Rockies (10) Phillies (3)

2009 Rockies Home Opener!

17 Straight home openers for me! Hoorah!

After a much disappointing home opener last year, the Rox rebounded this year. They opened up the season by taking 2 of 3 in Arizona and found themselves on top of the division (It's still early). Next challenge: take on the defending World Champions Philadelphia Phillies in their home opener.

I started the day debating whether or not to take the drive down south, but after some cancelled events, I found it as "fate" to keep my opening day streak alive. The game was announced as a sellout and when I got down there hoping to score some tickets...they were right. The ticket office shook their head "no" when asked for one single ticket. Nope. Not even a single ticket to be had. Oh crap.

I wandered across the street to society's deal makin' ticket vendors (scum). How much to get in the door? $80.

"$80!? F*ck off."

I was seriously endangered of not getting into the game. After walking around aimlessly and seeing hundreds of other fans holding up signs that read: "I need X tickets" or holding up fingers in the air indicating their ticket needs, I was about to head home.

I even tried walking around to the radio station promo set-ups looking for contests to score tickets. Still...no luck. Deflated I started heading back to the parking lot, but decided to swing by the ticket office one more time.

There was four windows and a line of ten people each waiting at the ticket window. None of them were actively pursuing tickets. The people were just waiting there. What's up with that? They even let people looking to purchase future tickets walk straight up to the window without waiting.

Okay, something's odd here.

After observing, investigating and listening to second hand knowledge, I found out that sometimes when people/corporations don't use tickets they hand them back to the organization. After a while, they pop back up for sale to the general public. Rumor had it, that there were a few tickets ready to make their way back into the system.

After waiting for about ten minutes (by now I figured out the first people in line were the ticket brokers...scum) I noticed the brokers getting on their phones and mobilizing for an operation. So I naturally jumped into the line and hope for the best.

Sure enough...tickets were going back on sale...and luckily for me, I scored a ticket. Once in the stadium I actually ran into my uncle. He got a free ticket on the club level for the game, but he couldn't find his way there. I chatted with him and then helped him out a little bit with directions.

The game itself was 10,000% better than last year's crapfest. The Rox pounded the World Champs with 5 runs in the third, highlighted by a Garrett Atkins homerun. They tacked on 2 more the next inning chasing World Series MVP (SP) Cole Hamels and completely demoralizing the Phils.

The Phillies pretty much "tanked it" the rest of the way as it was smooth sailing for the Rox as they went on to win 10-3.

Player Stats:
R.Spilborghs 3-5 (2) 2B's
T.Helton 1-4 (3) RBI's
C.Barmes 2-3
D.Fowler 2-4
T.Tulowitzki 1-3 (1) 3B
J.Marquis W (1-0) 7 IP

My MLB Predictions

National League West:
1. D-Backs: Best pitching in League
2. Rockies: Maybe too high, but I can't go against them
3. Dodgers: Manny can't win everything for them
4. Giants: Good young pitching
5. Padres: They suck

National League Central:
1. Cubs: Why not? 101 and counting...
2. Cardinals: Pujols is the best player in the game, but no pitching
3. Reds: There's got to be someone coming out of nowhere
4. Brewers: No pitching
5. Astros: Tejada's real age will surface
6. Pirates: Because they're the Pirates

National League East:
1. Mets: Probably because I expect a let down from Philly
2. Phillies: Not as hungry
3. Braves: Resurgence
4. Marlins: Always good young talent
5. Nationals: They suck

American League West:
1. Angels: Best team in baseball
2. Mariners: Griffey returns...and I didn't pick him in Fantasy
3. A's: Shipping Holliday by the break
4. Rangers: Good young sluggin' team w/o pitching

American League Central:
1. White Sox: Because I'm a fan
2. Twins: They always overachieve
3. Royals: Maybe the division winner
4. Indians: Competitive but not good
5. Tigers: Suck

American League East:
1. Red Sox: Second best team in b-ball
2. Yankees: $$$ pays for something
3. Rays: Drop back year
4. Blue Jays: Don't they always finish 4th?
5. Orioles: Can you name an Oriole?

World Series:
Angels over D-Backs in 5

Nuggets (120) Clippers (104)

Despite the weather’s attempt to snow in Denver, I made it to my first Nuggets game of the year. Throughout the week I heard reports of the biggest blizzard of the year hitting the weekend forecast. And when I rolled out of bed on Saturday afternoon…eh…morning, there was snow on the ground…but the streets were clear. Once again the weathermen were wrong! At least this time I benefited from it, my streak of seeing at least one Nuggets game a year dating back from the 85’-86’ season continues. Also it was my 80th Nuggets game.

Once my posse arrived (Bookie, Shark and Shark's friend), it was time to go see the Nuggets take on the Clippers. With the roads clear and dry, it was time to hit the interstate and venture down to Denver for the game.

The biggest surprise of the night came when we entered the arena and saw that the night’s promotional item of the game in the gift shop was a yellow colored Chris “Birdman” Anderson T-shirt. Awesome!

It wasn’t just awesome because it was a Birdman T-shirt, but it was awesome because my friend Bookie has been the BIGGEST Birdman hater. It’s called Karma. For no reason at all…besides the fact that I like Birdman…Bookie has dogged on the poor guy since day one. Bookie refers to the guy as looking like a homeless guy rolling out of a trash dumpster. Poor guy…all he wants to do is play B-ball.

The best part about all this…Bookie finally caved in and has accepted Birdman! Ka-Kah! Yep. The hater has come to the darkside. Join the flock and together we shall rule the association. Bookie crossed over and for a cheap asking price of $10…he bought a Birdman T-shirt. Success!

Highlights of the Game:

- In honor of Green week, the Nuggets came out supporting their “green”
jerseys. The jerseys are pretty cool looking, but they remind me of The Notre Dame Fighting Irish too much.

- It was “theme” night at the Pepsi Center. Tonight’s game was…drum roll…Kid’s Appreciation Night. Whoopee! The Nuggets brought in local team mascots to help out Super Mascot Rocky in entertaining the kids. In attendance was:

o Miles: The Denver Broncos horse mascot

o Cam the Ram: The Colorado State University mascot

o Chip: The Colorado Buffaloes mascot

o Dinger: The Colorado Rockies Barney-Jurassic Park-reject mascot (who by the way…in my opinion was violating little kids)

o And four Colorado Rapids mascots. FOUR!? WTF!? What happened to the Kool-Aid looking guy Rapid Man? Apparently now they have four animals, a fox (Fraz), raccoon (Jorge), eagle (Edson), and a bull (forgot the name...but it’s a Hispanic name)

- Staying along the mascot highlight…Bookie kept encouraging the kid across the row (who looked like Jay Cutler Jr.) to entice the mascots walking down below to come up to the third deck.

- Two super hot chicks that worked for the Nuggets organization. I nicknamed them “Legs” and “Greenie”. There was a third at the beginning of the game named “Boots”, but we never saw her again.

- Rocky hitting his half court shot on his third attempt

- Johan Petro matching Eric Gordon in scoring with 7 pts. Big deal…right? It was! I’ve followed Eric Gordon since last year when he was a freshman at Indiana University. He was slated as the next big thing and would go as the #1 pick in the draft. Over the course of the year, I saw about 5 or 6 Indiana B-ball games…and he didn’t impress me one bit. Gordon actually sucked most of those nights. Draft night comes along and he gets picked seventh overall by the Clippers. Now I get to see him up close and personal and he gets matched in points by a very raw and unproved lanky bench player named Petro. Ah…yes…the curse of Gordon continues.

- JR Smith knocks down (7) three pointers and scores a game high 34.

- The shorthanded Clippers play eight guys and force Zach Randolph to play every minute of the game (until mid 4th quarter when they were down by 20)

- And to backup his Birdman “Item of the Game” T-shirt, Chris Anderson finished with 13 pts, 8 rbs, 3 blks and one HUGE thunderous dunk coming off the bench

My Overall Nuggets record:
46 - 34