Getting a 70-200 lens into an NFL (STEELERS!) football game?

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Hi,

We were given a pair of $400.00 Pittsburgh Steelers football tickets from a vendor, and we saw a heck of a game recently. I read the rules of the stadium, and it says no video gear, and no "professional lenses", listing 6 inches as the maximum. My EF 70-200 f/2.8L Mk.2 is about 8 inches long if you ignore the end cap and lens cap. The pros on the sidelines all had massive lenses on monopods of course, over half of which were BIG WHITES! (Woo, hoooo!) (At Pirates games, it is usually about 100% big whites.)

I chickened out and didn't bring my camera for this reason. The parking is like 1/2 mile from the stadium and the security check line is always a mile long, and I didn't want to risk a long walk back to the car. (Nor did I want to leave a nice lens in the car.) But with the seats we get, I am SURE that with the 1/4x TC, I could have gotten some really good shots. A guy right in front of us got a Nikon lens in, (NOT large and white) by playing dumb and saying "I don't know how lenses work" when asked if it was a telephoto. I thought I might say it is an insect and flower lens, and I am pressing into game service because it is my only weather-resistant lens". If I don't draw a camera guy at the security booth, maybe I'd be OK?

Does anyone have experience getting long-ish white lenses into NFL stadiums, or Heinz field in particular? I do believe I may be lucky enough to get more of these tickets. ;D
 
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