Life 2.1

Oh Dodger Stadium. We have such a love-hate relationship. By birth, I’m a Giants fan, and was therefore raised to loathe you. Yet, when I entered, I thought, “self, this isn’t so bad. Just rip the band-aid off and go for it.“

And for about 3 innings I was all right. Then the stands started to fill up and I was surrounded by Dodger fans. Ugh. But, points for having a loyal and passionate fan base.

Bobby and Jason picked me up around 1:30 and we got caught up over a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant near the stadium. Maybe it was the strawberry margarita talking but I went into Dodger Stadium with an open mind. After all, it’s one of the oldest stadiums left with all the rebuilding going on.

Welcome to Dodger Stadium

The boys and I drove into Chavez Ravine around 5:15 and parking was amazingly easy and cheap ($15 compared to $30 at Pac-Bell!) and we proceeded to Will Call, got our tickets no problem and headed up the escalator to enter.

They didn’t let fans in until closer to 5:45 but it was all right, we just stood in line and people-watched. There wasn’t much going on outside the stadium. They have massive parking lots but prohibit tailgating so that’s no fun.

Finally we entered and made our way to our seats to watch BP. We were in the RF upper reserve level, which was a decent view. I was still feeling ok about this whole Dodgers thing.

A shot of that famous LA behind the dish

Before the game got going, we walked around the upper level breezeway and enjoyed an adult beverage, taking it all in. I did appreciate the fact that the ushers didn’t give us any grief about standing in the left field upper reserve shade prior to the game.

We made it back to our seats in time for first pitch and the area around us had really filled up with families and fans, which is another criteria earning positive points. Good family/fan atmosphere. I was thinking it was somewhere around a 7 at this point. Then the game got going and everything was still ok. The stadium had loads of snack bars at which you could buy Dodgerdogs and the lines were never too bad. I happened to be in the world’s slowest line for a bottle of water and a cup of coffee but it was definitely just my unfortunate luck, not standard.

J and me

About the 7th inning, the boys and I decided it was time to walk around and take in some sights of the yard. Only, they wouldn’t let us! It’s baseball fan segregation, I tell you! I’m not looking to swoop on people’s seats down there but God forbid I mix in with the fancy people on the lower levels. Huge point loss for this. I was not a happy camper.

So, in conclusion, the stadium gets points for its history and fan base and snack bar lines but a huge deduction for the lack of pre-game atmosphere and the no-fan-mixing policy. Crowd-control, the usher called it. Whatever. Not my fault that the Dodgers are concerned about their fanbase getting too crazy, but thanks for ruining it for the rest of us trying to appreciate the stadium. On the plus side, I got a chance to take pictures with the guys, since I didn’t have any pics with them prior to 2006. Bob, we’re gonna have to take a re-do, I didn’t realize this was blurry. Fail.

CL and Bob

Right after I was told I was prohibited from mingling with the fancy people, I was feeling like the stadium was a 4 but in hindsight, I give it a high 5. The stadium does come complete with Vin Scully. But since fans don’t get the opportunity to fully enjoy the stadium, I can’t give it higher than that.

Thank goodness I got that one over with.

I’ve wrapped up two more ballparks in my quest to see all the MLB yards…this swing was a quick one, since I have events at work all weekend but I managed to steal some time for a spin through Arizona to see Chase Stadium and Thursday night will find me in {gag} Dodger Stadium. As a Giants fan by birth, I almost couldn’t event type the words.

Welcome to Chase Field

Wednesday night’s excursion to Chase Field in Phoenix was positive for a couple of reasons. The first being that this was the view from my seats:

This is just how I roll

The second was that they were playing the Mets and I think we all know how I feel about the Mets third baseman. But the Stadium was a nice experience as well, despite me not getting to do much exploring outside of the gates. Upon my arrival at the plaza/entry way where Will Call tickets could be picked up, there was a bustle of activity, like any ballgame should have. Also, the Will Call Kiosks? Very convenient. There was a bar & grill-looking place across the way, which looked to be home to many pre-gaming fans. The area around the ballpark looked as though it was in the process of being developed and my driver kindly informed me that during the Suns-Lakers games, this place was a zoo. I imagine that when events are taking place at the various arenas that are just blocks away, there is a buzz of activity but I also got the impression that without those activities, there wouldn’t be much action on a random Thursday night, for instance.

First pitch to Jose Reyes

I took my seat and enjoyed an adult beverage from the underground restaurant/bar that was directly below my seat and close in proximity. They had go cups, which, after living in New Orleans, I have learned to appreciate. The stadium wasn’t as full as it should have been, but then again the poor Diamondbacks are currently 19 games out of first, so I guess that might have something to do with it.

As I lowered my beer into my cupholder, I look up two rows in front of me and see none other than my college team’s centerfielder, who I haven’t seen in a few years. Total pleasant surprise since Matty was one of the guys at UCSD who always made me feel like a part of the club. *Side story, one time, during practice, our left-handed hitting catcher was taking BP and I was sitting Zack Morris style in a chair along the first baseline, watching and charting. I was a ways a way from the field but staying loose since Jeff had some pop and sure enough, he sent a screaming rod right at me. I hopped up quick but it still tagged me in the leg or foot somewhere as I was getting out of the way. The next day, it was Matty who had taken my chair and set up the L-screen and orange cones around it. It was a good one.

For those fans who wanna splash around in the AZ heatGood mix of logos and photos of baseball legends

So back to the ball park…The inside feel of the ballpark is similar to the newer stadiums in that it’s got big, open breezeways, which I have always appreciated. As you walk around the inside, you never lose sight of the action and there are no real field-blocking walls or club seats ahem, CitiField, behind the plate. They have a pool in right-centerfield which is neat and they offer a good selection of ballpark food.

For being a relatively new team, they do try and honor those players of their history, but they also do a nice job of honoring their current club members, with a big wall mural of any D-Back who has ever been selected to an All-Star game. They also have former player races, which are hilarious, since Mark Grace has yet to win one. Randy Johnson, Matt Williams and Luis Gonzalez have all by-passed Gracie in a spin-off of the sausage races of Milwaukee.

A good mix of logos and old-time photos

I forgot my New York Times’ Food Guide but apparently the can’t miss item in AZ was garlic fries from Gordon Biersch so I’m ok with bypassing those.

The game was low-scoring, which wasn’t as exciting but it did go 14 innings (all of which, I saw) but the D-Backs have it tough. As it was explained to me, Phoenix is such a transplant city, most of the people who live there already have team affiliations that aren’t the Diamondbacks, which may explain why they have awesome out of town scoreboards, so the people that go to the game can still keep up with their hometown teams. Whatever the reason, they are large and very visible, which is worth some points in the ranking system.

What 14 innings looks like

Overall, I would definitely go back and give the stadium a solid 6, maybe a 7. They get points for the open feel of the stadium with a solid scoreboard and jumbo-tron but are also saddled with a loss of points for the fact that their fan base isn’t the die-hard base (yet) and the bit of a warehouse-feel the stadium has when the roof is closed as it was when I visited. On the plus side, that roof kept out 110-degree heat. It’s a trade off.

I have been a fan (or “liker” according to Facebook…whatev) of the E*Trade Baby for quite some time but this commercial makes me laugh every dang time I see it. Especially when he shows us his shocked face.

I also have an appreciation for this, which was circulating around my NOLA channels during Lombardi Gras:

The gate is narrow.

Heh heh heh. I’m evening giggling at these as I type.

I can’t even begin to describe the atmosphere in the City of New Orleans yesterday and today (and probably tomorrow, right on through til Mardi Gras!) Since the Saints win over the Colts yesterday, there’s been a sense of euphoria throughout the city. The general consensus is that this tops even Mardi Gras as far as crowds and celebrating goes.

Me and the girls from work

I spent the Super Bowl in the French Quarter, which was a wise choice. I work with Blond Colleen (I’m Brunette Colleen obvi) and her boyf and his buddies rented out the entire second story of Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville for a huge Super Bowl party. We all threw in and that got us all we can eat, along with an open bar. It was, by far, the way to go. Not too crowded but definitely full and Blond Colleen’s mom and step dad staked out a table front and center of one of the huge flat screen TVs so we all had a great view of the win.

Mid-Who Dat chant

The game was so fun to watch with everyone. It’s easy to make friends when everyone is a Saint’s fan! It was clear (in our minds) after the pick-six that the Saints had won the Super Bowl and the place erupted in hugs, fist pumps, and in some cases, tears of joy. I don’t think I have ever hugged so many strangers in all my life! People were just hugging anyone near them and jumping up and down!

I met these people at the party

When it became clear that the Saints were going to emerge victorious, I took a little video (after I did my fair share of jumping up and down and high-fiving, that is)

New Orleans Saints win Super Bowl XLIV

Celebratory fist pumps

Blond Colleen and her step dad celebrate the win

After the hugging wound down, we headed to the balcony to see the celebrations going on below. Margaritaville is actually on Decatur so I wasn’t technically on Bourbon (I was about 3 blocks from it). There were cars parading down the street blasting music, horns honking, good-spirited mayhem and everyone was celebrating.

New Orleans Saints win Super Bowl XLIV

Brooke and me on the balcony

It gave new meaning to the song "Dancin' In the Streets"

We did end up heading to Bourbon and the walk among everyone was worth putting up with the crowds. The scene was something I won’t ever forget…walking past people and they want to high-five you at random. People cheering and screaming at random, pockets of people starting Who Dat chants…it was most definitely an experience! The city was full on Black and Gold…as illustrated in the picture of the statue below:

Getting up on the statue was the easy part but I have no idea how they were getting down

Brooke and me heading to the madness that was Bourbon

And now might also be the appropriate time to tell you that on Facebook, there are people who have listed “Drew Breesus” as their religious affiliation. They are hardcore fans.

They call him Drew Breesus

THIS was Bourbon!

I have to say, the Saints win was truly an amazing moment.

My dad used to tape newspaper articles to our refrigerator when my brothers and I were growing up. Articles would appear in the mornings, if he read the paper prior to our getting up for school, or in the evenings, if it was something that crossed his desk while at he was at work. The content of the articles varied from sports tips to social commentary that served as food for thought to those that were meant to entertain. Sometimes there was highlighted text, of which we knew to take special note.

If I had someone who saw my fridge besides myself, I would totally post this article on it. Since I don’t, I’m posting here.