Bruins In Holiday Bowl Bring Holiday Cheer

My first Holiday Bowl 1998 AZ upsets Nebraska 23-20

The Big Bay Balloon Parade

            Do you ever get the Christmas blues the week after the big day?  All the presents have been opened, most of the family has gone home and you’re left to clean up the mess.  In 1998 I discovered a cure for the Yuletide hangover.  Its called the Holiday Bowl and this year its happening in San Diego on December 27^th.

            I’ve been to ten games since then but this one is going to be special.  Although the match up traditionally features teams from the Pac 12 and Big 12 conferences, I’ve never seen UCLA play at Qualcomm Stadium.  They’ve finally made it and the Bruins will face the Bears from Baylor University in what promises to be a high-scoring shootout.  The Holiday Bowl has a reputation for lots of points and thrilling finishes.  Back in 1998 I saw Arizona upset Nebraska 23-20 after a furious second half and I was hooked.  Since then I’ve watched future NFL stars like Aaron Rodgers, Dez Bryant and Marshawn Lynch perform in front of roaring crowds and rocking bands.

            The game itself is just a part of the festive atmosphere that permeates the Holiday Bowl experience. The day starts at 10am with “The Big Bay Balloon Parade” held at the Port of San Diego. You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy the giant cartoon figures floating

above while marching bands provide the soundtrack below.  Unlike going to the Rose Parade, this is a stress-free affair where you can show up whenever you want as long as you take the San Diego Trolley to get there.

            The Trolley also makes it easy to get to the game.  The $5.00 pass that took you to the parade can be used all day long!  I like to spend the afternoon in the hotel pool and Jacuzzi before heading over to the stadium.  Once there, I’m treated to a bowlful of holiday cheer highlighted by a terrific halftime show with fireworks and the usual college pageantry.

            If you choose to drive to the game you will park in one of the best tailgating lots in the country.  Barbecue smoke fills the air and more importantly, porta-potties are everywhere.  I’ve strolled down aisles where fans have offered me hot dogs and beers and even free tickets.

            In 2001 I walked over to the game from the nearby Ramada Inn, hoping to buy a cheap ticket in the parking lot.  I brought food and drink with me for a pre-game meal.  The only thing I didn’t bring was my wallet.  When I realized I’d left it back at the hotel, I had a decision to make.  The Navy jets did their usual fly-over and I knew I had only a few minutes until kickoff.  If I walked back to the Ramada to get some money the round-trip would take about half an hour.

            Then I saw a guy in a Santa hat passing out a handful of tickets to a group of friends near the stadium entrance.  I walked over and told him my story.  He had free tickets given to him by his employer and ended up with an extra one.  He handed it to me and said “Merry Christmas.”  I thanked him and hugged him and danced inside where I saw one of the best Holiday Bowls ever.  Texas and Washington scored 90 points in the last three quarters with the Longhorns finally winning 47-43.  Total cost to me: zero.  Thanks to the kindness of a stranger.

            That’s what I love about the Holiday Bowl.  It has big-name college teams and big-time entertainment.  What it doesn’t have is the stress and cost of a big game.  The perfect cure for the holiday hangover.

             

My buddy John enjoying Holiday cheer in 2009

After the parade and before the game its pool time!

UCLA and FOX Off To Winning Start!

Gus Johnson Makes Any Game Exciting

Erin Andrews Gets Everyone Excited!

Brett Hundley: Finally The Bruins Found Their QB!

Johnathan Franklin Is A Running/Receiving Double Threat

    Did you see the UCLA Bruins beat Nebraska 36-30 at the Rose Bowl? If you watched the FOX broadcast it was hard to tell what was more exciting: the new-look, new-attitude Bruins or the TV announcer Gus Johnson.  The latter was best known for his enthusiastic play-by-play calling on the CBS March Madness NCAA basketball tournament.  That network foolishly let him go to FOX who's given him the Saturday showcase NCAA football game and Johnson is already a huge success after two games.  This guy can talk about paint drying and make it sound like the Super Bowl.  Sometimes he goes overboard but that's fine because he keeps his focus on the action.  I'm looking forward to watching all the Saturday games no matter who is playing as long as Johnson is behind the mike.
    The other big hire by FOX was former ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews.  I've never known what to think about this blond bombshell who first turned up at TBS in 2002.  I remember watching her during a Braves game and thinking she would soon be moving on to a national network.  At ESPN she looked much too glamorous to be roaming the sidelines.  I think she's found a perfect spot in the FOX College Football studio doing interviews and half-time updates.  She's still gorgeous but she's not as distracting as she was on the field in high-heels and skirts.  Congrats to FOX on two big hirings that's given their college football telecasts immediate impact and popularity.
    After their second win of the season UCLA has finally cracked the AP Top 25 poll with a #22 ranking.  It's been a long time since the Bruins have been relevant.  It's been even longer since the Bruins fans have had anything to get excited about and it all starts with new coach Jim Mora.  He raised eyebrows by moving his summer drills to hot and smoggy San Bernardino during one of the worst heat waves in memory.  He now looks like a genius after UCLA beat Rice 49-24 in hot and humid Houston and then the big win over Nebraska.  For the last few seasons the Bruins have been plagued by a lack of leadership, especially at quarterback.  That's been resolved by Freshman QB Brett Hundley who scored on a 72-yard rushing touchdown on his very first play from scrimmage.  Since then he's gone on to throw for over 500 yards and score 6 TDS.  Instant Heisman candidate running back Johnathan Franklin has rushed for over 400 yards and scored 4 TDS, giving the Bruins the one-two punch they've been lacking for a decade.
    Another thing caught my eye during the FOX broadcast: UCLA's new uniforms.  For their first home game the Bruins ditched the traditional powder-blue for the traditional darker blue worn by most UC schools.  I know some of the fans grumbled about the change but as long as they keep winning, they sure looked good to me!       

Packers In San Diego Is Quite A Deal!

A $260 ticket for $20! Are you kidding me?

Club level seats give you a great view. Is it worth $260? For any game?

Waiting for the Trolley which makes going to Charger games so easy!

    Sometimes you just have to go on a road trip. Even if it means budgeting your gas money down to the final penny and making sandwiches for your hotel room.  Or should I say "motel room" as in what I affectionately call the Chateau Seis.
    A couple weeks ago I drank my morning coffee and suddenly realized it was August. Which meant the NFL preseason was about to start.  I looked in the paper and saw The Packers were coming to San Diego for a Thursday night ESPN tilt.  I hadn't been to a Packer game in 10 years.  They rarely play on the West Coast and when they do its always a tough ticket. So I figured a 5pm kickoff on a weeknight in August would be my best chance to see my favorite team.
    It turned out to be a wise decision.  I spent three hours in the motel pool on a hot summer day before taking the San Diego Trolley to the stadium which I still call "The Murph."  The Trolley makes Charger games so easy to get to and saved me at least $20 in parking fees.  That $20 was given to a scalper in the parking lot for a killer seat on the Club Level! I arrived just in time to see the Navy Jet fly over.  Then Ryan Matthews of San Diego broke his clavicle on the first play!  The Chargers always seem to have the worst luck in football.  They ended up winning the game 21-13 but losing their top running back for at least six weeks.
    In the first quarter Aaron Rodgers of the Packers threw a rare interception. It reminded me of the last time I saw him play in San Diego.  At the Holiday Bowl in 2004 Rodgers looked shaky as his Cal Bears lost to Texas Tech 45-31.  This time it was a meaningless game but Rodgers still seemed irritated by the pick.  The Charger fans on the Trolley after the game could only talk about the injury to Matthews.  So it goes for the pre-season. Injuries count more than touchdowns.
    Still, the NFL is the damn NFL!  I enjoyed the action and especially my club level seat. When I made it back to my room I looked at my ticket.  The face value on it: $260!  I paid $20 making it "the greatest bargain in sports history!"  That was the face value of the Super Bowl game I attended at the same stadium 15 years ago! Of course, its ridiculous that the NFL makes season ticket holders pay full price for pre-season games.  Then again, $260 for a regular season game is also absurd.  $12 beers, $10 hot dogs, I mean who can afford the NFL? For one night I could!      

Staples Center Hosts Three Playoff Series, Unfortunately

Lakers will host OK City Thunder in Round 2

Clippers and Grizzlies Battle At Staples

Last row for a Kings playoff game, is it worth going?

I hate the Staples Center.  It should be called the Stupor Center, or Soulless Center.  It has the aura of a private golf club where only the wealthy are entertained.  The Occupy Wall Street slackers picked the wrong place to stage their protest against the wealthy.  At a typical Staples Center event 99% of the crowd are the 1 percenters everyone hates.  The other 1% of the crowd probably won their tickets on the radio.  If that happened to me I wouldn't go, not even with free tickets.  They are going to be in the upper deck, perhaps the worst seats in any arena in the USA.  You are so far away you need a telescope, forget the binoculars.  The upper level is so high each seat comes with an oxygen mask.  The pay phones in the top level have a different area code than the ones on the bottom.

I've been to this big barn and had some good times to be sure.  I was there opening night Oct. 17, 1999 for the ribbon-cutting Bruce Springsteen show.  The one where he had to ask people to come out of their luxury boxes to watch the show.  Since that engagement Bruce has never returned, opting to play the decrepit Sports Arena just a few miles away in the bad part of town.  I had comp tickets in the upper level, so far away I needed someone to show me where to find the stage.  I snuck down to the floor which was the only way I could enjoy the Boss and the E Street Band.  Since then I've turned down free seats in the top level.  its just not worth going.  The reason is those damn luxury boxes.  I understand the need for a row of them to generate extra revenue, but the three tiers of luxury suites is unprecedented in American sports arenas.

I am not whining about the rich people who sit in those boxes.  I've sat there a few times and its nice to be pampered.  Its just that their presence creates such a huge divide between the "lower bowl" seats and the upper deck that it reminds me of ancient Rome.  There's no middle ground at the Staples Center.  You either have great seats or crappy ones.  The escalator taking you to the top level doesn't even stop at the lower levels.  You rise past glimpses of sumptuous buffets and silver dessert carts that you'll never taste or even smell.  In the past such extravagance was behind closed doors.  Now its thrust in your face before the escalator dumps you above the ozone layer in the top deck.

The Pac 12 basketball tournament is moving from Staples Center to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas where there's truly not a bad seat in the house.  I will make the 300 mile drive to root for UCLA.  I live 20 miles from the Staples Center but have never been to the tournament at Staples.  That place is the antithesis of what college basketball is all about.  Judging by the empty seats for most of the games there are others who agree with me.

So the fact that the Lakers, Clippers and Kings are in the playoffs at the same time leaves me with mixed feelings.  There will be six games played at Staples Center in four days.  Obviously a good thing for the people who work there and the businesses in downtown L.A.  The building will be filled with people who have enough money to afford expensive playoff tickets.  Even the upper deck will be filled.  I don't know why.

Dodgers Look For Magic, Marlins Find It In Miami!

I read the news today, oh boy! The Dodgers were sold to a consortium fronted by Magic Johnson. For two freaking billion dollars! I'm not exaggerating! Frank McCourt took the money so he could pay off his divorce settlement. Good riddance! Because of McCourt I have gone two years without seeing a game at Dodger Stadium. A place I've been visiting since 1965, maybe a 1000 times overall. I missed the experience but promised myself not to give that guy a dollar, even if the tickets were free! So now what?

It seems too good to be true. After all I share a memory of note with Magic Johnson. We were both at the last World Series game played at Dodger Stadium. Game 2 in 1988 when Orel Hersheiser shut out Oakland with his arm and his bat! I was waiting in a beer line on the field level when I heard a rustle of commotion and turned to see a towering figure heading to his seat. People were applauding and giving Magic high-fives. It was such a sweet time in Los Angeles, both the Lakers and Dodgers winning championships in 1988. It seems so long ago.

My happiness about the sale is tempered by the news that McCourt has a partial stake in the land surrounding Dodger Stadium. If it's developed (see my last piece about an NFL stadium site) he will make even more money. Are you kidding me? That's like getting married and your wife says: "Oh yeah, my ex-husband lives next door. Don't worry, he won't bother you." Anytime McCourt's named is mentioned, its going to bother me.

Meanwhile across the country something truly wonderful is happening. The Florida Marlins have become the Miami Marlins (nice ring to that!) with new uniforms and a new retractable roof ballpark that makes me want to get on a plane and check it out. No more rain outs for the franchise that won the World Series in 1997 and 2003. That's right, a team that began in 2003 has won two championships in the same time the Dodgers have won zero. I've always liked the Marlins, who won a dramatic Game 7 in extra innings to beat Cleveland in 1997 and vanquished the mighty Yankees in 2003, becoming the last team to win the Series at old Yankee Stadium. Those playoffs included the infamous Steve Bartman inning vs The Cubs, one of the wildest baseball games ever played.

Miami's new stadium looks incredible, like something out of Star Trek and the new uniform looks great on their big free agent signing Jose' Reyes and new manager Ozzie Guillen. I'd like to think this is the year for the Dodgers, but the McCourt hangover is going to last until Magic and his partners completely take control. Until then, I think a team doing all the right things should win it all, and that team is the Miami Marlins.

McCourt's Parking Plans Leave Dodgers Idling

"Ding dong the witch is dead!" was the triumphant cry of the Munchkins when the Wicked Witch was killed by Dorothy's falling farmhouse. Yet their worries were not over because another Wicked Witch would seek revenge. That's the way I feel right now about the Dodgers and their upcoming sale. The wicked Frank McCourt has been forced by Bud Selig's falling fist to sell the Dodgers and that's cause for great celebration. However, McCourt somehow figured out how to keep the Dodger Stadium parking lots separate from the sale of the team. Whoever buys The Dodgers will have to lease the lots from McCourt. Somehow this wicked witch has cast an evil spell on the Dodgers which will outlast his ownership!

I've been going to the stadium I once loved since 1965. I've probably attended 1000 events there. Yet McCourt's mismanagement of the team and their resources have kept me away for the past two seasons. I have turned down free tickets simply because I don't want even a dime of beer money to go to McCourt. Many other Dodger fans feel the same and in 2011 the team failed to draw at least 3 million fans for the first time since 1992.

My biggest concern is that McCourt might try to use the parking lots to attract an NFL team to Dodger Stadium. There's a perfect spot to build a football stadium behind center field. Its called Lot 5 and it sits in the original Chavez Ravine, surrounded on three sides by steep hills that lead to a flat surface almost exactly the size of a football field. Looking at the spot its easy to imagine a football stadium nestled into those hillsides. With all the talk of building a new stadium downtown (where there's no parking at all) or out in the City of Industry (really?), this has always seemed to be the perfect spot.

Peter O'Malley wanted to build a football stadium there in 1996 before Mayor Richard Riordan asked O'Malley not to pursue an NFL team. He wanted to concentrate on bringing a team to the historic LA Coliseum. Historic, yes but also an aging dump with notoriously bad parking. O'Malley was so disappointed he ended up selling The Dodgers and since then the team's fortunes have gone downhill.

Just when I thought it was safe to go back to Dodger Stadium, it may be even worse. McCourt has already ruined the Dodgers. The thought of him ruining a chance to bring NFL football back to L.A. is too much to handle. The thought of him owning the new football stadium makes me sick!