America’s Pastime

I practically grew up on a baseball diamond.  My dad played when he was a kid so it was only natural for my brothers and I to play as well.  I played my first little league game when I was four, and continued playing all the way through my senior year of high school.  I loved every minute of it.

I no longer play baseball, but I have found something just as good: Rec League softball (I have no idea why they call it softball, the ball is not soft at all.  Just ask this girl).  I used to watch my dad play down in Mamaroneck when I was young, and part of me knew I’d be playing when I got older.  My dad stopped playing softball for a few years, but he started playing again when I was 13.  A friend of his had a softball team here in White Plains, and he talked my dad into playing.  Once again, I started going to the games and watching him play.

After a few years of watching the team and keeping the book (I’m told I keep one of the best score books around) I finally got the chance to play with the team.  I filled in here and there when the team needed an extra guy, and then finally I “earned” a regular spot on the team.  The games are on weeknights, and, like a typical softball team, we go out after, win or lose.

Better on Ice

For my first blog post I thought I was going to write about my first couple days interning for the Binghamton Mets, the AA Eastern League affiliate of the New York Mets.  But since I’m a Phillies fan (and because it was just going to be too hard to put into words how much I had to do) I decided that writing about working for the Mets was not important at this time. 

What is important is the time of the year it is—May.  This means it is time for the NHL and NBA playoffs.  One of these I love and the other I just get annoyed with.

First, for the one that I love.  This is the NHL playoffs.  To me nothing beats the excitement of playoff hockey.  Yes, the NHL does a horrible job of getting itself out there (thanks Gary Bettman) but when you can actually watch a game it puts you on the edge of your couch.  An OT game is even better.  In fact I say it is the most exciting moments in any of the professional sports.  A goal can end it at anytime and anyway.

Anything is Possible

Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
Clarkson University. 000 002 481 - 15 18  5
Cortland State...... 003 502 200 - 12 14  4
-------------------------------------------

That is the linescore from game one of the NCAA Division III Baseball Regionals in Farmingdale, NY.  My friend Josh talked me into going to this game, and we were treated to quite the show.  Cortland State was the top seed in the regional, and Clarkson University was the six seed.

Allow me to first explain why I was there.  Josh and I have been good friends for a few years now.  We played baseball together back in high school.  He was a little better than me, seeing as he’s still playing in college and I, well, don’t.  He just finished his freshman year at Oneonta State, where he led the team in ERA.  The night before the game, we went to our usual hangout, the Candlelight Inn.  I wasn’t expecting him to be back from school so soon, since his team started out the season doing pretty well, and I thought they would be playing postseason ball.  Turns out, they didn’t do so well in their conference, and were knocked out by Cortland State.  Oneonta lost to Cortland 8-7, in game where Josh came in and pitched two perfect innings.  After we got back from Candlelight, Josh asked me if I wanted to go to Long Island with him to watch the regional game.  I had nothing to do, so I agreed.

Blackhawks Game 6 Running Diary

Well the burden of the first real post apparently falls on me.  None of the other guys seemed to want the job.  I was trying to think of what I would do for my first post and decided to jot down some notes while I watched the Blackhawks playoff game with my longtime friend, Blake.  Anyway, here goes:

May 11th, 2009

8:11 pm : We arrived late to Old Chicago, the restaurant we finally decided to watch the game at, so we missed the puck drop.  Unfortunately, the special tonight is $1.00 OFF select beers instead of the beers being $1.00, like we thought.  Too bad.

8:17 pm : Chicago manages to kill their penalty.  I decide on a “Avery Brewing’s Collaboration not Litigation Ale,” whatever that means.  Blake gets a Sam Adam’s Summer Ale.  Both draft of course.

8:19 pm : Havlat gets a huge breakaway but gets stoned cold by Luongo. The bar got excited, only to be disappointed.

8:23 pm : The game has been fairly uneventful thus far, but they’ve played a lot of hockey with few breaks so I’m not complaining.  The beer is definitely a thumbs up but it has too much of a sweet aftertaste.  I don’t know much about different beer glasses, but this glass seems pretty sissy. (It’s the size of my fist for reference.)  I’ll have to ask Gianni about it.

Welcome!

With our first post I want to give you a little background…

It all started with a drunken conversation between me and a friend of mine about his radio show.  We decided that I would join him along with two of our other friends in this venture when the show started back up in the fall.  Amazingly, the next day we both remembered and so Standing Room Only was born.  After a extremely fun and successful year, Zach, Mark, Brian and I (George) have decided to expand our horizons with a blog to accompany our show, mainly to stay in the swing of things during our offseason (as every true sports show should have.)

So sit back relax and read!  Chances are slim you’ll gain any insight and even slimmer you’ll learn something.  In fact, you’ll probably end up stupider if  you hang around too long.  Hopefully we can bring a smile to your face and give you an escape to the best place in the universe, the world of sports.