Moving to New York!

Big news! After 17 years in Asia, I am moving to New York. My wife (yes, I got married recently) is going there to study, so I will join her. I arrive in New York on my birthday (August 28th for those who wish to send greetings) and will see the U.S. Open, a Yankees game, and a New York Red Bull match over the first weekend. It will be so good to be back in a city that has so many sporting options. Even then, I probably won't go to local games very often, preferring to spend my money and time on seeing venues that are part of the Quest for 400.

Over the next year or two, I expect to complete the 122 Big 4 stadiums, especially if I can do the full-season NFL trip shortly after I arrive. With only 2 NHL arenas and 6 NBA stadiums left to go, it will be no problem to finish these off by the end of next season. I also hope to complete the baseball minor leagues by the summer of 2015, leaving just the CFL, the AHL and a few other minor hockey leagues, and odds and ends in the lower echelons of American sport.

It is an exciting time for me and this blog will start to be more relevant again that I am able to actually do real sports road trips.

In the meantime, I will be visiting Taipei at the end of July to see a baseball game and then Osaka a week later to finish my reviews of the NPB ballparks for Stadium Journey. That will complete my sports viewing in Asia, so check back for reports on those games. Until then, the blog will remain quiet as we finalize our arrangements, our second international move in a year. It's an exciting time and I can't wait to get started.

Best,

Sean

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Guns, Forks and Freedom

The NFL suffered a terrible tragedy this past weekend when Jovan Belcher killed his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins before driving to Arrowhead Stadium where he turned the gun on himself. The incident prompted Bob Costas to speak out during halftime of Sunday Night Football, where he quoted Jason Whitlock, a Kansas City-based writer who had written an article for Fox Sports advocating the postponement of that Sunday’s game between the Panthers and Chiefs. The sentence that Costas quoted and caused the most controversy stated that “If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today”. This statement may be true, but we will never know for sure.  Regardless, gun advocates wasted no time in calling for Costas to be fired. Why is it that supporters of the second amendment are the quickest to deny others their first amendment rights?

It is not surprising that they are unable to see their own hypocrisy given how idiotic their rationale is.
Perhaps the stupidest argument regularly made by certain gun lobbyists is the one that equates guns and murder to forks and obesity. Of course! Not everyone with a gun is a murderer, just like not everyone with a fork is fat. This is a specious argument. There are three big differences between guns and cutlery.

1. If I have a fork, I will make myself fat. If I have a gun, I will make you dead.
2. If I have a fork, it will take me a very long time to make myself fat. If I have a gun, I will make you dead very quickly.
3. If I get fat, I can lose weight with my fork. If you get dead, my gun will not bring you back to life.

I understand America’s desire for a gun culture; the country formed through war and in the 1800s, there were legitimate concerns about safety from foreign invaders. But times have changed. Nowadays, there is no need for the average man to own a gun. Instead of self-protection, guns are used to end arguments, commit felonies, or shoot an unarmed intruder that happens to be your son (the fact that this happened twice within two weeks is damning enough).

Of course there are situations where having a gun is helpful (there were 204 justifiable homicides committed by citizens with firearms in the US in 2008), but far more often the result is tragedy (9,484 firearm murders that same year). People say that if they own a gun, they will be responsible, but there are stories every day about those that forget that promise in a fit of anger or jealousy.

I’d be happy to listen to some intelligent discussion from the gun lobby, but I’ve yet to hear a single cogent argument against gun control. Perhaps their inability to formulate such a position is the reason they avoid entering a meaningful national debate. Instead, they are happy for their nation to continue to see innocents gunned down for no particular reason, while society as a whole becomes increasingly numb to murder. Very soon, America's only remaining freedom will be freedom from conscience.

Best,

Sean

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Fan Violence

A San Francisco Giants fan was beaten up in the Dodger Stadium parking lot after the home opener last Thursday night. He was wearing Giants' gear and was taunted by two Dodgers fans, who hit him in back of the head, causing him to fall down and bang his head on the pavement. The two cowards then proceeded to kick him before escaping into a waiting minivan. I'm not sure how nobody in the area managed to get the license plate of the van given that Dodger Stadium parking lots are notoriously difficult to leave after games. Regardless, the two scum who committed the act have yet to come forward, which is not surprising given that those who gang up on somebody aren't going to have the balls to face the punishment they deserve. Authorities describe them as Latino men in their early 20s, but have no solid leads. Turns out that the victim is a paramedic and a father of two, just to make the story sadder.

The Dodgers also look pretty bad in this, with owner Frank McCourt stating, "It's very, very unfair to take what was otherwise a fantastic day — everything from the weather to the result of the game to just the overall experience — and to have a few individuals mar that." With that stunted emotional outlook, it's no wonder he's getting divorced.

As someone who travels to sporting events, often in the colours of the visiting team, this story makes me sick. I've been yelled at, had peanuts thrown at me, and had the home team mascot cover me in silly string, but it was all good natured. Unfortunately, it just takes one idiot who feels that rooting for a different team gives him the right to ruin your experience and possibly your life. Teams have a responsibility to protect visiting fans and as Paul Oberjuce writes, the Dodgers have not been doing it. If it means selling less booze or maintaining a list of problem fans, so be it. But teams are loath to forgo any revenue streams, so don't expect any real changes. If you are a visiting fan, be aware that your safety is your own responsibility in Los Angeles.

I'll be attending a Dodgers-Giants game in San Francisco next week and wondering if anything will happen. I'm not a fan of either team in particular and just hoping to see a good game, but you never know if some inebriated Giants' supporters will try to take revenge. I expect security to be tight and obvious in an attempt to deter more moronic behaviour, and Dodger fans might be a bit less obvious in their cheering. In soccer, hooligans have led to fans being forced to sit apart from each other which means that you get a crappy seat when you are a visiting fan. Here's hoping that American sports don't follow that path because of two louts in LA.

Update: I'm adding a bit to this post as it's getting a lot of media play back home. The victim, Bryan Stow, remains in a coma and might have brain damage, while the perpetrators continue to hide. Their friends and family know who they are but no one has the courage to do the right thing. Shameful, but not unexpected, as cowards run together. I doubt that they are even aware of the damage they are doing to their own community, as all young Latino males at Dodger games are now suspect. It's going to be racial profiling all over again.

ESPN has also been following the story closely. Skip Bayless, America's most obnoxious sports commentator, said that visiting fans shouldn't wear their team's paraphernalia or cheer too loudly. I know it's his job to be outrageous, but this is just stupid. Watching your team on the road can be a great experience and is the whole point behind the sports road trip. It is fun to get to know the locals and have a friendly rivalry during the game. Unfortunately, a few fans base their self-worth purely on the teams they follow and cannot deal with the fact that there are people who root for other teams. It is because of these idiots that I need to keep my Leafs jersey at home? No! Simply put, teams need to protect visiting fans just as much as they do their own supporters. Drunkards need to be immediately removed and repeat offenders banned for life. Security has to be noticeably present throughout the venue, including the parking lots, until well after the game. Visiting fans should be aware of their situation and have an avenue to report any potential problems. And if you are a visiting fan, be mature. Cheering and friendly heckling is OK, being an asshole is not. If your team wins, enjoy it but don't rub it in. You are not a better person just because your team is better. Anyway, the sporting gods never take kindly to such behaviour and will punish you eventually.

The Giants are dedicating the first game of their LA series to Stow among other initiatives. In L.A., there will be far more security at Dodger Stadium. For the rest of us, all we can hope for now is that Mr. Stow recovers and this story stops other morons from taking out their personal issues on those wearing different team colours.

Best,

Sean

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Updates on the Disaster and the Effect on Sports

Life in Tokyo is pretty much back to normal, with the exception of fewer trains and far fewer foreigners. I'd say about 75% of my non-Japanese friends have fled, some of their own accord and others because their companies offered them a free trip to another location. Those of us that stayed are happy we did now that things here have stabilized (not that there was ever any real danger in Tokyo) and we look forward to their imminent return.

There is an air of optimism in Japan, despite the horrific tragedy that occurred just 9 days ago. It has been fascinating to watch an entire nation move from shock to acceptance to hope. The death toll will exceed 20,000 but the Japanese are moving on. It was not the first disaster to befall the country and there is almost a sense of "it could have been worse" that allows them to keep things in perspective. To be sure, there is an incredible amount of work to be done in the northeast and the Fukushima nuclear situation is by no means settled, but an incredible amount of progress has already been made on both fronts.

The stoicism and resilience of the Japanese has impressed those overseas and should lead to increased respect on the international stage. Japan has a history of using large events to change direction (the 1923 Tokyo earthquake led them to militarism while the atomic bombs led to the industrialization and subsequent economic growth for the country). There is no doubt that change was needed to revive a moribund leadership and declining population; it may be indelicate to say so but this disaster may be the spur to get Japan fully into the 21st century and beyond.

That's all I'm going to say on the matter. With a potential war in Libya breaking out, Japan's disaster is already old hat. Such is the life in the modern news cycle. If you want to continue to follow this story, I encourage you to find some trusted journalists who report based on facts rather than alarmism. Remember, there's no danger from radiation in Tokyo and certainly none overseas; find a reporter or newspaper who reports that and you should be fine.

Before I go, a few sports updates to get this blog back on topic.

Basketball

The bj League season is continuing but without the Sendai 89ers, Tokyo Apache, or Saitama Broncos. Sendai had no choice after their hometown was destroyed, but rumour has it that Tokyo and Saitama used the threat of radiation and reduced electric power to pull the plug on money-losing seasons. Ed Odeven has a good article on the politics behind the decision. No doubt that a better solution could have been found to keep Tokyo going at least. This news pretty much ends the bj League as a viable sports alternative for me.

The Japan Basketball League canceled the remainder of their season.

Baseball

The Pacific League (which has a team in Sendai) has postponed their season until April 12 while the Central League will start just 4 days later than scheduled, on March 29th. (Update: bowing to government pressure, the CL has now postponed its opening day until April 12th as well). There are some modifications as teams try to save electricity; no extra-inning games is the main rule change (and games will be limited to 3.5 hours), but there will also be more day games and reduced scoreboard use among other incentives. I'm going to see some games as part of my Stadium Journey work and am looking forward to seeing how fans react.

Minor league games are going on now though, which is fine as they are played during the day and don't use that much electricity.

Soccer

The J League has postponed all games in March. Several stadiums were damaged by the quake and there is still some work to be done to determine where games can be played, but the season will get underway in April.

The Asian Champions League postponed games in Japan, but allowed Japanese clubs to play their overseas fixtures. Both Osaka teams travelled to China last week and lost in what must have been a difficult situation.

New Zealand were scheduled to play Japan in a friendly on March 29th but they have pulled out in a rather short-sighted decision. The friendly will now pit Japan's national team against a J League best 11 in a match to raise funds for those affected by the disaster.

Ice Hockey

The Asian Ice Hockey League had scheduled their championship series between the Tohoku Free Blades and a Korean team on March 12. The first 3 games were to be played in Koriyama, a city in Fukushima prefecture. Tohoku means northeast in Japanese and was the area that was mostly destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami, which hit on March 11th. With the nuclear power plant nearby, the entire series naturally was cancelled.

There were many other events cancelled or postponed, but those are the major ones, at least for me.

As for my next trip, I'm still planning to fly to San Francisco on April 12th. Ironically, California is where all the radioactive fallout from Fukushima is landing, so I just can't get a break! But I'm still going to take the risk and put myself in danger, if only to keep reporting to you about the beauty of taking a sports road trip.

Best,

Sean

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We're All Going to Die!!!!! Scaremongering in the media

First, happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! Don't worry, I'm not glowing green in celebration.

Now, onto the topic at hand. I should note that this post is mainly for those overseas who are worried about the situation with the nuclear power plant in Fukushima. Unfortunately, much of the non-Japanese media has focused on this story at the expense of covering the actual disaster: the earthquake and tsunami that killed over 10,000 and left nearly half a million homeless. Poor science and alarmist tendencies have combined to create misleading reports that have my friends and family contacting me wondering if I'm still alive. It pains me that they don't check my blog to determine my status more regularly but that's beside the point.

Here in Japan, ex-pats are fleeing for their lives as embassies ratchet up the hype. Canada's diplomatic corps is notably more calm, suggesting that you avoid travel within 80 km of the nuclear reactor. Fine with me, I had no plans to go there anytime soon.

In Tokyo, which is about 200 km south of the nuclear cloud of death (sarcasm intended), things are quiet. Rolling blackouts have been instituted (my office shut today at 2:50) and train service is reduced, but there is no panic. This evening, Tokyo may have a city-wide blackout for a few hours but it is still not determined exactly where and when (update: no blackout was necessary). It's also tough to find certain items such as batteries and flashlights; prepackaged bread and instant noodles have sold out, while gas stations have long lines. People are preparing for the worst but are generally going about their lives with the same detached demeanor that marks Tokyoites.

I've done quite a bit of reading on the effects of radiation and how far it will travel and how quickly I will turn into a quivering ball of cancer, and the risks as reported overseas are really overblown, at least here in Tokyo. If there was a serious leak of radioactive material, the biggest worry would be consuming too much contaminated food over the following months. Otherwise you can protect yourself by staying inside and sealing windows and doors and taking other basic precautions, in the event that dangerous amounts of radiation actually make it to your area.

The radiation levels at the plant are relatively small again today and Tokyo has no more radiation than normal. So I'm staying. If you are overseas, try to focus on the victims of the tsunami. It is truly unbelievable what is happening there and sad that the international media is more concerned about frightening everyone.

There's so much misinformation that people in the western US are now worried about the radioactive plume reaching them. Meanwhile, they smoke, drive too fast, have too many guns, and are excessively obese. Humans are terrible at understanding risk. We fear what we do not know and cannot control; we know about the dangers of smoking and obesity, and believe that we can control driving and guns, so we are fine. But a single radioactive particle is an unknown and sends us screaming into the streets.

There are some good articles on the whole thing, including one by my favourite sports columnist, Gregg Easterbrook, who writes Tuesday Morning Quarterback for ESPN. Finally, do your own research and reach your own conclusions. Just don't trust the media who want to sell papers or increase viewership at the expense of journalistic responsibility and simple facts.

Best,

Sean

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Earthquake, Tsunami, Radiation. What did Japan do to upset God?

First, let me say that I'm fine. The international press stated that Japan was devastated by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami, but in reality, it is three prefectures in the northeast that have suffered incredible loss. Tokyo and the surrounding area experienced some damage and several fatalities, but life has more or less returned to normal here. Trains were stopped overnight, forcing commuters into long walks (mine was just 10 km), but are mostly running again. Restaurants and supermarkets are open where I live, although some people are panic shopping, buying all the instant noodles they can. Further south in Osaka or Fukuoka, there has been no impact that I've seen on TV. Of course, exploding nuclear power plants might change all that, but for now, things seem safe here at least. Rolling blackouts are anticipated from Monday as people return to work, making the demand for power exceed the limited supply but that is not much of a burden.

Up north though, it will take years to recover, but not from the earthquake directly. Instead, it was the tsunami that wreaked havoc, with some coastal towns being completely wiped out. It's very sad to see the death toll rising by the hour, and there are reports of 10,000 people missing from one town in Miyagi prefecture. It will be weeks until the total extent of damage is known and it is not going to be easy for anyone there. Please keep those people in your thoughts.

It has become a cliche to state that disaster puts the triviality of sports in perspective. Well, any tragedy puts the triviality of everything that is unnecessary into perspective. But we still want those unnecessary distractions to make us forget about the difficult world we live in. So although all major sports events in Japan were cancelled over the weekend, life will go on, the Japanese baseball season will be played, and I'll start complaining about it again. It's not clear how the Sendai sports teams will cope but Japan is a very resilient nation and a solution will be found.

In the meantime, I'll be pretty quiet here with nothing of interest to write about. The Cricket World Cup has been fascinating to follow (Canada even won a match!), and the NHL season is in the stretch run, so there's lots for me to do at home. I'm still hoping to take the trip to California next month, and will keep you posted on how that comes along. For now, stay safe everybody!

Best,

Sean

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Break Time

I'm taking a few months off from road tripping to relax. Last year was a bit crazy with five trips to North America, two to Asia and one to Europe. I spent nearly five months of the year outside of Tokyo and it shows in my pocketbook. So I'll be spending the next 3 months here to take it easy and save some money for the rest of the year. I'll still go to Japanese sports on occasion and update the schedule, but I won't be adding posts for every game I go to as there is no useful info to impart.

The long term plan is to see more of the stadiums I've yet to visit in North America. I have a goal of 500 venues world wide (I'm at 327 now) so I figure 35 a year for 5 years will get me there. In the States, there's about 80 minor league baseball parks plus 25 NFL stadiums that need to be added, as well as a few NHL and NBA arenas. I've yet to see a CFL or MLS game which is truly pathetic. Beyond that, minor leagues in hockey, basketball, and football offer plenty of out-of-the-way places, so it shouldn't be a problem to reach the goal.

In the meantime, I'll occasionally post interesting road trips or other sports commentary to keep the blog going. So stay tuned!

Best,

Sean

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Back to Work - for a day

In what appeared to be a shocking development, I tentatively accepted a 1-month contract at my previous firm. The project looked to be a lot of work, so I expected to be taking it easy on the sports watching and blogging for the next month. But as it turns out, the project didn't really require my services, so it turns out that I won't be working there after all. So I'll still be here to bore you all with my sporting updates.

There's not much going on in February other than the Winter Olympics and the completely meaningless East Asian soccer championship, where Japan invites Korea, China, and Hong Kong over for a little tournament. As an aside, Japan was shutout by China on the weekend, which makes me wonder how they plan to beat the Netherlands, Denmark, or Cameroon on their way to the World Cup semi-finals (their stated goal).

I'm off to Phuket in early March to play in a street hockey tournament, then Manila to meet friends. After that, a Japanese road trip is planned - more on that later. The next big trip isn't until early May, when I revisit California and Arizona for some baseball and maybe some NBA or NHL playoffs. As usual, updates will be available here.

Best,

Sean

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No more weekday games - I'm working!

If you've been following, you know that my work visa expires at the end of October. In order to remain in Japan legally, I needed to find a job quickly. And I did. Starting tomorrow. Which means I won't be going to any more weekday baseball games. With the minor-league season over, there was only the Tohto Baseball League, but I was hoping to see a few more of those doubleheaders. Even today's planned games were washed out, so it'll be next season at the earliest to revisit that league.

I will be checking out some Tokyo Big 6 League action in a couple of weeks, as well as some Top League Rugby the weekend after. Early November will see two championship soccer games at the National Stadium. After that, the blog will probably be pretty quiet for a while as there's not that much of interest over the winter months here other than the unfortunately named bj-league and the Asia Ice Hockey League. I'll likely check out a game or two in each of those leagues.

In the long run, I'm hoping for another large-scale baseball trip next summer in the US and the NFL road trip is always in the back of my mind. It all depends on how the job goes. For now, check back occasionally for updates.

Best,

Sean

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