My name is Joe Pendleton, and I am an alcoholic. OK, a weekend alcoholic, but an alcoholic nonetheless.
What other conclusion can I draw from last Saturday's trip to Philly to check out Bruce and the boys at the Wachovia Center.
Here's what we'll do. I'll give you a rundown of my day and you can draw your own conclusion. (Some names have been changed to protect the innocent).
1:45: Me and Mrs. Pendleton meet up with the third in our group in Central Jersey and head to Philly armed with a cooler full of tastes and Tastee subs, and believe it or not, low expectations for the show since Slim Steve, who was there the night before, said it was quite dull.
3:00: Roll into the Wachovia Center lot, bang down taste No. 1, and work on taste No. 2 as we head to check out the wristband scene.
3:20: With wristbands and an order to be back in line at 4:20, head back to the Pendleton minivan, where, on our way, we stumble across a young Sqawking VFR lookalike who is wandering around aimlessly and muttering something about leaving his ticket at his hotel.
3:25-:3:45: Have tastes 3-7.
3:46 Ticket dude strolls by with a buddy and asks if he could "buy a beer or two off of us." Now, while I don't have any proof, I like to think I invented this move. Knowing full well nobody is going to charge you for a beer, you ask to buy one, get a freebie and move on. However, ticket dude (he got it back) didn't realize we were the same folks he ran into a just a 1/2-hour ago, so, while giving him and his buddy a free taste, we start doing schtick. They are cool and hang out with us. Not only am I a weekend alchie, I'm also an enabler. So, by the time 4:20 rolls around (the time we have to leave to lineup for a chance to hit the Pit), I'm on taste 11 and these cats are on about 3 or 4.
4:20: Armed with taste No. 12, the five of us head to line up. We line up, and in the meantime, thanks to Jersey Girls suggestion to go on Backstreets.com, I'm able to unload our extra ticket for face value. Thanks JG.
4:40: We realize this wristband thing is gonna take a while, so our third _ who will remain nameless - heads back to the van for more tastes.
4:50: While banging down tastes 13-17, I call work a few times to catch a Texas-OK score (one of the cats was from Texas) and tick off the folks at work. At one point, they ask me how many tastes I've downed, and I tell them 20 or so, which, I thought at the time was an exaggeration, but now I realize how close I was.
5:10: After a false alarm where I had dreams of being in the first row for a Bruce show, we get screwed on the wristband deal, and head back to the van. On the trip back, the third reveals we are now out of beer. OUT OF BEER? Of course, most non weekend alcoholics would've taken the cue right there to stop, but not me. Using a Philly cab driver, we give our two new friends a $20 and orders to bring back more beer. Did you hear me ladies and gentlemen of the jury? A beer run.
5:30: Fearing we've been conned out of $20, the two cats arrive with a 30-pack of Coors Light. After initial complaints about the beer selection, I proceed to down tastes No. 18-24 in the two hours or so (as you can see, I'm slowing down a bit). Of course, the van needing a battery jump due to playing Bruce tunes without the engine running for two hours, may have slowed me down a bit, too.
7:45: With taste No. 25 in hand and No. 26 in my pocket, we start our walk to the show. I think I only had a few sips of 25 and had to dump 26 before entering, but no we are in the show.
8:00: The third brings me a paid-for taste on the floor of the Wachovia Center. We'll call it 26, since I didn't really drink the first 26.
8:20: The show starts, Bruce opens up with Night. It's an early clue that he's not mailing it in like some reported he had the night before. When song No. 4 is Prove it All Night, it's obvious this is gonna be a good one.
9:45: I see Scialfa getting ready to croon, and see this as good chance to unload tastes No. 15-26 from my bladder and get taste N0. 27. On my way up the stairs from the floor, I trip and nearly kill myself. Only my left shoulder saved my noggin from hitting cement. Some dude, also not impressed with Mrs. Springsteen's act, helps me to my feet. Undeterred, I still head for the beer stand. Thankfully, the line for the men's room resembles one you would find at a WNBA game (there is no line) and there's no one on the beer line. After a near stumble down the stairs I almost fell up just minutes ago, I reach the floor, find Mrs. P and the third just in time for Bruce to break into "Incident on 57th Street." Now, I'm really fired up, and since this is the first time he's playing it on tour, I tell everyone around me - most didn't appreciate it - that after this he's gonna let the piano solo roll into Rosalita. Everyone tells me I'm wrong, which turns out to be true.
10:00: With 27 tastes down the hatch, the highlight of the night comes when Bruce pulls an audible and busts into Cadillac Ranch. The joint goes wild.
10:50: After a rockin version of Dancin in the Dark, Bruce breaks into "American Land," which everyone knows is the final tune of the night. About 3 minutes in, me, Mrs. P and the third head for the exit, and see the end of the show right before we head for the door.
11:00: Dilemma time. While I want to bang down a few post-game tastes, Mrs. P and third want to get in the rig (hope it starts) and get out of Philly before we sit in traffic for an hour or two. I figure at this point I've tested Mrs. P's patience, I chug beer No. 28 and hop in the rig.
1:00: We roll back into Casa Pendleton: The ride home is pretty much a blur, the only thing I remeber is rooting against the Phillies on the radio as if they were the Yankees.
8 a.m.: I wake up in the rack alone, with Mrs. P down the hall in our daughter's bed (our kids stayed a grandma's hut).
So there you have it, ladies and genteman of the jury. Now you vote.
One final thing. I never, never, never have tastes Mon-Thurs and Sunday (since I work on Sunday). So most of this activity goes on Fri and Saturday, hence the weekend tag.
By the way, since that show I have not had one beer, and have decided to try and stay dry until Jan. 1
We'll see about that one, since I'm going to two adult b-day parties in the next 3 weeks. When I say adult, I mean adults only, not like porn star parties, though if that were the case, I would certainly stay sober.
Anyway, great Bruce show. Great time.
A few more quickies:
Another shout out to Jersey Girl, and this one really saved me. While chatting with her Saturday morning, I told her how I actually felt bad for Joba in the bug incident. Without any hesitation, she sternly said, "He's a Yankee." You know what, she's right. Thanks for the reality check. Fuck Joba.
As for the Yankees, I'm still debating which team - Mets or Yanks - had a more disappointing season. Afterall, both teams didn't win a division title, both teams were non-factors in October.
From a Mets standpoint, I'm gonna say the Yanks were a bigger disappointment. I mean, it was clear on about Sept. 10 the Mets - even if they had made the playoffs - had no shot of going anywhere. The Yanks, on the other hand, looked like a force heading into the postseason.
Also, the Met loss could actually turn out to be a good thing as Tom Glavine is a goner and I'm sure Omar Minaya will try to overhaul this team in the offseason. The Yanks, on the other hand, will bring back pretty much the same team (A-Rod, Posada, Mariano, Giambi, Mussina, and I think, Torre). It will be more of the same. Plus, none of our announcers cried like blubbering idiots when the team lost (at least on the air, they didn't).
Plus, all Met pain ended with the Phillies getting swept. The Yankee pain will resurface in about 2 weeks, when the Red Sox win their second title in four years.
One more thing on the baseball playoffs. I'm already sick of this Frank TV guy and the show hasn't even started.
A few things Frank:
-- You can't do a Pacino imitation if your 300 pounds. It doesn't work.
-- My daughter can do a Nicholson imitation. It's not hard to do.
-- Your George Bush is great. Who the hell cares.
Cheer up, though Frank, as long as Chip Caray is employed by TBS, there will always be someone more annoying working there.
Well, that's all for now.
Thank you for your time and courtesy.
Let's Go Rangers.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Monday, October 01, 2007
MAN, I HATE BEING WRIGHT
Well,. the Mets are officially done and if you're a regular reader of FNC, you would've know the weekend after the All-Star break, when this little paragraph appeared on a July 16th post:
One final thing, and you heard it here first on July 16 - THE METS WILL NOT MAKE THE PLAYOFFS THIS YEAR. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think I am.
You see, I knew back then this team had no guts, no starting pitching, a shitty bullpen and a "we're already in the playoffs" attitude. Had I seen Jose Reyes totally playing the second half of the season like a whiny little baby, I probably would've bet some heavy cash on the Met demise.
You see, the main reason for making that prediction was the Mets' habit of taking games off during the season, not showing up. I went over the schedule last night and I picked out 10-11 games where they completely mailed it in - and this was before the awful skid in September.
Here are the games:
Saturday, April 14: I remember this one, because I listened to most of it in a hotel parking lot with localschill waiting to make a "connection." Mets are in the early going, with a 7-3 record, but they take the day off against the Nationals, falling 6-2. Not a huge loss, but starts the trend of having no killer instict.
Wednesday, April 25: Rockies at Mets: After taking first two games against Colorado, Mets fail to show up for afternoon afair, falling behind 10-0 and eventually losing 11-5. Mike Pelfrey gets shelled again, but Mets, once again, display this "we can give away a game attitude," without any repurcussions. Just think. If we win that game, we're playing today instead of the Rockies.
Sunday, May 20: Yankees at Mets. After winning first two games from reeling Yanks, Mets send John Maine to the hill against Tyler Clippard. Instead of relishing chance to bury cross-town rivals, Mets manage just seven hits and two runs. It's the first of many mail ins.
Sunday, June 3: A day after localschill's wedding, the Mets appear to have been partying all night, getting baffled by Arizona's Doug Davis in a 4-1 defeat. It also starts a string where they will lose 8 of their next 9, including three straight at home to the your NL East champion Phillies.
Sunday, July 1: After taking first three games in Philly, the Mets are primed for a four-game sweep that would put the Phillies away for good. Instead, they can't touch Kyle Kendrick, and fall 5-3. It's the first of 8-straight losses to the Phillies.
Monday, July 16: After taking 3 of 4 from Reds to start second half, Mets are baffled by David Wells in San Diego. This game, where they play as if they don't give two shits, is one that prompted me to predict they wouldn't make the playoffs.
Friday, August. 10: Marlins at Mets: Mets score only three runs against the Fish, and Billy Wagner can't hold a lead in the 9th, as Hanley (fuck the Mets up) Ramirez, delivers two-run double. Who would've thought at this point in the season, that within 6 weeks, not only would Jimmy Rollins be a better NL East shortstop than Joe Reyes, Ramirez would be, too. Anyway, Mets lose the next day, too, with Aaron Heilman giving it up. Two days, two bullpen meltdowns. It's the beginning of the end.
Sunday, Aug. 26: This one really pissed me off. Dodgers at Mets. After taking first two from L.A., Mets are primed for another sweep, but David Wells, who was cut by the Padres two weeks ago and hadn't pitched since, completely baffles the Mets on national TV. 3B coach Sandy Alomar kills any shot at big inning by getting Lastings Milledge gunned down at home in first inning when mets have fatman on the ropes. And David Wright, after doubling in two runs in third, gets picked off second with one out and Beltran at plate.
By the way, Reyes is getting killed for Mets collapse, and rightfully so, but to me, David Wright should take plenty of the blame himself. Sure, he hit for average, but he didn't homer in his last 15 games, his throwing error in Florida with Mike Jacobs running cost us a key game, and his not knowing there was a force play Friday night also killed us.
Weds. Sept. 7: Mets at Reds. After getting swept in Philly, Mets take three in Atlanta and roll over dead Reds for first two games. However, in series finale, Mets do not show up, getting three hits off some guy named Tom Shearn. Think they would like to have this one back.
Of course, after this, Mets come home and sweep the Astros, take two of three from the Braves, before the Phils come in for the weekend series that turned the whole season around.
A few more points, before I put the Mets to bed for until April.
1. If they re-sign Tom Glavine, I will never, never, never, never, never spend another penny on anyting to do with the franchise. I will still root for them, but I figure, if they can't waste their money on that piece of garbage, they don't need mine.
2. My days of watching every pitch, checking the score every five minutes - no matter where I am - are over. The last straw was Sunday. While I stayed home to watch Glavine give us Mets fans one last F-U, my daughter Georgia was not only playign field hockey, but scoring her first goal of the season. Never again will the Mets come first. EVER
3. As I stated above, Jose Reyes takes plenty of the blame for this, but to me, he's the poster boy for their cavalier attitude all season. Let's face it, Carlos Delgado was awful. Paul Lo Duca was awful. Tom Glavine, once he got win No. 300, could've cared less about this season. David Wright had a good year, but any time, at any time of him being an MVP candidate was a joke. He can't throw from first to third. He didn't homer for the first month and last 15 days of the season. He's a great player, but ask yourself this, and be honest. Would you rather have him and Reyes or Utley and Rollins? Think about it.
4. I heard a guy call the FAN last night, and he had a great point. He wondered why is losing unacceptable in the Bronx, but not in Queens? Seriously, when Yanks get off the slow start, it's as if the sky is falling. When we do, it's "oh, it's just the Mets." Well, that's crap. To me, it all started after the 2000 World Series. Instead of cleaning house after watching the Yanks celebrate on their field, the Wilpons went out and passed on A-Rod, signed Kevin Appier to a big deal and allowed Timo Perez and Armando Benitez to continue playing for the franchise.
Do you think George Steinbrenner would've allowed any of this too happen? The mets need to put more pressure on these guys to win. Make it known, losing is unacceptable. If that means, canning Willie, or Minaya. So be it.
That's all for now. And I just have three words to say: LET'S GO RANGERS
One final thing, and you heard it here first on July 16 - THE METS WILL NOT MAKE THE PLAYOFFS THIS YEAR. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think I am.
You see, I knew back then this team had no guts, no starting pitching, a shitty bullpen and a "we're already in the playoffs" attitude. Had I seen Jose Reyes totally playing the second half of the season like a whiny little baby, I probably would've bet some heavy cash on the Met demise.
You see, the main reason for making that prediction was the Mets' habit of taking games off during the season, not showing up. I went over the schedule last night and I picked out 10-11 games where they completely mailed it in - and this was before the awful skid in September.
Here are the games:
Saturday, April 14: I remember this one, because I listened to most of it in a hotel parking lot with localschill waiting to make a "connection." Mets are in the early going, with a 7-3 record, but they take the day off against the Nationals, falling 6-2. Not a huge loss, but starts the trend of having no killer instict.
Wednesday, April 25: Rockies at Mets: After taking first two games against Colorado, Mets fail to show up for afternoon afair, falling behind 10-0 and eventually losing 11-5. Mike Pelfrey gets shelled again, but Mets, once again, display this "we can give away a game attitude," without any repurcussions. Just think. If we win that game, we're playing today instead of the Rockies.
Sunday, May 20: Yankees at Mets. After winning first two games from reeling Yanks, Mets send John Maine to the hill against Tyler Clippard. Instead of relishing chance to bury cross-town rivals, Mets manage just seven hits and two runs. It's the first of many mail ins.
Sunday, June 3: A day after localschill's wedding, the Mets appear to have been partying all night, getting baffled by Arizona's Doug Davis in a 4-1 defeat. It also starts a string where they will lose 8 of their next 9, including three straight at home to the your NL East champion Phillies.
Sunday, July 1: After taking first three games in Philly, the Mets are primed for a four-game sweep that would put the Phillies away for good. Instead, they can't touch Kyle Kendrick, and fall 5-3. It's the first of 8-straight losses to the Phillies.
Monday, July 16: After taking 3 of 4 from Reds to start second half, Mets are baffled by David Wells in San Diego. This game, where they play as if they don't give two shits, is one that prompted me to predict they wouldn't make the playoffs.
Friday, August. 10: Marlins at Mets: Mets score only three runs against the Fish, and Billy Wagner can't hold a lead in the 9th, as Hanley (fuck the Mets up) Ramirez, delivers two-run double. Who would've thought at this point in the season, that within 6 weeks, not only would Jimmy Rollins be a better NL East shortstop than Joe Reyes, Ramirez would be, too. Anyway, Mets lose the next day, too, with Aaron Heilman giving it up. Two days, two bullpen meltdowns. It's the beginning of the end.
Sunday, Aug. 26: This one really pissed me off. Dodgers at Mets. After taking first two from L.A., Mets are primed for another sweep, but David Wells, who was cut by the Padres two weeks ago and hadn't pitched since, completely baffles the Mets on national TV. 3B coach Sandy Alomar kills any shot at big inning by getting Lastings Milledge gunned down at home in first inning when mets have fatman on the ropes. And David Wright, after doubling in two runs in third, gets picked off second with one out and Beltran at plate.
By the way, Reyes is getting killed for Mets collapse, and rightfully so, but to me, David Wright should take plenty of the blame himself. Sure, he hit for average, but he didn't homer in his last 15 games, his throwing error in Florida with Mike Jacobs running cost us a key game, and his not knowing there was a force play Friday night also killed us.
Weds. Sept. 7: Mets at Reds. After getting swept in Philly, Mets take three in Atlanta and roll over dead Reds for first two games. However, in series finale, Mets do not show up, getting three hits off some guy named Tom Shearn. Think they would like to have this one back.
Of course, after this, Mets come home and sweep the Astros, take two of three from the Braves, before the Phils come in for the weekend series that turned the whole season around.
A few more points, before I put the Mets to bed for until April.
1. If they re-sign Tom Glavine, I will never, never, never, never, never spend another penny on anyting to do with the franchise. I will still root for them, but I figure, if they can't waste their money on that piece of garbage, they don't need mine.
2. My days of watching every pitch, checking the score every five minutes - no matter where I am - are over. The last straw was Sunday. While I stayed home to watch Glavine give us Mets fans one last F-U, my daughter Georgia was not only playign field hockey, but scoring her first goal of the season. Never again will the Mets come first. EVER
3. As I stated above, Jose Reyes takes plenty of the blame for this, but to me, he's the poster boy for their cavalier attitude all season. Let's face it, Carlos Delgado was awful. Paul Lo Duca was awful. Tom Glavine, once he got win No. 300, could've cared less about this season. David Wright had a good year, but any time, at any time of him being an MVP candidate was a joke. He can't throw from first to third. He didn't homer for the first month and last 15 days of the season. He's a great player, but ask yourself this, and be honest. Would you rather have him and Reyes or Utley and Rollins? Think about it.
4. I heard a guy call the FAN last night, and he had a great point. He wondered why is losing unacceptable in the Bronx, but not in Queens? Seriously, when Yanks get off the slow start, it's as if the sky is falling. When we do, it's "oh, it's just the Mets." Well, that's crap. To me, it all started after the 2000 World Series. Instead of cleaning house after watching the Yanks celebrate on their field, the Wilpons went out and passed on A-Rod, signed Kevin Appier to a big deal and allowed Timo Perez and Armando Benitez to continue playing for the franchise.
Do you think George Steinbrenner would've allowed any of this too happen? The mets need to put more pressure on these guys to win. Make it known, losing is unacceptable. If that means, canning Willie, or Minaya. So be it.
That's all for now. And I just have three words to say: LET'S GO RANGERS
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