Short Lived WFL

Memphis Southman v Philadelphia Bell, August 7, 1974

JFK Stadium, Philadephia

The WFL was founded by the same guy who started the WHA. The league got off to a bang with attendance. The first two Philadelphia home games reported 100,000 fans. It was later uncovered most of those tickets were greatly discounted or free. I suspect that is why my dad decided to take me to this game. The league played games on Wednesdays and Thursday nights, which were televised.

A little known fact: The Memphis team was actually slated for Toronto and to be called the Northman. But the Prime Minister would not allow any US football team to be based in Canada in direct competition to the CFL. We know from Canada's health care system how much they hate competition.

I remember the old stadium as being cold, damp and dark. It was a huge horseshoe with mostly empty seats. The game was at night. The lights were not very bright.

Jim "King" Corcoran threw four TDs in the first half to lead the Bell to a 46-15 win over Memphis. The Bell scored on the first play from scrimmage as Corcoran threw a short pass to running back John Land, who ran 64 yards down the sidelines for a TD. Corcoran also hit Linzy Cole, Claude Watts and Donnie Dhanklin with TD passes to lead the Bell to a 30-0 half time lead.

The Bell improved to 3-2 on the season.

Complete Game Pedro

Boston Red Sox v Anaheim Angels, August 6, 2003

Fenway Park, Section 5 Row 3

This was a Wednesday night game while we were participating in a Boston University hockey goalie camp. The defending World Series champs were in town. I haven't seen those guys since, well, the 2002 World Series.

Pedro Martinez versus Aaron Sele. And the starters were strong for 4 innings. It was not until the bottom of the 4th when Manny Ramirez singled followed by a David Ortiz triple. With Ortiz on 3rd, Kevin Millar hit an RBI sacrifice fly to center.

Then in the 5th, Nomar Garciaparra hit a home run over the Monster, sending the park into a frenzy. Pedro got himself in a little trouble in the 6th when Tim Salmon doubled and Garrett Anderson knock him in.

The Sox got an insurance run in the 9th when Jason Vertitek singled and was hit in by Johnny Damon. This extra run allowed Grady Little to keep Pedro in the game for the bottom of the 9th.

A defensive mixup moved Adam Kennedy to 2nd for the Angels. A Rob Quinlin single scored Kennedy, making the score 4-2 with 2 outs. But Pedro let up a David Eckstein double then hit Darren Erstad. With the go ahead run on first, Little had confidence enough to keep Pedro in the game with Tim Salmon at bat.

On a 2-2 count, Pedro blew one by Salmon and caught him looking to end the game.

Summer of 85

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, August 5, 1985

RFK Stadium Washington DC, Floor/Field

The Summer of 85 continues. Live Aid a few weeks earlier, now Springsteen. We rode in the bed of a pickup from Richmond to DC. A group of us had floor seats. The field (home of the Washington Redskins) was covered with plywood and folding chairs. During intermission we somehow stole a hat off one of the workers there. They were police looking hats. Two of us walked around wearing the hats during intermission and even made it back to our seats. At one point I was yanked by security and dragged to an security office buried in the concrete of the old stadium. I sweet talked my way out of ejection or an arrest and made it back to the seats for the 2nd part of the show.

At one point there were a group of girls dancing on a sheet of plywood. We surrounded them and picked up the plywood over our heads while they danced and marched them around.

This was a usual energetic Springsteen show.

Setlist: BORN IN THE USA / BADLANDS / OUT IN THE STREET / JOHNNY 99 / SEEDS / ATLANTIC CITY / MAN AT THE TOP / THE RIVER / WORKING ON THE HIGHWAY / TRAPPED / DARLINGTON COUNTY / GLORY DAYS / THE PROMISED LAND / MY HOMETOWN / THUNDER ROAD / COVER ME / DANCING IN THE DARK / HUNGRY HEART / CADILLAC RANCH / DOWNBOUND TRAIN / I'M ON FIRE / BECAUSE THE NIGHT / BOBBY JEAN / CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE / BORN TO RUN / RAMROD / TWIST AND SHOUT - DO YOU LOVE ME / SHERRY DARLING

After the Game

Rochester Red Wings v Richmond Braves,

August 4, 1989 The Diamond, Box 111 Row L

I was either still working for the Braves at this time and got some free tix or my buddy who was on DL for Rochester at the time hooked us up.

Brady Anderson, Chris Hoiles, Juan Bell, Steve Finley, Jose Mesa, Pete Harnish and Curt Schilling were all on the roster for the Orioles affiliate this evening. The Braves suited Mark Lemke, Kent Mercker, Dave Justice, Tommy Green, Mike Stanton and Ron Gant. Not a few shabby rosters.

I don't remember the outcome of the game or any particulars but did go out afterwards with my friend who was on the DL and a few of his teammates. One who went on to a pretty decent MLB career. As uptight as MLB has gotten there is no need to rehash any particulars of this evening.

Toronto Blue Jays v New York Yankees, August 3, 2006

Yankee Stadium, Sec LOGE 30 Row 524A

A hot and sticky afternoon game. The hottest the Yanks have played in all year. But not hot enough to keep 52, 156 away. There were free water coolers around the stadium. They couldn't even keep them filled. Game time official temp was 97. Reports on the field were as high as 105 degrees.

We had no tickets so I used the moment to teach the youngin how to handle scalpers. Every time we saw a scalper, he would point out in excitement. But I was buying my time to sniff out my victim. I spotted him from across River Ave and bolted across the street to track him down. Two seats in the shade, first row in the Loge. Two for the price of one. That's how it's done, son.

Cory Lidle was making his first start for the Yanks after being traded from the Phillies along withBobby Abreu.

Derek Jeter got things started with a single to left in the bottom of the first. Alex Rodriguez worked the count against the Jays Shaun Marcum. And Jason Giambi emptied the bases with a blast to right-center. 3-0 in the 1st.

The game remained scoreless until Ryan Roberts hit a home run in the 5th for the Jays. The Bombers responded by manufacturing 2 more in the bottom half of the 5th and 3 more in the bottom of the 6th with Mount Laurel, NJ's Scott Schoeneweis on the hill for Toronto.

In typical Joe Torre Yankee fashion, this one lasted over 3 hours. Lidle got the win, his 9th of the year and 1st as a Yankee.

A few month later, on October 11 of the same year, Cory Lidel lost his life in a small plane crash in Manhatten.

Inaugural Event at The Linc

Manchester United v Barcelona, August 3, 2003

Lincoln Financial Field, Sec 230, Row 24

This was the first ever event in the Eagles new home, Lincoln Financial Field. The place got high marks from us. I kept my vowel to never attend a soccer game unless it involved Manchester United. I may have settled for any Premier League team. But one cannot go wrong with The Reds against Barcelona.

We took a detour in getting my son to Boston for a hockey camp.
Manchester United ended their pre-season tour of the U.S. with a 3-1 victory over Barcelona on Sunday.

Barcelona flourished early on as new signing Ronaldinho, who turned down a move to the English champions, stroked the ball around with typical Brazilian flair and imagination despite being booed by the United faithful before the start.

United manager Alex Ferguson rested strikers Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Also missing from the line-up was Argentina midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron, a transfer target for Chelsea.

Without those three, United appeared lacking in ideas for the opening exchanges.

Ronaldinho's running reaped dividends in the ninth minute when he lofted a perfectly weighted cross for Dutch striker Patrick Kluivert to head past Tim Howard, United's new American goalkeeper.

But, despite further Barcelona pressure, United levelled after 25 minutes. Winger Ryan Giggs found space on the left and crossed for an unmarked Diego Forlan to beat keeper Victor Valdes with a diving header.

United, spurred on by skipper Roy Keane, went ahead 11 minutes later when Nicky Butt's centre from the right took a deflection and man of the match Forlan pounced to score his second goal.

Barcelona came out for the second half without Ronaldinho and Kluivert. United made two changes after 52 minutes, bringing on David Bellion for Darren Fletcher and van Nistelrooy for Uruguayan Forlan.

Van Nistelrooy produced a goal of individual brilliance after 85 minutes. Battling with Barcelona defenders after losing a tussle in midfield, the striker won the ball back and beat two men before rounding the keeper to score.

United made it four wins out of four on the tour. They had also beaten Celtic 4-1, Mexico's Club America 3-1 and Juventus 4-1.

Ferguson told reporters he was delighted with the trip. "Everything has been great and we're looking forward to the start of the season," he said.

"It took us some time to get going really," he said of Sunday's game. "But by the end of the (first) half I thought we were in control and I thought we should have scored more goals."

The Scotsman said he chose not to play Veron so that all of his midfielders could play two full games on the tour.

Ferguson singled out Howard, recently signed from the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, as the player who benefited most from the tour.

He said his second-half stop from Xavi was "one of the best saves you'll see".

"Tonight he was confident, relaxed and he enjoyed it," Ferguson said of Howard, adding that he "will definitely compete for the No. 1 jersey".

Sunday's game was the first to be played at Philadelphia's new Lincoln Financial Field, home of the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles, and drew a sell-out crowd of 68,396.