Posts Tagged "yankees"

Hey, your fan is showing…

Posted by talda on Sep 2, 2009 in Baseball, Sports | Comments Off

Over the last weekend I was kind of half watching the Battle of the Bay: 49ers versus Raiders while working on my Econ midterm [that I got an A- on!] and twittering about it when I got into a fun little battle of words with a Niner fan. The banter went back and forth, mostly about how crappy the Raiders are and my lack of a denial [I mean, they are!] but what stood out the most was this exchange:

While I am still a huge sports fan, I mainly feel the fanatic part of me has largely been tempered after taking classes at Michigan. I just don’t get caught up in the glitz of things like I used to; I’m just not as emotionally attached as I used to be.

That is a potential side effect but it doesn’t happen to everyone who works in sports. Some people still manage to maintain the complete fan naiveté, others become more tempered [like myself], and still others pretty much have their inner fan completely subdued as if they’re dosing up on Xanax or something.

Anywho, so my secret is out. I’m not that big of a sports fan anymore. I hardly keep up with anything and I’m lucky if I can remember who was drafted when [much to the chagrin of my nephew, who CONSTANTLY likes to ask me about so and so or who that football guy is]. Now compare that to the me in high school when I could recite the starting five for every basketball team in the NBA, the first 15 guys drafted in both the NFL and NBA drafts [oh, and when I actually watched the draft!] and when I was ready to go to death for my favorite teams. My life revolved around Sportscenter, so much so that I wanted to work for them. Yeah, I was ready to move out to Connecticut. Heaven forbid you say anything negative about someone I liked. I complained and moaned like the most seasoned of sports-radio call-in listeners about what I would do if I ran the team or how I would have managed a certain situation.

So pursuing a career in sports was the most obvious of things for me. If only I knew what that would entail. I’ve said it a few times before but I remember my very first day of class at Michigan, sitting in a classroom in the CCRB [Central Campus Recreation Building] above the squash courts and down the hall from the weight room with anticipation, only to be told that I would systematically be destroyed and built back up. Okay, not in those exact words but I’m sure that’s what Dr. George really meant to say.

Who knew that by the end of my four years there I’d turn into a pretty savvy and arguably [by some] emotionless fan. I was effectively groomed for management, which was pretty much the point. You can’t be a raging fan and properly manage a team [or, to be honest, work for a team]. You have to be able to make the proper and necessary business decisions, because after all, it is a business. Looking back, I know I would have sucked as a General Manager because I would have been too caught up in the fan aspect of a player instead of looking at it from a more critical eye. There are many layers that typical fans [not all of them!] miss out behind every decision.

And don’t get me started on trying to reason with a die-hard fanatic [trust me; I used to be one of them!]. Like many things, you cannot have a logical discussion with someone who operates wholly on the emotional side.

I did notice that when I started working for the minor league baseball team, my subsequent viewings of Sportscenter plummeted. It just reminded me too much of work. I wanted to come home and escape everything that happened that day and watching baseball highlights all night was not helpful. Then I began to dread going into extra innings because that meant I would be getting home that much later or that, at one point, didn’t care who won; I just wanted someone to get a run so I could finally go home!

I’ll let you in on a little secret: during the really long extra inning games, most front office staff are no where to be found because they’re in their offices finishing up as much work as possible so they can go home sooner after the game ends.

So in an effort to maintain my sanity, I started branching out and watching and paying attention to other things. I just don’t find it fun to be immersed in something all day and then come home to surround myself in the same stuff. Sometimes you just need a break and figure out how to better balance your work/life.

But I will say that I still have those moments of pure fandom; when you’re kicking back at a game and you’re caught up in the moment. Like how I was always excited when the home team knocked in the winning run in extra innings, or nearly going bat crazy watching that epic Yankees-Red Sox extra inning thriller a few weeks back. Or how much fun I had watching the Mariners’ play in Seattle.

And those moments feel soo good.

The fan in me hasn’t died. It’s just realized that the sun will rise again and the world will continue on whether or not the Yankees win the World Series.

And that, my friends, was a hard lesson to learn.

Not your ordinary case of the Mondays…

Posted by talda on Apr 6, 2009 in Baseball, Career, Everyday, Sports, Trips/Adventures | Comments Off

Happy Opening Week of Baseball y’all! I am so glad it’s finally the start of the baseball season. And this time for real. Here’s to an exciting summer of baseball and hopefully a championship for my Yankees.

I cannot believe how busy I’ve been the past couple of weeks. And here I thought it would all settle down while I was on break from classes.

Silly me.

But classes start this week as does the start of our official event season here at work so things are gonna be a little wacky this week too but hopefully not too much because I’ve been experiencing some serious blogging withdrawals.

Though what will be exciting is to see just how my job duties will begin to take shape. My boss and I have been flying along figuring out what it is I exactly do. I’m sure we’ll still be making things up as we go along for another month or so but at least now with the event stuff starting to happen that’ll help us to narrow down what I’ll need to be able to take care of. Because most of the stuff only comes to mind when you have to do them.

Which is exciting because I can really see the potential of turning this job into more than just an “executive assistant” type of position, even though my boss doesn’t consider me to be an assistant…we stick with coordinator. Which I like even more. Oooh, I wonder if I can get business cards. I’ll have to remember to ask him once the new phone system gets put in and I get to move desks. Hopefully that’ll happen sometime before the year is out.

That’s enough work talk though.

So here’s more exciting news: I’m going to Seattle! I’m so excited. I’d been talking about flying up to visit Amalia since she moved there last year or so and after some prodding from Virgin America in the form of a promo code for 30% off, I finally got my butt in gear and booked my flight.

I’ll be going up for a weekend of fun, frivolity and hopefully some good eats. Because y’all know I’m gonna try to make a stop at Cupcake Royale. Forreals though. I think I may have already picked my flavors.

You can never accuse me of not having my priorities straight, that’s for sure.

I’m doing a call for places to visit, things to do and stuff to eat while I’m in Seattle. Anyone?

Oh, and in the spirit of state solidarity: go Michigan State! Win one for the Mitten.

And I don’t even feel dirty for saying that.

Peanuts, Cracker Jacks and Hot Dogs, oh my!

Posted by talda on Mar 30, 2009 in Baseball, Everyday, Sports | Comments Off

The excitement is starting to ramp up. With the Final Four set that means one thing: baseball is literally right around the corner!

Amazing how I turned a basketball reference into a segue for baseball huh? Skills.

But I’m so glad that baseball is back, and I don’t mean the tune up that’s Spring Training. I’m excited for Spring Training for an entirely different reason: it means that baseball is only a couple of months away. It’s like an early warning system.

I’m getting my ducks in line for the office’s annual trip to the Opening Day game. Wahoo. Pat will be my guest to the game this year since Jacki decided she’d much rather be in London visiting her sister. Puh-lease. Just kidding; she’s already penciled in for next year. I’ve been trying to get her to come for two years now but something always comes up. But I will succeed.

Hopefully this year means a better and successful Yankees’ team. I wanna see another Championship run dudes. I’ll still love you if you don’t make it but, you know, just do it.

I’m sure Lola and Jose would agree with me.

But I’m looking forward to seeing who’s going to be the surprise team this year. There’s one every year. Last year was the Tampa Bay [We’re not using Devil anymore] Rays so anyone have any guesses for this year? I haven’t paid too much attention to Spring Training so I don’t know how any team actually shapes up so far so I’ll just have to wait until the first month or so is finished before I venture to make a guess. But the possibilities are endless! It could be anyone!

Well, except the Nationals.

Ha, that was a joke.

Maybe.

You mean Patagonia isn’t just a brand of jacket?

Posted by talda on Nov 15, 2007 in Baseball, Everyday, Television | Comments Off

Am I the only person who still, from time to time, tries to freeze time by touching my index fingers together? I can’t be. There’s got to be someone else who does this. I know that I’ll never be able to stop time but it’s fun to try every once and again, just like we all did after watching that show.

And yes, I did try that yesterday just for kicks.

Okay, can I say how utterly disappointed I am that HWSNBN is potentially in line to return to the Yankees? I mean, what? After all the posturing…for nothing? He better start producing like, all the time. Even when he sleeps. For all that money [while not near the appalling $350 million floor Boras talked up] he needs to be able to heal the sick and walk on water. For real because if he doesn’t then it’s gonna be another rough go round in the Bronx for him.

And that’s without dealing with me. I was prepared to let him leave and start the “healing process” for the both of us; I’d get over him and he’d move on and regain that killer instinct he once had [not to say that he’ll be made completely impotent at the bat if he stays in New York – I know he has it in him, it’ll just be harder]. But if he insists on staying then Godspeed.

I’m amended my original plan. The gingerbread roll will be made the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. The office will most likely close early so I’ll be home with plenty of time to make it. Besides, I would like Lindsey to try it too even though she’s being mean to me right now and refuses to bring home Sprinkles cupcakes for me [or even make crepes while she’s here]. Plus I will be having lunch with Kayli on Saturday so that cuts my baking time. I can bust out the fudge no problem since I plan on getting to the hospital early in the morning [provided I wake up early].

My favorite show started again last night. That’s right folks, Project Runway is back. I completely forgot about it when I got home and just ate, showered and went straight to bed so if you caught it, don’t tell me what happened because I plan on watching it sometime this weekend. I adore Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn but I’m most excited about the bitchy twins, Michael Kors and Nina Garcia. Oh how I love their unabashed comments, even when I think they’re too harsh. They’re fabulous! I was amused to see Santino on The World’s Smartest Model [a.k.a. Lola’s favorite show]. I didn’t watch the episode but I did stop to see what he would do…and for the five minutes I did watch, not much but probably think he got stuck with the two biggest boobs in the world.

With the writer’s strike showing no signs of ending, I’ll be taking the opportunity to catch up on my reruns. I’m sad that the Office only has like, 1 more episode in the can before they’re forced to run reruns [or so I’ve heard] but that means that I’ll be able to catch up on Ugly Betty, which runs during my NBC block. I don’t have Tivo and I can’t remember to make it back to the ABC website to watch the show online [which is great because there’s hardly any commercials! So it only takes, like 40 some odd minutes to get through an entire show]. So I’ll be able to keep myself amused until this all plays out. Maybe I’ll Netflix the Gilmore Girls and catch up on the last few seasons! Or I can figure out more flavors. I’ve got my personal entertainment covered fairly well. Plus, I always have Cartoon Network. All of those shows are reruns anyway so no interference from the strike.