Game 44 - Atlanta Falcons

For months now Taylor has been looking forward to taking a trip with me to check off another game.  With her, there is a little more planning because she did not want to sit through games on back-to-back nights.  Therefore, after careful consideration, Atlanta made a lot of sense.  She is a huge animal lover and the Georgia Aquarium is supposed to be one of the best in the world; I only needed to see the Falcons play to be able to close out all teams in Atlanta and they play indoors so weather was not going to be a factor.

The trip turned out to be even better than anticipated.  We were able to add the World of Coca-Cola to our trip and an impromptu stop at CNN headquarters.

We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Atlanta, which is next to Centennial Olympic Park and out of our window was the aquarium.  For both Taylor and me, the aquarium lived up to its billing.  It was amazing.  We especially liked the Ocean Voyager section, which consisted of an enormous tank for 6.3 million gallons of water containing all kinds of fish, beluga whales, various sharks, sting rays, manta rays, etc.  Our favorite, by far, were the whale sharks.  The Georgia Aquarium is the only aquarium outside of Asia to house a whale shark....they actually have 4 of them.  They are also the only aquarium in the United States to have manta rays....they have 4 of them as well.  With under-water tunnels, lots of windows and one of the largest viewing areas ever (window that is 23' x 61'), it is incredible.

There were a handful of other sections that we really enjoyed too, including one of the best dolphin shows we have ever seen.  Any trip to Atlanta should include a visit to the aquarium. 
http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/

Taylor outside the vault containing the

Coca-Cola secret formula

Our next stop was the World of Coca-Cola next door.  This is a very fun place to learn about the history of the beverage.  We learned about how it was invented, the history of the secret formula, various marketing campaigns over the years, and toured a mini bottling plant, etc.  It was completely decorated for Christmas, which was very cool.  Our favorite room was, of course, the tasting room where you could sample nearly 100 different brands from all over the world.  We didn't taste all 100, but we did enjoy small sips from a few dozen.  Our favorite was a watermelon flavor from Brazil.  The two we nearly spit out were Beverly from Italy and a gingerbread Coke they were serving at the bar.  It was awful!  http://www.worldofcoca-cola.com/

While walking around downtown looking for a place to eat
dinner, we stumbled upon CNN Headquarters.  I was shocked at how excited Taylor was to see it.  Apparently they review CNN Student News every day and she couldn't believe she was in the exact spot they produced the show.  As a result of her excitement, we decided to take a behind the scenes tour on Sunday morning before the Falcons' game.  It was actually an excellent tour and a lot of fun to see where and how all of the different shows and websites are produced.  It also boasts the largest free-standing escalator (8 stories tall) and more security than I have ever seen.



Game 44 - Atlanta Falcons vs. Pittsburgh Steelers @ Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA (12/14/2014)

Finally, it was off to the game.  We spent a lot of time outside the stadium at the Falcon Fan Zone.  I

Thought this statue was funny.

read about this before we got there as a great place for kids.  It was huge, with music, bands and all kinds of kid activities.  Unfortunately, we waited in line for about 30 minutes for Taylor to do the bungee cord jumping, but when she got there the harness did not fit....it would have been helpful if they would have told us we were in the "tiny" kid line; oh well, she was very understanding.  Once inside the stadium, we started to walk around and take in all of the attractions, which were very few.  One of the things I like most about going to all of these venues is to walk the different concourse levels; however, in Atlanta that is not permitted.  Since our seats were in the 300 level, they would not even let us walk on the 100 level.  I understand not letting us on the suite level, but this was a little ridiculous and the first time I have run into this problem.

A few things I noted about the stadium itself.  1.  It is the largest domed stadium in the United States, but it is being replaced with a new facility being built next door and scheduled to open in 2017.  2.  There is nothing special about it - it is very plain.  The concourse level has very little signage (very different from by last game at Ford Field - Read here about Detroit trip).  There are virtually no monitors, which means you can't watch the game while waiting in line for food.  3.  The entrance is a level all by itself, which helped to cut down on crowding as incoming people did not have to "merge" in with those folks walking around.

4. Finally, the stadium looks like it was built about 30 feet too high.  Maybe it was due to punts hitting the ceiling, but at the top of the seats is a flat wall that goes up quite a ways that seems to serve no purpose other than to extend the height of the ceiling.



Obviously we were there to cheer for the Steelers, along with about half of the crowd.  Steeler fans always travel well to support their team.  Both teams are in the midst of a playoff spot, even though the Falcons have a losing record, but could still will their division.  The Steelers started off well with two long drives, but had to settle for FGs.  Then just as Taylor and I were returning to our seats, the Steelers scored a TD on an interception return right in front of us.  The Falcons cut the lead to 13-7 with a TD that was aided by a terrible roughing the passer penalty against the Steelers.  Click here to judge for yourself. 

Bell around the left side for a TD.

By half-time the Steelers had a comfortable 20-7 lead; although it did get kind of interesting in the second half with the Falcons cutting the lead to 7 twice.  However, the Steelers managed to hold on for the win and move one step closer to the playoffs (they have since clinched because it has taken me so long to complete my write-up).  It should be noted that Julio Jones did not play for the Falcons, which was a huge advantage for the Steelers who struggle to stop quality quarterback-receiver combinations.  Antonio Brown caught 10 passes to set a new franchise record of 115.  Le'Veon Bell was going for an NFL record 4th straight 200 yard game, but fell when short as the Steelers rushing offense struggled a bit. 

A cool fact....with this win Steeler QB Ben Roethlisberger has now beaten every NFL team in his career (except for the Steelers of course).



The final score led to another $47 raised for the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research. 


This concludes 2014.  Another 7 games checked off the list and a total of $434 raised from me personally.  I want to thank everyone else that has donated as well this year and encourage other to consider it too.

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/christopher-apel/christopherapel

See more photos on my Facebook page.

Games 42 & 43 - Detroit Red Wings & Detroit Lions

Another weekend and another 2 games completed.  Originally this weekend was marked as a potential "guys" trip, but plans began to fall through so Ryan and I took the opportunity to spend the weekend in Detroit.

It is a long drive, but we made it in time on Saturday afternoon to visit the Henry Ford Museum.  http://www.thehenryford.org/museum/index.aspx 

Jimmy V Week

I just wanted remind everyone that it is Jimmy V Week.  The V Foundation was established in honor of legendary college coach Jimmy Valvano who lost his battle with cancer many years ago.  The goal is to raise money for cancer research, a cause I believe is very important.


To read more about the V Foundations, go to http://www.jimmyv.org/index.php


Cancer impacts everyone and I encourage you to consider donating.  If you would like to read more about how I am helping the cause, go to http://apeltour.blogspot.com/


If you would like to donate, please do so on my page at http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/christopher-apel/christopherapel


Thank you.

Game 41 - Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers @ Soldier Field in Chicago, IL (9/28/2014)

Wow, games on back-to-back weekends.  This time it was a quick trip down to Chicago to meet up with some colleagues in the printing industry.  You can't say no to a Bears / Packers game, particularly when the weather is perfect.  Before the game, we had a great time tailgating....some of these people are really into it as evidenced by the picture of the van (on the left) from one of the guys in our group.  For these rivalry games, the crowds are always energized.  I have witnessed a few of these division rivalries in the past - Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh & Philadelphia vs. NY Giants.  The other thing you will notice at these types of games are that the home team fans far out-number the visitors.  You would think that is obvious, but see my post regarding the Rams game.  Unlike last week's game in St. Louis, this crowd was dominated by the home team.  We live in Wisconsin now so I do cheer for the Packers most of the time.  For this game in particular, I tried to stay impartial out of respect for the Bear's fans that made this trip possible. 

View from our seats.

If you like offense, this was a game to watch.....defensively, these teams are awful - 854 yards of total offense for the two teams combined.  The game started out so promising for the Bears as they took the opening kick-off and drove down the field for a TD.  The Packers answered with a TD of their own when they got the ball.  Back and forth they went for much of the 1st half with the Packers taking a 21-17 half-time lead.  However, poor clock management cost the Bears points right before half-time when their tight-end caught the ball over the middle and was stopped at the 1-inch line as time expired.  The 3rd quarter was much of the same with both teams moving the ball up and down the field.  However, it was two costly interceptions by the Bears that stopped drives and allowed the Packers to expand their lead to 31-17.  When it was over, the Packers took home a 38-17 victory.  Rarely do you see a team put up nearly 500 yards of offense and still lose by 21 points, but the Bears did.  In terms of other big numbers, Aaron Rodgers threw 4 TDs; the Packers had two receivers (Nelson and Cobb) over 100 yards and 2 TDs each.  Matt Forte for the Bears ran for 122 yards and eclipsed 10,000 total yards for his career.  In addition, we got to witness a little history - this was only the 2nd time in NFL history in which there were zero punts.  The win was the 700th in Packer history - joining the Bears (732) as the only two franchises with more than 700 regular season wins.

I bet many people didn't know that Soldier Field was built 47 years before the Bears played their first game there in the early 1970's.  Even then it was old and outdated.  In 2003, it was renovated, but honestly, it looks like they just stuck a futuristic glass bowl on top of the stadiums well-known and historic columns.  It is still one of the smallest stadiums in the league, seating just over 60,000.

What I will say about this stadium is that the location is one of my favorites.  Signs around the stadium label it "The Stadium in a Park," which it truly is.  Granted it was late September and the weather was still in the 70's, but the location is terrific.  I parked in a lot down-town about a mile away and walked through the park and past the Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum and Navy Pier to get there.  Spectacular.  Those that attend in the middle of winter probably have a much different perspective, but for me it was a great experience.  On a side note, Soldier Field has the best cell phone / data service I have experienced at any of the other 40 venues I have visited.  

A special thanks to Mike Carfagnini for the opportunity to see Da Bears.

Another high-scoring game, which means that I will donate another $55 to the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research.  I encourage you to donate. http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/christopher-apel/christopherapel

See more photos on my Facebook page.

Game 40 - St. Louis Rams

St. Louis Rams vs. Dallas Cowboys @ Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, MO (9/21/2014)

It seems harder and harder to get these games on the schedule with work, kid's school activities, coaching sports, curling season about to start, etc.  Perhaps many of you didn't even realize I curled.  I started playing 2 years ago and really enjoy it.  Taylor has been playing for 2 years as well and now Deb is going to give it a try.  You should stop out to our club www.milwaukeecurlingclub.com and try one of our Learn to Curl programs.  Anyhow, I digress....onto the St. Louis Rams.

The objective was to take Ryan to his first professional football game.  Two years ago we went to a preseason Packers' game, but he is quick to remind me that it didn't count because it was not the regular season.  I would have to agree with him as I did not count it toward my goal either.  We needed to schedule around his flag football game and getting back to school Monday morning.  St. Louis seemed like a perfect fit as it was a quick 75 minute flight.

We arrived at our hotel early Saturday evening just in time to walk over to the St. Louis Cardinals' game.  We already crossed this one off our list a few years ago, but decided to go anyhow since we were in town.  We tried a few people selling tickets on the street, but the prices were ridiculous so we purchased standing-room-only tickets at the gate and had a great time.  Most of our time was spent walking around the stadium and enjoying the 80 degree weather.  We did manage to find a seat in the outfield late in the game for a few innings.

On Sunday morning we walked to the Gateway Arch for a quick visit to the museum and a ride to the top.  I will say that if anyone is planning a trip to downtown St. Louis, I would recommend the Hyatt.  We took a cab from the airport, but once there we could walk to everything - Cardinal baseball game, Rams' football game and the Arch.

Finally, it was onto the main attraction - Ryan's first NFL game.  I cannot describe how excited he was for this experience.  He was a bit nervous as well because at times the crowds were a bit overwhelming (particularly when you are 4-feet tall).  A huge portion of the crowd was Cowboy fans, in fact, there were many times during the game that if you didn't know it, you might think you were in Dallas.  One time in particular, there was a very loud "Defense!" chant within the building, but the Rams were on offense....kinda strange.

Rams' fans had a lot to cheer about early in the game.  The Rams took the opening kick-off and drove down the field for a TD.  It was quickly followed by a long 50-yard TD and then an interception for another TD.  By the time the Cowboys woke up midway through the 2nd quarter, they were down 21-0.  However, they chipped away at the lead and cut it to 21-10 by half-time.  After a 68-yard TD pass to Dez Bryant (who was open by about 30 yards and from our seats in the upper deck you could see the whole play develop) and another field-goal, the Cowboys were only down 1 at the end of the 3rd quarter.  The Rams' fans started to get real quiet and the Cowboy fans were beginning to take over the stadium.

With about 6 minutes to go, the Cowboys took a 3-point lead and quickly extended that to 10 with an interception returned for a TD.  The Rams scored quickly and then held the Cowboys on downs to get the ball back with one last chance, but fell short due to a late game interception.  We got to witness a little bit of Cowboy history as it matched the largest comeback ever for the team.  Overall, this was a great game with lots of scoring and big plays (which is important to keep a 7-year-old's attention) - 2 interceptions returned for a TD and two passing TDs over 50 yards.  The experience was great and one I hope Ryan will remember for a long time.

A few comments about the stadium itself.  I would rank it in the lower tier of places I have visited.  The benefit is that it is easy to get to from downtown.  On one side is the city, but on the other side it is pretty run down and surrounded by abandon buildings.  We of course did not venture over to these parts of the city, but could see them as we traveled back to the airport.  Inside the stadium is kind of plain....it is basically a big, round dome with a carpet field.  I did however have some good St. Louis style Bar-BQ for lunch and the largest souvenir cup I have ever seen (8 1/2 inches tall) .  The truth is, by the time I finish my tour of all the sports venues, the Rams will probably be located somewhere else (if they stay in St. Louis, this stadium has to go).  One observation Ryan and I made at the game was that the majority of the seats are red.  This seemed very strange for a team with blue and gold colors, but after some investigation we realized that the stadium was built in the early 1990's in an effort to lure the New England Patriots there.

High-scoring games always mean more money donated to charity.  In this case, $65 to the Jimmy V Foundation.  Unfortunately, it was the 4th straight loss for the home team in which I have watched.  Current record is 24-16.

I encourage you to donate. http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/christopher-apel/christopherapel
 
You can find a lot more photos on my Facebook page.

A Tribute to Joe Martin

From the outside, it may look like this goal of mine to see all of these games is a bit selfish.  However, it has turned out to be so much more than that.  It has resulted in creating incredible memories with my family; reconnecting with friends; making new friends and most importantly - allowing me to do my small part to raise money for a cause I believe is so important - Cancer Research.

When I was young, I watched my father battle cancer.  In recent years I have seen my grandfather and uncle pass away as a result of this disease and my mother-in-law is in the midst of her own battle.

This month a friend of ours passed away after a very courageous battle - Joe Martin.  Since moving to Wisconsin, Deb, the kids and I got to know Joe and his incredible family very well.  Deb and Joe were officers together on the elementary school PTO and developed a very good friendship and working relationship.  Joe and I coached baseball together where I watched him show extreme patience with 5 & 6 year-old boys, teaching them not only the skills of the game, but more importantly respect for teammates, coaches and opponents.  He never was frustrated and always had a smile on his face and a way to make the kids laugh.  This past summer I also coached his son (Nick, who is Ryan's buddy) for the 2nd year of baseball.

Over these few years, Deb has become friends with Joe's wife, Sue and Taylor with his daughter, Michelle. 

Joe, the community of Mequon, WI will truly miss you.  Please keep the Martin family in your thoughts and prayers.

http://www.schmidtandbartelt.com/obituaries/detail.aspx?id=7930

Game 39 - Minnesota Wild

Minnesota Wild vs. Detroit Red Wings @ Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN (3/22/2014)

It seems it has become an annual tradition now for Ryan and I to go somewhere for a game or two while Taylor has her birthday party / sleep-over.  She certainly doesn't want her little brother hanging around and he certainly doesn't want to be at her party with 13 11-year-old girls....give him a few years :).  Therefore, my job is to take him out of town.  Last year we went to Dallas to see the Mavericks and Stars.  This year, we drove to Minneapolis / St. Paul to see the Minnesota Wild and visit the Mall of America.  This was our 2nd game in just 8 days, as Ryan and I got to see the Orlando Magic the previous Friday night during our trip to Disney.  Unfortunately in Florida it was 80 degrees and in Minnesota it was 8.

An interesting stat about this game....although it was just the 39th (out of 122 needed) game on my tour, I have officially seen more than 50% (62 out of 122) of the teams when you count both home and away teams at the venues I have visited. 

Xcel Energy is a very nice arena if you are not afraid of heights.

Normally being in the upper level does not bother me, but this was the steepest arena I've been to yet and I was a bit nervous navigating the stairs.  The picture on the right kind of shows you what I mean about steep as that is Ryan a few steps ahead of me.  Needless to say, the view of the ice was great even from these seats.  The rest of the arena was extremely clean, well designed and easy to navigate.  I felt parking was a bit of a challenge for a first-timer.  There is a very large parking structure across the street that was convenient....once you found it.

Ryan and I spent a great deal of time (as we usually do) walking around the venue taking in the various displays.  They claim Minnesota is the #1 hockey state.  I don't know if that is a fact, but this venue sure likes to show off their hockey legacy.  From historical displays to lots of jerseys from various local teams to the "Hockey Mom Hall of Fame."

One observation that Ryan made was that there was no Wild logo at center ice.  This was something I didn't even noticed, but after doing a little research, we discovered that shortly after our game, the Big 10 was playing their hockey championship at this venue (which was won by Wisconsin), therefore, there was a Big 10 logo at center ice.

As for the game, both teams were still battling for playoff position.  Minnesota scored first, but after two periods they found themselves down 2-1.  However, just 15 seconds into the 3rd period Minnesota scored on a penalty shot (first time I have witnessed one in person).  In the end, Detroit scored one more time in the 3rd to secure a 3-2 win.  Oh well, Ryan and I had a blast.  After the game, we went to the Mall of America, particularly so he could go to the huge Lego store.  A great time!

Unfortunately, it was the 3rd straight loss of the home teams in which I have watched.  Current record is 24-15 and another $5 to the Jimmy V Foundation.  Every little bit helps.

I encourage you to donate. http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/christopher-apel/christopherapel

Games 38 - Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic vs. Washington Wizards @ Amway Center in Orlando, FL (3/14/2014)


In mid-March, the family went to Disney World for vacation.  On the last night of the trip, Ryan and I attended a Magic game in downtown Orlando.  After a full day at the parks, Ryan was a bit tired, but managed to make it through the game before falling asleep on the way back to the resort. 

Amway Center is a great arena once you are inside.  It is well designed, with plenty of room to move around, lots of shops and extremely clean.  As for the location, perhaps it is just my GPS directions, but on the way there we went through some pretty rough neighborhoods just a few blocks away.  This makes for a little nervous driving (especially when stopped at a light in the dark), on the way home.  I caution anyone going to keep this in mind.

The staff at Amway Center is by far the nicest / friendliest staff I have experienced anywhere.  Everyone we ran into was extremely pleasant and helpful.  The food....well, I wasn't impressed.  How could you not try something called the "OMG Hot Dog?"  It was a hot dog, wrapped in pastrami and covered in cheese, sauerkraut and potato straws.  Needless to say, I was not impressed.

The arena has an excellent "museum" area on the 1st level.  Ryan and I spent a good portion of the 2nd quarter checking out the history of the franchise, memorabilia and many other items on display. 

In addition, they offer a pretty incredible children's play area, complete with mini basketball courts and playground.  Ryan loved it and took some time to work on his dunking skills on the 5-foot rims.  The place was so popular, that we had to wait in line to get in, which we were used to by now from spending an entire week at Disney / Universal Studios.  Part of the entire experience of going to these games, particularly when I really don't care about many of the teams is to check out all of the ancillary stuff at the games.  I have not run across anything that tops the Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame Museum, but this section at Amway was pretty cool.

Our seats were in the upper deck, but still a very good view of the action.  We sat next to an older couple that were extremely knowledgeable about not only the Magic, but the NBA in general.  They were very kind and friendly to Ryan.  The Magic is one of the worst teams in the NBA, but they put up a good fight against the Wizards, who are fighting for one of the final playoff spots.  The arena itself was rather empty as seen from the photo on the left, which was right before tip-off.  In the end, the Wizards prevailed 105-101 in overtime.  $206 more for charity!

I encourage you to donate. http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/christopher-apel/christopherapel