Game 13 of 122

Game 13 of 122

Washington Capitals at The Verizon Center (vs New Jersey Devils):

As a Pittsburgh Penguins fan, I’m not supposed to like the Washington Capitals as the Pens / Caps has become a huge rivalry and each team boasts league superstars (Sidney Crosby for the Pens and Alex Ovechkin for the Caps – no contest from my point of view – Sid the Kid is the man), but when we lived in the DC area, we went to a lot of Caps games and kind of became fans, but only when they are not playing the Penguins.

He is no Sid the Kid

As part of our holiday visit with Deb’s family (read more about it in the Ravens blog), we snuck in a Capitals’ game with Deb’s cousin Heather and her husband Danny.

Heather and Danny

I didn’t get any pictures of the outside of the building because we simply took the Metro (subway) to the game, which stops right under the Verizon Center.  I was able to get some pretty good seats off of Stubhub for the four of us – behind the goal the Caps shoot at two of three periods during the game.

View from seats.

The Capitals won a blowout, 5-1. 

The Verizon Center is extremely convenient to get to and I will be back again sometime in the future as it is the same arena where the Washington Wizards play (I thought about trying to get in a Wizards game while I was there, but that seemed a bit much with everything else going on for the holidays).  I mentioned in my Penguin’s blog about how loud the Constellation Energy Arenas was.  Compared to that, this game was very quite; however, someone mentioned to me that it might be due to the fact that we were sitting so high at the Pens game and the sound bounces off the ceiling and feels much louder….I’m not an engineer, but that kind of makes sense.

I cheered for the Capitals while at the game, but refused to participate in the “we want Pittsburgh” chant toward the end of the game.  I did mention to Deb that maybe they should be careful what they wish for…..as it turns out, two nights later the Pens beat the Capitals – HA HA…Merry Christmas!  They will meet again on New Year’s Day in the Winter Classic – outdoor game being hosted at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh this time.

All in all, a very eventful trip and two more games checked off the list.  This ends my 2010 season with 13 games completed and $230 donated for cancer research (1 point for every point scored).  As of now, I have nothing official on the schedule, but am always looking for suggestions, company and places to go. 

Record:  8-5.  I have now seen 4 wins in a row by the home team.

Official Box Score of the Game

To learn about my fund-raising efforts, visit:  http://www.firstgiving.com/christopherapel

Game 12 of 122

Game 12 of 122

Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium (vs New Orleans Saints):

The weekend before Christmas, the family traveled to Maryland to visit Deb’s sister’s family and her parents.  In four days, we managed to pack in a lot of activities, including a Baltimore Raven’s game, trip to Colonial Williamsburg to visit Deb’s 97 year-old grandmother, visit to the Smithsonian’s Air & Space museum with Deb’s parents and nieces, and a Washington Capitals game (click for more on that game) with Deb’s cousin and husband.

We were lucky enough to be able to watch the Raven’s game from a private suite, compliments of my brother-in-law, Jeremy.  I attended the game with Deb, her sister Karen, Jeremy and about 20 others in the suite.  I also attended the Baltimore Orioles game with Jeremy back in May to kick off my sports tour.  This was not my first Raven’s game, but the first time it counts toward my goal and the seats were much nicer than the last time I was there.

Inside the suite.

Jeremy and Karen

This game provided me the opportunity to watch my 2^nd favorite NFL team (next to the Steelers of course) – anyone playing the Baltimore Ravens.  Their opponent for this game was the New Orleans Saints – current Super Bowl champs – and many people think this matchup was a preview of this year’s Super Bowl….let’s hope not. 

I had mentioned in a previous blog how easy it is to start cheering for the home team; but, there is no part of me that will ever cheer for the Ravens.  However, surrounded by Ravens’ fans, I only quietly cheered for the Saints.  I thought it might be a little disrespectful to cheer against the favorite team of the folks that provided us with such great seats, plus I preferred not to get in a fight.

Ray Lewis pregame dance - ridiculous!

For the Ravens (and the Steelers), this was a very import game and one that could end up determining the AFC North Champion.  Unfortunately for Steelers fans, the Ravens won a great game (and the Steelers lost later that day).  It was a well played game that came down to the last few minutes, but I left disappointed with the Raven’s 30-24 victory.

View from seats - purple everywhere!

The ballpark has way too much purple for me, but is a very good venue for watching a game.  The weather was warm enough that we sat outside the suite the entire game and enjoyed the action from our seats, which offered great views of the field (we didn’t even need to watch the three TVs provided).  As for the food, no trip to Maryland is complete without eating some crab cakes, which were delicious in the suite.

Thanks Jeremy for the opportunity to attend the game, but I still hate the Ravens.

Record:  7-5, but this is one game I would have preferred the home team lost.

Official Box Score of the Game

To learn about my fund-raising efforts, visit:  http://www.firstgiving.com/christopherapel

Raising Money

I've mentioned in my first posting (http://apeltour.blogspot.com/2010/09/purpose-of-this-project-goal.html) that my mission is to raise money for cancer research through the Jimmy V foundation.  Unfortunately various family members have battled cancer over a period of many years, including my father, uncle and mother-in-law.  All of them have beaten cancer as a result of improvements in treatment, better detection methods and the prayers of others.  I truly believe one day we will find a cure and the money donated will pave the way to make that happen. 

Recently my uncle was diagnosed with brain cancer and will begin battling cancer for the 2nd time.  You can follow his progress at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/winapel.  This recent development only brings to light how quickly lives can change as a result of cancer and the impact it can have on the individual, family members and friends.  We welcome your thoughts and prayers.

My mission is to simply raise awareness and to do my small part to someday find a cure.

Money can be donated at:  http://www.firstgiving.com/christopherapel

Jimmy V Week

This week, ESPN remembers the life of coach Jim Valvano and continues to promote the mission of his foundation to support and fund cancer research.

I'm sure all of our lives have been impacted in some way by this disease and I encourage all of us to consider a donation.  For more details, go to http://www.jimmyv.org/about-us.html.  Donations can be made directly from the Jimmy V Foundation website.

However, if you do feel the need to donate, I would appreciate it if you used the following link below to make your donation as part of my overall efforts to raise money for cancer research.

http://www.firstgiving.com/christopherapel

To read more about my mission to support the Jimmy V Foundation, go to http://apeltour.blogspot.com/

Thanks,
Chris

Game 11 of 122

Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field (vs Oakland Raiders):

Two Steeler games in the span of 14 days….can’t beat that (Click for details on Monday Night game in Cincinnati).  This was not my first trip to Heinz Field, but the first time I am counting it toward my goal of 122.  However, it has been a long time, in fact the last time I was there was for the 1^st game ever in the new stadium vs the Brownies.

Aaron Depew, me & Matt Boyle

This game was the continuation of a Pittsburgh sports weekend with some of my old college buddies.  As mentioned in the Penguin’s blog, our weekend started with watching the Penguins win in a shootout on Friday night, followed by a Steeler beat-down of the Raiders on Sunday.



The day started early with some tailgating festivities just a few blocks from the stadium. 



Chris Petersen, Doug Houser & Aaron Depew

Once inside, we took a walk through the Great Hall to see the 6 Super Bowl trophies (no team has more) and other historic Steeler items.  You could spend 1/2 a day inside the Great Hall viewing and reading about all the displays.  It is a great little bonus to a fantastic stadium.  The one thing I really like about both outdoor stadiums in Pittsburgh are the fact that they did a great job incorporating the city skyline into the design.

One of 6 Super Bowl trophies.

Our seats were great, right on the goal line on the Pittsburgh side of the field.  Lucky for us, 3 of the 5 Steeler TDs were scored right in front of us, not to mention the fact that the Steeler defense played extremely well and it seemed like most of the Raider offensive plays were run in front of us well as they struggled to move the ball all day long.

View from our seats

The Steelers dominated on offense, defense and special teams to destroy the Raiders 35-3.  The score could (and should) have been a lot worse considering the fact the penalties negated two other TDs for the Steelers – interception return and a punt return (both scored in the end-zone in which we were sitting).

The game might be remembered more of the fights and penalties.  I heard someone say that there were more yellow towels (penalty flags) on the field yesterday than in the stands.  An exaggeration of course, but this game will certainly be remembered for some terrible penalties.  Some of the loudest times during the game came when fans were booing appeared to be some poor officiating; followed by when they posted the final score of the Bengal’s game (a loss of course).  I have never seen angrier Steelers fans after a 32 point win. 

See ya - Rejected for fighting.

A great all-around weekend to the City of Champions.  Maybe some day we will get to see the Pirates back in the playoff hunt occasionally.  Once again, a special thanks to Aaron Depew for obtaining the tickets and allowing me to crash at his house.  Thanks as well to Matt Boyle and Chris Petersen for coordinating the logistics of parking, transportation and tailgating food.

Record:  6-5.  Go Steelers!  I'm 2-0 at Steeler games this year.

Official Box Score of the Game

To learn about my fund-raising efforts, visit:  http://www.firstgiving.com/christopherapel

Game 10 of 122

Pittsburgh Penguins at Consol Energy Arena (vs Carolina Hurricane):

The new home of the Penguins (Consol Energy Arena) is an incredible facility.  The game I attended was only the 11th game ever played there as the arena is brand new. 

This was the kickoff event of a long Pittsburgh sports weekend with some of my fraternity brothers (Aaron Depew, Matt Boyle and Chris Petersen - from right to left in photo below)….Pen’s game on Friday and Steelers’ game on Sunday (link to Steelers' blog).  It was a great time to catch up with some old friends and see two great Pittsburgh wins.

Unfortunate background, but too funny not to post.

A special thanks to Aaron for managing to get us tickets to both events (even better that that Steeler tickets were free).  Thanks as well to Matt and Chris for coordinating all of the logistics for food, transportation and parking. 

The arena itself is state-of-the-art and I can’t imagine what they spent on flat screen TVs alone as they are everywhere.  Walking up to the new arena is a bit odd because there is an old church directly in front of the facility…it just seemed a bit out of place. 

I specially like the fact that you can get into the facility and visit many of the attractions, including the gift shop, without having a ticket.  We of course had tickets, and although they were in the upper deck, the view of the action was perfect.

View of shoot out that Pens won 2-0.

As for the game, the Pens started off slow and the game was close throughout.  With about 1 minute left, it looked as of the Pens had the victory in hand, but the Hurricanes pulled their goalie and scored the tying goal with 0:52 left.  Overtime was uneventful, but the Pens showed them who was boss by outscoring the Hurricane 2-0 in the shootout.  Final score:  5-4 victory for the Pens.

One item that does deserve mentioning; although the facility is beautiful, well designed and a great place to watch a hockey game, the noise is incredible.  It is extremely loud and my ears and head are still ringing the next day…and it is not from the beer.

These games complete the city of Pittsburgh on my quest of 122 games because I saw the Pirates earlier this summer (Link to Pirate Game); however, I’m sure I will be back at some point for some bonus games….they are my favorite teams after all and with the exception of the Pirates are usually great teams in the middle of the playoff hunt year after year.

Record:  5-5.  Great job Pens!

Official Box Score of the Game

To learn about my fund-raising efforts, visit:  http://www.firstgiving.com/christopherapel

Game 9 of 122

Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium (vs Pittsburgh Steelers):

Entering Paul Brown Stadium

This may be the first time I officially count the Cincinnati Bengals toward my goal, but the Bengals / Steelers game in Cincinnati is becoming an annual event.  This is the third straight year that I have attended this game with my neighbors and some other friends.  This year, the game just happened to be on Monday night, which always adds some extra excitement…of course that is directly related to the extra time fans have to tailgate before hand.  Our tailgate experience was a little different then most as we hung out at a hotel (some of our friends were spending the night) and played poker for a few hours.

Pre-game poker

As for the game, the outcome was a lot better than last year as well; although the Steelers sure did make it interesting in the end.  They have a way of never letting you leave early.  After dominating most of the game, the Steelers led 27-7 to start the 4^th quarter, but managed to turn the ball over, commit stupid penalties and give up two TDs late in the game to give the Bengals and their fans a false sense of hope.  In fact, will the less than a minute to go, the Bengals were only 12 yards away from scoring the winning TD.  The good news is that the Steelers defense held on to preserve the win.

Big Ben back to pass.

Bengals driving.

For a minute there, I was having flash backs to last year’s game in which the Steelers held an 11 point lead with 8 minutes to go, but lost on the last play of the game.  Trust me, the Bengals fans sure gave us (those dressed in Steelers attire) a hard time last year while leaving the stadium.  This time the crowd was a lot less hostile after the Bengal’s comeback fell short.

Referee explaing a call, but what he really wanted to say was that the Bengals still stink.

In my three games at Paul Brown Stadium, I have yet to find a bad seat in the house.  This year, we were located in the upper deck, but right at mid-field.  You can really get a sense for how plays develop when sitting this high up, but at times your depth perception is off a bit…or maybe my eyes are just getting old.  Another aspect of the game I felt was tough to measure was field goals.  The only way to know if the kicker missed was to watch the crowd behind the goal posts for their reaction.

View from our seats

Parking for games in Cincinnati has always seemed to be a big problem.  There never seems to be very much parking around the stadium.  In years past, we always found a lot in downtown a few blocks from the stadium to tailgate.  This year, we decided to park on the Kentucky side of the river and taxi over.  Unfortunately making our way back to our car turned out to be a nightmare and added about another 45 minutes to our exit….lesson learned for next year.

Record:  4-5.  Although you can’t hold it against me because I was cheering for the visitors this time.  Go Steelers. 

Official Box Score of the Game

Next stop:  A double-header weekend in Pittsburgh for the Penguins and Steelers.

To learn about my fund-raising efforts, visit:  http://www.firstgiving.com/christopherapel

Game 8 of 122

Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena (vs Washington Capitals):

A quick over-night trip down I-65 to Nashville (or Smashville as the Predators call it) allowed me to check off the first hockey game from my list.  It was also the first hockey game ever for the kids.  With some ticket connections, I was able to get seats in a suite on the blue-line.  As a result, I may have set the expectations too high for the kids that all games will be like this – great seats, easy to see all the action, private TV, food and drinks, private bathroom, etc.  I think a nice game in the nose-bleed seats might be in order to provide them with a dose of reality.

Hockey happens to be my favorite sport to watch in person, but living in Louisville provides little opportunity to see a game; which is why I was very excited for the chance to take in a game this early in the season.  Nashville has a great arena located right downtown with easy access to restaurants and hotels.  We arrived in town early afternoon, grabbed a bite to eat with Deb’s childhood friend and husband, did a little swimming in the hotel pool (always a hit with the kids), spent the evening at the game and headed home in the morning.

Predators first goal.

As for the game, the Predators dominated through the first two periods, holding a 2-0 lead entering the third period.  However, the Capitals came storming back to tie it up in the third period and won it on a goal in overtime.  I’m obviously a Penguin fan when it comes to hockey, but six years spent in the Washington DC area have made us somewhat Caps fans as well.  However, it is funny how easy it was to get wrapped up in the home team excitement and we quickly found ourselves cheering against the Caps. 

Capitals win in overtime

All in all it was as nice little getaway weekend.  The arena and fans provide a good, clean, family-friendly environment. 

I will let the pictures say the rest.



The kids loved the mascot and ice girls.



That is us on the scoreboard.

Taylor with the icegirls before the game.

Taylor working on her hockey skills.

Ryan showing off his dino-hockey shirt.



Record:  4-4.



To learn about my fund-raising efforts, visit:  http://www.firstgiving.com/christopherapel

Game 7 of 122

Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park (vs New York Yankees):

With the kids out of school for fall break, we decided to take a mini-vacation to Boston….one of our favorite cities.  Of course any trip to Boston should include a game at Fenway Park.  Although we only saw one game at the park, we probably spent more hours there than a person typically spends for an entire 3-game serious.

Our vacation started on Friday afternoon with a Behind the Scenes tour of the stadium.  As a long-time Red Sox fan, this was very exciting….the kids liked most of it, but some of the history was a little boring for them.  I enjoyed getting to tour the various sections of the stadium, including the upper deck in right field, club-level behind home plate, atop the Green Monster (for you non-baseball fans, this refers to the large green wall in left field) and some of the lower level seats - the oldest in baseball.  The kids did enjoy learning about the 3 guys that work inside the Green Monster scoreboard every game and manually update all the scores from around the league.  Their favorite part though was a visit to the gift shop for Green Monster stuffed animals and hats so that we were properly dressed for the game!

It was back to Fenway on Friday evening for what we hoped would be a game, but rain showers made that unlikely.  After waiting out a 3 ½ hour rain delay, the game was finally postponed.  Ironically, the kids actually enjoyed this more than the real game because they got to dance in the aisles to the music (we were actually shown on the large screen TV in center field) and watch the grounds crew work feverishly to keep the rain off the field.  Luckily for us, our seats were under cover which made the long wait tolerable.  We also used this opportunity to walk around the stadium and take in a lot of the surroundings that we would normally not have been able to do.



Dancing in the rain



I can honestly say that Fenway park is a one-of-a-kind and a must see for any sports fan.  At the time of our visit, the park is 98 years old.  However, if you are looking to go to a game in which you will be guaranteed a good seat, Fenway is not the place.  If you are looking to visit a piece of history, Fenway is it.  As it turns out, we actually got to sit in the oldest seats – blue seats in the lower level, just under cover.  Fortunately for us, we were sitting with little kids, but if you happen to be packed in with all adults, this section could get pretty tight with these small wooden seats. 

In our free time during the rain delay, I was able to sit in a number of different seats to take in the views.  In many cases, you get the feeling of tunnel-vision and views of the field can often be obstructed by the upper decks or support poles.  It reminded me a lot of Wrigley Field in Chicago.  However, seats in the lower section, not under cover, offer great views of the entire field.  I’ve always wanted to watch a game in the Green Monster seats, but that might have to wait for another day and for now, I will have to settle for sitting in them during our tour.



Atop the Green Monster



The rest of our trip was filled with tourist activities – Boston Harbor for a cruise, New England Aquarium, Children’s Museum, USS Constitution, and Quincy Market.  Of course the highlight for the kids was probably the subway.

Our game was rescheduled for 9:00 PM on Saturday night, but actually didn’t start until much later because the first game ended up going into extra innings.  We couldn’t make it to the end because of some exhausted kids, but the Red Sox ended up winning in another extra inning game.  Although the Red Sox will not make the playoffs, it was a moral victory for them because they won 2 of the 3 games; thus forcing the Yankees to settle for the wild card and allowing the Tampa Bay Rays to win the American League East.

A-Rod vs. Dice-K

In summary, if you are a true fan of baseball, Fenway Park has to be on your list to visit; especially for any baseball historian.  You can just sense the history walking into the place.  I also recommend the tour.  The fact that it is in one of the best cities in the country (in my option) is a bonus.

This more than likely wraps up baseball for 2010 with 7 of 30 teams checked off the list….unless the opportunity for playoff tickets presents itself….anyone, anyone?

Record:  4-3.

To learn about my fund-raising efforts, visit:  http://www.firstgiving.com/christopherapel

Game 6 of 122

Friday, September 10th, 2010 – Cincinnati Reds @ Great American Ballpark (vs. Pittsburgh Pirates).


A great night spent with some great friends at Great American Ballpark…OK, so it is a little corny. Wow, I have never had seats to anything this good. We were sitting in the 3rd row behind home plate – the tickets included dinner and drinks before (and during) the game. We attended the game with our good friends, the Huots. Our kids were very disappointed not to be able to go to this game as they are starting to enjoy daddy’s little obsession.  However, they got to see mommy and daddy on TV all night.

That is me in the red shirt, Deb on my left and our friends Mike & Elaine.

Cincinnati is a short drive (90 miles) up the highway from Louisville and we couldn’t pass up this opportunity on a beautiful Friday night. Now is a great time of year for the Reds as they are making a long overdue playoff run – not quite as long as their opponent that night – the Pittsburgh Pirates, which ironically we got to see play two games in a row.

The ballpark is very nice, although my opinion may be skewed as a result of the good seats we had, but I am not a fan of the big “black hole” that seems to exist in center field (see picture).

The Reds blew a 2-run lead in the top of the 9th, but came back to win it in the 12th inning. We didn’t stay until the end because it was getting very late for the babysitter.

Current record: 3-3; 57 total points scored.

Game 5 of 122: Sunday, September 5th, 2010 – Pittsburgh Pirates @ PNC Park (vs. Washington Nationals).

We spent Labor Day weekend at my parent’s house in Knox, PA where we got to visit with both my brother’s and sister’s families as well. The weather had turned a bit colder for most of the weekend, but the sun came out for a great day at the ball park. With the exception of my brother-in-law, who had to work, all 15 of us went to the game - which included my two kids, 5 nephews and 1 niece.

We were able to get a nice group ticket package that included good seats near the foul pole in the lower section of left field; a hat for everyone and our name on the scoreboard (although we were not fast enough to get a picture of it). We were almost able to catch a foul ball, but it landed in an empty seat 2 rows behind us. Speaking of empty seats, there were a lot of them (only 18,000 people in total) as you can imagine for a team that hasn’t had a winning season in 18 years…embarrassing.

The Pirates lost 8-1, but the best part about then entire day was that after the game, all the kids got to go down to the field and run the bases. On the field behind home plate, is a sign that says “PNC Park – The Best Ballpark in America.” They may not have a great team, but this is a must-see park for any baseball fan as the design with the river, bridges and skyline are amazing.

Current record: 2-3; 50 total points scored.