It's Opening Day of the baseball season.
Anybody playing hooky to go to a game?
Hey, shoot me. I was tired of looking at sperm cells.
Plus, I love opening day, although I am dutifully at work.
We always celebrate my dog Max's birthday on opening day. He's nine today!
Posted by: tizzie on March 31, 2003 01:23 PMI'm going to the Giants v. Padres at QualComm in San Diego tomorrow with my wife and couple of coworkers. Icky hot dog time!
Let's go Giants! Let's go!
Posted by: kafka the drum slowly on March 31, 2003 01:28 PMAnd a very happy birthday Max. If I may be so bold, I recommend sir sample the pig ears. The perfect counterpoint to Alpo.
Posted by: kafka the drum slowly on March 31, 2003 01:29 PMHappy Birthday, Max!
I call the period between October and April "The Void". The tv goes off, the stereo goes on, and I wait patiently for baseball and soccer to start.
Posted by: jpoulos on March 31, 2003 01:30 PMWhat a loser.
I've been kicked off an internet reality game.
Good thing is I now have time for my monkeys. Time to cuddle.
Posted by: brittney on March 31, 2003 01:33 PMThat is a gorgeous dog, tizzie, I'm very jealous. Lupo (and anyone else who wishes), join the SpoFi Fantasy MLS league, if you like. I've resolved to make this the year to get back into the MLS after ignoring it since '97 or so.
Oh, yeah, baseball...
Posted by: ufez on March 31, 2003 01:38 PMdamn, forgot the link. fantasy MLS here.
Again, beautiful dog, tizzster.
Posted by: ufez on March 31, 2003 01:39 PMI used to love baseball.
But now, if I wanna watch petulant cokehead millionaires play a kids game, I'll go find a bar in the Financial district with a Pac-Man machine.
Posted by: jonmc on March 31, 2003 01:41 PMA friend of mine is going to the Tigers game this afternoon, and the Red Wings game tonight.
Think the Tigers can go all the way this year?
Uh, guys?
Posted by: adampsyche on March 31, 2003 01:52 PMEh.
Professional sports is a joke today. We all make fun of rich folks, yuppies and annoying celebrities everywhere else, we should do it to athletes as well.
Posted by: jonmc on March 31, 2003 01:53 PMBaseball! Baseball!
*slaps rainbow wig, foam fingers on jonmc*
Baseball! Baseball!
Posted by: kafka the drum slowly on March 31, 2003 01:54 PM*pelts naysayers with nitrate-laden wurst*
Posted by: kafka the drum slowly on March 31, 2003 01:57 PM**removes foam finger**
**leaves stadium**
**finds strip club, orders shot & beer**
**gives stripper a $20 to dance with the rainbow wig on**
Go Tigers, Sox and Giants! Go Reds and Cubs! The only team in baseball that I don't like is the stinky old Braves, so go everybody but them.
And thanks for saying nice things about my big old mutt. He is a great hairy sweetheart, and I just adore him.
Posted by: tizzie on March 31, 2003 01:59 PM*pelts naysayers with nitrate-laden wurst*
MMmmmmm.... at the Red's game, I always have a Big Red Smokey with mustard and kraut.
The hell with my arteries! It's baseball, dammit!
I have to say that Pac Bell Park has taken the grub a little far with the Biohazard Garlic Fries. There's a ball of garlic gas floating over the stadium every Giants home game. I hope to get back up to Pac Bell Park this year...and I'm considering trekking out to Bank One when the Ginats play the Snakes.
So far I've only been to:
Oakland Coliseum
Candlestick (none of this "3Com" nonsense)
Pac Bell Park
Jack Murphy Stadium (QualComm)
Dodger Stadium
How bout you East Coast types? Do you make the circuit of ballparks? I'd love to see a game at Fenway, Wrigley etc. I heard they put a new park in Cincinnati too.
Posted by: kafka the drum slowly on March 31, 2003 02:16 PMOh and The Scampi of Doom are in the MLS hizzouse too. I can't wait for the new US/Galaxy facility in Carson. Should be opening about halfway through the season. Then I can see my Quakes come down and beat the Galaxy silly.
Posted by: kafka the drum slowly on March 31, 2003 02:20 PMYes, there is a new park in Cinci - called the Great American Ballpark because there's a corporate entity called Great American Insurance here that ante'd up. I haven't been inside it yet, but the outside is a lot more "ballpark" and less "stadium" than Riverfront was.
I've been to Wrigley and to Cleveland's stadium. All I remember from both of them is that it gets damn cold if your seat is in the shade.
Posted by: tizzie on March 31, 2003 02:30 PMWell, I probably won't be attending any major-league games this year, but I'm mulling over the possibility of season tickets to the Ogden Raptors, who play in the stadium with the best outfield backdrop in the country.
Now them is some mountains, my friends.
Posted by: Crash on March 31, 2003 02:30 PMParks I've seen games at:
Fenway Park (Red Sox)
Yankee Stadium (Yankees)
Shea Stadium (Mets)
Wrigley Field (Cubs)
Kaufmann Stadium (Kansas City)
Camden Yards (Baltimore)
Jeez, that's not a lot. ROAD TRIP!!
I've also stood outside Cinergy Field, but there was no game going on.
Posted by: jpoulos on March 31, 2003 02:33 PMCinergy (aka Riverfront) is a diminishing pile of rubble now, Lupo. People used to criticize its "lack of character" but I always liked it.
My worst opening day game was in 1996 when the Ump dropped dead at home plate during the first inning. That was bad. I was way in the outfield, and I kept thinking the guy had tripped over the batter's foot. Nope.
Posted by: tizzie on March 31, 2003 02:43 PMWelcome to the terrordome, lupo and kaf.
I can't wait for the new US/Galaxy facility in Carson.
Sigh. The Burn stopped playing in the Cotton Bowl after last season (granted, it's a cracking, dissheveled, poor excuse for a venue, but it's OUR cracking, dissheveled, poor excuse for a venue) to go play in some suburb North of Fort Worth. Last year it would take me about 10 minutes to get to a game. Now, it'll take at least an hour each way. Fuckers.
(apologies to you baseball folk, but I doubt we'll see a post on here for MLS kickoff this Saturday, so I gots to get it in).
Posted by: ufez on March 31, 2003 02:44 PMCrash, that's mighty handsome scenery.
We're getting a minor league team here, too - former Red Chris Sabo (famous for picking his nose on camera during World Series play) will be manager.
Posted by: tizzie on March 31, 2003 02:48 PMbut I doubt we'll see a post on here for MLS kickoff this Saturday
Don't be too sure, Ufez. We have a lot of footie fans here.
btw, can you change formation on the fantasy MLS? i can't see how to do that.
Posted by: kafka the drum slowly on March 31, 2003 02:55 PMWe have those garlic fries at (*shudder at the horrible name*) Gillette Stadium for the Revolution games. It's a marketing triumph: the odor turns heads for hundreds of yards. I can't make it back to my seat without at least someone (often three or four different someones) stopping me and asking me what they are and where they can get them.
Posted by: jpoulos on March 31, 2003 03:03 PMkaf, it's done by selecting players from the bottom of your screen as either strikers or midfielders or defenders. Since you're only selecting one striker, three middies, and three defenders to begin with, you get three wildcards to select whichever position you want. It's not as exciting as having set formats to change, but it works out the same.
Posted by: ufez on March 31, 2003 03:03 PMMountains Shmountains.
Harbor Yard here in Bridgeport overlooks both a power plant and the railroad. Also nearby but not pictured is a housing project with little balconies. The balconies are covered in wire mesh to keep people from throwing themselves or others off, I guess.
But they have Atlantic Amber for $3 bucks a pop, so you take the good with the bad.
(the minors I can deal with)
Posted by: jonmc on March 31, 2003 03:04 PMYou don't need to change the formation. You have those three S/M/D slots. If you buy an extra middie, he goes in with the midfielders. If you buy a defender, he goes with them. You have to have a minimum of 1 striker, three midfielders, three defenders and a keeper. Other than that, the players you buy determines the formation.
Posted by: jpoulos on March 31, 2003 03:07 PMBTW, despite all of my bitching and moaning, I just ordered tickets for the Burn home opener against the Galaxy. Cobi Jones can munch my taint nacha.
All the MLS fantasy games I've played (read: yahoo only) reward goals scored and assists and that's about it. I'm going to pick up Donovan and Ruiz and screw the rest of the team. The Defenders and non-attacking midfielders usually only cost you in terms of cards. Last time I pick Patrick Viera in the Fantasy Premiership!
Posted by: kafka the drum slowly on March 31, 2003 03:11 PMCobi Jones must die.
We used to joke that the Cobi Jones kechains they hawked at the games were actual size. Extra for the Cienfuegos matching set.
Posted by: kafka the drum slowly on March 31, 2003 03:12 PM[not yet read above comments ]Go Rangers...they did go as they won last night...hurrah! Saw same game last year, Rangers vs Angels, Rangers lost...hope this is a sign, that they will not come in last place.
Posted by: Thomcatspike on March 31, 2003 03:13 PMAlso, Clint Mathis just totally sucks. That guy's got to go.
Posted by: kafka the drum slowly on March 31, 2003 03:20 PMIn New York, the Staten Island Yankees and Brooklyn Cyclones parks off better views than their big league Bronx and Queens counterparts.
Posted by: liam on March 31, 2003 03:20 PMthe new US/Galaxy facility in Carson. Should be opening about halfway through the season.
Kool something new for me to do back home visiting.
Ufez, saw burn whoop up on Galaxy in OT, last game of the year. Dang, cotton bowl was a great venue, for cheap seats.
Posted by: Thomcatspike on March 31, 2003 03:25 PMExtra for the Cienfuegos matching set.
That's fucking genius.
I used to have a lot of pent-up aggression for Brian McBride. I think some of the up and coming US team members (like Mathis) have taken over some of that though, as McBride doesn't bother me near as much as he used to. Maybe it's just b/c he finally cut his damn hair. I'm still pissed at Bruce Arena for cutting John Harkes in '98 though. He's done a lot of good for the national team, but fuck him still for that (and he got his comeuppance in France).
Posted by: ufez on March 31, 2003 03:47 PMI am going to be forced to start an MLS thread before saturday if this keeps up!
And I never liked Harkes. Another huge loser: Jeff Agoos. Brother's too old.
McBride kicked ass with Everton. made us proud.
Posted by: kafka the drum slowly on March 31, 2003 04:13 PMHA! I just typed a "Harkes Sucks, Agoos Sucks" post, but erased it in the spirit of positive Spring-like vibes. Oh well, fuck it.
Harkes Sucks. Agoos Sucks.
Harkes played for the Revs for a while, and his attitude was shit. Completely stunk up the place. Granted, this was after his firing from the national team, so that may have had something to do with it, but still, he was no leader.
Besides, he was part of that DC United dynasty that beat us up and down every year.
Etchevery, Moreno, Agoos, Harkes--all can chomp on a mouthful of my taint.
Posted by: jpoulos on March 31, 2003 04:22 PMProfessional sports is a joke today. We all make fun of rich folks, yuppies and annoying celebrities everywhere else, we should do it to athletes as well.
sounds like you've read Jose Conseco new book(not available that I know of)?
Etchevery, Moreno, Agoos, Harkes--all can chomp on a mouthful of my taint.
he hee, taint...goes for Conseco too...taint playing & he though he wanted too, for free.
Posted by: Thomcatspike on March 31, 2003 04:38 PMIt's funny how you people think there are other sports besides Hockey.
It's cute, really.
Posted by: tj on March 31, 2003 04:40 PMCanseco has the best blooper ever, when he headed the ball over the fence to give the batter a homerun. Good thing there wasn't anything fragile up there.
Take all your MLSing next thread over.
Posted by: kafka the drum slowly on March 31, 2003 04:40 PMOh, tj, let 'em have their fun, with their 'roided guys in pyjamas waddling around in the dirt like the pampered swine they are.
We're in calm-before-the-playoffs mode anyways. Me, I'm resting up for the inevitable Leaf grief I've got coming.
Posted by: Chico on March 31, 2003 06:03 PMI don't have any problem with hockey, but I think I never really got into it, because I wasn't raised with it. The Sharks didn't come around til what, ten years ago? I've only been in Kings/Ducks country for a little while now... never been to a game.
I think sports mania comes from having actually played the sport.
Posted by: kafka the drum slowly on March 31, 2003 06:18 PMCanseco has the best blooper ever, when he headed the ball over the fence to give the batter a homerun. Happened as a Ranger, still couldn't get his name right. What you get when you google it, like someone posted it...ugg on me.
Ps, will see if the Stars hold together, Go...ah, will wait for that thread.
Posted by: Thomcatspike on March 31, 2003 06:42 PM(the minors I can deal with)
Preach on, brother Jon. Minor-league ball is great. Used to see lots of games (and briefly worked for) the Durham Bulls. (I've seen them both in the old Durham Athletic Park, where they shot "Bull Durham", and the gorgeous new Durham Bulls Athletic Park.) Minor-league ball is great because they really pay attention to the fans, the players aren't overpaid whiners (if anything, they're seriously underpaid), and there's usually a strong, unforced feel of community around the place. (Plus, the most expensive reserved seat at a Bulls game is $6.)
Major-league ballparks I've been to:
Turner Field, Atlanta Braves (all the free tix were great);
Milwaukee County Stadium, Brewers;
Wrigley Field, the hapless Cubs (but I got to see McGwire and Sosa duelling);
and the Astrodome in Houston. Gotta get up to Fenway sometime soon.
Hey! Let's have a MeFiNYCBaseballMeetup!
Posted by: Vidiot on March 31, 2003 08:13 PMOne of our favorite things to do in the Budapest math program was to gather up about twenty Americans to watch baseball late at night on a tiny little TV, and bring along two or three Hungarians for the fun of trying to explain the game to them.
Ah, those silly Europeans. They don't know nothin' about baseball and stuff.
Of course, a bunch of us were soundly pounded by a group of Hungarian twelve-year-olds playing the indiginous stick-and-ball game, called (I shit you not) "Meta." The five bases were arranged in a giant "M," and there were wierd rules that couldn't get past the language barrier, but it was a lot of fun.
Posted by: kaibutsu on March 31, 2003 08:38 PMWow. I missed out on all the good sports talk today? I really have to find another sport to like in between June and September (the ever-so-short NHL off-season).
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