewd. You be the judge on Testaverde. No sign can be attached to a pole of any kind. It's OK to hold up your sign from time to time as long as you don't annoy the folks behind you. You can attach a sign to the facade of the seating bowls, but they can't hang so low they block the view of patrons underneath.
* Speaking of signs, just what does "John 3: 16," frequently seen in end zones during extra-point kicks, mean?
It's a passage from the Bible, popular with Christians: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but will have eternal life."
* I'm not so into football, but I love a good tune. Where will the marching band sit during the game? And how about the cheerleaders? Where will they be?
The band will sit in the east end zone; cheerleaders will be divided up along the sidelines. Have you thought about going to a movie instead? It's cheaper.
* My friend is driving. How many beers can I buy? And until when can I buy them?
The team will limit patrons to four beers per purchase. And if you look drunk, they won't sell you any. Beer will be sold from kickoff to the end of the third quarter in the general admission seats. On the club level, alcohol will be served through the end of the game. Skybox customers can keep sipping through the "fifth quarter" post-game video board show. By the way, your non-drinking friend can sign up to be a designated driver and receive coupons for free soft drinks. Sign up at one of the four Guest Services Centers, sections 100, 127, 525 and 553.
* Who can I complain to about the loudmouth in my section who's using language that would make even the offensive linemen blush?
If you find an offensive lineman, you can complain to him. Otherwise, contact the nearest usher, greeter or other Ravens representative. The offending patron will be warned once and ejected on the second offense. Repeat offenders may lose season tickets.
* Will the team designate a "family section" like some stadiums have, where drinking is banned?
No. The team wants the entire stadium to have a family feel to it. Wink, wink.
* I just walked from a parking lot in Glen Burnie -- the nearest spot I could find. I'm tired. Do I have to walk up the ramps or can I get an elevator or escalator?
If you can walk up the ramp, you have to walk up the ramp. Fans with disabilities can use one of eight elevators in the place. Anyone with an obvious disability will be admitted to an elevator when they show up; others will be taken on a case-by-case basis. Call Guest Services in advance if you want to make arrangements: 410-547-8100.
There are no escalators, except for the club level. If you were able to walk from Glen Burnie, you can make it to the summit.
* What will they name the new stadium and how soon? Will the public have a vote?
Vote? Are you kidding? The name is for sale. The team has been negotiating for months with several corporations -- including Philadelphia-based Comcast -- interested in paying to slap the corporate logo on the stadium. The asking price has been as high as $7 million a year. So far no takers, but that could change quickly.
* I was so excited about getting tickets to the Raiders game that I forgot it falls on my wedding anniversary. Domestic tranquility demands I stay home. Will there be a scalp-free zone at the stadium so I can sell tickets?
No. Unlike the Orioles, who operate a zone for ticket exchange at their stadium, the Ravens won't. And you can't sell a ticket, even for face value, within a mile of the stadium. Hey, here's an idea: Take your wife with you. A Polish sausage with grilled onions makes a perfect anniversary gift.
* What if I left my lucky Ravens beak in the car? Can I get out and come back in?
There will be provisions for limited re-entry, handled on a case-by-case basis. Explain your plight to the folks at a Guest Services Center. If the beak is still on a live bird, leave it at home. No animals are allowed in the stadium other than dogs assisting the disabled.
* Where do we get autographs?
Westminster during training camp. The team is discouraging fans from approaching players on game days for their signatures. As at Oriole Park, the players will have their own fenced-in parking lot just south of their stadium. You may catch a glimpse of them there.
Pub Date: 8/07/98