Royalty enjoys some Southern Hospitality in August!‏

Friday August 8th‎, my day got off to a rough start. My alarm clock stopping working in the middle of the night. I set the alarm for 4:30AM. It never rang. I woke up at 5:58AM. I had to catch a 7AM flight on Delta Airlines at LaGuardia Airport. I was already to call them to tell them I can't make my flight. Instead I decided to hustle out of the house. I got dressed & I went outside. I walked around the block & I hailed a cab. Thankfully the airport is nearby. I got out of the cab at the Delta terminal at 6:20AM. I wisely checked in online at work the day before. That saved me for sure. The line was long to check in. Since I was checked in, I was able to proceed right to the security check area. Thankfully the line there was relatively short. I got through faster than I thought. I proceeded to the gate & I waited a short time before I boarded the plane to Atlanta, Georgia. 
 

My name in lights 625

Chevy Sonic

 Upon arrival in Atlanta, I had to take a tram ride to the car rental center where I picked up my car rental from Hertz for the weekend. Since I'm a Club Gold member I got to see my name in lights. I then proceeded to the car they had waiting for me. ‎I wound up getting a Chevy Sonic which came equipped with a XM radio. I got in & I proceeded to drive towards Memphis, Tennessee which was 400 miles away. I had all day to get there plus I gained an hour because Memphis is in the Central Time zone. 

Sweet Home Alabama

I made some stops along the way. The first stop was when I got into the state of Alabama. I pulled off to the side of the road so I could take a picture of the welcome sign. I then drove a mile or two to the welcome center‎ which had tourist information so I could take a fast break. While I was there, a gentleman who worked there ironically named Gary gave me directions for a short cut. He told me the road was under construction but that day it just reopened. He called up to make sure. The person he spoke to confirmed that. He also mapped out where the ballpark was in Birmingham. With being said, I had reason to make another pit stop.

Me inside Regions Field in Birmingham

Birmingham was 90 miles away. So that worked out well. When I got out of the car it was scorching hot. Summer had finally arrived. I decided to walk over to the ballpark which is called Regions Field & I got to take a look inside. The Barons were playing that night but I decided to keep driving to Memphis, Tennessee instead. I got back on the road & I continued on. On the way I stopped again when I crossed the border into the state of Mississippi. I went into their welcome center. After a short break I got back in the car I kept driving. Shortly thereafter, I decided to stop again to get gas since the gauge was running down. It turned out to be a a wise move because shortly after I got back on the road I wound up driving through a heavy downpour. After I weathered the storm, I was approaching the Memphis area. When I saw a sign saying there was a Tops Bar-B-Q off an exit in Olive Branch, Mississippi I decided to get off. I was starving ‎& since I always remember hearing their commercial when I listen to my pal Eric Hasseltine who has a sports talk show 2-4PM M-F Central Time on ESPN radio 92.9, I wanted to see how good it really was. 

Mississippi

Tops Bar-B-Q

Memphis Best Since 1952

Sampler platter

 I wound up having a sampler platter that consisted of ribs, brisket & pork shoulder. It came with cole slaw, fries & a roll. It was delicious. I'm so glad I got the opportunity to enjoy it. I've been to Beale Street in the past so there was no need for me to have dinner there this time. With that being said, Tops did the trick. 

Howdy Tennessee

After I finished eating, I got back in the car & I drove to downtown Memphis. I parked the car on the street within a short walk of Autozone Park, home of the Memphis Redbirds. They're the Triple A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They were playing the New Orleans Zephyrs, the Miami Marlins top farm team that night. Thankfully the rain stayed away. It was a hot night in the Bluff City though. I walked around the ballpark before the game started. I heard great things about it & I wasn't disappointed either. I'm glad I got to finally get there.

Outside Autozone Park in Memphis

View from behind home plate in section 100

As for the game I saw, it started off sloppy as both teams made errors in the first inning that resulted in a few runs for each team. Things settled down as the game went on. Both teams added a run each until the seventh inning when the Cardinals scored again to take a 4-3 lead. Unfortunately for the locals in attendance that didn't hold up. In the top of the ninth inning, the Zephyrs took advantage of another costly error which enabled them to tie ‎& take the lead as they went on to beat the Redbirds, 5-4. 

After the game, I drove a short distance to East Memphis where I spent the night at Baymont Inn & Suites.

Stay tuned for another special post that will go into detail about the rest of the weekend getaway.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty had a December to Remember!

The month of December got started with a two sport doubleheader as the King & I went to MetLife Stadium on the 1st to see the Jets play their division rival, the Miami Dolphins. The Jets continued their downward spiral as they lost for the third week in a row. After that debacle, we went to the Transformed Garden to see the Knicks take on the New Orleans Pelicans. After a night off on Monday night, I had a busy week. Tuesday night I went to the Barclays Center to see the Nets host the Denver Nuggets. Wednesday night I went to Newark, NJ to see the Devils do battle with the Montreal Canadiens at the Prudential Center. Earlier in the day, our pal & fellow roadtripper Paul Derrick who recently got back in touch with me came to visit the King & I for the weekend. He wound up meeting up with our pal Eddie Pelle who arranged to meet him & they both went out to Stony Brook for a college basketball game that night. Thursday night after work I met up with Paul & the King at the Barclays Center as the Nets hosted the Knicks in their first meeting of the season. It should be noted that many Knick fans who are priced out of the Garden made their presence felt in Brooklyn. Friday night the King & I went back to the Rock as the King's favorite hockey team, the Detroit Red Wings came to the area to play the Devils. Paul wanted to see Madison Square Garden for the first time so I sold him my ticket for the Knick game. They played the Orlando Magic. Saturday morning Paul joined the King & I as well as our friend Frank Anichiarico aka Duck as we all took Megabus to Philadelphia for the day. We all saw three basketball games. The first one was at the Wells Fargo Center where the Temple Owls were playing the Texas Longhorns at Noon. We wound up meeting up with some friends of ours there. We had Manny Morales & Andrew Van Cleve who brought his son Micah with him. After that game, we went to the Landmark Americana for a late lunch/early dinner. We met up with our pal Frankie Centola who practically lives there when he's not working. It worked out well since we had our second game at Drexel which is right there. The Drexel Dragons played the Tennessee State Tigers at 4PM. After that game, Paul Derrick decided to go to the Palestra to see the University of Penn play Wagner College while the King, Frank & I went back to the Wells Fargo Center to see the 76ers play the Denver Nuggets. After the games, we all met up near Drexel because Megabus is located a few blocks from there. It worked out well as we all got to do what we set out to do. Sunday afternoon Paul joined the King & I as we went into Midtown Manhattan & we met up with our friend Larry Peim who drove us all out to MetLife Stadium where we saw the Jets play the Oakland Raiders. Our pal Eddie Pelle joined us too. After the game, I went back into Manhattan so I could go to see the Rangers play the Washington Capitals that night. The King wound up going with Eddie & Paul to see Rutgers play basketball against the Pirates of Seton Hall instead. 

The week of 12/9 started with a night off. It should be noted that Paul who stayed with the King & I while he visited got up very early so he could catch his flight back to Houston, Texas where he lives. Tuesday night the King & I went to the Barclays Center to see the Nets host the Boston Celtics who they made the big off season trade with that brought Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce & Jason Terry to Brooklyn. Wednesday night we went to the Transformed Garden to see the Knicks play the Chicago Bulls who lost their star guard Derrick Rose again for the season thanks to another knee injury. Thursday night we went back to the Barclays Center as the Nets took on the Los Angeles Clippers. After having a rare Friday night off, I went to the Hynes Athletic Center in New Rochelle Saturday afternoon where I saw my first game at Iona. The Gaels as they're called played the Bonnies of St. Bonaventure which is located in Upstate NY near Buffalo in Olean, New York. After that game, I went out to Newark, NJ & I saw the Devils host the Tampa Bay Lightning that night at the Prudential Center. Sunday afternoon the King & I went to MetLife Stadium for a possible Super Bowl preview as the Seattle Seahawks came to play the Giants. They wound up shutting them out, 23-0. After that game, the King & I took NJ Transit back into Penn Station. We went to Brother Jimmy's BBQ for dinner before we went to the Garden to see the Rangers play the Calgary Flames that night. We were joined by my pal Greg Venuto who came down from Norwalk, Connecticut with his buddy Paul Bosler. They were also going to the Ranger game. We all got to enjoy each others company as well as a great southern style meal. 

The week of 12/16 started off well as I wound up meeting up with my friends Peter & Carmen Agnew from Baltimore who came to NYC to visit for a week. They had bought tickets for the Knick game that Monday night through the Manhattan Club where they stay when they come to visit. Ironically the Washington Wizards were playing the Knicks that night so it was an added bonus for them. We wound up meeting up for dinner at the La Parisienne Restaurant then we all went to the Garden together. It was great to see them again. Tuesday night I returned to the Garden this time for the Jimmy V Classic as the Pittsburgh Panthers played the Cincinnati Bearcats in the first game of the doubleheader which was followed by the Florida Gators who took on the Memphis Tigers. I was joined my pal, Frank Anichiarico. Wednesday night my boss took my co-workers & I out for a holiday dinner after work at il vagabondo. Thursday night after work I had a company Christmas party in the building where we work. Friday night I went out to Newark, NJ to see the Devils play the Anaheim Ducks at the Prudential Center.

Eric Hasseltine

Saturday the King & I went to the Transformed Garden as the Knicks hosted the Memphis Grizzlies at Noon. I got to see my pal Eric Hasseltine who called the game along with my other pal Elliot Perry aka Socks. It was great to see them again. We got to catch up before they went on the air. I listen online to Eric on ESPN Radio 929 when I'm at work. He has a sports talk show that airs 2-4PM Central Time Monday-Friday. He's a great listen. The Grizzlies wound up beating the Knicks. I was so happy for these guys. It's been a rough start for them since the Grizzlies lost their star player Marc Gasol. After the game, the Grizzlies went back home while the King & I went out to the Nassau Coliseum to see the Islanders play the Anaheim Ducks. Sunday we went to MetLife Stadium to see the Jets play the Cleveland Browns in their final home game. After the game, I went to see the Rangers take on the Minnesota Wild that night.

Sojka Pavilion 

Prince at Giant Center

Heinz Field

BMO Harris Bank Center

Wings Stadium

 The week of 12/23 the King & I went to the Barclays Center as the Nets played the Indiana Pacers. After spending Christmas Eve at Donovan's Pub, we returned to Brooklyn where we saw the Nets & Chicago Bulls play on Christmas Day. I did my laundry Thursday night as I prepared for the busy weekend getaway we had. Friday night after work, I went to the Prudential Center to see the Devils & Columbus Blue Jackets with the King. Saturday morning I went to Avis & I rented a car for a week. The King & I wound up driving to see a college basketball game in Bucknell, Pennsylvania. We saw the Bucknell Bison play the Fairfield Stags that afternoon at the Sojka Pavilion. That night we went to Hershey, PA where we saw the Hershey Bears play the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at the Giant Center. After spending the night at Knights Inn in Somerset, PA we drove to Pittsburgh to see the Steelers attempt to keep their slim playoff hopes alive against the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field. The Steelers won but they didn't make the playoffs since the San Diego Chargers won their game. Monday the King & I drove 550 miles to Rockford, Illinois where we saw a minor league hockey game as the Rockford IceHogs hosted the Charlotte Checkers. When we arrived in downtown Rockford, it was barely above zero degrees. We walked over to a local restaurant called the District Bar & Grill. We ate dinner there then we walked a few blocks to the BMO Harris Bank Center, home of the IceHogs. Tuesday we drove to Kalamazoo, Michigan as we closed out 2013 at Wings Stadium, home of the Kalamazoo Wings. They played the Cincinnati Cyclones. With that being said, I finished 2013 with 350 live sporting events. I only had 100 less than the King who ended up with 450.

Stay tuned for a special post that will recap how we spent our New Year's Day to start 2014. In addition, I'll try my best to catch up on my recent whereabouts.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 4/8 in review

Monday night after work I came home I ate dinner and relaxed for a change. Thanks to the baseball schedule makers, the Mets and Yankees were both on the road this week after they both opened the season together at home during opening week. As a result, I got an early break from baseball. The King on the other hand, rented a Toyota Corolla from Avis for 15 days so he could drive around the Northeast to see as many baseball games as possible.

Tuesday night after work I went to the Barclays Center for the last time this season since I didn't get the playoff tickets because the King & I prefer to go to see baseball instead. In addition, the prices for the playoff tickets were too pricey for our liking so we passed up the opportunity to get them.

I wound up going to McDonald's at the Atlantic Center Mall for dinner before the game. I ran into my pals Harry Schwartz and Dennis Barbera who were eating there too. Once we got done, we all walked across the street and we went into the arena to see the Nets host the Philadelphia 76ers. When I got to my seat in section 230 row 13 I met up with my friend Frank Anichiarico who was using the King's ticket. Frank is a 76er observer if you will.

As for the game we saw, the Nets made fast work of the 76ers as they built a big lead early and they never looked back as they defeated the 76ers, 104-83 much to Frank's chagrin.

Reggie Evans scored 17 points and he grabbed 24 rebounds while his teammate Brook Lopez added a game high 29 points and he pulled down 11 rebounds as the Nets cruised past the 76ers who had a disappointing season.

Wednesday night after work I went out to Newark, NJ to see the Devils take on the Boston Bruins at the Prudential Center for the last time this season. I was joined by Vincent Ascanio and Frank Anichiarico who were also there. I decided to get an Angus burger that came with Nathan's fries for dinner at the arena per Vincent's recommendation. It tasted really good.

As for the game we saw, the Bruins raced out to an early 4-0 lead 3:06 into the second period. I was thinking of my pal Eric Hasseltine who happens to be a big Bruin fan. I updated him throughout the game. It appeared that it was going to be an easy win for his Bruins. It turned out not to be the case as the Devils finally awoke as they scored three unanswered goals to get within a goal 4-3 with 14:02 left in the third period. The Bruins responded right back as they added an insurance goal with 12:27 to go up 5-3. It turned out to be a huge goal because the Devils fought back and finally cut the lead to 5-4 with 37 seconds to go. Fortunately for Eric and the number of Bruin fans that were part of the sellout crowd of 17,625, the Bruins were able to hang on as they escaped the swamp land with a win. As a result, it hurt the Devils slim playoff hopes.

Thursday night after work I came home and I made myself dinner. Once I got done I went out and I did my laundry around the block.

Stay tuned as I'm going to do some special posts that we'll recap the memorable weekend I had. Please bear with me as I try to continue to find time to catch up.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 3/25 in review

Prince at MSG for Knicks & Grizzlies

Monday night after work I went home since they were no local games going on in the area. It was nice to be home so I could make myself dinner and relax.

Tuesday night after work I wound up meeting up with the King, his mother, Bryan Gilligan, Frank Anichiarico, Phil Butleman and Al Linderman for dinner at Donovan's Pub. Since there were no games again in the area we all decided to meet up so we could do our annual baseball picks. We all took turns reading off our division winners for all of the six different divisions, three in each league. In addition, we all ranked how we thought the American League East and National League East divisions would finish at the end of the season. Furthermore, we all picked the team we thought will win the World Series.

As for me, I showed off my Natitude. With Stephen Strasburg ready to go the full season this year with no restrictions, I firmly believe the Nationals have a realistic chance of getting back to the post season in October. In addition, I expect my boy Gio Gonzalez to continue his climb to stardom like he did last year. He finished his first season as a National with a league leading 21 wins. I don't think he'll duplicate that this year but he should win his fair share to help the team reach their ultimate goal. We'll see how it plays itself out over the next six months.

Wednesday night after work I went to Charley's Subs in Penn Station for dinner before I headed upstairs to Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks host the Memphis Grizzlies who were making their only appearance at the World's Most Famous Arena this season.

With that being said, I got to catch up with my pal Eric Hasseltine who is the play by play announcer for the Grizzlies and he has been for every game since they moved to Memphis back in 2001. He was joined by former NBA player Elliot Perry who was does some of the games as the color commentator. Ironically it was the night before Elliot's birthday. I told him I hope the Grizzlies win so he gets an early birthday present. He said that would be nice. Socks as he was known during his playing days, is a great guy. I got to speak to both of them for a short time before they went on the air to call the game back in Memphis on 92.9 ESPN Radio. That station is also the home of the Eric Hasseltine Show which airs M-F 2-4PM Central time. In the Eastern time zone I tune in online from 3-5PM. I've become a regular listener since the beginning of January once I figured out that I could tune in and listen to him online at work. Eric does a tremendous job. He has me hooked every afternoon in the office. It truly is the best two hours of my work day. I try my best to pay close attention to the show hoping that my work load isn't too distracting for me because Eric really knows his stuff. I'm not just trying to toot his horn. I'm a tough critic. When I really like something, I like to give credit where it's due. I sincerely love his show. When I spoke to him I told him how much I enjoy it from his opening introduction with his producer Ben Hogan aka @notthegolfer on Twitter, the Analyst Tuesday segment each week to the rapid fire that he does in the last segment to end each show. In between, he usually has a number of guests that come on and when time allows he takes calls and he reads off tweets from his followers on Twitter. To follow him, go to @EricHasseltine. As for Socks, he can be found at @ElliotPerry34. Tune in for yourself and I think you'll become an avid listener like me.

As for the game we saw, the Grizzlies played with Marc Gasol who was a late addition to the line up. Unfortunately he didn't inspire his teammates who got off to a 3-0 lead but it was all down hill from there as the Knicks shot the lights out from all over the court especially from behind the three point arc where they made 13 treys for the game. Most of them came in the first half when they scored 69 points to go into halftime up by 28, 69-41. The Grizzlies were literally blown out of the building. Their grit grind style of basketball didn't exist in the first 24 minutes. In the second half, they finally woke up but by then it was too little too late as the Knicks escaped with a 108-101 victory. The Grizzlies cut the lead to 5 late in the game but they just couldn't overcome the hole they dug for themselves as they split the season series with the Knicks. The King and I were at the FedEx Forum back in November for that Grizzlie win. This was payback time for the Knicks.

J.R. Smith led the scoring assault as he lead all scorers with 35 points. Carmelo Anthony added 22 of his own. It should be noted that Iman Shumpert was the real difference maker especially early in the game as he hit six treys as he finished with 16 points that was pivotal in setting the tone for the night for the Knicks. It helped that the Grizzlies' defense couldn't keep up with the Knicks who had one open shot after another.

As for the Grizzlies, Mike Conley had a team high 26 points while Jerryd Bayless had 24. It should be noted Tony Allen played well in the lackluster team performance. Marc Gasol playing due being hurt finished with 13 points.

Eric Hasseltine & Elliot Perry doing post game show

After the game, I said my farewell to Eric & Elliot after the disheartening loss. Eric said they have trouble playing well on the road.

Thursday night after work I came home again. The timing was good because I needed to get ready for my weekend getaway.

Friday night after work I went back to the Garden to see the Knicks take on the Charlotte Bobcats. The King and our pal Bryan Gilligan drove down to Philadelphia. They went to see the Phillies play the Blue Jays in an exhibition game at Citizens Bank Park.

Bryan said and I quote "this was probably the best game I'll see all year." It's funny since the regular season hadn't even started yet. It's hard to argue with him. They saw a 1-0 Blue Jay win that took a mere 2 hours and 5 minutes to play even with numerous changes.

As for the game I saw, the Knicks played a game that was eerily similar to the game they played against the Grizzlies. This time they put up 69 points again in the first half as they lead by 22 at halftime, 69-47. They only made nine shots from beyond the arc for the game this time. In the second half, the Knicks slacked off as they knew they had the game in hand since the Bobcats aren't nearly as good as the Grizzlies. They were right as it turned out. The Knicks went on to beat the Bobcats, 111-102.

Once again J.R. Smith led all scorers. This time he poured in 37 points. Carmelo Anthony contributed 32.
As for the Bobcats, Gerald Henderson led the way with 35 points. Kemba Walker who's from the Bronx had 16 points in his homecoming.

Stay tuned for the special posts I'm going to do regarding our Easter weekend getaway. Please bear with me as I try to find time to do them.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty catches up with Eric Hasseltine & Elliot Perry of the Memphis Grizzlies at the Barclays Center!

Eric Hasseltine, me & Elliot Perry 

Royalty always shows loyalty to special people. Back on December 4, 2006 I met up with Eric Hasseltine who is the radio announcer of the Memphis Grizzlies. He's done every Grizzlie game since they moved to the Bluff City in 2001. I've met up with him on a number of occasions since then. He's always treated me like royalty when he sees me. He's given me media guides and pocket schedules which I like to collect. They're educational & I get to follow up on the Grizzlies who have had their share of bad teams over the years. Nowadays they have arguably their best team in franchise history.

Since the Grizzlies play in such a small market they barely get noticed in the media which is a shame.
They recently made a trade that forced them to get rid of one of their best players in Rudy Gay. They needed to do so because they need to be fiscally responsible going forward to sustain long term success. In the NBA, there's a salary cap and you can't be successful spending freely especially in a small market like Memphis.

As a result, the Grizzlies made a trade to put them in position to succeed for many years to come. Since the move, they've played together as a team which is what they need to do to compete on a daily & nightly basis. With that being said, the team is reaping the rewards and it shows. They're in the midst of an eight game winning streak right now. They use their grit grind style which is their formula for success. It may not be the most entertaining style of basketball but all that matters is the bottom line. As long as they win, people will take a liking to it.

With that being said, Eric who has his own sports talk show in Memphis on 929 ESPN radio weekdays M-F 2-4PM central time has told his listening audience he has become a fan of their style. He said you usually prefers to see a high powered offense but he loves the way this team plays defense. He sees every minute of every game so he knows that their style can be successful when they play as a team. As long as they keep doing what they've been doing, the Grizzlies can be a force in the playoffs. Hard work pays off.

Speaking of hard work, Elliot Perry aka Socks who played in the NBA from 1991-2002 with a number of different teams including the Suns, Bucks and Nets made a living on his sharp shooting and his heart and hustle. He started in the old CBA back in the day which as he said was true grit and grind.

I had the privilege of meeting him a few years ago when he was doing a game on the radio with Eric at Madison Square Garden when the Grizzlies came to play the Knicks.

He's such a good guy & a true class act. He took a picture of Eric & I after we talked for a little while.
I got to see these guys together again on New Year's Eve when I went to Indianapolis to see the Grizzlies play the Pacers. He told me that he will be in Brooklyn with Eric to call the Grizzlies game against the Nets.
With that being said, Sunday night we all reunited at the Barclays Center. It was great to see these guys again. As usual, they made time to talk to me and we were able to catch up. In addition, I got to take a picture with both of them.

I told Eric that I've become a regular listener to his show which is appropriately titled the Eric Hasseltine Show online. He's a great host and I love hearing his opinions and takes on sports. He usually talks about basketball but he sprinkles in other sports from time to time.

When I heard his show on Monday he caught me off guard when he mentioned my name on the air. Like Eric, I prefer high scoring basketball games. I told him it was painful to watch but he made some great points on the show which has me believing in their style too. Like I say, teamwork makes the dream work. The Grizzlies have been following that mind set lately. Hope that trend continues so they can go deep in the playoffs. We'll have to wait and see as it unfolds the rest of the way.

I plan to see them again at the end of March when the Grizzlies make their only visit to the Garden.

In the meantime, I strongly suggest that you tune in and listen to him. I promise you won't be wasting your time.

In addition, you can follow and tweet him on Twitter. His handle is @EricHasseltine. The same goes for Elliot. His handle is @ElliotPerry34.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty goes to Indianapolis again to see the Pacers play the Memphis Grizzlies!

View of new scoreboard from club level

After getting a good night sleep, Domish and I went to Cracker Barrel again for breakfast to start the last day of 2012 off right.

After we ate, we stopped at the Allen War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana to pick up tickets for the minor hockey game that night we were planning to see as the Fort Wayne Komets were hosting the Toledo Walleye in an ECHL battle at 7:30PM. We knew we were going to get there near game time so we wanted to have our tickets so we could go right inside without wasting more time when we arrived.

After we bought the tickets, we drove 130 miles to Indianapolis to see the Pacers play the Memphis Grizzlies in an afternoon game that started at 3PM local time. I knew I was cutting it close to possibly see the whole game. With that being said, I wisely bought some cheap tickets on Stub Hub so I could have a hard ticket stub for my collection just in case we had to bolt out early so we could get back to Fort Wayne as soon as possible.

As we approached the vicinity of Indianapolis, it started snowing lightly. Thankfully it wasn't really sticking to the ground. We wound up parking for $5 in a parking lot that was right near Bankers Life Fieldhouse formerly known as Conseco Fieldhouse which is the home of the Indiana Pacers. We dodged the snow flakes as we walked over to the arena around 2:15PM. Once we got into the arena, I went over to the radio broadcast booth which was located on the club level. Quite amazingly, I got to that area with relative ease. I was in a state of shock. I know people in the Midwest are a lot nicer than most parts of the country but I was still somewhat surprised that I didn't get a hard time like I usually do in other parts of the country.
I went to the visiting side where I patiently waited to see my pal Eric Hasseltine who does the play by play on the radio for the Grizzlies. While I waited for him, I got to talk to former NBA player and part time color commentator Elliot Perry who ironically took a picture of Eric and I at Madison Square Garden a few years ago. He did indeed remember me. Shortly thereafter, Eric showed up. We spoke briefly. He said to come back at halftime since he had to get ready to call the game. With that being said, I decided since it didn't look like they were going to have a huge crowd, I decided to sit near them. I lucked out big time as I turned out to be right. They announced a crowd of 14,979. As a result, I got to see the game from a great vantage point. I originally told Domish I would meet him upstairs where our seats were. I wrote him and I told him to come down to join me. He said he was content staying upstairs. So I stayed where I was and I enjoyed the game. I was very impressed with the huge scoreboard they installed before the season started.

As for the game we saw, the Pacers and Grizzlies we're tied at 19 after the first quarter. The Grizzlies went ahead 41-38 at the half.

During the intermission, fans who were selected from the crowd were hypnotized as part of the in house entertainment while the players were in their respective locker rooms.

I wound up seeing Eric Hasseltine and Elliot Perry aka "Socks" as we spoke about the first halftime which I thought was a horrible display of basketball. The shooting overall was awful. I told Elliot he should go out there and play. He told me he can't, his knees are shot. He was a 47% career shooter. He was humble about it, he said he shot a lot of lay ups. I remember him having a nice outside shot. Furthermore, I told him I hope the Grizzlies pull away and blow out the Pacers. He was in total agreement with me. I wanted to see the Grizzlies win and I knew I may have to leave early so that would have been a perfect scenario.

As for Eric, we got to catch since I saw him in the middle of November at the FedEx Forum when the King and I were in Memphis. He's been enjoying the good start the Grizzlies have gotten off to. For his sake, I hope they can keep it up. I told them I'll see them again when they come to NYC at the end of February. The Grizzlies play the Nets at the Barclays Center and the end of March when the Grizzlies play the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

I want to personally thank Eric and Elliot for taking some of their precious time to talk with me. They appreciated my continued support for the Grizzlies who I've taken a liking to back in December 2006 when I first met Eric. He's such a great guy. He's been working for the Grizzlies since they moved to Memphis back in 2001.

As for the second half of the game, the Grizzlies padded their lead to double figures but they slacked off at the end of the third quarter which allowed the Pacers to get within seven, 67-60 after three quarters. I sensed the Grizzlies were in trouble. In the fourth quarter, the Pacers continued their comeback much to my chagrin. As the game wore on, the Pacers took the lead. I knew Domish who's a big hockey fan wanted to leave so with 1:04 left in the game and a time out was called we decided it was time to go. The Pacers led, 82-79 at that time. The Pacers wound up beating the Grizzlies, 88-83. I felt bad for Eric and Elliot as the Grizzlies let this one get away.

Stay tuned for the special post that I'm going to do that will recap our return to Fort Wayne as time was running out on 2012.

Thank you for reading and following.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty catches up with Eric Hasseltine, Memphis radio announcer at FedEx Forum in Memphis!

Eric Hasseltine and I

Back in December 2006 at Madison Square Garden, I met up with Eric Hasseltine who calls the Memphis Grizzlies games on radio. I had asked him if had a Grizzlie pocket schedule. He said in matter of fact I do. I told him about all the traveling I do. He seemed very interested.

Since that night, I've always looked for him whenever the Grizzlies came to play the Knicks and/or the Nets. He would always stop his busy work load to acknowledge my presence. With that being said, I knew he was a good guy.

I've seen him numerous times over the years but I never got to see him in Memphis. I was determined to do so.

I told him I wanted to get back to the FedEx Forum. I was planning to go there last year but then the NBA was locked out and the season started late so I didn't get to back up what I said.

When the NBA schedule came out in late July, I noticed the Grizzlies were home when I was planning to see the Jets play in St. Louis. Ironically the Knicks happened to be playing the Grizzlies the same weekend. Regardless my main goal was to see Eric Hasseltine.

When I entered the building, I searched around to find the broadcast booth where Eric would be calling the game from. Once I found it, I knew I had to sweet talk an usher to let me go to where he was. I tried asking a lady and he refused to let me go down without a ticket for her section. As usual, I didn't accept no for an answer. I went to the next section and I asked the guy who was on guard if I could go down to see the radio announcer. He thankfully said yes. I was so excited.

I waited patiently for a few minutes then Eric got my attention. He told me to wait a few minutes and he came back with a Grizzlies media guide for me. That was so nice of him. He seemed all stressed out. He told me they gave him an unexpected assignment. That what happens when the team is winning he said. He still spoke to me for a few minutes. It was great to see him again. I told him I hope to see him again on New Year's Eve in Indianapolis when the Grizzlies visit the Pacers. If not, I'll see him when they come to Brooklyn in late February and MSG in late March.

I'm so glad to see the Grizzlies are playing so well. Eric's been with the team since they moved to Memphis from Vancouver back in 2001. They've had their share of ups and downs. I'm glad they're in the midst of an up swing these days. I hope they continue to play well.

Eric also hosts his own sports radio show on ESPN radio 92.9 in Memphis M-F 2-4PM Central Time. If you want to listen to him, tune in.

He can be found on Twitter. His handle is @EricHasseltine.

I want to personally thank him for giving me some of his precious time while I was in Memphis.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty sees the Knicks play the Grizzlies in Memphis!

Me Outside the FedEX Forum

Friday morning the King and I flew to St. Louis for the weekend. Upon arrival, I rented a car from Hertz for the weekend. I didn't like the car they gave in the Hertz Gold stall so I told the young lady I needed a car with a trunk. She told me to take a Toyota Camry or a Chevy Cruze. I decided to go with the Camry which was a nice upgrade to the car they were going to give me.

Once we pulled out of the Hertz lot, I noticed a place to eat called the Golden Pancake Family restaurant. I was hungry so I went in to eat. The King wasn't hungry so he stayed in the car. I had some bacon, sausage, eggs and pancakes for breakfast. It was very good. It set the tone for another great weekend getaway.
After I ate, I got back in to the car and we drove towards Memphis, Tennessee. On the way there, we stopped off at Super 8 in Cape Girardeau and we were able to check in early. It worked out well. We were able to drop off our bags and we relaxed for a short time before we continued on to Memphis.

We finally arrived in Memphis shortly after 6PM local time. We parked the car on the street within walking distance from Beale Street which is where the FedEx Forum home of the Grizzlies is located.

This was our first game there since our only other visit back on November 12, 2004 when we saw the Grizzlies play the Golden State Warriors.

Before we went inside, we took a stroll up and down the legendary strip of restaurants and entertainment on Beale Street. We decided to go into a place called Pig on Beale for a pre game dinner. Their slogan is its pork with an attitude. I had a ribs sampler which consisted of ribs, pulled pork and a smoked chicken thigh. The King had some ribs. It turned out to be a good choice. Once we were done, we went inside the arena so we could refresh our memories about the FedEx Forum.

Before the game, I was able to catch up with my pal Eric Hasseltine, he's the radio announcer for the Grizzlies. Stay tuned for the special post I'm going to do about our latest get together.
As for the game we saw, the Grizzlies came in with a six game winning streak. For that matter so did the Knicks. With that being said, one streak was going to end.

After the first quarter, the Grizzlies took a 29-25 lead. At halftime, they continued to lead, 54-49. In the third quarter, the Grizzlies pulled away from the Knicks as they extended their lead to 18, 85-67 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter, the Knicks cut the lead down but they weren't able to overcome the Grizzlies who went on to win their seventh straight game as the Knicks suffered their first loss of the young season.
Marc Gasol of the Grizzlies lead all scorers with 24 points but it was his teammate and former Knick Zach Randolph who was a force throughout the game. He scored 20 and he added 15 rebounds to carry the Grizzlies to the victory.

As for the Knicks, Carmelo Anthony paced them with 20 points in the losing effort after he had only nine the night before in San Antonio.

After the game, we drove back to Cape Girardeau, Missouri where we spent the night.

Stay tuned for the special post I'm going to be as our journey continued in Columbia, Missouri.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 2/13 in review

Despite a slow start to the week it still turned out to be a royal one of stadium travel.

Here's how it went:

Monday night after work I had a night off so I was able to catch up on things at home and I was able to get some much needed rest too.

Tuesday night after work I went home and I did my laundry.

Wednesday night after work I passed up a chance to see some Linsanity as the Knicks played the Sacramento Kings at Madison Square Garden. It turned out to be a wise move as the Knicks blew out the Kings and Linsanity was limited to only 26 minutes. We arranged for our friend Mike Carroll to have the opportunity to witness some Linsanity instead. Regardless of the outcome, he said he had a great time.

As for the King and I, we went out to Newark, NJ to see the Nets play the Memphis Grizzlies. As a result, I got to see my pal Eric Hasseltine, the radio announcer for the Grizzlies. He greeted me in royal fashion as he gave me a Grizzlie media guide. In addition, he gave me some pocket schedules which included not only the Grizzlies but the Golden State Warriors and San Jose Sharks too. That alone made it worth going the extra mile to see that game. Unlike the Garden where it's easier to see the radio announcers, I had to find my way to the lower level since they broadcast from courtside. It wasn't easy but I wasn't going to be denied. Needless to say, I wasn't.

I got to talk to Eric briefly because he was very busy preparing for the game he was calling. I told him I hope to go back to Memphis in November, he said and I quote "let me know." If I do get to go back there, I certainly will. I want to personally thank Eric for giving me royal treatment again.

As for the game we saw, it was a much more competitive one than the Knicks. The Nets and Grizzlies went back and forth holding leads. In the end, the Nets ran out of gas as they fell to Grizzlies who "grinded" out the victory, 105-100. They were led by Rudy Gay who scored 25 points and his teammate Maurice Speights added 20 points to go along with 18 rebounds which proved to be the difference. Deron Williams aka D-Will of the Nets finished with 26 points and 11 assists in the losing effort.

Not only did we see a decent game we had great company on hand as our friends Frank Anichiarico and Vincent Ascanio were in attendance. In addition, we got a visit from a special guest, Manny Bonilla was in the house too. It was great to see him again.

Thursday night just before I left work I found out that former Expo and Met Gary Carter passed away. He was a great person and baseball player. I remember getting his autograph when I was a youngster. He was truly a class act and he will be missed.

After work I went to the Garden to see the Rangers host the Chicago Blackhawks who had lost their last nine games. The Blackhawks struck early and often as they built a 4-0 lead just 9:22 into the game. Jonathan Toews scored on a penalty shot just 1:04 into the first period which set the tone. The Blackhawks gave up a few goals later on but they held on to win, 4-2 to end their losing skid.

Friday night after work, the King and I went back out to Newark this time to see the Devils take on the Anaheim Ducks. By doing so, we passed up another night of Linsanity. He had an off night and so did the Knicks as they lost to the lowly New Orleans Hornets. Our friends Frank Anichiarico and Al Linderman took our place instead.

As for the game we saw, the Devils built a 2-0 lead but they wound up squandering it as the Ducks came back to tie the game at two. They went into overtime and it appeared that the Ducks had the game won in the extra session but it was reviewed. Upon further review it was determined that Ducks' Ryan Getzlaf kicked the puck in the net so it was disallowed. The Ducks celebrated prematurely. The game continued and it remained tied at two after overtime. The game was decided in a shootout. Ilya Kovalchuk scored first for the Devils. Teemu Selanne of the Ducks matched him with a goal of his own. After a scoreless second round, Patrik Elias lit the lamp in the third round to give the Devils a 3-2 victory.

Saturday afternoon the King and I went to the Garden to see the St. John's Red Storm play the Bruins of UCLA. We were joined by a number of friends which included Vincent Ascanio, Frank Anichiarico, Rich Wolber aka Staten Island Rich and Steve Tepperman aka Princeton Steve who happens to be a big UCLA fan. In fact, he lived out in LA for a while in the past. While he was there he worked at the Pauley Pavilion where the Bruins play. He said they're playing their games at the LA Sports Arena this year because they're renovating the building.

As for the game we saw, the Red Storm of St. John's beat the Bruins much to Steve's chagrin by a score of 66-63.

After the game, the King, Frank and I trekked out to the Nassau Coliseum where we met up with our pal Bryan Gilligan who joined us for the Islander game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

As for the game we saw, the Islanders and Hurricanes exchanged goals. The game was tied at three after two periods. Early in the third, the Islanders' John Tavares scored his second goal of the game just 38 seconds in to give the Islanders the 4-3 win.

After the game, Bryan drove us home but before doing so we stopped off at Donovan's Pub for a post game meal. We all had a great time. I would like to thank Bryan for joining us.

Sunday afternoon the King and I went back to the Garden this time to get another dosage of Linsanity. We weren't alone either. I arranged to have our buddy Frankie Centola join us since he told us months in advance that he wanted to come up from Philadelphia. In addition, our pal Andrew Van Cleve aka the Ultimate Sports Fan decided he wanted to come up also. So I managed to accomodate his needs and wants as well. Thankfully everything worked out well for all of us.

As for the game we saw, the Knicks played the defending NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks. The Knicks got off to a fast start as they let 32-20 after the first quarter. The Mavericks came roaring back to take the lead later in the game. In the end, the Knicks came away with the win, 104-97. Linsanity proved too much for the Champs to handle as he scored 28 points and he dished out a career high 14 assists in the process.

After the game, we all planned to go to Newark to see another NBA game as the Nets were playing the Milwaukee Bucks that night.

Andrew said he was meeting his friend Mike who he knew from when he lived in Chicago for a late lunch at Brother Jimmy's which is located across the street from the Garden. He said we were all welcome to join him and we did.

It turned out to be a nice get to together for all of us. We parted ways and we reunited in Newark for the Net game.

In addition, we met up with Vincent Ascanio who was there too.

As for the game we saw, the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Nets, 92-85. The Bucks' were lead by Ersan Ilyasova who had a monster game. He scored 29 points and he pulled down 25 rebounds.

During the game, Andrew asked us if we wanted to hang out after the game since he had a few hours to kill before he caught his train back to Philadelphia. Since we weren't working Monday we decided to take him up on his offer.

We wound up going to the Edison Ale House which is located right next to the Prudential Center. We had some amazing beer battered chicken fingers, brick oven pizza and alcoholic beverages while we were there.
Afterwards we all walked to Newark-Penn Station and we all said our goodbyes as we parted ways until the next time we meet up.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty catches up with Memphis Grizzlies radio announcer, Eric Hasseltine at MSG!



Eric Hasseltine and I

On December 4, 2006 when the Memphis Grizzlies came to Madison Square Garden I got to meet and greet their radio announcer, Eric Hasseltine.

Eric is a great guy who I always say hello to when I see the Grizzlies play.

Over the years, I've seen him in a number of times at the IZOD Center when the Nets played there and at the Garden when the Grizzlies come to town.

He has been working for the Grizzlies since they moved from Vancouver to Memphis back in 2001. This is his 10th season with the team behind the mic. It's his 6th season doing their play by play on the radio.

Prior to that he served as their radio host on the pre game, halftime and post game shows.

He's originally from the Bay Area. In addition, he went to college at UC-Davis which is near Sacramento.

That's the same school former Jet quarterback Ken O'Brien went to.

Ironically when I met Eric I told him about my trip that was coming up in January 2007. That one I referred to as the "Bay Area Blast".

The King and I flew out to the Bay area and we saw a bunch of games over Martin Luther King weekend. We went to Cal-Berkeley for a college basketball game upon arrival that Saturday afternoon at the Haas Pavilion followed by the Sacramento Kings that night.

After the game we drove to Reno, Nevada to sleep and we hung out at a casino before returning to Stockton to see a minor league hockey game.

On Martin Luther King Day, we went to Oakland to see the Warriors play in the afternoon and then we went to San Jose that night to see the Sharks.

After the double dip, we caught the red eye flight home.

What a blast that was.

As for the Grizzlies, they've had their share of ups and downs since they moved to Memphis back in 2001.
This season they're playing better than in the past. They came to the Garden on St. Patrick's Day night with a 37-31 record. I told Eric they should make the playoffs. He had his doubts that they would. We'll have to wait and see.

When I asked him his thoughts about the Carmelo Anthony trade he said it was a good trade for both teams.
Time will tell who ultimately got the better of the deal.

While I got to see Eric, I had the privilege of seeing his partner on this night too. I'm referring to former NBA player and part owner of the Grizzlies, Elliot Perry aka "Socks" as Eric calls him. He works some of the games. Fortunately for me, this was one of them.

Eliot was an excellent shooter when he played back in the day. He was known for his knee high socks hence the nickname.

I got to speak to him too. He seemed like a real class act and gentleman. He's the one who took our picture.

I hope someday the Grizzlies can find a way to improve dramatically and win a championship so Eric can have the privilege and honor of calling it.

Keep up the great work, Eric. I'll see you again somewhere when I see the Grizzlies play again.

Hopefully the next time we'll be in Memphis in November barring a lockout and assuming the schedule works out right.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 3/14 in review‏

After work Monday night I went to Newark, NJ to see the Eastern Conference Champion Boston Celtics visit the Prudential Center to play the Nets.

There were plenty of New Englanders in the sold out building to see their Celtics play on the road.

The last time the King and I saw the Nets play the Celtics was in Boston on February 27, 2010. We managed to see the Nets get a rare win too.

Ironically on this night the Nets did it again. This time they hung tough most of the game and they pulled away late to escape with a 88-79 victory.

Those who came in special for the game had a very long ride home.

Tuesday night after work I went back to the "Rock". This time to see the red hot Devils host the Atlanta Thrashers as the playoff push continued.

This game was similar to the one we saw in Edmonton last month with the Thrashers. They took a 2-0 lead and they went on to blow it as the Devils scored four unanswered goals including an empty net one with hardly any time remaining. Just before that the Thrashers almost tied the game but after looking at the replay it was confirmed the puck was knocked in with a high stick.

Wednesday night I went home after work to catch up on rest since they were no games in the area to attend.

Thursday night I went to Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks entertain the Memphis Grizzlies.

More importantly, I was able to visit my buddy Eric Hasseltine, the radio announcer for the Grizzlies. Stay tuned because I'm going to do a special post about him.

As for the game, since it was St. Patrick's Day the crowd was rather rowdy. I had a few idiots who stood up most of the night for no good reason.

Luckily the game was one sided so I was able to tolerate the distraction for the most part.

The Knicks easily cruised to the 120-99 win. The Grizzlies came in clinging to the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

They played without their best player, Rudy Gay.

Friday night I went back to Newark to see the Devils play. It was cool because they wore their old retro jerseys from their inception in NJ back in 1982.

Unfortunately for the Devils they played like the teams that wore those sweaters on a regular basis.

The Devils wound up getting shut out by the surging Washington Capitals 3-0 despite having a sellout crowd.

We did get treated because for this special occasion they brought back their original public address announcer, Bob Arsena.

It was great to hear his voice again behind the mic. He was the voice of the Devils from 1982-2005.

Stay tuned as I'll go into detail regarding our getaway to Norfolk, Virginia and Washington D.C. over the weekend.

I'll be doing some special posts so please bear with me.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Grizzlies flatten the hopeless Nets, 104-94!

It was Chinese Culture Night at the IZOD Center, the Nets responded by getting off to a flying start. They probably played their best quarter of basketball this season.

After the Grizzlies took an early lead at 13-8, the Nets scored 6 in a row to go ahead 14-13. Shortly thereafter, the Nets went on a 13-0 run to make the score 33-18. They wound up leading after the first quarter 36-20.

In the second quarter they went up by as many as 18 at 49-31. Right after that the Nets reverted back to form. They allowed the Grizzlies to get back into the game. They still lead at the half, 58-47.

In the 3rd quarter, the Grizzlies behind their young dyanamic duo of Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo combined to lead the comeback. The Grizzlies went on a 12-0 run to end the 3rd quarter with a 78-74 advantage.

With 10:51 left in the 4th quarter, they build their lead to 9 points at 83-74. The Nets trimmed the deficit down but they couldn't retake the lead.

Late in the game, Rudy Gay who led all scorers with 29 points decided it was time to add an exclamation point to this victory by throwing down a highlight reel slam dunk. He gave the crowd a "wow" feeling! In addition, he had 8 rebounds as well.

O.J. Mayo finished with 24 of his own along with 7 assists.

As for the Nets, they were paced by Brook Lopez who had 26 points, but 22 came of which came in the first half. The Grizzlies defense clamped down on him in the second half. Devin Harris added 17 points to go with 13 assists. Yi Jianlian who's from China was in early foul trouble wound up with 12 points.

On a personal level, before and after the game I was able to spend a few minutes with Eric Hasseltine, the radio play by play announcer for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Eric is a really good guy who's originally from the West Coast near the Bay area in Sacramento, California. I remember meeting him at the Garden back on December 4, 2006 for the first time when the Grizzlies came to NY to play the Knicks.

I started talking to Eric and I told him I was heading out to the West Coast in January 2007. He was impressed with my game plan. That trip I referred to as the "Bay Area Blast". Needless to say, it lived up to billing. It was quite an adventure.

Ever since that day I've managed to see Eric whenever the Grizzlies came to town either in NY or NJ. I could use to return to Memphis to see them again in home white. They do play at the FedEx Forum which is located right by Beale Street, the famous strip in downtown.

As for last night, Eric said in the post game show and I quote "it was a tale of 2 halves really the last 3 quarters when the Grizzlies let me do the math they out scored the Nets 84-58". He also said they came out flat again. I told him "it's not the way you start, it's how you finish that matters".

He said they have started out flat a lot this season. Unlike the past few years, this team is in position to possibly make a playoff spot in the very tough Western Conference. I hope for Eric's sake, they do find a way to get in.