Game 53 - Kansas City Royals

Game 53 - Anaheim Angels vs. Kansas City Royals @ Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, KS (7/25/2016)I was fortunate enough to be in Kansas City for a project and took some time to visit Kauffman Stadium for a Royals game.

This stadium is decades old, but quickly became one of my favorite.  I loved the water-fall wall and water fountains in the outfield.  Someone told me before I went to the game that the score board was one of the best features....I completely agree.  It is kind of cheesy, but the crown at the top just makes it look that much cooler.  The Royals Hall of Fame museum in left field was outstanding.  I spent a few innings looking around and taking a bunch of pictures.  I even got my picture taken with the 2015 World Series trophy.

I also found that the stadium was one of the cleanest I have been to yet.  Parking was also one of the easiest I have experienced.  It shares and entrance and parking lot with Arrowhead Stadium (home of the Kansas City Chiefs).

Despite the fact that the Royals are defending World Series champs we were able to walk right up to the ticket window and get great seats in the lower level down the 1st base line.

Of course when you are in Kansas City, you must try the Bar-B-Q.  I settled for the Pulled Pork Mac n'Jack Sausage.  This was a sausage topped with mac n'cheese, pulled pork and bar-b-q sauce.  Unbelievable.

The Royals ended up losing the game 6-2 as old-man Albert Pujols for the Angels drove in 4 runs.

Short write-up.  Sorry.

Game - 52 - Philadelphia Phillies

Game 52 - Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies @ Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA (5/21/2016)
Philadelphia Phillies.  Check!  All 4 Philadelphia teams.  Check!  All 7 teams in the state of Pennsylvania.  Check!  Three straight Philadelphia gams in a row and I am now complete with not only all the Philadelphia teams, but all the teams in the state of Pennsylvania.

This blog will be short as I am over 2 months late in completing it.  I guess the summer has just gotten away from me.

After watching the Flyers and 76'ers in April, Ryan and I traveled back to Philly in May to see the Phillies.  We met up with a college buddy of mine (Drew Blank) and his son Alex.  It was a very familiar feeling as we stayed in the same hotel that I did on my April trip.  As mentioned in my previous post, I love the way Philadelphia has laid out all their sporting venues in one area with lots of bars and restaurants around to support the crowds.

Drew picked us up at the airport and we headed straight to Citizen's Bank Park to grab lunch and watch the game.  There was a bit of a scare that the game might be rained out, which would have been very disappointing for all of us.  Our original seats were in the outfield and not under cover.  It started to drizzle in the 2nd inning so we decided to find seats somewhere else.

After negotiating with the usher, we found new seats out of the rain; however, we spent the better part of the game moving all over the park into different seats, which was a lot of fun.  The fact that the weather was suspect, the crowd was very light; therefore, we had no problem moving to just about anywhere we wanted.

The game itself was rather boring and it did rain almost the entire time.  In the 8th and 9th innings, there was a lot of standing water on the field, but I think the umpires were committed to getting this game in as opposed to calling for a rain delay.  In the end, the Braves won 2-0.

The park is nice, but nothing overly special (sorry, no offense Philly fans).  Normally Philadelphia fans are great sports fans, but due to the weather, it just wasn't the same.  I was hoping to see the Liberty Bell ring at the park (see photo above), but that only happens when the Phillies hit a home run; therefore, we were disappointed.  Ryan was obsessed with the Philly Phanatic (mascot), which is one of the most recognized mascots in all of baseball.  In fact, the only thing he wanted to remember this trip was a mini bobble-head of the Phanatic.

Unfortunately not a lot of money generated for charity this game (just $2), but every little bit helps and I hope it encourages others to donate, which would be great. 

To learn more about how to donate to the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research, please go to:
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/christopher-apel/christopherapel

Game 50 & 51 - Philadelphia Flyers and 76ers

Game 50 - Ottawa Senators vs. Philadelphia Flyers @ Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA (4/2/2016)



I was left in Wisconsin for a week while Deb and the kids went on a Caribbean cruise with her sister, nieces and parents for spring break.  No baseball, no curling, no family at home?  Perfect opportunity to catch a game or two in Philadelphia. While not quite as easy as my trip to Cleveland to see the Indians and Cavaliers on the same day, this was pretty close.  I was able to check off the Flyers and 76'ers on the same day and in the same building, too.

 A college buddy, Kevin Heaphy, and his son were kind enough to pick me up at the airport and we headed to lunch at XFinity Live outside the stadium, a very large grouping of restaurants and bars, which is great to visit before games.   I really like the sports venue set-up in Philadelphia.  All three arenas - Wells Fargo Center where both the Flyers and 76'ers play; Citizens Bank Park for the Phillies and Lincoln Financial Field for the Eagles - are located in the same spot.  I spent some time there in the past when I went to the Eagles game back in September of 2012. 




I bought my seats rather last minute, but they ended up being terrific....5 rows behind the Flyer's bench.  

The Flyers are in a fight for the last playoff spot with only about a handful of games to go therefore, every win is extremely important.  After a scoreless 1st period, the Flyers took a 2-0 lead in the 2nd period with 2 power-play goals.  The Senators made it a game mid-way through the 3rd period at 3-2, but Philadelphia held on for the win and the much needed 2 points in the standings.

One interesting fact about this season (not necessarily this game):  This will be the first time since the 1969-70 season that the NHL playoffs will not include a team from Canada.  Crazy!

I really enjoyed this venue.  As with most Philly sports, the fans are terrific and really support their team.  As mentioned earlier, the location of all the stadiums in one place is terrific and easy to access.  Inside the stadium, I walked around a lot and took in some of the displays.  They have done a nice job showing off the history of the Flyers, current players and a few other cool displays.  The one I liked the most was the Hat Trick History wall (photo to the left) showing all the hats collected off the ice any time a hat trick has been scored by a Flyer.



This game marked the 50th on my tour.  With the Flyers win, my record moves to 30-20 for the home teams.




Game 51- Indiana Pacers vs. Philadelphia 76'ers @ Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA (4/2/2016)

I had about 4 hours between games to kill.  I could have easily sat in my hotel room (which was within walking distance of the arena) and watched college basketball, but I want to thank my friend Drew who was reminded by a Facebook post that I was in town and decided to meet up with me to watch the 1st semi-final game of the Final 4.
 

We went back to XFinity Live where the crowd was obviously pumped up for the Villanova game.  They were even more excited when they beat Oklahoma by 40+ points.  After a burger, a few beers and the largest soft pretzel I have ever seen covered in crab meat, I quickly ran back to Wells Fargo Center for the 76'ers game.  This was only the 3rd game out of 51 that I have attended by myself.

Now if anyone is following the 76'ers this year (and why would you unless you lived in Philadelphia), they have quite a bit of young talent, but unfortunately most of them are injured.  As a result, they are working on one of the top 10 worst records in NBA history.  At the time of this game, their record was 9-68.  Ironically, the Golden State Warriors had 68 wins at this point.  Crazy.



Well it is good to set goals in life, so I guess the 76'ers might have a goal to at least get to 10 wins for the season (albeit, setting the bar pretty low).  The Pacers on the other hand are clinging to the last playoff spot in the East and a win is a must.  Early on, it looked like it was going to be an easy win for Indiana as they took a 61-49 lead into halftime.  However, Philadelphia showed some life in the 3rd quarter by outscoring the Pacers 28-13 to take the lead fueled by a franchise-tying 16 3-pointers for the game.

Philadelphia's chance of winning was quickly squashed in the 4th quarter as they fell apart and were outscored by 16 points.  In the end, the Pacers came away with a 115-102 win.

Despite the awful season the 76'ers are having, the crowd was still very excited to see them play and very loud as they made their run in the 3rd quarter.  Perhaps some of this was because the entire city was so excited for Villanova's win earlier in the day.  Turnout was much better than I expected for this game.  My seats were decent (lower level, behind the basket), but I fully intended to be able to move around and find other open seats.  I'm sure if I really tried, I could have, but decided to stay put. 

To be honest, the game was actually very entertaining.  High-scoring and a total of 9 players in double-digits (4 of them with 20 or more).  Yes, I like stats, so here is an interesting one:  Indiana's CJ Miles scored 25 points in less than 22 minutes.  That is the shortest amount of time in team history for a player to score 25 points.  Random.  I want to know who tracks this kind of useless trivia.

Although I was at this venue earlier in the day, I still spent some time walking around checking out the attractions.  It does amaze me at how quickly they can change over not only the floor from ice to a basketball court, but a lot of the signage and merchandise as well. 

Although it will go as a loss for the home team in my record book, it still generated $217 for cancer research, which is extremely important.  For more information, please go to:
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/christopher-apel/



I had a little drama trying to get home.  I still do not know how I did this, but my return flight was booked for 10:30 PM, instead of AM.  I normally check these things two or three times.  I didn't actually find out until I was trying to find my flight on the board.  I considered renting a car and driving to New Jersey for the Nets game, but instead was able to get on an earlier flight.  Back home to Wisconsin and the April snow showers!

Game 49 - Memphis Grizzlies

Game 49 - Sacramento Kings vs. Memphis Grizzlies @ FedEx Forum in Memphis, TN (1/30/2016)


The first game of 2016 was a memorable one!  Sandwiched between curling and baseball practices, we had a free Saturday so Ryan and I decided to go watch the Grizzlies in Memphis.  Exactly 5 years ago today we sat in the 4th or 5th row at the Indiana Pacers game....this one topped that.

When we arrived at our hotel across from the arena, we were told that our room was not ready yet due to a large group that was still checking out.  We didn't think anything of it at the time and instead decided to walk over to the famous Beale Street (recently voted the most iconic street in the United States) for some Memphis BBQ.


Back at our hotel, our room was still not ready but we quickly realized why.  That large group still checking out of the rooms was the Sacramento Kings themselves.  For the next hour we watched the players check out and get on the team bus.  We took a bunch of pictures from a distance (to the left is Rajon Rondo).  Also got to see Demarcus Cousins, Willie Cauley-Stein, Duja Dukan, Seth Curry and many others we didn't recognize.  One player, who will remain nameless, refused to get a picture taken with Ryan.  It was a bit disappointing, but nonetheless Ryan thought it was pretty cool to see the players up-close.  We didn't realize just how close we would get to see them later that night before and during the game.

We met up with a friend of mine and walk over to the game.  Ryan and I both had such a great time.  We started off by going into the tunnel to meet some of the Memphis Grizzlies and watch them get ready to go onto the court.  Ryan got to shake hands with Zach Randolph (he said they were the biggest hands he has ever seen).  We tried to get a few autographs, but were unsuccessful.  Ryan had to settle for some pre-game high-5s.

Then it became time for us to go to our actual seats.  Impressive!  That is all I can say.   1st row on the baseline near the visitor's bench.  it is amazing how big these guys are up close.  We even saw ourselves a few times on the highlights of Sports Center and on the jumbo-tron at the game....it helped that Ryan was wearing a yellow headband, which made it very easy to pick him out. 

The game is a lot more violent up close than TV shows.  These guys are up to 7 feet tall and weigh 250+, but all they do all night long is push, shove and bang into each other.  The referees let them get away with an awful lot of contact.  The photo to the right shows Demarcus Cousins shooting free-throws.  This guy might be the biggest person I have ever seen at 6'11" and 270 pounds.  His shoulders are so wide.  He had a decent game with 17 points and 14 rebounds, but he spent most of the night complaining about getting fouled and looked like he wanted to punch someone all game long.  Believe me, he was doing his share of getting away with rough play.  He ended up getting hurt right in front of us and left the game with an ankle injury, but not before screaming the f-bomb....luckily Ryan didn't hear it.

The game itself was very exciting, especially for the Memphis fans, who are great and very excited about the Grizzlies as they scored a season-high 65 points in the 1st half.  The Grizzlies dominated the game for 3 1/2 quarters before they got a little sloppy, lost their cool with a few technical fouls and let the Kings back into the game.  Late in the 3rd quarter, the Grizzlies held a 21-point lead, but a huge 40-point 4th quarter brought the Kings to within 1 with 18 seconds left in the game.  Luckily for the Grizzlies, they hit a few free-throws to hold off the charging Kings and win 121-117.  It was a big night for Jeff Green (29 points) and Marc Gasol (22 points). 


While watching sports theses days, I start to feel a bit old as often times I'm watching the children of players I grew up watching.  It is refreshing to still see Vince Carter playing in the league at 39 years-old.  Not a bad night for him either with 13 points. 

We did get to meet one semi-celebrity....Leigh Anne Tuohy, who is the real-life women for which the Blind Side movie is based.  She was sitting right next to me.  She was very nice and we discussed the fact that she is going to the Super Bowl this weekend to see her son (Michael Oher) play for the Panthers.  She even was kind enough to take a picture with Ryan.

FedEx Forum is an excellent venue to see a game.  It is conveniently

located downtown near all the action on Beale street.  We didn't get to spend a lot of time on this trip walking around as we had too much excitement going on right in front of us on the court - players, cheerleaders, Griz (the mascot), amazing high-flying dunkers, etc.  I also caught a ball that was swatted out of bounds.


In the end, it was another $238 raised for the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research.  To find out more about my mission and / or to donate, please go to: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/christopher-apel/christopherapel


The home-team record on my sports tour is now 29-20.  A special thanks to George for taking us to the game.  Ryan and I both had a blast.  It will certainly be something he remembers for a very long time.

Game 48 - Houston Texans

Game 48 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Houston Texans @ NRG Stadium in Houston, TX (9/27/2015)

In my previous post, I talked about how little things seemed to work themselves out on my trip to Tampa Bay with Ryan.  This trip to Houston was quite the opposite.  Nothing too terrible, but after a great deal of planning, Taylor and I did run into some unexpected changes.  In the end, it all worked out for the best and Taylor and I had a great weekend in Houston together.

For starters, the plan was to fly in Saturday afternoon in plenty of time to go see the Houston Astros.  We had booked a hotel next door to the stadium.  A week before the game, Major League Baseball decided to move the start time to noon; therefore, we ended up missing the Astros game and although I was able to resell my tickets on Stub Hub, but it did cost me a bit.

The fortunately thing about missing the game is that it allowed Taylor and I to visit the Space Center Houston (which in reality was probably a lot more fun for her than watching silly baseball game).  After getting our rental car and driving the 45 minutes south, we still arrived with just enough time to see all of the exhibits at the museum.  Both of us really enjoyed it as I think we both learned a lot.  The nice thing about this sports tour is that it has allowed me to visit a lot of places I might not otherwise visit...the Space Center is one of those.

After an afternoon of checking out space history, rockets and shuttles, we checked into the hotel and looked for a place to eat dinner.  The aquarium was just a short cab ride away so we eat dinner there and checked out a few exhibits.  The main restaurant was way too busy and we were too hungry to wait so we ate at the outside bar.  The restaurant itself was pretty cool with an enormous fish tank to view.  Finally, we stop into the sting ray exhibit.....ironically this is the second trip in a row that the kids got to pet sting rays (see trip to Tampa Bay Rays).

On Sunday it was off to the Houston Texans game at NRG Stadium.  Again we ran into a little problem on our trip...this time with parking.  I should have prepaid for a parking pass, but figured we would not have any trouble finding a lot, like most stadiums.  I was wrong and in the end we over-paid for parking close to the stadium....one well, it was a short walk, which was good since it there was a light rain.  The rain of course did not matter inside the stadium as it has a roof.

The stadium itself reminded me a lot of Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis because of the large retractable roof; although it does not have a cool endzone wall that opens like Lucas Oil.  I thought the concourses were nice and wide, the food options were exceptional and there were plenty of small team stores; as well as a larger one on the lower level. 

I read a lot of negative comments that the escalators were crowded, but Taylor and I decided not to bother with that and took the ramps each time we went up and down.

This was the first NFL game played at this stadium on field turf.  Prior to that, all games were on real grass, but after some issues, they decided to change it to turf for the rest of the season.  It is kind of weird because only the Texans' games were on grass and when a college or high-school team played there, they changed it over to turf....seems like a lot of work to me.  However, it seems that they will go back to natural grass next year after fixing some of the problems they had earlier this year.

I didn't realize the AstroDome was next door as well (photo on the left is from inside NRG Stadium)....that place looks like a dump.  Once nicknamed the "Eight wonder of the world" because it was state-of-the-art, it has recently been the topic of much debate around what to do with it now.  It seems the city of Houston is split between raising it or preserving it.

Our seats for this game were definitely in the nose-bleed section, but
has Taylor pointed out, you can really see so much more of what is going on from up here.  I am always a bit nervous about taking the kids to games because you never know about the crowd.  All-in-all, outside of a little language a few times, the crowd was great.

The Texans and Buccaneers have not started the season out very well.  This was a very sloppy game, but in the end the Texans did win 19-9.  It was cool to get to see the Buccaneers' rookie quarterback and #1 overall pick in the draft, Jameis Winston.   Here are some sad statistics about the kicking in this game. 
Total FGs made:  3
Total FGs missed:  4
Total XPs made:  1
Total XPs missed:  2
There was also a total of 16 penalties accepted in the game.
Don't get me wrong, despite the fact that it was a sloppy game, it was still very entertaining and I think Taylor really enjoyed her weekend in Houston....I know I did.

Only $28 raised for the Jimmy V Foundation for cancer research this weekend, but every little bit helps.  To find out more about my mission and / or to donate, please go to: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/christopher-apel/christopherapel

Game 47 - Tampa Bay Rays

Game 47 - Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers @ Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL (5/9/2015)

This post is very late (and a bit short) as I forgot to finish and post it back in May.

It seems an open weekend is a rare occasion lately.  Most of our weekends are spent at Ryan's baseball games, but this particular weekend happened to be 1 of only 2 weekends from May until August that he did not have a baseball game / tournament.  With that said, we decided to make a last minute trip to Tampa to catch a Rays game.  We were literally in Florida for only 13 hours.  It was very interesting how many things fell into place on this trip.  For starters, since I booked the flight at the list minute, Ryan and I were not scheduled to sit together, which caused a bit of panic for him.  However, after negotiations with both the gate attendant and other passengers, I was able to get us seated together. 

Then while boarding another plane, one of the flight attendants asked Ryan if he would like to sit in the cockpit and meet the captain.  As you can see from the picture, he really enjoyed it and the captain was extremely friendly.  Then, when we were checking into the hotel, they accidently gave us a room that was not yet cleaned.  After discussions with the hotel desk, we were upgraded to a suite over-looking the ocean.  Finally, the last thing I worry about on all these trips is finding tickets to the game.  I bought the tickets last minute and didn't really even pay attention to where they were located.  As it turns out, we were in the 2nd row over the right field wall.  Nice.

This stadium gets a lot of criticism as one of the worst venues in all of professional sports.  Sure it is not in the best area of town, it is a rather old-looking dome, the turf looks awful and players sometimes have to play fly balls off the catwalk.  There is also so much signage inside that it almost gives you a headache from sensory overload.  However, if you are traveling with small children and don't mind missing some of the game to take time to explore it is actually a fun place to visit.  The sting ray tank is of course a must-see and a fun experience, but there are a ton of other fun things for the kids, including craft areas, photo opportunities to get your picture on a baseball card, etc. 

The best part of the experience was by far the Ted Williams Museum and Hitters' Hall of Fame.  Ryan and I could have spent hours here checking out all of the various displays and information on all of the inductees.  The level photos, history and level of detail was terrific and it was much bigger than expected.  If you are into sport history, it is a hidden gem.  http://www.tedwilliamsmuseum.com/

As for the game itself, there was not a lot of excitement.  A small crowd of barely 20,000 watched the Rays win 7-2.  The one interesting thing to note is that all 9 runs were scored via 4 homeruns.

As many of you know, I'm using this tour to raise money and awareness for cancer research.  To date, I have raised over $4,500.  If you would like to donate, please go to the following link.  Thank you.

As for this weekend, another $201 ($1 for each point scored in both games) raised for the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research.  I encourage you to donate. http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/christopher-apel/christopherapel

 

Games 45 & 46 - Cleveland Indians & Cavaliers

I had a free weekend on the schedule before Little League baseball begins so I decided to check off two more games on my quest.  I was able to catch up with a good college buddy of mine, Matt Aiken, to join me in Cleveland.  He was kind enough to even pay for the tickets....much appreciated Matt!  We attended both games on the same day, a first for me.

 

Game 45 - Cleveland Indians vs. Detroit Tigers @ Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH (4/10/2015) 

After a slight delay, I landed at the airport just 40 minutes before game-time.  I grabbed a cab and met up with Matt at the hotel bar.  From there it was a short walk over to the Progressive Field.  It was the Indians home opener, which made for some expensive tickets (once again, thanks Matt!).  For opening day, the crowd was not as rowdy as I anticipated.  It was nothing compared to opening day of the Atlanta Braves I attended in 2012.  Read about that game here.  That game is, by far, the most out of control crowd I have ever witnessed.  Perhaps it had something to do with an evening game and 80 degree temperatures all day in which the fans had plenty of time to tailgate.  The weather in Cleveland for the Indians game was better than expected.  Earlier in the week I thought we would be sitting through cold, wet weather, but it turned out to be sunny and high 40s, which wasn't awful.

The game itself was rather exciting if you like offense.  A total of 28 hits and 12 runs scored.  However, for Indians' fans, it was not so fun as their team was on the losing end of the scoreboard, 8-4.  We spent a good deal of time walking around the stadium and checking out all the sites, which is half of the fun for me.....seriously, who wants to sit there all day and watch the Indians?  Progressive Field is a great ballpark.  I really like the design and the outfield offers a nice view of the Cleveland skyline....although not as nice as PNC Park.  The upper deck of right field (pictured) is a bit odd with a bunch of "small walls."  It is like they are trying to create mini-Green Monster seating (like at Fenway); however, after reading a bit more about the stadium, I understand this was recently done to give a better view of the field and city.  They removed about 5,000 seats to do so, but perhaps additional seats to watch another Cleveland team is not necessary.....stated by a die-hard Pittsburgh fan.  There is also a wind turbine in right field that helps to power the stadium, but I did not see it.  There is a nice monument park (Heritage Park) in the outfield with statues of legendary Indians.

 

I'm not sure what was more exciting for Matt - the fact that he found his favorite beer (PBR me ASAP) or that he was interviewed by a local TV crew.  Those of you that know Matt, know that he is never short of words.  He seemed to be right at home during the interview; although I have no idea what he was saying.  Great weather, great game, great ball park and a great friend as I check off game #45.  We left the game a bit early so that we could get to the Cavaliers game, which is literally right across the street.

Game 46 - Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics @ Quicken Loans Areana (the Q) in Cleveland, OH (4/10/2015)

It is late in the season and the Cavs did not have much to play as they already secured the #2 playoff seed regardless of what happens the rest of the season.  I had a fear that the Cavs may rest all of their stars, but they did play both Lebron James and Kevin Love.  Kyrie Irvin sat out the game.  It was a very important game for the Celtics as they were fighting for their playoff lives.  Ironically, they made the playoffs and will have to play the Cavaliers in the first round. 

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

Game 37 - Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers @ Lambeau Field (12/22/2013)

Well, if you are going to do Lambeau Field, you should do it right.  It all sounded like a great idea back in early fall when plans were made.  Waking up on game-day to a blizzard, 6-9 inches of snow expected, 30 mph winds and low 20 degrees made me think I was crazy.  However, I  learned that 20 articles of clothing is enough to keep me warm throughout most of the game.  The only thing that really got cold were my toes.  We got lucky because the wind was blowing in the other direction and was not really a factor.  The snow however never really stopped.  When you are there, it did not seem as bad as it appeared on TV, but gradually the field went from brown to white by the end of the game.  Because the field it heated, you can no longer call it the frozen tundra, but field was kind of a nasty looking brown. 

The one thing I will recommend is that if you go to a game at Lambeau in this kind of weather, a seat cushion is a must.  The aluminum benches are extremely cold and suck the heat right out of you....just ask the guys attending with me.  My Steeler seat came in handy.  Attending the game with me was my cousin Brian Apel, his college roommate and his brother.  All of us are Steeler fans, and like most games, Steeler fans travel well and there were plenty of terrible towels waiving.  Packer fans are some of the nicest fans I have encountered; as well as the most football-intelligent.  They treated us with mutual respect and were never really mean-spirited toward us at all.

Our seats were in the lower half of the upper deck, in the end-zone facing the scoreboard.  The view was very good, particularly since a good portion of the scoring happened right in front of us all day long.

This was a very important game for both teams who are fighting for their playoff lives.  In all honesty, I figured the Steelers would be eliminated by kickoff, but each of the teams they needed to lose in the early games did; thus keeping them in the hunt for a little longer.

The Packers were hit pretty hard by injuries in this game.  Not only was Rogers still out from his shoulder injury (a whole separate story / controversy in and of itself), but they lost RB Lacy and LB Matthews durng the game.  At half-time the Packers led 14-10, but the Steelers surged to a 10 point lead by the end of 3rd quarter thanks to 3 TDs, including an interception return.


The Steelers had a chance to break it wide-open in the 3rd quarter when they blocked a FG, but in the scramble, they were penalized for batting it out of bounds.  I still think the refs got this call wrong and they took forever to figure it out.

In the 4th quarter, the Packers roared back to tie the game at 31-31.  The crowd was alive with excitement and Steeler fans were nervous as a loss would ensure them a losing season.  With 3 minutes to go, the Packers started at their own 8-yard line with a chance to make a game-winning drive; however, Troy Polamalu forced a fumble deep in Packers' territory to give the Steelers a chance to seal the win.  On 4th down, the Steelers were about to kick the go-ahead FG, but a penalty on the Packers gave them an automatic 1st down.  A few plays later the Steelers scored a TD, but it left the Packers a lot of time. 

I disagreed with Tomlin's philosophy in this case and thought he should have knelt on the ball, run the clock down to a few seconds and kicked a game winning FG.  After a huge 66-yard kick off return, the Packers had plenty of time to mount a game-tying TD, but a costly penalty and poor clock management allowed the Steelers to sneak out a 38-31 win.  The Steelers are still alive for the playoffs...so are the Packers.

As for the venue itself, it is Lambeau Field....a must for any real football fan.  It's history allows you to overlook things like overly crowded concourses, extremely long restroom lines and a very small scoreboard.  I tend to like more modern venues, but recent improvements and pure nostalgia allow me to rank it near the top of my favorites.....it is the Fenway park of football.

This concludes the 4th year of my quest to hit all 122 professional team venues.  37 completed and nearly $4,000 raised for cancer research.  Please visit my fundraising page. I encourage you to donate. http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/christopher-apel/christopherapel