Royalty w/o 9/2 in review

Back on Labor Day I was off from work. The King decided to rent a car from Avis for the day. He wound up getting a Chevy Cruze. He came back home & he picked me up. We then went to Yankee Stadium to see the Yankees open a three game series with the Chicago White Sox. We knew the weather forecast wasn't great that day.

When we got up to our seats in section 420B row 7 we met up with our pal Al Linderman who was there too. Another guy named Tommy who we know from going to so many local games was there as well. In matter of fact we asked him if he wanted to go to Philadelphia for the Phillie game with us. He said he would. It was going to be his first time at Citizens Bank Park. He did say he saw a number of games at Old Veterans Stadium which closed back in 2003. It was our pleasure to take him there.

As for the game we saw, we had a rain delay in the top of the second inning which lasted an hour & 53 minutes from 1:30PM-3:23PM. With that being said, we had no chance of seeing the whole Yankee game. Luckily the Yankees scored eight runs in the 4th inning to go up 9-0. We decided in order to get to Philadelphia on time we needed to leave at a certain time. We did at 4:43PM with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning with the Yankees batting. The game was official at that point. In other words, the game counted for what it's worth. The King said he rented a car to go to Philadelphia not to leave it on the street in the Bronx. I agreed wholeheartedly.

As for the rest of the Yankee game, we listened to it in the car as we headed 100 miles south. The Yankees wound up winning the game, 9-1. Glad the game was so one sided when we left. With that being said, we barely missed anything.

When we got to Philadelphia, we parked the car on the street like we always do within walking distance of Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies were hosting the Washington Nationals. It was a good pitching match up too. Stephen Strasburg started for the Nationals and Cole Hamels was on the hill for the Phillies.

When we got inside we went up to section 319 where we like to stand to watch the game. We saw our pal Frankie Centola who got us tickets for the game. It was also dollar dog night so we were able to take advantage of the situation since we didn't have any time to stop to get anything to eat on the way down. A few innings later our buddy Andrew Van Cleve came by to see us. Shortly thereafter, Steve Fekete aka the Padre Punk also paid us a visit. He was finishing up his weekend getaway that took him to Washington DC, Charlotte & Norfolk. It was great to see him again.

As for the game we saw, the Nationals were up 2-1 late in the game. Tyler Clippard came in relief and he gave up a hit to Jimmy Rollins that tied the game at two in the bottom of the eighth inning. Carlos Ruiz then followed by delivering what proved to be the game winning hit as the Phillies went on to beat the Nationals, 3-2. It should be noted that Clippard got the first two batters out before he collapsed.

Tuesday I went to work nice & tired after getting home late from the game in Philadelphia. It didn't stop me from going back to the Bronx after work. Before I went back to Yankee Stadium for game two of the series between the Yankees & the White Sox, I stopped off at Burger King for dinner.

When I got upstairs I to my seat in section 420B row 7 I was joined by the King. During the game, fellow ballpark chaser Josh Robbins who I first met in Phoenix during my West Coast trip in the middle of August came by with his friend Sven Jenkins. Josh was visiting family in Albany for the week. He also had a wedding to attend. I'm glad he was able to come down to the Bronx to take in the Yankee game. It was great to see him again. Hopefully our paths will cross again in the future.

As for the game we saw, we had another good pitching match up as Hiroki Kuroda started for the Yankees & Chris Sale, the ace for the pale hose was on the mound for the visiting White Sox. On this night, we witnessed some history as Derek Jeter got a hit which was his 3,314th of his storied career which enabled him to move into sole possession of 9th place on the all time hits list passing Eddie Collins. In addition, we saw Vernon Wells steal home in the second inning. The Yankees trailed in the game, 4-1 until the bottom of the eighth inning when they finally got to Chris who couldn't close the "Sale" if you will. The Yankees wound up scoring five runs in the inning thanks to a two run single by Alfonso Soriano, a run scoring single by Curtis Granderson & a two run double by Eduardo Nunez as the Yankees went on to beat the White Sox, 6-4.

Wednesday after work I back to the Bronx to see the finale of the series between the Yankees & the White Sox. Before I went into the Stadium I stopped off at Foodtown which is a supermarket a few blocks away. I got a made to order sandwich which consisted of ham & swiss cheese on a roll. It was stacked high. I wound up eating it when I got up to my seat. I was joined by the King and our pals Frank Anichiarico aka Duck, Al Linderman & Michael Abrams who kept his consecutive Yankee home game streak which started back in 2002 intact.

As for the game we saw, the White Sox scored a run in the top of the first inning. The Yankees responded with the equalizer when Robinson Cano hit a solo home run to tie the game at one. In the second inning, White Sox rookie third baseman Marcus Semien got his first major league hit. In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Yankees exploded for four runs to take a 5-1 lead. They tacked on another run in the seventh inning to go up, 6-1. In the top of the eighth inning, the White Sox staged a comeback as they scored four runs to cut the lead to one. With two outs in the inning, Mariano Rivera was called on for a rare four out save opportunity. Mariano caught Alejandro De Aza looking at strike three to end the rally. After the Yankees made out 1,2,3 in the bottom of the eighth, Mariano finished the job by tossing a 1,2,3 ninth inning to seal the deal as the Yankees held off the White Sox, 6-5 to sweep the three game set. In the process, they kept their playoff hopes alive.

Thursday night after work I went back to the Bronx as the Yankees opened a crucial four game weekend series with the other team that has Sox in their name. I'm referring to their hated division rivals, the Boston Red Sox. This time before I went into the ballpark, I stopped off at the Court Deli Restaurant. I got myself a hot turkey sandwich which I took in with me. I ate it in my seat in section 420B row 7 where I was joined by the King.

As for the game we saw, the starters Jake Peavy for the Red Sox & Ivan Nova for the Yankees didn't pitch well. Peavy left after six plus innings leading 7-2 before the Yankees erupted for six runs in the bottom half of the seventh to take a 8-7 lead after Peavy left the game after giving up a walk and a hit. In the top of the ninth inning, the Red Sox tied the game at 8 when Stephen Drew got a run scoring single off of Mariano Rivera who blew the save. The game wound up going into extra innings as the Red Sox prevailed in ten innings as Shane Victorino got the game winning hit to give the Red Sox a hard fought 9-8 victory.

Friday night after work I went back to Yankee Stadium for game two against the Red Sox.

This time I decided to go to a different place for dinner. I wound up going to U.S. Fried Chicken. I went there once before for chicken. This time I had a slice of pizza and a spinach roll. It was very good. I'm glad I tried it.

When I got done I went over to the Stadium. I got to my seat and I met up with my pal William Frank Guthrie who was there.

As for the game we saw, Andy Pettitte pitched well for six innings. In fact he left with an 8-3 lead. Phil Hughes came in relief and he got bombed. The Red Sox tied the game at eight when Mike Napoli hit a grand slam. In the eighth inning, the Red Sox broke the tie as they scored four more runs as Shane Victorino helped the cause again. This time he hit a two run homer to make it a 10-8 game. Daniel Nava walked with the bases loaded which made it 11-8 and Stephen Drew added a clutch two out run scoring single for good measure as the Red Sox went on to beat the Yankees, 12-8.

After the game, the King, Bryan Gilligan & I went to Donovan's Pub in Queens for a post game meal. We met up with the King's brother Charlie Casiano there. It was great to see him again.

Saturday morning I got up early & I did my laundry before I went back to Yankee Stadium for game three of the four series with the Red Sox.

When the King & I got to our seats we were joined by our pal Al Linderman.

As for the game we saw, the Red Sox continued to destroy the baseball as they lead 12-3 after five innings. They got long balls from Mike Napoli, Jonny Gomes and rookie Xander Bogaerts who hit his first major league homer it was quite a shot to say the least. The Yankees fought back as they scored four runs in the sixth inning and they added two more in the eighth inning to cut the lead to three at 12-9. The Red Sox got an insurance run as Mike Napoli hit a solo home run in the top of the ninth to make it, 13-9 as the Red Sox held on to win by that score. The game lasted three hours and 32 minutes. This time we stuck it out to the bitter end.

After the game we went down to Philadelphia again thanks to Bryan Gilligan who drove the King, Vincent Ascanio & I there.

We did make it for the first pitch which was thrown at 7:08PM by Phillies' starter Kyle Kendrick to B.J. Upton of the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Shortly thereafter, we were joined by our buddy Andrew Van Cleve who was there as well.

As for the game we saw, it was a seesaw battle. Both the Braves and the Phillies scored a pair of runs in the third inning. The Phillies scored two more in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead. The Braves added a run in the sixth to make it a 4-3. The Phillies tacked on an insurance run in the eighth to take a 5-3 lead. The Braves tied the game at five when shortstop Andrelton Simmons hit a two run homer off closer Jonathan Papelbon in the top of the ninth. The Phillies wound up getting the last laugh in the bottom of the ninth inning when their shortstop Freddy Galvis ended the game with a home run with one out off of ex-Phillie Freddy Garcia who came on to pitch for the Braves.

Stay tuned as I'm going to write a special post about the first football game I saw this season. In addition, I plan to continue to play catch up on all my whereabouts in the month of September. Please bear with me.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty goes to Philadelphia for a basketball doubleheader!

Prince at Drexel Dragons basketball

Saturday morning the King & I went to Avis and I rented a Ford Fusion for the day just before 9AM.
I went to Brooklyn and we picked up our pal Vincent Ascanio. We then drove to Staten Island and we picked up our buddy Rich Wolber aka Staten Island Rich.

We drove down to Philadelphia to see college basketball at Daskalakis Athletic Center, home of the Drexel Dragons. They were hosting the Georgia State Panthers at Noon. We parked the car on the street a few blocks away at 11:30AM.

We wound up meeting up with our friend Eddie Pelle there. He took Amtrak down from NYC. I was planning to give him a ride but he overslept and he didn't see my text message in time.

As for the game we saw, the Dragons led the Panthers, 27-22 at halftime. In the second half, they pulled away and they cruised to a 68-57 victory before a crowd of 2,532 people who came out to see their Dragons play.

After the game we had some time to kill so we dropped the King off at Sugar House Casino so he could entertain himself for a little while. The rest of us decided to go shopping at Walmart to pass the time. When we were done we went back to the Casino and we picked the King up. After that we went to pick up our pal Andrew Van Cleve who lives in Philadelphia and he joined us for the 76er game.

Before we went to the game, we stopped off at the Oregon Diner for dinner. It was Andrew's first time there. He was impressed to say the least. He enjoyed the broiled stuffed fillet of flounder he decided to have. As for me, I decided to go with a different choice. I saw someone at the table next to us having a sizzling steak. It looked & sounded really good so I was inspired to do the same. I wound up having a sizzling charbroiled New York Strip which was excellent and it only cost $14.99.

Prince at 76er game 

After we ate, we drove over to the sports complex and we parked the car within walking distance.
We walked over to the Wells Fargo Center to see the Philadelphia 76ers host the New York Knicks.
As for the game we saw, the 76ers built a big lead early then the Knicks closed the gap as they trailed by five, 24-19 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the 76ers extended their lead to 12, 53-41 at halftime. In the third quarter, the 76ers broke the game open as they lead by 26 points, 84-58 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter, the 76ers slacked off as the Knicks out scored the 76ers by nine to make the final score, 97-80 look more respectable than it should have been. In other words, this game was a blowout from start to finish.

After the game, we met up with our pal Eddie Pelle who decided to go to another college basketball game at St. Joseph's which started at 6PM. He met us where I parked the car and I gave him a ride back to Brooklyn where he works.

Stay tuned for another special post that we'll go into detail about the basketball doubleheader we saw at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty meets up with Paul Swaney of Stadium Journey in Detroit!

Me & Paul Swaney, co-founder of Stadium Journey 

After Domish and I left Cleveland Saturday night, we drove to Rossford, Ohio which is just south of Toledo. We spent the night there at Knights Inn.

By doing so we were within an hour from Detroit, Michigan we had a big day of events lined up.

On the way there, we stopped off for breakfast at Cracker Barrel in Monroe, Michigan which was halfway to Motown. We had a tremendous breakfast that started a very memorable day for us.

When we were done, we got back in the car and we drove to downtown Detroit which is located off of I-75. I was going to Ford Field to see the Detroit Lions play the Chicago Bears while Domish was going to Joe Louis Arena to see a college hockey game. He saw Michigan play Michigan State in the third place game of the Great Lakes Invitational Tournament. He got a general admission ticket at the box office for $10.

Before the game, he went to get something to eat at Lafayette Coney Island, which is known for their coney dogs. While he was there, he spoke to a few people. Ironically they turned out to be the parents of Nick Williams who plays hockey in the FHL for the 1,000 Islands Privateers.

We parked the car on the street within walking distance of Ford Field and we walked over to Brush and Adams Street which is right between Comerica Park and Ford Field. Upon arrival, we met up with Paul Swaney, co-founder of Stadium Journey, which is the website that reviews sports venues all over the country and the world. I'm happy to say I'm a special correspondent for his site.

Last year when the NHL decided they were going to have their next Winter Classic in Ann Arbor, Michigan at the Big House which is the home of the Michigan Wolverines on New Year's Day, I planned to go. Ironically that's now where Paul Swaney calls home these days. Paul grew up in Traverse City, Michigan. He then moved to Chicago. Now he resides in Ann Arbor. As time went on, I looked forward to finally meeting Paul who I was introduced to by my pal Andrew Van Cleve back in May 2010 via e-mail. Paul and I have been in constant contact since on a friendly basis as well as on business related ideas and future plans for his site.

When the NHL decided to lock out and ultimately they cancelled the Winter Classic, I told Paul I was coming to Detroit anyway. I wanted to meet him so that was top priority for making this trip. When I was in Chicago a few times over the past few years, Paul was away so we never got to meet up. With that being said, I was determined to do so this time. I told him regardless I was coming and true to my word I made it happen.

We wound up meeting up at 11:45AM. We shook hands and gave each other some much deserved love. Shortly thereafter, I had some business to take care of. Paul decided to join me for the Lion game. He told me he was counting on me to get us tickets for a reasonable price. As the game day got closer, I thought for sure it wasn't going to be that tough of a ticket. Well I was in for a rude awakening. Despite the Lions being so bad this season, they were playing the Chicago Bears who started the season 7-1. They came to Detroit with a 9-6 record and they needed to win plus they needed other teams to lose in order for them to make the playoffs. With that being said, I thought getting in wouldn't be that difficult. Unfortunately I knew a good number of Bear fans would show up but I still thought we could get in without a problem. As the clock ticked, people kept walking by. I asked furiously if anybody had any extra tickets. One guy had a handicapped seat early on for $81 which was face value. I told him no because I didn't want to spend that much since I didn't think this game was worth it. Little did I know, it was going to be such a hassle. Much to my chagrin, other people were looking for $100 a ticket as time went on. It was frustrating to say the least. Finally around 12:45PM, I saw someone who had an extra ticket. I told them I'll give them $20 for it. Thankfully they took it. It wound up having a $35 face value. One down, one to go. I thought I would find another person with an extra ticket before the game started. Unfortunately, I wasn't so lucky. I was really upset because I very rarely get into a game late unless I get stuck in a traffic jam. Time went on, less and less people were coming towards the gate to enter the stadium. Luckily around 1:15PM, three people came along and they had an extra ticket. It had a $55 face value on it. I reluctantly told them I'll give them $40 for it because Paul said he was willing to pay that much for a ticket. I would have offered them less for it but a scalper was trying to get it too after I made the initial contact with them. I wanted to get inside so badly. Thankfully they took the $40 and we headed in. Paul went in first with his camera. He got in relatively easily. As for me, I was given a very hard time by a lady who was working security at the gate. She gave me hell after all the aggravation I had just to find a few tickets to get in. This was the last thing I needed. I vowed to never come back to Ford Field. I was that upset on how she treated me.

Finally I caught up with Paul and we went to find seats together so we can sit and watch the rest of the game. The Lions just scored to make it 3-0 on a 44 yard field goal by Jason Hanson with 5:54 left in the first quarter which capped off a nine play 65 yard drive as we got into the building.

As for seats, Paul & I wound up finding some empty ones in the last row of the lower level in the end zone despite the fact the stadium was pretty packed. After I finished blowing off steam from the horrible experience I had, I was finally able to sit and relax. After a false start, Paul and I got to enjoy the game and each other's company. He told me he was glad I got everything off my chest. I was really upset. I thought that was very nice of him. I knew from our constant contact he was truly a kind and caring human being. I'm happy to say I was right.

As for the rest of the game we saw, the Bears scored 20 unanswered points before the Lions added a touchdown with 12 seconds to go before halftime which cut the Bears' lead to 20-10 at the intermission. In the third quarter, the Lions got within three at 20-17 with 6:31 to go. The Bears extended their lead to 23-17 with 1:49 left as kicker Olindo Mare booted a 28 yard field goal. He split the uprights again with 10:47 to go in the fourth quarter to make it 26-17. The Lions gave the Bears a scare as they caught a 9 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brian Robiskie from quarterback Matthew Stafford with 6:55 left in the game.

Fortunately for the Bears, they held off the Lions for the 26-24 victory. Unfortunately they didn't get the necessary help they needed from other teams as they wound up out of the playoffs.

After the game, Paul and I went to R.U.B. BBQ Pub which is located a few blocks away from Ford Field for a post game meal. We both ordered a half a rack of  mouthwatering St. Louis ribs. In addition, we had some great side dishes as well. Paul went with their jalapeno cornbread and macaroni & cheese while I chose cole slaw and broccoli.  It turned out to be an excellent dining choice. I strongly suggest if you like southern style food that you give them a try if and when you happen to be in Motown.

Stay tuned for another special post that will recap the next leg of the getaway.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty meets up with Roadtrippers New and Old in Cleveland at Progressive Field!

Ada Kurinsky

Last year on July 27th when the King and I went to Cleveland to see the Indians play we got to show up and coming roadtripper Paul Derrick the way. It was his first visit to Progressive Field. It turned out to be a very memorable one too. He got a surprise treat and so did we. We all saw Ervin Santana of the Angels pitch a no hitter against the Indians. It was extra special because it was the first one Paul had ever seen.

The King and I unexpectedly returned to Cleveland on August 27th thanks to Hurricane Irene who was bearing down on NYC. The King told me to get him a car rental so we can see some baseball elsewhere. He drove us to Cleveland and we saw the Tribe play again. This time our buddy Rick Morris of the FDH Lounge had the privilege and honor of taking in a ballgame with us for the first time. We met him for the first time briefly at a Cleveland Browns game back on November 14, 2010. Needless to say, Rick had a blast. We saw one of his favorite players, Jim Thome hit a home run as he had returned for a second tour of duty with the Indians. It was a very special moment for him as it brought back fond memories.

This time we made our annual visit to see the Marlins play the Indians on Sunday afternoon. Ironically we saw the Indians play the Marlins back on June 8, 2004 in Cleveland too.

I did tell Rick Morris back on November 20, 2011 when he interviewed me that May 20th we planned to return to the Rock N Roll City. As the day got closer, I got in contact with a gentleman named Keir Kurinsky who started following me on Twitter. He said he was taking his one year old daughter Ada to all eighty one games with him this season. I thought that was rather cool and unique. He said his wife is 100% behind him doing so. I must say he's a very lucky man. His daughter was adorable. As the game got closer, we arranged to meet up. He told me he had two extra tickets available for us. He was kind enough to hook us up and he met us right outside the gate too. We all introduced each other and we proceeded inside the ballpark. It was great to see the royal treatment he received as he saw different employees who recognized him since he's going to all the home games this year.

We started talking and Keir told us that he has traveled around to a number of different ballparks as well. He said he went to Monterrey, Mexico in 1999, Tokyo, Japan in 2000 & San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2001. It was amazing to hear him say that because the King and I told him we were there too.

We proceeded to talk about another guy who we know from Cleveland who went to those places as well. The only difference was this guy went to see the Mets when they played in Monterrey, Mexico in 1996. In addition, this guy saw Major League Baseball in Hawaii in 1997. I'm referring to Mike Trabert aka Mr. Ballpark as he calls himself. The King and I met him when we saw the Mets play in Japan. We've tried to hook up every year since. This time we were hoping to see him at some point at the game. I told him where we were sitting in case he was there. He does share season tickets with a bunch of people. As he's notorious for doing, he came by and he caught us off guard. It was a pleasant surprise to see him again. We got to catch up on our recent travels. He asked us if we've been to the New Marlins Park yet. We said no. We're planning to go there in the middle of July. He didn't know when he was going there yet. I hope we can cross paths when we go there.

Back on September 23, 2000, our pal Andrew Van Cleve met Mr. Ballpark when he was at a doubleheader at Old Milwaukee County Stadium. He ran into this guy who told him about a few guys he met in Japan that see all kinds of games. I asked Mr. Ballpark if he remembered meeting Andrew but he couldn't remember. He said he probably did. It was funny because it took Andrew 10 years to finally track us down. Now we've become really good friends.

The power of sports travel has really improved our lives greatly. The fraternity continues to grow. Now when we go to Cleveland we have more people to see.

As for the game we saw, the Indians fell to the Marlins by a score of 5-3. Ex-Met Jose Reyes did have two hits for his new team.

The Indians threatened in the ninth inning prompting Mr. Ballpark to say and I quote "Mr. Ballpark wants extra innings." That's what I said back in Japan when the Mets played the Cubs as Benny Agbayani delivered the game winning grand slam home run in extra innings to send us home happy. That was such a thrill. This time Mr. Ballpark didn't get his wish.

I want to personally thank Keir Kurinsky for his generosity and company. In addition, I want to thank Mr. Ballpark for taking the time to see us again.

Hope we all can reunite again sooner than later at a ballpark somewhere.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

A Royal Birthday Celebration for the Prince!

Prince at the Pavilion

After I got out of work Friday night it was time to start the royal celebration.

I met my parents in Astoria where I now live and we went out for dinner at Romano's Famous Pizza and Gyro. They serve Greek cuisine. It was a great way to reunite with my parents and I got to have a nice meal too.

Afterwards I went home to rest up for the busy weekend I had lined up.

I got up Saturday morning which was my birthday and I took public transportation out to where I used to live so I could go to Avis to pick up a car for the weekend. I did get treated to some royal treatment as the MTA didn't let me wait too long for the buses and trains I needed to take in order to get there.

I wound up renting a Crown Victoria which had plenty of room. I got in touch with my pal Eddie Pelle who was on his way to the Philadelphia area via public transportation from Long Island. He was also going to Villanova, Pennsylvania to see the Wildcats play the Cincinnati Bearcats in a college basketball game. The King and I were doing the same.

I called Eddie when I got into the car. He said he was in Queens so I arranged to meet him after I went back home to pick up the King. It worked out well as we got him by the entrance to the Queensboro Bridge and away we went.

We arrived in Villanova around 1:40PM which gave us enough time to get ready for the 2PM tip off.
We also met up with Andrew Van Cleve aka the Ultimate Sports Fan and his son Dylan aka the Ultimate Sports Baby.

I love seeing the "USB" if you will. He's adorable and he's getting so big.

Ironically we were all visiting the Pavilion, which is the home of the Villanova Wildcats' basketball team on campus for the first time. They play a handful of games there. They play the rest at the Wells Fargo Center where the Flyers and 76ers play.

It was a thrill to finally see a game there. It was very intimate since it only holds 6,500 people. The seating area is comprised of mainly benches that are very close to the action.

As for the game we saw, it was a competitive one right throughout. The Wildcats who are having a bad season wound up coming up short as the Bearcats of Cincinnati beat them, 72-68.

After the game, we said goodbye to Andrew and Dylan. They went home. Eddie, the King and I continued on to Washington DC where we went to see the Wizards play the Cavaliers at 7PM.

We stopped off in Baltimore first so we could pick up our friends Peter and Carmen Agnew. We got them just after 6PM. Thankfully Peter had a parking pass for the garage that's connected to the Verizon Center since we had no margin for error as we arrived right at game time. In addition, Peter arranged to get us all free tickets for the game. He always asks us to come down so I looked at the schedule once the lockout ended and this was the perfect time to go there.

As for the game we saw, the Wizards they've had a horrible season so far but on this night they found a way to win, 101-98. It worked out well for our friend Eddie who said this was the first time he had ever seen the Wizards win live. I was glad to help arrange for him to join us.

After the game, we drove Peter and Carmen back home. They live right near Looney's Pub, where we went to get a late dinner since we were all very hungry. The burger and chicken wings we had we tremendous as usual.

After we ate we dropped Eddie off at the Amtrak station because he wanted to get back home to see some college basketball in NYC on Sunday.

The King and I drove 30 miles to Aberdeen to Super 8 where we spent the night. We arrived there around 2:30AM.

We got some sleep then we got up in the morning and we drove back to Baltimore to have breakfast with Peter and Carmen at another of our favorite eateries in the area, Eichenkranz Restaurant which is located in a local neighborhood.

We were served by Rose, who loved my accent. Needless to say, the food, the service and the company were priceless and well worth driving the extra miles for.

After we parted ways with Peter and Carmen, we headed towards Philadelphia where we were seeing the 76ers play the Bulls at 7PM.

Since we had plenty of time to kill, we decided to stop off at the Hollywood Casino which was conveniently on the way in Perryville, Maryland off exit 93 on I-95.

We spent a few hours there pressing our luck on the slot machines. I had some luck but the King didn't. Regardless it was entertaining experience.

We got back in the car and we drove to the City of Brotherly Love. We arrived there around 4:30PM. It worked out well because we got to meet up with our friend Rich Wolber aka Staten Island Rich who took a Chinese bus from NYC to join us for the 76er game. We went to the bus terminal and we picked him up.

On the way to the Wells Fargo Center, we stopped off at the Oregon Diner to have dinner before the game.
I thoroughly enjoyed my meal there. You can't beat the value you get there. I had broiled flounder with crab meat stuffing which came with two sides and a small cup of soup along with rolls and cornbread for a mere $9.99. They have a nice variety of food items for that price that they offer everyday.

After I stuffed my belly, we drove over to the arena which is right nearby.

We met up with our friend Frankie Centola who got us tickets for the 76er game. We also were joined by Andrew Van Cleve who got a ticket outside on the lower level from a buddy of Joakim Noah, who plays center for the Bulls.

At halftime, I got a royal upgrade as I went down to sit with Andrew who had a few empty seats by him.
As for the game we saw, the 76ers led into the fourth quarter but the Bulls led by their superstar guard Derrick Rose who had 35 points and 8 assists held off a late 76er push to win 96-91. Joakim Noah had 11 points and 18 rebounds to help the cause.

After the game, I drove Rich back home to Staten Island. I got him back just before midnight. I proceeded to drive the King to work at the Post Office at Grand Central Station. I got him there at 12:40AM so he had plenty of time to relax and unwind since he starts at 2AM.

I finally arrived home just before 1AM. I went to sleep and I returned the car in the morning.

I want to thank everybody who remembered my special day. I had a blast all weekend long.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

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

Prince is in the house tonight

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty witnesses history at MetLife Stadium!

1st Ever Playoff Game at MetLife Stadium

Sunday afternoon the NY Giants who won the NFC East Division got to host a playoff game at MetLife Stadium. It was the first ever playoff game played there as the Giants played the fifth seeded Atlanta Falcons in the Wild Card game.

This time the King and I avoided any hassles by buying tickets which were available during the week on Ticketmaster. Our friend Rich Wolber aka Staten Island Rich was there as well. I arranged to get all the tickets for us.

Our friend Andrew Van Cleve came up from Philadelphia so he could be part of history too. Since he moved to the Northeast at the beginning of December, we've seen each numerous times. It's always a pleasure to see him.

As for the game we saw, the Giants fell behind 2-0 as the Falcons forced Giant quarterback Eli Manning into an intentional grounding in the end zone as he was trying to avoid the sack which gave the Falcons a safety. That's the only points the Falcons got the rest of the afternoon as the Giants defense totally shut them down.

The Giants' offense was slow to get started as they led by a score of  7-2 at halftime. In the second half, the offense got into high gear as they ran the ball well with their running backs Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. In addition, their three wide receivers emerged. Victor Cruz was double covered most of the time so that gave his teammates Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham a chance to shine and they did.
Nicks scored a touchdown that covered 86 yards in the third quarter that for all intent and purposes put the game away. As a result, the crowd went crazy. The building felt like it was shaking literally. What a moment it was to be a Giant fan.

The Giants went on to win the game, 24-2. They go to Green Bay this weekend to play the Packers in the Divisional Round at Lambeau Field. It won't be an easy task but they won there on their way to winning the Super Bowl back in 2007. We'll wait and see what happens this time.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

The Winter Classic Experience

Me in the Crowd at Winter Classic

On January 1, 2008 the NHL decided to stage a unique event that being the Winter Classic in Buffalo, New York. The Buffalo Sabres hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins at Ralph Wilson Stadium which is the home of the Buffalo Bills.

Thanks to my pals Andrew Kulyk and Peter Farrell who are Sabre season ticket holders, they were able to secure tickets for my friend the King and I to see this unique event.

The experience that day was priceless. Despite not feeling our best, we still braved the elements on this day to see hockey history in the making. With snow falling during the game, the ice needed to be repaired numerous times but that didn't stop the game from being a big hit. A record crowd of 71,000 were on hand to witness it.

The game wound up being decided in a shootout as the Penguins beat the Sabres, 2-1 as Sidney Crosby scored the game winner.

On January 1, 2009 the NHL decided to do another Winter Classic. This time they chose Wrigley Field in Chicago as the site of the event. The Chicago Blackhawks took on their original six rival, the Detroit Red Wings. Unfortunately I didn't get to witness this one in person. I did watch it on TV with deep regret.
Since the game was at a smaller venue, the ticket prices were rather pricey. That coupled with the fact I live in NYC, it's a long drive to Chicago and mother nature can always play her tricks. In addition, my friend the King who happens to be a Red Wing fan thought he was going to have to work so we decided it was better not to go.

Ironically we met up with Andrew Van Cleve a few years ago when we visited Chicago. He was at that Winter Classic. I wish we knew each other then.

As for the game that day, the Red Wings beat the hometown Blackhawks, 6-4 in the highest scoring Winter Classic game.

On January 1, 2010, the tradition continued. This time the Winter Classic was played at Fenway Park in Boston as the Philadelphia Flyers invaded Beantown to play the Bruins.

Once again the King and I decided to go. We wound up buying tickets at the last minute on Craiglist because we were concerned about the weather.

Thankfully mother nature cooperated. It turned out to be a beautiful winter day. The temperature was a comfortable 36 degrees which made for a wonderful setting. We had the privilege of sitting towards the back of the grandstand near first base which was the corner of the rink. We had the Green Monster staring us right in the face.

As for the game, the Flyers lead 1-0 into the third period. Late in the period, the Bruins evened the score at one. This one was decided in overtime as the Bruins found the net in the extra session as they sent the natives home happy, 2-1. It should be noted their were a number of Flyer fans in attendance as well who had a long ride home after the loss.

As for the King and I, since we didn't have a real rooting interest so we got to enjoy the outcome regardless of who won.

On January 1, 2011, the Winter Classic returned to a bigger venue. This one was played at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh which is the home of the Steelers. The Penguins hosted the Washington Capitals.

This game was originally scheduled to start at 1PM like the others. Unfortunately mother nature was up to her tricks again. This time the temperature was in the 40's and rain was expected. With that being said, they decided that with the rain suppose to clear out by the evening, they changed the starting time to 8PM. By doing so, this turned out to be the first Winter Classic in prime time.

As for the King and I, we got to go again. This time our friend Peter Agnew who has season tickets for the Capitals said he didn't want to go. He asked us if we wanted to buy the tickets he was offered. We instantly told him yes.

We wound up sitting in the upper level with other Capital fans. They did a nice job distributing the tickets for this game. It seemed like every other section was divided by each team's fans. By doing that it made for a fair view for everybody who was able to be part of this unique experience. They drew a crowd of 68,000.
As for the game, the hometown Penguins came up short as the Capitals won, 3-1.

This year New Year's Day came out on a Sunday. With that being said, the NHL decided to move their Winter Classic game to Monday, January 2nd instead.

This time they went back to the baseball park setting as they chose to have the Philadelphia Flyers host the game at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies. The Flyers played the New York Rangers in the latest installment of the Classic. The game was scheduled to start at 1PM but since the weather conditions weren't ideal they decided to move the starting time to 3PM.

The King and I once again got to take part in the festivities. We were also joined by our friend Andrew Van Cleve who recently moved to Philadelphia.

The King and I got tickets with the help of season ticket holders that we know. Andrew found a person on Craigslist who sold him a ticket for face value.

Surprisingly it seemed like their were a lot more Flyer fans than Ranger fans at the game. We happened to be sitting around a lot of Flyer fans. There were a lot of people dressed up in their Flyer colors throughout the ballpark.

Don't get me wrong, there were a good number of Ranger fans in the building but with the ticket prices being really pricey I think that prevented some people from going to the game.

The experience is different than seeing a hockey game indoors. The outdoor game makes for a once in a lifetime scenario for those who have some spare money to burn. If you like the game of hockey, I strongly suggest that you go to a Winter Classic so you can see the experience for yourself.

As for the game, the Flyers took a 2-0 lead in the second period after there was no scoring for the first half of the game. The Rangers cut the lead in half at 2-1 after two periods. During the intermission, I ran into a guy I knew from New York who happens to be a big time Ranger fan. He said and I quote "this game isn't over yet." He turned out to be right. The Rangers proceeded to tie the game at two and then they got the eventual game winning goal as the Rangers hung on for the 3-2 victory.

In retrospect, I may regret not going to Wrigley Field in 2009 but I've been to the last three in a row. I hope to be able to keep going to see this unique event year after year. Time will tell.

If you plan to go, please take into account that many of the seats are bad. That's the nature of setting up a rink in a baseball and/or football stadium.

In a baseball stadium, the rink usually runs from across the outfield behind second base.

In a football stadium, the rink is laid across the gridiron between the 20 yard lines.

The bottom line is this experiment is working as the NHL now has a day it can call its own.

In the future, if you like hockey New Year's Day is the day you can see the sport outdoors. Hopefully they'll chose different locations and teams so it's more fair to the rest of the country.

I hope I've given you a reason to see for yourself what the Winter Classic experience is all about.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty starts the New Year with a bang!

After finishing 2011 strong, 2012 got off to a flying start for me.

The King and I took a bus from Chinatown to Philadelphia early Sunday morning to get the New Year started.
We went to Lincoln Financial Field where we met up with Andrew Van Cleve and his son Dylan aka the Ultimate Sports Baby. We rounded up cheap tickets outside the stadium and we went in to see the Eagles close out their season with the Washington Redskins.

When we got inside we met up with our friend Frankie Centola who was with his son, Frank the third. Frankie gave the King and I a nice upgrade to the club level. Andrew couldn't join us because he had the baby in a stroller. He decided to watch the game from the ramps instead. It worked out well for all of us.
As for the game we saw, the Eagles dismantled the Redskins, 34-10.

After the game, the King took the bus back to Chinatown. We then took the subway to the Port Authority Bus Terminal when we got back to NYC just after seven o'clock.

We decided to brave the weather since it was raining to try and get into the Giants game against the Cowboys at 8:20PM.

We got out to MetLife Stadium with no problem. The problem we had was we didn't have tickets for the game. We knew it wasn't going to be easy.

As expected, a number of people were looking too. There were scalpers with tickets but they were too pricey for our liking.

We waited awhile. The game started and the prices were still too high. Shortly thereafter, we were wandering around the stadium and I found a ticket on the floor. The King told me to go ahead and try it. I did and I got in. He continued to look but he couldn't get anything so he decided to go home.

I walked into the stadium with 5:54 left in the first quarter. The game was still scoreless.

Less than a minute later, Victor Cruz turned a short gain for a first down into a 74 yard touchdown pass to give the Giants a 7-0 lead.

They continued to build their lead to 21-0 before the Cowboys came back to get within a touchdown at 21-14. The Giants managed to extend their lead. They eventually won the game, 31-14. As a result, they won the NFC East division.

Stay tuned for my latest visit to the Winter Classic. I will do a special post recapping the whole experience which will include the past ones I've been to.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty enjoys the return of the NBA at MSG on Christmas Day!

Andrew and Dylan Van Cleve with the King and I

Like the NFL, the NBA decided to finally return to business as usual. The only difference is the NBA season didn't start on time.

With that being said, the NBA season started on Christmas Day with five games on tap.

The first one being at Madison Square Garden at Noon as the Knicks were hosting the Boston Celtics.
The last time I saw the Knicks play the Celtics on Christmas Day was back in 1985 when the Knicks trailed the Celtics by 25 points in the third quarter before they miraculously came back to win the game in double overtime. I remember it being called the "Miracle on 34th Street."

On this day, the King and I were joined by the Ultimate Sports fan Andrew Van Cleve and his son Dylan aka the Ultimate Sports Baby.

It was great to see them again as the Knicks wound up winning a thriller as Kevin Garnett missed the last shot as the Knicks won the game, 106-104.

The Knicks were lead by Carmelo Anthony who led the way with 37 points.

The Garden is once again the place to be to see NBA basketball.

These days tickets are hard to come by. Hopefully royalty can work some magic so you can experience it for yourself when the time comes.

If so, please let me know and I'll see what I can do for you.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty meets up with fellow roadtrippers Andrew Van Cleve and Kurt Smith in the City of Brotherly Love!

Andrew Van Cleve, Kurt Smith, The King and I

The King and I arrived in Philadelphia around 1PM on Sunday as we planned to meet up with some special people.

I'm talking about Andrew Van Cleve aka the Ultimate Sports fan who just moved to the City of Brotherly Love after spending the last 17 years of his life in Chicagoland. He spent the last ten years up the block from Wrigley Field.

He was forced to move because his lovely wife Nicole aka the Ultimate Sports wife got a job as a professor at Temple University.

Andrew is also the proud father of Dylan Salvatore aka the Ultimate Sports baby who has the unique distinction of seeing his first sporting event at Wrigley Field at a mere three days old. He's been to over a hundred live games since.

We were also joined by Kurt Smith, the author of ballpark e-guides. Kurt felt like he was out of his league because he doesn't have the time to attend nearly as many live sporting events as the rest of us. He was privileged and honored to be sitting at a table at Jon's Bar & Grille which is located a few blocks from Andrew's new home with us sports travel legends. He deemed it a Kodak moment.

Kurt has a baby on the way who's due to arrive in February so that will further prevent him from going to games live.

Regardless Kurt is a great guy who has to continue to find a way to support his latest family addition. With that being said, he has his side business of writing and selling ballpark e-guides which are tremendous sources of information for sports travelers as well as people in general. He has put lots of time and effort into producing these which he sells for a mere $5. I strongly suggest that if you haven't gotten one for your local team that you do so. He has done a number of them. Believe me, you can't go wrong and you'll be supporting a good cause in the process.

It was great to see Kurt again. He came in special from his home in South Jersey to meet up with us. Even though he couldn't make the football game, we still got to spend some quality time together. I want to thank him for giving us some of his precious time.

As for the football game, the King and I drove Andrew there with us.

We wound up working some royal magic as we met up with our good friend Frankie Centola who lives in Philadelphia. We all got to see the game from the club level, royal treatment indeed. We showed Andrew some of our own Brotherly Love.

With Andrew relocating to the Northeast, I fully expect to see him more often.

As for the game we saw, the Eagles raced out to a 28-0 lead over the Jets with 9:57 still left in the second quarter. The Jets cut into the lead as they trailed, 28-13 at halftime. They got the ball first in the second half but they continued to make costly mistakes which prevented them from pulling off another miraculous comeback on the road. They wound up losing to Eagles, 45-19.

Andrew decided to depart a little early since the game was over for all intent and purposes. By doing so, he was able to get back home to see Nicole and Dylan.

I want to thank Andrew for spending the rest of the afternoon with the King and I. As always it was an absolute pleasure to see him again.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 11/7 in review

After enjoying a memorable weekend in Annapolis and Washington DC, I went back to work Monday. I left early so I could go back to the car I rented. I met the King and we drove down to Philadelphia to see the Eagles play the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football.

We met up with our friend Frankie Centola in Philly who arranged to get us tickets for the game.

As for the game we saw, it was a good one. The Eagles and Bears battled it out but when it was all said and done, the Bears escaped the City of Brotherly Love with a big win, 30-24.

As a result, our friends from Chicago, the Van Cleves were thrilled and relieved that their Bears' rose to the occasion on enemy territory. Nicole, Andrew and Dylan aka the Ultimate Sports Wife, Fan and Baby were there with us in spirit.

After the game, I drove the King to the Post Office at Grand Central Station here in NYC where he started work at 2AM. I then took myself home. I got some sleep then I had to go to Avis and return the car before it was my turn to go back to work.

Tuesday night after work tired and all I went to the Prudential Center in Newark to see the Devils play the Carolina Hurricanes. We wound up seeing a decent game as the Devils came out on top as rookie Adam Henrique scored the game winning goal with 3:19 left in third period to give the Devils the 3-2 decision in regulation time.

Wednesday and Thursday after work, I got to catch up on rest which was much needed after the busy weekend and start to the week I had.

Friday night after work I arranged to meet my Cousin Andy who joined me, the King and our friend Bryan Gilligan for the Devil game against the Washington Capitals. It was great to see him again. He always enjoys our company and the royal treatment we provide.

As for the game we saw, the Devils broke through first as they scored the first goal of the game when rookie Adam Larsson scored his first NHL goal to give them the early lead. The Devils were shut out the rest of the night as the Capitals turned it up a notch. They scored the equalizer late in the second period when their superstar Alex Ovechkin put the biscuit in the basket to tie the game at one.

In the third period, the Capitals' got a shorthanded goal early from Jason Chimera to take the lead for good. They added an insurance goal as they won the first game of the home and home weekend series, 3-1.

Saturday morning I woke up early and I went back to Avis to rent another car for the weekend.

I drove back and I picked up the King and we drove to Princeton, NJ for a college football game as the Yale Bulldogs were visiting the Princeton Tigers.

The King and I had company as we got to see some of the many sports fans we know. I'm talking about Steve Tepperman aka Princeton Steve as we call him. In addition, we also had our pal Pat Gorman there as well as Richie Iannotta who happened to be present too. Last but not least we got to see a guy from Philadelphia we know as Sleepy Bob, who we haven't seen in a very long time. We all enjoyed each other's company.

As for the game we saw, the Yale Bulldogs held on this time as they beat the Princeton Tigers, 33-24 unlike when we saw them lose to Penn last month. The one bright spot for the Tigers was that we got to see history as their true freshman running back Chuck Dibilio ran for 178 yards on the ground and he scored three touchdowns. By doing so, he got himself into the history book as he became the first true freshman player in the history of the Ivy League to rush for over 1,000 yards.

After the game, the King and I drove down to Washington DC so we could the back end of the Devils and Capitals home and home series at the Verizon Center where tickets these days are hard to come by.

Thankfully our good friend Peter Agnew who has Capital season tickets was able to accomodate us. Since he was going to see Notre Dame play Maryland in a college football game at FedEx Field that night, his club seats were available. With that being said, the King and I decided to buy them from him.

It was our first time seeing a game there on the club level. It was a treat as we had a great view of the action. This time the Devils fell behind early 2-0 in the first period. They came back and tied the game at two after two periods. They played a scoreless third period and overtime.
The game was decided by a shootout which lasted four rounds before the Devils outlasted the Capitals, 3-2 to split the weekend series.

After the game, we drove to Aberdeen, Maryland where we spent the night.

Sunday morning we stopped off at the Waffle House for breakfast before we went to Philadelphia to see the Eagles try to keep their season alive. After losing to the Bears Monday night, the Eagles couldn't afford to lose again. This time they were hosting the Arizona Cardinals who I saw a few weeks prior in Baltimore where they blew a 21 point lead as they lost to the Baltimore Ravens.

This time the Cardinals fell behind by a touchdown early. They fought hard all game long despite their place kicker Jay Feely missing a few field goals. They persevered and when it was all said and done, the Cardinals delivered the knockout punch as they beat the Eagles, 21-17.

After the game, the King and I drove back up to MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands to see the Sunday night game between the Jets and their division rival, the New England Patriots.

The Jets' place kicker Nick Folk followed former Jet Jay Feely's lead as he missed a field goal on the Jets' first drive of the game after they went down the field like it was nothing. That miss set the tone for the evening as it turned out. The Patriots came into the game looking like they were beatable but the Jets couldn't find a way to beat them.

The Jets' hung tough in the first half. The second half proved to be a different story as the Patriots' made the necessary adjustments as they exploited the Jets on their way to a 37-16 triumph over their nemesis who knocked them out of the playoffs back in the middle of January. As a result, it appears the Jets hopes of winning the AFC East are a long shot now at best.

With that another royal week is in the books for the King and I.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty returns to Miller Park unexpectedly thanks to mother nature!

View from Section 422

After suffering through the brutal weather Saturday night, the King and I knew the weather forecast was not going to be any better in Chicago on Sunday.

With that being said, we knew that the Brewers were also home and they were guaranteed to play their game because Miller Park has a retractable roof.

We also knew that we had enough time to get back to O'Hare airport to catch our flight home that was scheduled to depart at 8:15PM Central time.

After we got a good night sleep, we decided to take the smart way out this time. It turned out to be a great decision because Andrew Van Cleve contacted me and he said the Cub game was postponed due to rain.

As much as we wanted to go back to Wrigley Field one more time, it just wasn't meant to be.

I really wanted to see Andrew again and fellow roadtripper Bob DeVries and his fiancé Charlie Cahill were also planning to join us.

In addition, the Giants were planning to start the "Freak" Tim Lincecum.

Instead we drove towards Milwaukee. On the way, we stopped off for breakfast at The Point Pancake House in Gurnee, Illinois which is located right near Six Flags Great America and a nice shopping mall area called Gurnee Mills. It's also only 35 miles from Wrigley Field and 50 miles from Miller Park.

What a way to start our day. I had a breakfast that consisted of the following: Two center cut thick pork chops with apple sauce, two eggs, two pancakes and a bowl of fruit all for a mere $8.95. What a meal it was.

After breakfast, we proceeded to drive to Miller Park to see the Brewers play the Pittsburgh Pirates again at 1:10PM. We barely got there on time.

We wound up sitting upstairs in section 422 right behind home plate.

We got ourselves situated and we started keeping score of the game like we always do when we attend a game.

All of a sudden, a gentleman in the row behind us starting talking to the King. He noticed his notebook that he uses to keep score of all the baseball games he attends for the season.

This guy was very impressed he said. As the game went on, we spoke back and forth.

I joined in the conversation and we wound up exchanging contact information. His name was Pablo Amaya. He said he's from Milwaukee. He was with his girlfriend Allison as well as some other friends. They said they got into the parking lot at 10AM.

They had a great time together. I want to thank them all for keeping us company as they helped us make the most of our altered game plan.

I plan to take in touch with Pablo who said he has an orchestra that plays classical music. He said they've played in NYC in the past. He said he's looking to coming back again next year. I told him to let me know so we can get together.

I told him that I hope to get back to Green Bay some day to see another Packer game. I also said I want to go to see the Wisconsin Badgers play too. Pablo is a big Packer fan and surprisingly he hasn't seen them play at Lambeau Field yet. He did say he saw them when they played at County Stadium back in the day.

I look forward to returning to Milwaukee in the future. If and when we do I'll make sure I contact Pablo so he can join us.

After the game we drove back to Chicago O'Hare airport to catch our flight. We got there with plenty of time to spare. Upon arrival, we found out our flight was delayed due to the horrible weather throughout the day in the area.

We eventually took off at 9:45PM and we land around 12:45AM at New York LaGuardia airport. I proceeded to take the King home fast then I took him to the subway so he could get to work for 2AM. He barely made it. Ironically around that time is when I finally got home.

I got a few hours of sleep and I went off to work.

Another memorable weekend lived up to the hype.

In the future, if and when you're ready to go somewhere please let me know so I can make it happen for you.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty sees a rare Saturday night game at Wrigley Field!

Our View from Aisle 222 

Thanks to Fox, the Chicago Cubs got to play their first Saturday night home game in almost 13 years and the King and I arranged to be there. It wound up working out perfectly since we got to go the Ultimate Sports Baby's first birthday party in the afternoon.

The last time the Cubs played a scheduled Saturday night game at Wrigley Field was back on June 20, 1998. They wound up playing a day-night doubleheader against the Cardinals on August 31, 2002.

This time mother nature did her very best to ruin the chance for us to see a rare Saturday night game at Wrigley Field. The weather forecast was brutal. The temperature dropped into the low 40's at game time and the wind was howling throught the light rain that falling. The first pitch was delivered at 6:13PM. The game was stopped at 8:24PM with a 2-0 count on the Giants' Aaron Rowand in the top of the 7th inning when the umpires wisely decided that was enough. Shortly thereafter, the game was officially called off.

The Cubs lost to the Giants, 3-0 in a rain shortened game. They made a few errors thanks to the lousy field conditions that cost them a few runs. It should be noted the Cubs had their chances to score but they failed to capitalize on them.

The King and I as well as Andrew Van Cleve and his father stuck it out and we braved the elements. Once the tarp finally went on the field we all decided to call it a night at the ballpark.

Andrew and his father went back to his house and the King and I headed out to Elgin, Illinois to go to the Grand Victoria Casino before we went back to our hotel to call it a night.

Stay tuned as I'm going to write a special post about the way we altered our game plan for Sunday.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty enjoys the "Suite" life at Wrigley Field!

"Suite"

Once the King and I arrived in Chicago at O'Hare airport on Friday morning, life was good.

The weather at that time was gorgeous. As the day wore on, the temperature dropped considerably.

Fortunately for us we got hooked up with tickets to the Fox suite at Wrigley Field which was located right by third base. I just had to go to the Will Call window to pick them up.

I want to thank my former co-worker here at Fox in New York, Walter Augustin for making this possible for the King and I and our friend Andrew Van Cleve aka the Ultimate Sports fan who lives up the block from the friendly confines.

Walter now works at our Fox affiliate WFLD in Chicago. When he heard I was coming to town the day before he arranged to accomodate me and my friends. We had a great time in the suite thanks to our fine host Tim who made sure everything ran smoothly. We got to enjoy free food and the drinks were on the house too.

More importantly, the King and I met a lady named Rebecca Barr who was enjoying the game in the suite with us. She made a great situation even better. We got to talk baseball with her. She grew up near Peoria, Illinois in a very small town she said. Peoria is located between Chicago and St. Louis. She happens to be a Cardinal fan. I respect that. I did tell her this is baseball heaven though. Nothing beats seeing a baseball game at Wrigley Field. The setting here is so unique.

As for the game we saw, the Cubs were playing the 2010 World Champion San Francisco Giants.

The Cubs wound up putting their hitting shoes on as they proceeded to pound the World Champs, 11-4 on this Friday afternoon. With the Cubs getting the win, they raised the blue "W" and the home crowd walked out singing happily to their special song when they win. These days it's a "Way of Life" on the North side of the Windy City.

After the game, the King and I went up to Milwaukee to see the Brewers host the Pittsburgh Pirates at Miller Park a mere 85 miles away. It's alot harder than it sounds because we had to battle the impossible Chicago rush hour traffic in order to get there in a timely fashion.

Please stay tuned as I go into detail about our second game of the day.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty returns to Wrigley Field and Miller Park in the middle of May!

Here's the game plan:

Friday, May 13th

The King and I are flying into Chicago O'Hare airport in the morning. We leave NY LaGuardia airport at 8AM Eastern Time. We arrive on American Airlines in the Second City at 9:40AM Central Time. Upon arrival, I'll be renting a car for the weekend.

We plan to spend some quality time with fellow roadtripper Andrew Van Cleve and his family while we're there. Andrew has arranged to get us tickets for the three Cub games we'll be seeing there. In addition, we'll be driving up to Milwaukee to see the Brewers play at Miller Park.

Andrew has a great website and blog, here's the link, it's also on my blog list:

http://www.anygame-anywhere.com/

As for the games we're planning to see, they are as follows:

Giants at Cubs 1:20PM

Pirates at Brewers 7:10PM

It should be noted we're planning to meet up with another road tripper Bob DeVries and his fiance Charlie Cahill too. I had the privilege of meeting these great people over Christmas weekend when I was there for the Jets/Bears and Blue Jackets/Blackhawks doubleheader. Bob said he wanted to join us as we make our way to Milwaukee to see Miller Park again. It will be a treat to have him along with us.

Saturday, May 14th

Giants at Cubs 6:10PM (a rare night on a Saturday night no less)

Sunday, May 15th

Giants at Cubs 1:20PM

After the game we're flying home.

Our flight leaves O'Hare Airport at 8:15PM Central Time and arrives at NY LaGuardia at 11:25PM Eastern Time.

This will be another blast courtesy of Royalty.

When you're ready for a sample you know who to contact.

Thank you for reading and following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Clam Digger

Seafood and King Kong Dog

Clam Digger

Thanks to another fellow roadtripper I was able to find this place to eat.

I'm talking about Jake Cain who has made some road trips with his father Dale in the past. His website is called http://www.ballparksavvy.com/, which is also on my blog list.

Jake lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. I got in contact with him thanks to Andrew Van Cleve, another roadtripper who met him at Wrigley Field back in July 2010.

In December, the King and I went to Cincinnati to see the Bearcats, Cyclones and Bengals play. A few days before I got a call from Jake that he wasn't going to be in town that weekend. He told me that he had a few tickets for the Bearcat game that he wasn't using. He arranged to have me meet his father Dale to pick them up on our way from the airport to the game.

Needless to say, we were very grateful for the opportunity. In addition, I got to meet and greet his father for a few minutes. During the conversation, his father mentioned that Jake plans their trips and places to eat. He told me of a place somewhere in Connecticut that they went to. He said it was called Doogie's. He didn't know exactly where it was.

I proceeded to do a google search and I saw a few locations listed that seemed to be in the Hartford/New Britain area.

On Patriot's Day, the King and I went to Boston and then we were going to New Britain so I decided this is the perfect time to go to this place to eat.

The week before I did another search and I found out there was a place called the Clam Digger in nearby Bristol, Connecticut, home of ESPN.

I noted the location down but I didn't have an exact address so when we were getting gas at the last exit in Massachusetts I decided to call them to find out exactly how to get there. I spoke to Betsy who gave me the directions.

The King and I found it with relative ease but it was not right off the highway. We had to drive three miles down the road to get to it.

It's the home of the King Kong Dog which is a mere 16 inches long. They claim to have the best burgers in Connecticut according to their sign as you can see in the picture. In addition, they have fresh seafood. Their motto is and I quote "where the food is the only thing taken seriously".

We proceeded to go in and we were greeted by Betsy. She was impressed that we drove all the way from Massachusetts to go there. We told her that we went to the Red Sox game and that we were heading to New Britain for another game. We decided that this would be a perfect time to stop in.

It was a small place and she gave us time to get situated and to be able to check out their extensive menu with numerous choices of toppings to dress up your meal.

She said and I quote "we don't have salads here".

If you want something healthy I don't suggest you go here.

I want to thank Jake and Dale Cain for their recommendation and idea.

Thank you for reading and following along.

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