2013 Texas Trip Summary

After every long roadtrip, I like to post a summary of the journey as it helps to see the bigger picture after spending so much time focused on the day-to-day travel. It is a bit self-indulgent, but then so is much of this blog.

The trip began in Tokyo and ended in Brampton, but most of the games I saw were in Texas, hence the name. I find that giving each trip a name (such as 2013 Texas Trip) and using it as a label on the blog makes it easier to review the trip later on. I've been doing this blog for four years now and more than ever it serves as a reminder of where I've been over that time, much like a public diary, and these summaries are interesting to read a year or two after the fact, when much of the memories have faded.

During the trip, I saw 19 games over 22 days with 11 of those being basketball battles, the most hoops I have seen in my life. There were 4 NCAA baseball games, all in Texas, and 4 hockey games in 4 different leagues. The best game was Houston's comeback win over the Thunder, with Steph Curry's 54 points in the Warriors loss to New York a close second. The AHL game in Texas was also highly entertaining.

I saw 18 new venues which makes 415 total stadiums visited, although only 7 of the 18 counted toward the Quest for 400, which now stands at 188.

I drove over 2,200 miles at an average speed of 54 MPH, with most of this coming in the first few days as I raced from Dallas to Memphis to OKC to Austin. In total, I spent $271 on gas which works out to 12.2 cents per mile. Compare this to a trip three years ago when I drove 2,414 miles and gas was only $203, about 8.4 cents a mile. Thus fuel on this trip was 45% more costly in terms of cents per mile, a reflection of the higher price of gas and the poor mileage of the rental car.

Avoiding Tolls

Texas has a lot of toll roads and on many, there is no cash booth, so you need to have a transponder which is inserted in the rental car. The rental company outsources the collection of tolls to a third party, who charges a fixed amount per day of the rental with a monthly limit (about $15), along with the toll itself. I wanted to avoid these unnecessary costs, so spent some time checking out the routes in advance. Google Maps provides an "Avoid Tolls" option which I used before every drive.

However, the car also included a GPS system, which had been included, either by mistake or because I am a member of their loyalty program. I had never used one before and found it helpful as it told you how many miles you had left and an approximate arrival time. However, it did not have an "Avoid Tolls" option so on many occasions it would instruct me to take a freeway that wasn't free. When I refused, it would chide me with a "Recalculating Route" until it eventually agreed with the path I had plotted.

I think I was successful in avoiding the tolls but I won't know for sure until I get my credit card bill in a couple of months.

Next Up

I'll be flying back to Singapore next week and spending the summer touring Asia with limited sports on the menu. There's the Malaysian Grand Prix near the end of March, a trip to Jakarta for some ASEAN League Basketball in May, a final trip to Japan in August to finish off the NPB ballparks for Stadium Journey, and the F1 in Abu Dhabi in November. I hope to add a few more trips during that time though, so keep checking in to see what might happen.

Best,

Sean
 

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Ottawa 67s 2 at Brampton Battalion 4 - March 3, 2013

The Brampton Battalion have been playing in the OHL since 1998 but have never had much luck in drawing fans with so much hockey competition in the area, both of the professional and junior variety. With the 15-year lease in the Powerade Centre expiring after the 2013 season, owner Scott Abbott, who made his money inventing the Trivial Pursuit board game, finally had his chance to move the team. The city of North Bay was more than willing to upgrade their arena, and the Battalion will begin play there in September, 2013.

As such, this is their last month in Brampton and when I saw they had a home game against the Ottawa 67s on Sunday afternoon, I decided to pay a visit as it would be the only time I could see OHL action in Brampton.

Powerade Centre



Rather than review the arena, which is not going to be used in the OHL again, I'll just briefly describe the Battalion game day experience. The nickname of the rink is "The Bunker". The players skate onto the ice through an inflatable tank (below).



When they score, an air raid siren plays. Rather than the usual "Last minute of play in the period", the announcer says "One minute to ceasefire". The mascot is Sarge, a guy dressed like an army Sergeant. The club's uniform is olive green and has sergeant's stripes on each sleeve. Losing goalies are given 30 days in the stockade. OK, I made that last one up, but the Battalion take the military motif quite seriously and it works surprisingly well. I think they will keep the same traditions in North Bay so the fans there have something to look forward to.

The Game

Ottawa came in last in the league with just 15 wins in 61 contests, while Brampton was third in the Central Division with 65 points from the same number of games. The Battalion started Czech junior goalie Matej Machovsky (below) who was 5th in the league with a 2.60 GAA, nearly half that of 67s keeper Jacob Blair whose 4.98 mark was worst in the league.



The first period saw three power play goals, with Brampton scoring two of those on tip-ins. Ottawa's marker was netted by Sean Monahan (below), who is the OHL's top-ranked prospect and should be taken early in the first round of the upcoming draft.



The bigger story was a fight between two 27s named Brendan, Bell of Ottawa and Childerley of Brampton. Fights in junior are not that exciting because the players wear face shields, so the combatants rarely get in a good punch, but this one ended in a takedown for Bell (below), the only thing Ottawa would win today.



The second period saw the teams score once each, with Ottawa's coming on a great shorthanded play by Joseph Blandisi, who stole the puck and broke in alone, beating Machovsky with a perfect shot to the stick side. Early in the third, the Battalion's Nicholas Foglia tipped in yet another shot to restore the two-goal cushion and the rest of the game was a snoozer as Brampton won 4-2.



Notes

The Powerade Centre will be the home of a Central Hockey League expansion franchise next season, so I'll probably be back there before long. It will be interesting to see if it undergoes renovations before bringing in this slightly higher caliber of hockey. The seating bowl is quite nice, but they probably need to upgrade concessions and the concourse.



The Brampton Sports Hall of Fame is worth a look, you will find a few familiar names (mostly NHL players) among the inductees.



The coolest thing at the rink is the Card Box, a vending machine that sells old baseball, hockey, and football cards. I picked up a 50-cent 1992 O-Pee-Chee baseball set in the hopes of getting a Blue Jay from their first World Series and was lucky that Juan Guzman was included in the pack.



Next Up

My next scheduled event is the Malaysian Grand Prix in three weeks. Until then, I'll be taking it easy in Canada for a week and then returning to Singapore where I'll spend the summer touring Asia. Check back on occasion to see what's happening.

Best,

Sean
 

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New Jersey Devils 3 at Buffalo Sabres 4 (SO) - March 2, 2013

OK, I've been yammering on and on about boycotting the NHL but absolutely nobody listened to me. Not even myself. When I checked the new schedule after the lockout ended, I saw that Buffalo had a home game on March 2nd, the date I would be flying from New York back to Toronto. The First Niagara Center was one of three NHL rinks where I had yet to see a regular season game, so I had a dilemma. Should I simply forgo the NHL this year, or try to find a way to get to Buffalo and cross another arena off the list. I chose the latter option and my regular roadtrip friend Sharpy agreed to pick me up in Toronto and drive me to Buffalo. Meanwhile, Andrew of the Ultimate Sports Road Trip would sell us his season tickets as he would be out of the country on a European sports adventure.

I began the day in Manhattan, took a taxi to Newark Airport, flew to Toronto where Sharpy met me and we drove to downtown Buffalo, location of the First Niagara Center, where the Sabres hosted New Jersey (who coincidentally call Newark home).

First Niagara Center



We arrived in Buffalo just after 1 pm and drove around to look for free parking, which we located about a five minute walk west of the arena near Marine Drive. Fortunately, gates open two hours early so we were able to enter the arena to get out of the freezing weather. There are several entrances into the first floor atrium, a spacious area (below) where the ticket windows and Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame are located. This is a detailed display with memorabilia from all those inducted, including Don Majkowski, the Packers QB prior to Brett Favre.



The seating bowl doesn't open until one hour before the game, so we were able to tour the main concourse and see some of the history on display such as the Blue Zone which has a good history of the Sabres (below).



We stopped by the Pour Man's Aud Club and grabbed some lunch as the Beef on Weck ($9) there is the recommended dish. It comes with a bag of chips and some pickles, so you get all your food groups. We also found a charity stand that was offering very large and very good chocolate bars for just $1, so that was desert. After our completely healthy meal, we walked around the concourse, which is quite spacious at first (below) but fills up quickly as 19,070 fans make their way inside.



We didn't do much else as we had met a friend of Andrew's and were chatting with her for most of the pre-game. So when the players came out for the warm-up, we headed to our seats and got ready for the battle at hand.

The Game

Martin Brodeur was hurt for the Devils so Johan Hedberg got the start against Ryan Miller. The Sabres had recently fired long-time head coach Lindy Ruff and were on a 2-game win streak as they tried to salvage their season. The first period was a snooze as the Devils played a typical road game, limiting the Sabres to six shots.

Things got going in the second when the Sabres scored shorthanded as Cody Hodgson won the puck on a forecheck and fed a wide-open Jason Pominville, who slapped it in from the slot. Just two minutes later, the Devils' Mark Fayne shot from the point and the puck bounced off Ryan Carter and then Steve Bernier before finding its way behind Miller (perplexed below) and the 1-1 tie.



The third period saw New Jersey open the scoring on a shorthanded marker by Adam Henrique, but Buffalo responded two minutes later when Hodgson (#19 below) again found an open Pominville streaking down the right wing. His shot was partially blocked by Hedberg, but still made it into the back of the net and we were tied again.



Near the midway point, Jochen Hecht took a shot that bounced off the side of the net. Hecht continued around the back of the cage and took a pass from Mikhail Grigorenko and fired from the other side, sending the puck in off a diving Hedberg. Yet again though, the lead was less than two minutes old when the other team tied it, this time Andrei Loktionov doing the honours to cap a great three-way passing play with Stefan Matteau (son of Devils slayer Stephane) and Ilya Kovalchuk.

The remaining 8 minutes decided nothing and neither did overtime, where Buffalo had the only two shots. This took us to the shootout. Pominville went first for Buffalo and beat Hedberg to the glove side. Kovalchuk missed for New Jersey, and when Tyler Ennis scored five-hole for the Sabres, it was up to Adam Henrique to keep the Devils alive. His backhand shot was gloved by Miller and the Sabres had their third win in a row.



After that horrid first period, both teams played well the rest of the way. Each club had one shorthanded goal, one fluky deflection, and one goal as a result of a nice passing play. Miller was just a bit better than Hedberg and earned the second star as a result. A good game to mark  my only NHL visit this season.

Notes

Even though there was no Canadian team playing, O Canada was sung. Great touch!

The Sabres logo is one of the best. I don't know why they changed it back in the mid 90s, but I'm glad they brought it back.



Both Ennis and Henrique were penalized for roughing at the end of overtime but were still allowed to shoot in the shootout. I think that if you are in the box at the end of OT, you should not be allowed to shoot. Are you listening NHL GMs?

Next Up

I'm going to visit Brampton today for an OHL game, one of the last to be held there. The team moves to North Bay next season and a CHL franchise will move in. This will be the last game of the trip, so there will be one final recap tomorrow and a trip summary after that. Check back for those posts in a couple of days.

Best,

Sean
 

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Golden State Warriors 105 at New York Knicks 109 - February 27, 2013

The World's Most Famous Arena is what Madison Square Garden calls itself, and it would be difficult to dispute that. However, it had not been aging well and my last visit there back in 2008 left me unimpressed. The owners obviously felt the same way and in 2011, they began a $1 billion renovation program which is still ongoing. However, the majority of the changes have been implemented and my friend Gary had told me that the Garden was much improved, so I wanted to get there this week. The Rangers had home games against the Jets (Tuesday) and Lightning (Thursday), while the Knicks were hosting the Warriors on Wednesday. ESPN was covering the basketball game and the start time had been moved to 8 pm, making it easier to get to after work. Combine that with my ridiculously stupid NHL boycott, and Gary telling me he had an extra ticket for the Knicks game, and the decision was made. Turned out to be a great decision too.



Gates opened an hour before game time, and I met up with Gary to get the ticket and we followed the masses into the building. The entry procedure involves a bag inspection, wanding, and then a long wait as the ticket takers scan everybody's ticket. There are not enough ticket takers for the volume of people so you have to be very patient as you inch your way up the ramp. Once inside though, you will immediately notice how the arena has been transformed. The concourse is big and bright, with plenty on display as you make your way around. Along the top they have an anniversary timeline, with one event that happened at MSG for each day of the year. For major happenings such as Stephan Matteau's overtime goal in 1994, they have memorabilia from the player or game in question.



I was surprised at how easy it was to navigate the main concourse and to go inside the seating bowl to take a picture. Before the renovations, there were inner walkways that were in constant use during the game and made sitting in the first couple of rows behind them a frustrating experience as your view was blocked on a regular basis. These have been removed and now the lower bowl is more like a typical arena, with nice new seats to boot. There are some temporary floor seats for basketball that are not in use for hockey (capacity for the Knicks is 1,833 more than for the Rangers) but getting close to those wasn't going to happen, so I satisfied myself with a couple of snaps and then toured around the Madison Concourse (below). 


The upper deck is known as the Garden Concourse and there are a series of escalators that make getting there a bit annoying. In some spots there is only one escalator, so it has to be turned off to allow people to come down as well, which means you are walking up about 3 flights of stairs. This is just a minor inconvenience, but it will be difficult to resolve given the limited space available in the downtown location.



Our seats were in the 400 level just below the new West Balcony, which has two rows of seats with glass in front of them, plus an open area with barstools for seats. This might be the most interesting place to sit but at $81, it isn't cheap. You do get a great view of the banners as you can see above. The balcony partially blocks the sightlines for fans in the 400 level and significantly affects the acoustics; I had trouble making out the PA announcer at times. I found the best place to stand was next to the stairs to the West Balcony. There is a small space that has great views of the whole arena and is right next to the exit so you can make a quick getaway and beat the rush down the escalators. I don't know if you'd want to stand there for the whole game, but I spent the last few minutes there and thought it was great. The photo below is from that spot.



Other new features include much better lighting - I remember watching Ranger games on TV and thinking how dark it was. When I watched the Rangers host the Jets on the tube at my hotel, the view to the ice was clear and the camera angles were much better.

Overall, the new Garden is an improvement in every way and a joy to visit again. The renovations are still ongoing, so I hope to come back soon and see a hockey game here. But for now, it was the Warriors and the Knicks which turned out to be another wonderful Wednesday ESPN game.

The Game

There were so many storylines here including one-time Knick David Lee being suspended after a skirmish the night before in Indiana. More importantly though was another ex-Knick returning for the first time as a head coach. Warriors' boss Mark Jackson was a fan favourite when he played here and he received a prolonged cheer when he was introduced. His team didn't seem to care much though as they came out flat, although they showed respect to the Square by falling behind 16-9 and then 25-16. Meanwhile Tyson Chandler of the Knicks was a monster on the boards, grabbing 13 in the first 9 1/2 minutes. Steph Curry finished the quarter with 4 points as the Knicks led 27-18.



Early in the second, the Knicks were up 32-22 when Curry decided to get involved. He made a layup, technical free throw, and three 3-pointers in less than three minutes to bring the Warriors to within a point, 35-34. After the teams traded baskets, another Curry trey made it 40-37 Golden State and the fans were puzzled, because the reversal had happened so quickly. The Knicks responded just as quickly as Carmelo Anthony (above) added 9 points in the final 5 minutes of the half and they went to the locker room up 58-55 despite Curry (dribbling below) scoring 27.



The third quarter saw the score tied on four occasions but the Knicks maintained their 3-point advantage, leading 84-81. Curry potted 11 more to give him 38 and there was a noticeable buzz whenever he touched the ball as it seemed like every three pointer he took went in.



The final frame was thrilling. Another Curry bomb brought the Warriors within one and then he drove for a layup to give them a 90-89 lead. Over the next five minutes the teams fought to a 13-13 standoff as Curry continued to hit from downtown, adding three more treys to give him 52 points. Still, Golden State could only manage a 103-102 lead with 3:42 to go. After J.R. Smith missed a 3, Chandler grabbed his tenth offensive rebound and fed out to Anthony who drained his three. Two possessions later, Curry sank two FTs and the game was tied at 105 with two minutes left.

After Raymond Felton missed a three for the Knicks, he fought his way back on defense to make a key block on Curry, with the rebound falling to Chandler naturally. The Knicks drove back up the court and Smith hit a jump shot for the 107-105 lead. After the Warriors called time out, Jarrett Jack traveled while being double teamed and Anthony made a jumper on the subsequent possession, giving him 35 points on the evening. Another Warrior turnover forced them to foul, but Felton missed both freebies, grabbing the offensive board in contrition. The Warriors chose not to foul and after Anthony flubbed a layup, they drove down for a chance to get close, but Klay Thompson missed two threes and the Knicks held on 109-105.



Curry's 54 points were an NBA season high, and his 11 threes (on 13 attempts) were a franchise record, just one short of the NBA mark. Chandler finished with 28 rebounds, second most in the NBA this year. It was an unbelievable performance from both men and pushed Anthony to the sidelines despite his 35 points. Truly an incredible game.



Statistically, Golden State outshot New York from 3 point land (55.6% to 32.4%), and the charity stripe (85.7% to 78.8%) and the teams were both at 47% from inside the arc. How did the Knicks win? Rebounding, turnovers, and driving to the basket. New York took 16 of 49 boards on their offensive end, leading to 27 second-chance points (compared to just 2 for the Warriors). Meanwhile, the Knicks protected the ball, giving up only 10 turnovers compared to the Warriors 18. Finally, the home team went to the line 33 times (hitting 26) compared to just 21 (making 18) for the Warriors who spent most of the game on the perimeter. Shooting well is important, but if you neglect the other areas of the game, it won't matter in the end.

Notes

During the game, they show celebrities on the big screen. Famous names were Katie Holmes (no Suri in sight) and Katherine McPhee, as well as Victor Cruz of the football Giants.

I've seen some excellent basketball games on this trip. A week ago in Houston was James Harden's 46 points, and the Heat over OKC the previous week was great to watch. That is the beauty of Sports Road Trips, getting to see different teams in different venues and sometimes being rewarded with fantastic performances. I wonder if anyone else was at all three of those games…

Finally, thanks to Gary for his hospitality during my stay in New York, he was instrumental in getting tickets to the Nets and Knicks.

Next Up

I fly to Toronto on Saturday and immediately make my way back to the great State of New York as Sharpy will drive me to Buffalo to watch the Sabres and Devils. Yes the NHL boycott will be broken but First Niagara Center is a venue where I have yet to see a regular season game and as I am getting tickets from my friend Andrew, there is no direct payment to the NHL. You may call it rationalization but I call it dedication to the Quest for 400!

Sunday will see me visiting the Powerade Centre in Brampton, home of the OHL's Battalion who are playing their last season before moving to North Bay. A CHL team is scheduled to begin play there next season. Yes, that is the league with the team in Allen, Texas. Lots of long road trips for those guys next season. Anyway, check back next week for all the updates.

Best,

Sean

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Villanova Wildcats 65 at Seton Hall Pirates 66 (NCAA Basketball) -February 25, 2013

When I first planned this trip I figured I would have no sports to watch on Monday night in New York as there were no NBA or NHL games in the area. However, when I met up with Gary on Sunday, he mentioned that Seton Hall would be hosting Villanova in Big East basketball action. Despite being a relatively small school, they play at the Prudential Center in Newark, which is easily accessible from downtown Manhattan using the PATH train from the World Trade Center. Another local friend Mike "The King" Casiano decided to join me so after work, we met up and headed over to New Jersey.

Prudential Center



More commonly known as the home of the New Jersey Devils, the Prudential Center was opened in 2007 to replace the aging IZOD Center in the Meadowlands. The Devils moved in immediately while the Nets only came here in 2010 before moving on to Brooklyn this season. The arena is also host to a number of other clubs, including Seton Hall Pirates basketball. I had already visited "The Rock" when the Leafs played the Devils back in 2008, a 3-2 loss that ended John Ferguson's tenure as GM.



With a capacity of over 18,000, the stadium is too big for the average college crowd, which seems to number around 7,500, so the upper bowl is usually blocked off. As such, I didn't do much touring as most concessions were closed and the concourse was quite empty (above). The Seton Hall band used the extra space to set up and serenade entering fans prior to the game, a nice touch (below).



The only other thing I noticed was The Mural, a 200-foot long piece of art by Tom Mosser that highlights local sports figures (below). As game time was approaching (a rather late 9 pm start), we took our seats without doing a full tour, so I'll have to come back for a Devils game in the near future.



The Game

Seton Hall came in with a 2-13 conference record and on a 9-game losing streak, while Villanova, was coming off a big road win at 17th-ranked Marquette on Saturday and had taken the last ten games over Seton Hall.



The story here was the Pirates' 3-point shooting. They went 8-13 from beyond the arc in the first half (and only 1-9 from inside), which allowed them to stay close to a more well-rounded Wildcat squad, who shot 67% from close range as the half ended tied at 32.



The second half was more of the same as Aaron Cosby (#1 leaping above) made three treys early on to keep the Pirates in the contest. After much back and forth, Villanova used a 9-2 run to get a little breathing room, building a 60-55 lead with five minutes to go. Seton Hall pulled with 1 but a Darren Hilliard (#4 in blue above) three pointer and a Mouphtaou Yarou (#13 above) jumper sandwiched around two freebies by Brian Oliver allowed the Wildcats to take a 65-61 lead with just 19 seconds left.

This is when things got crazy. Fuquan Edwin drove to the basket and was fouled, sinking both free throws to make it 65-63. As Villanova inbounded, the Pirates pressed and forced a turnover before the Wildcats could call timeout. Tom Mayaan passed to Edwin who stepped back beyond the arc and drained the shot for the 66-65 lead and a suddenly crazy crowd. It was the Seton Hall's 13th three in just 21 attempts and it won the game as Villanova could not get a good shot on their last possession.



This game may have had a thrilling finish, but it wasn't pretty to watch. There were 37 turnovers and 41 fouls. The best part was Villanova's FT shooting, which was 25-27. Still, that's only 25 points, far less than Seton Hall gained on those 13 three-pointers. If you believe you only need to watch the last two minutes of a basketball game to enjoy it, this battle would do little to disprove that.

Notes

Before the game, the King and I signed up for the designated driver program to get our free soda. Every game one person who signs up wins a prize and this time it was the King himself. He seemed quite shocked to see his name (Michael Casiano of course, not the King) up on the scoreboard. The swag was pretty good, including a nice Seton Hall hoodie. Congratulations Mike!

The final shot was #9 on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays on their late broadcast.

What's Wrong with College Basketball

College basketball has so many problems, the most obvious being the five time outs afforded each team along with the four media time outs per half. That 18 stoppages for a 40-minute contest. Add on the 40 or so fouls and you rarely get a full minute of continuous action. The game has no flow and when are you are at the venue and not distracted by commercials or Dick Vitale yelling, it can get very tiring. Of course, no one will ever mention this as college basketball is currently the most hyped sport on ESPN with March Madness just around the corner, but it is true. Two hours and 20 minutes for 40 minutes of game action only serves the TV networks who can sell more ad time; fans as usual have their time wasted.

Another issue is the overuse of the 3-point shot. When it was first introduced, the trey was a novelty and teams used it relatively rarely. But we now have a generation of players that have grown up making this shot so their shooting percentage is sometimes 40% or better, while the 2-point shooting percentage is still around 50%. It doesn't take a math whiz to calculate that once you are shooting better than 33% on threes, it makes sense to shoot from there (assuming the 50% rate from inside the arc). In this game there were 92 FG attempts and 39 were from 3-point land (42%). The three point shot is no longer exciting when it happens all the time and it has changed the college game considerably. Basketball should have balance with an inside game to complement the outside shooting, but as teams rely more and more on perimeter play, the quality of big men will continue to decline.

Finally, these schedules are a bit crazy. Villanova played in Milwaukee Saturday and then Newark on Monday. Do these kids study? Isn't it midterms right now? Oh wait, those are stupid questions, college basketball is not about college, it is about money (of which none goes to those kids). If you are not following the Ed O'Bannon lawsuit against the NCAA, you should. It could change the landscape of college sports and finally ensure the players are treated fairly and not exploited so ruthlessly by the NCAA and ESPN.

Next Up

After 16 straight days watching a game, I'm taking tonight off. The Jets are visiting the Rangers but I have other commitments so I will miss it. I still hope to get into the Knicks and Warriors tomorrow night though, so check back to see if I did.

Best,

Sean
 

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Memphis Grizzlies 76 at Brooklyn Nets 72 - February 24, 2013

After a slightly delayed flight from Dallas, I arrived in New York City with plenty of time to head over to Brooklyn to see the newest stadium among the 122 big 4 sports venues, the Barclays Center. The Memphis Grizzlies were in town and my friends Gary and the King from Royalty Tours would be there, choosing this game over the Knicks, Islanders, and Devils who were all at home around the same time.

Barclays Center

Located on Atlantic Avenue, Barclays Center is just 3 miles from downtown Manhattan making it a very short subway ride, about the same distance from Wall Street as Madison Square Garden. The first thing you might notice as you approach from the subway exit is the Ebbets Field flagpole at the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush. Look beyond and you might find it hard to believe they've put a full scale stadium right in the middle of the block, but as you can see below, they have. It is really a fascinating place from the outside and looks more like a fine arts venue than a basketball arena.



Inside is a different story. First, you have to have your bags checked, then you are wanded, and then you get your ticket scanned before you can stand on the open plaza, which has a clear view of the floor but is so crowded that you'll want to quickly escape. The concourse has charging stations for those whose phones are running low on battery as well as ATMs that have no withdrawal fee, something very useful for international travelers such as myself. Walking around, you will notice dozens of concessions, each with traditional Brooklyn favourites but the prices are outrageous. I saw sandwiches selling for $15.75 which is what an entree should cost at a quality restaurant. I guess Nets fans are loaded, but I am not, so I signed up for the designated driver and got a free popcorn instead.



I briefly made my way inside the seating bowl to snap the picture above but you can't walk down into the seats without a ticket. So I wandered back to the concourse where there is a display on the Black Fives that was only installed a couple of weeks ago for Black History Month. It should remain as it makes a fairly drab spot much more interesting.



Gary had secured me an upper deck ticket at a discount, but without his services, I would have paid $35 at the box office for the cheapest seats, again somewhat overpriced. After completing my tour of the lower level, I took the escalator up to the 200 level bypassing the club section, although from the escalator you can look down and see the buffet options available to those with club tickets. When I walked into the upper seating bowl, I had to squint to see the row and seat numbers since it is very dark as you can tell in the photo below. During the game, there is no point trying to read the program or score the game, unless you have a small flashlight to help you see.



The Nets have moved their banners over from the Prudential Center (and the Brendan Byrne Arena before that) including a couple of ABA championship ones (below). There are also six retired Net numbers on display and a banner for Jay-Z, a Brooklyn native who is a part owner of the team and who celebrated the opening of the arena with eight consecutive sold out concerts.



The upper concourse has far fewer concessions so if you do want to be fleeced for your supper, better to choose something from the lower level. There is a 40/40 Club (again co-owned by Jay-Z), an upscale sports bar which is open to the public both before and after the game but I had seen enough of the prices so I didn't bother checking it out.



Overall, I was somewhat disappointed in the Barclays Center. After my trip to Texas where I saw four NBA venues, I had high expectations but found that this is an average stadium with little to make me return. Particularly the game I witnessed.

The Game



Ugh. They don't get much worse than this. The Grizzlies and Nets are two of the slowest-paced teams in the league and it showed. Both squads milked the clock, took bad shots as a result, and left the crowd in a torpor for most of the contest. The Nets shot under 36% from inside the arc and committed at least four 24-second violations, perhaps a sign of good Grizzly defense or more likely, a sign of bad Net offense.



Deron Williams (#8, above) was the star for the Nets with some great plays, going 9-15 for 24 points (exactly 1/3 of their total), while Zach Randolph (shooting below) led the Grizzlies with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Despite only scoring 76 points, the Grizzlies managed to get all five starters into double figures - a craptacular team effort!



The game had 12 lead changes and was tied 5 times, which sounds exciting. Not really. Brooklyn had a 72-67 lead with 2:50 to play but missed their next four shots while Memphis scored 7 straight points. Down by two, the Nets had one last chance to tie it up, but Williams made a terrible pass instead of shooting. Tayshaun Prince who was the recipient of the gift pass, quickly threw the ball over to Mike Conley who was fouled. Conley sank the free throws to make the final 76-72.


After this stinker, don't advertise upcoming games

Remember that game in Houston I saw last week? The score was 122-119, or 241 total points. This game had just 148. No wonder Grizzly fans have stopped coming out to their games in Memphis, they are simply not a fun team to watch even when they win. As for Net fans, who can blame their lack of enthusiasm tonight, their team was simply not very interesting.

Notes

The 3-hour flight from Dallas was on a CR9, where the R stands for regional, which means small (just 76 seats). I am surprised that they are using such tiny planes for flights that can hardly be described as regional. The flight was delayed 40 minutes due to a late arriving aircraft, but after a quick boarding process, we left just 20 minutes behind schedule. I had been upgraded and had a nice window seat without having the wing block part of the view. After takeoff, we flew directly over the American Airlines Center where the Mavericks were getting ready to host the Lakers, and I had a great view of SMU's football stadium, where I saw a game back in November 2011. We passed south of Little Rock and stayed parallel to I-40 briefly before veering northeast, where clouds eventually moved in. It was my first upgrade in several years and a nice way to end the Texas trip.

Next Up

I had no plan for Monday but Gary told me that there was an NCAA basketball game in Newark with Seton Hall hosting Villanova. It was the only game in town and I'm glad I went as it turned out to have an amazing finish. I'll have a post on that tomorrow.

I also plan to see the Knicks and Warriors on Wednesday at MSG, but that will be it for New York City. This weekend I finish the trip with a a couple of hockey games in Buffalo and Brampton, so check back for updates on that as usual..

Best,

Sean
 

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Cal State Fullerton Titans 6 at TCU Horned Frogs 2 (NCAA Baseball) -February 23, 2013

It's always fun to discover an extra game after the initial trip is planned. When I found the updated college baseball schedule online, I started going through every Texas-based team to see if they were at home this weekend. Imagine my delight when I learned that the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs were hosting baseball powerhouse Cal State Fullerton in Fort Worth. With a start time of 2 p.m., it fit in nicely with the indoor soccer game in Allen at 7. Of course, the plans changed after that and the soccer game was dispatched from the schedule but the baseball game remained, so I headed over to Lupton Stadium to catch all the action.

Lupton Stadium

 

Built in 2003 on the TCU campus, Lupton Stadium is named for Charlie and Marie Lupton in recognition of a $2-million gift from the Brown-Lupton Foundation, of which Charlie was a founder back in 1944. You might notice in the picture below that the field is named separately (Roger Williams was a TCU player and coach, while Michael Reilly is a local businessman), meaning there are four individuals recognized here. It maybe a bit wordy, but it is much better than naming rights sold to a corporation.



Parking is free in a large lot off West Berry Street. From here, you can walk around the fence and see the history here, including a 1921 conference champions plaque in the shape of a baseball. Continuing along the third base side, the championships are listed in chronological order, with the CWS appearance in 2010 the highlight.



TCU teams are called the Horned Frogs, although the animal is actually a lizard. The name was given back in 1897 when the university was located in Waco and must be one of the longest serving nicknames in sports. There are horned frog representations everywhere around the ballpark, including an inflatable one as you approach (below). There is even a stand selling Horned Frog jewelry and art for true fans.



The main ticket window is located up a flight of stairs and after paying $12 for a reserved seat, you can make your way inside, being sure to pick up a copy of the free game notes. I should point out that fans show up in droves here as TCU was 11th in total attendance in 2012 with an average of 4,112 in a venue with a capacity of just 4,500. Most of these seem to be season ticket holders and there were only reserved bleacher seats available when I showed up an hour before game time.



The stadium has two seating levels and the bleachers are the uncovered seats in the second deck above. There are about 26 seats per row, so when you get a middle seat, you are pretty much stuck. The picture below was taken well before game time but it filled up quickly. With the sun shining brightly, I decided to move to a shadier location on the concourse, where a couple of metal picnic tables are available to all with decent views of the mound and home plate.



The concourse is a bit narrow but perfectly adequate for the crowd. There are concessions along the concourse with sausage wraps at $4.50 very tempting, but I chose a freshly grilled hot dog at the TCU Grill for $4, where cheeseburgers are also on offer at $7.50. Other typical fare is available as well as a Mexican stand with $5 burritos that looked very good.



Along the concourse you will notice signs for players that have made the majors, although they include minor league contracts. Lance Broadway played in 27 games for the Chisox and Mets but never appeared in the majors for the Blue Jays, spending his last year in organized baseball at AAA Las Vegas. It is too bad he didn't make it big in New York as he might have the best name for anyone who played in the Big Apple.



Along the right field line there is a large berm where kids can run around. Even better, you can stand against a fence here and get a completely unobstructed view of the diamond. All seats are protected by netting so if you want a clear view, best to move over to the berm. I alternated between the shaded picnic table and this area throughout the game.



Overall, Lupton Stadium is yet another beautiful college ballpark with great fans, good food options, and a nice atmosphere on a weekend afternoon. If you are in the DFW Metroplex during baseball season, check out the TCU schedule too see if the Horned Frogs are at home and if they are, make sure to catch a game.

The Game

Cal State Fullerton came into the weekend ranked 19th with a 4-0 record, while TCU was 24th despite an 0-3 start. The Titans won Friday's encounter 7-2 and sent freshman Justin Garza (below, drafted by Pittsburgh in the 26th round out of high school but smartly choosing school instead) to the hill to face sophomore Preston Morrison.



In the top of the first, leadoff hitter Richy Pedroza reached on an error when first baseman Kevin Cron bobbled a grounder. This rattled Morrison who walked the next batter before getting a double play ball. But a hit batsmen, infield single from prospect Michael Lorenzen (below, taken from the picnic table), another hit batter, and a walk to Jake Jefferies led to two unearned runs.



Garza was superb, throwing 4 perfect innings before giving up a hit with one out in the fifth, the only blemish through seven frames. Morrison was just as good, retiring 19 of 22 batters he faced after giving up those runs as the game zoomed along. Below is Jantzen Witte out at first, taken from the berm area.



In the top of the 8th, Matt Chapman bunted for a single to lead things off. Morrison was replaced by Riley Ferrell, who gave up two singles to load the bases for Jefferies. After fouling one off (below) and taking the count full, Jefferies smashed a pitch over the right field fence for a grand slam and a 6-0 Titan lead.



Garza had a safe lead but tired in the bottom of the frame, giving up four straight hits and 2 runs before leaving having just thrown 86 pitches. J.D. Davis relieved and shut the door the rest of the way as CSF won 6-2 to move to 6-0 on the season.



The game took just 2:18 as the pitchers were throwing strikes and batters were swinging freely. There were only two walks, both by Morrison in the first inning. When the weather is so nice (see the temperature in the picture above - 67F!), I would like it if the game took just a little bit longer. This will be my last warm day until I return to Singapore in two weeks.

Notes

This was my 12th collegiate ballpark and each has been a great experience. Every stadium is unique and the fans are much different than those in the minors. Many are alumni and as most players remain for four years, they really build a relationship with them. There were several Titan fans who had made the trip as well and were standing along the first base line where they could talk to their players after the game. One guy chatted with me asking if I "booked" every game. Turns out that booking means keeping score and sounds much cooler. So yeah, I book every game.

Next Up

I'm flying to New York Sunday morning (already upgraded to first class!) for a week of work, but hope to see the Nets and Grizzlies Sunday evening, assuming my flight is on time. Check back tomorrow for an update.

Best,

Sean
 

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