Trivia Art Blog

I'm an Incorrect Answer!

Play Quiz : Ultra Hard Hockey Stats

Yes, I've finally made it. I'm famous! I'm a wrong choice to number five in this hockey statistics quiz.

Go See Miracle

I went to see Miracle on Friday night, or more accurately I snuck into Miracle on Friday night. You see, they told us it was sold out. But when you're a hockey sexual you don't take no for an answer when someone tells you you can't see a movie about the Miracle on Ice.

The only complaint I had about the movie was the same complaint you might have when a friend tells a story that you know, and isn't telling all the anecdotes you want them to. So you're sitting through the movie kind of going, "yeah! tell them about that other story, in Norway." But that's what happens when you know the story so well. But I still pumped my fist with every improbable goal, got goose bumps as the time counted down, and perhaps a tear or two ran down my face. But hey, it's the greatest sports story of all-time. And I need to see it again. The Sports Guy, Bill Simmons does it justice too.

Remembering Connie Mack's Last Day

Out with a bang - Mob ruled final night at Connie Mack Stadium

Bill Conlin remembers the last Day of Connie Mack Stadium. It will be interesting to see if history repeats.

Money Grubbers

4th down for Owls' Linc talks

The Eagles and the Temple Owls are approaching the 11th hour in their negotiations for Temple regarding using Lincoln Financial Field for their home games.

The two sides have worked out a 15-year deal for $15 million. The sticking point is the payment schedule. The Eagles are demanding all the money up front. Temple is willing to accelerate payments so they will pay the $15 million over 5 years.

The Eagles are revealing themselves more and more as the spoiled child who believes they are entitled to whatever they want. It's not like they put the money up, so now to play hardball with a state funded university is ridiculous.

Update
A deal has been struck and Temple will play at Lincoln Financial Field this year and if the program survives, the next 15 years as well. Temple will pay $1 Million a year, but will acclerate the payments so they will pay the total over the first five years. Interestingly according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Temple had a contract they had agreed to but not signed to pay all the money up front since October 2002.

BetterStatistics.com Updated

2002-03 NHL Statistics are now available.

At long last I've uploaded the final NHL statistics for the 2002-03 season.

Am I Going to Miss This Place?

It's so hard to say goodbye

ESPN Page 2's tour of baseball stadiums hit Veterans Stadium today and Jeff Merron gets the Vet and Philadelphia.

The Vet has one of the worst playing surfaces in all of sports, but it's Philadelphia's playing surface. Like Philly itself, the Vet gets no respect. It oozes Philadelphia character in a way you can only understand if you know Philly.

But will I miss it? Well maybe. After all it is the playground of my youth. And if you haven't been there it's difficult to explain that appeal.

• "Ignore the taps, its all Meisterbrau underneath."


• "After a long road trip don't get anything from the concessions till the 7th inning because until then they're just selling leftovers.


• Yelling down to the bullpen at then Met Todd Pratt, "Pratt, you're still kicking around in this league?" Watching John Franco laugh so hard he fell out of his chair.


• Trying to reason with security, explaining if they let a crackhead play left, you should be able to yell at him.


• Leaving a Temple vs. Miami football game before one of the biggest brawls ever. What was security thinking, trying to take an Italian flag from a group of drunk South Philadelphians.


• Arriving at 2:30 AM and catching more than 2 hours of baseball and Mitch Williams improbable game winning gapper at 4:41 AM. "The worst part about it was sobering up and watching Fregosi manage.


• 99 yard pass plays to Michael Quick.


• Nolan Ryan and Steve Carlton tipping caps as each flip-flopped the career strikeout lead each half inning.


• Chanting "Pete, Pete, Pete" as Rose chased Musial. Watching Nolan Ryan over power him three straight times. Then rooting for the Astros to come back so Rose could get another crack at breaking the record in the bottom of the 9th.


• The cheesey sound effects after a homerun. And the even cheesier special effects above the left field bullpen.

Yes, I Enjoyed the Soccer

Yes, I enjoyed the FC Barcelona vs. Manchester United game last night at Lincoln Financial Field. Some quick notes on the game.

• I was impressed by the skills of the players. You really don't get a sense of how just about each pass bends artfully towards it's recipient from TV.


• What was Barcelona thinking with beige uniforms. But of course I kind of like them.


• It was fun to boo Barcelona's Ronaldinho who will go down as the first villain at Lincoln Financial Field.


• Diego Forlan will go down as the first scorer at the Linc.


• I'll be following the career of New Jersey goalkeeper Tim Howard hoping he gets the starting nod for ManU.


• The first streaker at the Linc ran out of steam before the security staff even noticed he was out there. And he didn't get the pants down till after he was being led off the pitch.


• Even if the stadium is loud, it won't be the Vet. And the Eagles front office will be thrilled. Sitting at the top of the stadium I felt I really wasn't the intended audience.

The Old Man Creamed You

Ten years ago today Nolan Ryan whooped up on Robin Ventura, 20 years Ryan's junior. My favorite part of the beat-down was the hesitation Ventura showed as he got to the mound. Like it finally dawned on him that attacking a 46 year old Hall of Famer might not be a great idea, but before he could reconsider Nolan had him in a headlock and had begun firing uppercuts.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice

New stadium's design blends luxury, metal and minimalism

The Eagles' owner, Jeffrey Lurie, could have chosen any architectural style for his team's new $512 million home, the most expensive to date in professional football. But Lurie, who swooped in from Boston via Hollywood to buy the Eagles in 1994, decided to appeal to the boutique-hotel set rather than the Union League crowd. The result is a stadium - called the Linc - that forges far beyond the wood-paneled world of conservative Philadelphia and looks boldly into a dynamic future.

Inga Saffron, the Inquirer's architecture critic, may like the Linc, but my first impression is definately Philadelphia, BOO!

As Ms. Saffron points out the stadium does not pay hommage to its Philadelphia roots but instead is inspired by the Luries' California roots. Unfortunately it feels as if Otho, the interior designer from the movie Beetlejuice has been brought in. Gray and black dominate the interior and much of the exterior of the Linc. The continuity of the upper deck is broken up, you cannot walk around the stadium at the upper level. And if you would like to meet your friend in 210 and you sit in 204, it'll take you a good 10-12 minutes of walking through an endless Escher inspired serpantine to get down to the first level where you could meet him. The endzone seats of the lower level don't come all the way back to the scoreboard creating an alley way that I believe will smell as bad as City Hall Station before the Birds off-week. There are even convenient drains in this alley way, as if the architects anticipated the hoards relieving themselves behind their seats.

The TVs, sound system, and jumbotrons were remarkable, but glitches remain. Our section 204 was mislabeled as 203 and there was woefully inadequate directional signage throughout the concourses making finding a way to the upper level a challenge.

All in all, it was a bit underwelming. Especially considering the over the top oppulence of the Wachovia/First Union/CoreStates Center that sits across the street.

WIP's Cataldi Suspended

Cataldi Suspended

You won't hear WIP morning show host Angelo Cataldi on the air today or tomorrow. He's been suspended for two days as result of comments made July 15 comparing Eagles security to Nazis.

Radio activity

Philadelphia Inquirer - Inqlings

Philadelphia fans grumble that sports-talk WIP-AM (610) is more about entertainment than sports. Looks like some have opted for New York radio. In the spring Arbitron ratings, released Thursday, sports-talk WFAN-AM (660) landed in 25th place out of 32 stations among 18-to-34-year-old listeners. (WIP was tied for 12th.) Among 25-to-54-year-olds, the FAN was tied for 27th with Wilmington's light-rock WJBR-FM (99.5). ('IP came in 11th.)

Just Tell the Truth

The Philadelphia Eagles have recently announced that fans will no longer be allowed to bring food into the games. Fans are upset with the new rule and the story has become much become a ridiculous parody of outrage.
But the issue points to a frustrating trend of how the Eagles are treating their fans as the bafoons they are made out to be. Security isn't an issue here, it's that the Eagles control the concessions now, and want to maximize the money they can make, so no food can be brought in. The Philadelphia Flyers made a similar change in policy when they moved to the CoreStates (now First Union or Wachovia) Center. But they were up front. They explained to the season ticket holders that to pay for this new building they had leased space to concessions, and if the concession tenents were to make money, they have to sell the fan food. So for now on, no outside food. It made sense. Didn't insult the intelligence of the fans and there was no audible grumbling.
Hey Eagles management, stop with the bologna and be up front with us.
On the Inside