The Two Sides of the Extra Inning Coin

Wow...what a crazy two nights.  Two baseball games, 24 combined innings, and tension like you couldn't believe.  One night, jubilation.  The next, despair.  If two nights ever pointed out the ultimate highs and lows that sports can bring you, my last two experiences at Yankee Stadium for sure did.  Why do people like baseball? Because at the stroke of Midnight one team gets to be Cinderella...and the crowd rides the emotional highs and lows until the glass slipper fits the chosen team. 

Wednesday:
Down 1 going into the 9th inning...my rally cap is on and rubbing of my sisters Swisher cap is continually happening.  Good luck movements are happening all along the park, when IT happens.  Ibanez steps into the batters box, and two pitchers later its bedlam in the stadium.  As the ball soars over the fence, I find myself pounding my sister on the head, screaming up and down, and yelling at the top of my lungs.  The entire ball park has been reduced to a bunch of 2 year olds and we couldn't be happier!  I mean it couldn't get any better right?

Yes, it could and it did.  11th inning, Ibanez steps back into the batting box.  He couldn't do it again right?  Yep, he could and he did!  Screaming, "Oh My God" again and again, I just couldn't believe what I had just witnessed.  Tired?  No way! And neither was anyone else.  The subway car back to the apartment was electric, with everyone still chanting Lets Go Yankees, and talking a mile a minute about the latest Yankee Stadium magic.  Yankees were the team of Destiny, that's for sure. 

All it took was 24 hours for those good feelings to evaporate...

Thursday:
Extra innings...again.  As each batter came up and went quietly down, you could feel the tension of the crowd increase.  It didn't help that the Yankees didn't help release tension by giving the fans something to cheer about.  Was a base runner making it past 1st base to much to ask for?

When the orioles scored in the top of 13th, you could feel the air go out of the stadium.  No one was surprised when the Yanks went 1-2-3 up and down quickly in the bottom of the inning.  Walking out of the stadium to New York, New York blaring out of the loud speakers, I've never heard a quieter 40,000 + fans.  Had the magic really vanished that quickly?

Playoffs...its do or die.  And as a fan you can't ask for anything more. 

Home Away From Home

We've all been there.  Living in a different place than your favorite team can be a bit lonely at times.  Surrounded by the enemy, no one to share your pain, wishing you were home watching this game...sound familiar?  Well that was us on Sunday during Redskins games until we found the best Redskins bar ever in NYC. 

The Australian.  It generally caters to Rugby, Cricket and other random sports, but come Sunday during NFL season, the Australian becomes a haven for those who bleed burgundy and gold souls living in NYC.  The bar has fully adopted its DC fan base, decorating the insides with Skins banners and buying an inflatable Skins player to bade fans welcome as they enter the bar.  No other fans are welcome.  Jets, Pats, Giants fans...they've all been told, "No we will not put on your game.  Yes, we do only show the Skins game on all 20+ of our TV's".  They act extremely put out every time, but come on, really guys?  Why would you even want to watch your game with us! Literally every single Irish bar in NYC (and there are 10 on every block) will have your game on.  Go there.  

The best part though?  The celebrations the Australian has instituted after every Redskins score. After each TD, the Redskins Victory Song rings out on the loudspeakers.  With the fans clapping and singing along, the bar tenders go around carrying these huge trays of free shots to cap off the celebration.  Hail to the Redskins, for sure!

So next time your in town on a Sunday, drop by the Australian.  You'll hear the rowdy cheers from drunk Skins fans all the way down the street, and I'll be leading the clapping/stomping/screaming of the Skins fight song.  See ya there.

You Have the Best Record in the MLB...and Your Prize?

Congrats Yankees!  With your win over the Red Sox, you have now earned the best record in the AL.  Home Field Advantage in the Playoffs is yours...your fans can be assured of watching your team a least a couple of times at home. 

Sorry...wait...what was that?  The Yankees don't start at home?  And they don't know who they are going to play so will have to travel day before first game?  As a fan I could only have one chance to see my team in the playoffs?

The new playoff format for the Division Series is really crazy.  Higher seeds start on the road for the first two games and then they come home for the next three.  As a Yankee fan, I'm frustrated.  But if I was a Nationals fan? I would be livid.

DC baseball is back in the playoffs since the 1930's...and instead of having the home town crowd rocking their NATITUDE t-shirts and screaming at the top of the lungs, the young Nationals will be forced to start their playoff run on the road.

I know this is a one year aberration...but if they couldn't make the travel schedule work this year, they shouldn't have added the two wild card playoff until they could use the regular playoff format.  Another sign that commissioners really don't care about the fans.  It's frustrating right now...but come Monday if they Yanks are down two and I only get to see them that once...it will be more than frustrating.  It will be heart breaking.