When a flight reaches its final descent into Mineta San Jose International Airport, Quakes season ticket holder’s Jeff and Kaci Scovel patrol the aisle to prepare for landing.
Jeff and Kaci – both flight attendants
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check for buckled seat belts, stowed away tray tables and, throughout the past couple years, the latest construction on the corner of Coleman and Newhall.
The Scovels
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Quakes season ticket holders since 2011
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have seen Avaya Stadium sprout up from a few steel beams into one of the most exciting sports venues in the region – all from a bird’s eye view.
“By landing in San Jose, we’ve been able to see the progression from up above,” Kaci said. “Of course, we’re always bragging to the pilot saying that that’s our team’s new stadium. It’s just been really exciting seeing it from that viewpoint.”
Whether they’re whizzing by the venue preparing for liftoff or touching down onto the runway, the Scovels make sure to take a glance out of the plane windows to remind themselves how far their team has come.
Jeff, a lifetime Bay Area resident, became a Quakes fan when the club first kicked off in 1974. Watching the likes of George Best and Paul Child from the bleachers of Spartan Stadium, Jeff has seen his fair share of memorable Quakes moments, including one play that he vividly remembers 40 years later.
“The Quakes were playing the Vancouver Whitecaps at Spartan Stadium and it was Paul Child and George Best playing, and I remember Chris Dangerfield getting the ball,” Scovel described. “He dribbled the ball through the opponents legs and then crossed the ball. Best jumped up like he was going to head it but left it for Paul Child, who one-touched his shot into the upper net for the game-winning goal.”
Ironically enough, Kaci, a native of Sacramento, met her future husband on a flight. Just as their marriage continued to blossom, so did their fandom for the men in black and blue. Now entering their fifth season as season ticket holders, Kaci is ready to usher in her new seats in section 104.
“We wanted to be as close as we could to the center of the pitch,” Kaci said. “One of the best features of this stadium is how close every seat is to the field. We can’t wait for March 22 so we can see them out there for the first time.”
With every passing airport Kaci and Jeff have been to in their careers, Mineta International’s close proximity to the club’s new home gives the Scovels their reason to March Home.
“We March Home to our final destination,” Kaci said. “Having the airport right next to the new stadium really brings it all together for us. Just in a five mile radius we have our home, our family, our livelihood, and our Quakes.”
“We’ve made great friends here at Quakes games that we hang out with away from the field now,” Jeff said. “It’s that family atmosphere that’s been brought into the stadium. Everybody feels more like a family in this new stadium and then you look at the planes flying in and out of the airport. It just ties everything together for us.”
