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Detroit Fans Line Up In Cold For Free Football

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A free football game at Ford Field on a Monday night? That sounded like a great offer.

The chance to watch a NFL game in person that doesn’t involve the Detroit Lions? That surely held some appeal to fans who just like to watch good football.

Free tickets for Monday’s game between the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings — relocated to Detroit because of the collapsed roof at the Metrodome in Minneapolis — were made available at 9 a.m. at the Ford Field box office. And people looking for the chance to watch some free NFL football came out in droves, despite wind chill temperatures feeling like 10 degrees below zero.

The demand for tickets was so overwhelming that the Lions announced that distribution was cut off at 10:40 a.m. Seats also had to remain available for original ticketholders for the Giants-Vikings game in Minnesota (who would receive preferred seating at the 50-yard line) and those who retained stubs from Sunday’s Lions-Packers game.

The Lions are calling the game a sellout. Capacity at Ford Field is 64,500.

Non-preferred seating is general admission, however. Admission to Ford Field for Monday night’s game will be determined on a first-come, first-serve basis. Tickets do not guarantee admittance into Ford Field.

Kickoff is at 7:20 p.m. Stadium gates will open at 5:30 p.m.