Monster Jam

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We’re Going to Nashville Monster Jam on June 18, 2016 (Father’s Day Ticket Giveaway)

We’re Going to Nashville Monster Jam on June 18, 2016 (Father’s Day Ticket Giveaway)

It’s no secret that our family enjoys going to see the monster trucks whenever Monster Jam comes to town. I’ve written about our Monster Jam experiences each and every time we’ve gone. Fortunately for us Nashvillians, next month will make the 2nd time within the year that Monster Jam has graced our city.

This will be the first time we’ve ever been to an outdoor Monster Jam show, as the event will be taking place at the Nissan Stadium in downtown Nashville.

The show is on Saturday, June 18th, 2016 and begins at 7 PM.

We’re Going to Nashville Monster Jam on June 18, 2016 (Father’s Day Ticket Giveaway)

You know me- I love to celebrate fatherhood and masculinity. Both themes seem to mesh naturally well with monster trucks. My wife and a month-old daughter will be sitting this one out, but I’ll be taking my son and my own dad. After all, the show is on Father’s Day weekend.

So, thanks to the folks at Monster Jam, I was able to give away 4 tickets to giveaway away for the show! I held a giveaway and here was the winning entry:

My daughter is 7 years old. her daddy passed away a few months Shy of her second birthday. She’s in to big trucks and mud. I think this would really brighten her spirit up around this tough time of the year. Although I’m a momma I’d definitely LOVE to treat my kids to a fun night out. We have never been to anything like this and it would be a dream come true.

On Memorial Day, I’ll announced her as the winner on my Facebook page for Family Friendly Daddy Blog.

And even for those who didn’t win, you still can save $5 on tickets. The discount code is: MJAM.

I wonder who will join us there?

We’re Going to Nashville Monster Jam on June 18, 2016 (Father’s Day Ticket Giveaway)

MONSTER JAM® To Make Debut 
at Nissan Stadium This Summer 
Tickets On Sale Now                     
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – It’s official, MONSTER JAM® will make its debut at Nissan Stadium on June 18, 2016. Tickets are on sale now. The action takes place Father’s Day weekend, making it the perfect outing to celebrate Dad. The Party in the Pits will bring loads of family fun, all leading up to the main event. Fans will be treated to aggressive, head-to-head racing action with more than a dozen of Monster Jam’s fiercest athletes competing in a stadium in Nashville for the first time. 
 
Party in the Pits:      1:30 p.m.–5 p.m. outside Nissan Stadium (Lot H) 
Show Time:              Saturday, June 18, 2016
Gates Open at 5 p.m. 
Opening Ceremonies at 6:30 p.m.
Racing Starts at 7 p.m.
Location:                   Nissan Stadium, 1 Titans Way, Nashville, TN 37213
Tickets:                     Tickets start at only $15*
           Pit Passes are $10
*Subject to facility, convenience and handling charges 
Tickets are available at https://www.monsterjam.com/tickets or by calling 800-745-3000
Trucks:                     Grave Digger®
Max-D®
Scooby-DooSM
ZombieSM
Son-Uva Digger®
Soldier Fortune 
Metal Mulisha 
                                   Plus many more!
Approximately 12 feet tall and about 12 feet wide, Monster Jam trucks are custom-designed machines that sit atop 66-inch-tall tires and weigh a minimum of 10,000 pounds. Built for short, high-powered bursts of speed, Monster Jam trucks generate 1,500 to 2,000 horsepower and are capable of speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. Monster Jam trucks can fly up to 125 to 130 feet (a distance greater than 14 cars side by side) and up to 35 feet in the air.
For more information on the Monster Jam, log onto www.MonsterJam.com.  To follow Monster Jam on Facebook at Twitter, log on to Facebook.com/MJOnline and Twitter.com/MonsterJam.
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Dear Jack: You were Legitimately Worried People Would Think I’m Superman

5 years, 1 month.

Dear Jack: You were Legitimately Worried People Would Think I’m Superman

Dear Jack,

Last Saturday, as I was paying for parking so we could attend the Nashville Boat & Sportshow, as well as Monster Jam 2016, you and Mommy stayed in the car.

(Fortunately, we lucked out, and only had to pay $13 to park. In downtown Nashville, that’s a good deal.)

I was wearing my new Superman baseball cap that you and Mommy got me for Christmas. As I was outside in the parking lot finalizing our parking space, you asked Mommy, “What if people think Daddy is Superman because he’s wearing that? What if they start crowding around him?”

This was a legitimate concern to you; that the tourists of downtown Nashville would be stopped in their tracks by the presence of the real Superman.

How would they spot me? Because of my Superman logo on my hat; as opposed to my shirt, were the Superman logo is usually displayed.

Never mind that Superman would be more like 6’4” and 220 pounds, whereas I’m 5’9” and 155 pounds.

Still, in your mind, I could pass as Superman.

If I allowed myself to, I could let that go to my head.

I also learned that same day, that you believe Batman, as well as Superman, are not simply fictional super heroes, but actually real people.

As you saw the “Batman building”, as we Nashvillians call it, you proclaimed, “Daddy, I wonder if Batman really sleeps up there on top of the Batman building?”

So in your mind, not only is Batman a real person, but he happens to live in the center of downtown Nashville.

I love the way you think. I love the thought of a version of reality in which not only legendary superheroes walk among us, but also where I, your Daddy, could possibly be mistaken for one.

But in your mind, it works. I am Superman.

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: We were at the 2016 Monster Jam in Nashville!

5 years, 1 month.

Dear Jack: We were at the 2016 Monster Jam in Nashville!

Dear Jack,

It’s simply family tradition by now that we attended the Monster Jam truck show this past weekend. This made our 3rd time; and both you and Mommy declared for yourselves… this was your favorite.

And I would have to agree.

As did the Fulmer family, who won the ticket giveaway on my blog, Family Friendly Daddy Blog.

Dear Jack: We were at the 2016 Monster Jam in Nashville!

They told me their little boy cried once the show was over and he realized the trucks wouldn’t be coming back out. That’s how you know it was a good show!

The action was simply non-stop. This was the first time we had seen the wheelie popping contest.

It was great being able to see these huge monster trucks leap straight into the air, thanks to the dirt ramps in the middle of the arena.

Dear Jack: We were at the 2016 Monster Jam in Nashville!

Whether I should admit this or not, it’s always interesting to watch what happens when the monster trucks flip over.

This happened at least twice while we were there.

The first time was with Gravedigger. I took this handy little video to share with the world:

And then it happened again with Zombie. I took pictures of that, as opposed to a video.

There’s a little bulldozer on standby that comes to the rescue, which flips the monster truck upright- obviously, the driver runs out of the vehicle first.

Zombie was your favorite. You loved how “his” arms waved in front of him the whole time.

Dear Jack: We were at the 2016 Monster Jam in Nashville!

Something that really caught my attention this time around is how diverse the monster truck industry is becoming. I love what I’m seeing.

I noticed that Scooby Doo, which happened to be one of the best performing trucks at the show, is driven by a female, Nichole Johnson from California.

Dear Jack: We were at the 2016 Monster Jam in Nashville!

Going back to your favorite monster truck that day, Zombie, its driver is Bari Musawwir.

This shows me that monster trucks have officially gone mainstream. I celebrate that.

The diversity of the audience demonstrated this as well. Monster trucks are for everyone and anyone who shows up to watch the action.

Dear Jack: We were at the 2016 Monster Jam in Nashville!

Our family is faithful to Monster Jam each year when they come through Nashville.

Before we had left for the show, you were imagining dragons as you took some time to draw a dragon before the show; not even knowing there was a monster truck called Dragon.

Dear Jack: We were at the 2016 Monster Jam in Nashville!

Of all coincidences, after the show we stopped by Walmart to let you pick out a monster truck. Sure enough, they had Dragon, which again, you didn’t even know existed.

Needless to say, you’ve been clutching “him” tightly in bed for the past couple of night, like you do your stuffed animals.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: We were at the 2016 Monster Jam in Nashville!

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Meet Us at the January 9th, 2016 Monster Jam in Nashville, TN!

Meet Us at the January 9th, 2016 Monster Jam in Nashville, TN

For the past two years, in both 2014 as well as 2015, our family has attended the Monster Jam event. This year will be no different. Our calendar is marked for 2:00 PM on Saturday, January 9th, 2016; just a few weeks away.

When you have a 5 year-old son, it’s only natural that, by default, your family is into monster trucks.

His collection of toy monster trucks grows every year. He draws them all the time at school. And he loves to build them out of his Legos.

That’s actually the main thing he keeps rebuilding each time he plays with those blocks.

While Nashville is known worldwide for its live shows, the one show we can’t miss is Monster Jam at Bridgestone Arena.

Just a couple of months ago, my son and I were able to experience the adventure of riding full speed in an actual monster truck, at the Spring Hill Ham Fest.

Please check out this video I spent a lot of time on. I think it’s really cool to see how fast the monster truck went and how happy my son was to be there.

The folks at Monster Jam are courteous to provide free tickets to one lucky family who is reading this right now.

The contest explained below is now closed, as the winner is the Fulmer family out of Murphreesboro, TN. 

The Fulmers were the first go to the Family Friendly Daddy Blog Facebook page, and leave a comment where I shared this post there on that page on Facebook (which is called, Meet Us at the January 9th, 2016 Monster Jam in Nashville, TN).

In the comment, they told me their child’s favorite Monster Jam monster truck and asked me if they are the winner of the Monster Jam tickets.

Meet Us at the January 9th, 2016 Monster Jam in Nashville, TN

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Dear Jack: Monster Jam 2015 in Nashville- Family Friendly Review

4 years, 1 month.

Dear Jack: Monster Jam 2015 in Nashville- Family Friendly Review

Dear Jack,

Last January, our family drove to Huntsville, Alabama to see Monster Jam 2014 because the Nashville arena only had show dates at night, which would have kept you up way past your bed time.

Dear Jack: Monster Jam 2015 in Nashville- Family Friendly Review

However, this year, with you being 4, Mommy and I can get away with letting you cheat your bedtime every once in a while like we did a few weeks ago for Marvel Universe Live.

Well, turns out that this year in Nashville for Monster Jam 2015, there was a Sunday afternoon show date. So we went!

Dear Jack: Monster Jam 2015 in Nashville- Family Friendly Review

Yes, that is an anteater in your arms. That was one of the specific things you asked for your birthday in November.

You named her “Annie.”  And she apparently loved the monster truck show as much as you did!

One of your favorite monster trucks was there: Grave Digger.

Dear Jack: Monster Jam 2015 in Nashville- Family Friendly Review

Not to mention, Son-uva Digger showed up too.

Something I have learned after seeing two Monster Jams is that the location of the venue determines which trucks will show up, because I supposed that’s based on which drivers live closest to the arena it’s being held. (We were at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN.)

As you can see from the shots of the crowd, it was a packed stadium! Nashville shows up for monster trucks, that’s for sure.

Dear Jack: Monster Jam 2015 in Nashville- Family Friendly Review

I think your favorite part was seeing both Grave Digger and Captain’s Curse flip over and have to be rescued by the machine.

They also had some ATV racers there as well. Which, speaking of, I hate it that we’ll miss the Arenacross event at the end of this month. However, that’s the weekend we move into our new house!

We sat next to the winners of the ticket giveaway I did on the Facebook page for Family Friendly Daddy Blog. They had a blast as well.

Dear Jack: Monster Jam 2015 in Nashville- Family Friendly Review

Granted, I should define “had a blast” when referring to 3 and 4 year-old little boys like the two of you.

You weren’t necessarily screaming and cheering the entire time… That’s because typically when something overwhelmingly entertains you like that, you just sit there and soak it all in.

Dear Jack: Monster Jam 2015 in Nashville- Family Friendly Review

From there, you will go on to tell all your friends and teachers  about it at school for the following weeks. Going to the show also feeds your ongoing interest in playing with your growing collection of toy monster trucks.

Dear Jack: Monster Jam 2015 in Nashville- Family Friendly Review

It was no surprise that as soon as you got home, you began racing your Monster Jam trucks on the bedroom floor: “Vvvvvvvrrrrroooo! Eeeeeeccckk! Jch-jch-jch!”

You are a kid who loves Monster Jam. And your anteater, too… at the same time!

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Monster Jam 2015 in Nashville- Family Friendly Review