Royalty sees the Washington Wizards play their Home Opener against the Boston Celtics at the Verizon Center!

Prince at Verizon Center

I got up early Saturday morning so I could call Avis up to see if they had any cars available to rent. They said they did on a first come first served basis. I wound up getting a Crown Victoria for the weekend. I took a few buses and a train to get there. I arrived there just after 9AM. On my way there, I saw so many trees that got knocked down as a result of Hurricane Sandy. When I finally arrived at Avis which is located at a gas station, they still had no power and no gas. Despite that, cars were lined up all the way down the block waiting for them to get a supply of fuel. It was unbelievable. Once again, I counted my blessings.

I wound up getting the car with a quarter of a tank of gas. Thankfully I went to pick up the King and away we went. We drove into New Jersey as the remaining gas was dwindling away. We wisely decided to get on the NJ Turnpike for a little while. By doing so, we were able to luckily get gas. It wasn't easy but once again we were blessed. We had a car with a Pennsylvania license plate that ended in an odd number. At Noon in Northern New Jersey that day, they started allowing people to get gas with odd license plates only. We patiently waited on a line on the shoulder of the exit to the rest area for an hour and sixteen minutes starting at 12:07PM before we got our chance to get some gas. While we were waiting a state trooper looked at everybody's plates to make sure they were odd. The car behind me apparently wasn't so they were kicked off the line. We were so fortunate. Five minutes later at 1:28PM we finally got enough to get us to Laurel, Maryland which is located between Baltimore and Washington DC. I knew the gas was a lot cheaper there so we filled up before we continued on to DC.

We originally planned to go to see the University of Delaware play football on the way to DC but Hurricane Sandy spoiled that idea. We ironically past by the stadium area after we stopped off at McDonald's for an early dinner. We saw people heading back to their cars so the King yelled out and asked them who won. A few ladies responded it wasn't us. In other words, the Delaware Blue Hens lost to the visiting Towson Tigers. The King looked it up on his phone and we found out that they lost 34-27 in overtime. It was a long game. It seemed like a blessing in disguise that we couldn't make it.

We continued on as we finally got to DC just before 6PM. We went to see the Wizards play their home opener against the Boston Celtics at the Verizon Center.

Our friend Peter Agnew has season tickets for the Wizards was able to get us a pair of tickets at his season ticket price which worked out well for us. Unfortunately he was away so he couldn't join us. We were grateful for his kindness as always.

As for the game we saw, the Celtics raced out to a 17-2 lead. It appeared that the Wizards were going to get blown away. Surprisingly, the Wizards managed to hang around most of the game. They trailed 26-12 after the first quarter. They got within seven points at halftime, 49-42. After three quarters, they pulled within four at 71-67. In the fourth quarter with three and a half minutes to go, they tied the game at 84 as Jannero Pargo hit a basket. Moments later teammate Kevin Seraphin gave the Wizards their first lead of the game, 86-84. They didn't score again as Paul Pierce buried a three pointer to give the Celtics an 87-86 lead. They added a few throws late as they emerged victorious, 89-86 to spoil the Wizards' home opener.

After the game we drove to Somerset, PA where we spent the night before we continued onward to Cleveland, Ohio on Sunday.

Stay tuned for the special post that will recap the rest of this adventurous getaway.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 10/15 in review

Prince at Barclays Center 

Monday night after work I went to downtown Brooklyn which is now the new home of entertainment in the five boroughs. A few years ago ground was broken for the Barclays Center which opened its door on September 28th to a Jay Z concert. A number of concerts followed that one. The Harlem Globetrotters played there recently too.

On this night, the Barclays Center hosted its first NBA basketball game as the Brooklyn Nets who relocated from New Jersey played the Washington Wizards in a preseason game.

It was the first time I got to go the arena. It made a nice first impression on me. It's a modern two level building that's filled with club seats and luxury suites. It holds just over 18,000 people for basketball. As for hockey, it will hold only 14,500 they said.

Speaking of hockey, the New York Islanders announced yesterday that they will become a tenant there starting in 2015. They signed a 25 year lease to call the Barclays Center home when their lease at the Nassau Coliseum expires. After they explored other options, they decided that this was their best move. Time will tell.

The Barclays Center is conveniently located in downtown Brooklyn and it has access to eleven different subway lines as well as the Long Island Railroad. With that being said, public transportation is the way to go. Parking in the area is limited and expensive I heard.

I plan to go to the Barclays Center often since the King and I have full season tickets for the Nets. Our seats are located in section 230 row 13 seats 23 & 24. If you get to go to a game, please feel free to stop by and say hello.

The first official game takes place on November 1st as the Brooklyn Nets take on former Hudson River rival, the New York Knicks as the NBA gets started on time this season.

As for the game we saw, the Nets and Wizards played a competitive game against each other. It was a seesaw battle as both teams took turns taking leads. They were tied on a number of occasions as well. When it was all said and done, the Nets emerged victorious, 98-88. Brook Lopez of the Nets and Martell Webster led their respective teams by scoring 18 points each.

After I visit the arena a few more times, I plan to write a special post about it so you know what to expect if and when you get to go there to see it for yourself.

The rest of the week I got to come home after work since there was no baseball to go to in the area. In addition, since the NHL is currently locked out, there's no hockey to attend either.

As a result, I was able to come home, relax and I got to catch up on things. In that regard, the timing was perfect.

Friday after work I went out to Avis to rent a car for the weekend.

Stay tuned for some special posts that I'm going to do that will recap the adventurous weekend we had.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty gets a taste of "Lin-Sanity" at MSG!

When the King and I were at Madison Square Garden on February 4th, we saw the Knicks play the
Nets that night. Little did we know we were going to get a glimpse of the hottest thing to hit NYC in recent memory.

All of a sudden, the first ever Asian American player of Chinese descent came into the game. His name was Jeremy Lin. We like others we're wondering who is he.

Since he entered that game 10 days ago, he continues to be the talk of the town. He was living with his brother on the East Side on a couch. I think he may be ready to check in for a while at the Trump Tower now. He's no dummy. He graduated from Harvard. He went undrafted. In matter of fact, two teams had him and cut him. First the Golden State Warriors who he played briefly for. He was let go and the Houston Rockets picked him up. After they dumped him, the Knicks decided to take a chance on him. What a decision that was. They put him in the game and he exploded on the scene.

He electrified the crowd instantly hence the reference "Lin-Sanity". He finished the game with 25 points off the bench and he added 7 assists and 5 rebounds. What a performance.

He was rewarded with his first NBA start that Monday night when the Utah Jazz came to the Garden. "Lin-Sanity" took center stage again. This time he scored a new career high of 28 points and he added 8 assists. It was absolutely "Lincredible".

He took his instant success to Washington DC Wednesday night where the Knicks were visiting the Wizards and John Wall. The "Linning" ways continued again. This time he led the way as he scored 23 points and dished out 10 assists.

The Knicks returned home on Friday night to face Kobe Bryant and the Lakers at the Garden. "Lin-Sanity" stole the show as he outscored Kobe by pouring in a new career high 38 points as he led the Knicks to another victory.

Saturday night the Knicks hit the road again as they went out to the Twin Cities to play the Timberwolves. It appeared that the Knicks were going to lose but "Linderella" wouldn't let the glass slipper wear off just yet as the "Linning" ways continued.

Tonight the Knicks headed north of the border to play the Toronto Raptors. The Knicks trailed most of the game but once again "Linderella" got across the border and was the difference as the Knicks return home a winner again. He scored 27 points including the "Linning" shot and he handed out 11 more assists. By the way, that was Jeremy's way of saying "Happy VaLINtine's Day" to all his fans.

Since Lin got some serious playing time against the Nets, the Knicks haven't lost they're 6-0. He continues to be the talk of the town but he always defers the credit to his teammates.

Now the question is if and when is "Linsanity" going to end. At this rate, I think it's here to stay.

Time will tell.

Thank you for reading and following.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty visits friends and sees the Nets play on the road in Washington D.C.!

Sunday morning we got up and we had breakfast at the Waffle House which was conveniently located by the Days Inn we stayed at in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Stay tuned for the special post I'm going to do on that eatery.

After we ate, we drove to the Verizon Center to see the Nets take on the Washington Wizards in a matinee game. The opening tip-off was scheduled for 1PM.

We arranged to meet our good friend Peter Agnew from Baltimore there. He's been a loyal Wizards season ticket holder since 1987. He was able to secure some additional tickets free of charge and he decided to give us the royal treatment.

In addition, he brought his friend John Pratt from Baltimore and his nephew to the game.

As for the game we saw, the Nets who played without newly acquired Deron Williams. Despite that they got off to a fast start and led by 17 late in the second quarter.

In the second half, the depleted Wizards arose and they stormed back as the Nets played awful. The Wizards came away with a 98-92 victory.

After the game, we went to Baltimore where we met up with Peter and his lovely wife Carmen for dinner.

We wound up trying a new place called Matthew's Pizza.

Stay tuned as I go into further detail in a special post.

As always we enjoyed their company. We take turns visiting each other.

Peter always invites us to come down. Thankfully the schedule worked out so we took advantage of this opportunity.

That's what makes going places so much fun.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty is heading down South to Norfolk, Virginia and Washington D.C in a few weeks!

Here's the game plan:

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

I'm going to pick up The King and we'll be heading down to Norfolk, Virginia. We'll be taking the scenic route through Delaware and we'll eventually go over the Cheaspeake Bay Bridge Tunnel that goes right into the Norfolk area. We'll be stopping in Washington D.C. Sunday afternoon before returning home late Sunday night.

Saturday, March 19th Albany Devils at Norfolk Admirals 7:15PM

We'll planning to meet up with Bob Kelly, who lives in the area. We originally met his brother Dennis and his wife Sue when we saw the Mets in Japan in 2000. As for Bob, we saw him at Citi Field last June. In December, we met him on a plane to Cincinnati by surprise. He was returning from a business trip. We told him we're planning to come down to Norfolk in March. The time is almost here.
 
Sunday, March 20th Nets at Wizards 1PM

We plan to see our friend Peter Agnew who has arranged to get us Wizards tickets for that game. Afterwards, we'll probably have dinner together with his wife Carmen in Baltimore.

In addition, I'm looking forward to possibly meeting another fellow roadtripper, Charles Stephenson who lives in the Washington D.C. area.

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

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

Thank you for reading.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 1/24 in review‏

With my football season coming to an end, I went to Madison Square Garden after getting some sleep during the day to see the Knicks host the Washington Wizards.

As for the game I saw, the Wizards hung tough with the Knicks for most of the game then the Knicks put them away in the fourth quarter as they won 115-106!

Amar'e Stoudemire led the way with 30 points and 9 rebounds. Wilson Chandler added 25 points while Danilo Gallanari finished with 17 points.

Nick Young was the Wizards high scorer with 22 points. Recently acquired Rashard Lewis had 20 points. Rookie John Wall poured in 18 points and he dished out 9 assists.

After going back to work Tuesday I came home to rest up.

Wednesday night I braved the elements and I made the trek to Newark to see the Nets take on the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies led this one after the first quarter 32-16 then they gradually disappeared as the game wore on. They wound up losing, 93-88!

Anthony Morrow paced the Nets off the bench as he scored a team high 19 points. Brook Lopez added 17 points in the process.

As for the Grizzlies, Rudy Gay finished with 22 points and Zach Randolph had 20 points to go along with 16 rebounds in the loss.

Thursday night I went back to the Garden to see the return of the Miami Heat.

This time the Knicks emerged victorious, 93-88!

The Big Three was missing Chris Bosh. Dwayne Wade had a great game as he scored 34 points and he grabbed 16 rebounds but he missed 8 free throws which proved to be costly as the Heat came up short.

LeFraud once again heard the serenade of boos when he touched the ball. He shot only 7 for 24 and he finished with 24 points and he manage to collect 11 boards.

For the Knicks, Amar'e Stoudemire who was named one of the Eastern Conference starting All-Stars before the game. He went on to score 24 points to help the Knicks beat the Heat.

Rookie Landry Fields added 19 points, ripped down 13 rebounds and he handed out 6 assists. In the process, he became the first Knick rookie to do so since Walt Frazier did that feat way back in 1968.

Friday night I went to rest up for the busy weekend I had planned.

Saturday morning I went to Avis and I rented a car for the weekend.

I proceeded to drive to Astoria to pick up the King. After doing so, I drove into Manhattan to meet our friend Mike Carroll who joined us for the minor league hockey doubleheader we were seeing.

The first game was in Hershey, Pennsylvania at 2PM. The back to back Calder Cup Champion Hershey Bears were hosting the Charlotte Checkers.

As for the game we saw, the hometown Bears scored the only goal of the game when former NHL player Sheldon Souray lit the lamp midway through the third period to give the Bears the 1-0 victory.

After the game we drove to Reading, PA to see our second game at 7:05PM.

On the way to Reading we stopped off in Bethel, PA and we had dinner at the Midway Diner which is located conveniently right off Exit 16 on I-78.

After having a nice inexpensive full course meal we continued on to Reading.

We arrived just in time to make the opening faceoff between the visiting Greenville Road Warriors who relocated from Johnstown, PA this season and the Reading Royals on Penn State night.

To celebrate this special occasion, the Royals worn a special uniform that resembled the Nittany Lions. They had big numbers on both sides of their navy blue jerseys.

Unlike the game we saw in Hershey, the first goal came just 40 seconds into the game as the Royals took the early 1-0 lead. They added two more goals to make it 3-0 just past the midway mark of the first period.

The Road Warriors stormed back with 2 quick goals only 9 seconds apart later in the first period to get back into the game at 3-2.

After a scoreless second period, the Royals added an insurance goal early in the third period to make it 4-2. That's the way it ended as the Royals came away with the victory.

Needless to say, we all had a great time in the Keystone State.

Sunday morning the King and I picked up my good friend and big supporter of Royalty over the years, Manny Morales. It's always a pleasure to have Manny on board with us.

He saw my schedule on the blog and he contacted me so he could take a "royal" ride to Poughkeepsie, NY which is located in the Hudson Valley about 100 miles from NYC.

We went to see Manhattan College visit the Red Foxes of Marriott. On paper it wasn't the most attractive matchup since both teams are playing very bad so far this season.

As for the game we saw it was very competitive throughout the contest. Marist had a few chances to put the Jaspers of Manhattan away at the free throw line but they missed free throws down the stretch that allowed Manhattan to have a chance at an improbable win.

With just 2 seconds to play, the visiting Jaspers of Manhattan had to go the length of the court to score to tie or win the game.

Michael Alvarado dribbled the ball up to just before the halfcourt line and he threw the ball up towards the basket and it banked off the backboard and in to give the Jaspers an incredible 60-59 come from behind win.

Needless to say, the crowd was in stunned disbelief. I couldn't believe it either. What a finish we saw.

After the game we dropped Manny off in Manhattan and the King and I went to the Garden to see the Knicks play the Detroit Pistons.

I wound up returning the car to Avis before I headed to the Garden. I drove 582 miles over the weekend.

As for the Knick game, the Knicks wound up beating up the Pistons rather easily, 124-106!

Amar'e Stoudemire led the way with 33 points despite playing with a twisted ankle. Danilo Gallanari added 29 points while seldom used Timofey Mozgov came off the bench and poured in 23 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.

For the Pistons, Ben Gordon scored 35 points and Greg Monroe added 15 points to go along with his 17 boards in the defeat.

As always, thank you for reading and following the adventures of Royalty.

If and when you get tired of reading about it and you want to be part of it just let me know so I can arrange to have you join us.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 11/1 in review

After resting up Monday night, I was planning to go to see the Knicks play the Magic at Madison Square Garden Tuesday night but the game was postponed due to an asbestos scare due to the on going construction of the latest renovation.

Wednesday night I went to the Prudential Center to see the Nets take on the Charlotte Bobcats.

The Nets appeared to be headed to another home victory but they blew a 10 point lead midway through the fourth quarter and they lost 85-83.

Boris Diaw lead all scorers with 24 points and Gerard Wallace poured in 20 to pace the Bobcats.

Devin Harris had 19 points while Brook Lopez added 17 in the losing effort. Rookie Derek Favors had 11 points.

After another night off Thursday, I went to the Garden Friday night where they deemed it safe to play.

The Knicks hosted the Washington Wizards who have John Wall, the number one pick in the draft who was making his NBA debut at the Garden.

As for the game, the Knicks won easily, 112-91.

The Knicks were lead by Toney Douglas who had 19 points. Amaure Stoudemire contributed 18 of his own in the win.

As for the Wizards, Andray Blatche lead them with 22 points and Gilbert Arenas had 19.

As for John Wall, he was erratic in his debut. He wound up scoring 13 points and he dished out 7 assists but he committed costly turnovers as the Wizards tried to back in the game. He's got a bright future. He's only 19 so in time he'll learn from his mistakes.

Saturday morning the King and I and our friend Frank went to Motown for the weekend.

Please stay tuned as I go into further detail regarding the getaway.

Thank you for reading.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman