Great American Ballpark with my dad for Father's Day

Cross another MLB ballpark off the list.  Over Father's Day weekend, I made a deal with my dad.  I'd go with him to the "new" Horseshoe Casino in Cincinnati, OH if he promised to go with me to Great American Ballpark to watch the Milwaukee Brewers play the Cincinnati Reds.  He agreed and immediately I went to StubHub to seek out a pair of tickets.

I settled on Scout seats.  If you've never sat in Scout seats before, I highly recommend them.  They're behind home plate, but higher up than the section right behind home plate.  The seats are cushioned and you have access to Scouts' Alley (i.e. a private concession area -- where you pay -- but you don't have to wait in lines behind people in "regular" seats).  I didn't actually go and check out Scouts' Alley because the lines weren't too bad at all at Frisch's Big Boy.  My dad had a burger and I had the chicken fingers.  I ordered a souvenir drink and it came with a coupon for a free refill.  Seriously?  When have you ever seen free refills at a ballpark?  What a good value!

We settled into our seats and I started to look around the park.  To be honest, I didn't see anything special.  It'd been AGES since I'd seen the Reds play at home.  The last time I'd been to a Reds' game they were playing at Riverfront Coliseum. 

Gone is the old circular structure and a park that resembles the Twins/Orioles/Indians/etc. stands. 

I'm so happy I finally checked off another venue, and even happier that I got to go to the game with my dad.  For someone like him that complains that he doesn't watch any baseball, he sure did know a lot about Joey Votto and Johnny Cueto!

The rain started to come down a bit and it was refreshing, since it was so hot and muggy.  When the drops got bigger and fell down faster, we walked back to the casino (i.e. where we parked) and decided to start gambling.

The Reds won, and we won.

Happy Father's Day!


THE WIRK

The Truth About Love and P!nk in Concert

On Thursday night I went to the P!nk concert. I'd been trying to hunt down a ticket for weeks, and sure enough my perseverance paid off. At the 30th hour StubHub bailed me out of my predicament by having a ticket in section 100 for a little over face value. I don't mind paying over face value. I respect the ticket game and the principles surrounding Supply and Demand. I hustle tickets when I can. I believe in pricing at what the market will bear, but 3X face value wasn't coming out of pocket...

I'd been wanting to see P!nk perform for a "couple of albums" now. I missed the Funhouse tour completely, because I used to travel A LOT internationally and for long periods of time. Buying tickets and planning to see shows were nearly impossible. However, this time around, the stars aligned and I went to the concert.

P!nk puts on an amazing show for her fans. It's a concert, but it's also "P!nk du Soleil". What apparatus hasn't she mastered yet? Maybe the silks, actually... But back to her concert.

By now we've all probably read or heard about P!nk's story in the tabloids and/or on entertainment TV shows. No?!?! Well, maybe it's just me. Google it, people. If I had to describe her, I think I'd use the word "real". She comes off very strong, and yet sensitive with her ability to deliver sincere emotion through her lyrics. I'm probably going to catch plenty of flack about this, but I liken her to a modern day Tuna Turner, with regard to soul. Both P!nk and Tina speak to me.

P!nk's relationship ups and downs with Carey Hart and her family seem to play out like a reality TV musical. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I like to unwind with reality TV. EVERY relationship has its highs and lows. I love my husband, but at times, no one infuriates me more. Cooler heads and the ability to communicate emotions sustain and strengthen relationships. When it comes to the "struggle" it's obvious that P!nk's fans feel and understand her message.

Being P!nk's fan doesn't mean having to be the prettiest girl on the dance floor with all the hottest moves and the flashiest clothes. You don't have to be young, old, gay, straight, male, female, etc. You can be comfortable being and loving your "dorky" self. You can scream in frustration, ask for understanding, and be heard --- if not by those you love, but with 20,000 other people sitting all around you, singing just as loud.

Don't be like the "Stepford Wives in Training" that stood next to me (i.e. rigid and lifeless at the show). Dance and Sing!!! Leave it all out there when you go to P!nk's Truth About Love show. Why? Why not? She does.

Spoiler alert: P!nkerbell flies!!!!

Enjoy the pictures I took below. ****I'll rearrange them in this post later.

THE WIRK

Babyface at the Howard Theatre - Love song 90s flashback

I'm a sucker for 90s R&B and I love a good love song.  When I saw that Babyface was at The Howard Theatre, I knew I had to grab a ticket and go.  I picked up my ticket on StubHub, where I found it for 50% off the Ticketmaster price. 

Sure enough, as soon as I bought the ticket, I was reminded that the Denver Broncos were playing Thursday night football.  Oh well.  I hadn't seen Babyface since the mid 90s and I wanted to go.  Every time I've noticed that he was performing near me in the past, his schedule never coincided with mine, so I had to seize the opportunity.

I'd never been to the Howard Theatre before.  I knew it had "recently" been redone.  I went in not knowing what to expect and wow, was I surprised!  It's great in there.  They don't pack people in and there was seating for everyone from what I could tell.  The tickets were general admission, but you may have been able to reserve a table.  I'm not really sure.  The venue serves a full menu, so next time I'm definitely getting there early to dine.  I was able to pull right in front of the theatre and valet my car for $20.  Retrieving the car only took about 20 minutes.

Babyface opened the show with "For the Cool in You" and played songs that he's known for singing and those that he wrote for Bobby Brown, Tevin Campbell, etc.  The show only lasted about 1 hour and 40 minutes, but easily could've ran 3 hours with his extensive catalog.  Personally, I would've preferred that he sang longer, but that's always the case with artists that I love.

The crowd and I sang along through most of the show and Babyface told stories of his youth and how he enjoyed being in love.  To be a successful writer, you need to write about what you know and I'm a firm believer that Babyface is an expert when it comes to writing a love song.  He has the formula down to a science.  Granted he's not the most charismatic artist to ever take the stage, but as he tells his stories you can see he has a sense of humor.

The new year is almost upon us, and then there's Valentine's Day.  Babyface's show was an early Valentine's Day present to myself!

And best of all Peyton Manning led the Broncos to victory later that night.


THE WIRK

Baltimore Orioles ticket "scam" ~ All tickets need to be scanned

I'm going to go ahead and call it the way I see it. There was a scam happening at Saturday's Yankees v Orioles game.

I had an empty seat next to me, and there was a couple sitting next to the empty seat. Some time during the initial innings, two men came over and one of the guys had 4 tickets in his hand.

Ironically, the tickets the men were carrying were for the group of four seats that the three of us were sitting in.

Obviously the man's tickets shouldn't have even "scanned" at the entrance since other tickets with the same barcode were already used by myself and the other couple.

It wasn't a rainy day, like Friday, when one of the ticket takers ripped the tickets (i.e. like at a movie theater) when you entered. I guess his machine was damaged with the rain and no longer worked...

At any rate, the ushers and manager did the right thing by honoring the StubHub sales and assigning the other gentlemen new seats.

If you ask me, something wasn't "right", since the other two men shouldn't have been allowed in, much less benefited with upgraded tickets behind home plate.

Who knows what really happened and if those guys are even the season ticket holders that they claimed to be...

Regardless, I'm just thankful that my situation was handled properly by Baltimore Orioles' personnel!

Incidentally, I called StubHub today to the them know about the irregularity. They're going to investigate.

If anyone has any apprehension conducting transactions with StubHub, they should relax. I've had nothing but positive experiences with the company!

Moral of the story: Always deal with ticket sellers and resellers that you trust.


THE WIRK

Mosley v Pacquiao ~ I've got my tickets and Philippines watches

Today, I received notification that one of the tickets I have for the Shane Moseley v Manny Pacquiao sold on StubHub.  About a week ago, I saw a commercial for the upcoming shows on Showtime about the fight (i.e. that is less than a month away on Saturday, May 7 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena).  Yes, folks...  The boxing match is quickly approaching.

I can't believe the fight is less than a month away.  Today, I saw on Twitter that Bob Arum said the fight is a sell-out.  I'm not sure how that's true though, since I went on Ticketmaster to check if I could pull another ticket (i.e. and I could).

At any rate, I'm ready to go.  I have my tickets.  Further, in anticipation of the event, I even bought some Unisilver watches that feature the Philippines on the face.  I'm not familiar with the brand, but when I saw the rubber watches posted on Emma Camacho (i.e a family member's page), I had to have a couple for the fight.  ****  She's on Facebook, if you want to check out what she's selling.  She ships internationally.

I like my new watches, but I like money too.  I may even re-sell the fun timepieces in Las Vegas.  You never know! 

If you want to show your Philippine pride and you're interested in any of the watches, please let me know.  Maybe we can do some business!

Aren't the watches fun?  I can't wait to sport one at the fight.  If you've never been to a Pacquiao fight it definitely is a cultural event.

Go, Manny Pacquiao!


THE WIRK

The Green Bay Packers won Super Bowl XLV ~ Now what...

The Green Bay Packers won Super Bowl XLV, with a final score of 31-25.  The game was a good one!  As a spectator I was thrilled to have such a great match-up.  I know I wasn't the only one who was worried that the game was going to be a blowout after Green Bay had a 14-0 lead in the 1st quarter...  ****  I had flashbacks of the boring Pro Bowl and started to panic. 

My Super Bowl prediction was incorrect.  Oh well.  At least I took a shot!

No, I didn't go to the game this year.  I took a look at StubHub.com and a couple of days there prior to Sunday there were seats for just under $3,000.  When I took another look on Sunday morning, the lowest seat price was $4,000.  At those prices, there was no way I was going to go ~ especially since I'm not a fan of either team.  Last year meant more to me, since I am a Indianapolis Colts fan.

Now that football season is over I can focus my attention on basketball, and of course follow the labor talks for both the NFL and NBA.

As far as I'm concerned it'd be no surprise to me if there is a work stoppage (aka "Lockout") for the NBA.  It looks like the NFL may have a better chance of preventing a work stoppage.  Needless to say, I need to get back on track with the negotiations, once I settle. 

Lastly, I still need to gather my thoughts from the Super Bowl festivities ~ decide what stories to share and leave out, etc.  This may take a minute, so appreciate the patience.  I need to download some pics and gather my thoughts...

Congratulations to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers on bringing the Lombardi trophy home.  For the rest of the NFL, there's always next year or is there?!?!


THE WIRK

Clippers visit the Timberwolves tomorrow night ~ Griffin visits Beasley and Love

The last time I saw the Los Angeles Clippers play, I was in Las Vegas and it was during NBA Summer League.  Baron Davis and Blake Griffin didn't play and the NBDL All-Stars won the final game over the Los Angeles Clippers on a last second, buzzer beater.

Just like in Las Vegas, Baron Davis, won't be playing tomorrow night.  However, there are at least two key differences.  For one, the competition for the Clippers will be the Minnesota Timberwolves.  The Timberwolves' Michael Beasley and Kevin Love have been playing TOUGH.  ****  If you haven't heard about Beasley's scoring (42 one night, followed by 35 the next) and Love's 31-31 performance, then you're not a true basketball sports fan. 

Another difference is that Blake Griffin will be playing, and I'm curious to see him on the court.  It's his rookie season, and I plan to take advantage of the game tomorrow in Minneapolis to see if anything special happens.  Hopefully, the folks at the Target Center are treated to a show.  Personally, I'm tired of missing the Timberwolves highlights and having to watch them on TV.

No street clothes for Blake Griffin tomorrow

The "good" news is that tickets for Timberwolves' games aren't that difficult to get.  I just did a Stubhub search and Row 1 on the sidelines is $140. Face value is $200.  Therefore, I'd be willing to bet I can get a scalper to sell it to me for less than $100.  Now that I think about it, I might be able to get a free one...  Regardless, I'm not too concerned about where my seat is for the game.  I looked at the Ticketmaster seating chart of available seats and it looks like the 11th hour of a game of Battleship with my brother (i.e. plenty of seats available).  ****  Yes, I used to cheat and move my ships.  I could do that because I tracked his hits and misses.  Whatever.  We were young.

THE WIRK

If Butler loses tonight, do people care about a Duke rematch on December 4?

I got a text earlier today from my friend, Trey.  He said that I must be  loving the 24 hours of college basketball on TV.  I am!  College basketball has been on my TV for hours now.  ****  I went to work and the games were still on. 

Duke is beating Miami (OH) right now and Butler is in a good one against Louisville.  I wonder if Butler is going to be able to pull off the same amazing performance it did last season.  I need to check the roster, stop typing, and watch this game. 

I've had my ticket for the #1 Duke v #18 Butler rematch, at the Izod Center, on December 4th for months now. I just checked last night and the game time is set for 3:15PM.

As someone who's always been concerned and interested in ticket prices, I anticipate ticket prices falling for the December 4th match-up if Butler loses to Louisville tonight.  Right now, #18 Butler is losing and the score is 15-26.  Hmmm, maybe I'm losing interest in the rematch...  It might be time to see what tickets are going for on Stubhub.  Maybe I'll sell mine.


THE WIRK

In Dallas for the World Series, but never made it into Rangers Ballpark ~ Rangers rally today

I went to Dallas for the World Series, but I never made it to the game.  

****  Incidentally, last year I was working in London and on vacation in Rome for Halloween weekend.  I visited the Roman Colosseum and many other sites during that weekend, but being the sportsfan that I am, I have to say that the Colosseum was definitely my favorite destination on the trip.

OK.  Enough about that.  Back to Dallas...  I was planning on going to Game 3 on Saturday (i.e. and looked forward to seeing my friend from school, who was also in town with his kids).  Game 3 was the first home game for the Texas Rangers and they were 0-2 after losing both away games to the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park.  Prior to arriving in Dallas, I did what I always do.  I called a couple of my contacts and began hawking ticketing sites.  I looked on Stubhub.com on Friday and I was ready to pull the trigger, but I hesitated.  In addition to going to Dallas for the World Series, I was there because I wanted to get to know someone better and wanted to spend time with that person.  Therefore, when it came to the game I hesitated. 

I never hesitate.  Correction:  I've hesitated one time before, and I have never forgiven myself.   Til this day, I still remember forgoing a concert for a birthday party, and til this day I want to kick myself.  I can't lie, those feeling are creeping into my brain again, and I'm beginning to turn sour.

If it were me, JUST ME, I would've had a ticket in hand on my way to the ballpark.  I had the money I won in Vegas earmarked as the funds for the the ticket to the game.  If it were just me, I would've been prepared.

It wasn't JUST ME, this time and I was accommodating someone else in my plans.  When we walked around the park it was clear that there weren't many people selling.  The fans of the Texas Rangers were obviously excited since the team was in the World Series for the first time EVER.  Yet another reason to go to the game since it would be so compelling for the fans.

Before going to the game, while sporting my presents, a new Rangers T-shirt and a new Rangers hat, my new person of interest and I had a quick bite a Charlie Palmer at the Joule.  The lobster corn dogs and beef skewers were my favorite.  I must disclose that the sauce for the beef skewers was a bit salty though.

After our meal, we headed towards Rangers Ballpark to scope out the scene.  Around the stadium there were various scalpers, but their inventory was scant, undesirable, or even fraudulent.  There were a few guys that purchased fake tickets that wouldn't scan or were printed out numerous times so that the bar codes were no longer any good.  There were only about 3 pairs of upper level seats that were up for grabs and the going price was $500/ticket.  Standing room only tickets were also up for grabs, but there weren't many (i.e. less than 10 were being offered by the scalpers outside).  SRO tickets were going for $400-$500 also.  ****  There was a Goldentickets.com bus parked near the stadium, but I never checked their inventory.  I've used them before though, and I've been satisfied with their service.

Saturday was a beautiful night for a baseball game.  We saw the fireworks light up the sky when the Rangers hit a home run.  There were plenty of people tailgating for the game and enjoying the game from the nearby parking lots.  They'd set up the power cords and had the game on TVs for other fans to watch and enjoy.  Guys on rickshaws were transporting people from the lots to Rangers Ballpark and charging a minimum of $10.  Have you ever ridden one?  They can be fun and the guys get a good work out as they pedal you to the park.

After giving up on getting a ticket into the game, we headed off to dinner at the Dallas Chop House.  If you haven't been to the restaurant yet (i.e. it's about 8 months old), I recommend that you check it out.  The food was fantastic.  For appetizers, we enjoyed a lump crab cake and an avocado, ahi tuna, and cucumber appetizer  and a dry aged sirloin for my main course.  I think it was a sirloin, but I could be wrong.  Whatever the cut of meat was, it was very tender and juicy...  In addition to the food, the restaurant's design is appealing.  The outdoor bar and seating area at the Dallas Chop House had an outdoor fireplace that was very sexy and offered warmth when temperatures started to fall at night. 

My Saturday night in Dallas didn't go as expected, but great food and company helped ease the disappointment.  This blog started with the NFL Playoffs and covered my adventures at the Super Bowl, NBA All-Star Game, The Masters, NBA Finals, and most recently covered my run during the the MLB Playoffs...  Wouldn't you know, Game 3 was the ONLY game the Rangers won in the World Series, and I missed it...  Ain't that a kick in the head?!!?!? 

Looks like I exhausted all my luck during the New York Yankees v Texas Rangers ALCS series, when I happened to have the best seat in the house next to someone special... C'est la vie :-P

I received an email today about the Texas Rangers rally that will be held today Wednesday, November 3 at 6:00 p.m. in Lot J on the west side of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.  The rally will feature President Nolan Ryan, Manager Ron Washington, and a number of the players from the 2010 American League Champions.  The Rangers Rally is free and open for all fans. Free parking is available in Rangers MetroPCS Lot A, Academy Sports + Outdoors Lot B, Lots C, M, and N and Cowboys Stadium Lot 4 beginning at 2:00 p.m. Fans should note that Nolan Ryan Expressway between Road to Six Flags and Randol Mill Road will be closed today beginning at 8:00 a.m.


THE WIRK

Yankees v Twins, ALDS Game 1 ~ I'll be there!

After looking at Stubhub.com, Craigs list, and eBay, I decided to say, "to hell with it all" and hit the streets.  When did the going price for a good ticket hit $300?  Actually from experiences haggling with scalpers and researching websites for YEARS, the answer to that question is maybe 5 years ago... 

At lunch today, I decided to go out and look for scalper.  I was curious if I'd run into any Yankees or Twins grabbing food.  It's not a secret boys and girls...  Those men need to eat lunch, too...  Well on my path towards Target Field, I decided to go right to the ballpark to check out the scene.  As usual, I was at the right place at the right time!

Guess who just scored her ticket to the Yankees v Twins, American League Division Series (ALDS), Game 1!?!?!! Yep, this girl!  I cannot wait for the game to start...  Looking forward to watching CC Sabathia take on Francisco Liriano.  Great.  Now I have that little girl song in my head...

"CC, my playmate, come out and play with me."

Actually, when ever I think of Sabathia I always remember his days with the Cleveland Indians.  In 2002, when he was robbed at gunpoint, while trying to leave the Marriott Key Center.  Here's an article that provides more details for those of you that never knew.  For those of you that would rather copy and paste the URL into a new window, here you go: http://www.woio.com/Global/story.asp?S=793891.  It's scary stuff!  According to the article, "Sabathia was robbed of $44,102 in cash and jewelry, including a necklace and earrings."  I'm sure his fans are happy that no one got hurt.  It's great to see CC successful.  By the way, did you know that 52 is one of my lucky numbers?

As for me tonight, my only "concern" is what I'm going to eat on the Target Field concourse...  Do I stick with Murray's steak sandwich or try something else? :-P


THE WIRK

StubHub is 10 years old ~ Win an ultimate fan experience

StubHub is 10 years old and the ticketing site is "Celebrating by giving our fans a chance to win one of 10 Ultimate Fan Experiences."  I've used StubHub numerous times in the past and have always been happy with their service and ease of use. 

There are 3 prizes that are currently up for grabs on the website.

1. Your Personal Dream Event (contest ends 9/10)
2. ESPN College Football Experience (contest ends 9/10)
3. Unforgettable Dodgers Day (contest ends 9/4)
• According to the website, you could…
• Meet a Dodger legend during a pregame behind-the-scenes tour of Dodger Stadiu
• Watch batting practice on the field and see the game from 4 VIP Dugout seats
• Have 2 children participate in the Dodgers' Kids Take the Field promotion
• Receive an autographed baseball from a current player
• Transportation and hotel accommodations provided.  

Being that I'm not really into college football and that I've already seen the Los Angeles Dodgers play this season, I entered to win my personal dream event. 

For the dream event, per the StubHub website, you're required to upload a photograph (the “Photograph”) that is relevant to the event in which you indicated you would like to be entered and provide a description in 50 words or less that will “Tell us why you should win the ultimate fan experience” (the “Description”). 

Limit one Entry per person/email address per Event.  Winner to be announced on 9/22.

Enter so you have a chance to win a prize, and please wish me luck!

THE WIRK

Cleveland Cavaliers ticket holders - Tix listed already or waiting for LeBron's announcement

Cleveland friends and sportsfans with Cleveland Cavaliers season tickets,  I have a question.  It's a sincere question, since I'm an Ohio girl.  Did you list your Cavs tickets already on eBay or StubHub! etc. or are you waiting to see what happens during LeBron's announcement at 9PM?


THE WIRK