Royalty sees a basketball game in London!

After I got dropped off in Central London following the Classic Rock tour I took, I walked over to the Underground. I got on at the Bond Street station on the Central line around 6:15PM. I proceeded to go out to East London. I got off at the Stratford station about a half hour later. By doing so, I was within walking distance of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park where the Olympic Stadium that hosted some of the Rugby World Cup matches was located. In addition, that's where the Copper Box Arena was as well. That's the home of the London Lions who play in the BBL aka the British Basketball League.

Welcome to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Welcome to Cooper Box Arena

Thanks to my pal Rob Campion, I was able to squeeze in a basketball game into my busy schedule that week I was in London. When the schedule was released in July, he wrote me & said you can see a game on Thursday, October 8th. He said the game was starting at 7:30PM. It turned out to be a perfect fit for me. After I walked over to the arena, I wound up getting a voucher from a lady outside. She told me I had to go to the box office to get an actual ticket with it for 5 pounds. I was planning to pay 17 pounds based on the prices I saw on their website. I proceeded to go downstairs to the box office & I got myself a ticket. I went back upstairs to the gate where people were entering the building. I proceeded to go in. Since it was getting close to game time, I decided I'll eat something after the game instead of settling for a hot dog there. The food selection at the concession stand didn't look that enticing. I remember passing a shopping mall when I got off the train. 

London Lions Video Board

That night the London Lions were hosting the Bristol Flyers. Unlike the NBA here in the States, they play four ten minute quarters instead of four twelve minute ones. When I got myself situated, I decided to ‎sit right at center court in the back of the first level. The arena holds 7,000 people. I estimated about a few thousand showed up that night. What was so unique about the venue were the multi colored seats they had throughout the seating bowl which consisted of the two levels. It was very colorful to say the least. 

Opening Tip

Free Throw attempt during game

As for the game I saw, the London Lions got off to a fast start. They lead, 20-10 after the first quarter. They slipped up a little in the second quarter as the Flyers cut the lead down to five at halftime, 37-32. In the third quarter, the Flyers continued their comeback as they exploded. They outscored the Lions, 28-15 to take a 60-52 lead. In the fourth quarter, they managed to maintain their lead as they went on to win the game, 76-64. It was their first win of the season after they lost their first four fixtures.  
  

Me & Mathias Seilund after the game

‎I only recognized one player who played in that game‎. His name was Mathias Seilund who was from Denmark, a Great Dane indeed. I had a feeling that I saw him play in a college basketball game in either LIU in Brooklyn or St. Francis in Brooklyn in the past. Ironically I did find out I was right to a point after the game. I saw him talking to a young lady in the stands down by the court. I got to say hello to him & I asked him where he went to college. He said he went to FDU which is Fairleigh Dickinson University in Hackensack, New Jersey. I told him I thought I saw you play in the States. Your name rang a bell. He finished that game with 13 points & he grabbed 8 rebounds in 33 minutes for the Bristol Flyers. It's his second season in the BBL I was told. He wound up getting a four year scholarship to play basketball at FDU. He was kind enough to take a picture with me. That made my night. When I returned home, I checked to see if I did indeed see him play while he was at FDU. With that being said, back on January 17, 2013, I sure did. I saw him score 9 points in 20 minutes of play as the FDU Knights fell to the LIU Blackbirds, 79-75 in overtime. Ironically a guy I know named Burt Shoobs is the public address announcer at FDU. Unfortunately I haven't seen him since to let him know. In addition, on January 16, 2014 I saw him play again this time in Brooklyn against LIU. That night he scored his career high 20 points in 26 minutes making nine out of eleven shots as FDU won, 89-67. 

I love seeing live sports on different levels. You never know when you can say you remember seeing a guy play back in the day. This game was a perfect example. What a way to cap off my amazing day.

After I left the arena, I walked back to the shopping mall which is known as Westfield Stratford City. They had a number of restaurants there. I even saw a Shake Shack. Since it was around 10PM, most of them were closed or they were done serving food at that time. I was starving. After numerous attempts, I finally went into TGI Fridays which thankfully was still open. While I was eating, I was able to charge up my phone at a charging station in the mall. They gave you the first 30 minutes for free. You locked your phone up in a box & you took the key. That worked out well for me. Unfortunately I couldn't take a picture of the great meal I wound up eating. It consisted of salmon that was chargrilled in Jack Daniel's glaze that came with creamy mashed potatoes & broccoli. I also got a bottle of coke to go with it. It was really good. It hit the spot. It was my farewell dinner there. Glad I passed up eating something at the game. It just proves that some things are worth waiting for in life. Patience is a virtue.

Stratford Station

Central Line Train arrives

After I finished eating, I went & I unlocked the box. I got my phone & I headed to the Underground to catch the train back to the Grantly Hotel to call it a night. The train came just after 11PM which enabled me to have some time to pack up & relax before I went to sleep.  

Stay tuned for one last post that will wrap up my week long journey to England.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 3/4 in review

Monday morning before I went to work I woke up bright and early after getting a little less than three hours sleep because I had to go to Avis to return the Dodge Avenger I rented for the weekend. I drove 549 miles safely.

After work I came home and I made dinner. After I ate, I went out and I did my laundry. It was a long tiring day to say the least.

Tuesday night after work I went out to the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. The King decided to go to the Nassau Coliseum to see the Islanders with our friend Frank Anichiarico instead. With that being said, I wound up meeting up with our pal Vincent Ascanio who took the King's place. The Devils were hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning. I wound up getting a pulled pork sandwich at the arena for dinner.

As for the game we saw, the Lightning scored the first four goals of the game as they lead, 4-0 midway into the third period. The Devils made a late comeback attempt as they scored a shorthanded goal and a power play goal to slice the deficit in half at 4-2 with 4:45 to go. They couldn't get any closer as the Lightning added a late empty net goal to escape with a 5-2 victory. As a result, the crowd of 15,229 went home unhappy.

Wednesday after work I went to downtown Brooklyn to see the quarterfinals of the Northeast Conference Tournament as the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds were hosting the Quinnipiac Bobcats at the Wellness Recreation. Athletic Center aka the WRAC.

Before the game I went to 2 Bros Pizza and I had a few slices. While I was there I ran into my pal David Sack who was there with his friend Andrew who he introduced me to. They had a few slices too. Once we were done we all walked down a few blocks to go to the game. When I got inside I met up with the King, Vincent Ascanio and our friend Larry Peim who was there to see his alma mater play again.

As for the game we saw, the Blackbirds got off to a slow start. They trailed the Bobcats, 47-43 at halftime. In the second half, the Blackbirds fought back as they hung tough. Late in the game, they went ahead for good as they went on to defeat the Bobcats, 91-83 to advance to the next round.

After the game, we all celebrated the victory with a post game meal at Junior's Restaurant which is only a few blocks away. Larry treated me for my birthday. I was very grateful & thankful for his kindness. I wound up have a corned beef and pastrami combo with steak fries. He did the same while the King and Vincent had steak burgers. It capped off a great night.

Thursday night after work I went back to the Prudential Center to see the Devils take on the Buffalo Sabres. This time I met up with the King and our pal Mike Carroll aka Sabre Mike. Our road trip buddies, Andrew Kulyk and Peter Farrell from Buffalo were there with us in spirit. As for dinner, I wound getting chicken tenders and fries at the Rock.

As for the game we saw, after a scoreless first period, the Sabres took the lead 7:56 into the second period as Thomas Vanek lit the lamp to make it 1-0 Buffalo. Two minutes later, the Sabres went up 2-0 as Brian Flynn put one in the net. It stayed that way until there was six and a half minutes left in regulation time when Adam Henrique of the Devils broke the shutout to make it 2-1 with a power play goal. The Devils pulled goalie Johan Hedberg to have an extra attacker in hopes of tying the game. Shortly thereafter, the Devils got the equalizer as Patrik Elias scored to tie the game at two with 1:06 left in regulation. The game went into overtime but since neither team was able to score, so the game was decided by a shootout. The Devils wound up prevailing in the skills competition which sent the sellout crowd of 17,625 happy except for the number of Sabre fans who were there to see their team play.

Friday night after work I went to downtown Brooklyn. This time I went to the Barclays Center to see the Nets play the Washington Wizards.

Before the game, I went to McDonald's in the Atlantic Center Mall to have my pre game meal. When I got done I walked back over to the arena and I went inside. I met up with the King and our pal Al Linderman who was there as well.

As for the game we saw, the Nets raced out to a 22-2 lead & they lead 38-14 after the first quarter. Deron Williams lead the way as he was on fire from beyond the three point line. In the second quarter, the Nets added a few points to their lead as they went into the locker room up, 59-33. In the third quarter, the Wizards made a comeback attempt as they cut the Nets' lead to 16, 74-58. In the fourth quarter, the Nets maintained their lead as they went to beat the Wizards, 95-78.

As for Deron Williams, he hit 9 three pointers in the first half to set an NBA record. He wound up finishing the game with 42 points. His teammate Reggie Evans had a triple double if you will. He scored 11 points, he missed 11 free throws and he grabbed a career high 24 rebounds.

Saturday late in the morning the King and I took public transportation to the Nassau Coliseum to see the Islanders play the Capitals in an afternoon affair.

We wound up meeting up with our pals Mike Carroll, Manny Morales and Joe Rossi who was at the game with his adorable daughter Grace who was all dressed up in Islander gear. It was great to see them again.
As for the game we saw, the Islanders scored first midway through the first period as Josh Bailey buried the puck to make it 1-0. In the second period, the Capitals evened the score at one 1:26 into the period when Mathieu Perreault scored a power play goal. The Islanders went back ahead, 2-1 midway through when Casey Cizikas scored. In the third period, the Capitals got the equalizer as Nicklas Backstrom found the net 7:09 into the period. Shortly thereafter, the Islanders got a break as the Capitals committed penalties that gave the Islanders a golden opportunity to take the lead and they took full advantage of it. They got two power play goals from John Tavares who scored twice in a 30 second span to put the game away. Frans Nielsen added a shorthanded goal later in the period to give the Islanders a 5-2 victory.

After the game, the King & I went to Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks play the Utah Jazz.

As for the game we saw, the Knicks were missing Amar'e Stoudemire who hurt his knee and he's going to miss six weeks. In addition, Carmelo Anthony didn't play. Regardless the rest of the Knicks came to play and they wound up blowing away the Jazz, 113-84.

After the game, we went to Donovan's Pub in Woodside which is now under new management. We met up with our pal Bryan Gilligan who joined us for a post game meal.

Sunday I got to relax and catch up on things around the house during the day. Once I got done, I made dinner then the King and I went to Newark, NJ to see the Devils play the Winnipeg Jets at the Prudential Center.

As for the game we saw, the Devils took a 2-0 lead midway through the first period then the Jets scored a late goal to cut the lead to 2-1. In the second period, the Jets tied it up late at two. The two teams failed to score in the third period and in the extra session. As a result, the game was decided in a shootout again. This time Patrik Elias of the Devils scored in the skills competition to gave the Devils the 3-2 win as the sellout crowd went home happy.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty sees a rare basketball tripleheader!

Prince at Prudential Center for Seton Hall Pirates

Saturday morning I went to the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ which is also the home of the Seton Hall Pirates who play their home games at the Rock. On this day they were hosting the Cincinnati Bearcats at 11AM. It was also the 20th anniversary of the Seton Hall team that won the Big East Championship during the 1992-1993 season. As a result, they had a ceremony at halftime to celebrate the reunion before an announced crowd of 6,961.

I was joined by the King and our pals Rich Wolber aka Staten Island Rich and Dennis Barbera.

As for the game we saw, the game was tied at 28 late in the first half. The Bearcats went on a 20-0 run that carried over into the second half. As a result, the Bearcats were able to hold off a late surge by the Pirates as they went on to win the game, 65-59.

Prince at WRAC - Home of LIU Blackbirds

After the game, we all took the Path train back to midtown Manhattan where we caught the Q train to downtown Brooklyn for game two of the day at LIU where the Blackbirds were hosting the Robert Morris Colonials at 3PM at the Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center aka the WRAC.

We were also joined by our pals Larry Peim, Michael Abrams, Phil Butleman, David Sack and Vincent Ascanio.

As for the game we saw, the Colonials led the Blackbirds, 32-29 at halftime. In the second half, the Colonials held off the Blackbirds in a closely contested affair, 60-57.

Prince at Madison Square Garden 

After the game, I went to Popeye's for dinner before I went to Madison Square Garden for game three at 7:30PM as the Knicks were taking on the Sacramento Kings.

As for the game I saw, the Knicks wound up blowing out the Kings who raced out to an early 18-6 lead. It went down hill from there for the Kings as the Knicks rolled to an easy 120-81 victory.

The Knicks got monster performances from Tyson Chandler who scored 11 points and he grabbed 20 rebounds. In addition, Amar'e Stoudemire came off the bench and he shot 10 for 10 from the field as he finished with 21 points while J.R. Smith added a team high 25 points off the bench which enabled the Knicks to win the game easily.

Stay tuned for the recap of how I spent Super Bowl Sunday.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 1/21 in review

Prince at Devils Home Opener

Tuesday morning before I went to work I returned the Chevy Cruze I rented for the weekend.
After work I went out to Newark, NJ to the Prudential Center to see my first NHL game since the lockout ended. The Devils were playing their home opener against their division rival, the Philadelphia Flyers.
I wound up meeting the King and our pal Vincent Ascanio out there. I decided to get the pulled pork for dinner at the arena. By doing so, I got to say hello to the lady who works that stand which is behind the net near section 122 where the Diablos sit. It was great to see her again. She was thrilled to see us hockey fans again. I proceeded to walk over to my seat in section 226.

The sellout crowd was all pumped up as the players hit the ice. Our section in particular was extremely loud and confrontational because we had a mix of Devil and Flyer fans among us. It was mainly comprised of the younger generation so they were all full of energy. They were yelling and screaming throughout the game. It was anything but peaceful. With that being said, hockey was back.

As for the game we saw, the Devils got on the scoreboard early as Travis Zajac scored the first goal of the game just 1:07 into the match. The Devils added another goal on the power play with just 25 seconds to go in the first period as David Clarkson buried the biscuit to give the Devils a 2-0 after the first period. In the second period, while the Devils were shorthanded, Ilya Kovalchuk broke in on a breakaway and he was hooked down by Flyers' defenseman Kimmo Timonen 2:44 into the period. As a result, a penalty shot was awarded. Kovalchuk capitalized on the opportunity and he gave the Devils a commanding 3-0 lead. That's the way it ended as the Devils stifled the Flyers the rest of the game. The Flyers took out their frustration as they started a few fights late in the third period. Goaltender Martin Brodeur stopped 24 shots to earn the shutout, it was his 120th lifetime in his storied career.

Wednesday night after work I went home. I ate dinner then I did my laundry.

Thursday night after work I went to Brooklyn Heights to see college basketball. It was the 38th annual Battle of Brooklyn as the LIU Blackbirds were visiting the St. Francis Terriers. Before I went to the game I stopped off for a hearty Popeye's chicken dinner a few blocks away.

When I got to the gym for the game I was joined by my pals Manny Morales, Phil Butleman, David Sack, Frank Anichiarico and the King.

As for the game we saw, the Terriers got off to a fast start. They dominated the first half as they led 33-21 at halftime. In the second half, things changed dramatically as the Blackbirds awoke from the dead as they went on to destroy the Terriers. They out scored them 57-35 in the second half as they won the game and the Battle of Brooklyn trophy, 78-68. C.J. Garner had 22 points and Jamal Olasewere added 20 points to carry the Blackbirds to the come from behind victory.

Friday night after work I went back to Newark, NJ to see the Devils play the Washington Capitals. On this night, since the King and I are Devil full season ticket holders we got to take advantage of a perk. We were given an upgrade to watch the game from the Ice Cream Social Suite. Before we went into the suite, I bought a pepperoni stromboli for dinner.

Unlike Tuesday night, we were able to watch the game much more peacefully. It was great to see the game from a different vantage point. We wound up in suite 234 which is in the corner. They had another sellout crowd on hand.

It's hard to gauge if people are really hungry for hockey or not. Many people had already paid for their season tickets like us so we were stuck with them. We love hockey so for the King and I it's nice that it's back. Next season will tell the true story if the lockout really indeed hurt the sport when people have the choice to renew their tickets or not.

As for the game we saw, the Devils got off to a good start. They scored 13:55 into the first period when Stephen Gionta found the net to give the Devils a 1-0 lead. With a minute to go in the second period, Patrik Elias scored a power play goal to extend the Devils' lead to 2-0. In the third period, the Capitals finally got on the scoreboard as Mike Ribeiro tallied a power play goal with 7:15 left in the period to slice the lead in half at 2-1. With 2:56 left in regulation time, the Capitals got the equalizer as defenseman Mike Green lit the lamp to knot the game at two. The score remained the same as regulation time expired. In the sudden death overtime, the Devils' Ilya Kovalchuk emerged as the hero as he scored the game winning goal with just 20.5 seconds left in the extra session to give the Devils' a 3-2 victory.

Stay tuned as I'm going to do a few special posts that will recap another busy weekend of attending sporting events.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 1/14 in review

Prince at Barclays Center

Monday after work I came home for some much needed rest and blog catch up since they were no local games in the area.

Tuesday after work I went to downtown Brooklyn to the Barclays Center to see the Nets take on the Toronto Raptors. Before I went into the arena, I stopped off at McDonald's in the Atlantic Center Mall which is across the street for my pre game meal. I had a McRib. It was really good. When I was done, I walked back to the arena and I went inside. I met up with the King by our seats in section 230 row 13 and we watched the game together.

As for the game we saw, the Nets and the Raptors were tied at 27 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Nets went ahead as they led at halftime, 54-50. In the third quarter, the Nets added to their lead as they out scored the Raptors 29-26 to take a 83-76 lead after three quarters. In the fourth quarter, both teams scored 30 points as the Nets held off the Raptors to emerge victorious, 113-106.

Brook Lopez led all scorers with 22 points and he grabbed 9 rebounds while his teammate Deron Williams had 21 points and he dished out 7 assists. Joe Johnson also added 21 points and handed 5 assists to lead a balanced attack.

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

Thursday night after work I met up with my pal Larry Peim in upper Manhattan near the George Washington Bridge. I also met the King and our friends Frank Anichiarico and Phil Butleman there as well. He drove us all to the Stratis Arena at Rothman Center in Hackensack, NJ which is the home of the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights. On this night, they were playing the LIU Blackbirds. Upon arrival we met up with our pal Bert Shoobs who does the public address announcing for the Knights. It was great to see him again.

As for the game we saw, the Blackbirds led the Knights after the first half, 36-35. In the second half, the Knights went on a 13-2 run to take a 48-38 lead. The Blackbirds came all the way back to force overtime as Brandon Thompson hit a three pointer at the buzzer to tie the game at 75. In the extra session, the Blackbirds out scored the Knights, 10-6 to win 79-75 before a sparse gathering of an announced crowd of 317. It should be the King did a head count and he came up with a total of around 200 people.

For the Blackbirds, they got 30 points and 16 rebounds from senior forward Jamal Olasewere while guard C.J. Garner added 23 points to carry them to the comeback win.

As for the Knights, Melquan Bolding scored a team high 22 points in the losing effort.

Friday night after work I went back to downtown Brooklyn to the Barclays Center. This time I saw the Nets host the Atlanta Hawks. Once again I stopped off at McDonald's for dinner. After I got done, I met up with my pal Phil Butleman outside the arena. We went inside together. After we got in, I told him I wanted to go to see the radio announcer for the Hawks before the game started. I'm referring to the legendary Steve Holman who has done Hawk games for the last 28 years. In matter of fact, on Wednesday night in Atlanta he called his 2,000th consecutive Hawk game. Ironically it was also against the Nets. This night was game number 2,001 for him. I also got to say a quick hello to him before he went on the air. He's a really nice guy and it was an absolute pleasure to see him again.

In addition, I got to see Tim Capstraw and Chris Carrino, the radio voices of the Brooklyn Nets. I got to speak to them as well. While I was doing so, I got to introduce myself to a young man who hopes to get into broadcasting himself some day. His name was Matt Cohen. It was nice to have the opportunity to meet and greet him too. I wished him luck and we exchanged contact information.

As for the game we saw, the Hawks and Nets played dead even for the first three quarters. The game was tied at 29 after the first quarter, 49 at halftime and at 75 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter, the Nets finally broke through as they out scored the Hawks, 20-15 to win the game, 94-89. It should be noted that Josh Smith of the Hawks threw down a monstrous highlight reel jam with his left hand late in the game to get the Hawks with a point but the Nets held them off and escaped with the victory in front of a sellout crowd of 17,732.

Stay tuned for some special posts that I'm going to do regarding the weekend getaway the King and I took over the Martin Luther King weekend.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 1/7 in review

Prince at Rose Hill Gym

Monday morning I went to Avis to return the car I rented for the weekend then I went to work.

After work I went to Charley's Subs for my pre game meal at Penn Station. After I ate, I went upstairs to Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks take on their division rival, the Boston Celtics who were playing without All-Star Rajan Rondo who was serving a one game suspension.

As for the game I saw, it was tightly contested right through out. The Celtics led by one, 22-21 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Knicks out scored the Celtics by four to take a three point lead, 56-53 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Celtics regained the lead as they out scored the Knicks by seven to lead 76-72 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter, things got interesting. With 9 minutes to go in the game, things got feisty between the Knicks' Carmelo Anthony and the Celtics' Kevin Garnett. They exchanged words & they were both called for technical fouls. Apparently Carmelo Anthony had too much to say and he wound up getting suspended for a game as a result. After the game, he allegedly went to look for Garnett by the team bus. As for the rest of the game, cooler heads prevailed for the Celtics as they wound up beating the Knicks, 102-96. Paul Pierce led the way as he scored a team high 23 points which included a few clutch shots down the stretch to help preserve the victory for the Celtics. As for the Knicks, J.R. Smith added a game high 24 points in the losing effort much to the chagrin of the sellout crowd at the Garden.

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

Wednesday night after work I took a ride up to the Bronx to see some college basketball at Fordham, that's where my pal Greg Venuto went to school.

Before I walked over to the campus, I stopped off at Pronto Pizza which is right across the street from the Metro North station and the campus & I had some pizza for dinner.

Shortly after I walked into historic Rose Hill gym which is the oldest in Division 1, I ran into my pal, former Knicks radio announcer and Fordham alum John Andariese who was also in attendance. John graduated from Fordham back in the day. It was nice to see him again. I used to see him all the time when I went to Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks play. John recently retired from doing the Knicks. With that being said, it hasn't been the same when I go to see the Knicks play.

When I finally went to my seat behind the basket I was joined by the King. It should be noted our friends Manny Morales and Pat Gorman were among the faithful on hand to watch the Fordham Rams host the Duquesne Dukes too. They were part of an announced crowd of 1,232. When the game began the gym was empty but it gradually filled in. I don't think they had more than a thousand people there though. As for the game we saw, the Rams beat the Dukes, 82-75 in their first conference game of the season.

After the game, the King and I joined Manny Morales who was hungry at Checkers for a post game meal before we headed to subway to go home.

Thursday night after work I went to downtown Brooklyn to see college basketball at the Wellness Center aka the WRAC which is the home of the Long Island University Blackbirds.

Before the game I went to McDonald's for my pre game meal.

After I ate, I walked over to the WRAC. Upon arrival, I was greeted by many familiar faces we had the King, Frank Anichiarico, Phil Butleman, Larry Peim, an LIU alum I might add, Michael Abrams and David Sack amongst us.

As for the game we saw, the Blackbirds were playing the Wagner Seahawks. It turned out to be a historic night as the Blackbirds had their 31 game on campus home winning streak snapped as the Seahawks shot them down, 86-75 before an announced attendance of 1,129. With the loss, the Blackbirds fell to 0-3 in the Northeast Conference and 5-10 overall while the Seahawks improved their record to 9-5 and 3-0 in the conference.

Friday night after work I went back to downtown Brooklyn but this time I went to the Barclays Center to see the Nets battle the Phoenix Suns.

Before the game I went to Subway for dinner at the Atlantic Center Mall across the street.

After I ate, I went into the arena. I went up to my seat and I met up with the King.

As for the game we saw, the Nets fell behind after the first quarter, 25-21. They continued to trail at halftime, 53-46. In the second half, the Nets woke up as they out scored the Suns, 53-26 to blow them out of the building, 99-79.

Stay tuned for some special posts that I'm going to do that will recap another memorable weekend I had. Please bear with me as I try to find the time to write about it. Trust me it will be worth the wait.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 11/26 in review

Monday morning I went to work for a half a day. After work, I went to the doctor for my annual exam. Thankfully I got a clean bill of health.

After my check up, I went to Avis and I rented a car for the day so I could drive to Philadelphia to see Monday night football between the Eagles and the Carolina Panthers.

I picked up a Ford Focus and then I drove back home to pick up the King. I also arranged to meet up with my pal Eddie Pelle who wanted to go to the game as well.

We got down to the sports complex area around 6:45PM. Before we went to park the car we stopped off at Burger King for a pre game meal.

Once we were done we parked the car and we walked over towards Lincoln Financial Field. We stopped off at Holiday Inn first because Eddie had to pick up a ticket he had bought on Stub Hub. After that, we walked over to go inside to see the game. The King waited to meet up with our buddy Andrew Van Cleve who was on his way after he put his kids to sleep. They got tickets and they went in. I had a club seat with our pal Frankie Centola who I met inside.

As for the game we saw, the Eagles got the ball first and they drove down the field but their drive stalled and they wound up settling for a 36 yard field goal by kicker Alex Henery with 11:12 left to gave the Eagles an early 3-0 lead. The Panthers responded on their first drive of the night as they drove down the field 72 yards which culminated with a 24 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Cam Newton. The Panthers led, 7-3 with 6:12 left in the first quarter. After stopping the Eagles, the Panthers got the ball back and they scored again. This time Cam Newton threw a 43 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon LaFell to extend the Panthers' lead to 14-3 with 3:36 left.

The Eagles took the kickoff and they went down the field but they stalled again and they settled for another field goal. This time from 41 yards out as Alex Henery split the uprights to make it a 14-6 game with 14:15 left in the second quarter. After stopping the Panthers, the Eagles got the ball back and thanks to running back Bryce Brown they got closer as he ran 65 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-12. The Eagles decided to go for two to try and tie the game but it was unsuccessful with 10:56 left until halftime. Later in the quarter with 3:20 left the Eagles took the lead, 15-14 thanks again to the right foot of Alex Henery who booted a 45 yard field goal. It stayed that way as both teams headed to the locker room.

In the third quarter, the Panthers took the kickoff to start the second half. They started at their own 5 yard line. Cam Newton drove his team down the field and he dove into the end zone to cap it off from a yard out to give his team the lead again at 21-15. The Eagles fought back again as they went back ahead with 3:30 left in the quarter as Bryce Brown scored again. This time he ran in from 5 yards out to give the Eagles a 22-21 lead.

In the fourth quarter, the Panthers got a 23 yard field goal from Graham Gano to make a 24-22 in favor of Carolina. The Panthers padded their lead with 4:40 left as Cam Newton ran in again. This time from two yards out to make the score 30-22. Graham Gano missed the extra point which gave the Eagles a glamor of hope. Unfortunately for them, they couldn't score anymore and that's the way it ended. Bryce Brown of the Eagles had a memorable night as he ran for 178 yards on the ground. Unfortunately he fumbled twice which cost his team along the way. Hope for his sake, he learns from his mistakes.

After the game, we all met at the car and I drove Andrew Van Cleve home then I took Frankie to his mother's house where he was spending the night. I dropped off Eddie at his job then I took the King and I home we got in around 2:30AM.

Tuesday morning before I went to work I went to Avis to return the car I rented. 260 miles were safely driven.

After work I came home to catch up on some much needed rest.

Wednesday night after work I went to downtown Brooklyn to see college basketball at LIU. The Blackbirds were hosting the Columbia Lions. After I went to McDonald's for dinner, I met up with the King at the Wellness Center where LIU plays its home games. We went inside and we had plenty of company. We were joined by ours pals Phil Butleman, David Sack, Vincent Ascanio, Larry Peim and Frank Anichiarico.
As for the game we saw, the Blackbirds picked up their first win of the season after losing their first four games. They won, 70-61. Julian Boyd led the way with 19 points. His teammates Jamal Olasewere and Jason Brickman added 16 points each to pace the Blackbirds. As for the Lions, Mark Cisco had 18 points in the losing cause.

Thursday night after work I went out to Jamaica, Queens to see the St. John's Red Storm play at Carnesecca Arena which is on their campus. They were hosting the Gamecocks from South Carolina in the SEC/Big East Challenge. On the way there, I stopped off at Popeye's for some fried chicken. When I was done, I got back on the bus and I met up with the King outside the arena. We got tickets and we went inside.

As for the game we saw, the Red Storm raced out to a big lead which grew as the game wore on. Guard D'Angelo Harrison led the way for the Red Storm as he poured in 26 points as they went on to blow away the Gamecocks, 89-65.

Friday after work I went to Madison Square Garden where I saw the Knicks play the Washington Wizards.
As for the game I saw, the Knicks made fast work of the lowly Wizards who finally won their first game a few nights earlier at home. On this night, it wasn't meant for the Wizards to make it two in a row. The Knicks took it to them early and often. The Knicks led by 9 after the first quarter. They were up by 11 at halftime. They pulled away in the third quarter as they went up by 21. That's how it ended as the Knicks won by 21, 108-87. Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith paced the Knicks with 20 points each.

Saturday morning I did my laundry. Later in the afternoon, the King and I took a ride on Metro North up to Bridgeport, Connecticut so we could see some AHL hockey since the NHL is still locked out.
We went to the Webster Bank Arena where we saw the Bridgeport Sound Tigers host the Worcester Sharks.

As for the game we saw, the Worcester Sharks lead 2-1 after a fight filled first period. After a scoreless and fightless second period, the Sound Tigers got the equalizer 2:51 into the third period to tie the game at two as Nino Niederreiter found the net. With 6:08 left in the third, Worcester regained the lead at 3-2 when Tim Kennedy scored his second goal of the game for the Sharks. The Sound Tigers evened the score once again with just 2:28 left in regulation time as Brock Nelson scored on a late power play. After a scoreless overtime session, the game was decided by a shootout. The Sharks wound up beating the Sound Tigers in the skills competition to give the Sharks a 4-3 victory.

Sunday the King and I met up with our friends Frank Anichiarico, Michael Abrams and Larry Peim who picked us up in Midtown Manhattan and he drove us out to MetLife Stadium where we went to see the Jets play the Cardinals.

When we got out there, we met up with Andrew Van Cleve who came up from Philadelphia and Rich Wolber aka Staten Island Rich who also came to the game.

As for the game we saw, it was a poor display of football to say the least. It got so bad that the Jet fans got their wish when head coach Rex Ryan decided to pull quarterback Mark Sanchez. He put in backup Greg McElroy in his place with 4:48 left in the third quarter with the Jets trailing 3-0. During his brief stint, he threw his first NFL touchdown pass to Jeff Cumberland from a yard out with 14:55 left in the fourth quarter to give the Jets a 7-3 lead. The Cardinals got a 35 yard field goal from former Jet kicker Jay Feely with 10:39 left to make it a 7-6 game. The Jets decided to run out the clock when they got down to the one yard line so they could preserve the ugly 7-6 victory.

After the game, Larry drove us back to Manhattan and we all went out for dinner at Jackson's Hole which is the home of the 7 ounce burger. We all enjoyed our burgers and each other's company.

With that, another week of sports travel has come and gone.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 2/27 in review

This was another week where I just fell short of having a royal week of Stadium Travel.

The week started rough because I had to starve all day Sunday into Monday morning so I could be ready for a colonoscopy that I had scheduled for Monday morning. I could only drink liquids. With that being said, I didn't go to work.

I wound up meeting my sister Abbey who took me to the doctor's office. I needed her to take me home because I wasn't allowed to leave on my own.

As for the colonoscopy, I got an injection that put me into the twilight zone so I didn't feel a thing during the procedure. When it was all said and done, I checked out with a clean bill of health. Due to family history, I was told to take the necessary precautions just in case so I wisely listened to that advice. I'm good for another three to five years now in that regard.

Despite the fact I've been everywhere there's no need to let up yet so I don't want to suddenly have a health issue if I can do something to prevent it. Unlike many people I know, I incorporate visits to the doctor when it's deemed necessary into my rigorous work and play schedule. For example, I always go for a yearly check up. By doing so, I increase the chances that I can live longer and enjoy what life truly has to offer.

In order to have a full life barring a freak incident along the way, you need to make your health your top priority. In that case, my lifestyle needs a break once in a long while so I can continue on for the long haul I hope.

After starving for so long, I took my sister out for a late breakfast on the way back home. After I rested up during the afternoon, I went on my way back to living the life of royalty.

I went to Madison Square Garden that night to see the NY Rangers play their cross town rival, the NJ Devils. The game itself was rather boring. Both teams barely had any shots on the goal throughout the game. The Rangers got an early goal which proved to be the difference as they added an empty net goal late to beat the Devils, 2-0 as their goaltender Henrik Lundqvist recorded his eighth shutout of the season.

Since it was a rivalry matchup, tempers flared during the match as the Rangers' Mike Rupp, who used to play for the Devils and the Devils' David Clarkson both were in and out of the penalty box for causing havoc on the ice a number of times during the game.

Tuesday I went back to work and afterwards I came home to relax since there were no sporting events in the area to attend.

Wednesday night after work on "Leap" day I went back to Madison Square Garden for another dosage of Lin-Sanity as the Knicks were hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Before the game, I treated myself royally as I indulged in a huge corned beef and pastrami sandwich on rye bread from the Carnegie Deli stand at the Garden. I know how to get the both of all worlds when I have the time and money to do so.

After enjoying my meal, I went to my seat to enjoy the game.

As for the game, I got to see Lin-Sanity as he paced the Knicks with 19 points and 13 assists. Steve Novak came off the bench to drain five three point baskets in the second half to help sink the Cavaliers who had a twelve point lead at halftime. The Knicks went on to over take the Cavaliers as they raced off with a 120-103 victory.

I did get to see rookie Kyrie Irving, the Cavaliers number one draft pick out of Duke play for the first time live. He was impressive as he scored 22 points. Unfortunately the Cavaliers ran out of gas in the second half. It should be noted that the officials didn't help their cause either. That's the way it is in the NBA when you're the road team.

Thursday night after work I went to downtown Brooklyn to see LIU aka Long Island University Blackbirds play the Pioneers of Sacred Heart in the Northeast Conference quarterfinals.

I was there with the King and our friends Frank Anichiarico and Larry Peim who graduated LIU back in the day.

As for the game we saw, the Blackbirds managed to beat the Pioneers, 80-68 to advance to the next round.
Stay tuned for a special post that I'm going to do that will recap my royal birthday celebration weekend.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 11/28 in review

LIU Basketball

After the busy Thanksgiving weekend, I got some much needed rest.

I went home after work Monday night, Tuesday night and Wednesday night.

Thursday night after work I went to see some college basketball in downtown Brooklyn at Long Island University (LIU). They played a local rival from Staten Island, the Wagner Seahawks.

Wagner came into the game with a record of 6-1. After they left Brooklyn, they were 6-2. The Seahawks lost to the Blackbirds of LIU, 78-73. The score didn't indicate the domination. The Blackbirds played really well from start to finish in beating up the Seahawks.

It was a nice night out thanks to the company of our friends Eddie Pelle, Phil Butleman and Frank Anichiarico who were also there with the King and I.

Friday morning the King and I left for our big trip to Minneapolis-St. Paul and Winnipeg.

Stay tuned as I'm going to be doing some special posts recapping that memorable weekend getaway.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 2/28 in review

After work Monday I went to Newark to see the home debut of Deron Williams aka "D-Will" in a Net uniform.

The Nets were playing the Phoenix Suns. Thanks to the addition of "D-Will" the attendance was higher than usual.

They gave out t-shirts with his name and number on them as you walked into the building. As a result, many fans put them on and there were plenty of number eights in the house.

As for the game, the Nets hung tough as they wound up forcing overtime before they eventually came up short, 104-103!

In the battle of two of the best point guards in the NBA, "D-Will" finished with 13 points and 18 assists while his counterpart Steve Nash had 10 points and 15 dishes.

The Net basketball experience has been enhanced now and hopefully for many years to come.

Tuesday night I went home after work.

Wednesday night after work I went to Madison Square Garden to see the new look Knicks take on the New Orleans Hornets.

This game started off exciting but it fizzled fast as the Hornets disappeared. The Knicks raced off to an easy 107-88 victory.

It was Carmelo Anthony's second home game as a Knick. Unlike the first one the crowd wasn't as electric but the Melo effect has made a difference. There were plenty of t-shirts and jerseys with his name and number on them. In addition, they occasionally chanted his name.

Thursday night after work I went to Downtown Brooklyn to see the Long Island University (LIU) Blackbirds play the St. Francis (PA) Red Flash in the first round of the Northeast Conference tournament.

The Blackbirds wound up cruising to a 90-75 victory. It was their first step in trying to secure a bid in the NCAA tournament.

We had some company at the gym as our friends Eddie, Phil, Larry, Frank and Mike were on hand for the festivities.

Friday night after work I went back to Madison Square Garden as the Knicks hosted the lowly Cavaliers.

Despite their horrible record the Cavaliers have beaten the Knicks a few times this season already.

Most recently the Friday before in Cleveland.

For the second straight Friday night the Knicks were victimized by the Cavaliers again.

This time the Knicks led the game until the last minute when the pesky Cavaliers took their first lead and they held off the Knicks as they beat them again, 119-115.

Saturday I went to the Nassau Coliseum to see the Islanders play the St. Louis Blues in an afternoon game.

It was a great day for people with families to take their kids to a game.

Our friend Joe Rossi did just that as he brought his three and a half old daughter Grace to the game.

Grace had a great time while she was there. Daddy bought her a Sparky doll. Sparky is the Islanders mascot. I got to sit next to them for a period so I know they had a blast.

The King and I had a good time also as we met up with some other familiar faces at the game as well.

As for the game we saw, the Islanders build a 3-0 lead and they wound up cruising to an easy 5-2 win.

Sunday we went back to the Coliseum, this time the Devils were visiting the Islanders.

Unlike Saturday the crowd was close to a sellout, there were plenty of Devil fans who came across the river to see their Devils play on the road.

Speaking of the Devils, they've been the hottest team in hockey the last few months.

They have managed to get themselves back into the playoff picture.

They've been using the mentality one game at a time. So far it's working wonders as they just keep winning games.

Sunday they continued their winning ways as they won the game 3-2 in a shootout.

With each win they're inching closer to a playoff spot.

It's going to be interesting down the stretch to see if they can actually pull it off.

We'll wait and see.

That puts a wrap on another week in the life of royalty.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman