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