Spectator Sporting

[dlgood]

Had a fun night at the old-ball-yard last night, despite watching my Nationals get drubbed 11-3 by the woeful Florida Marlins. It's nice to be able to stroll over to the stadium just before first pitch, grab a pair of cheap seats on walk up, and then basically pick a choice spot. We started off behind home plate in the upper deck, and then moved down to the lower deck box seats right behind home plate for the late innings. And then we sat next to George Will on the metro ride back.

It would be nice to have a good team, but for the time being, I'll enjoy getting to pay $7 to sit in the $80 seats. Now that we've got an ownership group lined up, it will only be a matter of time before this is transformed into a credible professional operation. Which will mean actual attendance at home games. Until then, I'll enjoy what I can.

Like getting to sit close enough to pick up the spin on a major league curveball. Good times.

And tonight, because I'm like that, I'll be going to check out Game 6 of the Bullets-Cavaliers series over at the "Whatever Phone Company is Sponsoring Us This Year" arena. Here is my expectation: there will be no defense. LeBron will go for 35-8-7. Foul calls, again, will benefit the home team. Brendan Haywood will bring it with big-time passivity. Gilbert will score 40+ and the home team will win.

I'm generally not as much of an NBA fan, but this is the playoffs and there are some real stars. Good buzz and all. And after they lose, I'll just go back to watching the Hi-Def games with the H-Dog.

Comments

[cjlasky.livejournal.com]

"Whatever Phone Company is Sponsoring Us This Year" arena.

Heh. Watching Yankees/Tampa highlights, and I wondered: who's going to be intimidated by a sports team playing in Tropicana Park? (The Devil Rays are so tough, they bleed orange juice?)

Anyway...

Surprised the Wizards have hung in so long against LeBron and...whoever is backing him up.

Nets/Heat promises to be a VERY interesting series. Why couldn't Games 3 and 4 be in Brooklyn, already?!

Sigh.

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

I'm not surprised this series has lasted. LeBron is great, but there's only one of him on that team. The Big Three (Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, and Caron Butler) can score enough to keep up with him. Cavs in 7, because nobody plays defense and BronBron is going to get all of the calls in the last few minutes of the Game 7 in Cleveland.

[cactuswatcher.livejournal.com]

Like getting to sit close enough to pick up the spin on a major league curveball

That's why Spring Training is fun. If I go to a regular season game, I have to drive about 12 miles downtown, pay 2-3 times as much to sit in a similarly placed section, which because of the size of the stadium is twice as far away from the action. The local Spring training stadium is literally on the way to the mall for me. Parking is reasonable if not cheap and I can be in the door at home in ten minutes once I get back to my car after the game.

The Diamondbacks really stank a couple of years ago. It hasn't taken long to get them competitive again, although I don't think they actually are going to make the playoffs this year or next. Hopefully, your Nationals can put the past behind them soon. It's nice to have a good team to root for. Now if my actual favorite team the St. Louis Cardinals can stop their current losing streak, I'll be really happy.

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

I've been to grapefruit league games and it's cool, getting what's good about the Minor League experience plus seeing at least a few of the Major League Players. One thing that was cool, was going down to see the Minor League team in Tucson - when I saw them, it was years back, and they had Bobby Abreu and he looked like such a star there even then.

It'll take awhile for the Nats to improve because their farm system is pretty barren. But I think the new management will do things right. If nothing else, they can fix the business side of it... (THe team has a TV Coverage and stadium facilities and marketing presence out of the fifties...)