A Very Irish Christmas

On every street corner in New York City you'll find one.  No, I'm not talking about Starbucks.  I'm talking about Irish Pub's.  And believe me, I understand that they all start to blur together after awhile.  So it's nice when you find one that stands out from the crowd.  The most recent that I went to was one such Irish Pub...Welcome to Stout Ladies and Gentleman. 

Stout is all done up for Christmas and it sure looks god on it right now.  It's not only the decorations that make this bar stand out though.   The bar area itself is much nicer than your average pub.  Multiple TV's with table service make it a perfect place to go to watch the game on Sunday.  Make sure to wear your NFL Jersey though!  You'll get a couple dollars of your brews if you do!

Hope to see you there next Sunday!

A Personal Touch

Whatever event your planning, whether it's a reunion, a sport event or a party, its the personal touches that really make a group feel connected to the event.  And I've found for a group, the best way to make everyone feel involved and pumped is to make t-shirts! 

The shirts don't have to be anything crazy...they just have to have a simple slogan/image that the group will understand.  The best is when it's an inside joke that only you will get, making all those who are viewing them even more jealous!

Every time I have created t-shirts, the reaction has been the same: screams, followed by chanting, followed by multiple pictures being taken.  And its because of one simple fact...when you have a t-shirt made for you, you feel like you were thought of.  Being in the right frame of mind is really important for any event, as the party is guaranteed to be crazy! 

So here's my tip for the next sporting event/reunion you are planning...make t-shirts! You won't regret it!

We're All A Little Crazy

I've officially declared myself crazy.  I mean, you have to be a little insane to decide to run a marathon right?  Cuz, what sane person decides that running 26.2 miles sounds like a good time.  I know I was sitting there the night before my first marathon, thinking that those miles are looking more and more like a bad idea.  How the hell did I get myself into this thing?

But hey, there's a reason over 47,000 people decide to take part in the NYC marathon every year.  And it's because after one hellish day, you can say the rest of your life that you actually did it.  You trained and ran for 4-5 straight hours! And let me tell you from experience...it is well worth it.

New york knows how to party and the marathon is no different.  From the first moment when you are crossing the bridge from Staten Island to Brooklyn you know that you are in for an experience that is truly unique.  I mean, they close the freaking! How cool is that?  Running across with Fran Sinatra's "New York, New York" blaring sets the mood and the rest of the boroughs make sure that you never come off your high.  Bands and fans line the streets cheering you on to convince you that you weren't made to go on this crazy adventure.  As a rookie runner, I have to tell you I was unprepared.  So for those out there who are thinking of doing their first, here are some tips I picked up:

1) Wear a belt/fanny pack:  All these people were taking pictures throughout their run, which I was extremely jealous of.  So make sure you have somewhere where you can store a camera to really capture this experience.  Plus, put some food in it as there isn't anything offered until mile 17 by the marathon and trust me, you'll be hungry.

2) Wear warm clothes that you don't mind getting rid of:  All these people were bundled up, whereas I was freezing my butt off in shorts and a tank top.  I couldn't believe all these people were going to run in all those clothes...and well, they didn't.  Instead, right before the run started they all tore off their old clothes and put it into the huge donation bins right by the start.  So stay warm and donate to a good cause!

3) Have plenty of food:  I know sounds obvious...but I was so nervous I didn't eat anything before hand which I immediately regretted.  So make sure to have crackers, power bars, fruit or whatever else you can handle on hand for the hour you'll be milling around before the start of the race. 

A marathon is an experience and one I definitely recommend.  I hope to see you next year at the NYC Marathon, as I am hooked and will definitely be there next year!

Fans do the craziest things...

Want to know what's crazy? The fact that I'm in NYC right now.  And why am I?  Because the Yankees are in a do or die situation and they desperately need me, that's why!  Obvi! You want to know whose even crazier?  My sister...who just flew overnight from LA to support those very same Yankees.  Apparently, craziness does run in the family...

My Schedule:

Wednesday 7 pm: Flight to NYC
Wednesday 9 pm: Check into Hotel
Thursday 7 am:  Let Katie into Hotel Room
Thursday 8 pm: Game Time
Friday 6 am: Bus back to Ithaca
Friday 3:30 pm: Final Presentation
Saturday 6am: Bus back to NYC for Fall Break

Yep, there's my life in a nut shell.  So here's to sports, for complicating our schedules/lives and making us love every minute of it! Go Yankees!

Back to being lovable losers...and the fans love it

A weird thing happened to me today.  I called my dad today to give my condolences about his Sox losing, only to find him oddly content.  When asked how depressed Boston was today, his only response was, "We're back!"

What?  Ya, that was my first response as well.  But then he pointed out that the Red Sox were back to being their beloved past selves.  Namely choke artists dedicated to ripping out the hearts of their die-hard fans in the most unbelievable ways possible.  The team of his childhood had returned, and he was secretly deliriously happy as he could go back to what he loved best, which was deriding the Sox on another failure of a season. 

I didn't quite believe him...but then as the day went on and I was forced to read/hear about the Sox fans complaints I came to the realization that they were actually REVELING in being losers!  Moral of the story is: some cities just can't handle the bandwagon, pink-hat wearing fans...and some can.  And the perfect example of both are the two teams intertwined by history and fanbases mutual hatred, the Red Sox and the Yankees.

Yankees fans don't do well with losing.  When the complain about losing, there is no secret happiness with the fact that their team just lost.  No, they expect their team to win every single year.  And those bandwagon fans that come with success? Who cares!  If that's the price of victory, they will pay it repeatedly.

Sox fans on the other hand hate those fake yuppie fans.  They don't understand what it means to be a Sox fans, which means watching every play expecting something to go wrong...and being a little disappointed when it doesn't.  If you haven't had your heart broken by the Sox, you aren't a real fan.

So...I guess...congratulations Boston. You're back.  Let the new curse begin!

No Cover? Outstanding!

I don't know about you, but for me, a night filled of watching seriously cut men wrestle and beat each other bloody equals the perfect Saturday night.  Hence the reason I found myself at Buffalo Wild Wings to watch Rampage Jackson take on Jon Jones.  And you want to know the best part?  There was no cover!

The one thing I have against both the UFC and boxing (other than the fact that there is something seriously wrong with the heavyweights aren't the stars) is the fact you have to lay down some serious cash for the pleasure of watching what is 50/50 going to be a fight that comes down to a decision instead of a KO.  So imagine my surprise when I found that the best sports bar in Ithaca didn't charge anything to go watch the young upstart take on the face of the sport.  Needless to say, I was pumped!  Even better, an order of 12 wings, a wrap, 3 Sam's Octoberfest pint-sized, and 4 Yuengling's tall-sized produced a check of only $50!  Close your mouth sir! I speak the truth!

True, Buffalo Wild Wings doesn't have the charm of a local watering spot.  But what it does have is tons of TV's and die hard fans who are there to watch the game, not to gossip.  So next time you are looking for somewhere to catch the big fight (aka, in a month I'll be there to watch GSP my favorite person ever even though he is Canadian, but that's a fault I'm willing to overlook as it's not something he can really help) and you don't feel like having 20 people over to justify paying for it, head over to your local Buffalo Wild Wings.  I promise it won't disappoint!

Do you know what tomorrow is? It's the MONEYBALL OPENER!  My favorite book of all time has been made into a movie starting the hottest actor ever Brad Pit and I'll be seeing it at 10 pm tomorrow night.  I am soooooo pumped  If you don't know what I'm talking about, take a look at this preview.

In anticipation of tomorrow night (27 1/2 hours to go!!!), I decided to do an ode to my top 10 sports movies of all time.

10) Searching for Bobby Fisher: Who knew chess could be so cool? This movie inspired me to become a grand master chess champion...for like 5 minutes.  Once I lost a game in 5 moves to my younger brother, I knew it wasn't the sport for me.

9) For Love of the Game:  Girls, here is the sports movie for you.  A complete chick flick, guaranteed to make your day whenever you're feeling a little down. 

8) The Pride of the Yankees:  Lou Gherig's famous last speech makes this movie.  Expect tears, and lots of them.
7) Water Boy: Classic Adam Sandler...god I haven't seen this movie in forever.  As soon as I'm done with this post, I know what I'll be watching.

6) The Rookie:  It's a story that is completely out of the Disney playbook...but the weird thing is, it's true!

5) Seabiscuit: This is the classic overachiever story.  You can't help but fall in love with this horse, and this jockey.  I promise by the end of the movie, you will be cheering along with all the rest of the fans. 

4) A League of Their Own:  Even the fact that I was forced to watch this on every road trip I ever took with my softball team couldn't ruin how good a film it is.

3) Jerry Maguire: Convinced me I didn't want to be a sports agent. 

2) Remember the Titans: Tackles a tough topic beautifully.  It doesn't shy away from showing the tough aspects, but at the same time creates completely lovable characters that you can't help but root for.  Plus...the Titans entrance onto the field might be my favorite entrance of all time. 

1) Field of Dreams:  Not only is this my favorite sports movie of all time, but its my favorite movie of all time!  "If you build it, they will come".  Guaranteed to give you chills every time...I've even thought about going to Iowa to see it for myself!  That's how good this movie is...it will make you want to take a trip to Iowa.

So next time you're board, curl up with a glass of wine and watch one of these great flicks.  You won't regret it. 

Tortuous TV Announcers

They do it on purpose.  I mean, they must.  Just when you hit an emotional high from a good play they show you a clip from the previous season that brings your right back down.  I hadn't even had time to leave my seat after ND stopped Michigan State's fake kick before NBC decided it was perfect time to show the OT fake punt that State beat Michigan on last year.  Really?  Come on guys...you're killing me here.

Yep, that was my face at the end of the half.  Instead of celebrating our amazing defensive play that was sure to give us unstoppable momentum going into the second half...I was cursing a play from last year!  There might have been a remote thrown...but hey, who can really blame me?

Proposed Rule:  If you were a fan, and you saw an image that was going to wipe out any positivity you had going into that play, it shouldn't be shown/talked about by the announcers

Exception to the Rule: Show the Ronald Johnson drop in USC's loss to ND as many times as possible!

Epitome of Sports Fandom

Everyone's heard the stories. The Phillies fan who threw up on the kid (not a joke...it really happened), the Dodgers fans putting a Giants fan in the coma, and the Raiders vs. Niners series having to be canceled due to fighting are just a few examples. Not going to lie, all this animosity and craziness has dampened going to sporting events for me. At least at home I know I'm not going to get beat up for rooting for my team.

With all this in my head, imagine my surprise when I went to a big time sporting event and found the fans to be completely into it, while being completely respectful. After my time at the US Open, I am crowning tennis fans as the best fans out there.



In every match, the crowd at Arthur Ashe stadium clearly had a favorite. But even though the cheers were louder for Serena and Marty Fish, that didn't mean their opponents didn't get their share of cheers as well. Every great shot was applauded no matter who hit it. And all you heard were positive chants of "Come on" and "Lets go," instead of shouting the abusive comments you constantly hear at US sport events.

Tennis fans clearly are there because they love the sport and appreciate seeing it played at such a high level. They don't need to be jerks to enjoy the setting and for someone like me who has had beer thrown in my face for the audacity to wear my teams jersey, that was extremely refreshing. So if you are looking for a family friendly sports event, look no further than the US Open.

Dugout

If you are looking for a place to go pregame for the Yankees, head on over to Dugout. It's not fancy, and that's what's great about it!

Dugout is a bar. Nothing more, just a plain old fashioned bar with great deals, fun people and tons of space. For a day game, the beers don't start flowing till noon. Get there early though, as there will be a line 10 deep at the bar of people eagerly awaiting their $3 Coors Lights. How can you pass up on a deal like that? Especially as the beer in the stadium is up to $9 these days. Just make sure to have cash on hand, as have to spend $20 to use your credit card.

After spending tons of money on Yankee tickets, you don't want to fork over a fortune for food and drinks. Believe me, I get it. While dugout won't get you the food you want (trust me...wait till you get to the Stadium), it will get you good and tipsy so that you won't need more then one beer in the stadium! Then, if the Yanks win make sure to stop back into Dugout before heading out! A party will be guaranteed!

A Great Event...So How Come Noone Is Watcihng?

Hey, do you realize that the women's world cup is going on right now? No, I bet you didn't. And let me tell you, you are missing out.

I know soccer isn't huge...but these female soccer players are some of the best athletes you have ever seen. Not only that, but we are one of the favorites and I believe, one of only three teams that actually has a chance to win. Our whole team is great, but specifically watch out for these three girls:

Abby Wambach: Standing at 5'10 Abby is a freak of nature...and I mean that in the best possible way. Whenever the ball is in the air and she doesn't come up with it, I'm surprised. She's just that good. Don't believe me? Well, her 118 career goals are ready and willing to back me up.

Hope Solo: She plays the most unenviable position on the soccer field. Every goal that she stops...well obviously she should have! And for every goal that is scored..it is 100% her fault. Well at least according to the casual observer. She's found a way to combat this pressure though...just don't let them score! With a scoreless streak of 478 minutes, every minute of her in goal is prime time television.

Shannon Box: I know, this was not who you were expecting I would put there. Who cares about a defensive midfielder? Well I do! Shannon does all the gritty dirty things that are necessary to make sure that the US dominates possession. So next time you watch, just count the number of times Box wins a 50/50 ball. After that, you'll come to my way of thinking I promise!

These ladies need our support guys...so take a chance, turn on the tv and I promise you that you will be entertained!

GO USA!

Players that make sense for their cities

You know what I'm talking about. There are just those guys who when you look at them, you can guess what team they play for. They just perfectly personify what their cities cultures and teams are all about. Magic was "Showtime" just as LA is all about Hollywood. Larry Bird, his rival, on the other hand was defined by his grittiness, which only makes sense in the working man environment of Boston. But today, I think the person who most perfectly personifies his club is Tim Lincecum.

If you don't know who the newest person to own the tag "The Freak" is, the next time Timmy starts grab a beer, park your butt in a chair and settle down to be entertained. I mean...just look at his hair! What...you thought I was going to talk about his pitching ability? Come on. Plenty of people can throw the ball hard. But how many pitchers look like 13-yr old skater kids out while making batter after batter swing and miss? One, that all. And that one special hurler is Timmy Lincecum.

San Francisco is a special place. Nudity in the middle of Fishermans Wharf? No big. Smell of pot wafting through the air at AT&T Park? Um, and? Such a different place deserves to have a completely out of the ordinary face of the franchise. So thank you Lincecum. For making all the other "Freaks" out there feel a little less...well...freakish!

A Different Kind of Workout

So I know this is technically sports commentary, but I figured working out goes hand-in-hand so it wouldn't be to out of line. Plus...I mean, I just liked it so much I gotta share it! So if you don't like it, quit now. Next post will be back to my usual I promise!

I consider myself somewhat of a workout aficionado. Most workout fads, I've at least attempted. Some I've enjoyed (pilates), some I've hated (yoga). But they all were pretty easy for me to get my head around and realistically, the moves weren't that different from anything I had done before. That is until my latest 10-week class...Cardio Pole Dancing.

I know..you laugh. Cardio Pole Dancing? Is she kidding? No I'm not. And if you were in my class, either would you.

I entered the class having no idea what to really expect...well, except for maybe attempting some of the things I saw when I went to a strip club with my boyfriend, but that's a whole different story! But anyways, I had never done anything like this before so I wasn't sure whether or not I would be getting a good workout. The first five minutes relieved that worry for me...after being told to climb up to the top of the pole with my hands only three time fast, I stopped worrying about whether I would need to run afterwords to get the burn I wanted, and began to worry if I would even make it through the class! What proceeded to follow was one of the hardest workouts of my entire life. Afterwords, I could barely lift my arms and my abs felt like they had been run over by a car.

Lesson 1: Pole Dancing is tough shit! Mad respect to all the strippers out there.

Lesson 2: Don't judge a book from its cover if you ever go to a class like this. This one lady must have been 40 years old and wasn't the slimmest person I had ever seen...but when stretching she proceeded in front of me to do a full middle splits while I embarrassingly had the worst splits in the class!

Moral of the story, if you are looking to get your but kicked and sculpted arms and abs this is the class for you! And its soooo much fun!

Recommendation: Wouldn't miss it for the world

A Soccer Complaint

As I prepare myself for the biggest soccer game of the year, Man United vs. Barca, (aka I make sure I have a beer at my side, and some wings baking in the oven), I can't help but think that it's a shame that FIFA messed up the World Cup selections so badly.



Now I know Americans aren't obsessive soccer fans. But the numbers from the South African cup show that people are watching...so why didn't FIFA reward us? And if not us...why in the name in all that is holy did they choose Russia and Qatar? I mean...Qatar? And then to make maters worse, now Qatar is asking FIFA to change the World Cup from the summer to the winter in order to make it realistic for it to host the tourney. You're joking right...I mean come on FIFA you can't possibly be considering this! What about those high-tech stadiums with build in air conditioning to combat the 200 degree heat that Qatar promised us? Were those just lies?

The saddest part about the selections is that everyone knows that those two countries got selected above place such as the US, Argentina, Portugal, England and Australia for one reason and one reason only...the ability to pay huge bribes. You think FIFA wouldn't dare change the timing of the World Cup? Sadly, I'm a little more cynical than that. I have a feeling that there is a certain amount of that universal greaser that has been placed on the table to make the voting members consider the idea...

The Bombed Bostonian

As a sports fan, I am lucky to have lived in cities that truly care about their sports teams. As much as it pains me to admit it, the city that I have found to have the most die-hard fans is definitely Boston which is home to our next species of sports fan, the Bombed Bostonian.

Title: Bombed Bostonian
Location: Boston
Characteristics: Drunk but still double fisting, hoarse from yelling so much, beer gut, clad head to toe in Boston sports gear


The Boston sports fan is more die hard then you will ever be, and he wants you to know it! Beware bringing your weak game to the arena, as only true fans are welcomed. Dare to wear another teams gear? Fine by them, as you just became target practice for their extra beers.

Now the outside observer might believe there are four sports teams in Boston. The Bombed Bostonian knows better though, as truthfully only the Sox inspire them to their true fanatical fandom. So don't be surprised that when at Celtics, Bruins or Patriots games your still surrounded by Sox hats.

Scary but respected, thats the Bombed Bostonian. As long as you support the Sox, you're in. Dare to cross him, and watch out! You've been warned, so the consequences of wearing a Yankee hat around Boston is on you!

Different Fans for Different Cities

I count myself as lucky to have lived in four very different areas that boast amazing sports fans: Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, and now New York. The funniest part of going to games in each of these areas has been observing the fans.

Have you heard the saying that dogs look like their owners? Well I think the same sentiment goes for sports fans. Having studied them extensively, I feel comfortable labeling what the four fans look like.

Today, we are going to discuss the Laker fan. Study this tutorial carefully so next time you go out to the wild (aka the arena) you'll be able to recognize this unique breed.

Title: Fashionista Fan
Location: Los Angeles
Characteristics: Blond, Better looking then you could ever hope to be, glued to cell phone, Starbucks in hand, in Lakers gear even at other LA sporting events

The LA fan has mastered the art of "sports chic". Though the gear is appropriate for a sporting event, you know that it took them 3 hours to look that unput together. Tight and tighter are the only options available to them when it comes to their fashion choices. Losers aren't tolerated. So don't expect them to show up to your game unless you are a playoff team...even then unless you are in the finals, they won't offer more then polite clapping. I mean its LA and that means perfect weather year around. Who could blame them for choosing the beach over a meaningless game?

Jealous yet? If you aren't, you should be. Because according to the Fashionista Fan, if you aren't one of them you are a nobody.

Tune in next for the Bombed Bostonian!