Tom Cruise and Oprah at the United Center again

I have Oprah on in the background, and Tom Cruise just came out on stage...  The show was filmed at the United Center.  Seeing those two at the United Center, reminded me of when they were sitting behind my friend and I at the Tina Turner concert in 2008. 

Can you recognize everyone in the picture? 

From L to R: Gayle King, Tom Cruise's mom, Tom Cruise, Connor Cruise, Oprah, Stedman Graham

Of course, we all know Oprah has her OWN network now, but it's still strange to know, that her show is coming to an end.

THE WIRK

Pacquiao defeated Mosley in an underwhelming fight, but Mark and I were there

Ok, so let's talk about the Shane Mosley v Manny Pacquiao WBC Welterweight bout on Saturday night...

As I mentioned in a previous post, I took my cousin's son, Mark, with me to the fight.  ****  Mark you still owe me the pictures, so please send me them when you get a chance.

There was no question that I was going to bet the fight.  I wasn't going to lay 900 to win 100 though.  Instead, I opted to place a small, $100 bet on the boxing match to go the distance (i.e. all 12 rounds). 

I was at the Margarito v Pacquiao fight in Dallas, and I felt that Manny could've easily knocked out Antonio Margarito ~ but he didn't.  Based on that previous fight, I felt that Pacquiao (i.e. who seemed to be friends with Mosley) would "let" the fight go the distance.  Needless to say, I was right.

By the time Mark and I arrived at the MGM Grand and went to the sportsbook, the Lopez v Pavlik fight was off the board.  This was too bad, because I wanted to parlay my "Will go" with a Pavlik victory to increase my payout.  C'est la vie. 

I like Pavlik (i.e. who's from Youngstown, OH) and he won easily.  I was excited to see him fight "live" since he didn't end up boxing at the last fight in Dallas.

Arce won the next fight.

Finally it was time for the main event and a mini-concert.  Uber-talented Charice (i.e. I know her from watching Oprah) sang a perfect Philippine national anthem. Tyrese sang the US national anthem and Jamie Foxx sang "America the Beautiful".  LL Cool J sang "Mama Said Knock You Out" for Shane Mosley.  ****  This is the 2nd or 3rd time I've seen and heard LL Cool J perform this song live, but for obvious reasons this time it was even more hyped.  Manny Pacquiao came out towards the ring to "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor. 

Highlights of the match:

1) When Pacquiao knocked down Mosley in the 3rd round.

2) When Bayless incorrectly ruled that Pacquiao was knocked down in the 10th.  ****  If you ask me, it wasn't a knockdown.  As a result of the bad call, Pacquiao came out with more fire.

In my opinion, the fight was underwhelming.  I sold all my extra tickets and made a tiny profit.  I knew I was bored when I was trying to figure out what brand my water bottle was and was trying to to hold it in the light so I could read the label.  It was a full house in the MGM Grand Garden Arena, and you could hear the crowd booing loudly.  Boxing fans wanted to see a FIGHT.  We didn't pay to see Pacquiao and Mosley touch gloves and play it safe. 

It's obvious the two pugilists have a good relationship, but the friendship was overtly obvious and reminded me of when Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson would hug and kiss before the opening tip.  I didn't want to see buddies hang out.  I paid to see a fight.  There's no question that the Margarito fight was better.

I'm happy that Mark enjoyed the fight.  I know he enjoyed it.  I'm also happy that I'll never have to pay for dental again, once he finishes school.

Oh, and it's worth mentioning that the MGM Grand Garden Arena ran out of hotdogs.  Seriously.  That's a huge mistake.

THE WIRK

Wirk-Life Balance ~ A sports, music, and travel blogger's year-end thoughts...

I have a friend who referred to me as "the blog lady".  At times, I don't touch this blog...  When there's nothing to talk about, there's nothing to write about.  I think about this blog a lot.  I have a lot of ideas.  I'm outspoken and opinionated.  When I have something to say, I express it. 

Since I'm single, I travel a lot.  At times I think I travel too much.  In general I have a lot of energy, but I also pay attention to my body and make sure I don't push myself too hard.  However, I admit that I do push myself.  If you've been following this blog, you've seen me travel the country now for 12 months.  I've criss-crossed the country, left the country, and visited friends and family as I went from adventure to adventure. 

This year I went to the NFL Wildcard games, Super Bowl, NBA All-Star weekend, The Masters, the ALDS, ALCS, NLCS, and countless other (i.e. baseball, basketball, football, and hockey) games.  I've reviewed various casinos.  I provided insight into various sports headlines.  I've also covered concerts such as Mariah Carey, Jay-Z, Eminem, and Prince.

If you look at the map at the top of my blog, you can see the trips I've taken.  The map looks crazy, and it's not even comprehensive.  Those are only my leisure trips that are tracked.  Ironically, for a blog called TheWirk.com, I don't track my work trips. 

Although I'm usually behind a keyboard, there are times when you can hear me talking.  Usually, I save my "sports" voice for when I'm surrounded with other people in the industry (e.g. athletes, media, or very knowledgeable friends).  During the Winter Olympics, I made it on TV.  My comments on the US Men's Hockey team's quest for a gold medal, were on the news and published on the internet in multiple forms, as part of a larger news segment.  If you want to see a clip,here you are: http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local-beat/Local_Blogger_Talks_Hockey_Washington_DC.html.

A few months ago, I auditioned with 2,000 other people in the New York/New Jersey area (i.e. there were 3 other casting calls in the US) for a TV show on Oprah's new TV network OWN that debuts in 2011.  I pitched my idea for a show and was called back by casting to shoot an audition tape.  I'm pretty sure that endeavor, via that forum died, but that doesn't mean that the dream is dead. 

I've seen places and stadiums that I've never been to and reconnected with friends and family. Some of my friends and extended family I'd only see at weddings, but because of a sporting event or a concert, I might have seen them at least a couple of times this year. Family and friends are important to me.

Sports, music, and my love of travel have introduced new people into my life that have made my life so much richer. Being a girl at a sporting event, it's not uncommon to be surrounded by 20,000+ men on any given night.  I'm a quality over quantity person though, and I'm very picky about who I let into my life, much less date.  I'm definitely not the friendliest person you'll ever meet (i.e. especially when I'm paying attention to a game).  Usually, I have my guard up and am not fond of strangers, but I'd like to think I'm a good judge of people.   When attending a game alone, I tend to drown everything out.  Sure I look around. I scan the crowd. I look for familiar faces, famous people, and/or anything worth taking a picture of so I can preserve the memory and bring the story home to you. When I attend games solo, I don't usually talk to the people around me. If I was watching a game, I wouldn't want someone yapping in my ear the entire time.

I have met some great people during my travels.  I sat with some folks in New Orleans who found my blog after sitting with me at a Saints game.  One of the ladies sent me an email inviting me back down for a Saints game and expressed her excitement over watching my skydiving video.  I've received an email from a pit boss in Las Vegas after he spoke with my friend about my blog.  The pit boss, pointed me towards his own blog that chronicled his passion for visiting college campuses.  Most recently, I met someone special at the ALCS game between the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers, who on a return visit showed me a fantastic time and so many sites in Dallas and Fort Worth that I never needed to visit either city again in my lifetime ~ but I did. 

Often I've been asked about credentialing.  I've struggled with whether or not I want to try to obtain media passes or all-access passes.  As of now, I enjoy writing about my experience from the seats.  I don't want to interview.  I don't need that type of access to players, coaches, artists, etc.  I'm more than content watching the game and performance from a floor or lower bowl seat (i.e. you will NEVER find me in the upper bowl ~ count on it).  You'll also never find me courtside.  I've sat in the 2nd row before, but I really don't want to sit courtside.  It scares me.  I like being close, but I don't like to be too close.  I need room to breathe, and I don't have that space, when there's nothing "separating" me from what I'm trying to take in.

Ultimately, I really don't know how long I'll keep up this pace of travel.  My goal to hit every stadium, park, and arena for baseball, football, and basketball is a life-long goal.  AND, in case anyone's curious I plan to live a long life.  It's been a wild ride this year, and I hope you've enjoyed the voyage as much as me. 

**** There are only 5 people I regularly answer the phone for and don't think about sending to voicemail. 3 of them are immediate family members. One is my friend, Kanak (i.e. but even she's gotten on Gchat now so those calls are lessening). The other one is whoever I'm interested in at the time and it's none of your business. So let's face it, you may never get me on the phone. I have a bad habit of not returning calls and/or not picking up the phone, when I don't want to talk. If I'm not interested, I won't talk to you. It is, what it is. However, if you want to know what I think or what I'm up to, read this blog and you'll know.

I've been campaigning this week for Blogger of the Year for a site that I contribute to.  I was trading messages with a friend and I said that it was hard to compete with bigger operations.  He simply replied, "There may be bigger operations, but there isn't a bigger operator."  Wow.  He's right though... 

I've never seen anyone cover the world like me in one year!  That's the truth. 


THE WIRK

The Bulls take on the Celtics tonight at the United Center - Big game!

As the race for the 8th spot in the East continues, I find myself in Chicago biding my time til this evening's Boston Celtics (50-30) v Chicago Bulls (39-41) game at the United Center at 7PM, Chicago time.  The Bulls defeated the Raptors on Sunday in Toronto.  Ironically, the Raptors are the Bulls' competition, and tonight is the final home game of the season for the Bulls.  Therefore, this game is important for so many reasons.  This game counts!  Teams like the Cavs and the Lakers are resting their stars, but the Bulls will need to dig down deep and earn a victory tonight in order to maintain their position and participate in the post-season.

The current landscape in the East is as follows:

Eastern

1. Cleveland
2. Orlando
3. Atlanta
4. Boston
5. Miami
6. Milwaukee
7. Charlotte
8. Chicago

Toronto is 9th, right now and currently not going to play in the post-season.

This will be my first trip to the United Center, for a basketball game so this game is important to me also.  Don't forget, I have a goal to hit all the stadiums, arenas, etc. for all of the professional baseball, basketball, and football teams.  I'm not ready to commit to attending home games for all of the hockey teams, yet.  My current count is 62.  Therefore, this game counts personally!  However, as a Cavs fan, I'm not sure I can bring myself to buy a Bulls hat.  My brain keeps going back to Jordan's shot over Ehlo in the 1989 Playoffs...  Ouch.  The Shot still hurts.

Cavs fans look away.  Bulls fans here you go.  Narrating this clip, that I found on youtube is Joe Tait.  He's the voice of the Cleveland Cavaliers and amazing!  I'm convinced he could talk me through performing open heart surgery with his play calling and attention to detail.

For you music fans out there, the last time I was at the United Center was for the Tina Turner concert in October 2008.  Incidentally, for that concert, I was one row ahead and to the left of Oprah, Stedman, Gayle King, and Tom Cruise. 

The one and only, Tina Turner

Gayle, Tom's Mom, Tom Cruise, Oprah, Stedman

I doubt I'll see Michael Jordan, Oprah, or Tom Cruise at the United Center tonight, but all of you true Bulls fans should giddy up and head to the game!

THE WIRK

Celtics don't scare me, and I still need a ticket to the Super Bowl.... GO COLTS!!!!

List of thoughts because I'm too tired to write paragraphs right now.

Basketball
1.  Yesterday, Pat's dad couldn't go to the game Celtics v Wizards game, so I got called up.  Thanks, Pat. He's a Celtics fan so I compromised and wore lime green.  I will not put a Celtics hat on my head.

2.  I said to bet the Celtics -5.  If you did, you WON.  The Celtics didn't really play until the 4th Q, so sorry if you had to sweat it out.

Final score

2.  The Celtics are not scary.  As a Cavs fan, they'll have to show me more, before I BEGIN to consider them a credible threat in the East.  Garnett is definitely NOT back, even though he's playing.
3.  The only scare of the game happened when Paul Pierce went down, but he got back up and continued playing ~ eventually.

Paul Pierce getting treated on the bench.

4.  The Wizards are running some sort of promotion now through Chik Fil-A.  Chik Fil-A picks a player on the visiting team, and if that player misses both of his free throws, everyone in the arena gets a free sandwich.  Thank you, Big Baby Davis ~ for your poor shooting and my free lunch tomorrow (i.e. if I can drag myself out of my apartment and into the cold).
5. Can't watch another Wizards game for a long time.  Enough is a enough.  I walk out of the Verizon Center stressed out, and this is not good.
6.  I caught/picked up one of those free give away balls that they throw out into the crowd.  I was not standing and waving for it like a 6 year old child.  This proves you can get free stuff by sitting and "playing it cool". 

Yeah, I like free stuff

6.  Watching ESPN Sportscenter, and I'm disgusted.  You'd think Kobe Bryant walked on water last night.  Yes, I get it.  He's the all-time leading scorer for the franchise.  However, in my opinion, he's NOT the best Laker ever.  If you make me choose between Kobe or Magic ~ I'll take Magic any day.  To me, Magic is the Lakers' heart.
7.  Working on plans for NBA All-Star weekend. 
8.  I'm not Oprah and the last thing I want to do is read/sell books, but here's one for you.  I came across my copy recently, and it started me thinking. If you've never read "Homecourt Advantage" by Rita Ewing and Crystal McCrary ~ check it out. It reads quickly and will give you a good idea of what it's like to be a WAG in the NBA.
















Football
1.  Headed to Miami on Wednesday night/Thursday morning for the Super Bowl.  I need/want to be on the ground for all the festivities.
2.  Dwight Freeney and a torn ligament?!?!  Oh no!!!!  Dwight, please play!!!!!  GO COLTS!!!!
3.  I need a ticket to the Super Bowl.  Still.

Other
1.  Working on a logo for TheWirk.com
2.  Trying to come up with other sports ideas/events for this blog.
3.  Apologies to my trivia team, who I ditched to go to the game last night.
4.  Shout out to Fogdog and the Bryant brothers who I saw/ran into while at the game.


THE WIRK