All of us weekly poker playing guys went to see The Dodgers beat the Cards on Wednesday so the Friday night session was called off to keep their wives happy. On the spur of the moment I decided to go see the Lakers play a preseason game at the Forum, their first visit to their old home since 1999. Current home for the purple and gold is the Staples Center, the most soulless arena in the USA. The Forum may not have soul but its down-right funky and doesn't have luxury boxes that take up half of the best seats.
In the past years I've seen some terrific shows at the Forum: The Rolling Stones, Coldplay and Madonna to name a few. I would not have seen them if they'd played at Staples where the upper level is in another zip code and the bottom level is in another tax code. The Inglewood Forum is as old as the Roman Forum...in SoCal years. Any building in the Los Angeles area that's over 20 years-old is considered ancient. Fortunately for me there are two places I love that have been around twice that long. The other one is Dodger Stadium. Its a great week when I can go to both.
The Forum is also the closest arena to where I live. After a couple beers at happy hour I knew I didn't want to drive to the game so I figured I'd do something shocking: TAKE THE BUS! Usually rapid transit in L.A. is a pain in the butt. This is the city that finally built a rail system...that doesn't go to the airport, Coliseum or the two major universities! Yet the number 115 bus goes straight from the beach to the Forum and costs only $1.25. Armed with a radio and a crossword puzzle I was ready to go.
At 5:40pm at the end of a long Friday the bus was clean enough. Heading inland it began to fill-up with people of all colors and languages. Some of them-like the German guy hitting on a cute Latina-were airline workers from around the world. If you've ever been to the Forum you know LAX is nearby because the jets fly right over the arena. I listened to the exciting Twins vs Yankees playoff game on my faithful transistor and watched as the neighborhoods were taken over by gun shops, liquor stores and taquerias. It didn't look dangerous but I didn't feel the urge to get off and roam around. There was no point in trying to talk with any of my fellow riders. They were all on their cell phones!
It took just over a half-hour to get to the Forum and when we arrived I was happy I'd taken the bus. That's because parking cost $22! Nearly as much as my ticket! Inside a beer cost $10 but I did get a nice commemorative t-shirt for the relative steal of sixteen bucks. I like my souvenirs to have a date on them and this one did. Makes it one of a kind.
The game itself was memorable for the amount of fouls called by the replacement referees. Stephen Jackson of the Warriors had five in the first quarter! The NBA better get the on-strike regular refs back by October 27th opening night. Monta Ellis poured in a game-best 24 points and doled out eight assists to lead the Warriors past the Lakers, 110-91.
The Lakers had 19 points from Andrew Bynum and 15 points from Kobe Bryant, who played at the Forum back in 1999.
Jack Nicholson did not show up for this one.
When I was a kid the Forum seemed like the biggest building in the world. Compared to the Staples Center it now seems like the neighborhood playhouse. Check out the view from the cheap seats. You're right on top of the action when you're in the lower Colonnade. Last time I was there they still had the Laker championship banners on the wall and the giant scoreboard loomed overhead.
They're all gone. Thankfully, the Forum remains. I'm just wondering for how long.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Say It Ain't So, Brett!
Every year a number of men decide to sacrifice their reputations and their careers because they can't control their twisted desires. Senator John Ensign, Governor Mark Sanford and Coach Rick Pitino have admitted to sexual dalliances outside their marriages, and just like that, they've ruined their reputations and the lives of their families. So what does this have to do with Brett Favre? The guy is a devoted family man who supported his wife Deanna during her bout with breast cancer. He leads a simple life living in Mississippi while raising two kids.
Yet Favre is having a love affair...with HIMSELF! Brett Favre the person has fallen in love with Brett Favre the football player, and he's not going to end that affair, no matter the cost.
Or as Sports Illustrated columnist Jon Heyman said on AMRadio 570:
"Brett Favre is the biggest liar in professional sports, next to Nick Saban."
Let me add that he's one of the most indecisive human beings on the planet, willing to destroy a loyal fan base while holding his teams hostage to his whims. Those are strange words for me to write: "his teams." Except for a brief stint with Atlanta, Favre has always been about one team: The Green Bay Packers. Now its not about any team, its about HIMSELF.
In 1992 I was fortunate to get the assignment of covering the Packers for a small radio station in Wisconsin. Despite the arrival of a new coach (Mike Holmgren) and a new GM (Ron Wolf) the team started out 0-2. It looked like another loss was on the way when QB Don Majkowski went down with an injury and newcomer Favre was brought in to face Boomer Esiason and the Bengals. Favre tossed two TDs including a 35 yarder to Kitrick Taylor with 16 seconds left. The Packers won 24-23 and just like that, a golden era of Packer football was born. Now that era is dead and so is Favre's legacy with the team.
After the game I asked Favre what it felt like to be thrust into the game on a moment's notice.
"I was shaking. I felt like I'd taken a laxative. Thank god I held it until afterward."
The down-to-earth, everyman quality reflected in those remarks was another reason the state of Wisconsin adored the man who would win three MVP awards and a Super Bowl. I think every football fan admired his toughness. In November of 1992 Favre went down with a shoulder injury against Philadelphia. He stayed in the game to lead his team to a 27-24 victory. Afterwards he couldn't tie his shoes or drive his car. Yet he played the next week and every week after that in a streak that is now 291 consecutive starts since that fateful victory over the Bengals.
After 1992 I began a streak of my own and made sure I saw at least one Packer game a year for the next 10 seasons, a tough thing to do after I moved back to California. That was the kind of devotion Favre inspired and that's why his recent decisions have brought so much pain to the Packer faithful. Favre's relationship with the team began to deteriorate after the 2005 season, his worst in the NFL. He waited until April 2006 before confirming that he would return for another year. Keep in mind its hard for a team to plan for the annual draft when they don't know if their top player is coming back. In March 2008 he tearfully announced his retirement before going back on his word and forcing a trade to the New York Jets. That's when his indecisiveness became their problem. The Jets traded QB Chad Pennington and he led Miami to the playoffs while Favre and the Jets sat home and watched.
This year Favre has actually announced his retirement TWICE! In February to the Jets and in July to the Vikings, one of the Packers fiercest rivals. Yet there he is, practicing with Minnesota and getting ready to play Green Bay twice in the upcoming season. I know one thing. Those games will be the highest rated TV games of the regular season and I don't know if I can bring myself to watch.
Why are you doing this, Brett? To get revenge on Packer GM Ted Thompson for not taking you back? To make an easy $12 million without going through training camp? To keep your glorious games-played streak alive? I think you're doing it for LOVE. Not of the game, not for the glory but for the love of yourself. And that's not a good enough reason!
Yet Favre is having a love affair...with HIMSELF! Brett Favre the person has fallen in love with Brett Favre the football player, and he's not going to end that affair, no matter the cost.
Or as Sports Illustrated columnist Jon Heyman said on AMRadio 570:
"Brett Favre is the biggest liar in professional sports, next to Nick Saban."
Let me add that he's one of the most indecisive human beings on the planet, willing to destroy a loyal fan base while holding his teams hostage to his whims. Those are strange words for me to write: "his teams." Except for a brief stint with Atlanta, Favre has always been about one team: The Green Bay Packers. Now its not about any team, its about HIMSELF.
In 1992 I was fortunate to get the assignment of covering the Packers for a small radio station in Wisconsin. Despite the arrival of a new coach (Mike Holmgren) and a new GM (Ron Wolf) the team started out 0-2. It looked like another loss was on the way when QB Don Majkowski went down with an injury and newcomer Favre was brought in to face Boomer Esiason and the Bengals. Favre tossed two TDs including a 35 yarder to Kitrick Taylor with 16 seconds left. The Packers won 24-23 and just like that, a golden era of Packer football was born. Now that era is dead and so is Favre's legacy with the team.
After the game I asked Favre what it felt like to be thrust into the game on a moment's notice.
"I was shaking. I felt like I'd taken a laxative. Thank god I held it until afterward."
The down-to-earth, everyman quality reflected in those remarks was another reason the state of Wisconsin adored the man who would win three MVP awards and a Super Bowl. I think every football fan admired his toughness. In November of 1992 Favre went down with a shoulder injury against Philadelphia. He stayed in the game to lead his team to a 27-24 victory. Afterwards he couldn't tie his shoes or drive his car. Yet he played the next week and every week after that in a streak that is now 291 consecutive starts since that fateful victory over the Bengals.
After 1992 I began a streak of my own and made sure I saw at least one Packer game a year for the next 10 seasons, a tough thing to do after I moved back to California. That was the kind of devotion Favre inspired and that's why his recent decisions have brought so much pain to the Packer faithful. Favre's relationship with the team began to deteriorate after the 2005 season, his worst in the NFL. He waited until April 2006 before confirming that he would return for another year. Keep in mind its hard for a team to plan for the annual draft when they don't know if their top player is coming back. In March 2008 he tearfully announced his retirement before going back on his word and forcing a trade to the New York Jets. That's when his indecisiveness became their problem. The Jets traded QB Chad Pennington and he led Miami to the playoffs while Favre and the Jets sat home and watched.
This year Favre has actually announced his retirement TWICE! In February to the Jets and in July to the Vikings, one of the Packers fiercest rivals. Yet there he is, practicing with Minnesota and getting ready to play Green Bay twice in the upcoming season. I know one thing. Those games will be the highest rated TV games of the regular season and I don't know if I can bring myself to watch.
Why are you doing this, Brett? To get revenge on Packer GM Ted Thompson for not taking you back? To make an easy $12 million without going through training camp? To keep your glorious games-played streak alive? I think you're doing it for LOVE. Not of the game, not for the glory but for the love of yourself. And that's not a good enough reason!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Beckham's Star Shines
In the end, it came down to two of the biggest football stars on the planet: Beckham and Ronaldinho. That's why I drove south on the 110 freeway on a sultry Sunday in Los Angeles. To see some stars. My first major soccer game (AC Milan vs the LA Galaxy July 19 in a friendly) turned out the largest crowd ever at the Home Depot Center, and I think everyone had a good time. Because we knew the stars.
The problem with the Los Angeles Galaxy-a Major League Soccer team just twenty miles south of where I live-is that American football is regarded as a minor league by the rest of the world. If you wake up early on Sunday mornings to watch the English Premier League on TV its easy to see they are superior (and faster) in their brand of soccer. So is the Italian league (Serie A) and La Liga in Spain. Yet Major League Soccer survives in the USA. In Seattle, the team owned by comedian Drew Carey sells out nearly every game! And they have no international stars.
To rectify this situation, The Galaxy paid millions for the David Beckham BRAND, but never ended up with Beckham the player. The PLAYER showed up on Sunday, and after a sluggish start seemed to be involved in nearly every play of consequence. His cross pass led to the Galaxy's first goal and he was a presence in their second. At the start of the game he was booed by a majority of the crowd every time he touched the ball. You see, Beckham went off to play for AC Milan last season and he wanted to stay. Who could blame him? Serie A action is so much better. At the end of the game people were chanting his name.
The Galaxy, led by their USA national captain Landon Donovan, came to play. After Milan scored their first goal on a fluke play, Beckham dribbled the ball from one end of the pitch to the other to set up a goal for Alan Gordon. In the second half he played a big part in the Galaxy's second goal by Bryan Jordan. Meanwhile Ronaldinho was in the mix for both of Milan's goals. With his cornrows he reminded me of a soccer playing Manny Ramirez, but unlike that reticent Dodger, Ronaldinho hung around to sign autographs after the game. And he played the whole match!
This was a festive occasion on a hot summer night. Drums pounding, horns blaring, and fans singing. The economy can't be that bad. It was $20 to park and a beer cost $9. Most expensive venue I have ever seen! But it was worth it because the stars came out on a hot summer night and I loved every minute of it.
The problem with the Los Angeles Galaxy-a Major League Soccer team just twenty miles south of where I live-is that American football is regarded as a minor league by the rest of the world. If you wake up early on Sunday mornings to watch the English Premier League on TV its easy to see they are superior (and faster) in their brand of soccer. So is the Italian league (Serie A) and La Liga in Spain. Yet Major League Soccer survives in the USA. In Seattle, the team owned by comedian Drew Carey sells out nearly every game! And they have no international stars.
To rectify this situation, The Galaxy paid millions for the David Beckham BRAND, but never ended up with Beckham the player. The PLAYER showed up on Sunday, and after a sluggish start seemed to be involved in nearly every play of consequence. His cross pass led to the Galaxy's first goal and he was a presence in their second. At the start of the game he was booed by a majority of the crowd every time he touched the ball. You see, Beckham went off to play for AC Milan last season and he wanted to stay. Who could blame him? Serie A action is so much better. At the end of the game people were chanting his name.
The Galaxy, led by their USA national captain Landon Donovan, came to play. After Milan scored their first goal on a fluke play, Beckham dribbled the ball from one end of the pitch to the other to set up a goal for Alan Gordon. In the second half he played a big part in the Galaxy's second goal by Bryan Jordan. Meanwhile Ronaldinho was in the mix for both of Milan's goals. With his cornrows he reminded me of a soccer playing Manny Ramirez, but unlike that reticent Dodger, Ronaldinho hung around to sign autographs after the game. And he played the whole match!
This was a festive occasion on a hot summer night. Drums pounding, horns blaring, and fans singing. The economy can't be that bad. It was $20 to park and a beer cost $9. Most expensive venue I have ever seen! But it was worth it because the stars came out on a hot summer night and I loved every minute of it.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Lakers and Dodgers Success Leaves This Fan Cold
June in Los Angeles and two of the hometown teams are at the top of their game. The Dodgers have the best record in baseball and the Lakers are in the NBA Finals for the second year in a row. So why is my mood as dark as the fog that lingers outside my window? Why am I am not giddy with the anticipation of a another championship for a city that hasn't won one since 2002? Is it because I no longer feel a part of the teams I grew up with? I think that's the answer. Now I have to find out why.
When the Lakers moved from the Inglewood Forum to the cavernous Staples Center in 1999, they alienated a large portion of their fan base in the process. The Forum had no luxury boxes, nothing to divide the upper class from the middle, and plenty of affordable seats for the average fan. The Staples Center has not one, but THREE levels of luxury suites. Below them are seats that only the wealthy can afford, and above them are seats not worth sitting in at any price. They are so far away from the action-be it a game or a concert-that I wouldn't sit there even if I had a free ticket! That's exactly what happened on October 17, 1999 when I saw Bruce Springsteen perform at the grand opening of the Staples Center. I was given a ticket in the upper level and after the first song I snuck down to the floor level. It was either that or go home. I know its a cliche but one really needs a telescope and an oxygen mask when sitting in the third level at Staples Center.
Bruce Springsteen apparently feels the same way about the place. On opening night he implored the people to come out of their luxury boxes and join the party. He later called the building a "barn" which is an understatement. A real barn has more atmosphere than the sterile Staples Center. Maybe that's why Springsteen has never returned, preferring the modest Sports Arena when he comes to town. Staples reminds me of ancient Rome. If you have a ticket in the upper stratosphere you have to take an escalator which passes the luxury boxes. You can see fancy buffets with carved beef and turkey, and sumptuous dessert carts being wheeled to the wealthy. But you can only watch, since the escalator doesn't even stop at that level! Talk about separating the rich from the poor.
I have another problem with the Lakers. For as long as I can remember their games have been broadcast on AM570, a powerful station and home to the late, great Chick Hearn among others. This past December the Lakers announced they are moving their games to AM710, the local ESPN affiliate. Just like the switch to the Staples Center, this one is all about the money. Forget about the wall-to-wall coverage of the team currently heard on AM570, forget about the decades of tradition. Next season the team will be competing with USC football on a station that also carries national broadcasts. Jeanie Buss-daughter of Lakers owner Jerry-had no problem in throwing AM570 under the bus even though she used to be a regular on their Laker shows. Of course this is coming from a woman who actually believes her dog has conversations with animal psychics.
As for the Dodgers, they have always been my #1 team since I went to my first game at Chavez Ravine in 1966. Since then I have been to countless sporting events all over the country. There's one thing that separates Dodger Stadium from all the others: NO TAILGATING ! For many years the security turned a blind eye to those enjoying a discreet beer in the parking lot. Now they are writing tickets and telling people to leave their cars the minute they pull into a parking space. Like I said I have been to hundreds of concerts and games and NEVER have I been told that I could not sit in my car for as long as I wanted. Hell, for $15, I should be allowed to sleep there!
This is all because of Frank McCourt, the former parking-lot proprietor from Boston who bought The Dodgers in 2004. Since then he has done everything possible to alienate the average fan. Besides raising prices on everything from tickets to parking to concessions, he's also done his best to separate the wealthy from everyone else. The Field Level has been remodeled with new bathrooms and fancy wine bars. Same with the second tier and the dreaded luxury boxes. Above them is the reserved level where nothing has changed since McCourt bought the club. Of course, those sitting in the reserved level are not allowed below.
Outside the ballpark his obsession with parking involves "funneling" many lanes of cars into one or two, so his goons can exercise as much control over the fans as possible. Last month I saw the "Parking Nazis" issuing some sort of tickets to a couple guys drinking beer in plastic cups. Which made me wonder how come a team with the reputation of the Oakland Raiders can allow full-blown tailgating while the Dodgers are busting people for a single brewski? Either the Dodgers have the most violent fans in sports or Frank McCourt is a control freak who has taken the fun out of going to a game. I believe its the latter.
If the Lakers and Dodgers go all the way, I hope the rich people stick around for the celebrations. After all, that's who the teams are really playing for this season.
When the Lakers moved from the Inglewood Forum to the cavernous Staples Center in 1999, they alienated a large portion of their fan base in the process. The Forum had no luxury boxes, nothing to divide the upper class from the middle, and plenty of affordable seats for the average fan. The Staples Center has not one, but THREE levels of luxury suites. Below them are seats that only the wealthy can afford, and above them are seats not worth sitting in at any price. They are so far away from the action-be it a game or a concert-that I wouldn't sit there even if I had a free ticket! That's exactly what happened on October 17, 1999 when I saw Bruce Springsteen perform at the grand opening of the Staples Center. I was given a ticket in the upper level and after the first song I snuck down to the floor level. It was either that or go home. I know its a cliche but one really needs a telescope and an oxygen mask when sitting in the third level at Staples Center.
Bruce Springsteen apparently feels the same way about the place. On opening night he implored the people to come out of their luxury boxes and join the party. He later called the building a "barn" which is an understatement. A real barn has more atmosphere than the sterile Staples Center. Maybe that's why Springsteen has never returned, preferring the modest Sports Arena when he comes to town. Staples reminds me of ancient Rome. If you have a ticket in the upper stratosphere you have to take an escalator which passes the luxury boxes. You can see fancy buffets with carved beef and turkey, and sumptuous dessert carts being wheeled to the wealthy. But you can only watch, since the escalator doesn't even stop at that level! Talk about separating the rich from the poor.
I have another problem with the Lakers. For as long as I can remember their games have been broadcast on AM570, a powerful station and home to the late, great Chick Hearn among others. This past December the Lakers announced they are moving their games to AM710, the local ESPN affiliate. Just like the switch to the Staples Center, this one is all about the money. Forget about the wall-to-wall coverage of the team currently heard on AM570, forget about the decades of tradition. Next season the team will be competing with USC football on a station that also carries national broadcasts. Jeanie Buss-daughter of Lakers owner Jerry-had no problem in throwing AM570 under the bus even though she used to be a regular on their Laker shows. Of course this is coming from a woman who actually believes her dog has conversations with animal psychics.
As for the Dodgers, they have always been my #1 team since I went to my first game at Chavez Ravine in 1966. Since then I have been to countless sporting events all over the country. There's one thing that separates Dodger Stadium from all the others: NO TAILGATING ! For many years the security turned a blind eye to those enjoying a discreet beer in the parking lot. Now they are writing tickets and telling people to leave their cars the minute they pull into a parking space. Like I said I have been to hundreds of concerts and games and NEVER have I been told that I could not sit in my car for as long as I wanted. Hell, for $15, I should be allowed to sleep there!
This is all because of Frank McCourt, the former parking-lot proprietor from Boston who bought The Dodgers in 2004. Since then he has done everything possible to alienate the average fan. Besides raising prices on everything from tickets to parking to concessions, he's also done his best to separate the wealthy from everyone else. The Field Level has been remodeled with new bathrooms and fancy wine bars. Same with the second tier and the dreaded luxury boxes. Above them is the reserved level where nothing has changed since McCourt bought the club. Of course, those sitting in the reserved level are not allowed below.
Outside the ballpark his obsession with parking involves "funneling" many lanes of cars into one or two, so his goons can exercise as much control over the fans as possible. Last month I saw the "Parking Nazis" issuing some sort of tickets to a couple guys drinking beer in plastic cups. Which made me wonder how come a team with the reputation of the Oakland Raiders can allow full-blown tailgating while the Dodgers are busting people for a single brewski? Either the Dodgers have the most violent fans in sports or Frank McCourt is a control freak who has taken the fun out of going to a game. I believe its the latter.
If the Lakers and Dodgers go all the way, I hope the rich people stick around for the celebrations. After all, that's who the teams are really playing for this season.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Champions League Final Fits This Angry Dodger Fan Just Fine
On May 7th Dodger fans were stunned to find out that one of their heroes was a fraud. Manny Ramirez was suspended for fifty games after testing positive for an illegal drug. Manny was the guy who single-handedly revived a moribund organization with his hot hitting and flamboyant personality, leading them into the playoffs last year. This season the team anointed a special section of seats in left field as "Mannywood" and sold numerous souvenirs with the same moniker. Now those seats should be called "Fannywood" because that's what the slugger will be sitting on until July 3rd. It's enough to make a long-time Dodger fan sick.
I began to wonder if there is a sport where athletes don't cheat with steroids, and I started to think about football, but not the American kind. In the NFL you've got bozos shooting themselves in the leg at a nightclub or training dogs to fight one another. It's an exciting game when the players are actually playing, but how come it takes over three hours to play a game that has sixty minutes on the clock? Not only are there countless commercials but now there's the dreaded "referee replay" time-outs which can delay a game for several minutes. It's extremely frustrating to be sitting in the bleachers when it's 30 degrees outside while the players stand around on the field doing nothing. The NFL has made a bloated spectacle of itself.
Pro basketball is a fast-paced game with incredible athletes. The only problem is you have to look at these guys. Most of them have more tattoos than a circus freak. They travel around the country with their posses and act like rap stars. Even the biggest star in the NBA-LeBron James-has overshadowed his team's success by crowing about his upcoming free agency. For some reason the NBA loves to draw out the playoffs, making them almost as long as the regular season, which adds to the tedium of an already ridiculously long season.
So I think about football, the kind that takes 90 minutes to play and two hours to watch. There's only one other major sport that takes so little time and it's college basketball, perhaps the purest game left in the USA. The football I'm talking about takes place across the pond, played in historic cities like Liverpool, Barcelona and Milan. I'm talking about soccer, a game I've grown to appreciate more and more as I get older.
My first attempt to understand the game started out poorly. In 1994 the USA hosted the final match of the World Cup, just down the road at the Rose Bowl. I gathered with a group of similarly curious fans only to watch Brazil and Italy play to a 0-0 tie. How can you end up with a tie in your sport's biggest game? (Brazil eventually won on penalty kicks). That ended any interest of mine in the sport that just seems boring whenever it's played on US soil-something even David Beckham couldn't fix!
However, two trips to England in 1997 and 1999 and watching matches on TV with the locals spiked my curiosity once again. A couple of years later I began working side by side with a football fanatic whose favorite team was Manchester United. I began to watch the Sunday morning matches on the Fox Soccer Channel, usually featuring my favorite team Liverpool. As a life long Beatles fan it was a logical choice. Someday I hope to be at Anfield Stadium so I can sing "You'll Never Walk Alone" as The Reds enter the stadium. Hearing it on TV gives me goose bumps!
In time, I discovered that many football matches can be dreadfully boring - usually due to conservative play when a team is trying to protect its aggregate lead in the standings (or fixtures)-but at least that kind of "prawn sandwich" only takes up two hours of my time. There are no TV time-outs or replay time-outs to bog down the action. When there is action, it can be breathtaking, and that kind of play is usually found in the Champions League.
A series of matches from fall to spring, the Champions League is exactly as it sounds: the best of the best competing for the coveted title awarded at the end of May. This is where you'll see legends like Lionel Messi, Didier Drogba and Ronaldinho on the pitch. This is the title that Liverpool won in 2005 with one of the greatest comebacks in sport history. Down 3-0 at the half against AC Milan, the "scousers" (led by my favorite player Steven Gerrard) came back to tie the match and eventually win on penalty kicks. It was the match that finally made me a fan of the sport I'd disdained for so long.
So I'll be watching on May 27th when heavily favored Manchester United takes on Barcelona in the Final at Stadio Olimpico in Rome. United will be led by arguably the best player on the planet, Cristiano Ronaldo and his all star teammates Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs.
Barcelona will counter with Messi and Thierry Henry as one of the biggest TV audiences on the planet looks on. That audience won't have to worry about one of the sport's biggest stars serving a fifty game suspension and missing out on the action. That audience will be watching one of the last "pure" sporting events on the planet. That audience is in for a hell of a match.
I began to wonder if there is a sport where athletes don't cheat with steroids, and I started to think about football, but not the American kind. In the NFL you've got bozos shooting themselves in the leg at a nightclub or training dogs to fight one another. It's an exciting game when the players are actually playing, but how come it takes over three hours to play a game that has sixty minutes on the clock? Not only are there countless commercials but now there's the dreaded "referee replay" time-outs which can delay a game for several minutes. It's extremely frustrating to be sitting in the bleachers when it's 30 degrees outside while the players stand around on the field doing nothing. The NFL has made a bloated spectacle of itself.
Pro basketball is a fast-paced game with incredible athletes. The only problem is you have to look at these guys. Most of them have more tattoos than a circus freak. They travel around the country with their posses and act like rap stars. Even the biggest star in the NBA-LeBron James-has overshadowed his team's success by crowing about his upcoming free agency. For some reason the NBA loves to draw out the playoffs, making them almost as long as the regular season, which adds to the tedium of an already ridiculously long season.
So I think about football, the kind that takes 90 minutes to play and two hours to watch. There's only one other major sport that takes so little time and it's college basketball, perhaps the purest game left in the USA. The football I'm talking about takes place across the pond, played in historic cities like Liverpool, Barcelona and Milan. I'm talking about soccer, a game I've grown to appreciate more and more as I get older.
My first attempt to understand the game started out poorly. In 1994 the USA hosted the final match of the World Cup, just down the road at the Rose Bowl. I gathered with a group of similarly curious fans only to watch Brazil and Italy play to a 0-0 tie. How can you end up with a tie in your sport's biggest game? (Brazil eventually won on penalty kicks). That ended any interest of mine in the sport that just seems boring whenever it's played on US soil-something even David Beckham couldn't fix!
However, two trips to England in 1997 and 1999 and watching matches on TV with the locals spiked my curiosity once again. A couple of years later I began working side by side with a football fanatic whose favorite team was Manchester United. I began to watch the Sunday morning matches on the Fox Soccer Channel, usually featuring my favorite team Liverpool. As a life long Beatles fan it was a logical choice. Someday I hope to be at Anfield Stadium so I can sing "You'll Never Walk Alone" as The Reds enter the stadium. Hearing it on TV gives me goose bumps!
In time, I discovered that many football matches can be dreadfully boring - usually due to conservative play when a team is trying to protect its aggregate lead in the standings (or fixtures)-but at least that kind of "prawn sandwich" only takes up two hours of my time. There are no TV time-outs or replay time-outs to bog down the action. When there is action, it can be breathtaking, and that kind of play is usually found in the Champions League.
A series of matches from fall to spring, the Champions League is exactly as it sounds: the best of the best competing for the coveted title awarded at the end of May. This is where you'll see legends like Lionel Messi, Didier Drogba and Ronaldinho on the pitch. This is the title that Liverpool won in 2005 with one of the greatest comebacks in sport history. Down 3-0 at the half against AC Milan, the "scousers" (led by my favorite player Steven Gerrard) came back to tie the match and eventually win on penalty kicks. It was the match that finally made me a fan of the sport I'd disdained for so long.
So I'll be watching on May 27th when heavily favored Manchester United takes on Barcelona in the Final at Stadio Olimpico in Rome. United will be led by arguably the best player on the planet, Cristiano Ronaldo and his all star teammates Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs.
Barcelona will counter with Messi and Thierry Henry as one of the biggest TV audiences on the planet looks on. That audience won't have to worry about one of the sport's biggest stars serving a fifty game suspension and missing out on the action. That audience will be watching one of the last "pure" sporting events on the planet. That audience is in for a hell of a match.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Dodgers Camel Ride Is Too Costly
Dodgers, oh Dodgers. Why has your name become synonymous with frustration? What happened to the team I grew up with that got everything right? Is it because your owner somehow manages to get everything wrong?
Okay, not everything. Camelback Ranch-the new spring training facility in Arizona-has plenty of delightful little details. Yet Frank McCourt somehow manages to miss seeing the big picture in everything he does and his latest venture is no exception.
Spring training used to be a low-cost venture for fans who wanted to get a head start on the baseball season. Especially those in cold weather climates who needed a break from the snow. The ballparks in Florida and Arizona were small and so were the ticket prices. When I made my first visit to Vero Beach over 20 years ago I think the top price was $20 and you could sit on the grass for $5. I'm not going to wax nostalgic about that wonderful place called Dodgertown. I suppose it was the right move for the team to move closer to their fans in Los Angeles.
Suffice to say the Vero Beach experience exceeded my life-long expectations. Camelback Ranch did not. First off, its not in Phoenix but in far-flung Glendale, one of those depressing suburbs full of tract houses waiting to be sold. No one is going to want to spend their spring break there so it means a half-hour drive from downtown, or even longer from the vibrant towns of Scottsdale, Mesa and Tempe. Considering the 400 mile drive from LA, I can't imagine anyone wanting to jump back in their car upon arrival.
Then there's the parking fetish, a phenomenon wholly unique to Mr. McCourt. This guy employs more attendants outside the ballpark than he does inside, but they don't make up for the fact it costs $5 to park in a dirt lot. At Dodger Stadium there's the strange penchant of funneling more lanes into less, and unfortunately that trend continues in Arizona.
And the micro-managing doesn't stop outside. I guess the Dodgers must have the most violent fans in sports because I saw more security personnel at Camelback Ranch than I've ever seen at LAX! My small bag was checked twice! That second check-point resulted in long lines of ticket holders waiting to get inside the actual ballpark. Many of those fans had already waited in long lines at the ticket counter in the hot desert sun. Those lines are long because the ticket booth is squeezed between the ballpark and a large pond so instead of straight lines leading up to the ticket counter, there's more funneling going on.
The ballpark is a gem. Great sight lines, friendly atmosphere, and plenty of clean bathrooms. But what does it cost to get inside? Ten bucks for the lawn is not a bad deal, and I enjoyed spreading out my blanket and taking in the game. I found a beer for $5.50 which is around the going rate for spring games, but I did not pay $4 for a hot dog (and I never will)
which costs a dollar more if you want onions and relish! No kidding! The bar-b-que and mexican food booths smelled wonderful, but those prices approached ten dollars. I thought spring training was supposed to be cheaper than the regular season! They do have beer vendors that stroll the aisles-unlike Dodger Stadium-and fans are free to mill about the entire ballpark-
unlike Dodger Stadium. The earthy tones of the complex befit the desert surroundings but charging as much for a spring game as a regular season game is ridiculous. Which explains the numerous empty seats at what was supposed to be a sure sell out.
That's the worst aspect of Camelback Ranch. The ticket prices. They charge more for so-called "premier games" which is a joke since all the games are meaningless! $45 is the top price for those games, unless you want to pay $90 to sit in the home plate club. For that price, they better send a limo to pick you up!
When I left the ballpark there were countless security guys lining the long walkway back to the parking lot. One of them actually yelled at some kids to "stay off the landscaping!" I was just happy he didn't ask to check my bag.
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