By Mary Frances McCarthy
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 11/27/03)

When a professional football game appears on television, no matter who’s playing in what stadium, Peter Baroody (pictured at right with students) can say, "I’ve been there."

From New York on Sept. 5, 2002, to Kansas City on Dec. 22, this physical education teacher from Blessed Sacrament School in Alexandria saw every National Football League team play in its home stadium, earning him the distinction of "Most Ardent NFL Fan" in the Guinness Book of World Records.

In 16 weeks he traveled 30,000 miles through 42 states. The trip cost him about $10,000, but this is only a guess because Baroody is still somewhat frightened of adding up all the bills.

When Baroody initially wrote to Guinness Book with the idea for his trip, they turned down his record setting idea. He wrote back to persuade them to accept his dream, and they agreed that he could attempt to set the record as long as he obeyed the speed limit and provided documentation, including ticket stubs, photographs and credit card receipts.

Although the puzzle of planning how to visit 31 stadiums in a 17-week season seems challenging enough, Baroody then had to score his own tickets for the games. Family and friends helped him when they could, and Baroody relied on eBay for quite a few games. Although not his favored mode of landing tickets, for some games Baroody had to arrive at the stadium on game day and hope there was a fan with an extra ticket.

Baroody funded most of the project on his own. He had help from one official sponsor who throughout the trip serviced his Ford Expedition, his transportation that sometimes doubled as his lodging. Baroody earned some extra money selling t-shirts advertising his "Super Stadium Tour."

Baroody said he and his dream were best received in Pittsburgh and Chicago where the fans were excited to hear about his mission.

Fans weren’t quite as excited in Philadelphia. "I hate Philly," he told the Associated Press last summer. "The people there are just mean."

He said one of his worst experiences was in Detroit where "hecklers told me to get a job, which I thought was pretty funny."

Baroody left his teaching job at St. Mary School in Alexandria in order to take the trip. He said the school staff said, "Oh, he’s crazy," but they were very supportive. And of course the kids didn’t want him to go.

Baroody is a football and basketball coach at his alma mater, Gonzaga College High School in Washington. At Gonzaga, he said, "All the kids think it’s cool, and the head coach was extremely supportive. He said, ‘Go have fun. There’s a job here when you get back.’"

Baroody’s dream started when he was in college at James Madison University in Harrisonburg. He was looking through a football program, and considered following his favorite team, the Washington Redskins. Baroody decided instead that he wanted to visit every team for a home game. At that time his mother was afraid he wouldn’t graduate if he did this, so he decided to put the dream on hold.

His family was skeptical and thought it was a crazy idea, but "once I started they knew I’d be able to do it."

When he returned from his journey, he applied for a job at Blessed Sacrament School, where he attended grade school, and where he first applied for a job right out of college. Luckily, this time, there was a physical education opening. So, after fulfilling is dream of visiting every NFL stadium in the country, he landed the job he’d been wishing for as well.

At Blessed Sacrament, he encouraged his students to set dreams and fulfill them. He began a "Record Wall" where students can list any achievements they’ve made. Although some kids record running fast or other athletic feats, Baroody said the wall is also "for kids who may not excel at sports, but can do other things." Some kids have hung upside down for a certain amount of time, or sat in a particular position, or even drank a certain amount of milk in five seconds.

Baroody says they can do anything (as long as it’s not dangerous of course) as long as they document it.

Since returning from his NFL odyssey, Baroody has begun the process of writing about his travels. His name will be published in the 2005 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, and he hopes he will have his own book ready for publication by then. Baroody describes the book as "documentation of everything, not just football, but about seeing the country."

Depending on the reception of the book, he might pursue his latest idea of watching games at every venue for every major professional sport — basketball, baseball, hockey, and of course, football.