[george]

For any who went last year, how family-friendly is this event? Is it packed and crazy? My wife and three kids (13, 11, and 8) are definitely not football fans, so I'm wondering if it would be a mistake to drag them out to this.

I think that the Santa Monica Pier is a much more family-friendly venue than LA Live.  Last year we attempted to take the metro downtown and by the time we reached LA Live, it was so jam packed that we couldn't even see the stage.  We had our 18 month old in a stroller and it was a challenge. 

By contrast, during the summer at the SM pier they have these music concerts which manage to accommodate pretty enormous crowds comfortably.  I'm guessing that this year's event will be more similar to the Orange Bowl pep rally than last year's Rose Bowl one.  If the fam finds that their enthusiasm for seeing the coaches/team doesn't match yours they can check out the rides/arcades/beach that will be right there.

Last year's pep rally was also the pre-cursor to the cardboard meet-up.  Are we going to do something again this year?

[george]

For any who went last year, how family-friendly is this event? Is it packed and crazy? My wife and three kids (13, 11, and 8) are definitely not football fans, so I'm wondering if it would be a mistake to drag them out to this.

I think that the Santa Monica Pier is a much more family-friendly venue than LA Live.  Last year we attempted to take the metro downtown and by the time we reached LA Live, it was so jam packed that we couldn't even see the stage.  We had our 18 month old in a stroller and it was a challenge. 

By contrast, during the summer at the SM pier they have these music concerts which manage to accommodate pretty enormous crowds comfortably.  I'm guessing that this year's event will be more similar to the Orange Bowl pep rally than last year's Rose Bowl one.  If the fam finds that their enthusiasm for seeing the coaches/team doesn't match yours they can check out the rides/arcades/beach that will be right there.

Last year's pep rally was also the pre-cursor to the cardboard meet-up.  Are we going to do something again this year?