A part of history took place on Thursday night in the Bronx as a Baseball Legend ended his reign at the only ballpark he's ever called Home on a game-winning base hit. Derek Jeter has been one of the game's most iconic players, and there was no other way his last game in Yankee Stadium could end without him making another magical hit, like he's done countless times in his 20-year career while donning pinstripes. On Saturday night, another legend of the game will say farewell to his longtime ballclub. Chicago White Sox slugger Paul Konerko will be honored throughout the evening on the South Side as he plays his last game of his storied career.
Now, as big of a Sox fan as I am, I know that Jeter's farewell is much larger than Paulie's. However, these are two great ballplayers who deserve all of the accolades and praise that will come from these farewell engagements. Many people can tell you where they were when they saw many of Derek Jeter's classic moments. His Homer in the 2001 World Series at the stroke of Midnight, crowning him as "Mr. November", or his epic leap into the stands against his rival Boston in 2007, or his record-breaking hit to make him the Yankees' all-time hit leader (which took place against my Pale Hose a few years ago). However, only a few can tell you about Paulie's great moments. The countless outs he recorded playing at First Base, which didn't end up on SportsCenter reels night after night. Or his majestic bombs out to the left field Bullpen, usually part of piecing together a comeback rally in a Mid-Summer evening affair as opposed to an October night. Oh, but Konerko saved his biggest moment for the Fall, as his iconic Grand Slam in Game 2 of the 2005 World Series will forever be lamented in White Sox lore as the seat in which the ball landed is still the same small blue seat it was during that Championship year.
The numbers are incredible for both competitors, but the reason why we are talking about these moments over and over. The reason why Jeter received gifts in Baltimore and Texas and why Konerko received gifts in Cleveland and Detroit, aren't just because of how well they played against those cities' ballclubs. It's because in the time and era in which they played, through the era clouded by Steroids, Contract disputes, Mega-Trades and a general decline in times for the game of Baseball, these two gentlemen played the right way, gave their all every single play in the field, every single at-bat, and every single second they put on their uniform. And in a time where Sports has been given a bad name by countless individuals who take for granted the opportunities they have, Sir Derek Jeter and Sir Paulie Konerko respected the game and did so with the utmost amount of love and humility.
No player will ever wear #2 in the Bronx again, and I'm fairly certain no player will ever don #14 on the South Side after Sunday's season comes to a close. And it's all with good reason. These two Legends gave us all so many great memories, those numbers will forever be synonymous with their club, their era, and the great game of Baseball.
I think, Derek's nephew Jalen says it best for all of us fans.
Farewell.
Showing posts with label Chicago. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chicago. Show all posts
September 26, 2014
September 27, 2013
A Bunch of Awesome Videos from This Week
There have been way too many good videos online this week to not share with everyone on the Blog, so here they are:
Here's a Pole Dancer practicing her craft to the awesome Lacuna Coil song "Angel's Punishment" and their Lead Vocalist Cristina Scabbia liked it enough to post it on her Facebook page. It's KSFW (Kinda Safe For Work) Spoiler Alert: She keeps her clothes on.
A clip of a guy pranking his wife into answering the door when the Jehovah's Witness came knocking
This Video of Samuel L. Jackson catching shit on the street about his movie roles from lazy parents
or This Emotional Sports Moment of Yankees Legendary Closer Mariano Riviera's farewell from his last appearance at Yankee Stadium.
Check out this old clip of UFC Fighter Diego Sanchez getting gashed open by a BJ Penn kick to the dome. Pretty sick.
and Last, but not least. This couple driving down the expressway in Chicago while fucking. Yes, you read that correctly.
December 11, 2012
Why Northern Illinois Going to the Orange Bowl is Awesome
This New Year's Day, I will be proudly watching my favorite College Football team, the Northern Illinois University Huskies play Florida State on ESPN in the Orange Bowl. Just typing that sentence is crazy and awesome because of all of the things that happened to lead up to this game.
For me, this story starts in 1997. I remember being in my room, watching college football on a Saturday when my mom walked in and telling me what she thought was good news. My god-cousin, Vince Thompson, was getting a full ride to NIU. I remember feeling my face drop and if I was swearing back then, I'm sure the first words out of my mouth would have been "You gotta be fucking kidding, right?" but in '97, the first words I uttered was, "They Suck!"
Vince was a multi-sport star athlete and top student at St. Rita High School in Chicago, A Catholic League powerhouse for football (and the shithole I would end up stuck in a decade later) With his great grades and even better on-field numbers, I thought for sure he was a shoe-in to go to either Northwestern or Purdue (which made since because he was into engineering as well) or any other Big 10 or even Big East schools (When the Big East had decent football programs like Syracuse and Miami)
I found out later that he went to Northern for 2 reasons, It was a full ride and he was rejected from Northwestern and Purdue as far as athletic scholarships due to his size (As a Cornerback/Wide Reciever and Return man, he was only 5'7" and 155, very short and small for a D-Back going up against wideouts 6'2" and up)
Despite this, it was still going to be cool to finally get to go see some Division 1-A college football live. Me and my folks and my god-uncle and his wife would load our cars up with food, pop and booze and make the near 3-hour trip to DeKalb and watch the Huskies, well, Pretty much get their asses kicked every home game the first years in 98 and 99 (they were 0-11 in 1997) But this team started showing small improvements, They had some solid players such as WR P.J. Fleck (Who ended up having a cup of coffee with the 49ers for a year) and O-Lineman Ryan Diem (Who went on to be a Super Bowl Champ with the Colts) They also had a power run game led by Thomas Hammock, who would have been a serviceable back on Sundays had he not had a heart condition that ended his career. My Cousin wasn't too bad either, Leading the Mid-American Conference one season with 5 Interceptions and was mentioned as a player to watch out for in 2002 for the Nagurski Award.
The Huskies had started to win a few games here and there along the way, and once Vince graduated from NIU in '03, they had a blueprint to draw with for the future. Power running football with a solid defense that can make key stops and takeaways. They made a big jump and splash in 2003, beating Maryland at home in OT on regional TV, then beating ranked Alabama on the road (No easy task the last 20 years) and also beating Iowa State. It was weird to finally see NIU games on TV every other weekend and hear ESPN mention them in the polls and on broadcasts. They even cracked the bottom of this newfangled system they call the Bowl Championship Series for a week. Then they lost some conference games late and that was the end of it. The 2003 team went 10-2 and didn't even get invited to a bowl game. All of the hard work and dedication those men put in went for nought.
However, Under the leadership of Coach Joe Novak, this club kept winning and eventually made it into some mid-level bowl games. They were turning out some key players too such as Running Backs Garrett Wolfe and Michael Turner, both having good careers in the NFL. They hit a bump in the road and had a bad year in 2007 and Novak decided it was time for a change. He retired and the team signed long time successful coach at Southern Illinois, Jerry Kill.
J. Kill made a significant impact right off the bat in DeKalb. They made it to 3 straight bowl games and was now mentioned year after year in the Chicagoland area right along with the Northwestern's and Illinois's of the state. After dropping the 2010 MAC Title game, and 2 weeks before a bowl bid, Jerry Kill took off and left to go to Minnesota (Big mistake on his part and the Gophers part) and ended up signing coach Dave Doeren to head the team.
Doeren finally did what J.Kill couldn't and Joe Novak never could have imagined in 2 seasons. NIU finally won the MAC Championship Game last season, beating Ohio on a last second field goal. They finished 11-3 and won another bowl game. This season, with the arm and legs of QB Jordan Lynch, The Huskies, after dropping a close game against Iowa at Soldier Field, went on an absolute assault, crushing everyone the rest of their season, winning a second straight MAC Title, and because of how bad a ton of big schools were this year along with good programs facing bowl bans, The Dog finally got it's shot. Northern Illinois is about to play a meaningful New Year's Day Bowl Game versus a big conference school.
So while Kirk Herbstreit can be a conceited prick and think that this game is a "Joke" match-up, the System that he and so many of these brainless assholes in college football thinks works to pick a National Champion, is why NIU is in the Orange Bowl. But in reality, it's way more than that. It was the work of Tons of Players, Coaches and Staff from the last 15-16 seasons that made this happen. Guys who went un-noticed and never made a dent in any draft talks, Guys like Doug Free, Dan Sheldon, Vinson Renyolds, Steve Azar, Chandler Harnish, Benji Peacock, Chris Finlen, Marlon Rucker, Darrell Hill and Vince Thompson. Guys who weren't exactly Blue-Chip recruits or 1st Round Picks, but men who played their hearts out and transformed a shitty football program at a western suburban college outside of Chicago, into a school that could change the landscape of midwestern football in the 21st Century. This bowl game is for those guys who worked and bled and made strides but never made it this far. And while my God-Uncle is no longer here on earth with us, I know he'll be looking down in Miami January 1st, wearing his Huskie fleece pullover, watching what none of us ever thought would happen back in 1997.
For me, this story starts in 1997. I remember being in my room, watching college football on a Saturday when my mom walked in and telling me what she thought was good news. My god-cousin, Vince Thompson, was getting a full ride to NIU. I remember feeling my face drop and if I was swearing back then, I'm sure the first words out of my mouth would have been "You gotta be fucking kidding, right?" but in '97, the first words I uttered was, "They Suck!"
Vince was a multi-sport star athlete and top student at St. Rita High School in Chicago, A Catholic League powerhouse for football (and the shithole I would end up stuck in a decade later) With his great grades and even better on-field numbers, I thought for sure he was a shoe-in to go to either Northwestern or Purdue (which made since because he was into engineering as well) or any other Big 10 or even Big East schools (When the Big East had decent football programs like Syracuse and Miami)
I found out later that he went to Northern for 2 reasons, It was a full ride and he was rejected from Northwestern and Purdue as far as athletic scholarships due to his size (As a Cornerback/Wide Reciever and Return man, he was only 5'7" and 155, very short and small for a D-Back going up against wideouts 6'2" and up)
Despite this, it was still going to be cool to finally get to go see some Division 1-A college football live. Me and my folks and my god-uncle and his wife would load our cars up with food, pop and booze and make the near 3-hour trip to DeKalb and watch the Huskies, well, Pretty much get their asses kicked every home game the first years in 98 and 99 (they were 0-11 in 1997) But this team started showing small improvements, They had some solid players such as WR P.J. Fleck (Who ended up having a cup of coffee with the 49ers for a year) and O-Lineman Ryan Diem (Who went on to be a Super Bowl Champ with the Colts) They also had a power run game led by Thomas Hammock, who would have been a serviceable back on Sundays had he not had a heart condition that ended his career. My Cousin wasn't too bad either, Leading the Mid-American Conference one season with 5 Interceptions and was mentioned as a player to watch out for in 2002 for the Nagurski Award.
The Huskies had started to win a few games here and there along the way, and once Vince graduated from NIU in '03, they had a blueprint to draw with for the future. Power running football with a solid defense that can make key stops and takeaways. They made a big jump and splash in 2003, beating Maryland at home in OT on regional TV, then beating ranked Alabama on the road (No easy task the last 20 years) and also beating Iowa State. It was weird to finally see NIU games on TV every other weekend and hear ESPN mention them in the polls and on broadcasts. They even cracked the bottom of this newfangled system they call the Bowl Championship Series for a week. Then they lost some conference games late and that was the end of it. The 2003 team went 10-2 and didn't even get invited to a bowl game. All of the hard work and dedication those men put in went for nought.
However, Under the leadership of Coach Joe Novak, this club kept winning and eventually made it into some mid-level bowl games. They were turning out some key players too such as Running Backs Garrett Wolfe and Michael Turner, both having good careers in the NFL. They hit a bump in the road and had a bad year in 2007 and Novak decided it was time for a change. He retired and the team signed long time successful coach at Southern Illinois, Jerry Kill.
J. Kill made a significant impact right off the bat in DeKalb. They made it to 3 straight bowl games and was now mentioned year after year in the Chicagoland area right along with the Northwestern's and Illinois's of the state. After dropping the 2010 MAC Title game, and 2 weeks before a bowl bid, Jerry Kill took off and left to go to Minnesota (Big mistake on his part and the Gophers part) and ended up signing coach Dave Doeren to head the team.
Doeren finally did what J.Kill couldn't and Joe Novak never could have imagined in 2 seasons. NIU finally won the MAC Championship Game last season, beating Ohio on a last second field goal. They finished 11-3 and won another bowl game. This season, with the arm and legs of QB Jordan Lynch, The Huskies, after dropping a close game against Iowa at Soldier Field, went on an absolute assault, crushing everyone the rest of their season, winning a second straight MAC Title, and because of how bad a ton of big schools were this year along with good programs facing bowl bans, The Dog finally got it's shot. Northern Illinois is about to play a meaningful New Year's Day Bowl Game versus a big conference school.
So while Kirk Herbstreit can be a conceited prick and think that this game is a "Joke" match-up, the System that he and so many of these brainless assholes in college football thinks works to pick a National Champion, is why NIU is in the Orange Bowl. But in reality, it's way more than that. It was the work of Tons of Players, Coaches and Staff from the last 15-16 seasons that made this happen. Guys who went un-noticed and never made a dent in any draft talks, Guys like Doug Free, Dan Sheldon, Vinson Renyolds, Steve Azar, Chandler Harnish, Benji Peacock, Chris Finlen, Marlon Rucker, Darrell Hill and Vince Thompson. Guys who weren't exactly Blue-Chip recruits or 1st Round Picks, but men who played their hearts out and transformed a shitty football program at a western suburban college outside of Chicago, into a school that could change the landscape of midwestern football in the 21st Century. This bowl game is for those guys who worked and bled and made strides but never made it this far. And while my God-Uncle is no longer here on earth with us, I know he'll be looking down in Miami January 1st, wearing his Huskie fleece pullover, watching what none of us ever thought would happen back in 1997.
November 7, 2012
Grab Bag #15: Give Up Your Clothes, Drink in Lakeview and Recapping The Election
Hello, sorry for being gone so long. Been with family in Chicago.
* As you all know, Hurricane Sandy kicked the shit out of the northeast corridor a couple weeks ago (thoughts and prayers with all affected, especially any of my readers out there)
Of course the Red Cross is asking for your financial contributions, but these people have lost EVERYTHING. So one thing I have plenty to donate and I'm sure a lot of you do as well is Clothing.
I am donating clothes from here in Chicago, as well as when I get back to Minnesota. So I'm asking everyone to take the time and look in your closets and dressers and get out some of those shirts and pants and stuff you haven't worn in awhile and help some people out. I'm looking to see which organizations are taking donations straight to the Northeast area. I'm guessing either Red Cross or Salvation Army (Call your local location and ask)
* Being up here in Chicagofor way too long For the last week+ I went to some bars over in the Lakeview area. One great spot located on the corner of Sheffield & Wellington called DMK Burger Bar, a Nebraska Cornhusker bar called Kirkwood Bar and an All-Ohio bar called Vaughan's Pub. I recommend visting all 3 of these spots if you are around the North Side of town.
* So, we have our President back in office. Barack Obama defeated Mitt Romney to retain the title last night. Here are some key points from the election coverage I noticed:
- If you watched WGN in the Chicago area or WGN America last night after the victory was announced, Melanie Griffith was being interviewed and she dropped the F-bomb last night on live TV (she said she was Fucking Excited) few people caught it, @bakeanddestroy mentioned it on her Twitter and there doesn't seem to be any video of it online, but it happened.
- I don't watch a ton of financial television networks and especially haven't watched Bloomberg TV since it was a DirecTV only channel and I had a shitty H.S project involving Overseas Stocks (long story) but I watched most of the election coverage on here and I enjoyed hearing the financial aspect of how the election would affect the nation.
...Did you really buy that above? hahahah, I watched and found my new television crush Trish Regan. With those green eyes and that whiskey-cigarette voice. I actually paid attention to most of whatever they were talking about.
- Wolf Blitzer didn't seem as racist as usual last night. Still not a fan. Asshole.
Ok, enough election talk. Have a good day. And don't forget, Barack still runs the military, if you want that beef
* As you all know, Hurricane Sandy kicked the shit out of the northeast corridor a couple weeks ago (thoughts and prayers with all affected, especially any of my readers out there)
Of course the Red Cross is asking for your financial contributions, but these people have lost EVERYTHING. So one thing I have plenty to donate and I'm sure a lot of you do as well is Clothing.
I am donating clothes from here in Chicago, as well as when I get back to Minnesota. So I'm asking everyone to take the time and look in your closets and dressers and get out some of those shirts and pants and stuff you haven't worn in awhile and help some people out. I'm looking to see which organizations are taking donations straight to the Northeast area. I'm guessing either Red Cross or Salvation Army (Call your local location and ask)
* Being up here in Chicago
* So, we have our President back in office. Barack Obama defeated Mitt Romney to retain the title last night. Here are some key points from the election coverage I noticed:
- If you watched WGN in the Chicago area or WGN America last night after the victory was announced, Melanie Griffith was being interviewed and she dropped the F-bomb last night on live TV (she said she was Fucking Excited) few people caught it, @bakeanddestroy mentioned it on her Twitter and there doesn't seem to be any video of it online, but it happened.
- I don't watch a ton of financial television networks and especially haven't watched Bloomberg TV since it was a DirecTV only channel and I had a shitty H.S project involving Overseas Stocks (long story) but I watched most of the election coverage on here and I enjoyed hearing the financial aspect of how the election would affect the nation.
...Did you really buy that above? hahahah, I watched and found my new television crush Trish Regan. With those green eyes and that whiskey-cigarette voice. I actually paid attention to most of whatever they were talking about.
- Wolf Blitzer didn't seem as racist as usual last night. Still not a fan. Asshole.
Ok, enough election talk. Have a good day. And don't forget, Barack still runs the military, if you want that beef
August 15, 2012
UPDATE: Changes made to the Football Days Schedule
http://axsmith.blogspot.com/2012/07/courtside-seats-to-hell-presents.html
Some new updates and changes to the Football Days events, Including a new Tailgate party in Chicago for the Northwestern - Boston College game on September 15th.
Some new updates and changes to the Football Days events, Including a new Tailgate party in Chicago for the Northwestern - Boston College game on September 15th.
July 26, 2012
Grab Bag #11: LOL (Lots of Links)
* One of my new addictions online is this food recipe mega-search engine called Foodily. As you all know, I love to cook and try out new recipes and put twists on old classics. if you like to do the same, this site is a must-bookmark in your browser. You can also favorite different recipes, make lists and share them with friends on the site or on Facebook as well.
* One interesting sports story today is 50 Cent apparently filed and received a Boxing Promoter's Licence in New York this week. He is supposedly going to start a promotion company and draw in currently locked up Welterweight Champion Floyd Mayweather to fight arguably, the best fighter of the 21st Century, Manny Pacquiao, in what would easily be called The Fight of The Century. The door gate and Pay-Per-View draw of this event would rival money made in some of the last several Super Bowls and big Box Office movie hits that have been released in the recent times. I will be keeping an ear open on this story, and while a lot of you might not follow boxing (I am a huge boxing fan, and used to do cornerwork in fights after graduating H.S.) It will be a Breaking News story on here if that fight is announced.
* Been following this story about the ongoing trouble Chick-Fil-A has been through. For those of you who don't know, Chick-Fil-A is an awesomely tasty chicken place that is hard to find in the Midwest, but littered throughout the South. They have their "Old Southern Values" such as being closed on Sundays and apparently not supporting Gay Marriage. Let me now state a disclaimer
*DISCLAIMER* Courtside Seats to Hell has no problem with any couples being together or married, Gay, Lesbian, Straight, Whatever. Get Married if you like (Personally, Marriage seems dumb in general, but people do dumb shit all the time)
That being said, now Chicago, Boston, Philly and other cities are about to try and boycott Chick-Fil-A's from being opened in their respective cities. However, disallowing a franchise to open somewhere violates some Constitutional rights. I hope that things can be resolved so that we can just let people have their rights. Gays and Lesbians need their rights to marry, and I could really use a chicken sandwich about now.
* Read a study about the effects of Alcohol mixed with energy drinks of high caffeine (Vodka-Red Bulls and Jager Bombs) Basically telling us that the combo is dangerous and leads to reckless behavior and lots of casual sex. In other news, I have now started buying women more Vodka-Red Bulls at bars. But seriously, these can be tasty combos, you should just drink them in moderation
*One more thing, check out this awesome recipe I found on Foodily that I'll be making all Football Season long.
* One interesting sports story today is 50 Cent apparently filed and received a Boxing Promoter's Licence in New York this week. He is supposedly going to start a promotion company and draw in currently locked up Welterweight Champion Floyd Mayweather to fight arguably, the best fighter of the 21st Century, Manny Pacquiao, in what would easily be called The Fight of The Century. The door gate and Pay-Per-View draw of this event would rival money made in some of the last several Super Bowls and big Box Office movie hits that have been released in the recent times. I will be keeping an ear open on this story, and while a lot of you might not follow boxing (I am a huge boxing fan, and used to do cornerwork in fights after graduating H.S.) It will be a Breaking News story on here if that fight is announced.
* Been following this story about the ongoing trouble Chick-Fil-A has been through. For those of you who don't know, Chick-Fil-A is an awesomely tasty chicken place that is hard to find in the Midwest, but littered throughout the South. They have their "Old Southern Values" such as being closed on Sundays and apparently not supporting Gay Marriage. Let me now state a disclaimer
*DISCLAIMER* Courtside Seats to Hell has no problem with any couples being together or married, Gay, Lesbian, Straight, Whatever. Get Married if you like (Personally, Marriage seems dumb in general, but people do dumb shit all the time)
That being said, now Chicago, Boston, Philly and other cities are about to try and boycott Chick-Fil-A's from being opened in their respective cities. However, disallowing a franchise to open somewhere violates some Constitutional rights. I hope that things can be resolved so that we can just let people have their rights. Gays and Lesbians need their rights to marry, and I could really use a chicken sandwich about now.
* Read a study about the effects of Alcohol mixed with energy drinks of high caffeine (Vodka-Red Bulls and Jager Bombs) Basically telling us that the combo is dangerous and leads to reckless behavior and lots of casual sex. In other news, I have now started buying women more Vodka-Red Bulls at bars. But seriously, these can be tasty combos, you should just drink them in moderation
*One more thing, check out this awesome recipe I found on Foodily that I'll be making all Football Season long.
July 25, 2012
I'm not a self-racist, and that stripper's a bitch
So, I am blogging late at night after leaving a strip club for a friend's birthday. I should be telling you an awesome story about hot strippers and blowing cash but I'm writing because I am pissed off and extremely insulted.
I had one long lap dance the whole night. It was amazing. Around 1:45 AM, me and 2 friends briefly left to catch last call at a nearby bar. While it was to no avail, we head back into the strip club and right as I sit down, I am approached by a dancer (who is black) and she rudely states, "Oh, so you must not be into black women?" What makes this such a fucking ignorant comment is that the first girl I conversed with in the club was black and when I wanted to get a dance from her, she was in the back room and was never available. Keep in mind, there are only 5 girls on staff tonight (3 black and 2 white). This stripper goes on to call me an "Uncle Tom" and calls one of my friends's friend a prostitute. At this point, I am completely outraged and I tell the story to one of the bouncers, who has known me since I've started going to this club in 2009.
What kills me about this whole situation is that I have had to deal with simple-minded bullshit like this ever since I was a little kid. When I was 6 years old, I had a crush on a jewish girl and I mock proposed to her with a Ring Pop (She declined, but purchased the ring pop from me for a Quarter) and even then, I remember kids making a comment about me not going after someone "who looks like me."
I get a lot of bullshit for liking things that most black people don't stereotypically enjoy, like Hard Rock music, Hockey, and Cold weather. But one of the things that has always pissed me off is that people feel that I am not attracted to black women because they say that "I've never seen you hang out with any black women" or "You're never hitting on any black women.", I grew up hearing comments in a slightly jestful manner from family like "I could see you marrying a white girl" but they never meant it in a negative connotation, nor was it ever because I disliked a race.
Once again the ignorance is never short of a miscue. I wasn't raised to do certain things or to avoid things based on how few or how many black people were involved. I'm sorry, but I was raised in an era where race was only as big as how someone or the media empathized it. I'm not seen around any black women in Minnesota because a good chunk of the things and places I do and go to, there just aren't any around. I find women of all race attractive. But at the same time, I refuse to feel bad for things that stick out with me. Everyone knows that one big attraction of mine is that I love redheads, especially natural redheads. Now, numbers tell us that Redhead genetics are established from people of Irish or Scottish descent. That eliminates people from all walks of life mostly, not just blacks. But aside from this point, I find women of all races and colors beautiful. Therre are gorgeous women in every race, and there are ugly ones too, and this stripper, for the record, must have interviewed for her spot over the phone.
It sickens me that in 2012, I have to defend myself not from outward racism, but more self-racism than anything else.I don't fucking need to perpetuate any stereotypes and I can do and be with or hang out with or get a fucking lap dance from anyone I want. Like Dr. King preached, I judge by content of charactor, not color of skin. Ergo, I didn't dance with said stripper because she was black, but because she was a total bitch.
July 13, 2012
Courtside Seats to Hell Presents FOOTBALL DAYS 2012
So with Summer winding down in the next several weeks, NFL and College Football teams are hitting the field and working out, getting ready for combat on the gridiron this fall.
While usually I disappear from people during football season the last several years, this year I have charted out a plan of throwing a season-long set of Bar Crawls and House Party viewings to watch the games this season. We also have some possible Tailgate road trips to Chicago and Minneapolis planned
So, without further ado, here's the first half tentative viewing party schedule:
NOTE: Times and Bars Subject to Change, and Bars listed at TBD will be updated soon
Courtside Seats to Hell presents the 2012 Football Tailgate + Party Days
Friday Aug 24th - Bears vs Giants @ Alary's
Thurs Aug 30th - Kickoff Party @ Chateau
Sat Sept 1st - Kickoff Party @ Chateau
Wed Sep 5th - NFL Kickoff (Cowboys-Giants @ Kelly's Bar)
Sat Sept 8th -
Nebraska @ Tom Reid's - Night
Sun Sept 9th -
Bears vs Colts @ Alary's - Day
Steelers vs Broncos @ McGovern's - Night
Thur Sept 13th -
Bears-Packers @ Chateau - Night
Sat Sept 15th - Tailgate in Chicago for Northwestern-Boston College
Sun Sept 16th - Off Day
Thurs Sept 20th - Panthers @ TBD? - Night
Sat Sept 22nd - Kansas vs NIU @ Tiffany's
Sun Sept 23rd - Bears @ Alary's
Sat Sept 29th -
Bar Spot for Gophers-Iowa - Day
Sun Sept 30th - Party @ Chateau
Mon Oct 1st - Bears vs Cowboys @ Alary's - Night
Sat Oct 6th - Miami vs Notre Dame @ Bar TBD
Sun Oct 7th - Bears vs Jaguars @ Alary's - Day
Sun Oct 7th - Bears vs Jaguars @ Alary's - Day
Thurs Oct 11th - Steelers @ McGovern's - Night
Sat Oct 13th - Homecoming Tailgate - Minnesota vs Northwestern
Sun Oct 14th - Packers vs Texans @ Gabe's?
Mon Oct 15th - Broncos vs Chargers @ TBD??
Sat Oct 20th - Nebraska @ Tom Reid's
Sun Oct 21st -
Vikings vs Arizona @ TBD - Day
Steelers vs Cincinnati @ McGovern's - Night
Mon Oct 22nd - Bears vs Detroit @ Alary's
Thurs Oct 25th - Vikings vs Tampa Bay - Tailgate at Dome???
Sat Oct 27th - Party @ Chateau
Sun Oct 28th -
Bears vs Panthers @ Alary's - Day
Broncos vs Saints @ TBD - Night
Sat Nov 3rd - Tailgate @ TCF for Gophers-Michigan???
Sun Nov 4th - Bears @ Alary's
Wed Nov 7th - Bowling Green-Ohio at ABB
Sat Nov 10th - Party @ Chateau
Sun Nov 11th - Bears @ Alary's - Night
Mon Nov 12th - Steelers @ McGovern's
...More Dates to be Added Later in the Season
June 28, 2012
Grab Bag #10: Hot Dogs, Music and Booze for the 4th
*Whoa, so I read a Huffington Post article and slide show talking about the Chinese Dog Meat Industry. That shit is fucking real and about as crazy as you'd imagine. Piles of puppies shaved and ready for human consumption. People here say its crazy because it's man's best friend (to some, not me) but we must keep in mind it's a different culture. Indians (Dot, not woo-woo) worship cows as gods. Me, I pray to a Filet Migeon whenever I have $50 burning in my pocket. I will note that the images in the article are pretty graphic, so if you're not into that thing... who am I kidding, you're reading my blog, you probably aren't That squeamish.
So this leads us to our first ever poll question here at Courtside Seats to Hell:
Would you eat a Dog?
The Voting box will be posted on the side.
*Saw Volbeat the other night. I get what the hype's all about. These guys are fun to watch and really talented. I love their cover version of "Only Wanna Be With You"
*People have requested that I post more drink recipes, so here are a few:
Clean Suburban
- 2 shots Absolut Berry Acai Vodka
- 4 seedless Blueberries
- dash of Lemon Juice
- 8 oz fresh Lemonade
Muddle 2 blueberries in a mixing glass and add ice, a dash of lemon juice, and 2 shots of Acai vodka. Shake and strain into a chilled highball and fill glass with fresh lemonade
Downtown Baller
- 2.5 oz Ciroc Coconut
- 1 oz Lime Juice
- Lime Wedge
Mix Ciroc and Lime Juice in an ice filled shaker. Shake and strain on the rocks in a lowball glass, garnish with lime wedge.
Forest Lake Special
- 6 oz Captain Morgan
- 1 can monster
Mix together with ice in one of those Holiday gas station cups. Remember, this drink is from Forest Lake, Minnesota.
If I don't see ya before then, have a happy and safe 4th of July. Don't blow off any limbs.
And to my Chicagoans, don't get in that damn lake!
So this leads us to our first ever poll question here at Courtside Seats to Hell:
Would you eat a Dog?
The Voting box will be posted on the side.
*Saw Volbeat the other night. I get what the hype's all about. These guys are fun to watch and really talented. I love their cover version of "Only Wanna Be With You"
*People have requested that I post more drink recipes, so here are a few:
Clean Suburban
- 2 shots Absolut Berry Acai Vodka
- 4 seedless Blueberries
- dash of Lemon Juice
- 8 oz fresh Lemonade
Muddle 2 blueberries in a mixing glass and add ice, a dash of lemon juice, and 2 shots of Acai vodka. Shake and strain into a chilled highball and fill glass with fresh lemonade
Downtown Baller
- 2.5 oz Ciroc Coconut
- 1 oz Lime Juice
- Lime Wedge
Mix Ciroc and Lime Juice in an ice filled shaker. Shake and strain on the rocks in a lowball glass, garnish with lime wedge.
Forest Lake Special
- 6 oz Captain Morgan
- 1 can monster
Mix together with ice in one of those Holiday gas station cups. Remember, this drink is from Forest Lake, Minnesota.
If I don't see ya before then, have a happy and safe 4th of July. Don't blow off any limbs.
And to my Chicagoans, don't get in that damn lake!
May 25, 2012
Grab Bag #8: Hippies Suck, Cabs aren't much better, Perfect Hot Dog and Have a Safe Holiday!
* So last weekend back in Chicago, the NATO and G8 Summits went down and shit was crazy all over the city. Fucking Hippie Protesters kept popping up all over the place and riot cops did their best to not just outright kill them (where's Old Man Daley when ya need him, eh?) Watching this shit on the news made me really glad I didn't try to go home then.
* I'm getting really sick of the unprofessionalism of the Cab companies in Saint Paul. They wanna always bitch about getting fucked by the city council and how people don't tip and are rude to them. Maybe it's because the majority of them are providing a service at a shitty level. Punctuality is just lost on some of these drivers. Maybe it's part of that soft Minnesota passive bullshit but if I call a goddamn cab, it's because I have somewhere to go at a certain time. Lollygag on your own damn time off work.
* I wanna hear some feedback on my Sexual Rant, "Head is Overrated". E-mail me at courtsideseatstohell@gmail.com and voice your thoughts and opinions on the subject
* Over the last year, I have been working on taking a bunch of my recipes and making a cookbook. Since Grilling season is in full swing, I will post up some recipes in the near future.... Like now:
The Perfect Hot Dogs
- 1 pack Kosher All-Beef Hot Dogs (none of the pork/horse combo bullshit, real beef)
- 1 white onion
- 1 yellow and red pepper
- 2 cheap cans of beer (I prefer MGD or Carling Black Label)
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
Optional: Ketchup*, bright green relish
Get a stock pot, pour in 1 1/2 cans of beer, add the peppers and onions, along with the pepper and celery salt, boil on medium-low for 5-7 minutes. Start up grill and finish off 1/2 can of beer while boiling, if desired, warm the hot dog buns on the grill upon starting for 30 seconds a bun. Turn off pot, and place dogs and veggies on the grill. Cook until charred. Remove peppers and onion and chop in bite-sized piece. Top dog with peppers, onions, ketchup* and relish. Add extra celery salt and pepper if desired.
*Note: Yes, I am from Chicago and I put ketchup on my hot dogs. I hate mustard. We can fight about this if you like.
Happy Memorial Day! God Bless our Servicemen & women! And drink, don't drive. Call a cab (if they'll actually pick ya up, the lazy fucks)
May 2, 2012
3 Drinks You Should Try This Summer
So, summer is basically upon us. This is the time of the year where I lighten up my liquor color,
but increase my intake. So here are 3 drinks you will catch me sippin' on from Now till Labor Day.
Twisted Sister
3 oz Seagram's Gin
2 oz 7-UP
Juice of a Lemon & a Lime
Fill rocks glass with ice, squeeze Lemon and Lime over the ice, then add Gin and 7-UP
New Thug Passion
3 oz Belvidere
2 oz Fu-Ki Cherry Sake
Shake with ice and strain in a rocks glass neat
The Chateau Cooler
3 oz Absolut Grapevine (Passion fruit & Guava Flavored Vodka)
2 oz Nuvo Sparkling Liqueur
2 oz Dole Tangerine Aqua Fresca
dash of Goldschlager
Shake with ice and strain in a rocks glass neat, garnish with Lime
but increase my intake. So here are 3 drinks you will catch me sippin' on from Now till Labor Day.
Twisted Sister
3 oz Seagram's Gin
2 oz 7-UP
Juice of a Lemon & a Lime
Fill rocks glass with ice, squeeze Lemon and Lime over the ice, then add Gin and 7-UP
New Thug Passion
3 oz Belvidere
2 oz Fu-Ki Cherry Sake
Shake with ice and strain in a rocks glass neat
The Chateau Cooler
3 oz Absolut Grapevine (Passion fruit & Guava Flavored Vodka)
2 oz Nuvo Sparkling Liqueur
2 oz Dole Tangerine Aqua Fresca
dash of Goldschlager
Shake with ice and strain in a rocks glass neat, garnish with Lime
March 14, 2012
Sooo excited for St. Pat's Day
March is here. The snow has melted, the air is warm and my favorite holiday is here. March 17th: Saint Patrick's Day. Not many people here in the US know why St.Patrick is celebrated more than any other saint in history. And damn near anyone knows what was so special about a priest who was a former slave in Ireland who found God and used a shamrock in his sermons. No offense, but this snoozefest story isn't why I love this day.
Some of you might know that I am a fan of drinking alcohol from time to time. And with the change of the season and the lack of enforcement of public drinking (something considered illegal the other 364 days of the year) makes this day absolutely spectacular. My favorite kind of booze is irish whiskey. I love the color Green, I have an attraction to redheaded women (usually an irish trait) and the Irish accent is one of the coolest ever (next to the "Chicago Accent" that some say exists. I dunno what exactly that is)
Every year since moving to St. Paul and living near the route for the downtown parade, I have thrown a breakfast party. I wake up around 7am, shower and open up a beer, then proceed to cook for my friends and we drink and eat before going to the parade. While I understand this holiday is mildly religious based (although it's not my observed religion) I feel that having friends together and enjoying a great time on a nice warm day brings great karma and peace to the rest of the year. And I enjoy drinking all day :)
So I'll leave you with my favorite toast:
"Sine metu, Sine amore, Sine dolore"
"Without fear, Without love, Without regrets"
Slainte! Have a safe & awesome St. Patty's Day. And call a fuckin' cab.
Some of you might know that I am a fan of drinking alcohol from time to time. And with the change of the season and the lack of enforcement of public drinking (something considered illegal the other 364 days of the year) makes this day absolutely spectacular. My favorite kind of booze is irish whiskey. I love the color Green, I have an attraction to redheaded women (usually an irish trait) and the Irish accent is one of the coolest ever (next to the "Chicago Accent" that some say exists. I dunno what exactly that is)
Every year since moving to St. Paul and living near the route for the downtown parade, I have thrown a breakfast party. I wake up around 7am, shower and open up a beer, then proceed to cook for my friends and we drink and eat before going to the parade. While I understand this holiday is mildly religious based (although it's not my observed religion) I feel that having friends together and enjoying a great time on a nice warm day brings great karma and peace to the rest of the year. And I enjoy drinking all day :)
So I'll leave you with my favorite toast:
"Sine metu, Sine amore, Sine dolore"
"Without fear, Without love, Without regrets"
Slainte! Have a safe & awesome St. Patty's Day. And call a fuckin' cab.
February 27, 2012
when you wear a jersey...
I love sports, and one of the things I love about sports is the uniforms. Hockey and Baseball, by far, have the coolest jerseys in sports, with Football taking 3rd (basketball jerseys are only cool to wear if you play basketball or are under the age of 12)
Growing up in a sports fanatic household, I was dressed in everything Bears, Bulls and White Sox for the first 10 years of life.(Hawks stuff came a bit later) over time I amassed a large collection of sportswear, and to this day, still own over 100 sports jerseys of all different sports teams.
Wearing Chicago sports wear in a different city is a challenge I wouldn't advise fairweather fans to take. There's a lot of responsibility in representing a city, especially if your in a rival area like Minnesota, Wisconsin or Michigan.
Sometimes it can be unsafe to wear a jersey in some places (ex: Cubs jersey to a Sox game when it's not Sox vs Cubs. You are asking to get into a fight which myself and 500 other Sox faithful would gladly accept on any given night at The Cell)
Sometimes it sparks a conversation that you don't want to have (ex: wearing my jersey at the airport, "oh, you a fan of Insert Team Here? Cool, I went to see them... How do they look this season... My son once had.... ") I don't care that you saw the Hawks in the Met in the 80's or that your son had a Frank Thomas signed ball growing up. I'm fine with this chatter at a bar (sometimes) but not okay with it when I'm about to deal with the bullshit of flying)
Sometimes it can create some interesting situations (ex: I wore a rare vintage Hawks jersey out to the bars back home this past holiday, a really cute girl complimented me about it and we started talking sports. She drank the same cider as me (Magner's cider... so good) and eventually kept talking until she casually slipped in the "oh yeah, me and my husband..." Too good to be true, but I digress)
I am prepared to be a walking conversation piece when I throw a jersey on and leave the house. I am used to the compliments/insults/chatter that comes with it, but sometimes, it just gets to be too much.
*-sidenote: Ladies, there seriously isn't anything sexier than a woman wearing a jersey. You increase your chances of getting hit on by 670% by wearing a jersey. It adds +2 to your 1-10 ranking. And wearing your man's jersey to bed might result in the best sex of your life as well. Food for thought.
Growing up in a sports fanatic household, I was dressed in everything Bears, Bulls and White Sox for the first 10 years of life.(Hawks stuff came a bit later) over time I amassed a large collection of sportswear, and to this day, still own over 100 sports jerseys of all different sports teams.
Wearing Chicago sports wear in a different city is a challenge I wouldn't advise fairweather fans to take. There's a lot of responsibility in representing a city, especially if your in a rival area like Minnesota, Wisconsin or Michigan.
Sometimes it can be unsafe to wear a jersey in some places (ex: Cubs jersey to a Sox game when it's not Sox vs Cubs. You are asking to get into a fight which myself and 500 other Sox faithful would gladly accept on any given night at The Cell)
Sometimes it sparks a conversation that you don't want to have (ex: wearing my jersey at the airport, "oh, you a fan of Insert Team Here? Cool, I went to see them... How do they look this season... My son once had.... ") I don't care that you saw the Hawks in the Met in the 80's or that your son had a Frank Thomas signed ball growing up. I'm fine with this chatter at a bar (sometimes) but not okay with it when I'm about to deal with the bullshit of flying)
Sometimes it can create some interesting situations (ex: I wore a rare vintage Hawks jersey out to the bars back home this past holiday, a really cute girl complimented me about it and we started talking sports. She drank the same cider as me (Magner's cider... so good) and eventually kept talking until she casually slipped in the "oh yeah, me and my husband..." Too good to be true, but I digress)
I am prepared to be a walking conversation piece when I throw a jersey on and leave the house. I am used to the compliments/insults/chatter that comes with it, but sometimes, it just gets to be too much.
*-sidenote: Ladies, there seriously isn't anything sexier than a woman wearing a jersey. You increase your chances of getting hit on by 670% by wearing a jersey. It adds +2 to your 1-10 ranking. And wearing your man's jersey to bed might result in the best sex of your life as well. Food for thought.
February 26, 2012
I'm a pizza snob
Self-help groups stress that Admittance is the 1st step.
Hi, I'm Alex, and I am a pizza snob.
Growing up in Chicago, you take for granted at a young age, what good pizza tastes like. Places like Reggio's, Connie's, Giordano's, Gino's East and Ricobene's arnt in every major city, and once I moved away, it became very apparent that I grew up around some of the best pizza I'll find.
During my brief stint as a college student up here, I found comfort in the local Domino's, to the point where the entire store knew my name and had my order memorized(Large "Deep Pan"- it's defintely not deep dish. Cheese only with extra sauce, which is something I started adding at the suggestion of a friend who described the pizza here as "very dry")
After 3 months of this chain-brand garbage (which only became appetizing after copious amounts of UV Blue and Monster) I decided to search for decent pizza. I asked the locals, and was told about a set of places called Pizza Luce. Upon glancing at their menu, they had a lot of oddities that Minnesotans may find charming for pizza toppings (... Hey, have you ever tried the baked potato pizza?) but to a trained eye seemed like trouble. Despite this, I order the simple classic*
* - sidenote: I only get one thing, and one thing only on a pizza. It's Cheese (and maybe extra sauce). If it's good pizza, that's all you need. About 20 pizza places in this country actually use good quality pepperoni and sausage and that's why I haven't had a topping on a slice since Clinton's 1st term.
60 minutes later (delivery + consumption) I drew to 2 conclusions:
1. Pizza Luce is the worst pizza I've ever had that wasn't frozen (that's a whole 'nother issue by the way)
2. Majority of the people in Minnesota wouldn't know a good slice of pizza if one was shot from Michigan Ave and landed on someone's skinny jeans in Uptown.
After eating this utter hell on thin crust, I kept on seeking and scouring the metro area for good pizza. I found a lot of mid-range spots. (Best delivery pizza in St. Paul - Hot City Pizza down 7th street, google it) and then I was told about a place called Savoy Pizza. A truly tasty pizza, with the right amount of spice and kick in their sauce, and enough cheese to keep any Wisconsssinnn people from bitching. But there was still this void deep in my stomach. I was missing what made pizza one of, if not the greatest foods in history. I needed a slice of Deep Dish.
Now, I mentioned earlier how Domino's has "Deep Pan" and not Deep Dish? Just because it's made in a deep pan does NOT Make it a fucking deep dish pizza.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago-style_pizza) Wikipedia explains masterfully how Deep Dish is made
Months later, a friend took me to a place connected to a mall called Green Mill. While going over the menu and seeing "deep dish" expecting another pan pizza, I see someone else's order arrive at a table across from us, and I nearly burst into happy tears. A real deep dish pan was being served. This place proved legit. As I ordered and devoured my pizza (and contemplated stealing one of the well seasoned cast iron pans - hard to find since few up here can make deep dish) I realised how fortunate I was to grow up with the World's Greatest Pizza in my backyard, and I hope to pass on to people in this state just how real pizza is done.
I'm a pizza snob. And I'm proud of it.
Hi, I'm Alex, and I am a pizza snob.
Growing up in Chicago, you take for granted at a young age, what good pizza tastes like. Places like Reggio's, Connie's, Giordano's, Gino's East and Ricobene's arnt in every major city, and once I moved away, it became very apparent that I grew up around some of the best pizza I'll find.
During my brief stint as a college student up here, I found comfort in the local Domino's, to the point where the entire store knew my name and had my order memorized(Large "Deep Pan"- it's defintely not deep dish. Cheese only with extra sauce, which is something I started adding at the suggestion of a friend who described the pizza here as "very dry")
After 3 months of this chain-brand garbage (which only became appetizing after copious amounts of UV Blue and Monster) I decided to search for decent pizza. I asked the locals, and was told about a set of places called Pizza Luce. Upon glancing at their menu, they had a lot of oddities that Minnesotans may find charming for pizza toppings (... Hey, have you ever tried the baked potato pizza?) but to a trained eye seemed like trouble. Despite this, I order the simple classic*
* - sidenote: I only get one thing, and one thing only on a pizza. It's Cheese (and maybe extra sauce). If it's good pizza, that's all you need. About 20 pizza places in this country actually use good quality pepperoni and sausage and that's why I haven't had a topping on a slice since Clinton's 1st term.
60 minutes later (delivery + consumption) I drew to 2 conclusions:
1. Pizza Luce is the worst pizza I've ever had that wasn't frozen (that's a whole 'nother issue by the way)
2. Majority of the people in Minnesota wouldn't know a good slice of pizza if one was shot from Michigan Ave and landed on someone's skinny jeans in Uptown.
After eating this utter hell on thin crust, I kept on seeking and scouring the metro area for good pizza. I found a lot of mid-range spots. (Best delivery pizza in St. Paul - Hot City Pizza down 7th street, google it) and then I was told about a place called Savoy Pizza. A truly tasty pizza, with the right amount of spice and kick in their sauce, and enough cheese to keep any Wisconsssinnn people from bitching. But there was still this void deep in my stomach. I was missing what made pizza one of, if not the greatest foods in history. I needed a slice of Deep Dish.
Now, I mentioned earlier how Domino's has "Deep Pan" and not Deep Dish? Just because it's made in a deep pan does NOT Make it a fucking deep dish pizza.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago-style_pizza) Wikipedia explains masterfully how Deep Dish is made
Months later, a friend took me to a place connected to a mall called Green Mill. While going over the menu and seeing "deep dish" expecting another pan pizza, I see someone else's order arrive at a table across from us, and I nearly burst into happy tears. A real deep dish pan was being served. This place proved legit. As I ordered and devoured my pizza (and contemplated stealing one of the well seasoned cast iron pans - hard to find since few up here can make deep dish) I realised how fortunate I was to grow up with the World's Greatest Pizza in my backyard, and I hope to pass on to people in this state just how real pizza is done.
I'm a pizza snob. And I'm proud of it.
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