An OLD SCHOOL Lakers fan goes to see the Lakers v Wizards @ Verizon

Yesterday, was Tuesday and I was dragging ass all day. Literally... Although I wasn't going far since I work from home. I'd gotten sucked into a late night/early morning showing of the movie, Airplane, on the comedy channel on Monday/early Tuesday so I'd been struggling through the day. I was working from home and ESPN was on in the background as usual. Throughout the day, I brainstormed on different ways I could get tired or get myself to fall asleep easier at night, and sure enough ~ I somehow thought about the Washington Wizards...

It was around 3PM, and I had been getting a couple of messages from friends asking me if I was going to go the Wizards game. The Lakers were in town, so the idea was somewhat appealing... I figured it'd be a blowout, but I haven't been to a Wizards game this season so I thought more about going. Around 4:30 I posted on my facebook, that I was thinking about scalping a ticket to the game. That's all it took. The comments/messages started pouring in from a crew of friends. I heard from a crew that I knew were already heading to the game (Mario et al are regulars), a friend who's never in town (Pun), a diehard Laker fan (Neville) telling me that he and our mutual sports crew (Teri, MW, DA, et al) were already planning on being there, and a friend who's a KOBE SUPERFAN and was celebrating his belated birthday at the game with his college alumni asociation (Jack), etc.

Um, hello... I've seen Kobe play many times in person. Hell, I saw him last week in Cleveland. As far as I was concerned, BFD... (For those that don't know, what BFD means ~ it's Big Effin Deal. Come on now... My mom could be reading this, so I need to watch my language.) Needless to say, I was late with my RSVP, but I decided that I was going to the Verizon Center for the party. Why?

Because:
1. I was bored.
2. I need material for this blog, and I don't think you want to hear about my weekly Trivia outings on Monday night (i.e. I reserve the right to cover it if I'm low on material, since Trivia is competitive and could loosely be described as a mental sporting event).
3. I am an OLD SCHOOL Laker fan.

Let me clarify. I am not really a Lakers fan, I'm an OLD SCHOOL Lakers fan. I'm not a Kobe fan ~ I'd take LeBron any day. Maybe it's because I'm from Ohio. Maybe it's because I think Kobe is too cocky or that his wife annoys me when I see her in the tunnels waiting to kiss him after the game. Vanessa, if you ever read this ~ get out of the tunnel and wait in the family lounge. You look silly, and I'm not buying it!!! But I digress...

I have a poster of the Lakers at my mom's house. It's still rolled up and I look at it when I'm home for the holidays. It's the OLD SCHOOL Lakers ~ James Worthy, Byron Scott, Kareem, Magic, etc. I'm actually not sure who else is on there. Maybe it's Cooper, Green, or Thompson. Eh, who am I kidding? It's probably not Thompson.... Anyway, I love this poster but I refused to hang it when I was younger because I didn't want to put holes in the corners or use tape and risk the poster tearing. This poster is serious to me.

At my dad's house, I have a framed Magic Johnson poster picture and for the longest time, it was the only picture in my room. Eventually, I added a family picture from when we were all young and before my parents' divorce. If that house caught on fire and I could only rescue 2 things ~ those 2 items are the only things I'm grabbing.

I love/loved Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I'm not even sure why. I like tall. I've always liked tall. Tall symbolizes security to me. My dad is 6'2", My first fiancee plays ball and he's 7'2". Yeah ~ I said first fiancee. Yeah, I said 7'2". WHATEVER. I told you I liked tall. Kareem was an anchor, the CENTER. The game starts with a center (i.e. I'm obsessive with catching the opening tip of a basketball game. If you don't believe me, ask one of the many friends and relatives that I flipped a ticket to in the parking lot and left in my dust, as I sprinted to get into the building in time). I once skipped a day of medical school (OK - I'm lying. You're right, I skipped many days of medical school) and talked a classmate of mine into going to MC Sports so I could get Kareem to sign a Lakers hat for me. My dad had given me an autographed picture of him years prior, but unless I watched the guy sign it right in front of me ~ I question autograph authenticity.

Incidentally, my dad told me when I was younger that he'd take me to the Forum. We never went and now they play at the Staples Center. I've been there, but I'll never forget the fact that I missed out on the Forum...

So do you get it, now? I'm an OLD SCHOOL Lakers fan.

I decide I'm going to scalp a ticket when I get to the arena. Carefully watching the clock, I remember that work is supposed to call me at 5 to go over some documents. I jump in the shower at 4:45, so I'll be out and ready to take the call when it comes. 5:30 comes and I'm still getting ready for the game, and I have yet to hear from work. I email my work and tell them I need to leave my apartment by 6 and ask to pushback business until the following day. My request is granted! WOOHOO!!! I'm in the clear.

I finish getting ready. What to wear? To quote Miley Cyrus, "this is definitely not a Nashville party", this is the Lake Show. I decide I need to dress up, because (unlike in finance) past performance indicates future results, and I'll probably be going out after this game at least for a little bit... I wear a conservative brown dress, pink scarf, and some hot boots. They say you should dress for the job that you want in the workplace. My philosophy is that you should take into account where you're going and dress for the life that you want. It's a sporting event. I'm going to be sitting low to the court. Who knows who I could be sitting next to, and I refuse to look like I just went to Sam's Club and rolled into the game. Plus, let's face it ~ I'm a girl. Most of the people at the games are men. You figure it out...

I get to the arena and find a lot to park in. I drive because I know it's not going to be a RAGER and I won't be out late. I'm running behind schedule and notice that I'm going to miss the opening tip. Oh well. I've seen it, and that's what I get for being last minute. $25 for event parking is still less than cabbing round trip, and I was not going to subject myself to the Metro in my outfit. Car is parked and I am racing to the arena.

Incidentally, I use to valet my car at Rosa Mexicano across the street until I had to get snippy with a valet attendant about not eating there. Um, hello.... It's not my fault your restaurant kitchen closed before the game ended. Jerk...

I walk towards the box office and see the group of scalpers I normally deal with. I ask for "One Low" and I have a price in mind. They wave a guy over and he shows me a bent ticket for section 112, row K. Man.... I hate bent tickets. They're the worst. I ask how much, and he asks what I'm willing to spend. I offer $100. He tells me face is $225. Yes, I can read ~ but there's no chance in hell. It's no secret to either of us that the game is about to start. He asks for $200 and then immediately drops to $150 since he sees I've started walking towards the doors of the arena. Sorry guy, no deal.

1. I already missed the tip-off.
2. Your ticket is bent.
3. I know the box office has tickets available.

I am at the box office behind a guy trapped in a timewarp. He's asking the guy at the ticket window for a good ticket in the lower bowl, but he doesn't want to spend more than $80. I realize we’re in a recession, but seriously… I could scream. I literally think about hip checking him out of my way so I can get to the window as he hmmmmmms and hahhhhhs. Why can't people like this stay home and watch on their TV? The ticket agent can tell this guy is a WOT (i.e. waste of time) and asks him if he can move over so I can be helped. REDEMPTION!

I set my price and ask for the best under a certain threshold. Don't worry ~ I am still in the black when it comes to my casino/gambling winnings, so I'm playing with house money. I get what I want for the price I want and I'm moving around the concourse at a decent clip to get to my seat.

My view of the Lakers' coaches.  Notice Phil Jackson sits higher.

One more thing, it looks like Phil has a phonebook in his pants...

I watch a boring game and root for the Lakers. Incidentally the line was Lakers -8 and the Lakers more than covered. I realize that I will win my wager with a friend and begin to chat it up with the people to my left and right. Why?!?! Because I'm a girl and people like to give me stuff. You never know when someone has an extra and people in those lower level seats are usually season ticket holders so extras come up all the time. Mark, the independent Xango distributor, gives me his card on his way out and tells me to email. He says he may have extras coming up since his buddy is going out of town. JACKPOT!

Game over. Onto the next episode. I see David Dupree on the concourse while trying to leave the building and make it to my car. I need to move my car to the next spot so it’s not stuck in the garage over night. For those of you that don’t know. David Dupree is a reporter that used to work for USA Today. A few years ago Bob Ferry (friend and former General Manager of the NBA Champion Washington Bullets) introduced me to David before a Cavs v Wizards playoff game. I never forget a name or a face. I’d seen him another time as I left a Lionel Richie concert in Baltimore so I just kept on walking and didn’t stop since he looked busy.

I get to the parking garage and thankfully notice that I can reverse my car and turn around easily. Unfortunately, I’m parked in hell and so far below ground that this is going to take awhile. Awesome. I have 2 guys staring at me in a black truck. Double awesome. Time passes and I’m still waiting… My window comes down a little bit and the guy driving the truck looks over and says he’s going to let me in. Nice. He then asks me if I went to the game, if I’m a Lakers fan, where I’m from, etc. Blah blah blah. He says that I’m too pretty to be from Ohio. Um, ok ~ thanks, I guess ~ but you just dissed my entire state. He’s from Iowa, a Hawkeye fan, and does counter-terrorism stuff. How do I know? He told me and actually got out of his truck to give me his card. RANDOM. Don’t worry we were surrounded by a ton of people who weren’t moving so there was no risk of danger.

I get to the point to pay and the attendant asks me if I have $20. Cool. I just saved $5. I win again. I have no idea what happens, but I’m out of the garage and in motion to the meet up spot so we can all eat and catch up. The people I’m meeting for the most part are sports people. They’re involved in sports, media, or communications, etc, in some fashion and if they’re not, they’re simply PASSIONATE about sports. One by one they trickle over from the arena and through the door and I’m excited to see everyone.

David Aldridge is there and I hadn’t seen him since a bunch of us were in Miami for the NBA finals. He compliments me on a blog that I wrote in November, while I was working in London. The blog was about Maxwell. I’m literally floored. I cannot believe he took the time to read my words, much less comment on them to me. To be complimented on my writing by a professional is very special. Thank you, my friend.

My girl rolls in and she’s carrying a bag from the Green Turtle (a restaurant/bar connected to/inside the Verizon Center). What’s in the bag? You wouldn’t believe me unless you saw it. She had Kobe’s shoes from the game. They were signed by Kobe and Derek Fisher. Say what?!?! I’m telling you. Some people are just lucky and my girl had hit the jackpot. No one deserves a more random act of kindness than her. She’s a professional also and her love for the game, the league, and the players is immense.

I run into my friend’s husband and his friends at the spot and he/they want an introduction. Sorry. It’s not my place and it wasn’t the right time.

Our party is seated and we start the part I love the best. We share ideas, debate and comment on the current headlines and sports news. Each of sharing and bringing something special to the table. The doctor tells us whether he thinks sex addiction is real, the communications people tell us about how they would’ve handled various public relationship nightmares, etc. We discuss differences between baseball, football, and basketball with regard to locker room/salary/punishments. My brother texts me and tells me Kentucky was upset, I get to be the first to tell everyone about the loss.  From topic to topic we fly, and I love every minute of it.

At the end of the night I get to hold Kobe’s shoe. It’s the lightest shoe ever. I realize I’m holding something special. I mean, it is kind of cool. But at the end of the day, I’m still an OLD SCHOOL Lakers fan.

Holding Kobe's (autographed) shoe after the game.  Yes, it's HIS shoe ~ and no, it's not mine.

You can buy your own Kobe shoe here, if you're a true fan...  :-P

I can’t wait for the Cavs and Lakers for the NBA finals. Yes, I said it. :-P

No sports tonight ~ tonight it's music...  I'm not 1D, you know...  Maybe I'll start dropping music in here or maybe I'll start another thread,  Looks like I have something else to think about....

THE WIRK

Lakers v Cavs = Kobe v LeBron... The Cavs and LeBron win AGAIN!

Wendnesday I decided I wanted to go to Cleveland on Thursday for the Lakers v Cavs game.  I wanted to see Kobe v LeBron.  I wanted to see whether or not the Lakers had an answer for the beating that they took from the Cavs on Christmas day.  I knew it'd be a show, and I wanted to be THERE to WITNESS the game. 

Thank you Continental Airlines for having a hub in CLE and letting me earn just enough One Pass miles to get there on such short notice.  Incidentally, I'm all out of One Pass miles...  My balance is ZERO, and coincidentally ZERO equals the amount of gas left in my tank after this latest adventure.

Crosby v Ovechkin is interesting, but Kobe v LeBron was the premier event for Thursday night.  On Wednesday I was being hammered by messages from folks that had forgotten I used to live, work, and school in CLE and who had decided to give me advice as to where to eat and go...  Ummmm, thanks ~ BUT I know Cleveland, AND and I'm a creature of habit so in essence, all the suggestions were distracting me when I was hunting down a ticket to the game.  Eventually, I find a ticket ~ I'm not courtside, but I am in the lower bowl and over in the corner looking at the visitors bench.  Not too shabby considering it's all last minute...  Now...  Where do I stay?  I text a few friends and realize that they're all spread out around Northeast Ohio.  This is not especially helpful because I don't want to rent a car, and I want to stay downtown.  Frustrated, I decide to bite the bullet and hit Priceline.  I put on my negotiation hat and lowball the hotels in downtown Cleveland.  I really don't care where I stay, because I don't intend to spend much time in my room.  Bingo!  My offer has been accepted and I'm all set for the trip.

Now, I'm back to work...

7:30PM on Wednesday night, my computer crashes.  Awesome.  Time to call Continental and reschedule my flight.  My sick computer is frozen and is now sporting 3 mini "inappropriate" icons.  That's great.  How the heck did that happen?!?!  I change my flight and now I'm scheduled to depart for Cleveland later in the afternoon.  This works out fine, since I have my blackberry and the tech guy needs my computer for most of the day to re-image it and migrate my data. 

Serendipity...

Thursday morning I wake up at the crack of 8 and head to the office.  The tech guy says he's gonna need time.  Well, guy ~ it's your lucky day.  I tell him he has all day, but on the off chance that he fixes my computer quickly, I linger in the office until lunch time in hopes that I can have my machine back.  No dice.  My computer is still sick.

I head to the airport and wait at the gate. I get a text from my friend asking me if I'm still going to Cleveland.  Yep, I'm boarding.  I land in Cleveland and for the first time in a long time, I don't have anyone picking me up.  I kinda like that.  It means, I'm free to do whatever I want, whenever I want.  My personal freedom is very important to me.  I love to be around people, but I also cherish my time alone.

I jump on the Rapid.  Yes, I took the Rapid.  I did.  It cost me $2.25 (i.e. versus $30 something for a cab).  I took the Rapid to Tower City and then decided to walk to my hotel on Lakeside.  Yes, I walked.  I did.  I missed Cleveland and it wasn't that cold, and for those of you in Cleveland or who are familiar it's not really THAT far.  I enjoyed my walking tour.  I looked for my favorite homeless guy, Ralph ~ but didn't find him.  I went by the Galleria, the Federal building, and headed towards the Free stamp to take a pic and then kept heading North towards the lake.  For the geographically challenged ~ the "lake" is Erie.  I take a pic of the Browns stadium and then walk further towards the Rock and Roll HOF.  I snap another pic.  OK - I'm done.  Time to head to the hotel and clean up.

I watch ESPN while getting ready and listen to the hype about Kobe and LeBron.  I realize how lucky I am that I am going to go to the game.  It's about 6PM and I need to get moving and find my friend Raj.  Raj and I know each other either from medical school or undergrad.  I'm not sure what we decided, but we recently connected again because of facebook.  I meet Raj and his friend, Mark, at Chocolate Bar ~ the place is about 3 weeks old.  I had a chocolate mint martini and filet mignon for dinner.  I recommend that restaurant to anyone with a sweet tooth.

We leave Chocolate Bar close to 7:45, and I separate from the guys once we hit the arena.  It's so close to tip-off that I start to get anxious.  I can hear the national anthem being sung as I wait to get my ticket scanned.  Ugh.  That means the line I'm in had better start moving.  I hear the Lakers' starting line-up getting introduced.  Double Ugh.  MOVE PEOPLE!  How long does it take to get in?!?!  Alright - I'm in and walking swiftly to my seat.  I make it to section 111, row 13 but I miss a little bit of the Cavs opening line up.  That's fine.  I've seen it.

I'm sitting next to some freakishly tall teenage girl, who has her lanky arm in front of my face as she reaches for a free t-shirt.  Cleveland, we may have a problem ~ but I try to be cool. 

I snap a pic of the intros and the opening tip, and it's GAME ON. 

The Lakers take the early lead and already I can hear my friends who are Lakers fans chiming in my ears.  First of all, let me put it out there.  I am an OLD school Lakers fan. OLD school.  Not a Kobe Lakers fan, but a Magic/Kareem/Scott/Worthy fan.  Yeah ~ I left off Thompson ~ you would too...

I don't really have a favorite team.  I went from the OLD school Lakers to Ewing's Knicks and then migrated my way to being a CAVS fan, since 1998 (i.e. not because of Ilgauskas, but obviously that helped).  I'm from Ohio, and I have to admit ~ Cavs basketball is exciting and has done a 180-degree turn, since the days I'd sit in section 128 for 41 games a year.

Anyway...

TNT covers the game and Craig Sager is at the Q. 

Lil Wayne is there also, and he's sporting some smart frames and sitting courtside. 

Lil Wayne

This is Ohio, and people from Ohio are proud.  I'm proud of my state.  During the Cavs game they played, "Hang on Sloopy" and the crowd made the O-H-I-O.  Fun.

Lakers took the early lead, but the Cavs came back.  It was a fight until the end, but the Cavs came out victorious.  It was comical watching the Liger guard the Shaqtus...  You know what that is, right?!?!  No.  Ok - here.  According to Wikipedia, "The liger is a hybrid cross between a male lion (Panthera leo) and a tigress (Panthera tigris)."  So, yeah, I called Gasol a Liger ~ or maybe I should say Beowulf....  I swear Gasol looks like a werewolf...  Yeah, I said it...  But, you all know that I'm right. 

Ron Artest needs lotion for his legs.  You can see that they're ashy from 13 rows up...

The Q is the equivalent of a racecar driver's outfit...  Is it just me or is there advertising on every bit of bare wall space and electronic signage EVERYWHERE?  On the wall next to me, I saw Hoover vacuums...  Go Canton!  I don't get it...

Thank you, Liger, for not making your free throws.

LeBron outscored Kobe. 'Nuff said.

CAVS win.

We are all Cavfanatics

Off to West 6th Street to celebrate the victory.  First stop, Mercury Bar.  It's dead.  Next stop, Liquid.  It's the same. 

With Raj and Mark

Next stop, Bar Fly because Raj's friend knows the owner.  We walk in and Mark starts talking to the owner.  HOLY CRAP ~ I know the owner too...  It's Gary Bauer ~ he used to own the Basement on the East Bank of the Flats.  The Basement is gone, but I'm sure I still have my VIP card somewhere...  I give Gary a big hug and down memory lane we sprint.  It'd been about 8 years, since he used to see me out and about so we had plenty of stories to catch up on QUICKLY.  Random.

Leaving Bar Fly we go to Barley House.  Barley House is having an event and Kim Kardashian is hosting.  Makes sense, since Lamar Odom is her brother-in-law.  There was a line outside, complete with tent and people were clammering to get into the venue.  FYI for those familiar with Cleveland ~ Barley House is the old Spy Bar...  The price of admission is $25.  Eh...  If I my friend wasn't in there, and he wasn't texting me to join ~ I would've passed, but we all anted up and we walk in.  I see my friend immediately and he has to head to VIP really quickly, but says he'll be back.  Normally I'd go with ~ but this is Cleveland, and I play by different rules there.  I hang with Raj and Mark at the bar and guess who I see...  LOL ~ I see Craig Sager.

Immediately, I go over and introduce myself and tell him about when I went to 3 NBA playoff games in 3 nights in 2 different cities.  I told him that not even he does that.  I'm a fool, but he smiles and shakes my hand.  I figure I had my time so I decide to leave him be.  I see cameras flashing out of the corner of my eye.  Um, he's taking pictures with some folks.  Ok - time for me to circle back with him and get my picture taken also...  Yep, that's right ~ Ricky, check the picture.  I WIN!!!

At Barley House, I run into Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Branson Wright.  I introduce myself, since he started with the paper after I left town.  I'm not sure why, but I did it and it's done, so there's no taking it back. I doubt he'll remember.  It was late.

Eventually we leave Barley House and head to Panini's.  Time to eat.  Afterwards, Raj and Mark are gracious enough to drop me off at the hotel, and lucky me ~ I have a few hours of sleep before I have to head to the airport...  My flight was around 7:30 this morning.  I took a cab to the airport ~ since I couldn't handle the idea of the Rapid this morning.

I was back in the office by 9:30 this morning to retrieve my healthy computer and have been trying to re-install old programs, learn Microsoft 2007 v 2003, and migrate data that I need, between conference calls ever since.

Last night, I WITNESSED :-P

Today, I work...

THE WIRK

Caps beat the Red Wings, 3-2 ~ Happy Tuesday!

Yesterday (Tuesday) I was working and thinking about what I wanted to do this week.  My typical day has me going espn.com, nba.com, ticketmaster, orbitz, and various ticket broker websites to see if there's anything worth doing or going to see.  I also have a group of friends on gchat, and I pinged my friend and hockey buddy, Rod (aka the Donkey), to see if there was a hockey game.  Why is he nicknamed the Donkey, you ask?  I don't know.  He would call me "Donkey" every now and again when we first met and I'd always reply the same way ~ "If anyone's a donkey, it's you."  Therefore, he's always been Donkey or Donk, to me...

The Donkey typed that that the Red Wings were in town and that the Caps were on a winning streak.  Hmm, it sounded like a big game and it'd been a month or so since I'd been to a Caps game and I decided I wanted to go.  The Donk shares season tickets with a buddy of his, and he didn't have seats to tonight's game.  I asked him what he'd be willing to pay and he set his price at $60/ticket.  I was already on the Caps ticket exchange, and I didn't see anything available in that price range.  The Donk replied that I needed to check Craig's list.

There are many things I'd rather do than check Craig's list.  Don't believe me?  Believe this....  I'd rather (1) get my teeth cleaned, (2) try to move my 200 pound Sony TV fossil from one room to another, (3) go to the post office, (4) wait in line at the bank, and (5) pick someone up at the airport ~ ALL in one day than deal with someone on Craig's list.  Craig's list bothers me because I have no idea whether the person I'm dealing with is selling a legitimate product, whether they'll keep to the deal we agree upon, and follow through on delivery (i.e. which usually means I have to meet a stranger who already knows I have cash on me).  To me, it sounds like a recipe for DISASTER. 

It was already close to 4PM, but I could tell that I semi-motivated the Donkey to look for tickets.  He ended up making an offer to someone on Craig's list.  The Donk is brave enough to trust and risk death for his Caps.  I'm not.  I'm from Ohio and we didn't have hockey where I grew up.  I recently became interested when I moved to DC and noticed 2 or 3 years ago that the Caps were fun to watch.  Since then, I've been to a bunch of games and I've enjoyed them every time.

2 years ago a day after my birthday shenanigans, I was grabbing some grub with my friend Trey.  We'd just hit the batting cages and decided to stop at a bar/restaurant called The Front Page.  Incidentally, this establishment is across the street from the Kettler Ice Complex where the Caps practice.  This was the time of year of the training/rookie camp and there were a few hockey guys there that night.  Have you ever seen a hockey guy without their gear on?  It's not a bad sight...  That year I started to notice that the Caps go to the Page for lunch and sometimes I'd find them there after games hanging out in their "civilian clothes".  Needless to say, I started to pay attention to hockey ever since.  But I digress...

Back to the story...

4PM hit and I had a conference call for work.  I was on the call and as time slipped away I noticed that it was almost 5PM and I had never heard back from the Donkey.  I assumed he left work since his green light was no longer on for his gchat window.  Oh well.  I assumed Caps hockey was a "no go" for tonight.  Sure enough, I looked at my personal phone and it was being blown up by my friend, Amy.  Interesting.  Amy never calls me.  She's like most of my friends.  She's a texter.  I picked up and told her that I was on a conference call, but that I'll call her back when it was over.  She told me that that wouldn't work, because she needed to know right away if I wanted to go to the hockey game tonight.  Say what!?!?!  It turns out, Amy's co-worker, Shannon, couldn't go and that Amy had 2 free tickets to a suite for the game.

Um, YES, I wanted to go to the game. I told Amy that we're on, but that I needed to track down the Donkey and make sure he wasn't going to end up screwed with 2 tickets.  I called him and got voicemail.  I texted him and it took a minute.  He replied that he's going to the gym.  I texted him to make sure we weren't doing hockey together, and then it looked like he changed his mind and wanted to go to the game...  Ruh roh...  Another text, goes out and I let him know I have a free ticket.  "Just go" was the last text he sent me.  WOOHOO!!!  I was all clear to go see a hockey game with Amy.

I headed over to Amy's, since she was driving us to the game.  I told her, "Thank you for inviting me".  She told me that it's an easy choice because there aren't that many people that are home, that she can get a hold of, who aren't married/have kids, and would want to go.  She's right!  That's ME.  I'm fluid.

We headed to the arena and joined the people in the suite.  This was Amy's first hockey game either this year or ever.  I'm not really sure what she said.  She was impressed that the Verizon Center was so packed on a Tuesday night.  Yeah - that's Caps hockey.  The team really draws!!!!  The Red Wings score first. Booooo!  No one throws octopi on the ice ~ we're in DC, people!!! 

Great.  Now I have to look up why Detroit Red Wings fans do that...  One sec.  Be patient...

OK - according to About.com here's why, "The first octopus landed on the ice during the Red Wings' 1952 Stanley Cup run, courtesy of brothers Pete and Jerry Cusimano, who owned a fish market. If you know your cephalopods, you will know that an octopus has eight tentacles. In those days it took eight playoff wins to claim the Cup, hence the supposed symbolism of the gesture."  Mystery solved, and now I want to go to Joe Louis Arena.  Wait, do the Red Wings still play there?!?!  I know that building is OLD and has been around forever...  Ugh...  Now I need to look that up also ~ but don't worry, I'll do it on my own time...

During the game Amy pointed out someone in an astronaut costume.  The guy in the astronuat costume is sitting next to a lady dressed up like "I Dream of Genie/Jeanie (sp?)".  She's holding a "I dream of Stanley" sign.  Clever.  Anyway, Amy informed me that supposedly this guy is nicknamed the Capstronaut.  Novel idea, considering I just saw Chewbaca in a Vikings jerey at Sunday's football game.  Needless to say, I think it's great when people do fun things like that!  Evidently the Capstronaut gets invited to sit in the owner's box sometimes.  Damnit..  That's brilliant!! 

Before you knew it, we had an exciting hockey game on our hands.  Jose Theodore took more shots on goal in the 1st period, than the next guy who decides to fight Manny Pacquiao...  Sticks were breaking and there was a mini-scuffle on our side of the ice.  Red Wings fans were mouthing off and getting tossed out of the arena.  It was definitely a great hockey night.  Eventually the Caps won the game 3-2 and kept the streak alive. Game over.  What was left to do?!!?  Duh, I headed to the Page and celebrated the victory with other Caps fans!  :-P

C-A-P-S!  CAPS!!!  CAPS!!! CAPS!!!

THE WIRK

2 stadiums, 2 days, 2 games: Indianapolis for the Colts and Minneapolis for Vikings

On Monday morning, I decided I wanted to see the Ravens play the Colts on Saturday, so I booked my flights using 25K Delta frequent flier miles, paid my redemption fee of $100, and picked up a couple of tickets for the game.  I figured, I'd sell the extra or take my dad.   Either way, I had a plan.  When trying to move my extra, I was given the same response multiple times, "If I was going to travel, I'd rather see the Cowboys play the Vikings on Sunday."  Soooooo, I went back to Delta.com and noticed I could go to both Indianapolis and Minneapolis for the same amount of miles. And then, I started thinking...  I paid a $100 AGAIN (for the stupid ticket change fee) and I was in motion to attend both games!  The next thing to do, was to get tickets to the Vikings game, and once I had those, I knew what I had to do...

I go to my friend's facebook page to look for clues as to if he's "available" for the trip.  He is my sports buddy.  We've been friends for about  8 years now.  We used to work together briefly, and he used to be roommates with my ex-boyfriend's friends.  Usually Vegas is our destination of choice, but (1) if there's anyone who enjoys a trip to a sporting event more than me and (2) has the frequent flier miles to do the crazy things I want to do ~ it's him.  Based on his page,  it looks like he's around, but he hasn't responded to a comment I've left about going on a football tour, sooooooooooooo it's time to hit the phones.

I call him and he picks up right away.  This is unique, because usually he'll send me to voicemail when he knows I'm looking to get away.  Later he tells me, he knew I was calling about football and not Vegas, and that's why he answered.  I tell him my plan: 2 cities, 2 stadiums, 2 days all for 25K miles on Delta.  He's intrigued.  He asks where we're staying and I tell him we don't need a hotel since the Saturday game is late and will end around midnight.  My plan was to go out on Sat night, find a 24 hour diner (e.g. IHOP, Waffle House, etc.) to kill time, and head to the airport whenever I couldn't take it anymore.  He asked about rental car.  I told him we didn't need that either.  Why would we want a car?  We'd have to park it, gas it up, and drive it.  All too much headache when going to a game and planning to go out after.  I told him my plan was to cab it.  

He challenges me to find an itinerary for the destinations (but he's starting from and must return to Oklahoma City, where he's currently working) for the same amount of miles and if I do, he'll pull the trigger.  I can already hear him typing in the background through the phone.  He's checking flights himself, which means if Delta lets it happen ~ then we're ON.  Great.  He has to run to a meeting, and as we end the call, he asks me why I didn't book the direct flight from Indy to Minneapolis...  Sure enough, he's even found a better flight option than me, since I'm connecting through Detroit.  Now I'm annoyed.  He heads to a meeting, and I call Delta. 

"Please. Please. Please. Please, Delta.  Let me change my ticket AGAIN without playing the change fee," is my prayer while I wait for the representative to work her magic.  I wait.  Sure enough, she goes ahead voids the other ticket(s) and issues me new ones.  I do NOT pay them any more fees.  YEAH, DELTA!!!! 

Coincidentally, his meeting ends shortly and he tells me he's booked the flights.  I tell him we're on the same leg from Indy to Minny and now it's time to talk the trip through. What about luggage he asks? LUGGAGE?!?!? Is he serious? We don't need any stinkin' luggage!!! We're going away for one night. I told him my plan was to throw a camera charger, iphone charger, change of clothes, and Colgate Wisps (i.e. if you haven't seen these things check them out ~ they're awesome for trips like this) into my purse.

Colgate Wisps: 
I highly endorse this product










I told him he could even just bring his chargers and buy clothes in Minny. This is not an issue. He presses on about the issue of luggage. I tell him that if it's that serious he can give whatever it is he wants to bring to the bell stand of any of the hotels that are nearby to store, because the hotels don't care as long as you tip them. He stops talking about luggage.  He does say he's going to bring a trashbag of stuff for the trip.  I decide, I don't care and can't tell if he's joking or not...

"Luggage"

Time to negotiate tickets. Soooooo, this is my friend. He is my good friend. He's helped me through numerous break-ups, hosted me when I was in Atlanta and Vegas, and flipped me many an event/game ticket through our years together. He's invited me to go see Graceland when he's been in Memphis, and I've cancelled on a few trips we planned to Vegas the past couple of times we planned them. So, I decide, I need to come through this time and that I kind of owe him. Ricky won't have to pay what I'd charge most people for the tickets to the game BUT, he will pay. He and I both love money, and we know each other well enough not to hide it. We strike a deal. I'll take 50 cents on the dollar and he asks me if I want the cash for the tickets on Sat. Umm, yeah, definitely.  ***  Dad, if you read this ~ I made him pay full price...***

Saturday morning I receive a text from him that says he and his trashbag are on the way to Indy. Whatever. That's him. He's odd. I get off my plane in Indy and he is at the gate waiting for me. We hop in the cab and head to the City Centre Mall. I used to date a Colts fan, so I'd be in downtown Indy many times. He used to work in Indy. We have this city on lock. He and his laundry bag decide they need to buy a purple shirt. Evidently, we're divided on the desrired outcome of the Ravens v Colts game. Who cares. I know my Colts are going to win. Purple shirt for him, and Colts hat for me. We're done shopping.

Off to Conseco Fieldhouse to pick up tickets for the Hornets v Pacers game. The tip-off for the game has been moved up to 6PM to accommodate the Colts game, and we decide we may as well head to the game and get the picture taken, and then go to the football game. We get $10 tickets at the window. We're golden.

Off to the RAM we go because he wants to watch the Mi-ssi-ssi-ppi game. He watches and I chat it up with whoever is sitting on my left. A first it was a father-son pair, with ties to Indy who live in VA and came in for the game. Then it was a father and son combo and the son was surprising the dad with tickets to the game, since the father had never seen his Colts play in person.. Very cool.  He is absorbed in his college basketball game, but eventually joins in the conversation.  He feels the need to tell people that he's a "food taster for NASA".   This is a lie.  But, yeah, that's just so him...

We watch the beginning of the Saints beating of whoever it was they were playing and head to Conseco. I noticed he kept calling Conseco, "Canseco" (i.e. as in Jose Canseco) and corrected him earlier. I think he's playing with me because he keeps asking me what Jose's ties to Indy are and keeps asking me, "Why not McGwire Stadium or Sosa Stadim?" This is my friends. He makes me laugh.

We go to Conseco. It's almost 5:30PM. We notice that the ushers are checking tickets to enter the lower bowl of the arena. I'm not going to let an usher get in the way of my picture taking. My friend says, "We should've bought lowers". Whatever. I know we're golden, and to be honest ~ I'd be willing to bet, that anyone who's anyone has tickets to the football game anyway. So, no offense, Pacers organization, but you should be happy that we wanted to go to the game. I ask an usher which portal for half-court and blow by the old lady who's watching the entrance. "Act like you've been there" ~ it works, people. Told you we were golden! We posed for a few pictures, watched the warm-ups, and saw the tip-off. As far as we were concerned ~ that game was over and it's time to head to Lucas Oil Stadium.

Before Hornets v Pacers

Outside of Lucas Oil Stadium

Both my friend and I had never been to Lucas Oil. He has the same goal I do. He's trying to hit all the stadiums, arenas, and ballparks too ~ and he's actually ahead of me on this goal... Yeah, I'm jealous... We walk into Lucas Oil among a see of Ravens and Colts fans. The first thing I notice when I enter that stadium is that there is no center screen about the field. Weird. Considering I just came from the new Cowboys stadium, I'm a bit flustered... Weird. We watch the rest of the Saints woodshed beating of whoever that other team was, as we linger by a post with numerous power outlets and charge our iphones.

Our seats are on the 20 yd line, Colts side, 9 rows off the field. In our seats I notice a few things. We're surrounded by old people, and specifically old couples. Grey haired male and female Colts fans are everywhere, but they're excited and energetic. What a contrast from the middle-aged fraternity that was around us in Dallas.

Another thing I notice, Tony Dungy is a special guest star on the Colts' sideline and he's receiving a wonderful ovation from the crowd. This is Indy ~ the Midwest, where people are friendly, and Tony is getting all the love he deserves. Awesome. During the game, my friend starts making conversation with a guy sitting in front of us.  The guy asks my friend how he and I met.  "She and I met in a chatroom," he says.  I could kill him, but I'm too busy trying not to laugh and don't want to encourage him.  But yeah, that's just him.  At the end, it was a great game ~ Colts win! Manning got it done. That's all I have to say about it. Oh - one more thing, I predict that the Colts are going to the Super Bowl.

View from the sets: Ravens v Colts

Game over, and it's almost midnight. My friend and I head to Jillians for drinks and we decide to bowl a few games. Our waiter at the bowling alley says he's not ringing up our drinks as long as we take care of him. He is a good bowler. Who knew?!?! He started out with 4 strikes. Umm, oh well. I'll still have fun. 3 games later, we're done. I flip our waiter $20 and we head downstairs. There's a Colts fan by himself, knocked out. He's dead ASLEEP. FYI - if you need to kill time, go to the Jillian's in downtown Indy and sleep there ~ the staff doesn't care.

We decide we're hungry. Jillian's is closing and off to the 24 hour Steak and Shake we go. It's packed in there, and there's a guy getting arrested when we walk in. I'm reminded of college and med school when seeing this was common at late night eateries, that serve folks as they roll out of bars. I'm not surprised, and yet, not overly impressed. Later a kid gets chased by the police, as he walks to the bathroom... Yes, it's late night... Lol.

It's now almost 4AM and I want to head to the airport. I know it's not open (i.e. staffed by airline personnel) yet, but I want to get there and find a spot to lie down. My friend is yapping about being able to check-in, go to the gate, or something. Then he questions whether the aiport is locked. Come on! The airport is always OPEN. The issue is that the self-serve kiosk may not be "ON" and the TSA folks may not be working, but the airport is open.

I find a cushy bench and it has 2 power outlets by it. I call it "homeless person" mentality. I am tired, and I want both outlets (for my camera and iphone). My friend wants to charge his iphone also though. Now I'm annoyed. I let him unplug my phone while we were bowling when, he should've just charged his own and left mine plugged in, so we start to fight. His response was to tell me I'm not going to charge my camera battery as he unplugs the thing and walks away. I could kill him. I debate chasing after him, but decide it's not worth it since I had just realized that the RAM didn't return my credit card to me when we were there earlier in the day. AWESOME. Who cares?!?!?  The RAM is closed.  I can't fix it now.  I lie down and close my eyes for 2 hours or so.

I head to the kiosk, check-in, and call the credit card company for a replacement. Well, that was fun. My friend comes over and brings me a charged camera battery. I decide to spare his life. He can live another day. We head to the gate and I change clothes in the bathroom. Brusha brusha brusha my teeth, clean up, and decide it's now safe to wear purple, since we're headed to Minneapolis.

We board the plane and my friend is a row ahead of me. I'm trying to fall asleep and I hear him trying to get my attention... WHAT IS IT NOW?!?! I think to myself, that I may have to take him out after all.... Then I realize he's trying to point out, subtly, that Tony Dungy is on our flight and sitting 4 rows ahead of me. I get excited and decide to spare Ricky's life AGAIN.

I have a plan. I text my friend Mike Wilbon who is also coming to Minneapolis and tell him that Tony is on my plane and ask him to intercept him for me. Then I fall asleep.

I wake up in Minny to the sun coming up, and it looks like the frozen tundra through the airplane window. I turn on my phone and tell MW that my friend and I have landed. Once off the plane, I look for Tony and check the arrivals board. We beat Mike's flight to Minny, and I see Tony Dungy waiting outside the bathroom for his wfe, I presume. I introduce myself. I think it was too early, and I was still tired, but I shake his hand and tell him that I'm a Pacers/Packers/Colts fan,,, I'm really not sure what I said, but he was gracious enough not to correct me. He poses for a quick picture and I leave him alone. Thank you, Tony! That 2 minute interaction made this Colts' fan really happy.

With Tony Dungy

Now it's time to find my friend so we can eat breakfast. Mike calls, and my sports buddy and I are on or way to meet him for breakfast at one of the airport restaurants. The 3 of us eat, talk sports, and do a little shopping (i.e. I need a Vikings hat), and then head to the arena. In the car, I think the 3 of us actually close our eyes and take a nap. It's EARLY. At the Metrodome, we hop out of the car, Mike heads to work, and my friend and I take a couple of pics outside the arena before going in.

View from the seats: Pre-game, Cowboys v Vikings

First impression: The Metrodome is old. I'm reminded of the Amway Arena where the Orlando Magic play. That building is old also. I head to my seat, and I notice another thing. The crowd is younger at the Metrodome. Much younger. There's at least a 50 year swing in age between Indy and Minny and I wonder if that's why the Metrodome is louder.

I watch Brett Favre and the Vikings destroy the Cowboys. I'm not sure what happened, but the Cowboy team I saw yesterday is not the same team I saw the week before. The difference is night and day. I really shouldn't even utter the words "Dallas" or "Cowboy" because I fear that the Vikings defense will bust through my apartment door and tackle me to the ground. The visiting team couldn't score a single touchdown and the kicker missed 2 field goals. Wow. Incidentally, I just did a quick search on Monster.com with the keyword "kicker" and there's one result. It's in Spanish. Just saying...

Vikings win ~ and they ran up the score at the end. If you ask me, I don't care, The words "Run up the score" are in their team song. Oh ~ that reminds me, I need to look up the word "Skol"....

After the game it's time to find a TV to watch the J-E-T-S v Chargers. Honestly, I'm all footballed out. I can't do it anymore. The games were so one-sided, which is fine ~ because my Colts won, but unless you're really vested in the outcome, the games were a little boring. Seriously. I know I was running on very little sleep, but I fought to stay awake in the 4th quarter of that Vikings game. Yeah... I said it.  To quote Mike's text after the game, "NFL Playoffs: Where nothing happens!"  Incidentally, exiting the arena, the game's attendees are listening to "Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be Cowboys" by Willie Nelson...  I chuckle.

Headed to the aiport 5 for my 7PM flight home. Barely watched the football game, but did notice it was a close one... I spent my time at the gate praying that the flight was open on the way home so I could lie down and sleep in the row. My prayers were answered. Landed at DCA with my face in a pool of drool. Whatever. I was home.

I turn on my phone.  "Come out for Sunday Funday," was the text I had received from a friend.  "You have to be kidding me!?!?!"  But then I start to think, I might as well...  My friends and Sunday Funday are on the way home....  :-P

THE WIRK

Soooo... You want me to bid on a Gilbert Arenas jersey...

Ok - So tonight I went to the Capitol Movement, Inc.'s 5th Annual Winter Fundraiser and Reception...  It was a fun time had by all with a vast selection of silent auction items.  The evening was covered by The Hill, DC Metromix etc. so if you're curious you can look at the pics or you can wait for some pics to show up on my facebook account.

At any rate, some things I find interesting.  Here goes. My friend, Damien, reminds me about the event tonight and asks me if I'm going.  I waffle.  He says the magic words, "Natalie's going".  Needless to say that's guaranteed fun and, I'm in.

We go to The Reserve and I survey the scene.  Guys you are crazy not to show up at events like these.  The girls to guys ratio is 10:1.  Trust me.  You all made a big mistake.  Huge...

I notice a dear friend of mine who writes for the Washington Post and works for ESPN is listed as a sponsor of the event.  I doubt he's gonna appear though because he failed to mention it the night before.  At any rate, I'm gonna have fiun.  Nat and I arrive at the venue, buy our tickets, and grab what is to begin many glasses of wine...  I start to explore the silent auction items and a few things interest me...

1 - There's an autographed Brett Favre football that someone had bid $1K for...
2 - There's a Chris Paul autographed basketball that someone has bid the minimun $150 for...
3 - There's a Gilbert Arenas jersey up for auction...

The Brett Favre football is appealing because the odds of me buying a pair of Wranglers and having him sign them are bleak..  LOL!  Let's face it.  Brett is not gonna be playing many more games and he doesn't seem like the guy who's willing to sit at a mall/autoshow and sign autographs.  The thousand dollar question is ~ am I willing to spend at least $1,025.00 and get in a bidding war?  Ultimately, I decided, NO.

We move onto the bargain item of a Chris Paul autographed basketball...  I think back to 2 years ago or so, when I met Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas.  Chris was on crutches then, and I honestly had know idea who he was...  I only recognized Dwyane at the time...  My friend, Richie, who's casino host extraordinare at the Hard Rock told me, that if I was patient, I could meet Dwyane.  Needless to say, I was patient...  After some time and an introduction, I was posing for a picture with Dwyane and ironically Chris was in the background, on crutches, on the left side of the pic...  Dwyane, Chris, and their crew were rolling dice in the cabana by the pool and having harmless fun...  This was 2 years ago or so, and I still have those dice in my Dior Boston Logo bag..  Those dice ARE money...

Lastly, I recall the Arenas jersey and all the headache Gil has brought to his fans and the Washington faithful...  Those that know me, know that I am not a Wizards fan.  Those that know me, know that I have a tendency to vote for the coach when it come to me picking teams during March Madness...  I was a Lute Olsen fan,,  Hell, if he was still coaching, I'd still be a fan.  I've never met the man... I know nothing about him.  BUT, I know "people", and Lute seemed like a good guy so when it came to push or shove, I chose the Wildcats... 

Last night I was chatting at dinner with my sports friends about Gil...  We talked about guns in the NBA and the other athletes that could've gotten in trouble for punching their babysitter, sexual assualt, accidentally shooting someone, jumping into the stands and punching people etc. and many ~ too many names (e.g. Ruben Patterson, Vernon Maxwell, Jayson Williams etc.) ~ come to mind...  I started to think.  These other individuals did what they did and were caught and their careers  for themost part seemingly continued.  Hmmmm... Interesting...  Guns and violence don't surprise me in professional sports.  It's a different world.  Professional sports is a fraternity.  There's a circle of trust in locker rooms, on the court, on the road, etc.  Those individuals in the fraternity do not tamper with the bond that is created by becoming a part of the team.

I looked at the Brett Favre ball today and someone made a comment to me at the event tonight about fidelity, and I found myself waving her off.  I don't care if the guy I admire on the field/court  is a complete POS at home.  I don't buy a ticket to see him at home.  Then I thought about women and the times I was sitting in a professional athlete "family lounge".  What's the family lounge environnment?  It's a bunch of woman, children, and friends who "saw no evil, heard no evil, and will not speak evil"...  You know the saying, "They alway kill the messenger"..  Yeah, welcome to the family lounge.  You tell someone that their spouse or significant other may be doing something shady and brace yourself for what you're about to hear.  It's much easier and safer to just watch Seinfeld re-reruns, keep your mouth shut, and smile.

Gilbert Arenas' jerseys and other items have been removed and according to friends are no longer for sale at the Verizon Center.  Wow.  OK...  I find it funny then that this item seemingly was bid on so little, when it could EASILY become a rare collector's item :-P  I uploaded a pic of this on my fb account during the night with a comment saying that Gil's gun(s) would've gotten more bids than that jersey...  Yes, I said it  ~ and it's funny, so go ahead and laugh out loud...

That's all I have...  It's late...

Brett Favre autographed football...

Foolishly I neglect Chris Paul in Vegas...  He's to the left of this pic of Dwyane and I... 

Arenas' jersey for auction

THE WIRK

Happy belated birthday, Dominique Wilkins and Go Hawks!

View from a suite of the pre-game at Philips Arena, Celtics v Hawks ~ April 2008

Have I mentioned that I love sports? I think it was 2 years ago that, I went to 3 NBA playoff games in 3 consecutive nights in 2 different cities (Atlanta and Washington DC). If I remember correctly, the Hawks were playing the Celtics and the Cavs were playing the Wizards. My friend, Ricky (aka The Wolf), joked that not even Craig Sager has covered 3 playoff games in 3 consecutive nights in 2 different cities ~ and it's been a running joke between us ever since.

Ricky lives in Atlanta, where I used to reside, and I still have an affinity for the city and many friends that still live there. I've been a Atlanta Hawks fan since the days of Dominique Wilkins (aka The Human Highlight Film). Once, while I was in college, I bought a single standing room only ticket so I could go to Richfield Colosseum and see Dominique fly in person. Standing room only are three words that never scared me, because there are people that don't show up for events that they have tickets to, all the time! How wasteful, and in the words of my father, not very "cost effective". At the game I found a father-daughter combo to sit with and they were extremely welcoming once they found out I was by myself. With my eyes glued to the court, I told the father-daughter combo about a trip I took to the Crystal Palace in the Bahamas.

I was in college and on vacation with my dad. Whenever I had a long weekend, it seemed like we were in the Bahamas. Lucky me! Anyway, my dad and I were having lunch at the pool bar and I found myself staring at a man. Staring. I kept staring. Don't worry, he couldn't tell I was looking at him that hard ~ but I was determined to figure out who I was looking at. The man was sitting with a beautiful lady and also enjoying his lunch. My dad noticed I was distracted and asked me what my problem was. I kinda pointed and told him I knew that guy... My dad nonchalantly responded, "Of course you know who that is. He's one of your favorites, Dominique Wilkins."

HOLY CRAP! My dad was right! My internal voice starts screaming at me... Why am I sitting with my dad eating, when I can go meet Dominique?!?! OK ~ must be cool, I tell myself. I leap off my stool, head to my beach chair, and grab an index card and my camera and walk back to lunch with my dad. Index card?!?! Yes, I said index card. What do you expect? I was in COLLEGE. I was studying a little bit on the beach. Back at the beach bar, I wait. and I wait some more. It looks like Dominique and his lady are finished with lunch and getting ready to go back in. Now's my chance. Off my stool and over to the 2 of them I head. I tap him on the shoulder, explain that I'm a huge fan and his lady just sits patiently. He's kind enough to sign my index card and pose for a picture. I stll have both at my mom's house in a photo album. For me, those two items are priceless! As I walked away, I noticed Dominique was talking to another man, and I recognized him as Gerald Wilkins. I let that opportunity pass, because I did not care as much.

It's great to see Dominique at Philips Arena and to see the current success of the Hawks.

Coach Mike Woodson is a class act and one of the few people on the short list of folks who came to the house to check on Zydrunas post-surgery. I'm happy to see him successful after his years in Cleveland as Randy Wittman's assistant. Woody has always been very welcoming to me when I come to Atlanta and it's always great to see a friendly face. I call him once or twice a year and wish him luck, congratulate him on his sucess, and let him know if/when I'm coming to town. One night at Philips Arena, I ran into an old friend, Larry Nance at a Hawks game He was in town, and he noticed the Hawks were home so decided to call Coach Woodson and check out the Hawks. It's great to see the Hawks play as well as the have been, and I'm thrilled that Dominique Wilkins is still a part of the franchise and Woody is leading the charge.

Happy Belated Birthday, Dominique Wilkins, and Go Hawks (i.e. unless of course you're playing the Cleveland Cavaliers)!!!



Post game passes let me catch up with friends, when they're finished working.


Philips Arena, ran into Larry Nance, 2006

THE WIRK

I love this time of year... How 'bout dem Cowboys?!?!

If you ask the average person, they'd tell you football started 16 or so weeks ago. If you ask me, I'd tell you that football season started last Saturday... Athletes practice for the big game... I also prepare, even though I'll never take a snap or catch a pass of my own... On Monday night, I was at trivia watching the ESPN crawl... I noticed that the Eagles were playing the Cowboys on Saturday night. The wheels in my head start turning... I want to go to Dallas. Some people have a goal to visit all the MLB ballparks... I dream bigger. It's been a goal of mine to go to a sporting event at every professional venue for baseball, basketball, and football. I will go to hockey games at different sites if the opportunity presents itself, but I'm not about to add it to the list, just yet... After my visit to the new Cowboys stadium, I've been to 57 professional sporting venues. 57. I should've kept a tally on how much this goal has cost me, but I think it'd make me throw up, and I can't imagine the reaction from family and friends so the numbers will not be calculated.

I go to bed on Monday night and tell myself I need to look at flights early on Tuesday. Tuesday morning I wake up and hit Orbitz. To my surprise it appears that USAir wants me to go to Dallas also... They're offering Dallas as one of their last-minute e-saver destinations. For under $220, I can book a round trip ticket and the flight times are PERFECT for an overnight trip to Dallas. Next thing to look at is, game tickets... Must find out whether game tickets are cost-prohibitive or doable... A quick look at some ticket resale sites, tells me that I can commit to a trip to Dallas and go to the game. AWESOME. I think about things a little bit more. I wonder if I can get a Cowboys fan to come with me to Dallas and go to the game.

I jump on facebook and look for my friend, Pat. He's a diehard Cowboys fan, and I bet I can convince him to make the trip. Sure enough he's online. I tell him about the flight prices. He looks for himself. I tell him we can get tickets on stubhub. He says he's never used it. I tell him I'll take care of it, if he just says "YES". He books his flight. We're half way to Dallas in my head! Woohoo. Now for game tickets. Like I said, Pat is a diehard Cowboys fan and I'm a ticket snob. We both go to stubhub and scan for tickets. He's kind enough to offer to sit in the endzone. (For those that don't know, end zone seats are generally cheaper than sideline). I scowl audibly. I'm not flying to Dallas to sit in the endzone. We get home team sideline tickets, on the 20, 13 rows up. I'm BEYOND thrilled. It's a done deal. We're going to Dallas.

Saturday early afternoon I swoop and pick Pat up in the cab and off to the airport we go. Arrive in Dallas, and we get picked up by my cousin's family. Off to lunch for some Texas BBQ. My cousin gets to know Pat. I think he thinks we're a couple. Who cares. I'm not going to correct him. It's not worth it, and I'm sure his kids won't remember Pat when they're older, so he won't have to respond to inquiries about where's, "Uncle Pat". Lol. I'd be willing to bet $10 though, that I get asked about Pat at my cousin's wedding in March ~ but I digress...

My cousin drops Pat and I off at the stadium. When we walked in, we were handed a rally towel. I'm a sucker for free stuff. We cruise the concourse and get a feel for the stadium. Wow. This stadium is like no other. Pat described it as a convention center. That's actually not a bad analogy...

We hit the pro-shop, because we need to get Cowboys gear. Purchasing a home team hat is a compulsory activity when I hit a new venue. While looking at all the Cowboys gear (and singing along to De La Soul's Me, Myself, and I, which is booming through the speakers) I pick my hat and head for the check out line. In line I see a 4 pack of bobbleheads for $20 ~ best souvenir ever because I don't have to buy them a la carte. 

After a quick walk around the concourse, it's off to the seats we go... Eyes wide open I stare at all the activity around me. Cheerleaders, dancers, fire, players, lights, video, etc. are everywhere. Lights, camera, and so much action. They could easily name this stadium "Attention Deficit Arena". I have no idea where I should be looking, but I know I can't take my eyes off the screen over head... The monster screen goes from the 20 to the 20, and the picture is so vivid!

Game On. Cowboys win the coin toss. Cowboys already win in my book. After a few plays it looks like it's going to be a close game. I didn't come to Dallas to get stressed out. After a while, the Eagles (or whoever those people were in green) start to crumble and it begins to look like a barn burner! The group of 4 old guys in front of me are the happiest little boys in the world! Pat has died and gone to heaven. Everyone is smiling from ear to ear and slapping each other high-five after every great play. I'm not sure if it's the South, the fact that they're indoors, or that the Cowboys were winning ~ but all those people were very happy. The new Cowboys stadium felt like Disney World.

I'm taking it all in and surveying the people around me. I look 2 rows ahead of me and notice someone. I know basketball. I know the physique of a basketball player and I'd be willing to bet I know the guy I'm staring at. I look at his profile a little harder and then he sits down. I look at the back of his neck. I see the word "Franchise". I guarantee there may only be a handful of people that know who he is and I'm in that handful. I put it together. It's Steve Francis. It makes sense since he played in Houston and who else would have that on the back of his neck. I think to tap him and ask him if he has Bobby Sura's number in his phone. I'd be willing to bet he does. It's not the time or place. I'd have to talk over a row of people and if I need to find Bob, it's not that difficult for me to find my old friend. Steve and I high-five several times during the game... I'd be willing to bet, even he'd be surprised I figured out who he was!

Do you know who this is? I do! I do!!! :-P

Cowboys blew out the Eagles. We get a drink at a stadium bar after the game, and the stadium is still bustling. Very cool! We watch the postgame and I just people watch. People are throwing footballs on the concourse and having a great time.

By the way, Ted Nugent did the National Anthem. I guess that makes sense because we're in Texas.

One thing is for sure ~ they were dead on, when they said "Don't mess with Texas".

After the game, Pat and I head to Sherlock's for a drinks... Already the gears in my head are turning... I see a guy in Colts gear and I have to tell him I'm a Colts fan. He's visibly confused and tries to take my Cowboys hat off of my head. I stop him because my hair is crazy under there. He tell me if I'm a Colts fan, I need to "be proud". Huh!?!?!? I think to myself, I'll show you proud and immediately try to plan my trip to Indianapolis...

Who's the Colts fan now, guy?!?!? :-P

THE WIRK