Penn Relays

First Turn Franklin Field

Penn Relays, April 28, 1990


Franklin Field, GA

I just moved back to Philadelphia.  I was still hungry for all of my old traditions.  The Penn Relays was one of them.  I had a buddy from college who worked for a company that set up corporate tents for big events.  He invited me to a few US Open tennis matches but I never made it.  He was in town for the Penn Relays.

He ushered me and my wife to the infield for the Saturday running of the Relays.

Villanova's women completed their second consecutive distance ''triple'' in the Penn Relays at Philadelphia's sweltering Franklin Field before a crowd of 39,158.Villanova's magnificent distance runners, under the direction of Coach Marty Stern, held on to win the 3,200-meter relay, adding that title to the distance medley relay championship they won Thursday and the 6,000-meter relay crown they earned Friday.When the Wildcats won those same three races last year, 1988 Olympian Vicki Huber was the key performer in each race.

Olympic Year

1984 Olympic 800 Finals

Penn Relays, April 27, 1984


Franklin Field, GA

Unsure how I have a ticket stub for this.  I was coaching a high school this year and we had a 4:08 miler running this day.

A brilliant 1984 meet that saw four national collegiate and 17 meet records fall.

A sidebar to the Penn Relays.  Since 1984 was an Olympic year, the Penn Relays was amped up.  Later this summer I was sitting with my dad watching the 1984 Mens 800 Finals.  A few years prior our team got to practice with legendary college coach Fred Hardy at the University of Richmond.  Two of his runners at the time were Edwin Koech and Sos Bitok from Kenya.  We got to train with some of Coach Hardy's runners from time to time.

I was watching the LA Olympics with my dad in our living room not far from Franklin Field and the field is announced with Edwin Koech running in the 800 Finals.  I told my dad I knew that guy.  He didn't believe me.  Koech actually was within medal contention until the final kick of the 800 Finals.
During the same Games, Kenya's Sosthenes Bitok finished 6th in the 10,000. 

Mingling With The Elites

Temporary Home of The Nats

Philadelphia Phillies v Washington Nationals, April 27, 2005

RFK Stadium, Section 429 Row 1

Baseball was back in Washington after a 29 year hiatus. Until a new stadium could be built the former Montreal Expos would play at the run down RFK Stadium. The place for baseball looked like a miniature Veterans Stadium with grass. It was actually a decent place for baseball. And a spectacular place for football.

The game was an afternoon matinee. It was a scoreless pitching duel until the 9th. Brett Myers went 7 for the Phils giving up on 4 hits and striking out 7. The Nats Esteban Loaiza went 8 innings striking out 11.

To start the top of the 9th the Phillies Jimmy Rollins hit a home run to break the 0-0 deadlock. David Bell went on to drive in Bobby Abreu and Placido Polanco drove in Jim Thome. Closer Billy Wagner came in for the visitors to face only 3 batters in the bottom of the 9th.

I was with my 2 boys for the day. One of them yelled down to a Phillie warming up for a ball and he threw it to him. We met a relative for the afternoon. He (and we) were invited down to Congressman Joe Biden's seats later in the game behind the 3rd base dugout. The relative ran into a staffer. Luckily the host never quizzed me on my political allegiance or asked me my opinion of Joe Biden. I trust at some level my tax dollars went to paying for the seats I sat in for a few innings.

Diary of a Madman

Ozzy Ozbourne, April 25, 1982

Richmond Coliseum, General Admission

While performing in Des Moines, Iowa in 1982, Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off what he assumed was a rubber bat. It was, however, not rubber at all. The legend had come to town.

Ozzy's stage was an elaborate dungeon fitting for a man who bit the head off of a bat just a few months before.  Of course we were anticipating a repeat performance.

Ozzy's setlist:

Over the Mountain
Mr. Crowley
Crazy Train
 Revelation (Mother Earth)
 Steal Away (The Night)
Suicide Solution
Guitar Solo
Drum Solo
Goodbye to Romance
I Don't Know

Believer

Flying High Again

Iron Man

Children Of The Grave

Paranoid

Early Friday Fireworks.

Chicago Cubs v Washington Nationals, April 25, 2008


Nationals Park, Sec 104 Row T

The Nats haven't been drawing very well in their new stadium early.  It's a good thing the Cubs have fans who travel well.  It was a festive atmosphere in the park with over 35,000 in attendance, man Cubs fans.

Ryan Dempster got the nod for the Cubs.   And he was wounded early.  After a Ryan Zimmerman walk, first baseman Nick Johnson hit a deep home run to the right field line for a quick 2-0 lead.

In the 3rd the Cubs responded with a Ryan Teriot doubled scoring Reed Johnson who was on after being hit by a pitch by the Nats Odalis Perez.

In the 5th the Cubs scored again when Amaris Ramirez scored Johnson on a force play.  The Nats are capable of small ball as well.  Lastings Milledge poked a ball through the 1st and 2nd baseman scoring Christian Guzman for a 3-2 Nats lead.

The Nationals managed to load the bases in the 8th.  This is an example of the weak Nats bullpen.  Not only did the pen load the bases, reliever Matt Conner walked in the Cubs Mike Conner for the tying run.

With a packed house still in the park for a Friday night post fireworks show the Nationals got the festivities started early.  Austin Kearns singled to center field putting the game winning run on first. With one out Will Nieves hit a 0-2 deep to right winning the game and setting off the fireworks early.

Schilling in the Pen

New York Mets v Philadelphia Phillies, April 25, 1992

Veterans Stadium, Sec 550 Row 2

Sid Fernandez takes the mound for the Mets while Kyle Abbott starts for the Phils.  Abbott started the season 0-3 and didn't start off this game too well either. In the top of the 1st Abbott surrendered a double to Dave Magadan and another to Howard Johnson, who knocked in Magadan for the game's first run.  The Phils equalized in the bottom of the first when Lenny Dykstra walk, then stole 2nd base.  Mariano Duncan singles scoring Dykstra from 2nd. 

New York's Bobby Bonilla had an RBI single in the 3rd scoring Willie Randolph. 

Magadan drove in Randolph in the 5th for a Mets 3-1 lead.  But the Phils closed the gap in the bottom half of the inning when Steve Lake hit a home run off Fernandez. 

In the top of the 8th the Phils marched out young reliever Curt Schilling who pitched 2 innings and surrendered no hits.  John Franco closed out the game for the Mets win.