Gone Bowling

My Christmas Tickets had been bought.  I was going to be spending a whole week in sunny LA.  But then, two days before I was heading home for the Holidays, the Pinstripe Bowl participants were announced.  The Pinstripe Bowl takes place in Yankee stadium.  I've been a couple of times, and though it was always a good time, I figured I'd been enough times to get the experience so I wasn't planning on going again.  But that all changed when I found out who was going to be playing.  The Fighting Irish were coming to NYC!

Now I'm a huge ND fan.  But I've only seen them in person one time.  So there was no way I was going to miss this chance to see them play.  I scrambled to change my flights and buy tickets (which were almost three times as expensive as any other time I've gone...lets call that the ND effect).  So Saturday the 28th saw me at Yankee Stadium ready to cheer on my boys!

Now I wasn't sure what I was expecting.  But I for sure wasn't expecting ND fans to outnumber Rutgers fans 65-35% at the game.  Rutgers fans were louder (I'm thinking there were more drunk college aged kids in their section, giving them the edge), but there was for sure more ND fans.  And the best part about where I was sitting?  It was right next to the ND band!  And while ND only barely beat Rutgers, the ND band crushed the Rutgers band.

 

My favorite part of the whole experience was at the end of the game.  ND football games always end with the players gathering by the student section and singing the Alma Matter.  I had never been a part of it and it was just the perfect way to wrap up the evening!

 

Holiday Magic

Holidays are meant to be spent with your family.  And the best way to ensure you are having a fun time is to take an outing.  And the outing that my family loves to take together are sporting events.  So a couple of days before Christmas, we trekked over to Staples arena to root our Kings on together.

 

Sadly, the Kings lost.  But we and the rest of the crowd weren't as upset as we'd usually be.  Partly because the Kings have been on a hot streak, so we've seen them win a bunch this season.  And also because the Holidays provided for a festive atmosphere that even a Kings lost couldn't put a dent in.  I mean, staples center even put on a Holiday Light Show!

Truly a Kids Game

Sometimes you forget that even though the players are getting paid millions and millions of dollars, in actuality, NFL players are playing a game that kids everywhere play.  But when the snow comes down, it truly become a kids game with snowman celebrations, fans pelting players with snowballs and players slipping all over the field.

There's just something fun about a cold messily played game.  I mean, who doesn't love the fact that the snow is coming down so thick, you can't even really see the game?  That kicking is literally impossible, so the team goes for two after every TD?  That special teams play is amazingly atrocious with no one able to stay on their feet while trying to tackle the returner?  So when I woke up and saw that half of the morning games were going to be played in the snow, it felt like it was Christmas morning. 

So I don't know about you...but I for one, am for sure rooting for a snowy Super Bowl.

Tough Road Ahead

how i consoled myself after the draw

You know the expression it could have been worse?  Well in this case...I'm not sure that it could have.  Germany.  Portugal.  Ghana.  USA.  Does that seem like a fair group to you?  I mean, their rankings according to ESPN Soccer Power Index are 4, 16, 24 and then us at 17.  How's that for parity?

Look, do I think we have no chance? No.  We can def compete with Ghana and Portugal.  But I mean some of those other groups are soooo easy!  I mean we already had a group with Germany and Ghana...and the only three really hard European teams that were there to get were England and Portugal.  And wouldn't you know somehow England winds up in a group with Italy, Costa Rica and Uruguay while Portugal joins us?  I mean come on!  Those were the two groups that were already the hardest..so hey, how about we just increase their difficulty by adding one more competitive team?  Then, on top of that, the US has the longest travel schedule.  So yeah...I'm not sure how much worse it realistically could have been for them.

But, with all that, this draw does raise the possibility something cool really happening.  I mean, if the US makes it out of that group?  How big of a deal would that be!  We wouldn't luck into the elimination rounds.  We would have to earn it.  And you know what...after calming down and getting a few drinks into my system...I'm calling it.  We are definitely make it out of the group stage. 

Feeling like a VIP

The Redskins season is an unmitigated disaster.  But does that mean you can't enjoy yourself at the game? Um, no way!  You just got to find things other than the Redskins themselves at the game to distract you from the fact that your team is losing...again.  So in my annual trip to Fedex field this weekend, that is exactly what I did.  First with a huge tailgate, then by exploring the Club Level.

Can the Redskins win already?

Game time was 8:30pm. So what time do you think we rolled up in the parking lot?  4:30 pm baby!  As it was Thanksgiving weekend, we knew a lot of people who were home and therefore coming to the game, so a group of 15 or so of us got together to drink some beers, eat some food and play the bean-bag game.  And it was so much fun!  I mean, you would think 4 hours would be way to much prior to the game, but honestly I was just reaching for my second burger (after already had chili, 7 layer dip, chocolate cup cake and guacamole), when suddenly someone realized that it was already 7:45.  So even though I wanted to redeem myself on the bean-bag game...and I really wanted that second burger...it was time to pack up.  And once we got to the gates, it became obvious why people were in such a rush to get to the stadium once we realized the time.  It's because getting into the stadium is an absolute mess!  I mean, it took a good 20 or so minutes to get through the line.  Is there anything worse then being so close, but yet so far?   Luckily, I had brought a beer for the road, so at least I had something to drink while waiting in line.

The tailgate was a good start, but exploring the Club Level was definitely just as cool.  Say what you want about Dan Snyder, but that man knows how to build a VIP section.  Just to give a taste of what you can find: Hooters, then a club where can smoke a cigar, Sam Adams stand, Guinness stand, Bloody Mary stand...get the picture?   Plasmas were plastered throughout the level, with these super sweet seating areas for you to hang out in if you got to cold out in the stands. 

Would it have been more fun if the Skins had pulled out the victory?  Of course!  But going to the game with friends and exploring a whole different section of the stadium?  Can't complain to much about that. 

A Holiday on the Couch

I don't know about you, but my holiday was spent 10% of the time at random locations (movie theater, restaurants and shops) and 90% of the time on the couch.  And I mean, who could blame me?  Hockey on Wednesday, NFL Football on Thursday, College Basketball on Friday, and College Football on Saturday. I'd say my holiday weekend was well spent. 

Look, I don't know about you, but my regular life is busy.  So when I'm on vacation, I like to spend some time doing what I never get to do usually..aka nothing.  And whats the best way to do nothing?  Sitting on the couch watching sports, obviously. 

Watching sports is always fun.  But throw in watching it while hanging out with my family, and its just the perfect relaxing activity.  We get into random games, we choose random teams, and then we root for them like crazy.  I mean, none of us care anything about the Ravens or the Steelers.  But there we were, Thursday night, none of us able to move due to being severely over-stuffed, screaming for the Steelers to tie the game up.  I mean, we were screaming at the screen telling the refs that, obvi Bell had scored! All we were missing were some terrible towels to fit in at any Pitt sports bar out there. 

So what am I thankful for?  Well, I'm thankful for a ton of things.  But this week?  I'm thankful for sports, for giving us something to gather around and watch together as a family.  It's not home if there isn't some game on in the background.

with a little bit of this thrown in

My Holiday was a lot of this...

A City of Sports Bars

So Indianapolis wasn't the most exciting weekend trip I've ever been to.  In fact, other than the really fun Pacers game I went to, it felt like visiting a really big suburban town.  I mean everything you would find in a suburb was there.  But the one thing that Indianapolis did well?  Sports Bars.  And my favorite?  The Colts Grille. 

The place was huge.  But unlike many bars that advertise themselves as a sports bar in the city, this place really did take its sports seriously.  You walk in, tell them what game you want to watch, and they'll take you to a room that has your game on one of the TV's.  The room we were put into?  The wall was literally lined with plasmas TV's.  There were inches between where one TV ended and the next started.  And the best thing they did?  Even if you didn't want to sit at a table and made your way to the bar, each TV had little labels showing what games were going to be on that TV.  I mean how amazing is that?  Not only did it make it so the people coming could find their game, but also, it made it so that the employees made sure that a relevant game was always showing.  No more asking at 8:30 on a Sunday night..."Um, do you think there is a way you can turn off C-SPAN and turn on the Sunday night football game?"

Another thing that was nice, was that the food was actually really good.  Definitely more gastropub than I expected to find.  No chicken tenders necessary here!  Can afford to be a little more adventurous.  My recommendation is to stay away from Ahi Tuna burger.  It was SUPER rare (no sear at all) and really stringy..not very high quality tuna at all. 

So next time you find yourself traveling in Indiana, don't fret. I promise you'll be able to find your local team on at one of the various sports bars Indianapolis has to offer. 

Wine and Running

Costumes are a big part of a Disney run

Wine and running...what could be more fun? Well add some Disney characters, a half marathon race that goes through three different parks (MGM, Animal Kingdom, Epcot) and an after party that goes till 4am and somehow, you just did make it better. 











I have to tell you, Disney really knows how to put on an event.  And its no different when it comes to putting on a run.  And its a completely unique race, as I it adds a little Disney magic.  I mean come on, who doesn't love having an excuse to dress up?  When you are on mile 10 (and let me tell you, that is my favorite mile!  You are finally in double digits!) there is nothing better to distract you from the pain in your legs than seeing someone dressed up in Minnie Mouse ears and outfit go chugging by. 

Now what makes the Food and Wine marathon better than the Disney princess firstly is that the course itself is much more fun.  Instead of just one park, you get to run through three different worlds.  And running through the park beats running on back roads any day.  The coolest part of the course was in MGM, which had just put all the Christmas lights up.  It's impossible not to smile (even on mile 12) when you are walking into a magical kingdom streaming with little twinkling lights.

Lastly, what's cooler is that the run takes place during the Disney Food and Wine festival.  So after you finish your 13.1 miles, you get to stroll over into Epcot and go to the food & wine booths after hours.  The whole place, just to you and the other runners.  I mean it was soooo much fun!  Is there anything better than a glass of rose champagne to celebrate after finishing?  Well, add the potato waffle with braised short rib from Belgium or the pork belly from Brazil, and yes, it somehow does continue to get better.  So go for a run (only 13.1, you can do it!), then reward yourself by eating up and drinking up till 4am! 

Basketball Country

I love when a stadium has character.  And the Pacers stadium has lots of character!  From the moment you walk in, you are greeted by a live band playing "When the Saints come marching in" and people dancing in the line to the music.  I mean come on! Is there a better way to get the fans into the game from the very beginning than by some fun live music?  I don't think so.  I felt like I was going to a high school basketball game...just one that had a bit more quality in the players.

Great thing about going to games not in cities named New York, San Francisco, Boston or LA?  The price of the tickets is absolutely amazing (which is prob what makes it feel even more  like a high school basketball game as it's not full of suits).  I mean, I paid $60 for my tickets and I was in the lower level.  For $60 I MIGHT be able to get nose bleed seats at Madison Square Garden...if I was lucky.

My favorite part of the stadium?  The fact that the live music continued when you got into the stadium.  One corner of the stadium was full of people dressed up in Yellow and a drum line.  And the drum line rocked!  The pacer girl dancers would come in...no one would notice.  But suddenly the announcer would introduce the drum line and the entire stadium would be on its feet!  It was just so unique and so much fun.

The game itself, was okay.  Got to see a couple really great players in Irving and George.  Thought I was going to see the number one player in the draft...but well Bennett didn't really play.  The only thing that would have made it much cooler?  If I managed to spy Mr. Basketball Jesus himself, Larry Bird.  I wasn't the only one looking for him.  I must have heard his name mentioned at least 5 times by other people as they too scanned the crowd hoping for a glimpse of Indiana's favorite son.  

So next time you are in Indianapolis (I know I know...you're thinking um why would I be there?  But hey, it wasn't like it was on my list of priorities either, but somehow I ended up there so you never know), make sure to head over to the Pacers game.  

Pick your Race Wisely

Where are all the fans?

I am a big believer in the fact that everyone should run one 5k, 10k, half or full marathon in their life.  The training is hard, but crossing that finish line is so rewarding.  But, I think for your first race you should be a bit picky about which race you are going to run...especially if you are running something as long as
a half or full marathon.  If you are someone who runs a ton of races, it doesn't matter so much.  But if this is going to be your one and only...you need to pick somewhere that you you are going to get the full experience!

Hanging out in Indianapolis, I was super pumped that my trip randomly coincided with its half/full marathon.  Whenever a race is going on, I try to go watch a bit and cheer on the runners as I know how good that feels to have people clapping you as you chug out those last few miles.  But when I went to about 1/2 a mile a way from the finish line, what I was saw was silence.  Tons of runners, and no fans.  For like 30 minutes me and three kids were the only ones yelling on the runners. 

My first marathon saw people literally playing music and singing every step of the way.  Now I know NYC is in another level, but I've also watched the San Fran and Austin Marathons.  Now neither of those have the same amount of energy (I mean only Boston can stand up to NYC), but there was music for the last mile and at least a few people at every mile cheering you on.  And that's the experience you want when on your first run.  You not only want to cross that finish line.  You want to have a city stop to cheer you on.  So when choosing your first race, make sure to find a place that is going to give you the energy/fun that will make what is always going to be a cool experience, one of the best experiences you will ever have.

                          What the entire marathon should be like...not just at the finishers party

Love that Dirty Water

There's just something about baseball and October that just feels right.  And when the teams involved are either the Yankees or the Sox (preferably the Yankees), that's just the icing on the cake.  I hadn't been to a game in Fenway since 2008, so I jumped at the chance to go to Game 1 of the World Series.  And let me tell you, I forgot just how electric that place can get.  It was loud.  It was crazy.  And it was amazing.

Look, I don't know how you feel about Boston fans, but they generally aren't my favorite people in the world.  They tend to be fairly aggressive, to love complaining about their teams (all of which have won championships recently), and to be a bit drunk during games.  But you know what, they sure know their baseball and they sure love their Sox.

From the opening ceremonies to the last pitch, the fans were into it.  The atmosphere really was exactly how a World Series game should feel.  One of the best parts?  Victorino's walk up son is "Dont Worry", which might be the best one I have ever heard.  Every time the song cut off, but the fans finished off the "Every little thing, is gonna be alright".  I mean hearing everyone in that stadium sing it together every time...it was just great. 

Nothing is better when the Sox are winning at home.  The fans are happy, which is key.  When the game goes bad, the fans turn ugly.  And you just might not have a good experience (beer being thrown on you is not fun, trust me).  But my experience on Wednesday?  A+!  

Wraparound Fun

I don't know about you, but yesterday might as well have been Christmas for how much fun I ended up having.  It was crazytown in the soccer universe, and thanks to ESPN Wraparound coverage, I was able to watch every single minute of it.

For those of you who didn't know, yesterday was the last day of group qualifying for the World Cup.  There are a few last playoffs that have to take place, but as of now, most of the field of 32 has been set.  And ESPN decided that it was going to cover all of those last games, by showing all the goals that were taking place and giving live look-ins to all the games that were going on.  IT WAS AMAZING! For someone who has ADD like me, it was the perfect afternoon.  Just when you were starting to get bored, BOOM, switch to a different game.  You know how you feel those first 48 hours of March Madness?  That's what yesterday was like to a soccer nut like me.

And the announcers did a great job explaining what games mattered and how connection between the different results.  I mean I consider myself a pretty informed fan, but I had no idea where everyone stacked up in their respective groups so it was really helpful to have it broken down for me. 

Great job ESPN!  I loved the whole afternoon event.  Now onto the next big stage for soccer...Brazil 2014 here we come!

Sunday Night Football

I don't know about you, but my weekends tend to be a bit crazy.  I'm so excited to have time to do what I want, with only limited interruptions for emails/work, that I find myself running from one activity to the next.  So by the time 6pm rolls around Sunday night, I'm exhausted.  All I want to do is throw in my pjs, order in and pass out early.  The last thing I want to do?  Have my NFL team in the Sunday Night Football game. 

I mean staying up to Midnight when I am going into the very beginning of my work week is hard enough.  But add some beers (for good luck, obvi) and the anxiousness that comes with your team playing, and you know you will be hyper after the game, delaying your bed time even more! 

So here I am on a Sunday night, and do you think I'm in my pj's?  Nope.  I'm in jeans and my lucky Redskins jersey about to strike out to make sure I get a seat at my favorite local Redskins bar, as no way am I standing up for this entire game...not after a weekend of a long run of 8 miles Saturday and two hours of soccer played today. 

The thing we do for our teams...o well.  Go Skins Go!

Fall Fun

When's the last time you skipped rocks?

It's October and you know what that means.  Winter is just around the corner.  So suddenly, there's an urgency to take advantage of the beautiful fall weather before it disappears.  And yesterday, thanks to Outdoor Connections, I spent the whole day outdoors exploring a part of New York I've never seen.

Now I don't know about you, but as the Cali girl that I am, I still find the changing of the colors of the leaves to be really cool.  So a four hour hike in the Hudson River Valley in the mountains where I can see the leaves up close and personal?  Right up my alley.  I hadn't gone hiking in soooo long!  So I had forgotten how much fun it is.  There's something about working up a good healthy sweat in a gorgeous environment that just makes me happy. 

After a morning spent hiking, it was time for apple picking.  Now I had no idea what to expect.  But I can tell you what I didn't expect.  I didn't expect the place to be jam packed.  And I didn't expect to have as much fun as I ended up having.  But there's something about wondering around the orchards, sipping apple cider, while picking a huge bag of apples that just brings out the kids in you and that is quintessentially fall. 

View from the top of the mountain at lunch

Then finally, after around 6 hours on your feet its time to relax with a glass of wine from the local vineyard.  Alcohol just tastes better after a day spent outside now doesn't it?

So hurry up and get out there! Before the weather no longer allows you to enjoy your local surroundings.

Apples for everyone!

. 

Beer for Breakfast

It's 7:45 am.  Where are you?  I'm guessing snuggled deep into your covers in your bed sound asleep.  Me?  Not so much.  Nope, this morning at 8am I found myself sipping a beer at O'Casey's with all the other crazy EPL fans in NYC.  Sitting there, I could have sworn I had been transported across the pond.  British accents everywhere!  And come on, who doesn't love a British accent? 

Look, Stella isn't really what I would consider to be the breakfast of champions.  But sometimes, you just got to go to the pub to really experience the morning soccer games.  And with Tottenham playing Chelsea, this was one such morning.  Especially since my sister is a huge Spurs fans.  And so after our alarm woke us up at 7am, we threw on our jerseys and jeans, stumbled across the street to Starbucks, hailed a cab, and then into the Spurs supporters bar.

The only game they show at O'Casey's is the Spurs.  And its completely full of British transplants, which is super fun.  Not quite soccer hooligan style or anything, but it just gives the whole experience a bit of authenticity.  Even if they don't really know anything, they at least sound like they do.

So what if I was buzzed by 10am.  I mean, its the weekend right?

A Legend

Giants Fans Invade Yankee Stadium

A heart divided.  That's what I felt like going into Friday's game.  My New York Yankees were battling my SF Giants in Yankee Stadium.  Tim Lincecum vs CC Sabathia.  Panda vs Cano.  So many loves, how do you choose which one to root for?

Ultimately, I decided on the Yankees.  They still have something to play for, while the Giants season has been done for awhile (Don't worry, the Giants are on the Every Other Year World Series Plan).  Still, I didn't feel absolutely great about it.  I couldn't really root for either team completely, but instead found myself cheering whenever either team did well.  That is, until Mariano Rivera came in.  Then I found myself on my feet, cheering as loudly as I can, hoping for three strikeouts. 

See the Fans Standing?

Camera Phones out in full force

And I wasn't alone.  With the Yankees up 5-1, you usually see people start streaming towards the exits to beat the traffic in the subways. But Friday, 90% of the original crowd stayed glued to their seats.  You could practically see the necks craning to see if it was Mo warming up in the bullpen, feel the anticipation of the fans urging the Yanks Batters to quickly get out and hear the conversations surrounding the Living Legend.  Then, just like everyone wanted to see in the stadium, "Enter Sandman" began playing and Rivera came running out of the bullpen.

The reaction was instantaneous.  The entire stadium rose to its feet, Giants and Yankees fans alike, and voiced their appreciation.  You can feel how every appearance is important to the fans. We know that this is it.  We won't get to see him do this for much longer.  And that one day, we'll be able to say we saw Rivera pitch in the same tone of voice our grandparents talk about Willie Mays and our parents talk about Mickey Mantle.  It was one of the coolest scenes I've ever seen.  Everyone standing, everyone with their cameras out, and everyone cheering as loudly as they could.  That's respect. 

A Shattered Bat Mariano Special

I am going to miss Mariano Rivera.  It just won't be the same in the 9th inning at Yankee Stadium without him. 

The Four Stages of A Redskins Fan

Well Ladies and Gentlemen, this NFL season has not started off the way I or any other Redskins fan wanted it to.   And while I watched the game at our friendly neighborhood Redskins bar, I was able to see first hand the four stages of a Redskins fan as defined by my boyfriend.  What are the four stages you might ask? Let me take you through them.

1) Optimism:  Who cares that we just lost that first game, we are definitely super bowl bound this year!  I mean you saw the second half of that Eagles game right?  Our offense was moving!  RG3 was just a little rusty, but by the end it was like, what ACL injury? 

2) Reality: Wow, that was super easy for Green Bay.  What did that take, like 40 seconds?  So maybe we aren't quite Super Bowl favorites.  But come on, we are still a good team!  We'll for sure make this competitive. 

3) Depression: Our defense is the worst thing on the face of the planet.  I mean do we even have a secondary?  And wait did we really give up FOUR FIRST ROUND picks for this guy?  RG3 who?  We are not going to have a first round this whole game, you watch.  And you know what else, I bet we don't even win a game this year. 

4) Eagles Fan (this person is the perfect example): F*** You!  You want to fight?  Do you, do you?  Take this B****!

Needless to say, the fourth stage (angry, sarcastic, bitter aka the classic Philadelphia fan) isn't a pretty picture.  So please Redskins, start winning.  Or I'm going to be dealing with a lot of Eagles fan dressed weirdly in  Redskins jerseys. 

Starting the Weeknd Off Right

There's just something amazing about running along the water.  I don't care where you live, or how often you run, or how much you like to run.  Running by the water offers something refreshing.  And this is especially true when you live in the concrete jungle of NYC.

I love the city.  But, not so much when I am going for a run.  So its amazing to me that I just travel west four blocks, and suddenly its like I've completely escaped the city.  Now instead of dealing with crowds and having skyscrapers obscure my view, I find myself running along the Hudson with a great breeze coming off of the water to create the perfect runner's weather.  What can be better than a water view, boats and perfectly chilled temperature to start off your weekend?  Not much from my point of view.










Sometimes you forget that the water is even there when in Midtown.  But whenever you find your way to edges of Manhattan, you're constantly amazed by the active harbor life.  Need to run 7 miles?  Trust me, its a lot easier when you have a view such as what the piers of NYC offer you.

Beautiful View of the Freedom Tower

A Redeeming Win to Save My Sports Weekend

Wow, that was a tough weekend.  Not because I didn't have fun (believe me, I had a blast).  But because let's just say, the results weren't really what I was looking for.  Let's review the weekend, shall we?

Broncos vs. Ravens, Thurs Night

Thursday: Pro Football is back.  Finally right?  So I started the weekend off at home, as I knew that I would be seeing the insides of a lot of bars this weekend.  Marathon not a sprint comes to mind...got to start off slow so that can actually finish the sports viewing craziness.  And hey wine seemed to be the perfect drink for the night, as the master performance that Manning put on deserved a classy accompaniment. 

USA vs Costa Rica, Friday Night

Friday: First bar of the weekend, and it feels so good.  Pour house on the upper west side was feeling USA soccer, let me tell you.  Standing room only in the bar.  But sadly, USA soccer wasn't up for the game.  Almost immediately Costa Rica scored, quieting the rowdy crowd.  And as the minutes passed with the USA team never getting any better, let's just say the beers started to slide down a little quicker.  Introducing the theme of the weekend...team not doing well, leading to nervous drinking. 

Saturday: Katie making the one and only Fifer dip!

Saturday: ND vs Michigan.  And the last game at the big house deserves a special sendoff.  My answer?  Getting the one and only Katie Fifer to make the best dip ever.  Fifer Dip!  Guacamole, Salsa, Sour Cream and Shredded cheese.  Hungry yet?  Sadly Fifer dip and Wine/Fresca didn't work.  ND went down and went down big early.  So clearly a change of location was called for at half time.  Off to Brickyard we go!  But the gluten-free beers weren't any better luck than the Fifer dip.  And the theme of the weekend continues...my team loses as my tears fall into my mostly-consumed drink. 

Sunday: Hor D'oeuvres and Football

Sunday: First Sunday of Pro Football.  What's that mean?  Constantly checking my Fantasy team of course!  So at 11am I made some fun appetizers, including the always-a-hit mushroom tartlet. The rest of the day?  A blur of bars on a west-side bar crawl.  Wish I could tell you everywhere I went, but to be honest, I have no idea. 

Monday: Redskins at the Australian

Monday:  It's Australian time!  Redskins games mean a trip to the Australian, your friendly neighborhood Skins bar in NYC.  And let me tell you, it was crazy! Standing room only, skins outfits everywhere, and the beers were seriously flowing.  The best part of the whole bar?  The entire bar singing the Skins Song with each and every Redskins touchdown.  Buy you know where this is going right?  Skins lose, Megan drinks. 

Tuesday: I sat on my couch drinking water and eating salad.  Detox was seriously needed after my weekend of fried foods and beer. And guess what? FINALLY A GOOD RESULT!!!!! USA qualifies for Brazil!  If USA had lost to Mexico, this would have officially been the worst sports weekend of all time.  Wait...does that mean being healthy is the new good luck? 

I don't know how I am going to get through this week.  No, not because I have tons of work.  And no, not because I have conflicting parties/social events to go to. I have a much larger scheduling issue.  There is so many sports games that I just don't know how I am going to watch everything that I want to watch.  Let's look at what I got on my plate:

Thursday: Denver vs. Baltimore, NFL Opener, 8:30pm
Friday: USA vs. Costa Rica, World Cup Qualifying resumes, 10pm
Saturday: ND vs. Michigan, College Football first real game of season for me, 8pm
Sunday: Yankees vs Sox in person at 1:05pm, NFL marathon starts at 1pm
Monday: Skins vs. Eagles, MNF and Redskins season opener, 6:55 pm
Tuesday: USA vs. Mexico, World Cup Qualifying and USA victory officially qualifies for World Cup, 8pm

I mean, look at that! Do you know how many bars I will be visiting, beers I will be drinking over the next 6 days!  But hey, if anyone can bring the same level of intensity and focus to each and every one of these games, its this girl right here.  So here is my challenge: to fully watch every game to the best of my ability, while documenting where I'm watching the game.  I accept it.  Cross your fingers I survive the experience!

Running Crazy

Well, I did it again.  Signed up for another half marathon.  Months ago, the idea of the race sounded fun.  Because, well it felt like it was way into the future.  But now its that time.  The time to train.  And for the next three months, I'll be getting my butt up two-to-three times a week at 6 am to get in long runs to make sure I don't completely embarrass myself in the race.  And after I woke up for my first run this morning, when I dragged my aching body into the shower, all I could think is why did I think this was a good idea? Didn't I learn my lesson the last time? 

Why do we sign ourselves up for these things?  I know that once I cross that finish line, I'll feel a huge sense of accomplishment.  But getting to that finish line?  All those miles you run without people cheering your every step?   Most of the time, those aren't really fun.  Then again, if it wasn't so hard to get there, would the feeling of accomplishment be quite as great? 

All I know is, I've done it again.  I've signed up for another half marathon.  Let the training begin!

Welcome Back!

Welcome back EPL!  It's been...well...actually it hasn't been awhile.  But it sure feels like it.  I need some more soccer in my life!  In the year of World Cup Qualifying, I have soccer on the brain at all times.  Any other sport takes a back seat, so I'm glad that my Saturday mornings will again be spent at the local Pub rooting on Man U and against Suarez, aka the Biter. 

Anyways, if you were anything like me, you woke up this morning, go to turn on your TV, and immediately panic.  Why did I panic you might ask?  Well because I go to ESPN...no soccer.  Then FoxSoccer...no soccer!  What the H*** is going on!  Well, apparently without me knowing about it, FoxSoccer is dissolving, and ESPN has decided to promote the MLS and US National Team.

Wait, does that mean I can't watch soccer from home at all anymore! Am I literally going to have spend every Saturday morning starting at 8am at the local Irish Pub.  I mean, it could be fun, but pretty sure starting your weekend off at 8 with a drink every week is the road to serious lushness.  So that path would best be avoided. 

So immediately, I started to Google.  I mean someone had to be carrying the game, right?  The answer is, yes.  NBC Sports Network has picked up all of the premier games.  At first, I was horrified.  I hate NBC.  But I have to say, the ability to watch every game does have its appeal.  And its easy to see where you can find each game.  Just go to: http://www.nbcsports.com/extratime. Then put in your area code and provider and it will provide you with a list of where each EPL game will be showed that day.  It's pretty sweet, I must say.  Instead of only being able to watch the big games according to a random monarch of soccer at Fox on my TV and then the rest on my computer, I can watch any game I want to.  NBC stepping up.  Who knew?

I know how I am going to spend my morning.  Welcome back EPL.  I missed you!

Fighting Costs

Do you know the best way to tell how expensive a city is?  By the cover to get into the bar of a MMA fight of course!  Let's look at the different prices to get into a bar to watch a fight of the cities I've been in:

1) San Francisco: Mayweather fight, $25 each
2) Ithaca: Jon Jones fight, no cover
3) New York: Mayweather fight, $20 each
4) Philadelphia: Machida fight, $5 each

Philadelphia clearly wins this battle.  Ithaca is the cheapest, but come on, its in the middle of nowhere.  So clearly it can't charge any cover.  San Francisco and NY are amazing cities, but you might as well just buy the fight yourself on Pay-Per-View, as the combination of the cover and food/drink costs in the bar will end up being much more than if you had bought the fight yourself.  Philadelphia though, fun big city but cheap! What can be better?

We were in Philadelphia the last weekend and the boyfriend was desperate to see the UFC fights.  So sitting in the apartment, he started to call the local bars.  The closest one that looked cool was the Fox and the Hound.  So he calls to ask the cover.  The person's response?  It can be up to 5 whole dollars!  Clearly we decided we were willing to part with that amount.  And then the bar itself?  HUGE! With plasma TV's everywhere.  And the bill?  Four huge beers came to the cost of $20.  That's right.  The total excursion cost us $30, which let's be honest, is the price of an average dinner in NYC.

So the moral of the story?  Try to be anywhere but NYC and San Francisco if you want to watch a fight at the bar.  

12 Stadiums Down, 18 to Go!

As a baseball fan, my goal is to eventually visit every teams stadium.  Unlike pro football, basketball and hockey, baseball stadiums tend to be really unique and kind of a cool representative of the city.  So every time I find myself in a new city, I try to make sure my trip coincides with a home stand by the local MLB team so I can make sure to catch a game.  And my trip to Philadelphia was no different. 

Now I'm not going to lie, I really was a little nervous about going to a Phillies game.  Let's just say Philadelphia fans don't have the best reputation.  Remember this incident...or this one?  I mean, can you blame me for me being a little worried?  But luckily for us, and sadly for Philadelphia fans, their team is really really bad this year.  So one, we were able to get great cheap tickets in a lower area to avoid the craziest fans, and two, the fans were a lot more chill than they usually are.  So we ended up having a great time!

annoying Braves fans I was convinced were going to end up beaten up

Now the stadium isn't the most unique one out there or anything, but it's nice.  Feels very much like a cookie-cutter stadium, but for sure had one of the larger beer selections I've ever seen.  But what was unique was how easy it was to get to the stadium.  You just took the subway on Broad St a couple of stops South and there you were.  And the coolest thing?  All the sports teams in Phili are in one area!  So we saw the Eagles, Flyers and Sixers stadiums.  And right in the middle of the complex was this sweet outdoor bar that had a great porch and huge plasma's outside to watch the game on.  Though it wasn't that full, you could just imagine when the Phillies are good and during Eagles games that place is hopping!

who else has a hot dog cannon? 

Overall, I was really impressed with the Philadelphia fans.  No beer, punches or popcorn was thrown in my vicinity, and trust me, there were a few Braves fans just asking for it.