Royalty schedule w/o 2/28

Here's the game plan:

Monday February 28th Suns at Nets 7PM

Wednesday March 2nd Hornets at Knicks 7:30PM

Thursday March 3rd St. Francis (PA) at LIU 7PM

Friday March 4th Cavaliers at Knicks 7:30PM

Saturday March 5th Blues at Islanders 1PM

Sunday March 6th Devils at Islanders 3PM

Check back to see how it played out.

Hope all my readers and followers have a great week.

As always, if you need assistance don't hesitate to ask.

Stay tuned for my w/o 2/21 in review.

If you like to tweet you can follow me on Twitter too. @royaltytoursusa

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Official review of Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, CT

Here's my official review of Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

http://www.stadiumjourney.com/stadiums/webster-bank-arena-at-harbor-yard-s872/

I've been helping out my buddy Paul Swaney by doing reviews for him when time allows me to which these days is very rare.

His website, Stadium Journey is on my blog list. Here's the link: www.stadiumjourney.com/

Please feel free to check out his amazing site which will educate you greatly if and when you decide to take a road trip to see a new venue or if you're just curious how life is in other parts of the country.

When it comes to sports travel knowledge, I have plenty but I don't have the time to go in depth like his site does. Regardless you can always feel free to e-mail me and pick my brain.

I'm a team player so whenever I can help somebody else, I indirectly help myself too. I think if you follow my blog, you should do the same.

Life is short. Play hard. I do, I believe you should too.

I hope you enjoy my evaluation.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty sees Atlanta Hawks Radio Announcer Steve Holman at MSG!‏

Steve Holman behind the mic

On December 13, 2006 when the Atlanta Hawks came to Madison Square Garden I got to meet and greet a broadcasting legend from Atlanta. His name is Steve Holman.

Steve is a great guy who I always say hello to when I see the Hawks play.

Over the years, I've seen him in a number of places such as the IZOD Center when the Nets played there, Philadelphia, Boston and Cleveland too.

He has been the voice of the Hawks for a very long time. In matter of fact, this is his 26th season behind the mic.

He has broadcast over 1,800 consecutive Hawks games including the playoffs which the Hawks have rarely made until the last few years. This streak started way back in March of 1989.

These days he does the games solo. In years past, he worked with Hawk legend Dominique Wilkins aka the human highlight film and Dennis Scott, both former NBA players.

Dennis Scott aka 3D as he was known in his playing days because of his great three point shooting ability was always a great guy to talk basketball with when I saw Steve.

Steve has suffered through many years of horrible basketball down in Atlanta. It wasn't until they acquired Mike Bibby from the Sacramento Kings that they have finally turned things around.

Bibby arrived just before I saw the Hawks play the Celtics in Boston on March 2, 2008.

Since then the Hawks have become a much improved team.

Despite their 34-20 record when they came to the Garden last week, Steve said and I quote "they should have a better record than that."

Steve knows best he sees them play every game. I'm happy for him that he has a better team to work for these days.

I hope someday the Hawks can rise up and win a championship so Steve can have the privilege and honor of calling it.

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

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty loves watching hockey outdoors!

Since the National Hockey League decided that they wanted to experiment by playing a game outdoors on New Year's Day known as the Winter Classic, the King and I have been fortunate to have attended three of the four they've played thus far.

The first one occurred on January 1, 2008 when we saw the Pittsburgh Penguins play the Buffalo Sabres at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo.

That game ended in the first ever outdoor shootout in front of the largest crowd ever to see a NHL hockey game. They had just over 71,000 in attendance that day.

On January 1, 2010 we witnessed the first ever overtime game in Boston as the hometown Bruins beat the visiting Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway Park.

This past New Year's night as it turned out we saw the first outdoor game under the lights thanks to mother nature in Pittsburgh at Heinz Field. The Washington Capitals and the Penguins were on the big stage as the league's biggest stars did battle.

Now this past Sunday, February 20th we had the privilege and honor of seeing an outdoor game in Canada in Calgary, Alberta at McMahon Stadium as the Flames played the Montreal Canadiens in the 2011 Heritage Classic.

Royalty once again saw history made as we witnessed the first ever outdoor shutout as the Flames blanked the Habs, 4-0!

In addition, on February 20, 2010 we went to Syracuse, NY to see the first ever American Hockey League Mirabito Outdoor Classic between the Binghamton Senators and the Syracuse Crunch at the New York State Fairgrounds.

In the future, Royalty looks forward to attending more of these special events.

If you haven't been to one yet, I strongly suggest that you try your best to take in the experience if you're a hockey fan.

If you need my assistance and expertise don't hesitate to consult me.

Thank you for reading.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty attends Heritage Classic in Calgary!‏

2011 Heritage Classic

The first time the NHL decided to have a regular season game outdoors was back on November 22, 2003 when the Montreal Canadiens played the Edmonton Oilers at Commonwealth Stadium home the of Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League.

Unfortunately the King and I missed that one.

When the NHL schedule came out back in late June I knew they were going to play another outdoor game North of the Border. This time it was going to be in McMahon Stadium which is the home of the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL.

Ironically the matchup involved the Montreal Canadiens again.

In addition, it featured a rematch of the 1989 Stanley Cup Finals which I saw Game 4 in the Old Forum in Montreal back on May 21, 1989 after I saw the Expos play that afternoon. The Flames won that game, 4-2! They eventually went on to win the Stanley Cup in six games. 

Once  I knew all the schedules I pieced together this journey to Western Canada. The Heritage Classic was the centerpiece.

I kept looking at the Flames website to see when tickets were going on sale for this special event.

Finally on December 10th they said they would be selling tickets on Ticketmaster. So I proceeded to secure us a few single seats so we could be part of the festivities.

Sunday it was finally time for us to witness more history.

The King and I have been to three of the four different Winter Classics. Those being in Buffalo, Boston and most recently in Pittsburgh.

Now it was time for our first Heritage Classic.

The stage was set now we just had to get to McMahon Stadium to see it live.

After we left Red Deer, we ate breakfast at a place called Smitty's Restaurant. It's been in business just over 50 years in Canada. Needless to say, it was really good.

We got back on the road and we drove to our hotel near the Calgary airport and we were able to check in early which worked out well.

Now we were ready to brave the elements and enjoy the game of hockey the way it's supposed to be played in the great outdoors on a frozen pond.

We arrived at McMahon Stadium at 3PM which gave us plenty of time to get ready for the 4PM start.

We parked the car in the neighborhood nearby and walked over.

We saw mobs of people heading towards the stadium. I said to myself what a great day it's going to be.

Luckily for us we were able to avoid the majority of the crowd as we made our way into the Stadium.

Since the stadium opened in 1960 the walkways inside were rather narrow so moving around the concourse was a struggle.

Once we finally got settled everything worked out beautifully.

We wound up sitting near the blue line with a great view of the action.

Let it be known, like all the other outdoor games we've attended in the past most of the seats were bad.

People like to go more for the experience and the uniqueness of the event. We do too but we want to see and score the game too.

As far as I'm concerned, we had the best seats in the house. We were able to follow the game without too much difficulty.

More importantly I had the privilege and honor of meeting a few people there who came down from Edmonton and were Flames fans. They were Linda Dahlin and Greg Penkala. They were very nice people and I enjoyed their company very much throughout the game. Greg's brother, Chris was there as well. Chris is a Canadien fan as he was all dressed up with his jersey on.

Unlike his brother Greg and Linda it was a bad day for him as his Canadiens didn't even score a goal as they lost 4-0! It was the first ever shutout ever in outdoor game history.

Flames goalie Mikka Kiprusoff made 39 saves as the Flames won. Rene Bourque scored two goals to lead the way.

 As for the crowd as a whole, it seemed to be more Flames fans than Canadiens fans but I know the majority of them were passionate hockey fans.

It was billed as a once in a lifetime experience. The chances of another outdoor game being played in Calgary is very slim.

I do hope that in the future they do play another one somewhere in Canada. I would gladly welcome the opportunity to see it.

Unlike in Pittsburgh on New Year's night where the weather was unseasonably warm and it even rained at times, the weather this time was more suited for the event.

The game time temperature was 8.6 degrees Celsius which is around 17 degrees Farenheit to give you an idea. The wind was howling too. Fortunately for us we were protected from the wind during the game. We were dressed properly for the elements so we were able to survive.

The ice was rather rough and chippy as a result so they needed to fix it on a few occasions. It was the same for both teams but apparently it effected the Canadiens more since they were unable to score.

Overall I thought it was a great time. The NHL has done a wonderful job creating a niche for itself with these outdoor games. I just hope they don't over do it in the future.

Once they announce the next one, Royalty will be all ready to go.

With that being said, if you want to be a part of it too all you have to do is let me know so I can arrange it for you.

After the game we went out to have dinner at the Toad 'N' Turtle Pubhouse and Grill which was located a few blocks from our hotel.

Monday morning we flew back home. We had a slight change in plans as Delta Airlines rerouted us to American Airlines to go from Calgary to Chicago due to bad weather in Minneapolis. We took a Delta flight back to New York from Chicago.

Everything worked out well for us in the end.

Another epic excursion is in the history books.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty continues North through Western Canada for a hockey doubleheader!‏




The King during warmups



The Prince in Oil Country

















After the minor league game we saw in Calgary Friday night we drove to Red Deer to spent the next two nights during the "Faceoff in the Foothills" weekend as it was branded.

We woke up in the morning and we had breakfast at the hotel. They had quite a spread which included eggs, ham, waffles, cereal, fruit and yogurt. We loaded up for the big day ahead.

While we were enjoying our meal we got to see some families with their young kids who were getting ready to go play hockey.

Unlike here in the States, kids learn how to skate and play hockey once they learn how to walk.

We've been to Canada many times over the years and we always love the experience. It's a different culture there.

When you go to a hockey game in Canada you can really appreciate the game and the passion that these people have for it.

This trip was filled with plenty of hockey including a double dosage once we left the hotel.

We drove up to Edmonton aka the City of Champions as the welcome sign said to see the Atlanta Thrashers invade Rexall Place as it's called these days as they were visiting the Oilers in Oil Country.

Back in the day during the 1980's, the Oilers had their dynasty run with a guy named Wayne Gretzky aka "The Great One" leading the way. It was fascinating to see all those championship banners hanging across over one end of the ice.

These days they're a far cry from that as they currently have the worst record in the league.

Although things may be turning around in Edmonton soon since they had the first pick in the 2010 NHL Draft in June and they selected a kid named Taylor Hall who was only 18 at the time. He turned 19 in November.

During the game we saw, Taylor waited for the third period to start to show us what he can do. With the Oilers trailing 3-1 early in the third period, he scored three straight goals which gave him 20 in his rookie season.

As a result, he got his first career hat trick and since he scored three in the same period it was a natural hat trick. It reminded me of "The Great One".

The last goal he scored he was determined to finish in front of the net and he did. The crowd erupted as the Oilers took their first lead of the day. What a great feeling it was to see this young star on the rise.

The Oilers added another goal with just 12 seconds remaining as they went on to win the match, 5-3!

It was really nice to return to that old barn to see another hockey game.

The arena is located out in the northeast suburbs passed downtown which we drove through to get there.

There's been talk of them wanting to build a new arena. If indeed that eventually happens, I look forward to returning to see it someday.

After the game we went back to Red Deer to see our first ever Western Hockey League (WHL). The WHL is a Junior League.

We saw the Red Deer Rebels host the Kamloops Blazers at the Enmax Centrium which was a pretty nice size arena considering it was juniors that were playing.

It made for a nice hockey night in Canada as we completed our full day of watching hockey.

As for the game we saw, the Rebels led most of the night but the Blazers scored just past the midway mark of the third period which tied the game at 3 and forced the extra session.

The Rebels wound up winning the game 4-3 in overtime.

I fulfilled the King's need to go to another Casino in downtown Red Deer before we called it a night.

Sunday we got up and headed back to Calgary for the main event, the Heritage Classic.

Stay tuned as I go into further detail regarding that special occasion.

Thank you for reading and following along as I recap our adventurous getaway.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Nets add "D-Will" to the mix as they build for their move to Brooklyn in 2012!

NETS ACQUIRE TWO-TIME


ALL STAR GUARD DERON WILLIAMS

East Rutherford, NJ – The New Jersey Nets have acquired two-time All Star guard Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz in exchange for guard Devin Harris, forward Derrick Favors, two first round draft picks (Nets 2011, Golden State 2012) and cash considerations, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.
“We are very excited to add a player the caliber of Deron Williams to our roster,” said King. “He is one of the premier point guards in the NBA, and his skill and talent level will bolster our franchise as we continue to build towards our goal of becoming a championship-caliber team.”

Williams, 6’3”, 209, was selected third overall in the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft by Utah. The Illinois product is currently in his sixth NBA season and holds career averages of 17.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 9.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 35.6 minutes per game. In 439 career games, including 406 starts, he has shot .466 (2,725-5,848) from the field, .358 (511-1,427) from three-point range and .808 (1,615-1,998) from the free throw line. In 44 career postseason games, Williams has averaged 21.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 9.6 assists and 1.2 steals 40.4 minutes, while shooting .458 (308-672) from the field and .796 (238-299) from the line. Williams is a two-time All Star (2010 and 2011), made the All-NBA Second Team in 2008 and 2010, won a gold medal as part of the Team USA at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, was a member of the All-Rookie First Team in 2006 and became only the third player in NBA history to have 1500+ points and 800+ assists while shooting .500+ from the field in a single season in 2007-08 (Magic Johnson, 1986-87, 1988-89 and Kevin Johnson, 1988-89). He ranked fourth on Utah’s career assists list (4,003), fifth for three-pointers made (511) and fourth for three-pointers attempted (1,427). In 53 games with the Jazz this season, Williams averaged a career-best 21.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 9.7 assists (3rd in the NBA) and 1.2 steals in 37.9 minutes. He also tallied 27 double-doubles (7th in the NBA).

Harris, a 6’3”, 190-pound guard currently in his seventh NBA season, is averaging 15.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, a career-high 7.6 assists (ranked 11th) and 1.06 steals while shooting 42.5% from the field in 54 games. The Wisconsin native was acquired by the Nets on February 19, 2008 from Dallas as part of a multi-player trade. In 2008-09, Harris enjoyed his best NBA season, averaging 21.3 points and 6.9 assists, while being named to the 2009 Eastern Conference All-Star Team. In parts of four seasons with the Nets, Harris played in 212 games, averaging 17.7 points, 6.9 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game. He is currently on five Nets individual career Top 10 lists, 10th in three-point field goals made at 188, 9th in three-point field goals attempted at 644, 9th in free throws made at 1,403, 10th in free throws attempted at 1,366 and 6th in assists at 1,473. In 463 career games, including 329 starts, Harris has posted averages of 13.2 points and 5.0 assists per contest.

Favors, selected third overall by the Nets in 2010 NBA Draft, has played in 56 games, making 23 starts for New Jersey in his rookie season. The 6’10” forward out of Georgia Tech has averages of 6.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game.

Royalty revisits Western Canada over President's/Family Day Weekend!‏



Saddledome



Hello Calgary













It was a long time since we went to Western Canada.

The King and I were there one other time way back on March 20-23, 1998.

We flew to Calgary that Friday and we saw the Flames play the Islanders that night.

That Saturday we went to Edmonton to see the Oilers play the Blues and Sunday night they played the Islanders.

We flew back from Calgary that Monday.

While we were there we went to the West Edmonton Mall. What an experience that was. It had everything a shopper could dream of. It also had a beach and a casino. It was amazing to say the least.

This time we flew to Calgary again. Upon arrival, we rented a car from Hertz for the weekend so we could go back to Edmonton and Red Deer which is located right in the middle of them.

We arrived in Calgary in the early afternoon. Since we were staying in Red Deer we didn't have the luxury of dropping off our bags at the hotel before the hockey game we were attending in Calgary.

So we decided to go get some early dinner since we were hungry from flying all day. It really wasn't so early because we gained two hours due to the time zone change there. They're on Mountain time.

As for eating, we went to the Husky House restaurant which is part of a gas station but knowing from past experience in Canada it's a good place to eat. As expected, we weren't disappointed.

After we ate we took a ride into Centre Ville which is how they refer to downtown. We drove around for a while to try and see if we could bring back flashbacks of 1998. In matter of fact, we vaguely did. The skyline looked familiar in particular with the Calgary tower standing out.

After doing that we noticed a casino that was within walking distance of the Saddledome. So we found a free parking spot on the street nearby and we were good for the night.

We went into the Stampede Casino which I know for a fact didn't exist back in 1998.

We spent an hour or so in there then we braved the elements as we took the short walk to the game.

It was a unique game because it was a minor league hockey game between the Abbotsford Heat who are the Calgary Flames affiliate and the Oklahoma City Barons who are the Edmonton Oilers farm team.

It was also the first time these two teams played each other. The Barons just came into the league this season. The Heat have been around only a few years as well.

It would have been better if the Flames were home but it still gave us a chance to see the Saddledome again.

As for the Saddledome, it's quite a unique structure. It reminded us of the old Capital Centre in Landover where the Washington Capitals used to play on the outside. It had the same potato chip roof style to it. It looks like the roof is caving in hence the name "Saddle" Dome. It's located right in Stampede Park which includes the old barn, the Corral, where the Flames played their first few years upon moving from Atlanta in 1980. 

When we got inside it was a lot different from most new arenas these days. This venue isn't that old. It opened in 1983. By today's standards it's ancient.

The concourse was rather wide and they had displays of the Flames history including their Stanley Cup Championship in 1989.

The arena has two levels which were open. In addition, there's a third level on one side that stayed closed since they didn't expect a full house.

As a result, we got to get a great view of the action. Speaking of the action, the Abbotsford Heat had taken a early 1-0 lead. Later in the game the Barons scored to tie it up at one.

With overtime looming, Alexandre Giroux of the Barons lit the lamp with just 1:06 left in regulation that proved to be the game winner as the Barons added an empty net goal with 42 seconds left to seal the deal.

The Barons won, 3-1!

After the game, we drove to Red Deer to spent the night as we got ready for a big hockey day on Saturday.

Stay tuned for the next installment.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Knicks Acquire Four-Time All-Star Carmelo Anthony‏ Number 7

KNICKS ACQUIRE FOUR-TIME ALL-STAR CARMELO ANTHONY


New York also adds five-time All-Star Chauncey Billups in a three-team trade



New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that the team has acquired four-time All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony, who was signed to a contract extension prior to the trade, and five-time All-Star guard Chauncey Billups in a three-team, 13-player trade with the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves. The trade also sent guard Anthony Carter and forwards Renaldo Balkman and Shelden Williams from Denver and swingman Corey Brewer from Minnesota to New York. New York has traded forwards Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari, guard Raymond Felton, center Timofey Mozgov, a future first-round draft selection and two future second-round draft selections (originally acquired from Golden State on Jul. 9, 2010), the right to exchange 2016 first-round draft selections and cash considerations to Denver and has sent center Eddy Curry, forward Anthony Randolph and cash considerations to Minnesota. Minnesota acquired a future second round draft selection from Denver and Denver acquired Kosta Koufos from Minnesota.



"At 26 years old, Carmelo is in the prime of his NBA career having already established himself as a one of the game's elite players and the opportunity to add him to our roster was one we could not pass up," Walsh said. "I feel we now have a great frontcourt tandem in Amar'e and Carmelo and this is an exciting day for the New York Knicks and all our fans. It is extremely difficult to trade away players, but we feel like the team is in better position to win and we have excellent players to build around for years to come."



Anthony, 6-8, 230-pounds, has career averages of 24.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 564 career games (564 starts) in seven seasons with the Denver Nuggets. The Brooklyn, NY-native was selected by the Nuggets with the third overall selection in the 2003 NBA Draft following his freshman season at Syracuse University, where he led the Orangemen to their first national championship in 2003 and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. A four-time All-NBA selection and four-time NBA All Star, Anthony has averaged at least 20 points in each of his seven NBA seasons and earned an Olympic Gold Medal with Team USA in the 2008 games in Beijing. Anthony has averages of 25.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 50 games with Denver this season.



"Carmelo is one of the top pure scorers in the league and like Amar'e, I believe he will really embrace the opportunity to play back home in New York and help us continue our goal of building towards a championship," said Knicks Head Coach Mike D'Antoni. "Chauncey is a winner and having a veteran point guard of his caliber will be extremely valuable in helping us win games, especially in the playoffs."



Billups, 6-3, 202-pounds has career averages of 15.5 points, 5.6 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 961 games (867 starts) in 14 NBA seasons with Toronto, Boston, Denver, Minnesota and Detroit. Originally selected by Boston with the third overall selection of the 1997 NBA Draft following his sophomore season at the University of Colorado, Billups has been named an NBA All-Star five times and is a three-time All-NBA selection. The Denver, CO-native has led his team to the playoffs in each of his last 10 seasons and was named the 2004 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player after leading the Detroit Pistons to the NBA title. In 51 games with Denver during the 2010-11 campaign, Billups has averages of 16.5 points and 5.3 assists per game.



Carter, 6-2, 195-pounds has career averages of 5.0 points and 3.9 assists in 580 games (181 starts) in 12 NBA seasons with Miami, San Antonio, Minnesota and Denver. Undrafted out of the University of Hawaii, the Atlanta, GA-native has six years of playoff experience. Carter has averaged 1.9 points, 1.9 assists and 10.9 minutes in 14 games with Denver this season.



Balkman, 6-8, 208-pounds, returns to New York with career averages of 4.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in 204 career games (12 starts) with the Knicks and Denver. Originally selected by New York with the 20th overall selection in the 2006 NBA Draft out of the University of South Carolina, Balkman was born on Staten Island, NY. He was traded by New York to Denver on July 28, 2008 and has appeared in five games this season with Denver.



Williams, 6-9, 250-pounds, has career averages of 4.5 points and 4.1 rebounds in 286 games (63 starts) in five NBA seasons with Atlanta, Sacramento, Minnesota, Boston and Denver. The Oklahoma City, OK-native was originally selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the fifth overall selection in the 2006 NBA Draft following a standout career at Duke. Williams left Duke as the school's all-time leader in rebounds and blocked shots and had his number retired by the school in 2007. Williams is averaging 4.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in 42 games with Denver this season.



Brewer, 6-9, 188-pounds, has career averages 9.1 points and 3.3 rebounds in 232 games (147 starts) in four NBA seasons with Minnesota. The Portland, TN-native was drafted by Minnesota with the seventh overall selection in the 2007 NBA Draft out of the University of Florida where he helped lead the Gators to back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007. Brewer started all 82 games for Minnesota last season in 2009-10 and averaged a career-high 13.0 points per game. Brewer is averaging 8.6 points and 2.7 rebounds in 56 games this season with the Timberwolves.

Royalty w/o 2/14 in review‏

This week started slow but finished in epic fashion.

Monday night after work I went out to Newark, NJ to see the Nets play the NBA's best team record wise, the San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs unlike the Lakers bore you to death but they win and that's what matters.

That was the formula as they disposed of the Nets, 102-85.

The silent assassin Tim Duncan quietly did plenty of damage early on in this one to lead the way for the Spurs as he finished with 15 points and added 11 rebounds.

With the Spurs comfortably up most of the game, Duncan was able to stay on the bench most of the second half.

Tuesday night I went home after work to rest up.

Wednesday night I went to Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks take on the Atlanta Hawks looking for revenge.

The Knicks lost to the Hawks twice in Atlanta and the last time tempers flared up as Amar'e Stoudemire and Al Horford got into it.

This time cooler heads prevailed for most of the game until late when the players started to lose their cool. Nothing out of the ordinary came out of it just a few technical fouls were called.

As for the scoreboard, the Knicks came out victorious this time, 102-90.

I did have an opportunity to visit with long time Atlanta Hawks radio voice, Steve Holman before the game. Stay tuned as I'm going to write a special post about him.

Thursday night I went home so I could pack and recharge my batteries in preparation for our journey to Western Canada for the weekend.

Stay tuned as I go into plenty of detail from this classic adventure.

If you're a hockey fan, you won't want to miss it.

It may take some time but it will definitely be worth the wait.

As always, if and when you need my personal assistance don't hesitate to ask for it. I'll do my best to accomodate your needs and wants.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty schedule w/o 2/21‏

Here's the game plan:

Wednesday February 23rd Bucks at Knicks 7:30PM (Carmelo Anthony's Knick Debut)

Saturday February 26th Delaware at Hofstra 2PM

                                     Capitals at Islanders 7PM

Sunday February 27th Lightning at Rangers 1PM

Check back to see how it turned out.

Hope all my readers and followers have a great week.

As always, if you need assistance don't hesitate to ask for it.

Stay tuned for my w/o 2/14 in review as well as the recap from the epic Western Canada excursion.

If you like to tweet you can follow me on Twitter too. @royaltytoursusa

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 2/7 in review

With the football season officially ending in Dallas on Sunday night. I followed it up with a night off after work Monday night.

Tuesday night after work I went out to Newark to see the Devils play the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Devils have been playing better lately. On this night the Devils continued their winning ways as they fought back to tie the game at 2 and they wound up winning it in overtime as Mattias Tedenby scored the game winner with 2:42 left in the extra session. It was his second goal of the game.

Jeff Skinner of the Hurricanes scored both goals in the losing effort for the Canes.

This game started slow. It was a boring first period with no goals scored. Both teams were feeling each other out.

In the second period, things started to heat up.

By the third period, we saw some great action as the Devils turned it up a notch.

As a result, the crowd which was rather quiet most of the night got excited.

The bottom line it turned out to be a good match.

In addition, we were joined by our friend Ira Schwartz. Ira took the train with me back to Queens. He had his car parked by the subway and he was kind enough to drive me home which saved me a half hour. Needless to say, I was very grateful.

Wednesday night after work I went to the Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks take on Blake Griffin and the Clippers.

With Blake arriving on the scene after missing his initial rookie season due to injury, they've become known as the "Blakers".

Blake was making his first appearance at the World's Most Famous Arena in the NBA.

As for the game, the Knicks were rather sluggish throughout the game. They did stage a comeback late in the third quarter going into the fourth but the Clippers were able to keep the Knicks at bay as they build their lead back up to put the Knicks away.

The crowd was very disappointed with the Knicks sub par effort.

Blake Griffin had 21 points in his Garden debut.

Third year pro DeAndre Jordan looked impressive in the middle as he finished with 17 points which included a number of thunderous slam dunks before he fouled out in the last minute.

Veteran point guard Baron Davis dished out 15 assists to pace the Clippers to the victory, 116-108!

Thursday night was another night off as I got prepared for the "Lake" Show on Friday night at the Garden.

Friday after work it was "Showtime" at the Garden as the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers made their annual visit.

Just like in Hollywood, the celebrities came out for this one. Jets head coach Rex Ryan was sitting front and center in the first row at center court. He dressed up in a Walt "Clyde" Frazier #10 jersey. He got to see firsthand what a championship team looked like.

Other notable guests included Yankee ace pitcher CC Sabathia as well as Kanye West.

As for the game, the Lakers didn't disappoint even though they played the night before and beat the Celtics in Boston.

The Lakers wound up cruising to a 113-96 victory. Kobe Bryant starred early as he scored 19 of his game high 33 points in the first quarter. He also grabbed 10 rebounds, six of them came in first quarter.

Quite amazingly when he was out of the game the Lakers lead got bigger on two different occasions.

The Lakers are loaded with talent. They have Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum who created mismatches for the undersized Knicks.

Despite the outcome, I was entertained as were many of the Laker fans who were in the building.

Saturday night I went to Newark to see the Knicks try to rebound against their crosstown rivals, the NJ Nets.

The game drew a record crowd of 18,711 as the Knicks who played without Amar'e Stoudemire.Despite that the Knicks still managed to beat the Nets, 105-95!

Sunday the King and I took a ride on Metro-North to Bridgeport, Connecticut to see the Sound Tigers play the Portland Pirates.

The game we saw got off to a bad start for the hometown Sound Tigers as they gave a goal just 13 seconds into the game. 28 seconds later they fell behind 2-0. It was 3-0 midway through the first period before the Sound Tigers got on the board as a result of a penalty shot.

The Pirates made it 4-1 then the Sound Tigers twice in a 15 second span to get within one at 4-3.

Unfortunately the Sound Tigers couldn't get the equalizer as they wound up losing the game, 6-3!

Our friend minor league Pete was there and he was nice enough to give the King and I a ride back.

In addition, I plan to write a review for my buddy Paul Swaney of Stadium Journey of the arena and the experience I had.

If you plan to check out a venue in the future you should check out his site for the invaluable information you'll need to know so you can have an idea of what to expect when you go.

It's on my blog list. I strongly suggest you take a look.

As always, I want to thank you for following and reading about my whereabouts.

When you get tired of hearing about my experiences and adventures, I recommend that you let me know so I can arrange to have you come along and/or I'll guide you along so you can so you can do it on your own.

I can't predict the outcomes of the games but I can make sure you don't get lost along the way.

All you have to do is let me know.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty schedule w/o 2/14

Here's the game plan:

Monday February 14th Spurs at Nets 7PM

Wednesday February 16th Hawks at Knicks 7:30PM

Friday February 18th Abbotsford Heat vs. Oklahoma City Barons in Calgary, Alberta 7PM MT

Saturday February 19th Thrashers at Oilers 1:30PM MT

                                     Kamloops Blazers at Red Deer Rebels 7:30PM MT

Sunday February 20th Canadiens at Flames at McMahon Stadium Heritage Classic 4PM

Check back to see how it played out.

Hope all my readers and followers have a great week.

As always, if you need assistance don't hesitate to ask for it.

Stay tuned for my w/o 2/7 in review.

If you like to tweet you can follow me on Twitter too. @royaltytoursusa

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

The End of an Era in Salt Lake City

Jazz Head Coach Jerry Sloan Announces Resignation


Assistant Phil Johnson Also Resigns; Tyrone Corbin Named Head Coach

SALT LAKE CITY (February 10, 2011) – The Utah Jazz announced today that head coach Jerry Sloan and assistant coach Phil Johnson have resigned their positions, effective immediately. In a related announcement, the Jazz also announced that assistant coach Tyrone Corbin has been named head coach of the team. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

“It is with great sadness that we have accepted Jerry and Phil’s resignations today. Larry and I have always had a tremendous amount of respect for both of them, the way they have handled the team, represented our franchise and held the values of our organization and community,” said Utah Jazz Owner Gail Miller. “Larry and I always gave our coaches maximum support to ensure that they knew they were in charge of the team, not management, the media, fans or players.”

Sloan had been Utah’s head coach since assuming the reigns from former head coach Frank Layden on December 9, 1988. The third-winningest coach in NBA history (1,221-803, .603), Sloan was the longest-tenured active coach with one team in major professional sports, as well as the longest-tenured head coach in NBA history. Sloan is the only NBA head coach to win 1,000 games with one team (1,127-682, .623 with Jazz) and ranked 347 wins ahead of San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich for the most wins with one team among active coaches.

Over his 23 seasons at the helm, Sloan guided the Jazz to 19 playoff appearances, two NBA Finals (1997, 1998), seven division titles, a streak of 16 consecutive winning seasons (1988-2004), 13 seasons with 50-plus wins and three with 60-plus wins, while suffering only one losing season. Sloan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on September 11, 2009.

“Jerry has proven again and again, that he is a Hall of Fame coach. His consistency, discipline and work ethic are cornerstones to his success,” said Greg Miller, CEO of the Utah Jazz. “Jerry’s departure is entirely his decision and as unpleasantly as it is for me personally, I respect his decision to leave the franchise at this time. In addition, Phil has had a tremendous impact on our franchise as an assistant coach by partnering with Jerry and stepping up to the head coaching role as needed over the years.”

Since Sloan’s hiring there have been a total of 245 coaching changes in the NBA (including interim coaches), with every team in the league aside from Utah making at least two changes. In addition, five current NBA teams (Bobcats, Grizzlies, Raptors, Magic, Timberwolves) did not exist when Sloan took the reins in Utah, and two others (Heat, Hornets) were just over a month into their inaugural seasons. Sloan coached 132 different Jazz players in regular season games during his tenure.

“Jerry and Phil have coached the Utah Jazz for more than 23 years,” said President of the Utah Jazz, Randy Rigby. “Both have been a tremendous asset to our team both on and off the court. They consistently supported the efforts of the front office through visits with our season ticket holders, sponsors and fans through community appearances. We are grateful for their legacy.”

Sloan originally joined the Jazz as a scout during the 1983-84 season, then following a brief stint as a head coach in the Continental Basketball Association, re-joined the Jazz as an assistant coach to Frank Layden on November 19, 1984, where he remained until being promoted to head coach following Layden’s resignation in December of 1988.

Prior to joining the Jazz, Sloan served as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1979-82 following an 11-year playing career with Baltimore and Chicago, during which he was twice selected an NBA All-Star.

Johnson teamed with Sloan as his top assistant for all 23 of his seasons coaching the Jazz. A former NBA Coach of the Year, Johnson has been widely acknowledged as one of the premier basketball coaches in the sport and was named the league’s top assistant prior to the 2005-06, 2007-08 and 2010-11 seasons.

Johnson’s working relationship with Sloan began more than three decades ago when he coached Sloan as an assistant under Dick Motta for the Chicago Bulls from 1971-74. Following three years with the Bulls, Johnson earned his first NBA head coaching duties at the age of 32 with the Kansas City-Omaha Kings. Johnson later reunited with Sloan in Chicago, becoming his assistant coach prior to the 1979-80 season. The two worked together through the end of Sloan’s tenure with the Bulls midway through the 1981-82 season. Johnson would then join the Jazz as an assistant in 1982 where he stayed before returning to the Kings in 1984 as head coach. In December of 1988, Sloan and Johnson again came together when Johnson joined Utah’s staff as an assistant where he had remained ever since.

“Coach and Phil are synonymous with the success of the Utah Jazz,” said Utah Jazz General Manager Kevin O’Connor. “Working with them throughout my time with the Jazz has been a very special experience. They are consummate professionals and competitors, and I am very grateful for all they have given to the organization.”

Corbin becomes head coach of the Utah Jazz after serving as an assistant under Sloan since the 2004-05 season. He becomes the seventh head coach in Jazz history and the fourth head coach since the franchise’s relocation to Utah. Prior to the 2010-11 season, Corbin ranked second in voting for the NBA’s top assistant coach as selected by league general managers (behind only Phil Johnson). Corbin joined the Jazz after spending the 2003-04 season as manager of player development for the New York Knicks. Prior to his stint with the Knicks, he spent two seasons as a player mentor for the North Charleston Lowgators of the NBA Development League.

“I am thankful that we have a person of Tyrone Corbin’s character to assume the position of head coach of the Utah Jazz. Ty has demonstrated an understanding of what our franchise stands for,” said Greg Miller.

A native of South Carolina, Corbin played for nine teams during a 16-year NBA career (1985-01), including three seasons with the Jazz from 1991-94, where he averaged 9.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in 233 games. Corbin appeared in a total of 1,050 games over the course of his career that included stints with San Antonio, Cleveland, Phoenix, Minnesota, Utah, Atlanta, Sacramento, Miami and Toronto. Corbin was originally drafted by San Antonio in the second round (35th pick overall) of the 1985 NBA Draft out of DePaul University.

Corbin will make his NBA head coaching debut on Friday, February 11 against the Phoenix Suns at EnergySolutions Arena.

Whale watching in the AHL goes outdoors under the lights!

A year ago Royalty experienced a unique event in Syracuse, New York as the AHL aka American Hockey League decided to play an outdoor hockey game.

This year the AHL has decided to do something similar with a Whale Bowl in East Hartford, Connecticut.

Please click here for all the details:

http://www.ctwhale.com/default.asp?ctwhale=136

Due to our excursion to Western Canada, Royalty won't be able to attend this time.

I strongly suggest if you haven't experienced an outdoor hockey game that you take advantage of this opportunity.

Even if you have, why not do it again. That way you can compare and share the experience. I'll be more than happy to link it to my blog for you. I'm curious how it was.

As long as mother nature cooperates, it will be a great Saturday night out for you.

Needless to say, if you need my assistance to help make it happen I'm here for you.

Enjoy!

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 1/31 in review

Monday night after work I went to Newark, NJ to see the Nets play the Denver Nuggets.

For some reason, when I see the Nuggets play in person they usually don't play well. This was yet another example. They fell to the Nets, 115-99.

The lone bright spot for the Nuggets was Carmelo Anthony who was showcasing his talent.

Melo as he's known was rumored to be possibly coming to New Jersey in a trade until a few weeks ago when the Nets decided to stop pursuing him.

He scorched them for 37 points and he pulled down 9 rebounds in his cameo appearance.

Needless to say, he heard the boos from the announced crowd of 14,039 which didn't seem nearly that big. Despite the Nets trying their best to discount their more expensive tickets in hope of attracting more people.

The NBA in particular has a propensity to fudge their attendance figures.

As for Melo, the latest rumors have him coming to the Knicks instead. If that happens, I'll see him play regularly at the Garden where the atmosphere is second to none when the team plays well.

Tuesday night after work I went back to the Prudential Center to see the Devils host the Ottawa Senators.

It was a nice peaceful evening at the "Rock" as the Devils came away with a 2-1 win.

Wednesday night I was at the Garden as the Knicks played host to the visiting Dallas Mavericks.

The Knicks hung around for the first half. In the second half, the Mavericks went on to pull away and they cruised to a 113-97 victory.

The result was much to the delight of my former co-worker, Justin Huff, who I arranged to get tickets for. I know Justin was a big Jason Kidd fan so I made sure I accommodated his need to see him play live. He was grateful for the opportunity to do so.

That's just another example of how Royalty satisfies others needs and wants.

After having a night off on Thursday, I wound up back in Newark on Friday night as the Devils entertained the Florida Panthers.

Unlike Tuesday's game against the Senators, this game featured more scoring and some unusual breaks.

The Devils got an early goal as the puck took an odd bounce off the side board and they took advantage as Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun was out of position. They  lead 3-2 in the third period when the Panthers got the equalizer with just over 7 minutes left in regulation as Mike Santorelli lit the lamp with a shorthanded goal. The score remained tied at the end of regulation time.

Rostislav Olesz of the Panthers got the game winning goal exactly two minutes into overtime to give the Panthers the extra point as they left Newark with a 4-3 come from behind win.

Saturday I wound up getting an unexpected night off due to the fact I needed to dig my car out of the snow and ice. By the time I finally got it out I was exhausted and sore. I decided to use my brain for a change and I passed up on the Islanders/Senators game at the Nassau Coliseum.

Sunday the King and I had given our Knick tickets to our friend Frankie Centola from Philadelphia who wanted to see his 76ers play at the Garden.

We were going to go to Newark to see the Nets and Pacers instead.

At the last minute, Frankie called us and he said he couldn't make it so he mailed the tickets back to us and we wound up going there.

After the Knicks lost a heartbreaker in Philadelphia on Friday night, they came home and returned the favor in front of a sellout crowd as they went on to beat the 76ers convincingly, 117-103!

Amar'e Stoudemire tied his season high as he poured in 41 points while rookie of the year candidate Landry Fields added a career high 25 points to go along with 10 boards.

As a result, it turned out to be another exciting afternoon at the mecca of basketball.

After the game, the King and I went to our good friend Frank Anichiarico's place to watch the Super Bowl. Frank's lovely wife, Tina did the cooking and provided the hospitality as we watched the Green Bay Packers do what our Jets couldn't do. They beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Big D, 31-25!

With that being said, another eventful week was in the books.

Just so you know I expanded my followings on Twitter so please feel free to follow @royaltytoursusa. 

As always, thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty schedule w/o 2/7

Here's the game plan:

Tuesday February 8th Hurricanes at Devils 7PM

Wednesday February 9th Clippers at Knicks 7:30PM

Friday February 11th Lakers at Knicks 8PM

Saturday February 12th Knicks at Nets 7PM

Sunday February 13th Portland Pirates at Bridgeport Sound Tigers 3PM

Check back to see how it turned out.

Hope all my readers and followers have a great week.

As always, if you need assistance don't hesitate to ask for it.

Stay tuned for my w/o 1/31 in review.

If you like to tweet you can follow me on Twitter too. @royaltytoursusa

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Today is the One Year Anniversary of my Blog‏

First and foremost, I want to thank all my readers and followers for helping to make this happen.

On February 3, 2010 I finally got this off the ground thanks to my friend from Japan, Sean MacDonald. For more details about Sean please check out his website and blog on my blog list.

Sean gave me the final push I needed. In addition, he guided me along to the current format I've been using each week.

I post my weekly schedule so everybody knows my short term game plan.

Just so you know I plan everything I do well in advance. I have excel sheets that I can e-mail to you if you're interested in seeing my bigger picture.

After each week he suggested that I do a week in review post. I thought that was a great idea and I followed through on it in late May 2010.

Furthermore, I do special posts when I deem it necessary to do so.

For example, when I meet someone I met in the past and we reunite again. Also when I come in contact with new found road trippers.

Furthermore, I do posts on upcoming road trips that I have planned.

I even do write ups on some of my favorite restaurants that I've had the honor and privilege of going to in different places home or away.

Most importantly, I always try to acknowledge everybody whose worthy of a mention as long as they don't mind. Some people prefer not to be included. If that's the case, I respect their wishes.

Thanks to my blog I've come in contact with many people who share a similar interest.

As a result, doorways have opened all over the country and even in other parts of the World.

My blog allows me to track stats which started in May 2010. I had zero page views until July 2010 when all of a sudden I become an attraction.

In July, I wound up getting 1,040 page views. In August and September, I had an unusual spike due to the fact I saw information that leaked the 2011 MLB schedule so I did a special post and my page views took off to almost 3,000 each of those months.

In October, things went back down to around 1,100. The same happened in November and December.

In January, I saw a surge to 1,300.

I plan to keep promoting my blog. I use Facebook, Twitter and word of mouth to do so.

I have advertising through Amazon so if you buy from them I would appreciate it if you would go through my site going forward.

In the near future, I plan to add banners for different sites to help promote others.

I try my best to keep it up to date. I also try to make it educational and entertaining for people to check in on what's new in the life of royalty.

As time goes on, I want the page views to continue to rise. With your help I know this will happen.

I'm a team player. I always go out of my way to help others whenever possible.

Life is short. We all have to play hard and help each other enjoy the ride.

By doing so, life will get better for all of us.

I target people who love sports and traveling. Those are my passions.

My blog has a blog list that I created and it keeps growing.

In matter of fact, I recently added a young man named Paul Derrick. Paul lives in Houston, Texas. I've been in contact back and forth with him the last few weeks. He's an up and coming sports traveler. He was so amazed by me he called me his idol when it comes to sports travel. I was speechless when I saw that on his blog list.

Sean Rowland is another young man who has a site on my blog list that the King and I met at Citi Field over the summer who referred to us as the "pioneers of sports travel."

That's just a few examples. I have a number of people who I stay in contact with thanks to my blog.

In January, I got my first interview on Internet TV in the FDH Lounge with a guy named Rick Morris who I met in Cleveland in November. I think it will be just the start of a growing relationship for many years to come.

Rick is a great guy. He was instantly baffled by the King and I. Our travels literally blew him away.

I plan to continue to go into further detail with Rick in the future when time allows.

My blog allowed me to met a guy named Kurt Smith who started a business recently selling baseball ballpark e-guides to help those with inside tips on how to save money so they can afford to attend a baseball game. He only charges $5.00 for each one. In return, you'll save a bundle. His site is also on my blog list.

In addition, my blog enabled me to meet a guy named Andrew Van Cleve who lives up the block from Wrigley Field in Chicago. His website and blog is on my list as well.

Andrew was so impressed he told a guy named Paul Swaney of Stadium Journey about me. Paul contacted me and we did an interview where I told him how I do what I do. It's on my blog for your viewing pleasure.

His site Stadium Journey has grown leaps and bounds over the last year and a half. It has reviews of all the different venues in all different sports.

I've had the privilege of doing some reviews for him too. I did one for the Staten Island Yankees, the Oregon Ducks and the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes.

If you're a newcomer or a seasoned veteran, a stop at Stadium Journey is a great way to start your adventure. As I say, you should know before you go.

I suggest that you take my advice. I subscribe to the 5P's. In other words, prior planning prevents poor performance.

I look forward to enhancing my blog going forward.

If you have any suggestions or recommendations, please feel free to run them by me.

I'm not a genius. I just work hard at when I love to do in life.

Thank you again for spending your precious time on my blog.

I hope to meet and greet as many of you in the future as possible.

As always, if you need any help when it comes to sports travel you know I'm here for you.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty and Company spotted at Yankee Stadium on 7/4/08‏

Please click on the link below and zoom into the view right behind home plate near the very top.

You'll see the King and I as well as other people we know.

I'm sitting in Section 2 row T seat 2. The King is in seat 5. My seat was seat 4 which was empty.

The Yankees played the Red Sox that afternoon then we drove down to Philadelphia that night to see the Mets play the Phillies too.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/07/08/newyork.yankees/

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