Are You Ready For Some (sort of) Football?

This group of fanatics was psyched to watch their Rampage clash with the Los Angeles Avengers on a lazy Sunday in Grand Rapids, MI.

The crowd was a little bit, um, sparser, inside.

But the crowd got into it as their Rampage jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first 8 seconds or so. I mean, it was real quick. By halftime, I was bored of touchdowns.

Despite the sparse crowd, the small field, and the whole "the NFL season is months away, this should hold you over" attitude, Arena Ball is an intimate fan experience. Fans in the front row heckle opposing players who come near the wall. Loren's friends in that picture use the Rampage to get their fix now that they're done with college. There is plenty of fun to be had.

And then at halftime they have the team's web designer stand in the middle of the field with a helmet with a bell on it and have fans try to throw footballs at his head. And when the fans miss, they move them closer so as not to disappoint the crowd. And the poor web designer takes a few footballs to the spinal column for good measure.


The highlight of the second half was watching a video of the Rampage QB reading the weather report. And another video of him showing fans around his house a la MTV Cribs. "This is my fridge. I got...bacon, and some Rampage water, I took it from the facility."

Final Score: Rampage 84, Avengers 59. That's 20 touchdowns. (yawn)

--david

Beautiful Day for a Ballgame

Oh yeah, the weather sucks in Chicago in late March. But 4o degree temperatures and pouring rain wouldn't stop hordes of eternally optimistic Cubs fans from piling into Wrigley field to watch their perennially disappointing team begin their 100th try at another World Championship.

Before any baseball could be played, we had to witness what I call "the dance of the grounds crew."

Here they come!

Now, everyone grab on:
Ok, 1...2...3...CHARGE!
KEEP RUNNING!

Hey guys, you spilled it all over the infield! I can get it off...with my foot...

I think I need some help here:

Oh yeah, we have these broom things...ok everyone get a broom thing and push the water toward the drains!

There we go, good work boys. Ok, now let's go roll it up.

Everybody 1...2...3...PUSH!

And finally they play:

The Cubs newest import, Kosuke Fukudome makes an immediate impact, whacking the first pitch he sees to the centerfield wall for a Double.

And then it started raining again.

So we took a picture: And drank hot chocolate:

(Benetti note: Nothing in America that costs two dollars is what it says it is. The contents of that white styrofoam container were neither hot nor chocolate.)

Eventually it stopped raining and they played again. The Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers traded bullpen implosions. Fukudome added to his stellar debut with a game-tying three run homer in the bottom of the ninth. Then the Brewers scored in the tenth and spoiled opening day for the Cubs and their water-logged fans.

Or as we learned, they really didn't spoil anything. Most of the fans seemed less interested in the game than they were in drinking beer, eating sausage and texting their friends on their blackberrys to brag about skipping work to go to Opening Day.

Insert cheesy sentimental line about the trip coming to an end here.

We have more to blog about, and a book to write. Thanks for joining us so far. Stay with us; you won't be disappointed.

--david

I-80-sixed

Hello from Denver International Airport, home of lots of tents and a red-eyed bronco.

You're saying to yourself, "Where'd the rest of the trip go?" It's here. It's just that we spent the last two days in a car. Cars do not provide internet. Therefore, we have not told you about Grand Rapids, Michigan or Chicago, Illinois. We will do that shortly.

Briefly, Grand Rapids has a diner which prints a menu for the express purpose of confusing its customers and Chicago is a great place to develop an energy-drink business plan.....as long as you're wearing a poncho.

Talk soon,

-Benetti and Spiegel at a table near a fountain