Rad's Ramblings: A visit to a historical American sports venue

I just returned from a week long vacation in the northeast US. As always, vacations from the job (even one as enjoyable as mine) are always refreshing and provide a good recharge of the batteries, especially when we are about to enter one of the busiest times of the year. For those of us who are lucky enough to work in sports television, radio, and writing, Fall brings us lots of football, and the baseball season REALLY gets down to the nitty-gritty.

Another thing I like about vacations is the opportunity to see things from a different perspective, and this includes the perspectives of sports fans and media. This vacation was mostly about backpacking, climbing, and touring through the Adirondacks of New York, and Green mountains of Vermont. As most would agree, the journey to the destination is just as fun, especially for a sports fan.

My best friend picked me up from BWI airport on Sunday, and we headed up I-95 towards our destination. Listening to a 50/50 mix of sports talk radio and Van Halen CD’s we made a wrong turn in Baltimore which allowed us to drive past Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium. I thought that it was a shame that the once-proud Orioles franchise has been M.I.A. for the last 15 years. In a division with the Rays, Yankees, and Red Sox, the birds are an also-ran, an embarrassment, and a national punch-line. More on the AL East in a bit.

The Ravens meanwhile could be the sleeper team in the AFC this year. Joe Flacco’s improvement is key. But Ray Rice is awesome, and Anquan Boldin is a great addition. The defense is always good, even with the injury (Ed Reed) and age (Ray Lewis) concerns.

We drove past the immense sports complex in Philadelphia. Citizens Bank Ballpark (Phillies) the Linc (Eagles), and the Wells Fargo Center (76ers/Flyers) are all together, sharing the same parking lots. We make fun of their tough fans, but Philly is such a great sports town, with a legacy of great teams.

Up thru Princeton, NJ and into New York State, past Albany (home of NY Giants training camp) we stopped for the night in beautiful Lake George. At our hotel, we met a Bradenton resident who was on a fishing vacation (I noticed his Florida license plate). I asked if he had Bright House, he said “Yes!” He never misses “Hooked on Fishing,” and “Average Angler Adventures,” and he added that he liked watching BHSN (Channel 47) for sports news as well. He knew the name Rock Riley, but Jeff Radcliffe didn’t ring a bell. I didn’t say anything (Ha ha!). Small world though.

The next morning we made way for the high peaks of the Adirondacks, we went “off the grid” for a few days as we hiked up, through, and around the wilderness. There was no cell phone service, and I was itching to know if the Magic were going to be able to pull off a deal to get point guard Chris Paul from New Orleans. I learned my answer a few days later. Why am I disappointed?

When we came out of the woods, the first thing we did (after a shower) was head into historic Lake Placid- site of the 1932, and 1980 Winter Olympic Games. We toured the Ski Jump training and other Olympic facilities. The highlight was the 1980 hockey arena (Now known as Herb Brooks arena) where the “Miracle on Ice” occurred. I was just 6 years old at the time, but I remember watching the tape delayed broadcast with my family, and getting caught up in the excitement. The only other thing I recall from the ‘80 games was being glued to the TV watching the bobsled, because it was a really neat slide! Every American should make a pilgrimage to that ice rink. You look up in the rafters, and you can feel the history! You gaze up into the press box, and you can hear Al Michaels yelling the famous call, “Do you believe in miracles? YES!” It honestly gave me chills!

We camped near Whiteface Mountain. A black bear climbed a tree and walked thru our site which made for an exciting evening, and restless night’s sleep. My best friend hails from Pittsburgh, so there was a lot of NFL talk during our hikes, climbs and campfire chats. He’s now in the “No longer a fan of Roethlisberger” camp, which makes me laugh. I think the Steelers need to move on. We’ll see how the backup QB’s handle the team during Big Ben’s 4 game suspension.

By now it was Thursday. We took a ferry ride across Lake Champlain and headed into Vermont, where there are zero professional sports teams. We talked more sports over lunch in downtown Burlington...a cool little town, if you ever get the chance to visit. We spent the night at a campground near Stowe, which really made me want to go skiing this winter. There is no snow or hills here in Florida, of course. Maybe my wife and I will head up after football season. We can be the polar opposite of all the snowbirds here in the sunshine state.

After one last climb we headed back through Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. There was a lot of sports radio talk about the MLB trade deadline. Yankee fans seem to be happy with the trades the team made. Lance Berkman and Kerry Wood seem to be much better additions than Chad Qualls! Seriously, the Rays added a relief pitcher with an ERA over 8? (I know that injuries played a part)

Still, you could almost feel New York fans shudder as Tampa Bay took two of three from the Bronx Bombers later in that weekend. This race is going to go down right to the very end. Even with all the talent New York has, I think that the Rays have a much easier schedule in the last few weeks. While the Yanks have to contend with the Red Sox, Blue Jays and Rangers, the Rays will be playing Kansas City, Seattle and Anaheim. That could be the difference. Although the 7 head-to-head games with the Yankees will be huge!

We stayed Friday night at hotel in Port Jervis, NY (right at the NY/NJ/PA tri-state border). This was rather expensive, and I quickly figured out why. We were less than an hour from Pocono Raceway, where the NASCAR Sprint Cup series was that weekend. The hotel was full of fans, and the parking lot was loaded with sticker-clad SUV’s and pickup trucks. Greg Biffle finally got that win for Ford! Elliott Sadler took part in the hardest crash of the season so far. We’re just 5 races away from “The Chase”, and we’re still waiting for Tony Stewart to make his trademark late season push. He’s a good road racer, so why not win at Watkins Glen this weekend?

The next day we made it home: the Northern Virginia/Washington DC area where I grew up. I planned on spending a few days with family before my flight back to Orlando. The Nationals have taken the place of the Orioles as the baseball team people pay attention to. The O’s introduced Buck Showalter as their 16th manager. He’s a great choice, but he has his work cut out for him. He’s in the same division as the Rays, Yanks, and Red Sox! News flash! Those teams aren’t going anywhere. Good luck Buck, but you probably shouldn’t have left ESPN. He says all the right things in his press conference though. If he can get Baltimore back to respectability, that will be saying something!

I was never a huge Redskins fan, but the Albert Haynesworth saga was entertaining and annoying at the same time. Every day the sports media was on pins and needles to see if Big Al was going to be able to run that “shuttle.” I’m wondering if the Bucs will have similar camp drama when I return. The answer is “probably not!” Tampa Bay does have lots of questions though. Can this be Josh Freeman’s team? Can Gerald McCoy make an immediate impact on the D-Line? Will the team step up and give Barrett Ruud a long term deal? And most importantly, what has coach Raheem Morris learned from his sub-par first season at the helm. I’m ready for some football! How about you!

It sure is funny how a vacation can get you excited to go back to work, while at the same time be a respite from the grind you’ve endured during the multiple months prior. In my case, no matter how hard I try to take a break from sports, I can’t. My mind won’t let me. Sports are woven into the fabric of who I am. Whether I’m participating, watching, talking about, following, or just getting exercise while enjoying the great outdoors, I love every aspect of sport! I suppose we need that “vacation” to remind ourselves how important a diversion sports are in our lives!

That all said…. it’s good to be back!