Royalty is starting 2016 appropriately on the road!

Here's the game plan:

I'm renting a car on New Year's Eve December 31st from Enterprise Rent A Car for four days to start 2016 off right.

The King  & I will be driving out to Foxboro & Springfield, Massachusetts then on to Buffalo & Toronto before we return home late Sunday night.

Friday January 1st  Montreal Canadiens at Boston Bruins at Gillette Stadium 1PM Winter Classic

                                Bridgeport Sound Tigers at Springfield Falcons 7PM

Saturday January 2nd Red Wings at Sabres 1PM

                                   Blues at Maple Leafs 7PM 

Sunday January 3rd Jets at Bills 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 us.

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 New England in January for a three sport weekend!‏

Saturday morning January 11th I woke up early & I took a ride via public transportation out to Avis on Long Island so I could pick up a car rental for the weekend. I wound up getting a Toyota Corolla. After I got it, I went back to Astoria so I could pick up the King & our pal Paul Derrick who stayed over with us. 

I drove us to New Britain, Connecticut which is ten miles south of Hartford. We went to see the Central Connecticut Blue Devils play the Red Flash of St. Francis of Pennsylvania in a college basketball game at the William H. Detrick Gymnasium. As for the game we saw, the Red Flash beat the Blue Devils, 75-67.

 

William H. Detrick Gymnasium in New Britain, Connecticut

After the game we drove towards Foxboro, Massachusetts where we went to see the Patriots host the Colts in the AFC Divisional Playoff Game. Since we had some spare time, we decided to check in to our hotel first. We stayed at Super 8 in West Greenwich, Rhode Island. After we checked in & got situated, I drove us to Foxboro. We parked by the golf course like we always do when we go there for $20 which is the cheapest you're going to find along Route 1. On the way to Gillette Stadium, we stopped off for dinner at Papa Gino's which is on the way. 

 

Live action from AFC Divisional Playoff Game in Foxboro

When we finally arrived at the Stadium, Paul Derrick had to go to the box office to pick up the tickets we ordered from Ticketmaster. Since they only accept Visa, Paul who has one was willing to use his card to get the tickets for all of us. It worked out well. As I like to say, teamwork makes the dream work. We barely made the opening kickoff but thankfully we did. The Patriots capitalized on an early turnover by Andrew Luck as they scored first to go up, 7-0. They added another touchdown on their next possession to make it, 14-0. The Colts like they did the week before fell behind. With that being said, I knew the game was far from over. The Colts did come back but when it was all said & done, the Patriots prevailed, 43-22. We did meet up with our pal Sean MacDonald  who took Megabus to Boston where he was staying for the weekend. He then took a train to Foxboro from South Station so he could join us. During the game, we all met up. After the game, we went back to our hotels.

 

Warm ups at Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence

Sunday the King, Paul & I drove to Providence to see the Providence Bruins play the Manchester Monarchs at the Dunkin Donuts Center. On the way there we stopped off for breakfast at P.J.'s Diner in Coventry, Rhode Island which turned out to be a great decision. It looked like a house on the side of the road. We got there just before noon. Luckily for us, they were closing up but they let us in so we could enjoy a late made to order breakfast. After we finished eating, we continued on to downtown Providence.

As for the game we saw, the hometown Bruins lost to the Monarchs, 2-1. It should be noted that it wasn't a total loss because Paul Derrick & I got to meet up with another roadtripper, Paul Baker who was at the game with his wife. We got to say a quick hello to them between the second & third period intermission. They live in the area & they have season tickets. It was nice to meet & greet them. Hopefully our paths will cross again down the road.

After the game, we drove Paul Derrick to the nearby train station. He arranged to meet up with Sean MacDonald since he planned to spend a few days in Boston with him before he returned home to Houston Wednesday morning.

 

On our way back to NYC, the King & I stopped off at Texas Roadhouse in West Haven, Connecticut where we enjoyed another great meal. It's conveniently located off of I-95 exit 42. After we ate, I drove us home. 

 

It turned out to be another memorable weekend. I want to personally thank Paul for coming back to the Northeast to see us again. 

Stay tuned as I will continue to recap the rest of our adventurous month of January when time allows me to do so.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 12/10 in review

Upon returning from Jacksonville late Sunday night, I wisely took off Monday from work so I could rent a car and drive to Foxboro, Massachusetts to see Monday Night football as the New England Patriots were hosting the Houston Texans in what was deemed a preview of the AFC Championship game come January.

I went to Avis and I rented a Ford Fusion for the day. I went back home and I picked up the King and away we went. We wound up driving in some horrible rain which lasted most of the ride. We stopped off in Warwick, Rhode Island to pick up our pal Steve Fekete aka the Padre Punk who was staying at the Comfort Inn there. He just finished driving from Cincinnati where he saw his Dallas Cowboys beat the Cincinnati Bengals that Sunday afternoon. I know he needed a break from driving and it made perfect sense for us to pick him up. We know a back way in and out of the Gillette Stadium area so I preferred to handle the driving.

Thankfully as we were approaching Foxboro the rain was letting up. When we parked the car at 6:53PM it stopped. With that being said, we were now ready for some football. It was a warm night for this time of year especially in New England. We got out of the car and we walked over towards the Stadium. Along the way, we made a pit stop at Papa Gino's which claims to have the best pizza in New England. I like to believe that's true because I think it's really good myself. Steve also approved of it as well. After we finished eating, we finished walking over to Gillette Stadium.

We got inside just before the game started.

As for the game we saw, it didn't exactly live up to the hype. Apparently the Texans had stage fright. The Patriots scored early and often. Tom Brady hooked up with tight end Aaron Hernandez for a 7 yard touchdown pass with 9:27 left in the first quarter. The Patriots extended their lead to 14-0 with 2:49 to go in the quarter when Tom Brady connected with wide receiver Brandon Lloyd for a 37 yard touchdown pass to make it a 14-0 game.

In the second quarter, Tom Brady and Aaron Hernandez found the end zone again. This time a four yard touchdown pass to make it 21-0. That's how it stayed as the teams went into the locker room at halftime.
In the third quarter, Tom Brady aired it out as he hit newcomer and former Patriot Donte' Stallworth on a 63 yard bomb to give the Patriots' a 28-0 lead with 9:49 left. The Texans finally got on the scoreboard on their next drive as running back Arian Foster ran in from a yard out to make it a 28-7 game. The score stayed that way after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, the Patriots' Brandon Lloyd recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown which made the score 35-7 with 14:15 left. The Patriots' offense wasn't done yet. They got another touchdown on a 14 yard run from Stevan Ridley with 7:23 left to make it 42-7. The Texans found the end zone one more time as back up quarterback Tyler Yates ran in from a yard out with two minutes to go to make it 42-14. That's the way it ended as the Patriots showed the Texans who the best team is in the AFC. For the Texans' sake, they're hoping for payback to come in January. We'll wait and see how things unfold then.
After the game, we drove Steve back to his hotel and the King and I came home. We arrived around 4:30AM.

Tuesday morning I took off from work so I could get some sleep. I went and returned the car I rented. I drove 449 miles safely. After I returned the car, I went to work for the afternoon.

After work, I went to the Barclays Center to see the Battle of the Boroughs part two as the Brooklyn Nets were hosting the New York Knicks.

Steve also drove back to Brooklyn and he joined us for the game. After the game, he was heading towards Charlotte, North Carolina where he was going to see the LA Clippers play the Bobcats.

As for the game we saw together, the Nets raced out to a 26-9 lead in the first quarter. They led, 30-16 after the quarter.

In the second quarter, the Knicks made a comeback and they trailed only 53-49 at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Nets maintained their slim lead as they led, 79-74.

In the fourth quarter, the Knicks found a way to overcome the Nets as they left the Barclays Center with a 100-97 victory. The Nets had chances in the closing seconds be they came up empty and they fell short this time.

Wednesday night after work I came home made dinner and I did my laundry.

Thursday I went to work in the morning. I took off in the afternoon so I could go to the dentist and I rented a car so I could drive down to Philadelphia to see the Eagles play the Cincinnati Bengals in Thursday Night football at Lincoln Financial Field.

I wound up renting a Ford Focus for the day. After I went to the dentist where I got a good report on my teeth, I went to pick up the King and our friend Frank Anichiarico who joined us for the football game.
We left later then I wanted to but luckily traffic getting out of NYC was better than I expected so we were able to get to Philadelphia without a problem. We stopped off at McDonald's on the way and we ate in the car as we headed to Philadelphia.

I parked the car around 8PM and we walked over to the Stadium. We barely made the opening kickoff. I knew it was going to be a close call. Thankfully it worked out well in the end.
As for the game we saw, the Bengals' running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis scored on a 1 yard touchdown run with 11:10 left in the opening quarter to make it 7-0. Kicker Josh Brown booted a 24 yard field goal to extend the lead to 10-0 with 7:51 left.

In the second quarter, the Eagles responded as they got on the scoreboard thanks to an eleven yard touchdown pass from quarterback Nick Foles to wide receiver Riley Cooper with 11:40 left until halftime to make it a game at 10-7. The Eagles tied at the game at 10 with 7:37 left as Alex Henery kicked a 22 yard field goal. With 17 seconds to go in the half, Alex Henery gave the Eagles a 13-10 at the intermission.

In the third quarter, the Bengals regained the lead with 1:10 to go as quarterback Andy Dalton ran in from 11 yards out to give the Bengals a 17-13 lead. Moments later with 21 seconds left, the Bengals scored again as defensive end Wallace Gilberry recovered a fumble and he returned it 25 yards for a touchdown to extend the Bengals lead to 24-13.

In the fourth quarter, the Bengals got the ball back again and they capitalized as kicker Josh Brown kicked a 32 yard field goal with 14:12 left to make it 27-13. They scored another touchdown with 12:47 left as wide receiver A.J. Green caught a 5 yard pass to make it 34-13. That's how it mercifully ended. The Eagles were competitive for most of the game then they self destructed and it made the score more lopsided than it should have been.

Friday morning I returned the car I rented from Avis before I went to work. I drove 273 miles safely.
After work, I went back to the Barclays Center to see the Nets play the Detroit Pistons. Before the game, I stopped off at McDonald's at the Atlantic Center Mall and I had my pre game meal.

After I finished eating, I went inside the arena and I meet up with my pal Phil Butleman who was also there.
As for the game we saw, the Pistons lead, 25-23 after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Nets took the lead, scoring the Pistons by 14 points to lead, 59-47 at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Pistons roared back and they went back ahead, 77-73 after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, the Nets out scored the Pistons by four to even the score at 90 to force overtime.
In overtime, both teams scored 10 points to remain tied at 100. By doing so, they were forced to play a second overtime.

In the second overtime, the Nets outlasted the Pistons as Joe Johnson hit the game winning shot at the buzzer to break the tie at 105 to give the Nets a dramatic 107-105 win.

Stay tuned for a few special posts that will recap the memorable weekend I spent in Western New York and North of the Border.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty and company enjoy AFC Divisional Playoff Games in Foxboro and Baltimore!

Prince is in the house tonight

During the week leading up to the divisional playoff games, I got a call from Steve Fekete aka the Padre Punk who lives in Anaheim, California. He told me he wanted to come East for some royal treatment. He prides himself on seeing quality as he likes to say.

Once the matchups were set for the divisional playoffs, he booked a flight to come to NYC. We went back and forth during the week to coordinate his surprise visit.

Our friend Vincent Ascanio decided he wanted to make a royal road trip for the first time with me.
So with that being said, I had already booked a car rental from Avis anticipating going away for that weekend. Now the King and I had some additional company too.

Here's how it turned out. I woke up early Saturday morning and I went to Avis to pick up the car. I wound up getting a Crown Victoria which was perfect for this getaway.

After I got the car, I went near JFK airport to pick up Steve who flew in late Friday night. I went to his hotel and picked him up. I proceeded to go back home to Astoria to get the King. Then we drove to Queensbridge where we met Vincent.

With everybody in the car, we went on our way towards Foxboro. We arranged to have an appetizer if you will. We stopped off at the University of Rhode Island which is located in Kingston, Rhode Island. We went to the Thomas Ryan Center for the very first time to see the Rams of URI play the Dukes of Duquesne University.

What a beautiful arena it was. It was a perfect way to pass time on our way to see the New England Patriots play the Denver Broncos in prime time.

As for the game we saw, the Rams lost to the Dukes, 78-71.

After the game, we drove to Cranston, Rhode Island which was about 25 miles away going towards Foxboro. We went there because I arranged to meet a guy named Rick Forcino who I got in contact with on Craigslist earlier in the week. He had a pair of extra tickets so he was kind enough to sell them to me. It worked out perfectly as the King and I used them. They were located on the upper level halfway up at the 35 yard line.

Steve and Vincent were able to secure tickets through Ticketmaster so it worked out well for all of us.
We arrived in Foxboro shortly after 6PM. We parked the car in the $20 lot which is the cheapest you'll found in the area. We proceeded to walk towards Gillette Stadium.

We stopped off at Papa Gino's to have some pizza on the way before we braved the elements to watch the game.

We all indulged in a hearty meal. We then continued about a mile to get to the Stadium.

We all went in and picked a place to meet after the game.

As for the game we saw, it was over early for all intent and purposes, the Patriots scored a touchdown on the first drive of the game. It took them a mere 1:51 to drive down the field to take the early 7-0 lead. That drive set the tone for the rest of the evening as the Broncos couldn't get out of their own way.

The Patriots' defense stifled them the whole night. Tim Tebow wound up getting hurt in the second quarter but he showed heart and he continued to battle through it but his team proved to be no match for the Pats on this night. The Patriots cruised to an easy 45-10 victory as they will host the AFC Championship Game against the winner of the Ravens and Texans.

It should be noted that the King hinted that we could leave early but he knew that was going on deaf ears as I had no intention of checking out early despite the lopsided score.

As a result, we got to see Tom Brady even punt the ball late in the game.

We met up with Steve and Vincent after the game and we all walked back to the car together.

We pulled out of the parking lot at 12:14AM as we headed towards Baltimore which was 400 miles away where we were going to see the Baltimore Ravens play the Houston Texans at 1PM Sunday afternoon.

We arrived in Aberdeen, Maryland at a Super 8 at 6:14AM where we got some sleep. We checked out at 10:45AM and we continued the drive to Baltimore which was 30 miles away.

Everybody was amazed that I was able to stay awake overnight to drive us all safely to our destination.
I made sure I got enough sleep and rest during the week so I would be up to the task. Thankfully I was.
We parked the car on the street in the neighborhood upon arrival in Baltimore. We then walked over to M&T Bank Stadium which was nearby. We all went to the will call window where we picked up the tickets we ordered during the week from Ticketmaster.

In addition, we met up with our pal, Andrew Van Cleve who took the train down from Philadelphia. It was great to see him again.

After the game, we went out to eat with Andrew and we drove him home on our way back to NYC.
Before the game, I went upstairs to section 500 so I could say hello to my friend, Nib Pirrung who's been a Raven season ticket holder since day one when they moved to Baltimore. It was great to see him again as well.

As for the game we saw, the Ravens fell behind 3-0 as their defense clamped down after the Texans got a nice return on the opening kick off.

The Ravens proceeded to take the lead. The Texans battled back all day but they couldn't get over the hump as the Raven defense came up big when they needed to as the Ravens escaped with a 20-13 victory to advance to the AFC Championship Game in Foxboro.

After the game, we all ate in Baltimore then I dropped Andrew off in Philadelphia at 9PM. We drove back to Brooklyn where Vincent lives. I dropped him off at 11:15PM.

Then I took Steve, the King and I back to Astoria. We arrived there a few minutes before midnight. Steve spent the night with us.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 11/21 in review

Prince at Gillette Stadium 

After enjoying another amazing weekend on the road, I found a way to start the new week off right thanks to the makers of this year's NFL schedule.

Once the lockout ended, I set my plans in emotion. With that being said, the King and I drove up to Foxboro, Massachusetts which is about 30 miles south of Boston and 25 miles north of Providence, Rhode Island off I-95. It's also the home of the New England Patriots who play at Gillette Stadium on Route 1 which runs parallel to I-95 but the Stadium is located in between which can make for a driving nightmare to get there and back.

As for Royalty, since we have many years of experience of going there for a game and/or an off season visit, we know how to make the nightmare a dream come true.

With that being said, we experienced minimal delays going to and from the game. Just another reason why when it comes to sports travel, when you want the best you deal with me. My secret formula to and from Foxboro is very difficult to describe though. The remedy is to take me along for the ride so I can guide you along the beaten path. It's an adventurous ride to say the least but it works wonders for those like me you know how to do it.

As for parking when get there, I've yet to figure out a way to park for free. With that being said, you're forced to cough it up if you will. Some people have to cough very hard to the tune of paying $30, $40 or even $50 just to park the car. As for royalty, we only pay a mere $20 to park which is a bargain in comparison.

Regardless of where you park you have to take a nice walk to the Stadium which is good exercise.
On the way, the King and I stopped off at Papa Gino's, which is a local franchise in the New England area for pizza and chicken tenders.

After we ate, we continued our walk over to the Stadium. We got inside with plenty of time to spare before the kickoff as the Patriots were hosting the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football.

As for the game we saw, both teams started slow. The Chiefs were banged up. They were missing their starting quarterback and former Patriot Matt Cassel who filled in when Tom Brady got hurt a few years ago and missed the season. Now Cassel wound up getting injured a few weeks ago and he's out for the rest of the season. As a result, the Chiefs have struggled lately. Tonight turned out to be no different as the Patriots finally get their motor running in the second quarter as they raced off leaving the depleted Chiefs in the dust after the Chiefs scored first to take an early 3-0 lead. The Patriots cruised to a 34-3 victory.

Speaking of cruising, the King and I got out of Foxboro with minimal delay as I managed to get the King back to the Post Office at Grand Central Station at 3:12AM.

I then took myself home and I lucked out into a parking spot on the right side of the street so I was good until Friday. That worked out beautifully since I was keeping the car I rented until then.

Tuesday I worked a half a day as I came in at 1PM. I went home to finish resting up since there were no local games in the area to attend.

Wednesday night after work the King and I met our friend Bryan Gilligan who drove us out to Newark where we all went to see the Devils play the Columbus Blue Jackets.

As for the game we saw, the Devils scored first but the Blue Jackets tied it up at one. It stayed that way through the overtime session so the game was decided by a shootout. The Devils scored twice and the Blue Jackets didn't score at all so it was a quick two skills competition as the Devils were awarded the extra point. The Devils won, 2-1.

After the game, we all went to Donovan's Pub to celebrate everybody's birthday except mine. Our friend Frank Anichiarico also joined us there for the celebration since his birthday was on the 16th. The King's birthday fell on Thanksgiving this year and Bryan's was on the 27th. We got a surprise visit from the King's half brother Charlie Casiano who showed up for the festive occasion.

Stay tuned as I write a special post detailing how the King and I spent his birthday and Thanksgiving as well the rest of the long weekend.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty witnesses the 2011 Boston Massacre‏ in Foxboro!



I'm in the house



After seeing the Jets get embarrassed back on December 6th against the New England Patriots it was time for a payback.

The King and I found our way into the building with a little help from my good friend James Gabriele who was there with his son.

I was able to get us one ticket for the game on Ticketmaster when they went on sale.

We still needed another ticket so we both could be in.

James went out of his way to do whatever he could to accomodate us. At the last minute, he called us and he said his NBC station, WHDH, in Boston had an extra ticket. I wound up getting in touch with Marcy and Chris who had the ticket. I met them by the gate and I went into the building.

The King wound up sitting upstairs and I lucked out into a seat just 14 rows from the field behind the Jet bench by the 25 yard line.

What a view I had. I can't thank James, Marcy and Chris for making this happen. Needless to say, I'm very grateful.

During the week, Jets coach Rex Ryan talked all week long and on Sunday night his team executed his game plan to perfection as the Jets got their revenge on the Patriots.

For the second year in a row, Royalty was in the house to lock the doors on Gillette Stadium.

Last year the King and I saw the Baltimore Ravens and Ray Rice run all over the Patriots as they ended their season.

This time the Jets confused Tom Brady most of the game after he started out on fire. Then David Harris picked off a pass and put the Jets in position to score.

Unfortunately Nick Folk missed a 31 yard field goal that would have gave the Jets the early lead. The Patriots came down the field and had to settle for a field goal after Alge Crumpler missed a pass in the end zone for a touchdown.

After that the Jets went to work, they pressured Tom Brady a number of times and they sacked him 5 times. He was forced into making bad passes. In addition, he didn't seem in sync with receivers on a number of occasions. His receivers went one way and the ball went another.

Rex Ryan wrote a masterful blueprint that the Patriots couldn't figure out.

On offense, Quarterback Mark Sanchez was brilliant. He had no turnovers and he got everybody involved.

There were great catches by Jerricho Cotchery, Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes.

In addition, there were timely runs by LaDainlian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene which enabled the Jets to control the clock as they dominated the line of scrimmage.

It was an amazing performance as they beat the best in the business in their own building.

Next stop: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the AFC Championship Game

To quote Jets coach Rex Ryan "Same Old Jets".

It's going to be the Jets year. After seeing all those miracle wins, they're destined to win it all.

We'll wait and see.

One step at a time.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman