Royalty Tours USA

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Suns out run Nets, 116-105!

The Nets weren't able to stay with the Suns for 4 quarters.

They hung with them for the first half of the game.

They led 53-50 at halftime.

Once the second half started the Suns put the pedal to the metal.

They played their run and gun style of basketball. They dictated the tempo which left the Nets playing catch up.

After the third quarter, the Suns had a 88-76 advantage.

They maintained it in the fourth quarter as well and they cruised to an easy victory.

Steve Nash, the spectacular playmaker, had 24 points and dished out 14 assists while Jason Richardson added 23 to carry the Suns.

As for the Nets,Rookie Terrance Williams AKA "T-Will" lead them with 21 points. Brook Lopez put in 19.

Cracker Barrel

Cracker Barrel
This is a Royalty favorite usually for breakfast. We've had dinner there on a few occasions as well.

If you like Southern style food you'll love going here like I do.

Cracker Barrel is half restaurant and half country store.

A great way to treat the family and/or friends when you don't feel like cooking and when you're on a road trip.

If you go there on the weekend, be prepared to wait 20-30 minutes maybe longer.

You can look around the store and shop and relive the good old days with the variety of candy, music and books they sell.

Good things in life are worth the wait. Eating is a necessity so why would you deprieve yourself of a great meal because you don't have patience.

I prefer to go there when I have plenty of time so we can enjoy ourselves without having to rush.

As for the food, it's tremendous.

When we have breakfast there, I usually get the Uncle Herschel's Favorite as they call it.

It consists of 2 eggs, hash brown casserole, biscuits & sawmill gravy, grits and I prefer grilled catfish in place of bacon, sausage or ham.

I always order a large glass of grapefruit juice which is freshly squeezed and it tastes outrageous.

In addition, they have great French Toast which comes with eggs and bacon which is excellent and/or sausage or ham.

A co-worker of mine at Fox Stations Sales, Chantal Craib, recently went to Cracker Barrel for the very first time when she was up in Syracuse visiting her friends.

Her and her friends were lucky they didn't have to wait when they went there she said.

She took my advice because she knows I always rave about this place.

She told me she had their pancakes and she loved them. She said and I quote "they were better than IHOP".

Believe it or not, I haven't tasted them yet. I will the next time I go there. I hope that's sooner than later.

They have locations in 41 of the 50 states.

They don't have any in California though for the people we know on the West Coast.

The closest ones to NYC are in New Haven, Connecticut off I-95 exit 40 or in Southern part of New Jersey one is off exit 30 on I-80 and Exit 5 off the NJ Turnpike.

We usually go to different ones when we go to various parts of the country mainly in the Midwest and/or the
South.

For further details, check out their website, http://www.crackerbarrel.com/

Country Market

This is another staple on a Royalty Tour road trip.

Country Market is usually part of a Flying J Truck Stop. http://www.flyingj.com/

This one is located in Milford, PA off I-81 Exit 219.

We almost always stop here to get gas when we head to Western New York.

Assuming we start we a full tank when I rent a car, I stop here to get gas and some refreshments. The gas is always cheaper than getting it somewhere else in NY State.

As for the restaurant, they have a wide variety of food to choose from. In addition, they give you the option of having a meal made to order or you can decide to have a buffet. Either way you wound up with a decent meal that doesn't cost you a fortune.

Next time you go on the road, you should look out for a truck stop place like this.

These days you can surf the web and know before you go.

Needless to say, you can always ask me for advice. I'd be more than happy to provide you with the tips you need to know to make your trip and life better.

Thanks for reading.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Bruins stun Devils in OT, 1-0!

This was a rather boring game until there was 18.3 seconds left in overtime.

Patrice Bergeron wound up scoring the lone goal of the game to give the Bruins a big extra point for winning the match.

It was a huge victory for the Bruins who are currently the 8th and final seed in the Eastern Conference as the season ends in a week and a half.

Marlies outlast Amerks in shootout, 4-3!

The Toronto Marlies came into Rochester Sunday afternoon and spoiled the Americans attempt to clinch a playoff berth.

The natives weren't happy with the result but royalty was thrilled.

Fellow road tripper and good friend Sean MacDonald, who now lives in Tokyo, Japan but he's originally from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada likes rooting for the Toronto teams.

He told us Go Marlies Go!

He has a great website and blog as well.

Feel free to check them out:

www.mlbroadtrip.com/english is his website.

www.sportsroadtrips.com is his blog.

Well the game didn't start well for the Marlies.

They fell behind 2-0 after the first period.

They did get back in the game 5:44 into the second period when Ryan Hamilton found the net to make it 2-1 Americans.

Rochester went back up by 2 goals 11:23 into the period when Jeff Taffe put the biscuit in the basket.

With the 1:49 left in the period, the Marlies came back again to pull within one, 3-2 when Kyle Calder scored.

In the third period, the Marlies finally got the equalizer with 8:57 to go in regulation time when Andre Deveaux tied it up.

It stay that way the rest of regulation and overtime.

This game was decided in a shootout.

Greg Scott of the Marlies scored the lone goal in the shootout giving the Marlies a hard earned victory.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Alice's Kitchen in Tonawanda, NY

While we were in Buffalo over the weekend, we spent some quality time with our road trip buddies, Andrew Kulyk and Peter Farrell.

As always these guys were great hosts.

They joined us for a late breakfast Sunday morning before we made our way to Rochester for an afternoon minor league hockey game.

We were staying at a Days Inn in Tonawanda which is right next to Amherst, where Peter resides these days.

When I asked about a place to have breakfast, Peter suggested this restaurant called Alice's Kitchen.

He told us when his parents who live in the town of Horseheads right outside of Elmira, come to visit they always go here to eat.

With that being said, I told him we'll arrange to meet there for breakfast.

As expected, the Farrell family didn't steer us wrong.

We all enjoyed our meal and each other's company as always. It was another priceless weekend for royalty.
We even had a superior waitress who was very attentive to our needs and wants.

As a whole, the experience here was memorable.

Alice's Kitchen is a nice local place for families to enjoy a meal when they don't want to stay home and cook for themselves.

I look forward to returning sooner than later if and when the opportunity represents itself.

Nets win for the tenth time, 90-84!

It's was college night at the IZOD Center.

The Nets responded with a professional performance.

They hung with the San Antonio Spurs, one of the elite teams in the NBA the past decade.

In the end, the Nets were able to overcome the Spurs, who played without Manu Ginobili who had back spasms.

The Nets reached double figures in victories guaranteeing that the Nets won't be part of history for futility.

Brook Lopez led the way for the Nets with 22 points to go along with 12 rebounds and Courtney Lee had 19 points as well.

George Hill added 19 for the Spurs and former Net Richard Jefferson finished with 16.

This week's game plan

Tonight Spurs at Nets 7:30PM


Tomorrow Bruins at Devils 7PM

Wednesday Suns at Nets 7:30PM

Friday Blackhawks at Devils 7PM

Check back for the recaps.

Have a good week.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Sabres whip Lightning, 7-1!

This game was over fast. The Sabres lit the lamp early and often.

Paul Gaustad of the Sabres got his team on the board 2:24 into the game to make it 1-0.

Vincent Lecavalier of the Lightning added insult to injury when he was called for a 5 minute spearing penalty. In addition, he received an automatic game misconduct as well.

The Sabres proceeded to take full advantage by scoring 2 power play goals. Derek Roy and Jochen Hecht were the benefactors.

They chased goaltender, Antero Niittymaki from the game. He made 3 saves on the Sabres first 6 shots.

In the second period, the Sabres added 3 more answered goals against back up goaltender, Mike Smith.

Derek Roy scored his second goal of the night in the process.

With just 43 seconds left in the period, Steve Downie broke the shutout for the Lightning when he beat Sabres netminder, Patrick Lalime.

In the third period, Derek Roy added his 3rd goal of the night. That gave him the hat trick.

See the picture as his teammates celebrated with him as hats flew on the ice.

It should also be noted that Patrick Lalime got credit with his 200th NHL victory.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Pudgie's Pizza in Elmira, NY

Pizza
Pudgie's Pizza






                                                                              Royalty has added another staple to our adventures to Western New York. http://www.pudgiesnorthside.com/

Thanks once again to Andrew Kulyk and Peter Farrell for this recommendation.

On our way to Buffalo on Saturday we needed to have a quick bite to hold us over for our post game meal with the Buffalo Boys.

So being that we decided to take the route that goes through Elmira, we decided a visit to Pudgie's Pizza would indeed satisfy our taste buds.

Well did it ever, I had a few plain slices as you can tell from the picture.

They were tremendous to say the least.

This is the original location of Pudgie's Pizza, which is located at 526 N Main St.

The First Arena, home of the ECHL Elmira Jackals is within a mile from there.

If you ever get to go to or through Elmira, you should make a stop at Pudgie's and see for yourself.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Nets reach cloud nine with 118-110 win!

It took only 72 games for the Nets to win their 9th game of the season.

They beat the lowly Detroit Pistons.

In the process, they tied the win total of the 1972-1973 Philadelphia 76ers for the dubious distinction of the worse NBA record of all time. That team went 9-73.

More importantly, they won for their second game in a row for the first time season as well.

Brook Lopez lead the Nets with a career high 37 points and Yi Jianlian also had a career high as he poured in 31 of his own.

Now the only question left in the Nets last ten games of the season is will they win at least one more.

Time will tell. Their last game is on April 14th in Miami.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Buffalo and Rochester here we come!

It's time for Royalty to hit the road again this weekend.

This time we're off to Upstate New York.

We've been to and/or passed through Albany, Glens Falls, Plattsburgh, Syracuse, Elmira and Binghamton so far this year.

Now it's time to go to Buffalo and Rochester.

It will be our last hockey roadie for this season.

Saturday, Lightning at Sabres 7PM

Sunday, Toronto Marlies at Rochester Americans 3PM

The real highlight of this latest excursion is when we reunite with the Buffalo Boys aka Andrew Kulyk and Peter Farrell.

They're known as USRT in other words the Ultimate Sports Road Trip.

If you haven't done so already, please feel free to check out their impressive and informative web site and blog.

Here's the link: www.thesportsroadtrip.com

I'll be filing a royalty road report probably early next week with how the journey went.

Thank you for following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Nets crown Kings, 93-79!

It was Jewish Family Night at the IZOD Center.

Omri Casspi, who plays for the Sacramento Kings, was the first Israeli born player to be drafted in the first round of the draft and to play in the NBA.

He saved his best for last when he scored his only points of the game on the King's last possession, he put in a lay up.

As for the game itself, the Nets wound up winning their 8th game of the season in 71 tries.

They also ended their 14 game home losing streak in the process.

The Kings did play without rookie of the year candidate, Tyreke Evans who
leads the Kings in scoring at 20.3 points a game and 5.6 assists as well.

The victorious Nets were paced by Brook Lopez and Devin Harris who had 26 and 24 points respectatively.

As for the Kings, Beno Udrih had 19 points in the losing performance.

The Nets try to make it 2 in a row for the first time this season on Friday night when they host the Detroit Pistons.

I'll be there to see if it happens so feel free to check back to find out.

Knicks get help & beat Nuggets, 109-104!

The Denver Nuggets were visiting the Garden for their first and only time this season.

The Nuggets got off to a quick start by scoring the first twelve points of the game.

That lead disappeared fast. They did lead by one, 27-26 after the first quarter.

The Knicks did take a few small leads in the second quarter.

The Nuggets ran off some unanswered points just before the half to go the locker room with a 53-49 advantage.

In the third quarter, both teams were trading baskets until late in the quarter when the Knicks went on a run to open their lead up to 9, 83-74 after 3 quarters.

In the fourth quarter, the Nuggets managed to get close again.

But with 3:30 left in the game things changed, David Lee was called for sixth and final foul on an apparent charge.

All of a sudden, the three blind officials huddled up and decided to reverse the call to a block on the Nuggets.

David Lee who was headed to the bench wound up shooting 2 free throws instead.

That marked the beginning of the end for the Nuggets.

Despite that horrible call, the Nuggets still had a chance to win the game.

Superstar Carmelo Anthony who lead all scorers in the game with 36 points missed a few chances down the stretch to be the ultimate hero.

Teammate Chauncey Billups added 25 in the loss for the Nuggets.

For the Knicks, Danilo Gallanari had a team high 28 and Al Harrington contributed 23 in the Knick victory.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Heat hand Nets another loss, 99-89!

The Nets did something right. Brook Lopez, their center made the free throw in this picture I took.

In addition, they played well in the first half of the game.

They lead, 53-52 at the half thanks to "T Will" aka Terrence Williams, the rookie from Louisville who hit a shot from just before midcourt. He banked it off the glass at the buzzer.

Unfortunately for the Nets reverted back to their possible record breaking form in the second half.
They fell behind in the third quarter for good.

They wound up losing their 14th straight home game in the process.

Dwayne Wade paced the Heat with 27 points and 12 assists while Jermaine O'Neal added 25 of his own.
Brook Lopez led the Nets with 26 points in the loss.

Thrashers beat Flyers again, 3-1!

After the Knick matinee game, it was time to go for a "royal" ride. With the Hyundai Elantra parked on the street that I rented from Avis we were go to go.

The King and I headed down to Philadelphia to see the Flyers play the back end of a home and home series.
Back on February 13th, we went North of the Border to see the back end of the Flyers and Canadiens home and home. That time the Flyers swept the series.

This time they were on the losing of both games. They lost in Atlanta on Saturday night and Sunday night they fell again.

They did manage to get 45 shots on goal but only one found the net.

The Thrashers struck early just 2:04 into the game when defenseman Ron Hainsey beat Flyers goaltender, Brian Boucher to make it 1-0. Todd White made it 2-0 Thrashers with 8:59 left in the first period.

The score remained that way until the Flyers finally broke the shutout with 8:04 left in the third period.
Mike Richards got the Flyers back in the game but with 3:07 left the Thrashers got the insurance goal they needed thanks to Rich Peverley.

The Flyer faithful stormed out of the building.

More bad news for the Flyers, their leading goal scorer, Jeff Carter who has 33 goals, left in the first period with a broken bone in his foot. He's going to miss 3-4 weeks. They hope he can return for the playoffs.

On a personal level, we did see our buddy Jim Lowry who works the freight elevator at the Wachovia Center. We saw him briefly before and after the game. He was so happy and grateful to have the opportunity to see us even for just a short time.

He's all fired up for baseball to start and more importantly he can't wait to join us for our road trip to Chicago and Milwaukee in the middle of May.

Rockets comeback late & win, 116-112!

The Houston Rockets made their only visit to the Garden Sunday afternoon.

They trailed by as many as 17 late in the first quarter, 32-15.

They proceeded to score 45 points in the second quarter to pull within 2, 64-62 at the half.

The deficit remained 2 points after the third quarter as well, 94-92.

In the 4th quarter, the Knicks opened the lead up to 8, 92-84. The lead shrunk to 3, 110-107 with just over a minute to go in the game.

That's when Aaron Brooks of the Rockets took over. He scored 7 straight points to give the Rockets a 114-110 advantage with 56.9 seconds left in the game.

They wound up winning the game as the Knicks couldn't finish down the stretch.

Friday night's hero, Toney Douglas was called for 3 late fouls in the last minute.

Kevin Martin was the high scorer for the Rockets, he had 28 points. Jordan Hill, the former Knick who was traded along with Jared Jeffries in the Tracy McGrady trade added 13 points.

For the Knicks, David Lee returned and scored 27 points and he grabbed 20 rebounds but it was wasted in the loss.

This week the Royalty Madness continues!

Here's the lineup:

Tonight Heat at Nets 7:30PM

Tomorrow Nuggets at Knicks 7:30PM

Wednesday Kings at Nets 7:30PM

Friday Pistons at Nets 8PM

Look for the recaps of these as well as from Sunday 3/21.

I'm extremely busy so I need to play a little catch up.

Please bare with me.

Thank you.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Devils blanked by the Blues, 1-0!

The St. Louis Blues made their first ever visit to the Prudential Center.

The "Rock" opened in October 2007.

Thanks to Gary Bettman, the NHL Commisioner, who decided to make a schedule that not's so fan friendly.

With the outcome, the Blues should hope they come back to the "Rock" more often in the future.

As for the game, Alexander Steen of the Blues scored the lone goal of the game when he blasted a slapshot that went top shelf past the Devils goaltender, Martin Brodeur with only 13 seconds left to go in the first period.

Ty Conklin, the Blues netminder, best known for playing in the Heritage Classic in Edmonton as well as 2 different Winter Classic games that were played in Buffalo and Chicago.

He stopped 29 shots en route to his 4th shutout of the season.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Prudential Center

This building was named after the Prudential Insurance Company which is based in Newark, NJ.

They are known as the "Rock".

Hence most people affectionately refer to the building the same way.

As for the arena, it's the current home of the 3 time Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils.

Starting in late October and/or early November later this year it will serve as the temporary home of the NJ soon to be Brooklyn Nets.

The Nets are suppose to play two seasons at the "Rock" before moving to Brooklyn, NY to call the Barclays Center their new permanent home in October 2012.

They just broke ground on March 11th for that new building.

It should be noted that basketball has been played at the "Rock" by the Seton Hall Pirates.

As for the building itself, it holds 17,625 for hockey and it should sit more than 18,000 for basketball.

It has two levels which is separated by a significant number of luxury boxes which is a must these days for professional sports teams to survive.

The concourses are very spacious on both levels.

They have a restaurant/bar built into the lower bowl for its upscale clientele which is part of the fancy Club seats they offer.

It's a nice place to view a game and a way to spend some quality time with good friends, acquaintances and clients.

It's easily accessible by public transportation.

It's located in downtown Newark within a short walk of Newark-Penn Station.

NJ Transit trains stop there from all different parts of New Jersey.

In addition, people who live and/or work in New York City can take the Path train there as well.

Driving is always an option of course.

Furthermore, you walk through the Gateway Center en route to the arena where you'll find a number of places to eat along the way.

Moreover, there's a district in the vicinity called Ironbound where fans go to hang out before and after the game.

I have full season tickets to both the Devils and the Nets.

If you're interested, let me know and hopefully we can work somthing out in the future.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Knicks top the 76ers, 92-88!

The Knicks found a way to win even without arguably their best players, David Lee who hurt his right knee and Wilson Chandler.

Both teams came into play with identical 24-44 records. Based on that I expected a competitive game.
As for the game, the 76ers had an eleven point lead after the first quarter, 26-15.

In the second quarter, the Knicks came back fast. With 9:11 left in the quarter, they trailed by only 3 points, 28-25.

A minute later the 76ers were back up by 9, 36-27 with 8:04 left. They built the lead to a dozen with 6:27 left to go. The Knicks came all the way back to tie the score at 48-48.
The 76ers had the last possession before the half and rookie Jrue Holiday from UCLA hit a basket with just 2 tenths of a second to go to give the Sixers a 50-48 lead at the half.

In the 3rd quarter, the game remained close as the 76ers were up by one, 64-63 at the end of 3.
It should be noted that the Knicks rookie guard Toney Douglas picked up 2 quick fouls giving him 5 with 7:21 still left in the 3rd quarter.

In the 4th quarter, the 76ers were able to build their lead back up to 9, 76-67 with 8:26 left in the game.
The Knicks once again came back when Toney Douglas who was in foul trouble all night was able to get back in the game.

He scored 14 of his 22 points down the stretch which was pivotal in the Knicks coming away with the W.
Douglas hit 3 big treys. In addition, he forced the 76ers to turn the ball over on numerous occasions.
With 55.8 seconds to go, he got an easy lay up after he picked off a pass just past mid court to give the Knicks a 89-86 lead.

The 76ers had a chance to tie the game in the closing seconds but their sharpshooter Jason Kapono missed badly on a 3 point attempt. The Knicks keyed on him.

For the Knicks, Danillo Gallanari lead the way with 25 points. But Toney Douglas was the hero adding 22 points in a limited role because of the fouls he got early in the first half and in the 3rd quarter.

The 76ers were paced by Elton Brand who finished with a team high 19 points. He did the majority of his damage in the first half when he scored 17 of them.

The Weekend Game Plan

Here's how Royalty plans to spend the weekend:

Tonight 76ers at Knicks 7:30PM

Tomorrow Blues at Devils 7PM

Sunday Rockets at Knicks 1PM

Thrashers at Flyers 7PM

I'll be renting another car Sunday morning so I have no hassles traveling down to Philadelphia to see the Flyers play after the Knick game.

It should be a fun weekend.

Check back for the review and the details.

If you want to come some time just contact me so I can make it happen.

Thank you for reading.

Enjoy your weekend. I know I'll be.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Blues hang on to beat the Rangers, 4-3!

The Blues scored the first goal of the goal of the game just 1:10 into it when Brad Boyes did the honors.

Ryan Callahan of the Rangers tied it up on the power play 5:52 into the period.

With 2:52 left, Marian Gaborik scored his team high 37th goal to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead.

I might add the Blues had two breakaway chances to score but they weren't able to do so. The second one however did hit the post.

In the second period, the Blues were outplayed but they still managed to score 2 unanswered goals that gave them a 3-2 lead.

Mike Weaver notched his first goal of the season which tied the game at 2.

In the third period, the Rangers had a golden chance to tie the game when the Blues got called for 2 different delay of game penalties in the first minute.

They failed to do so.

Later in the period, they did tie the game at 3 when defenseman Wade Redden put one past Ty Conklin, the Blues netminder with 12:49 left in the game.

The game remained tied briefly. Just one minute and 13 seconds later, the Blues regained the lead when Paul Kariya redirected a shot in front of the net which proved to be the difference in the game. It was his 400th career NHL goal and it was a memorable one.

The Rangers mounted pressure in hopes of tying the game but it wasn't meant to be tonight.

Despite outshooting the Blues 29-16, they came up on the wrong side of the scoreboard.

Going to the Garden for Rangers & Blues

Thanks to my co-worker Jason Novick who gave me 2 tickets for the game at the last minute.

I was planning to go home for a night of rest.

I received an offer I couldn't refuse.

Royalty doesn't pass up opportunities to enjoy themselves.

Check back for the recap.

Devils beat the Penguins again, 5-2!

The Devils continued their dominance of the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins. They're a perfect 6 for 6 against them this season.

Even on St. Patrick's Day the Penguins couldn't have any luck.

The Devils went to the retro look by wearing their original uniforms from when they first came into existence in New Jersey back in 1982.

As for the game, the Devils fell behind early 1-0 when Chris Kunitz of the Penguins put one past Devils goaltender, Martin Brodeur 4:01 into the game.

The Devils answered with the next 2 goals to lead 2-1 after the first period. Paul Martin, who had been hurt returned and he scored his first goal of the season which give the Devils the lead.

In the second period, Patrik Elias scored a shorthanded goal 3:09 into the period.

Zach Parise added his 33rd goal of the season midway through the period and the game to may it 4-1. In the process, the Penguins pulled their goaltender, Marc-Andre Fleury.

In the third period, the Penguins got within 2 goals early. Later in the period, they wound up with a 3 minute power play but they couldn't capitalize.

The Devils added an empty net goal to round out the scoring.

With the victory, the Devils are now tied with the Penguins for first place.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Carnegie Deli in NYC




Carnegie Deli

Corned Beef and Cabbage


                                                            
If you live and/or come to visit New York City, this is a

place you must go to have a hearty deli meal.

Royalty Tours highly recommends it.

It's located at 854 7th Ave. at 55th Street. Which happens to be 2 blocks from my office.

I just came back from enjoying a St. Patrick's Day tradition.

I had myself some Corned Beef and Cabbage from there.

As you can see from the picture, I got my money's worth. It is a pricey place but they do give you plenty of food.

Everybody deserves to splurge once in a while.

Life is short, enjoy the ride.

http://www.carnegiedeli.com/home.php

I'll be back at the "Rock" tonight to see the Devils play the Penguins again

Check back for the recap of this rematch from last Friday night.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Hawks shoot down sluggish Nets, 108-84!

The Hawks came to the IZOD Center and came away with a victory despite playing without Joe Johnson who has a sore achilles. The Nets were missing Devin Harris who was ill.

They started slow in the first quarter even though they had a 6 point lead early. The game was tied at 22 after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, former Knick Jamal Crawford who came off the bench scored 15 of his game high 25 points including a 3 pointer at the buzzer to give the Hawks a 55-39 advantage at the half.

They built their lead to 20 points after 3 quarters.

In the end, it was another rough night for the Nets who lost for the 60th time this season.

Tonight I'll be going to the IZOD Center to see the Hawks play the Nets

Check back for the recap of this hardwood battle. Will the Nets play hard enough to win another game?

We'll have to wait and see.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Devils hang to beat Bruins, 3-2!

The Devils chased Bruins goaltender, Tim Thomas after the first period when they scored 3 unanswered goals.

In the second period, Blake Wheeler of the Bruins got them on the board just 43 seconds into the period.

The score stayed that way until there was a minute and 3 seconds left in the game when Patrice Bergeron of the Bruins lit the lamp to make it a one goal game.

The Devils managed to hold off the Bruins in the last minute to come away with the victory.

Tonight I'll be back at the "Rock" for Devils & Bruins

Check back for the recap of how this one turned out.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Islanders dump the Maple Leafs, 4-1!

For the second night in a row, the Islanders took care of business on their home ice.

Just like Saturday night they fell behind early. Only 57 seconds into the game, the Leafs drew first blood thanks to Nikolai Kulemin who made it 1-0.

The Islanders answered quickly again 2:51 in when Tim Jackman tied it up at 1.

Ironicly, the Islanders scored a shorthanded goal for the second night in a row when Richard Park fired a blast past Jean-Sebastien Giguere, the Leafs goaltender with 11:05 left in the first period.

In the second period, Frans Nielsen put the biscuit in the basket with just 1:38 to go in the period to give the Islanders a 2 goal cushion.

Matt Moulson added a power play goal with 2:20 left in the game to round out the scoring.

As for the Islanders slim playoff hopes, these victories are probably too little too late but you never know in this day and age.

Islanders hold off Devils, 4-2!


The Devils started the game fast by taking an early 1-0 lead just 2:52 into the game.

Martin Brodeur got a rare night off. Ex-Islander Yann Danis got the start tonight.

With 2:37 left in the first period, the Islanders' Freddy Meyer evened the score at 1.
In the second period, the Islanders broke the tie by scoring 2 goals in a 50 second span to take a 3-1 lead.

In the third period, Ilka Kovalchuk got the Devils within a goal just 1:41 into the period.

The Devils had a 4 minute power play with 10:45 left in the game. But it was the Islanders who took advantage. Sean Bergenheim lit the lamp with 8:27 left in the game to give the Islanders back their 2 goal lead.

That's the way it remained as the Islanders went on to defeat the Devils.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Devils topple Penguins, 3-1!

Sidney Crosby scored his 45th goal of the season 2:25 into the game after the Devils got on the board first when Patrik Elias found the net 1:43 into the contest.

In the second period, the Devils failed to score on a 5 minute power play on a questionable charging penalty on the Penguins Craig Adams.

With 1:49 left in the second period, Ilka Kovalchuk of the Devils was awarded a penalty shot when he was taken down by Kris Letang on a breakaway. He missed on the opportunity.

Just 2:06 into the 3rd period, Andy Greene broke the tie with his 6th goal of the season.

Kovalchuk midway through the 3rd period blasted a bullet past Marc-Andre Fleury, the Penguins goaltender to give the Devils a 2 goal lead.

That's the way it ended. It was a penalty filled feisty affair.

These two teams have a rematch on Wednesday, St. Patrick's Day no less.

Pastrami Sandwich at Ben's Kosher Deli With the Buffalo Boys


I met Andrew Kulyk and Peter Farrell from Buffalo aka USRT (The Ultimate Sports Road Trip) for lunch today at Ben's Kosher Deli at 38th Street and 7th Avenue per their request.
They were in town this week to see the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden.

It's always a pleasure meeting these great road trippers.

Feel free to check out their web site, http://www.thesportsroadtrip.com/




Spending weekend at the Nassau Coliseum

No big travel plans for this weekend.

I'll be driving to and from the Nassau Coliseum both days.

The NY Islanders are playing as follows:

Saturday NJ Devils 7PM

Sunday Toronto Maple Leafs 7PM

Check back to see how it turned out.

Hope everybody enjoys the weekend.

Thanks for reading.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman AKA Prince Charming

Friday Night at the "Rock" in Newark, NJ

Tonight I'll be seeing the Devils take on Gold Medal Winning Sidney Crosby and the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

Check back for the recap of this one.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Manganaro's Hero Boy

Fried Calamari and Broccoli





Chicken Parm Hero and Mozzerella Sticks
















Here's a sample of the great food that another Royalty Tours local favorite has to offer.

They have some out of this world Chicken Parm.

I usually order it when I go there. It's their most popular hero.

They have a variety of other different types of heroes as well.

In addition, they have great Mozzarella Sticks see above.

I love their Spinach & Cheese Ravioli.

Their Baked Ziti comes in a plateful.

On Fridays, they have a special of Fried Calamari and Broccoli as pictured above.
.
If you can't go there in person they do deliver.

Furthermore, they also cater. They have a full catering menu that is perfect for special occasions.

As a whole, you can't go wrong when you eat at Manganaro's Hero Boy, Home of the Original Six Foot Hero.

Just make sure you bring a hearty appetite. If you can't finish the meal, they'll wrap it up for you so you can take it home.

They are located at 494 9th Avenue in the Hell's Kitchen section of Manhattan.

They're a short walk from the Port Authority Bus Terminal and Madison Square Garden.

They've been serving the local area for over 50 years.

If you want something good to eat, I strongly suggest you stop in here.

If you're pressed for time don't go during lunch time. That's when they do the bulk of their business.

I prefer to go after work for dinner. It's peaceful and relaxing. They're open on Saturdays as well.

http://www.heroboy.com/

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Donovan's Pub in Woodside, NY

Best Burger in New York


Pork Chops


This has been a Royalty Tours local hangout when we're in town on the weekends for over 20 years.

It's located on the corner of 58th Street and Roosevelt Ave. in Woodside, Queens.

It's conveniently located 3 blocks from the 7 train which takes you to Times Square in Manhattan and to Citi Field, home of the NY Mets.

They have great food here. They're known for having the #1 rated hamburger in New York.

In addition, they also have many other items to choose from.

I love having their Broiled Scallops, Filet of Salmon, and Filet of Sole.

On Friday nights, they have tremendous Pork Chops as a special. You get 2 huge chops. They're to die for.

See actual picture above.

Furthermore, they offer Chicken Parm and Roast Turkey as well.

The bottom line is whatever you have is guaranteed to be a great meal.

Needless to say, drinks always flow well.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Devils double up the Rangers, 6-3!

The Devils playing their first home game since the Olympic break, came away with a victory.

Both teams spent the first half of the game exchanging goals. The Rangers tied it at 1 and 2.

The Rangers also tied it at 3 when Brandon Prust got the equalizer for the Rangers with 10:45 left in the 2nd period.

The Devils proceeded to score the last three goals of the game.

They knocked out goaltender Henrik Lundqvist after they scored their fifth goal of the game.

The Devils added another goal by Travis Zajac with 3:39 left in the game to put the game away for good.

I'll be in Newark, NJ tonight for Rangers & Devils

Please feel free to check back to see how the latest installment of this crosstown rivalry turned out.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Knicks top Hawks, 99-98!


After embarrassing themselves the other night against the NJ Nets, the Knicks played hard and found a way to defeat the Atlanta Hawks at the Garden without Tracy McGrady.

This was a seesaw battle for almost 3 quarters then the Knicks opened up a 6 point advantage after three quarters, 76-70.

Until that point there were numerous lead changes as well as ties in this game. The Knicks built their to as many as 11, 89-78 with 7:37 left in the 4th quarter.

 The Hawks did make a comeback to pull within one, 97-96 with 2:53 left. The next 2 minutes neither team scored then Al Harrington made a basket to give the Knicks a 3 point lead, 99-96 with 50.5 seconds remaining. Josh Smith of the Hawks got them back within one, 99-98.

 The Knicks lost the ball and the Hawks had a chance to win the game. But in the end, Al Horford made a basket that was overturned by the replay preserving the narrow victory for the Knicks.

The Knicks were lead by Danilo Gallanari who had 27 points. David Lee added 19 points and 13 rebounds..

For the Hawks, Josh Smith finished with 25 and Joe Johnson poured in 22 points in the loss.

Monday, March 8, 2010

I'll be at the Garden tonight for the Knicks & Hawks

Please check back to see if the Knicks were able to bounce against the rising Atlanta Hawks who have Joe Johnson. He'll be a unrestricted free agent so he could very well wound up in a Knick uniform this summer. We'll have to wait and see about that.

 

Nets turn back the Knicks, 113-93!

As Latin Week continued in the NBA, the New Jersey Nets crossed the Hudson River and came to Madison Square Garden to battle the New York Knicks who once again wore their Nueva York uniforms.

In addition, the crowd was entertained throughout the evening with a variety of latin acts.

As for the game, it started poorly for the 6-55 Nets. They fell behind early again. The Knicks lead 18-4 with 7:39 left to go in the first quarter. Later in the quarter they lead by 16, 28-12. The Nets made a run to end the quarter down by 10, 32-22.

In the second quarter, the Nets who lost Yi Jianlian to an injury continued to chip away at the Knick lead. With 4:50 to go in the 2nd quarter, the Nets came all the way back and took a 43-42 lead. The crowd started booing the Knicks rightfully so.

The Nets wound up going up by 8 points then Eddie House hit a finger roll bucket at the buzzer to cut the Net lead to 6, 56-50 at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Nets extended their bulge to a dozen, 70-58 with 6:18 left. The Knicks once again heard it from the crowd as they called a timeout.

They got within 9, 83-74 at the end of 3 quarters.

Early in the 4th, they did make a run to get within 5 at 85-80 but the Nets proceeded to go on a 11-0 run to put the game out of reach midway through the fourth quarter.

The Nets were lead by point guard Devin Harris who scorched the Knicks for 31 points. Courtney Lee who returned for the first time since he got hurt in Boston a week earlier added 25 points. In his absence, the Nets dropped 3 in a row all at home at the IZOD Center. Brook Lopez had 18 points and rebounds. Kris Humphries had 2 big baskets that helped put the Nets back on top for good. He finished with 10 points.

As for the Knicks, Wilson Chandler had a solid game with 20 points and 10 boards. David Lee added 23 points but was in foul trouble early in the first half which ultimately hurt the Knicks. For that matter, Danilo Gallanari was in foul trouble as well and the Nets even though Yi went down they pulled together and found a way to win their 7th game of the season.

Bruins hold on to beat the Islanders, 3-2!

The Boston Bruins came into the Nassau Coliseum for a matinee with the NY Islanders Saturday afternoon.

Thanks to their goaltender Tim Thomas who stood on his head making 37 saves to secure the victory for the visiting Bruins.

It was a bad loss for the Islanders who were trying to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

Milan Lucic of the Bruins opened the scoring with a goal late in the first period to give the Bruins an early 1-0 lead with 1:34 left.

In the second period, with the Islanders on a power play, Josh Bailey put one past Tim Thomas to even the score at 1 just 2:18 into the period.

5:04 into the period, David Krejci regained the lead for the Bruins at 2-1. With 10:40 left in the 2nd period, Marc Savard added a power play to get the B's a two goal cushion.

With 3:54 left in the period, Michael Ryder of the Bruins got called for a 5 minute major penalty for checking Blake Comeau hard into the boards from behind. He also a game misconduct as well so he was done for the rest of the game.

Fortunately for the Bruins they killed off the power play that extended into the third period. It looked good for the Bruins as they still held a 2 goal advantage.

But with 14:17 left in the game, the Islanders got within a goal thanks to Matt Moulson who got one passed Tim Thomas.

That's the way it stayed the rest of the way and the visiting Bruins escaped with a big victory as they try to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Mark Streit, the Islanders defenseman notched his 200th NHL point.

Magic beat the Nets, 97-87!

At the IZOD Center, Latin Week in the NBA continued. The Nets losing streak did as well.

This game wasn't a pretty display of basketball. Even the Magic one of the elite teams in the Eastern Conference decided they would stoop down to the level of competition.

They started off the game with the dynamic duo of Matt Barnes and Dwight Howard leading the way. Matt Barnes had 14 of his 16 points in the first 6 minutes of the game. Dwight Howard had 8 of his 11 points early on as well. By the time the first quarter ended, the Magic managed to open up a 14 point lead.

They took it easy in the second quarter and the Nets wound up closing the gap to 5O-43 at halftime.

The Magic went back up by 12, 6O-48 after former Net Vince Carter hit a long "VC" 3 from way downtown with 7:32 left in the 3rd quarter. They went up by 15, 72-57 after 3.

In the 4th quarter, the Nets cut the lead to 8 with a minute to go but they couldn't get any closer as time ran out on them.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Staying Local This Weekend

Here's the plan for the weekend:

Tonight I'll be going to the IZOD Center to see the NJ Nets play the Orlando Magic at 8PM.

Tomorrow, I have a doubleheader. The first game the Boston Bruins come to the Nassau Coliseum for a 2PM matinee against the NY Islanders.

The second game is at Madison Square Garden where the NY Knicks welcome crosstown rivals the NJ Nets at 7:30PM.

Sunday I plan to stay home and catch up on cleaning up and staying organized with baseball season just around the corner.

Check back to see how things played out.

I hope everybody has an eventful weekend as well.

Thanks for reading along.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Knicks pound punchless Pistons, 128-104!


In honor of Latin week in the NBA, the Knicks wore Nueva York jerseys. Apparently, the Latin love helped the Knicks find a way to win a game.

The Pistons came to the Garden and they proved to be no match for the Knicks. They got off to a fast start taking an early lead 11-2. The Pistons did come back to pull within one at 16-15. The Knicks pulled away again. They lead by 10 after the first quarter, 33-23.

In the second quarter, the Knicks added to their lead briefly. The Pistons then made a run to tie the game at 39. The Knicks got back on track and opened up a 12 point advantage at halftime, 67-55.

In the third quarter, the Knicks maintained a sizeable lead. They were up 94-85.

In the fourth quarter, the Knicks pulled away for good. They disposed of the Pistons, 128-104 when it was all said and done.

David Lee had a big game with 21 points, he grabbed 8 rebounds and dished out 8 assists. Bill Walker who came over in the Nate Robinson trade added 22 points. Al Harrington led all scorers with a game high 26 points.

Heading to the Garden Tonight for Knicks and Pistons

I'll be spending my special night at Madison Square Garden tonight watching the Detroit Pistons as they come to play the NY Knicks at 7:30PM.

Check back for the recap.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Islanders overpower the mighty Blackhawks, 5-3!



The NHL is back after the Olympic break that shut down the league for a few weeks. The Chicago Blackhawks, one of the best teams in the league these days came to the Nassau Coliseum to take on the NY Islanders.

In the first period, the Blackhawks didn't miss a beat they played very well. They wound up getting 22 shots on goal to the Islanders 9. The score was 2-1 Blackhawks.

Things changed fast once the second period started, the Islanders came out strong. Just 2:27 into the period, Blake Comeau who had the first Islander goal of the game, found the net again and he tied the game at 2. 25 seconds later, Jon Sim buried the puck in the net giving the Islanders a 3-2 lead.

The Blackhawks proceeded to pull their starting goaltender, Antti Niemi in favor of Cristobal Huet. 7:06 into the second period, Richard Park of the Islanders greeted Huet with a blast, he fired a dart past him to give the Islanders a 2 goal cushion.

With only 17.3 seconds left in the period, Blake Comeau lit the lamp again. His 3rd goal of the game which is known as a hat trick.

Ironicly, the last NHL game I saw just before the Olympic break in Montreal on 2/13, Daniel Briere of the Philadelphia Flyers had a hat trick as well.

I was thinking of Chrissy Capp, the young lady who sold me the ticket that night. We were talking and she said she had never seen a hat trick until a week or so before that game in Montreal. Now I saw a second one myself in a short period of time. Mind you, I've seen many hockey games in my time and I don't remember seeing many hat tricks either. With scoring down these days in the game, they're fewer and far between.

In the third period, the Islanders held on to the lead. The Blackhawks kept applying pressure but they couldn't find the net until there was just 4:17 left when they made it a 5-3 game. That's the way it ended. Islander goaltender Dwayne Roloson stopped 41 of 44 shots to earn the victory.

Special note: After the second period of play, a surprise visitor, friend and proud customer of Royalty Tours, Manny Morales was in the house. It was odd to see him.

Manny is a big NY Ranger fan. He has Ranger season tickets. He's had them for the past 29 years. He said it was a long story why he was at the Nassau Coliseum. I asked him how he got out there. Since he doesn't drive he had to resort to taking the LIRR from Penn Station to Westbury. That cost him $19 round trip he said. That didn't include an another $7 to take a van to and from the Nassau Coliseum. I was beside myself when I heard it cost him so much to get there.

When you give royalty $26 you get a lot of bang for your buck not a torchure ride to and from NYC to the Nassau Coliseum. Manny knows firsthand that he got the shaft in this case but he apparently didn't have a choice.

I just wish I knew I would have arranged to accomodate him. He'll know for the next time if there is one.

Olympic Break is Over - Blackhawks at Islanders Tonight

I'll be heading to the Nassau Coliseum tonight for some NHL hockey. Check back to see if the players who didn't play in the Olympics show rust from not playing the last 2 weeks.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Great weekend in New England







Put it in the books! Another weekend well spent living the life of royalty.

I got up early Saturday morning walked a mile and a half to Avis and picked up some fresh wheels to head up North to New England. I went to Astoria to pick up the King and off we went to Boston to start our day.

We arrived in Beantown at Noon with the Celtics and Nets starting at 1PM, we had plenty of time. I went to park the car in a nearby garage for a mere $10. A few other garages in the area were getting $25 to park. Royalty knows all the ways to get more bang for the buck. The Royalty slogan is to minimize cost and maximize enjoyment. That's just another example of the Royalty way. We know we have to pay to park in Boston at that time of the day so we do it as economical as possible.

After the game, we drove 55 miles to Worcester, Massachusetts to see a minor league hockey game. First we stopped off at the Ninety Nine Restaurant, which is a chain in the New England as well as the Philadelphia area. We went in and had ourselves a hearty dinner that was fit for a Prince and a King.

After the game, we drove 25 miles to Sturbridge, MA where we spent the night at a Days Inn.

We woke up in the morning and started the day off right by going to Cracker Barrel, a favorite restaurant of Royalty. If you like Southern style food you can't go wrong here. While you wait to be seated you can go shopping in their Country store. On the weekends, this place is always jam packed. Smart people like royalty know where to go to eat a good meal.

After eating, we drove 36 miles to Storrs, Connecticut, home of the Connecticut Huskies. We visited the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion for the first time. It was a very nice experience seeing a college basketball game right on campus. You can't beat the college atomosphere. It a rare home game in Storrs. The Huskies play a number of home games in Hartford at XL Center which used the Hartford Civic Center back in the day.

After the gane, on our way back home we capped off the trip by indulging in a nice steak dinner at the Texas Roadhouse in West Haven, CT which just past New Haven. Another great meal for us.

Unfortunately after dinner it was time to go home. As they say all good things have to come to an end. At least for royalty they end temporarily until the next getaway.

I returned in the morning before heading into work. I wound up driving 507 miles for the 2 days I rented the car.

If you want to get a taste of royalty, please feel free to consult me.