Welcome to the my Web site, v. XII. The blog is typically published Monday - Saturday. My primary topics tend to be the Nats, Penn State (esp. football), BeltwayLand, transportation, media, photos and more. The rest of the site gets updated as warranted and is noted on the blog.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- When it comes to opening games, especially ones against lesser competition like a middle of the road MAC team, there is much more to be learned about is not working that what is working. Take into consideration Saturday's Penn State vs. Akron game, won by the Nittany Lions easily. Wideouts Derek Moye and Graham Zug played well and Daryll Clark was the offensive player of the week. However, I could not help but be concerned.
The offensive line is the biggest concern as the Nittany Lions never established the run against Akron. Additionally, Stefan Wisenski, also had several poor snaps to Clark in the shotgun. The extra half-second that Clark spends looking/waiting for the ball is a half-second he doesn't get to make his reads before his throws.
The secondary, the other big concern, was not tested much yesterday, largely due to a dominant performance by the defensive line. Jack Crawford and Jared Odrick both spent a great deal of time in the Zips backfield. That is a promising sign, as is Akron's inability to run the ball on Penn State.
The linebackers were without Navarro Bowman for a good part of the game, thought to be because of groin injury. Nate Stupar took his place and played very well, another promising sign. Sean Lee looked good in his first action in over a year and Josh Hull was fine.
Overall, I thought Penn State wasn't really in sync and needs to get on the same page offensively, despite the impressive numbers. Akron was worse than I expected.
Other notes
Why were plays to Stephfon Green of the "up the middle" variety. Green is more fast than poweful, so be ought to be running outside.
Fake punts against Akron? Please.
K Colin Wanger had a bad day, missing two field goals. Inside the 40, field goal attempts need to be automatic.
Why was Clark in the game in the fourth quarter? It was in hand at half time, they should have put in Kevin Newsome and Mike McGloin. Those two need some reps for next year after Clark is gone.
Both captains, Clark and Lee, seemed ambivalent about ringing the victory bell.
There was a moment of silence for late State College mayor Bill Welch, who died earlier in the day. I was stuck in the bag line to get in the stadium, so I missed the opening pageantry and the Welch announcement. Flags were at half staff.
We bought two $55, 48 yard line seats (row 69) for $60. I thought I could have got lower, but I'm glad I got the ones I did.
Wiley and Ashley hosted the tailgate and drove. Thanks guys!
Great to see you this weekend - glad to report that we've already gotten a replacement canopy.
I do have to report that there was (at least informational) enforcement of the no glass rule in lot 13. 2 on-foot police stopped at the tailgate across the aisle to discuss their jar of salsa - they said that "today we're just trying to inform people" - and went on about the safety issues.
# posted by PSUgirl :
Tuesday, September 08, 2009 9:39:00 AM
Jordan Zimmermann, Nats take final game of Red Sox Series - William World News
Friday, June 26, 2009
Jordan Zimmermann, Nats take final game of Red Sox Series
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Remember the "Rookie vs All Star" commercial with MissChatter talking about John Lannan, the rookie going up future Hall of Famer John Smoltz? Anyway, that ad was not far from my mind last night as Nationals rookie Jordan Zimmermann faced Red Sox newbie Smoltz last night. This time though, it wasn't close as Smoltz faltered in the first inning of his first 2009 start. The Nats batted around the order, scoring four runs. That proved to be an unsurmountable deficit for Boston as the Nats extended their lead several times before Tyler Clippard gave up a two-run homer late. Final score 9-3.
Zimmermann pitched well, throwing 109 pitches in total with something like 77 for strikes. He even overcame some shoddy second inning middle infield play without any damage. The offense was powerful with Willie Harris going 3-4 and hitting a homer up into the second deck in right field. Ryan Zimmermann made three highlight reel plays at third as well. Also, Nick Johnson got hit by a pitch in the shin forcing him out of the game.
Other notes:
The park was lively and the Red Sox fans were suprisingly well behaved, pink hats and all.
In the section I wound up sitting in, the ushers would not let people back into the stands with a batter in the box. They're learning in NatsTown!
I heard several Michael Jackson songs, including "Billie Jean" on the organ. Too bad he was probably a pederast, because he was a very talented performer.
I think this was only the second time I have seen the Nats win at Nationals Park, raising my all-time record there to 2-5-1.
Olsen slated to rejoin staff, pitch Monday - The Wash. Times So, who gets sent down to make way for Scott Olsen? I'm expecting Craig Stammen. Also, I hope Olsen gets a pretty short leash, maybe a couple of starts.
"It's okay, because this is like your World Series" - William World News
"It's okay, because this is like your World Series"
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Late in last night's Nationals/Red Sox game, one New Englander in my row rationalized his team's defeat by saying that this was "like the World Series" for Nats fans.
Au contraire, beaneater!
Our "World Series" is taking 5 of 6 from the Mets every September.
Leave it to a Red Sox fan to think so high and mighty of their team, so much to think that they are the elite of the baseball world to all beneath them.
# posted by Kevin McGuire :
Friday, June 26, 2009 12:39:00 PM
Well, his tone wasn't that bad actually, so I was not offended, though I did mention something about 86 years and the Marlins having just as many rings in that time span.
Oh and your welcome for those September Nats over Mets wins too.
# posted by WFY :
Friday, June 26, 2009 4:43:00 PM
Post a CommentAn odd sixth inning in an odd Nats vs. Astros game - William World News
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
An odd sixth inning in an odd Nats vs. Astros game
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- When the Nationals scored six runs in the sixth inning, I felt their chances of holding on to beat the Astros were pretty good. However, yesterday's battle of bad bullpens, currently stuck in limbo until July 9 in Houston, proved me wrong. I had a pretty significant post in my head, but I was simply too exhausted last night to write it and this morning my son woke up an hour early, cutting into my blogging time. With that in mind, I'll not invest a lot of time in this post since it going up about 24 hours after the game started, though two months before it will end. It seems appropriate given the unusual game I was attending, an observance of what I called Cinco de Furlough. I was in the stands courtesy of my friend Joe's ticket, thank you sir. I hope the size L Corre, Teddy, Coree! t-shirt is sufficient.
My focus is the sixth inning, the home half, specifically. This summary from the ESPN box score says it all:
Roy Oswalt pitching for Houston HOU C Guzman singled to center. C Guzman to second on wild pitch by R Oswalt. N Johnson walked. C Sampson relieved R Oswalt. R Zimmerman singled to center, C Guzman scored, N Johnson to second. 5-3 A Dunn grounded out to first, N Johnson to third, R Zimmerman to second. 5-3 E Dukes walked. 5-3 J Willingham walked, N Johnson scored, R Zimmerman to third, E Dukes to second. 5-4 A Hernandez walked, R Zimmerman scored, E Dukes to third, J Willingham to second. 5-5 W Harris hit for W Nieves. 5-5 W Harris struck out swinging. 5-5 J Flores hit for S Rivera. 5-5 J Flores walked, E Dukes scored, J Willingham to third, A Hernandez to second. 5-6 T Byrdak relieved C Sampson. 5-6 C Guzman grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop, J Willingham scored on error by shortstop M Tejada, A Hernandez to third, J Flores to second. 5-7 N Johnson hit by pitch, A Hernandez scored, J Flores to third, C Guzman to second. 5-8 R Zimmerman grounded out to pitcher. 5-8
So it was a crazy inning, with 6 runs on only 2 hits. What a meltdown! Sadly the Nats was about as bad, just spreading the pain out over the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings.Noted chubby chaser Julian Taverez gave up three runs and SS Cristian Guzman made a costly error. Guzman later atoned for it with a homer to right center to put the Nats up, 10-9, but that lead was lost in the ninth with Kip Wells on the mound. Ryan Zimmerman missed a walkoff opportunity in the 11th and the game was suspended with Elijah Dukes on first after a walk. Then the rain got to be too much and we all went home. The game will be made up in July in Houston with Dukes on first.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- I hope you will forgive me that I don't have too much analysis of the Blue White Game. As intense a fan as I am of Penn State Nittany Lions football, I don't focus too much on an intrasquad scrimmage. The two big points of the Blue White Game are no players getting injured and taking in a day at Beaver Stadium and its surroundings. Mission accomplished, for the most part. White beat Blue, for the first time that I can recall, 21-16. The crowd was estimated to be about 76,500, the third consecutive record-breaker.
I though the quarterbacks all looked pretty good which is saying something because only Daryl Clark had ever played in a real game. Kevin Newsome, the grayshirt freshman got it going, as did walk-on Matt McGloin. Shane McGregor also saw time, prompting me to suggest Shane MacGowan would have been funnier. The secondary was not that impressive, but then again when have they been at Blue White? Receivers Brett Brackett, Derek Moye and Graham Zug all looked pretty good. We did not see much or any of Evan Royster running the ball and Stepfon Green was still out with an injury. Joe Suhey's name was called a lot, but I don't know if that means he is a part of the offense or merely the next Arric Hefflefinger.
The Blue Band did not march or even take the field. Instead we got a half time show with the Homecoming committee (I think this year's theme is "Sorority Girls Sitting on Cold Sidewalks"), the THON dancers, the Blue White rap contest winner (who was less irritating than the THON line dance), Army officer induction and of course the spring football awards.
Nats fall to 0-7 in fifth home opener - William World News
Nats fall to 0-7 in fifth home opener
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Yesterday, the Washington Nationals held their fifth home opener, the 76th for D.C. baseball. For the fourth consecutive year, Fritz and I were there. The Nats fell for the seventh time in as many tries in the 2009 season, this time to the visiting Phillies 9-8.
As home openers go, this one was my second favorite after last year's thrilling win. Yesterday's game was competitive, exciting, frusturating and sad all in one. The Nats scored first, but left the bases loaded at the end of the first inning. They would score in every inning but the 3rd, 6th and 8th. The offense had a pretty good day, but never got more than 2 runs in an inning. LF Adam Dunn hit his first Nationals Park home run, a monster shot to center in the seventh. 3B Ryan Zimmerman did the same in the ninth; they both hit two run homers. SS Cristian Guzman had five hits, but hurt his hamstring on the last one in the ninth. RF Elijah Dukes homered in the 5th.
Starter Daniel Cabrera, destined to be nicknamed D.C. Cab, was victimized by poor fielding. Anderson Hernandez had a dreadful game at second base, his first of the young season after being on the DL. He had two costly errors that led to runs. Cabrera gave up four runs, but only one was earned, over five innings and 24 batters faced. He kept the Nats in it though, they were tied with the Phillies after the fifth inning. It all came part in the seventh though when RHP Saul Rivera hit the first two batters and then was left in to face Ryan Howard for reasons unknown. Howard hit one into the seats and the Phillies led 7-4, a lead that they would hold onto and extend. We would all like to know why one of the lefties available in the bullpen was not brought in.
In short, the Nats were undone by sloppiness in the field and on the mound. They had a real chance to win this game and they blew it. That being said, I was thoroughly entertained.
Other notes
We took Metro from Pentagon City to the game without incident.
As we arrived, there was an ambulance coming down Half Street, needing someone to move the fence. We would later find out, via a text message from a friend of Fritz's in Harrisburg, that it was likely for Harry Kalas, the voice of the Phillies who collapsed and later died at GWU Hospital. I will have more on Kalas later today.
The statues of Walter Johnson, Josh Gibson and Frank Howard are fine, even with the "motion" effects. That being said, if there were standard statues, that would have been okay too.
My tickets were not sent to me even though I paid $11.50 in processing costs. I had to wait in line for 15 minutes to get some printed. I'm not happy with tickets.com and discourage you from using their service. I'll just use the box office from now on. I thought this might be a tough ticket, but I was wrong.
Five veterans threw out the ceremonial first pitch, since the president was not interested.
The moment of silence for Silver Spring native and Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart was the longest moment of silence I have ever witnessed.
Ben's Chili Bowl half-smokes are now sold in their own carts. The one around section 415 is criminally slow. I missed much of the pregame ceremonies waiting for the two idiots who work there to get the job done.
A moment of silence after the National Anthem, sung by Patti Austin, was observed for Harry Kalas.
"Sweet Caroline" was not played all day long!
We got to hear Chuck Brown three times because the Nats hit three homers.
Clint seemed less annoying.
I think Tom won the Presidents Race. A "cat" jumped out of the stands and tackled someone.
There are three pennants for 1924, 1925 and 1933 flying above the scoreboard. Last year, there was just a 1924 pennant flying. It is a nice touch.
I do not think the pitch speed was ever on the scoreboard.
Nats beat writer Chico Harlan is a tiny little dude.
What I saw of the pregame "pump up" video looked pretty good.
I missed the first pitch because a middle aged woman was standing up. Apparently it was her birthday and other people did not matter.
I am glad the Nats did not cancel the game after Kalas died. The Phillies were surely playing with heavy hearts, but they played well and won.
The fifth inning featured strong outfield play by Lastings Milledge and Dukes. Both made some big catches to keep the inning scoreless. Milledge even got decent jumps on the balls.
The Phillies fans were fine, they have never been a problem. I still don't want the team president hawking tickets in other cities.
During the seventh inning, Austin said we weren't going to sing "God Bless America" Kate Smith style. Hey someone gets it!
The attendance of 40,386 was a new Nationals Park record.
I elected to avoid the long Navy Yard Metro lines and went all the way to Federal Center SW. The ride back to Pentagon City was easy from there, even the L'nfant transfer.
I also noticed that about pitching speed on the scoreboard, but saw that it was only flashed for a second after each pitch, so you had to be watching the scoreboard closely.
You know, I hadn't even noticed that about Sweet Caroline not being played yesterday! Thank God they didn't play that overrated song!!!
# posted by Fritz :
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 8:29:00 AM
You guys are 4 games behind the Pirates in the Wild card race......time to get it moving!
# posted by TMBC :
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 9:03:00 AM
Post a CommentThe first hockey night in Washington of 2009 - William World News
Sunday, January 04, 2009
The first hockey night in Washington of 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- We finally made it out to our first hockey game of the season last night had a great time watching our nation's Capitals beat the New York Rangers. The Rags scored first, but Mike Green responded soon after with his ninth goal of the season. Alexander Semin got the assist on a bang-bang play. Alex Ovechkin won the game on a short-handed goal in the wanning seconds of the second period.
Some observations from the game:
Lots of red in the sold out crowd. There were a few Rags fans by us, but they were only noticable due to their vicinity. They also lacked the obnoxiousness of a Pittsburgh, Philly or Buffalo fan. The fans owe praise for their eighth sellout of the season and making the Verizon Center the toughest arena for visiting teams. Seriously, the Caps are 17-1-1 at home this year.
I don't get why people get down on Ovi for his English-speaking ability. After getting a shot stopped, he could be seen on the big screen as a saying "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot."
Semin got in a fight and was given a game misconduct, apparently for fighting like a 13-year old girl. Still, he fought with more honor than the most important hockey player of all time. See On Frozen Blogformore.
Speaking of OFB, we saw 75% of them before the game and the other 25%'s husband filled in for my dad who was a late scratch. Get well Pop! Thanks for driving and buying Chanuck.
The ice was um, not great, but both teams have to play on it, so it is certainly fair, though foolish. I was warm in the 400 level.
We thought about getting Will a 6-9 months onesie, but decided it might become too small too quickly. We may have it order one online.
The Hockey Song is no longer featured during Capitals games. I am disappointed by this though others don't seem to be.
The Ice Girls are barely featured.
Those nachos are so damn salty. Won't bother again.
I have really grown to love the red Caps sweaters. I'll get one evetually, but I stuck with the classic white one last night.
Hallelujah, the Hockey Song is gone! (Sorry, WFY, but I think you're right... more will share my sentiment than yours.)
Eating at the Phone Booth is hopeless. La Tasca across 7th Street is my choice.
Hope your Pop is feeling better.
# posted by Hendo :
Sunday, January 04, 2009 12:37:00 PM
Thanks again for the invite. Great fun.
# posted by chanuck :
Sunday, January 04, 2009 4:25:00 PM
Like Hendo, I am glad that there's no Hockey Song.
The other 25% would have liked to have been there, but a certain Chanuck had been whining all day about how he wasn't going to the game...so I figured it was only fair to let him go. Thanks for asking him!
Final Nats day game of the season - William World News
Monday, September 22, 2008
Final Nats day game of the season
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- For the fourth and final time of the 2008 season, I took in a game at Nationals Park yesterday. In this battle between the two worst teams in the National League, the home team proved it stood alone at the bottom. Nevertheless, despite another loss (6-2) at the hands of the San Diego Padres, I had a great time in my first visit since my son was born.
I rode my bike from Pentagon City to Nationals Park and used the bike valet. This worked out pretty well, although perhaps I will have only one half-smoke when cycling home next time. I love the ride along Maine Ave. and M Street SW past the waterfront.
I used one of those "pay $40 and get a bunch of coupons for Nationals Park" from a co-worker of mine. We wound up getting two $33 seats in section 229 for the price of one. Not a bad deal. The box office employee was very thorough in finding Fritz and me our seats. It took a while as upper deck seats were apparently sold out, though many fans most have chosen to show up dressed as empty seats.
The national anthem singer, Tynisha Keli, missed a verse. That is okay because it meant we got to hear less of hear terrible singing. She also botched "God Bless America" during the 7th inning stretch.
Odalis Perez got behind early and then struck out 11 batters. The offense did not help him a bit.
Nor did the defense.
The Racing Presidents rode Segways. Teddy got stuck in the right field corner. Tom won.
Ryan Zimmerman hit a home run while I was in line for the aforementioned half-smoke. He also drove in the only other run.
We had a good group around us of season ticketholders, tourists and locals.
Fritz left early. For once, he did not miss anything.
The Pirates are offended that you referred to the 2 worst teams in the National League and didn't include them. They are working darn hard to get there!
# posted by The Maryland Bureau Chief :
Monday, September 22, 2008 6:58:00 PM
I'm sorry I wasn't there to see the Segway gag. In Teddy's defense, those things can be tricky at first.
# posted by dl004d :
Tuesday, September 23, 2008 9:53:00 AM
Post a CommentA bloodbath at Nationals Park - William World News
Sunday, May 11, 2008
A bloodbath at Nationals Park
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- There is something about playing the Marlins that is anything but inspiring. I have been to handful of Nats vs. Marlins games I don't think any of them have been either interesting or victorious for the home team. Last night continued that trend. Something about that team with ugly uniforms just brings out the worse in the Nats. Last night, they played like a team that deserves all of the jokes that lazy sportswriters from other towns make about them.
The first pitch of the game was hit into the left field stands by someone an .180 hitter Cody Ross. It was just the start of an evening of dreadful pitching by Mike O'Connor, making his first start since late 2006. Past balls/wild pitches, walks and no command of his pitching led to him given the hook on a 2-0 count. In all of my life I have only seen a pitcher replaced for anything other than injury in the middle at bat once before and that too was a Nats vs. Marlins game in 2005. O'Connor joins John Halama on that shameful list. To a degree you have to feel sorry for O'Connor -- he just doesn't have major league stuff and the fact that he has had any success at all is kind of shocking. You want to root for him, especially since he went to George Washington University, but he just isn't good. He gave up nine earned runs over 3 1/3 innings.
After O'Connor was replaced, with the bases loaded, Joel Hanrahan came in and threw a wild pitch, allowing another run to score. O'Connor had done the same in the previous inning. Hanrahan finished up O'Connor's walk and then gave up a grand slam (which was thrown back!) to Dan Uggla. After that, Hanrahan settled down and retired the next eight batters.
The Nats offense provided all of five baserunners the whole night. Their best chance to score came in the ninth inning with Willie Harris on first on a "throwing" error that was more like a tossing era between the first baseman and the pitcher covering. Aaron Boone, ripped a drive to deep left that was caught at the wall on the run. It looked long enough, but just couldn't get the extra five feet to set off "Bustin' Loose." Lastings Milledge grounded into a double play, ending the bloodbath 2 hours and 55 minutes after it started.
I drove to a game for the first time. I ordered my parking ticket online and regretted doing so as soon as I got the lot which was nearly empty. Plenty of parking is available if you don't mind paying for it and walking a bit. I only did it because of the likely Metro delays and look forward to taking Metro to my next game. Much easier, cheaper and closer.
I will also never buy tickets online again, the 1st base ticket window had no line.
M Street SE is unrecognizable compared to what it used to be.
Sometime, when I have some time, I'm looking forward to walking the Dept. of Transportation history path.
The Singstar competition was hysterical. This stupid bit between innings features two karoke singers battling it out for victory based on fan applause. The choice of songs -- "Lovefool" by the Cardigans, a great tune, but not meant to be sung by anyone by the Cardigans. The first singer inadvertently turned off her microphone which received a loud round of applause. The second one, a twenty-something guy butchered it as expected and was booed. The woman, who didn't have her mic on, was the easy winner.
The African Queen, wife of Screech's Best Friend of Nats320 was the fan of the game.
Chico Harlan wrote his first gamer for the The Post last night, link below.
The Nats wore their red "Sunday" uniforms which better at night during the day, but after last night's loss I would not be heartbroken if they are mothballed.
I have now seen a win and a loss at Nationals Park - William World News
Sunday, April 13, 2008
I have now seen a win and a loss at Nationals Park
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- My dad treated several of us to the Nats vs. Braves game. It was his first visit to Nationals Park. Though the game was delayed for an hour by a rain delay we still had a good time. The poor performance of the home nine in all areas of the game did not diminish our good time either, nor did the precocious kid from Richmond who was rooting for the Braves -- I gave as good as I got. My father said, "I need to go to more ballgames with you."
A few other things:
I still haven't heard "Bustin' Loose" at Nationals Park yet. :(
Sweet Caroline was not played!
"Heart" would have been quite appropriate.
I had two half-smokes, all the way. SOOOOOOOO good. The lines still need more efficiency though.
Once again, Metro worked well.
John Lannan had a rough outing, but he also had some defensive mistakes behind him.
Jason Bergmann failed to cover home plate -- my dad wondered if Bergmann knew he had to field too. The young thrower was sent down to Columbus for re-education.
Pitching coach Randy St. Claire has his hands full.
The clock was way off.
Replays are on the HD screen now.
Can't anybody play this here game?!
I love the new ballpark and in about two years, when the neighborhood grows around it, I think more people will too.
I was happy to see replays on the scoreboard, but... they never show replays on anything useful. Their effort to avoid "controversy" makes the whole o9peration useless. We want to see the close plays! (And the errors, like yesterday's fielding attempt by Kearns.) Sometimes I feel like that replay system is run by Communist China.
# posted by dl004d :
Sunday, April 13, 2008 2:03:00 PM
Or the Big11Ten.
# posted by WFY :
Sunday, April 13, 2008 5:23:00 PM
Metro was very crowded on the way in, but efficient.
I like the walk down Half Street with the balloons and all the bunting. Everything looks good on Opening Day/Night.
Security lines were not bad when we went through.
I walked around the stadium taking photographs, which I will upload tonight. Some seats have Capitol dome views, while others don't. It is very unfortunate that the neighboring high-rise got approved not long before the ballpark site was selected.
I respect that the President throws off the mound, unlike most politicians. I did not cheer or boo, though both were done by many.
Why did P Matt Chico think he was the tallest major leaguer ever during introductions?
Where was Charlie Brotman? Is he "retired" from any ceremonial duties?
P Odalis Perez was solid, if unspectacular. He did his job -- keep that Nats in it long enough to get to the bullpen.
The first inning was great, 2 runs and forcing Tim Hudson to throw something like 35 pitches. Little did we know that there would not be any Nationals hits for the next 23 batters. Any Nats batter that faced four pitches felt like a miracle after the first inning.
SS Cristian Guzman got the first hit and the first run; good for him. He made an error later though.
I had forgotten how painful it is watching 1B Nick Johnson run the bases.
Johnson's defense was quite welcome though, I mentioned to Fritz that "Dmitri Young doesn't make that play."
We were sitting in 203, the mezzanine along the third base line -- we liked our seats.
A co-worker, who has never been to a Nats game, asked "did Teddy win?" No, of course not.
The scoreboard is pretty, but not having replays was disappointing.
For the third time in four openers, the visitors wore alternate jerseys. UniWatch didn't like that at all. Neither did I.
RF Austin Kearns make a great play off the wall early, hitting the cutoff man who flipped to second for an out. His defense is an asset, and hopefully his offense will be too. His introduction music isn't.
CF Lastings Milledge usually gets a bad jump on the ball.
The curly W clock next to the scoreboard is hard to read.
While a lot of people leaving early made it easy for me to get out, they missed a good and fairly quick ballgame.
I am going to strongly insist Ryan Zimmerman be called Mr. Walkoff. You should too.
With RFK dimensions, it would have been a 2-0 game.
"Sweet Caroline" was played in the middle of the eighth inning. Sigh. No "Bustin' Loose" after Mr. Walkoff's homer.
I had a hot dog and a half-smoke (with chili, onions, mustard) from the nearby stand. Thumbs up on all accounts. Had to settle for Bud Lite though.
I like the park, but I don't know that I can decide if I love it until I see a day game.
The ride back was pretty good, we got the first train out of Navy Yard and switched a L'Enfant with about an eight-minute wait.
No replays? What a waste of a great scoreboard! For those watching at home, President Bush stopped by the announcing booth for an inning and a half. They joked about his “high heat” from the mound and whether it would have been a strike on the K-Zone. They also talked about the Mitchell Report, which Bush called cleansing and necessary.
# posted by dl004d :
Monday, March 31, 2008 1:55:00 PM
Apparently, the lack of replays is a bug they need to work out.
# posted by WFY :
Monday, March 31, 2008 2:35:00 PM
Post a CommentRyan Zimmerman is Mr. Walkoff - William World News
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Ryan Zimmerman is Mr. Walkoff
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Ryan Zimmerman sent a telegram to the baseball world this evening: "I am Mr. Walkoff." The fourth-year third baseman did with a ninth inning solo home run into the left field seats. His homer won the first game at Nationals Park for the home team. This may be even better than his Father's Day 2006 home run to beat the Yankees or July 4, 2006 homer to beat Florida.
I think they cheated us out of hearing "Bustin' Loose" though.
I will have more to say tomorrow, though possibly not until lunch. I'm tired and hoarse from yelling "Mr. Walkoff."
UPDATE 6:27 p.a. Monday morning Video of the homer, courtesy of Awful Announcing.
Another La Coupe Hauxer battle - William World News
Monday, January 14, 2008
Another La Coupe Hauxer battle
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Yesterday was my second trip to the Verizon Center for a Capitals game this season. Since it was the Flyers in town, Wiley and Ashley joined us for another epic La Coupe Hauxer battle. Unfortunately, the Capitals fell to Philly, 6-4. Nevertheless, I'll call it a success since it got Wiley down here.
For the first time I have seen, the Gallery Place Metro stop wasn't able to handle Verizon Center traffic. The first escalator got backed up to the point of being dangerous. We tried to find the stop button but were unsuccessful. In the crush, Erica lost the entire heel of her brand new shoe.
Will Call was a zoo, thankfully there were not many people ordering tickets from the end of the alphabet. Also, let me recommend to people that they bring as few people into the will call lines as possible, it'll make the experience more bearable.
We sat in 409, behind the the Caps "shoot twice" goal.
Johnny Cash was played during pregame, oddly enough. I prefer that to typical hockey music.
Early scoring by the Capitals provided a short-lived lead and brief gloating.
The Flyers chased Olie Kolzig pretty early.
The Caps came back to get within one, but pulled the goalie with about 53 seconds left -- too soon I thought. Philly got an empty-netter which sealed the Capitals' fate.
The Flyers goals were followed by some excellent clips (Clark Griswald punching Marty Moose, John Belushi smashing a guitar) on the big screen, but we saw too many of them. I had not seen that previously.
Pretty lively crowd. Flyers fans were well-represented, but easily drowned out by the Caps faithful.
The next time Wiley and co. come to a game without some sort of crippling injury will be the first. He hurt his back and needed a cane to get around. This doesn't bode well for skiing this coming Saturday.
Alex Ovechkin had a goal and an assist.
We got the package with a hot dog, bag of chips and soda with our tickets. We also got more Caps caps.
There were Chanuck and Caps Nut sightings at the arena.
Erica found her heel on the way out.
Looks like winning La Coupe Hauxer will have to wait for another year.
Caps lose, but, at least there was more scoring than MNF - William World News
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Caps lose, but, at least there was more scoring than MNF
Speedy Sabres Curtail Caps' Modest Streak - The Post WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Last night was my first Capitals game of the 2007-2008 season and my first visit to the Verizon Center since the new HD screen was added - it is as good as advertised. It was also the first time I had seen the new uniforms in person and they are great. The Capitals look like the Capitals again.
Having won two exciting games in a row on consecutive days prior to taking yesterday off, I was figuring that our Nation's Capitals might not be firing on all cylinders. I was right, outside of winning most of the faceoffs (61% it turns out) they didn't do too much right. Passing was sloppy, shots were not powerful enough and at times they couldn't get out of their own way. Alex Semin, who has been out of the lineup with a sprained ankle, wasn't playing too well and probably needs to sit more. Michael Nylander didn't play well either. While Washington was technically successful on penalty kills, two of Buffalo's three goals came right after the Sabers powerplay ended. Alex Ovechkin scored the Caps only goal off of his own rebound. It was pretty sweet.
Since my group had a block of tickets, we all got vouchers for free Caps caps bringing the total of my ticket and hat to $21, a good deal. I think most people in the group had never been to a Capitals game before and they seemed to enjoy it.
Lastly, I think that was the best Mites on Ice game I'd ever seen, with Red scoring off the faceoff on a breakaway and White getting off a lot of shots.
There may not have been much scoring, but I had the best seats for aan NFL game in my life--14 rows behind the Steelers bench! Throw in a Primanti's sandwich and a night out with the guys, and its all good (even if the game isn't!)
# posted by TMBC :
Tuesday, November 27, 2007 8:18:00 PM
Just how bad was the field?
# posted by WFY :
Tuesday, November 27, 2007 8:37:00 PM
The field was embarrasing. The grounds crew did their best, but had no chance. There was a point in the 3rd quarter where Miami punted the ball and when it landed, it "stuck" in the mud and DID NOT MOVE! (Sort of like a golf shot). When the Steelers tried a field goal early in the 4th quarter, the ground actually moved (more like mud) when the ball was put "in the ground" by the holder. Just icky.
The major problem, in my view, is that the new "sod" was just rolled on top of the old sod the day before the game. This was a terrible decision by Steelers management. I realize they didn't have time to pull up the old sod, but by doing so, there was no drainage for the field.
To make it even worse the tarp covering the field was "stiched" together in 5 pieces, so water seeped through and there were huge puddles on the field 2 hours before the game even started!
# posted by TMBC :
Wednesday, November 28, 2007 12:58:00 PMPost a Comment
It is finally hockey night in Washington for us - William World News
Monday, November 26, 2007
It is finally hockey night in Washington for us
At long last, Erica and I are finally headed out to Verizon Center for tonights Capitals vs. Buffaslugs game. My office has a block of tickets in 407. Stop by or call/text me if you're there.
It would seem my timing is pretty good - our Nation's Capitals have won the last two after hiring Slapshot alum Bruce Boudreau (On Frozen Blog). Hopefully, they can keep it going for at least another night.
I expected a different final score than this one and had Temple not self destructed deep in Penn State territory three times, including on their first two possessions, it would have been a very different game.
Temple marched up and down the field on its first two possessions, picking the Nittany Lions apart and finding themselves in excellent position to score. The first time they shanked field goal from about 20 yards out. The second time, they dropped a pass in the endzone on a fake field goal right in front of our seats. The receiver had his back to us, so we though Temple scored. Temple also fumbled on a reverse. They just made so many crazy mistakes.
Anthony Morelli was pretty effective throwing the ball, especially into the corner of the endzone. Three TDs on teh same right corner fade pattern; two to Jordan Norwood, one to Deon Butler.
The bad Morelli news was his fumble at the Temple 1 and a simply horrible interception in the second half. Did he know we were wearing white?
Rodney Kinlaw had a great game, rushing for 168 yards to exceed 1,000 for the season. Who knew?
The defense allowed a few long drives, but held Temple to 4 net yards on the ground and no points of course. That being said, it was still a sloppy outing for them. They may not beat Michigan State if they play that way.
Dan Connor had some great take down tackles.
Sean Lee missed another interception. I think he has hooves instead of hands.
I was disappointed when Penn State only rushed nine with Temple punting out of their own end zone.
Derrick Williams had over 100 yards receiving. He has been playing better of late.
Penn State fans easily outnumbered Temple fans. It wasn't even close. Total attendace: 69,029, a new record for a MAC team at home.
The video board briefly showed a bundled-up Bill Cosby, a Temple grad. RUN THE T-BONE!
Joe Paterno owns Temple -- 24-0.
Good to see the Blue Band march during half time. They performed most of the pregame other than Rock N' Roll.
Temple should be decent next year, perhaps even a winning team. They have improved a lot over last year although it wasn't reflected in the score.
Back-up quarterbacks Daryl Clark and Pat Devlin alternated on every play late in the game. Translation: open competition for next year's starting job.
I'll have more to say about trip throughout the week.
I'm sorry we missed you this weekend! I didn't see the comment until after the game :(
We had a good tailgate - albeit short. We didn't tailgate after the game but we were home around 4 pm - which was the oddest thing.
Oh, and I saw 2 missed interceptions by Lee - that poor kid.
# posted by PSUgirl :
Monday, November 12, 2007 9:28:00 AM
I am not sure about your Clark/Devlin open competition. Devlin is from near Philadelphia. So, Joe played him. Joe also insisted that Pinchek be in the game at the end (#39) because he is also from around Philly.
# posted by Anonymous :
Monday, November 12, 2007 10:01:00 AM
Post a CommentYou know it is a tough night when 51 saves are not enough - William World News
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
You know it is a tough night when 51 saves are not enough
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- We hadn't seen the Penn State hockey club, generally known as the Icers, in about five years, so when we found out they were going to be nearby, we made sure to see them. Last weekend, they played a Friday and Saturday series with Navy, winning both games. We caught the Saturday night match-up at McMullen Arena. [flickr set: Icers: Penn State at Navy]
Penn State got off to a strong start, scoring the first goal early. Surprisingly, Navy responded soon after, but the tie didn't last long. Penn State netted another goal and went into the break up 2-1. Most telling was the Icers 17 shots to the Middies six.
The second period would be more of the same as the faster Icers dominated with speed and precision passing. In the third period, the Icers scored their final two goals while shorthanded. In total they had 57 shots on the night, while Navy had a respectable 30.
The Icers are ranked #3 in ACHA Division I. By the way, in May I spoke with someone close to the program and asked about getting a new hockey arena built which would be necessary for the Icers to move up to varsity, Big11Ten/NCAA competition. He or she said there is a lead gift for construction, but the university is holding off on big new construction projects for a while. Someday...
<h1><i>WWN</i> PENN STATE POSTGAME #6</h1> - William World News
Monday, October 08, 2007
WWN PENN STATE POSTGAME #6
VS.
Penn State Nittany Lions 27 Iowa Hawkeyes 7
Saturday's win wasn't redemption, but we got to celebrate with bourbon, so hooray!
Another typical slow start by the offense. QB Anthony Morelli was booed early and often. He earned it with throws that were too soft, too short, and too quick. He also took his usual sacks.
Thankfully and a bit surprisingly, Morelli calmed down and put together two quarters of solid quarterbacking. Run Up the Score! has the drive chart of the second quarter TD:
Morelli, A. pass complete to Williams, Derrick for 13 yards Morelli, A. pass complete to Norwood, Jordan for 7 yards Morelli, A. pass complete to Golden, Terrell for 4 yards Morelli, A. pass complete to Butler, Deon for 37 yards Morelli, A. pass incomplete to Bell, Chris. Morelli, A. rush for loss of 3 yards Morelli, A. pass complete to Quarless, A. for 13 yards Morelli, A. pass complete to Williams, Derrick for 24 yards TOUCHDOWN
That was probably the best drive we've seen from him all year, maybe ever. He just picked Iowa apart and won the game right there. After that drive, Iowa couldn't load up on the line anymore, allowing Penn State to run at will on the ground. The Bell incompletion was a drop of Jackie Smith proportions. No, it was worse than that, aside from the fact it wasn't late in a critical game. How Bell dropped the pass is beyond me. Maybe this is why we never see him.
It was great to finally see RB Evan Royster finally get some quality carries. He got a lot out of them, completely dominating the Hawkeyes before leaving with a thigh bruise.
RB Rodney Kinlaw also ran at will. He led the stats, but Royster was the difference maker.
The defense did the job against an awful offense. I was really disappointed that they let Iowa score late and did so in a prevent defense.
CB Justin King may be playing himself out of declaring for the draft early which is a good thing if he doesn't cost the Nittany Lions a game by giving up a TD or something.
RB Austin Scott appears to be done. There are some reports that he is involved with something that could taint him for a long time whether he did it or not or is even charged. He shouldn't have been seeing the field anymore anyway though with his fumbling problems. He is the biggest bust that I can recall and exhibit A of why I don't follow recruiting. It is a shame it worked out this way, but we had the joy of watching Tony Hunt the previous two years.
I would have liked to have seen more of Daryl Clark late in the game. I'm convinced he could have thrown fewer interceptions than Morelli.
The halftime show was pretty good.
The All-U day festivities were about as well organized as normal. Was it just me or did Hazleton get the least amount of applause?
We had a good turnout for the tailgate and everyone remembered to bring a date.
Penn State Sub Shop wings are surprisingly good.
Wiley went 2 for 4 on field goals after I went 1 for 5. He is well on his way to winning it all again. We barely got them kicked before cars showed up.
Iowa has better Steelers uniforms than the Steelers.
This was the first time Penn State has beaten Iowa since 1999 and the first time I have seen a victory over the Hawkeyes at home. I am still bitter about the 1996 game.
Singing "Livin' on Prayer" in the student section is still stupid and nonsensical. At least we were spared "Don't Stop barfing Believing"
No, there wasn't a pregame for this game. I'll do better this week.
After three seasons of Nationals baseball, Erica and spent yesterday at RFK Stadium for the last game. While I have enjoyed going there for the last three baseball seasons, I don't get sentimental about this being the final game. I'm just glad a team finally started playing in it after so many years.
Some highlights and observations:
Thanks to MissChatter for organizing another tailgate. It was good to see and other faces from the Natmosphere. I'm sure we'll resume tailgating there year when the parking plan is to bus people from Lot 8.
We passed the ladies from We've Got Heart in the parking lot and told them I love their blog.
We made it inside the stadium in time for player introductions. It was great to see so many Washington Senators out there, though I thought they should have been wearing Senators jerseys, not Nats jerseys. Speaking of jerseys, they really need to do away with red jerseys for day games, especially special days like yetserday. At least they have gone with whites on Opening Day.
Bunting always makes a stadium look better.
I'm glad that Phil Hochberg was included in pre-game p.a. duties with Charlie Brotman.
The atmosphere during the game was the best in a long, long time. It is a shame it didn't sell out though.
I liked the videos of RFK history, but there should have been more.
The ATM line wasn't too bad, nor was the food line. The Pepsi didn't taste right though.
I loved the SHORT STILL STINKS banners. Had Thomas Boswell actually shown up, he might have been overcome. At the very least, Dan Steinberg should have been on that beat yesterday. RFK closes once (or thrice!) ever, while the Redskins play eight times a season.
The post-game remarks during the jersey ceremony and home plate digging-up were awkward.
Thanks to Liz and Frank for giving us a ride back to Virginia.
I'll try and compile a list of "greatest RFK moments" this evening. I've run out of lunch time to write more. That sounds like more fun than writing about the Nittany Lions now too.
It was nice to see you yesterday. Thanks so much for the compliment. We were a little overwhelmed with all of the people and didn't return your kind words. We are big fans of your blog also. Hope you guys enjoyed the final game, we sure did!!
# posted by Steph2853 :
Monday, September 24, 2007 3:23:00 PM
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Three seasons of Nationals baseball at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium came to an end yesterday in an exciting 5-3 victory before a lively season high crowd of over 40,000. The pagentry was high, but so was the excitement on the field. Austin Kearns knocked in the first Nats run in the first inning. Starter Joel Hanrahan made it to the fifth before giving up the tying run. Six more Nationals pitchers appeared in the game with Luis Ayala getting the final win in stadium history.
The Nats lineup took back the lead in the fifth with D'Angelo Jimenez reaching third on a double and an error. Kearns knocked Jimenez in to tie the game. After Antonio Alfonseca, who leads the league in fingers, walked Tony Batista, Geoff Geary came in to face C Jesus Flores, plucking him on the arm to force in a run. Ryan Church killed the rally with a 6-4-3 double play.
In the eighth, the Nats added two runs on RBI by Robert Fick and Brian Schneider who pinch hit. Ryan Zimmerman scored on Fick's single, having singled himself in his final RFK at bat. The runs provided a cushion for Chad Cordero's ninth inning. As is tradition, Cordero allowed several baserunners and a run, but closed the deal to save the win, his 36th this season and 61st at RFK, for one last BANG ZOOM and curly w at 2400 East Capital Street.
Teddy made an appearance in today's Reliable Source (The Post). He went to the wrong ballpark for the President's Race. So much for the "Teddy winning at the last game" theory.
This afternoon, my father Bill treated Erica and me to see his alma mater play in the nation's capital for the first time ever. Yale defeated Georgetown to go 1-0 on the season. The Hoyas fell to 0-3. Recap from yalebulldogs.com | Flickr set
Yale started off well with two touchdown drives in the first quarter with the wind at their back. The offense was led by Mike McLeod, a running back who compensates for a lack of speed with excellent vision. He found holes and made the right cut with incredible accuracy. He would score all four Bulldogs touchdowns and finish with 157 yards.
Georgetown scored in the second quarter with the wind behind them and were driving for a score at the end of the half. Georgetown had the ball inside the five with under ten seconds to go. Offsetting penalties brough the clock down to six. On the next play, Georgetown threw an incompletion and the officials sounded the final gun. The Hoyas head coach was furious that the clock had not stopped sooner and the half was over. Judging by the scoreboard clock, I think the Hoyas had good reason to be upset.
The second half opened with Yale threatening, but not scoring. Georgetown again drove deep into Yale territory, but turned the ball over on downs after being stopped inside the 1 yard line.
Yale went up 21-7 before yielding another Georgetown touchdown. Mcleod would score for the fourth and final time to put Yale up for good at 28-14, but Georgetown stormed back with less than 2 minutes to play. An interception deep into Yale territory put the game away.
We had a good time seeing the Elis play the Hoyas. It was the second time I had been on the campus to see a sporting event; the first being the Lady Lions triumph in December 2006...Multi-Sport Field is a half finished venue with bigger bleachers on the visiting side than the home side...Yale had more fans in to the crowd than Georgetown...We sat near the family of WR Chris Denny-Brian and the Abare twins, Larry and Bobby...Sophomore TE John Sheffield was dominant with 8 catches for 115 yards...Hoya QB Matt Bassuener is probably as blue as his Georgetown jersey after all the hits he took yesterday...yesterday's game occurred exactly six years after a Yale at Towson game we had tickets to was cancelled due to the 9/11 attacks...Yale won for the first time in front of me since 1993. The last time I saw them play, in 2001, they lost The Game...Yale's overall record in games I have been at rises to 2-4. They Elis lost to William & Mary (in Norfolk's Oyster Bowl) in 1983, lost to Navy in Annapolis in the mid 80s, lost to Harvard for the Ivy League title at The Bowl in 1987 (so cold), beat Harvard in 1993 at the Bowl, lost to Harvard 2001 at The Bowl...Yale begins its Ivy League title defense next weekend against Cornell at The Bowl.
<h1>2007 WWN PENN STATE POSTGAME #1</h1> - William World News
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
2007 WWN PENN STATE POSTGAME #1
VS.
#17/18 Penn State Nittany Lions 59 Florida International Golden Panthers 0
Despite the lopsided score, Penn State didn't as well on offense as I had hoped. They couldn't get the running game started in first half and Anthony Morelli missed some receivers. The upside -- strong play in the red zone.
On the second play of the game, Penn State ran a Derrick Williams reverse, something I had hoped they would avoid. He was stuffed by FIU, so hopefully the play will be removed. It hasn't worked in Big11Ten play since the 2005 Ohio State game, so there is no point in using it against noncons either.
Sean Lee and Dan Connor are so good, assistant coach Ron Vanderlinden has really done a wonderful job building Linebacker U. up again. Lee was player of the week.
The defensive line was better than expected.
Austin Scott didn't look good running the ball, despite 2 TDs. Both Rodney Kinlaw and Evan Royster were more impressive, though they did play later in the game when FIU was tired.
Mickey Shuler had a successful debut, catching four passes. His first reception went for a touchdown.
I'm glad the Blue Band stopped playing Livin' on a Prayer. I was worried it was going to become a tradition.
The field looked great, but I still prefer the athletic script endzone design that was replaced by the block style.
FIU has pretty good looking uniforms. The "UCLA" stripes actually wrap around and the use of traditional numbers was unexpected from an upstart (well, not yet) Florida School. Two things that I didn't like though -- not a lot of gold for a team called the "Golden Panthers" and the "2" style was different on the sleeves than on the front and back. Yes, I mentioned it to UniWatch.
FIU coach Mario Cristobal wore a neck tie. I wonder how many opposition coaches have worn ties because they were playing Penn State. Glenn Mason used to do that when he was at Minnesota.
Jeremy Boone had a good day punting.
Kevin Kelly went 1 for 2 on field goals. Something needs to be done.
I don't think we learned anything about the Nittany Lions this weekend other than it will really suck when we lose to Michigan. Seeing the Wolverines choke on applesauce Appalachian State was wonderful though. Run Up the Score! has a compilation of videos about the upset.
I think Notre Dame getting killed by Georgia Tech makes me more nervous for next week.
I caught the final Capitals game of the season on Saturday with MC Hamme and my co-worker Fred, a Western NY native. Fred was pleased to see the Buffaslugs win 2-0.
The Sabres fans were loud and proud. However, I had a few answers for all the "Let's go Buff-a-lo" chants:
"Go back to Buff-a-lo"
"Where's Thurman's helmet?"
"Music city mir-a-cle!"
"no GOAL no GOAL"
"Wide right, wide right"
"Can't beat Dall-as"
I couldn't come up with a good 1998 one; I'll have to work on that in the offseason.
Generally speaking, most Sabres fans shut up when I threw one of those out there. Some even laughed though there was one guy in a beer line who answered back "we're in the playoffs, what do you got?"
I responded "three Lombardi trophies" and he shut up. Heh.
Other than that guy, I'd say the Buffaslug fanbase is much less annoying/dangerous than the Pengyunz fans. Others disagree though.
The game was pretty exciting, though the Caps kept refusing to shoot the puck in their own end for a while. Once they did, Buffalo's goaltender Ryan Miller was stopping everything. It was that kind of game and year for the Capitals.
My Ovechkin banner disappeared while I was in a concession line. I was hoping to hold onto that to give to my boss a few weeks before my review.
The 'tron teased the return to red, white and blue uniforms throughout the game. That is when they were not giving away prizes to seemingly every row other than ours.
I also made it out to Japers' Rink's post-game happy hour for a few minutes. I've enjoyed "crashing" those functions and will miss them in the offseason. Caps bloggers need to start coming to Nats games. It was great seeing someoftheusualsuspects, as well of Eric McErlain of the venerable Off Wing Opinion and surprise guest, James Mirtle. Yea, namedropping. I wish I could have stayed longer.
By the way, the second season of La Coupe Hauxerended in a tie. If the Devils and Pengyunz don't meet in the playoffs, I'm lobbying for a shootout (street hockey or broomball) decide the winner. Anybody in the D.C./Balmer area have a goal and some street hockey sticks they can lend out for an afternoon?
I have about 4 street hockey sticks, although I don't play much anymore. If I get to use roller blades, I like my chances. Of course, if Muha and I get to double team the Devils rep, its in the bag!
# posted by Maryland Bureau Chief :
Monday, April 09, 2007 9:01:00 PM
It's hockey afternoon in Washington! - William World News
Saturday, April 07, 2007
It's hockey afternoon in Washington!
Today is the last Capitals game of the season. It has been a long, frustrating one, but I'll still be sorry to see it go. I'll also be sorry to miss Japers Rink's Happy Hour at Clydes. That looks like so much fun, but it conflicts with Easter plans. I'll have to settle for reading all about it from Washington Hockey Daily.
Today, I will be in section 407, showing off my old school Caps sweater again. Joining me will be MC Hamme and my co-worker Fred, a Buffaslugs fan. So far, the Buffaslugs, the Prince of Wales trophy winners, own a 2-1 advantage over the Caps this season. They really don't have much to play for while the Caps have pride on the line. A win or shootout loss will give the Capitals a higher point total than last season.
I got back from RFK not too long several hours ago. The Nats season started off about the same as last year -- a big loss on a beautiful day.
I biked to RFK Stadium again. It is about eight miles from Pentagon City. Aside from lots of pedestrian traffic between Capitol Hill and Arlington Memorial Bridge, it is a great ride.
Another good MissChatter sponsored tailgate. It was great seeing so much of the Natmosphere and even a Cap blogger or two.
Dan Steinberg stopped by (with Littles) asked some questions, filmed some bloggers, etc. No artisanal cheese though. I guess he thought it would be rude given my lactose intolerance. That was thoughtful, but why should others miss out? Also, I had some Lactaid with me, so it was cool. Perhaps next time - maybe for BOTB?
Good to see the Nationals wearing traditional home whites for Opening Day. The Marlins, the franchise that introduced teal to baseball, did not abide with traditional away grays. I don't like it when home teams where something other than white for day games and special events. For Opening Day, both teams should skip alternates, etc.
As said on this and other forums, the president should have been there.
The flyover was late, but still cool.
We were seated right behind the fair pole in right field. I couldn't see the mound with moving. The guys next to us were pretty cool. One of brought up Dimitri Young's domestic violence problems. I directed him to Capitol Punishment (a no-show at the tailgate by the way).
I like the new p.a. announcer, but there is still room for improvement with what he is saying. The sound quality was good in that section though.
There were very few beer vendors in our section and no food vendors.
The person seated directly in front of Fritz caught a ball thrown over by an outfielder between innings.
The grill works near 471 was awful. It took me over half an hour to get my dogs. This is season three and they still can't run a basic concession stand. Unbelivable! Stan Kasten is getting an email.
Due to the long line, I missed the Presidents Race, including Teddy on the zipwire directly over my head. D'oh!
One nice thing about playing the Marlins on Opening Day is there are not any opposition fans in the park.
I didn't see why Cristian Guzman was removed from the game.
Fritz carried my camera to and from the game. Thanks Fritz.
Speaking of, I probably won't have photos up until tomorrow evening sometime. I'm not going to work on that stuff when I can be outside in great weather. Hopefully, that opprutunity will present itself.
That Nats have not won an Opening Day (or home opener) I have attended.
At least Ryan Zimmerman had a good game.
The person seated directly in front of Fritz caught a ball thrown over by an outfielder between innings.
The opera singer did a great rendition of "God Bless America."
The Nats cap that was given away today was the highest quality yet.
Touchdown, Washington Capitals! - William World News
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Touchdown, Washington Capitals!
Last night Erica and watched the Capitals take revenge on the Hurricanes in splendid fashion, 7-3 (The Post). I was beginning to wonder if they were ever going to win again. Has Alex Ovechkin been held scoreless yet this year?
Some notes from the evening:
Verizon Center was as full as I have seen it in a long time. Apparently the attendance was over 16,000 and that did not seem an inflated number to me. I cannot remember the last time 7th Street was that crowded for a Caps game either.
The college night promotion seemed to have worked. The team picked a good night to win big.
We were seated in the last row of 413, but the seats were decent. I was kind of surprised they were not Eagles Nest tickets at that location.
Apparently, we just missed seeing Rod Langway and some other old-time Caps in the box just behind us. Perhaps another time.
Hearing Kerkraft 420 is a lot more fun than Rock and Roll Part II.I liked hearing it as much as we did :).
I don't know why some Orioles were introduced on the 'tron. Naturally, they were booed.
Ben Olson of DC United got a much warmer reception.
I don't think I have ever seen the Caps score that much. Still, I was hoping Alexander Semin could have gotten another for the hat trick.
There were about as many Whalers jerseys and Hurricanes jerseys.
One annoyance from the evening was Will Call. They are really uptight about giving the tickets to the person whose name is on the credit card. I had to wait an extra 15 minutes in line to get a "supervisor" to break the rule and give me the tickets I ordered with my wife's credit card. Given the rarity of the Yurasko last name, I think the woman at the window could have taken a shot at letting me have the tickets and saving me the grief.
The variable message sign at Will Call window #10 had customer misspelled.
One big bonus -- the season ticket holder next to us won tickets to an upcoming game. Since he did not need them, he handed them to us. Thanks man!
I knew Temple was bad, but not that bad. It was a bloodbath out there. I don't think I have ever seen a football team play so badly. They were unlucky too.
What did we learn about Penn State yesterday? Nothing.
The downpour started at about 2:15 and did not let up for more than three minutes at a time.
I wonder what Tony Hunt's ypg would have been if his first three carries weren't for losses. Once he got going he was unstoppable. It just wasn't fair.
Anthony Morelli settled down as the game wore on, but he still suffers from too many tipped passes.
It was very weird not having Joe Paterno around.
I never realized how much radio personalities Guy Junker and Pat Boland sound the same.
Bob Flounders accurately predicted the final score (47-0) in the Patriot-News.
When was the last time it rained this much during a Penn State season?
To earlier winners this season, I picked up your stickies yesterday.
It was great seeing some many of the reserves get on the field. One of the reasons that Penn State has not been reloading like they used to is they have stopped blowing out teams like they used to and thus getting the younger players in more frequently. That and the crummy offensive lines.
I think Paterno was going to be released from the hospital yesterday no matter what; it wouldn't be fair to the patients and staff to have him there during a game.
In his Penn State Sports Network interview Paterno seemed tired, but enthasiastic. He appears to be taking being off the sideline better than I would have expected. Of course, it could all be a front.
Penn State's record with my folks around is now 5-2, I think.
Penn State, Nittany Lions, college football, Akron Zips
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VS. 
# posted by
PSUgirl :
Tuesday, September 08, 2009 9:39:00 AM