Royalty is hitting the road again to Canada, Western NY, Erie PA & Cleveland, Ohio at the end of October!

Here's the game plan:

I'm renting a car from Avis on Friday morning for the weekend.

I'll be driving up North of the Border to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Buffalo, Erie, Pennsylvania & Cleveland, Ohio to see my first ever Canadian Football League game, NHL & OHL hockey & a NFL game before returning to NYC late Sunday night/Monday morning. My pal Mike Carroll aka Sabre Mike as we call him is joining me. He has asked me a number of times the last few years to take him to see his favorite teams, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats & the Buffalo Sabres play. Knowing full well, the World Series will be going on in a National League ballpark that weekend, I decided that this should be the year of the Cubs. I'm counting on them to not let me down. Wishful thinking I know. It may be now or never for them. We shall wait & see. With that being said, I told Mike that I have a trip in the works that's perfect for him. When I told him, he was literally in heaven. His birthday is on November 12th. He'll be celebrating a little earlier this year he said. In addition, I plan to see my pals Andrew Kulyk & Peter Farrell aka USRT who live in Buffalo. They'll be joining us the first half of the getaway along with another roadtripper, Chris Boyes who we all know who's coming to visit from England that weekend to see an array of sporting events including the Buffalo Bills who he's a fan of. The timing couldn't be more perfect in that regard. Last but definitely not least, I plan to reunite with Nadia Koyratty who I met last year when I went on the Free Royal Tour of London. She's now living in Buffalo while she pursues her PHD at the University of Buffalo. She's not really into sports but I plan to have her join us for breakfast Saturday morning at the Royal Restaurant which is nearby in the Buffalo area.            

Friday October 28th Edmonton Eskimos at Hamilton Tiger-Cats 7PM

Saturday October 29th Panthers at Sabres 1PM

                                       Saginaw Spirit at Erie Otters 7PM

Sunday October 30th Jets at Browns 1PM
           
If you're interested in going on this exclusive getaway royalty style just let me know so I can arrange to have you join Mike & I as well as the rest of the very special guests we're meeting along the way.

It's going to be a blast so why not come for a "royal" ride.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty goes to Cleveland to see the Browns play the Ravens!

Prince at Cleveland Browns Stadium

After we spent the night in Somerset, PA at Days Inn, we got up in the morning and we had breakfast at the hotel before we continued our journey to Cleveland, Ohio.

We left the hotel at 9:15AM and we arrived in downtown Cleveland at 12:20PM. We parked the car on the street and we walked over to Cleveland Browns Stadium where we were going to see the Browns play the Baltimore Ravens.

We didn't have tickets yet. We went outside the southeast gate and we asked around for them. After a short time, we were able to round up a few singles. The first one cost us $20 and the second was $10 so we split the difference and we went inside to watch the game.

As for the game we saw, the Browns reminded us of the Washington Wizards from the night before. Ironically they fell behind big early as the Ravens raced out to a 14-0 lead after the first quarter. Running back Ray Rice from Rutgers was running wild early. He scored the first touchdown of the game with 8:32 left in the quarter as he ran in from 8 yards out. His counterpart in the backfield, rookie from Temple, Bernard Pierce scored with just one second left on the clock. He toed the sidelines as he took it in from 12 yards out. This occurred after he took an unnecessary roughness penalty that moved the ball from the 6 yard to the 21 yard line.

In the second quarter, the Browns started to make a comeback. They got a 32 yard field goal from their kicker Phil Dawson with 9:19 left until halftime to break the shutout at 14-3. Later in the quarter they failed to get in the end zone on a few more occasions. They wound up settling for field goals from 28 & 29 yards out as they made it a game going into the locker room trailing by five points at 14-9.

In the third quarter, the Browns' defense continued to dominate as they held the Ravens scoreless. The Browns tacked on another field goal from 33 yards out with 2:39 left to get within two at 14-12.

In the fourth quarter, the Browns took their first lead of the day with 8:48 left as Phil Dawson connected on a 41 yard field goal to give the Browns a 15-14 lead. The Browns defense was worn down as they allowed the Ravens to regain the lead. The Ravens awoke as they marched down the field on a nine play 81 yard drive that culminated with a 19 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Torrey Smith with 4:26 left in the quarter. They added the two point conversion as quarterback Joe Flacco found wide receiver Anquan Boldin to give the Ravens a 22-15 lead. After the Browns turned the ball over on downs deep in their own territory, the Ravens got a 43 yard field goal from kicker Justin Tucker to seal the deal, 25-15. Just like the Wizards the night before, the Browns found a way to lose.

That's the way it goes. After the game, we walked back to the car as we got ready for the long ride home.
We got in the car just before 5PM. On the way back we stopped off at Burger King for a fast dinner. We made a pit stop for gas as well in Pennsylvania so we didn't have to worry about waiting all night to find a gas station who had gas. We got back home at 1AM.

All things considered we had a great weekend. We adjusted to the circumstances we were given and we made the best of them.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty goes to Indianapolis to see the Andrew Luck Era at home against the Browns!

Prince at Lucas Oil Stadium

After we saw a MAC college football doubleheader on Saturday, we drove further West. We stopped off in Columbus, Ohio where we spent the night at Super 8. On the way there, we made a pit stop for dinner at Hardee's. We all indulged by having thick burgers as they call them. We all agreed that they were really good. As for me, I had a Memphis BBQ one that was topped with pulled pork and onion strings. It was excellent. Since I was so hungry, it really hit the spot for me.

When we got done we got back on the road and we continued to the Columbus area. Our pal Mike Carroll was dying to go to a Skyline Chili restaurant. I had told him I would get him to one along the way. Skyline Chili is known in the Cincinnati area for it's classic chili. They had some locations in Columbus as well. With that being said, It worked out beautifully as we got within four miles of the exit for our hotel when I noticed a sign for a Skyline Chili. True to my word, I got off and we went to get him some Chili to fulfill his special request. Mike was in heaven. I never tasted Chili before so I decided to get a three way for myself. It was basically spaghetti mixed with chili that was topped off with shredded cheddar cheese. It tasted really good. I'm glad I gave it a try. Mike was so happy that he made my night. He can now cross off another place off his to do list.

After we got done, I went to get gas for the car then we went to Steak N Shake which was conveniently located across the way for dessert. We got shakes to go. What a way to cap off our hearty dinners.
We got back in the car and we drove to the hotel where we spent the night.

In the morning, we got up and we ate breakfast at the hotel before we continued on to Indianapolis, Indiana which was 184 miles away.

We arrived there around 11:30AM. We parked the car on the street and we walked over to Lucas Oil Stadium, the home of the Indianapolis Colts. They were hosting the Cleveland Browns at 1PM.

We didn't have tickets so we had to look for them outside. We didn't think it was going to be a tough ticket. It turned out to be a harder one than we initially thought. We managed to work our magic and we rounded up some single tickets. Mike got the first one on the lower level for $40. We told him to go ahead inside and we'll meet up at some point. The King and I continued to ask people if they had any extra tickets. After a little while, I was able to get an upper level seat for $30. Now we just needed one more between us. Game time was fast approaching, luckily the King was able to talk somebody into taking $30 for another upper level seat. With just enough time to spare, we made our way inside and we got to the upper level just in time for the National Anthem. We did good considering the circumstances. Since it was a rather warm day, the roof was open as was the side panel which allows you to see Bankers Life Fieldhouse which is the home of the Indiana Pacers as well as the Indiana Fever of the WNBA. Ironically the Fever were hosting the championship game against the Minnesota Lynx that night.

As for the game we saw, the Colts took the opening kickoff and they drove 80 yards on 11 plays to score the game's first touchdown to lead 7-0. Their rookie quarterback, Andrew Luck who was the number one pick in the NFL draft, ran in from three yards out. In the process, they used up half of the quarter.

In the second quarter, the Browns responded with an impressive 90 yard 16 play drive that culminated with a 14 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Greg Little who made an acrobatic catch as he was able to keep his feet in bounds as replay showed from rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden. Unfortunately kicker Phil Dawson missed the point after touchdown due to a bad snap so he didn't get to kick the ball. The Colts lead, 7-6 with 14:01 left in the half.

The Colts went back to work as they drove down the field again. This time they went 76 yards on 14 plays as they extended their lead to 14-6 as Andrew Luck ran in again. This one was from five yards out. The score remained that way as the teams went into the locker room.

In the third quarter, the Browns took the opening kickoff 80 yards on six plays to pull back with in one at 14-13 as wide receiver Josh Gordon caught a 33 yard touchdown pass from Brandon Weeden with 11:53 left. The Colts added to their lead as kicker Adam Vinateri booted a 38 yard field goal with 3:19 left in the quarter to give the Colts a 17-13 advantage.

The score remained the same the rest of the way as the Colts held off the Browns to come away with the win.

After the game, we drove 110 miles to the Queen city of Cincinnati, Ohio for game two of our NFL doubleheader.

Stay tuned for the special post I'm going to do that we'll recap that adventure.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty sees the Giants play the Browns at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon!

View from Section 146 at MetLife Stadium

Sunday afternoon I went out to MetLife Stadium where I met up with my pal Rich Wolber aka Staten Island Rich. We went to see the Super Bowl XXXVI Champion Giants play the Cleveland Browns.

It was a cool day with a light rain falling. Thankfully Rich and I sit in section 146 in the back of the section which is under the over hang in the corner of the end zone.

As for the game we saw, the Giants won the toss as they elected to receive. The first play from scrimmage, running back Ahmad Bradshaw carried for two yards then he fumbled and he lost the ball. As a result, the Browns got the ball deep in Giants' territory. Two plays later, rookie Trent Richardson, the third overall pick in the 2012 draft out of Alabama scored on a 15 yard touchdown run to give the Browns' a 7-0 lead. The Browns held the Giants then they got the ball back and they scored again to take a 14-0 lead. This time rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden hooked up with rookie Josh Gordon from Baylor on a 62 yard touchdown pass.

The Giants fought back as they got on the score board as Eli Manning found Victor Cruz for a 3 yard pass to get the Giants within a touchdown at 14-7.

In the second quarter, the Browns extended their lead to ten, 17-7 as kicker Phil Dawson split the uprights from 32 yards out. The Giants responded with a field goal of their own as Lawrence Tynes hit a 29 yard field goal to make it 17-10. The Giants came back again as they tied the score at 17 thanks to a 4 yard run by Ahmad Bradshaw. The Giants continued to exploit the young Browns as they scored another touchdown to go ahead 24-17 as Eli Manning and Victor Cruz connected again from 7 yards. Just before the half, the Giants got a 40 yard field goal from Tynes with just four seconds to go as they headed into the locker room with an improbable ten point lead, 27-17.

After the Browns failed to score on the opening kick off in the second half, the Giants went back to work. Victor Cruz caught his third touchdown pass of the day to give the Giants' a commanding 34-17 lead with 5:14 left in the third quarter. The Browns managed to get a 41 yard field goal from Phil Dawson to pull within two touchdowns at 34-20 shortly thereafter.

In the fourth quarter, with 5:49 left in the game, rookie David Wilson from Virginia Tech exploded as he ran in a touchdown from 40 yards out to make the score 41-20 Giants. The Browns added another touchdown as Weeden found Josh Gordon for a 20 yard touchdown pass to make it 41-27. That's the way it ended as the Browns stayed winless after five games.

It should be noted after fumbling on the first play from scrimmage, Ahmad Bradshaw rebounded nicely as he wound up rushing for 200 yards on 30 carries.

As a football fan, it was another exciting game to see live.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty returns to Cleveland to meet up with Rick Morris of the FDH Lounge and to see the Browns!

Who let the Dawgs out?

Almost a year to the day when we last saw the Browns play the Jets in Cleveland back on November 14, 2011, we returned to scene of the crime if you will. Mind you that's not meant in a bad way. Please don't get me wrong. Please read for further explanation.

That was a historic day for Royalty because the King and I had the privilege and honor of being introduced to a guy named Rick Morris for the very first time thanks to our pal Ira from Staten Island who calls into sports radio talk shows in different parts of the country. It should be noted he's a regular caller on New York sports radio especially during football season.

Ira told Rick about the King and I numerous times in the past. Finally we all got to meet and greet each other in person once and for all.

As a result, the King and I instantly boggled Rick's mind with our sports travel knowledge and stories. In matter of fact, the King told Rick about his unique road trip that he took back on February 14 & 15, 1997 when he went to Washington DC really Landover, Maryland at the time when the Capitals played at the old USAir Arena aka the Capital Centre where he saw the Tampa Bay Lightning play the Capitals that Friday night. Saturday morning he came back to meet me as we were flying down to Tampa via Baltimore to see his Red Wings play in Florida and Tampa Bay. In addition, we saw the back end of the Lightning and Capitals home and home series as it turned out. That trip alone really got Rick's attention. He still to this day tells me how many people that he's told that story to. Needless to say, everybody was blown away.

With all that being said, the King and I and some special company in the form of Frank Anichiarico as well Mike Carroll aka Sabre Mike were also with us as we arranged to meet Rick at a Cracker Barrel in Willoughby, Ohio on our way to downtown Cleveland to see the Browns play again. This time they were playing the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Rick couldn't join us for the Brown game due to a family commitment. After all, even family comes ahead of Royalty.
 
With that being said, I told Rick we'll all get the best of both worlds instead. As usual, I lived up to my reputation, I promised Rick we'll find a way to see him while we were going to be in his neck of the woods.
Rick being a rare breed like myself was very willing to make it work out. We decided to go to Cracker Barrel to have breakfast together. Afterwards, I made some special time for him per his request to do a podcast so he could hear our tentative plans for the remainder of 2011 and the game plan that lies ahead for 2012.

For your listening pleasure, please see the special post that I did previously which has our conversation linked up.

After we said our goodbyes, we all went on with our day. Rick went his way and the rest of us went to see the Browns play.

We arrived in downtown Cleveland with plenty of time to spare before the game started. Another game plan was perfectly executed.

As for the game we saw, it was a battle of two teams that were evenly matched record wise. The Browns and the Jaguars both came in with gaudy 3-6 records.

As the game wore on, the statistics were almost identical. Unlike the Jet game we saw here last year, the score didn't end in a tie like should have.

Despite missing a late field goal in the fourth quarter that would extended the Browns' lead to a touchdown, the Browns were forced to hold on for dear life as they survived a last second scare to defeat the Jaguars as time ran out, 14-10.

With that, it was time to say goodbye to Cleveland as we had to drive back home 480 miles in order to get our friend Mike Carroll back to Grand Central Station so he could make the last train at 1:50AM so he could go home.

In addition, the King had to go to work at 2AM. I managed to stop for a quick dinner break as well as other needed rest stops in order to finish the mission. I got back to NYC with plenty of time to spare as I dropped off Mike Carroll at 1:10AM. He made his train and he arrived home safely. Then I took the King to the Post Office which was a few blocks away.

I proceeded to drop off Frank in Queens where he lives then I took myself home.

Another amazing and memorable weekend was put in the unwritten book.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty visits the Mobile FDH Lounge while in Cleveland on Sunday morning!

Royalty was headed to the Cleveland Browns game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday morning.

On the way we made a pit stop at Cracker Barrel where we met up with Rick Morris of the FDH Lounge in his mobile office.

Rick who's a huge fan of the King and I wanted to catch up in person on our whereabouts past, present and future.

For all the details, please take a moment to listen to what the Prince had to say.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPhbdc9QX7E

As always, I want to personally thank Rick Morris for going out of his way to meet up with us.

It's always a privilege and a honor to speak to someone who truly cares and takes an interest in our unique accomplishments like Rick does.

I look forward to keeping Rick abreast of how the royal game plan continues to play out as we fast approach 2012.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty debuts on the FDH Lounge on Internet TV!‏

Last night was a first for Royalty as I was interviewed live on Internet TV.

I want to personally thank Ira Lieberfarb aka Ira from Staten Island for ultimately making this happen.

Back on November 14, 2010 the King and I were in Cleveland to see the Jets play the Browns.

Before we went to our seats we stopped off to say hello to Ira.

It should be noted that Ira has seen the Jets play all their home and away games for the last 5 seasons which includes the pre season and the post season.

Ira is a great guy and lifelong Jet fan who doesn't go out of his way to be recognized like Fireman Fraud.

Ira's claim to fame is that he calls all the local sports talk radio stations in the area.

For example, on Saturday he called ESPN radio 1050 in NY. He told the hosts that the Jets were going to beat the Patriots. The hosts sounded like Ira was crazy based on the reaction I heard from them. Ira was right on Sunday. He wasn't crazy after all.

Apparently he calls other parts of the country as well.

When we saw Ira from a distance he got our attention and he rapidly waved us up. We were in the right place at the right time.

Ira was speaking to a gentleman named Rick Morris. He proceeded to introduce the King and I to him. We briefly told him about our adventures. Upon hearing a few stories, Rick was left in awe. Before we parted ways, we exchanged contact information. He told me he hosts a talk radio show on the internet. He said I want to put you guys on my show.

Last night marked the four year anniversary of his Great American Radio Show live on Internet TV which is called the FDH Lounge, "Where nothing is off-topic".

The last few months I've been in contact with Rick e-mailing him my current schedule and past credentials to prove we weren't making this stuff up.

The King caught his attention when he told him about the time he saw the Washington Capitals and the Tampa Bay Lightning play a home and home series on a Friday and Saturday night back in the day I believe in 1997 or 1998. Rick was left speechless when he heard that story.

Unfortunately last night the King was unable to join me because it was in Philadelphia watching the Capitals play the Flyers. It should be noted he's a Red Wing fan. Our friend Frankie Centola called him late last week to tell him he had an extra ticket for him so off he went to see yet another sporting event. The countdown to 400 is on again.

As for me, I came home from work after finalizing a deal for a pair of tickets for the Jets/Steelers AFC Championship game on Sunday in Pittsburgh.

After I got home I had to eat and get ready for my for 30 minutes of fame thanks to Ira and Rick.

As I told Rick on the air I cherished the moment from the bottom of my heart.

I look at this as only the beginning of better and better things to come for Rick and Royalty.

I want to personally thank Rick for giving me the opportunity to "scratch the surface" of what Royalty is all about.

In addition, I want to thank those who were able to get access to the show on the internet. Those who couldn't I know you were there in spirit.

I did my best to acknowledge a number of people who I've been blessed to meet in my life who have made my lifestyle what it is today. Without them, this blog would have never happened.

I said 2010 was a great year but 2011 is going to be even better.

So far I look like I know what I'm talking about and the year has just started. I can only imagine what the future holds.

Please keep abreast with me and my blog so you know what's going on in the Life of Royalty.

If and when you want to meet and greet me just let me know so I can arrange to make it happen. Hopefully the King will be around as well. If not, he could be at a game near you.

Thank you for your continued support in the past, present and future.

I hope you enjoyed Rick's show. If so, you can tune in every Tuesday night from 7-10PM. I plan to be apart of a future show.

I want to thank everybody for spending their precious time on me.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty attracts attention at Cleveland Browns Stadium as Jets stun Browns in OT!

Prince at Cleveland Browns Stadium

 

After an eventful Saturday night in Buffalo, the King and I continued our road trip to Cleveland, Ohio to see the Jets play the Browns Sunday afternoon.

We were supposed to be joined by our friend from Cleveland, Bessanne Hustosky but unfortunately she told us she couldn't make it due to not feeling well. Her company was missed.

Even though Bessanne wasn't up to the test, the King and I weren't alone. We wound up seeing Ira from Staten Island who sees every Jet game home and away. In addition, he's a regular caller on sports radio shows home and away also.

Speaking of out of town sports radio, Ira introduced the King and I to a guy named Rick Morris who runs a sports talk show on the internet. He instantly wants to put the King and I on a future show.

His website has been added to my blog list so I strongly suggest that you check it out.

We were privileged and honored that Rick was so willing to hear about our past and future adventures.
He said and I quote "you guys are living the dream". He was left in awe of the overview we briefly gave him.

As for the game we saw, it was a thriller indeed. In the end, it turned out right for Ira, the King and I.

The Jets once again found a way to win the game. The Browns with their quarterback of the future now in place in Colt "the real" McCoy who gave the Jets everything they could handle.

We were willing to accept a tie then all of a sudden Santonio Holmes deked and slipped through a tackle and he found his way into the end zone for the winning touchdown with just 16 seconds left in the extra session to give the Jets an incredible 26-20 victory.

It was another stunning ending on the road for Gang Green.

Mark Sanchez was amazing as he alluded would be tackles for sacks and on numerous occasions he completed passes to sustain drives with his ability to buy himself extra time.

As a result, Jerricho Cotchery wound up catching a touchdown pass and a huge pass on third and nine to get a first down in overtime.

What a performance it was for Sanchez and company.

Royalty can proudly say we we're there.

Thank you for reading and following along.

If you're tired of reading about it, then you should do something about it. Talk to me so I can make it happen for you.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty will be in Buffalo and Cleveland in the middle of the month!

Here's the game plan:

I'm renting a car Saturday morning from Avis for the weekend.

I'm going to pick up The King and we'll be heading up to Western New York and then we'll be continuing West through Erie, Pennsylvania en route to Cleveland, Ohio before returning home late Sunday night.

Saturday, November 13th Capitals at Sabres 7PM

We'll be meeting up with our roadtrip buddies from B-lo, Andrew Kulyk and Peter Farrell of the Ultimate Sports Road Trip aka USRT.

Sunday, November 14th Jets at Browns 1PM

I plan to see the Jets deliver another roadkill against their former coach Eric Mangini.

More importantly, I look forward to seeing our friend Bessanne who lives in Cleveland. She's planning to join us for the game.

If you're interested in going on this getaway royalty style just let me know so I can arrange to have you join us.

It's going to be a blast so why not come for a "royal" ride.

Thank you for reading.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman